Genelec 8361A Review (Powered Monitor)

[restorer-john]

My little conure has a tendency to bolt off in a random direction when something spooks her.

Sit the cat next to the speakers.

 

[DanielT]

Hi Franz, they are metallic. I have seen people removing the drivers, sanding them and then getting them paint in any RAL color. I do not know if Genelec does it with a premium.

Answer from Genelec support

Given the price of 8361A if you are not experienced, then let a professional do the job.Blush on paint, if you are inexperienced you can do that on your cheap used speakers you have in the garage.

Think of the resale value.

Today, I can be proud that it is the neighboring country that produces Genelec.Hurray the Nordic here we go (again).

 

[respice finem]

Another option would be automotive foil. Then again, my personal experience: style-wise, one gets used to everything.

 

[Pearljam5000]

I see the smaller soundstage being mentioned
How small is it and does it have any benefits like being focused? (because of coaxial design)

 

[echopraxia]

These look incredible, but one starts to wonder what else you could spend $10k on. I could buy 4 pairs of 2k/pair speakers. That's 8 speakers in the room making a killer multichannel setup! Not to take anything away from the 8361a. It's clear what you are getting for $10k, but in terms of the value proposition, we are climbing a steep slope of diminishing returns from $2k-10k.

As someone who has (at various points in time) bought and sold >4 pairs of ~$2k/pair speakers, if I could go back in time and give myself a message some few years ago, it would be: “Stop messing around and just get the 8361’s already. You won’t regret it, and you’ll avoid wasting money trading up incrementally over time. Oh and also buy bitcoin and toilet paper.”

If you gave me the option to pick between 8x $1k speakers and 2x of these $5k Genelec 8361A’s, having heard them all, I’d pick the latter in a heartbeat

 

[Fotophred]

I managed to source a pair of these after a long wait (Believe they are the only pair in NZ)
Best speaker system I have ever heard

Flat in room to 24hz -6 at about 20hz
Use the Genelec software to tame the room and then enjoy music.
Currently feeding then with a Soncoz SGD1 and the Genelecs sound gorgeous.

The looks dont bother me - wife likes them and the priducer grey lets them blend in rather than shouting like some man jewellery that I could mention.
They are an example of function over form (Which I like) and I have to admit I have never ever heard heard a single note with my eyes.

 

[tuga]

The increased bass performance was phenomenal.

I think that you mean "the increase in bass satisfaction was phenomenal", bass performance should have remained identical (unless too much stress was put in the amplifier).

 

[Chromatischism]

If you gave me the option to pick between 8x $1k speakers and 2x of these $5k Genelec 8361A’s, having heard them all, I’d pick the latter in a heartbeat

Ok, but I left $2k for subs

 

[tktran303]

I see the smaller soundstage being mentioned
How small is it and does it have any benefits like being focused? (because of coaxial design)

Did you listened to the interview with Sean Olive and Erin Hardison?

I paraphrase but it’s got to do with with more direct sound vs reflected sound, and audio pros wanting to be able to dissect and manipulate audio under a microscope at work, and listen to something spacious and diffuse at home…

Have you been to a live concert hall?
It’s good to re-acquaint oneself with life un-amplified music.

It doesn’t have the pinpoint precision of 2 channel stereo. It has this kind of closer to mono than stereo… a big wall of sound just washes over you, and sounds beautiful no matter which way you turn your head or sit or stand…


There’s reference and there’s preference.
There’s no end-game speaker.

Says the person who’s used Dynaudio Air and Genelec about a decade ago and moved on to dynamic dipoles and large WMTMWs at home.

 

[Tangband]

As someone who has (at various points in time) bought and sold ~4 pairs of ~$2k/pair speakers, if I could go back in time and give myself a message a few years ago, it would be: “Stop messing around and just get the 8361’s already. You won’t regret it, and you’ll avoid wasting money trading up incrementally over time. Oh and also buy bitcoin and toilet paper.”

If you gave me the option to pick between 8x $1k speakers and 2x of these $5k Genelec 8361A’s, having heard them all, I’d pick the latter in a heartbeat

Yes thats probably true. If one thinks about the money thats been paid buying different stuff during the years in the 1 K area…..
Off topic : A probably very good, less expensive analog 5.1 system would be 3 Genelec 8040 as frontspeakers and two 8030 as surrounds.

 

[echopraxia]

I heard the 2 plus sub here ^ and they do sound amazing!
The only thing missing was more time and that 3rd as a center…

Now, was it Rabbit Hole or Whistle Pig I had?

I believe you had the Rabbit Hole! And yeah, I’m excited to hear the full system finally with matching center channel. But not before Amir gets a chance to compare with the KH420 (though given their heft, not sure how that would work — just that this comparison would be quite interesting)

With three in the front, I wish there was an easy way to extract the bass from multichannnel content and distribute it evenly among all the speakers. As it is, I already can barely tell a difference with the sub on/off, and I imagine with 3 to work with (given enough signal processing control) a sub would really become redundant. At least until I upsize into a bigger place.

 

[tktran303]

As someone who has (at various points in time) bought and sold >4 pairs of ~$2k/pair speakers, if I could go back in time and give myself a message some few years ago, it would be: “Stop messing around and just get the 8361’s already. You won’t regret it, and you’ll avoid wasting money trading up incrementally over time. Oh and also buy bitcoin and toilet paper.”

If you gave me the option to pick between 8x $1k speakers and 2x of these $5k Genelec 8361A’s, having heard them all, I’d pick the latter in a heartbeat

In a few years echopraxia, you’ll be interested in line arrays, dynamic dipoles, 4 and 5 ways (not including subwoofers)

It’s good you haven’t caught the GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) yet. I’ve had the (mis)fortune of moving house 4 times in 6 years. And thus new rooms acoustics and requirements for different speakers every time.

 

[Tangband]

Did you listen to the interview with Sean Olive and Erin Hardison?

I paraphrase but it’s got to do with with more direct sound vs reflected sound, and audio pros wanting to be able to dissect and manipulate audio under a microscope at work, and listen to something spacious and diffuse at home…

Have you been to a live concert hall?
It’s good to re-acquaint oneself with life un-amplified music.

It doesn’t have the pinpoint precision of 2 channel stereo. It has this kind of closer to mono than stereo… a big wall of sound just washes over you, and sounds beautiful no matter which way you turn your head or sit or stand…


There’s reference and there’s preference.
There’s no end-game speaker.

Says the person who’s used Dynaudio Air and Genelec about a decade ago and moved on to dynamic dipoles and large WMTMWs at home.

Yes, 2 channel hifi is all about an illusion of the real event recorded. The stereo system is seriously flawed. But with good loudspeakers thats properly installed in the room the illusion can be rather good.

 

[Holmz]

In a few years echopraxia, you’ll be interested in line arrays, dynamic dipoles, 4 and 5 ways (not including subwoofers)
…

You are ruining the ”group stiffies” with that post.
It sound like for many they believe that they are Finnshed if they get these.

…
It’s good you haven’t caught the GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) yet. I’ve had the (mis)fortune of moving house 4 times in 6 years. And thus new rooms acoustics and requirements for different speakers every time.

I wonder if room correction systems would alleviate ^that need^?

…
Today, I can be proud that it is the neighboring country that produces Genelec.Hurray the Nordic here we go (again).

The Hanseatic League returns?
(Tak/Kiitos/Tänud)

 

[Frgirard]

Yes, 2 channel hifi is all about an illusion of the real event recorded. The stereo system is seriously flawed. But with good loudspeakers thats properly installed in the room the illusion can be rather good.

I envy you being able to persuade your perception at this point.
stereo will be and forever remain a poor representation of musical reproduction.

 

[Frgirard]

I believe you had the Rabbit Hole! And yeah, I’m excited to hear the full system finally with matching center channel. But not before Amir gets a chance to compare with the KH420 (though given their heft, not sure how that would work — just that this comparison would be quite interesting)

With three in the front, I wish there was an easy way to extract the bass from multichannnel content and distribute it evenly among all the speakers. As it is, I already can barely tell a difference with the sub on/off, and I imagine with 3 to work with (given enough signal processing control) a sub would really become redundant. At least until I upsize into a bigger place.

Genelec and Neumann publish metrics to make up your mind.

 

[DanielT]

I envy you being able to persuade your perception at this point.
stereo will be and forever remain a poor representation of musical reproduction.

Better than nothing at all anyway.

Also, for example, electronic music? What is representation of musical reproduction there?

 

[AdamQ]

Are you sure the white one is the 8351A? It looks tiny

100% sure!! Maybe there is a tiny bit of distortion in the perspective as the 8351 is slightly set back but the 8361 is a lot bigger for sure.

 

[DanielT]

The Hanseatic League returns?

He he, Well that was that union. A lot of Germans involved in it.

Finland is a small country, 5.5 million inhabitants. It is probably just a coincidence that Gelenec comes from Finland. I could guess that there are those on Genelec with some connection to Nokia. .... Google ... Guessed right
(it was seriously a guess did not know about that)

Aki Mäkivirta - Genelec.com

Aki Mäkivirta came to Genelec in 1995 from the Nokia Research Centre. He had gotten to know Ari Varla in a joint venture between the companies, within which they designed a speaker with digital signal processing. Before that, active monitors were based on analogue filtering and signal...

www.genelec.com

There, my view of Gelenec was strengthened even more. I'm now starting to understand why they make such good speakers.

 

[tktran303]

You are ruining the ”group stiffies” with that post.
It sound like for mayny they believe that they are Finnshed if they get these.

I wonder if room correction systems would alleviate ^that need^?

No. Moved thousands of miles. Moves states, moved countries. Not practical to ship 200lbs speakers around with me. From apartments to townhouses to large houses and back. And yes bass response correction can be useful- I’ve
been there done that (Before ASR was founded): Here’s one of my speakers from 6 years ago with Dirac in 20x30x12’ room.

Statements II - A musical evolution! - HTGuide Forum

A full description and plans are now available on Curt's website! (http://speakerdesignworks.com/Statement_II_1.html) My musical reference! Statements II – An evolution for the music lover! The Statements II are the result of the Finalists project which focused on achieving the best midrange...

www.htguide.com

But room correction is not a golden bullet. You cannot separate acoustics from rooms and speakers are no different. One of the sad things about the loss of retail is that you don’t get advice about your room anymore.

Is this a good speaker for you? Well yes maybe that depends on your needs and expectations.

If all your speakers have all been under 1 cu ft then yes; very impressive. If you have a medium sized room eg. 35m^2 floor space then yes.

But if you’re used to speakers bigger than a fridge like Dynaudio Evidence or KEF Muon, and all your friends have studios or dozens of guitars or synthesisers, well then maybe not so much. Bob Katz has the M5P I’m confident they run circles around this little 8361…

“Room correction” is excellent for poor acoustic environments eg. Motor vehicles; cramped space or speakers with way too much bass. But in good spaces improvements are subtle.

I’ve done the whole multi sub thing too (2x 15”, 4x 10”) but I haven't had a Stereo Integrity 24” sub yet; so of course I think what I have is good.

People new to the hobby need to listen to Erin Harrdson’s “there is no perfect speaker” YouTube video.

I’ve friends who have both Porsches and Ferraris…and there’s is no perfect car… for a person who drives Toyota’s and Mazda’s (me) … of course I thought there was one car to rule them all..

Have fun and it’s about the journey not destination…