• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Genelec 8361A Review (Powered Monitor)

Rate this speaker:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 6 0.9%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 4 0.6%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 28 4.1%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 638 94.4%

  • Total voters
    676

Sancus

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 30, 2018
Messages
2,923
Likes
7,616
Location
Canada
At 70 lbs. per speaker, the 11dB jump suddenly makes sense too, since percentage wise, the weight jump from 31 lbs to 70 lbs is 125%
Guys the 11dB difference is not real, for the third time lol. 124dB is for a pair not one speaker! The 8351B is specced at 118dB for a pair.
 

richard12511

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
4,335
Likes
6,700
Apart from acknowledging how fallible our subjective listening views are, we probably need to have more humility about how *large* a difference we hear, and how much/little difference it would make to our listening enjoyment in the long term.
Well said, and I couldn't agree more. The more SOTA speakers I hear, the more I realize just how similar they actually sound. The similarities far outweigh the differences.
At some point, I’m going to spill the money and put a pair of Revels or Genelecs or Dutch&Dutch in my living room next to my current setup and see what is revealed. Unless someone in NYC wants to volunteer to bring theirs over…for science!
This is an awesome plan.
 

Spocko

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 27, 2019
Messages
1,621
Likes
2,999
Location
Southern California
At some point, I’m going to spill the money and put a pair of Revels or Genelecs or Dutch&Dutch in my living room next to my current setup and see what is revealed. Unless someone in NYC wants to volunteer to bring theirs over…for science!
For your living room, it has to be the 8C - the white ones do indeed look good in most living rooms
 

BDWoody

Chief Cat Herder
Moderator
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 9, 2019
Messages
6,948
Likes
22,625
Location
Mid-Atlantic, USA. (Maryland)
Well said, and I couldn't agree more. The more SOTA speakers I hear, the more I realize just how similar they actually sound. The similarities far outweigh the differences.

This is an awesome plan.

I'm happy chillin' with my 708's for now, but also will eventually want to do a head to head in my space with a couple of predicted 'next level' speakers. Hear for myself what I'm actually missing, if anything.

I'm thinking I'll need to reward myself after the 10 years of marital settlement payments are over next year.
 

abdo123

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 15, 2020
Messages
7,423
Likes
7,940
Location
Brussels, Belgium
Also, the 11dB output jump over the 8351 is super nice. I had no idea it was that huge. The 8351 only has a 3dB edge over the 8341. Percentage wise, the price jump from 8351 to 8361 is actually smaller.
Don’t forget that 8341 is midrange limited (3.5”), which means with a sub or the W371A the 8351 has much higher output than the 8341
 

Sancus

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 30, 2018
Messages
2,923
Likes
7,616
Location
Canada
LOL all the more painful when you consider the amount of engineering/mass required to "only" increase it by 5-6dB
6dB is a lot though, especially with extra extension! I mean, that's how much you get by adding a 2nd speaker and amplifier. So an 8361A is in fact literally two 8351Bs of output. I think people forget this because the logarithmic scale is unintuitive.

In addition, that "only 6dB" is what changed Amir's subjective impression from "good bass, but I can still find the limits" to "can't reach the limit at all." when only testing one speaker. It really is a lot. Most people's happy listening level won't vary more than 5-10dB, once you ignore adjustments due to mastering volume.
 

RobL

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 4, 2021
Messages
925
Likes
1,509
Wish there was a way to try these…my Genelec curiosity has been piqued by the 1032’s I recently got. Would like to try the Ones to see how much of an upgrade it would make. Also thought about 8c’s, but am a little concerned about D&D’s staying power…Genelec will still be here in a decade I’m sure, and about $2500CAD cheaper…
Just turned 55, I gotta scratch my hifi itch while I have good enough hearing to appreciate it, lol.
 

samysound

Senior Member
Joined
May 3, 2020
Messages
374
Likes
332
Location
USA
6dB is a lot though, especially with extra extension! I mean, that's how much you get by adding a 2nd speaker and amplifier. So an 8361A is in fact literally two 8351Bs of output. I think people forget this because the logarithmic scale is unintuitive.

In addition, that "only 6dB" is what changed Amir's subjective impression from "good bass, but I can still find the limits" to "can't reach the limit at all." when only testing one speaker. It really is a lot. Most people's happy listening level won't vary more than 5-10dB, once you ignore adjustments due to mastering volume.
I guess that means Amir would have been happy with a pair of 8351B as the loudness capability for the pair would have been equiv to a single 8361A :)
 
Last edited:

nerdoldnerdith

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2020
Messages
495
Likes
690
Location
Chicago
A pair of 8351B's can hit 118dB at 1m with program material. Add a pair of good subwoofers to that and they won't be low frequency limited. Unless you are using them for a huge home theater I don't see why you would need more output from a pair listening to music. I run my 8351B's with subs, and I can play them painfully loud without hitting any kind of limits.
 

Spocko

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 27, 2019
Messages
1,621
Likes
2,999
Location
Southern California
Wish there was a way to try these…my Genelec curiosity has been piqued by the 1032’s I recently got. Would like to try the Ones to see how much of an upgrade it would make. Also thought about 8c’s, but am a little concerned about D&D’s staying power…Genelec will still be here in a decade I’m sure, and about $2500CAD cheaper…
Just turned 55, I gotta scratch my hifi itch while I have good enough hearing to appreciate it, lol.
Most importantly, it's cheaper than a vintage Mustang or S2000!
 

richard12511

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
4,335
Likes
6,700
So I can use them in my 9 square meters room?
I would say yes! Should have fantastic extension :p There's a youtube video that's been posted a few times of some dude using them as super nearfield monitors.

Great thing about a point source with fantastic output and extension(as this has) is that's it's usable at almost any distance. I could it see it working for 1m or 6m :). That said, the smaller Ones might be a little better.
 

nerdoldnerdith

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2020
Messages
495
Likes
690
Location
Chicago
Why? What advantages the smaller Ones have over the 8361A?
You mean 9 square meters like 100 square feet, or a small bedroom, right?

The 8341A is a technically better measuring speaker - probably the closest thing to a perfect speaker ever measured here. If you have a small room there is no need to get huge speakers like the 8361A. The 8341A will more than suffice.
 
Top Bottom