Genelec 8361A vs 8351B

[Trismegistus]

Would you say the 8361A are on the same level as the Sopra 2?

That's a personal, subjective judgement. It depends on what 'level' you are using to compare them. Sonically, they are different for sure, but both are excellent. In appearance they are totally different. I have found (over the last 50 years LOL) that speaker choice is a very personal thing. So, best to audition them. Especially if you're spending that kind of money. My last pair were PMC IB2s and I loved them. But now that I have the Genelec 8361As...I love them too...for different reasons. Kind of like the difference between Scarlett Johansson and Mila Kunis. LOL

 

[Pearljam5000]

That's a personal, subjective judgement. It depends on what 'level' you are using to compare them. Sonically, they are different for sure, but both are excellent. In appearance they are totally different. I have found (over the last 50 years LOL) that speaker choice is a very personal thing. So, best to audition them. Especially if you're spending that kind of money. My last pair were PMC IB2s and I loved them. But now that I have the Genelec 8361As...I love them too...for different reasons. Kind of like the difference between Scarlett Johansson and Mila Kunis. LOL

Both jewish girls by the way
I understand what your saying, but I was just wondering if a compact monitor can even come close to a giant floorstander.

 

[Tonygeno]

The Genelec room correction software is an essential part of getting the most out of them. Compared to my PMC IB2s the Genelecs have more precise imaging, better mid-range resolution and tighter, more detailed lows.

Do you know how the Genelec Room Correction compares to Dirac Live? I ask because the Genelec software is in beta for the Mac and I'm wondering if Dirac would get me to the same spot as GLM.

 

[Trismegistus]

Do you know how the Genelec Room Correction compares to Dirac Live? I ask because the Genelec software is in beta for the Mac and I'm wondering if Dirac would get me to the same spot as GLM.

That I don't know, sorry. Go to Genelec's website and click on 'Company' and you'll see 'Contact Us' link. Send them an email. They are very prompt at responding to technical questions.

Both jewish girls by the way
I understand what your saying, but I was just wondering if a compact monitor can even come close to a giant floorstander.

Yes, there are many compact monitors that when combined with a sub woofer can be just as nice as a full range floor standing speaker. It's all about personal preference, and sometimes space! And yes, I know they are both jewish...LOL...but most likely shiksas.

 

[pierre]

Do you know how the Genelec Room Correction compares to Dirac Live? I ask because the Genelec software is in beta for the Mac and I'm wondering if Dirac would get me to the same spot as GLM.

Dirac is better than GLM (can do more things). gLM is limited by the amount of computing power in each speakers. On the other side, it is plug and play.

 

[Hephaestus]

Dirac is better than GLM (can do more things). gLM is limited by the amount of computing power in each speakers. On the other side, it is plug and play.

This is not exactly how it goes. Dirac and GLM 4 both calculate their filters in the cloud. Dirac does more certainly and adds bunch of latency on top of it. Latency is critical in certain applications.
I have used both and there are pros and cons for either system.

 

[Trismegistus]

Dirac is better than GLM (can do more things). gLM is limited by the amount of computing power in each speakers. On the other side, it is plug and play.

I believe that Dirac applies a VST plugin to correct the room anomalies, while the Genelec SAM system adjusts the speakers internally and is meant specifically for Genelec SAM enabled speakers.

 

[richard12511]

Spent the past few weekends working with both GLM and Dirac, and my impressions are similar. That is, Dirac is the more sophisticated correction software.

@Hephaestus brings up an interesting point re:delay, though. It's rare, but I have occasionally noticed a delay when watching movies while Dirac is engaged. The actors lips are not moving in perfect sync with what they're saying, almost like watching a dubbed movie. I know that it's Dirac that is responsible, as turning it off fixes the issue. Perhaps I should try using GLM for movies, and Dirac for music? Or, is there a way to also delay the video so that it matches the audio?

 

[ferrellms]

Spent the past few weekends working with both GLM and Dirac, and my impressions are similar. That is, Dirac is the more sophisticated correction software.

@Hephaestus brings up an interesting point re:delay, though. It's rare, but I have occasionally noticed a delay when watching movies while Dirac is engaged. The actors lips are not moving in perfect sync with what they're saying, almost like watching a dubbed movie. I know that it's Dirac that is responsible, as turning it off fixes the issue. Perhaps I should try using GLM for movies, and Dirac for music? Or, is there a way to also delay the video so that it matches the audio?

Digital room correction that enables time coherence will inevitably add delay. My Sonarworks setup will add 45 msec of delay when set to "linear phase", which is due to the fact that if all the sound from all the drivers is expected to be heard simultaneously, some of the sound has to be delayed before being emitted. But one can tweak Sonarworks via the GUI to produce 0 msec delay or an "optimum" of 11 msec at a small cost to imaging and definition. If I notice the out of synch between video and audio, I just set Sonarworks to 0 delay. Dirac may have a similar tweak?

 

[JustJones]

The Genelecs are active monitors, so I would say they are not a good choice for you. You have a beautiful Dared tube amp which would match well with the sexy looking, amazing sounding Focal Sopra 2s, in my humble opinion. And, the Genelecs are have a utilitarian look to them which is better suited to a studio than a living room.

I've been looking at the genelec 8351b and 8350 in actives and Revel 228be in passive for the living room. Showed my wife the photos of each and asked which she like purely by looks. She surprised me and said she liked the little round ones.

 

[Pearljam5000]

I've been looking at the genelec 8351b and 8350 in actives and Revel 228be in passive for the living room. Showed my wife the photos of each and asked which she like purely by looks. She surprised me and said she liked the little round ones.

They're beautiful, especially in White

 

[AdamQ]

Hi everyone,

long time viewer but finally got round to joining!

I have owned Genelec for home listening / DJing for almost 25 years. My first investment were the humble 1029a’s in ‘97 to which I added the sub a couple of years later. This set up performed flawlessly for almost 20 years until I decided to replace with the then new (white) 8351a’s. I added the 7370 sub a year later which transformed the experience.

I’m currently trialling the 8361a’s (in picture) to assess if I can do away with a sub on the floor (I live in a semi with an intolerant neighbour). I have to say the 8361a’s are truly spectacular... they really do move a heap of air that you can feel their presence, even at lower volumes. And what’s more, they sound great up close - I’m often standing at my mixer for DJing and they’re sublime. The bass is also greater than the 8351/7370 combo and better defined.

I’ve moved the 8351a’s and sub into the TV room which I’m not sure I can now go and reverse as this has lifted the viewing experience dramatically as you can imagine.

I have now a couple of decisions left to make: Do I stick with the 8361 for listening or say screw the neighbour and go for the W371a with 8351b combination? I’m only renting this house and ultimately we hope to buy a stand alone place. I’m in my fiftieth year this year and expect this next investment to carry me through to my 70th . It’s not cheap but if I spread that cost out over 20 years it’s actually pretty reasonable.

And lastly, I want to improve my listening experience and switch to a Roon/Tidal streamer. Reading good things about the Matrix Element X on this forum but then some of the subsequent member reviews seem to point to the need for a pre-amp ‍.

Anyway, happy to be here. I love high end but not such a fan of the old school non-science audiophile approach - I think ASR do a great job of myth busting in this arena.

 

[sweetchaos]

Hi everyone,

long time viewer but finally got round to joining!

I have owned Genelec for home listening / DJing for almost 25 years. My first investment were the humble 1029a’s in ‘97 to which I added the sub a couple of years later. This set up performed flawlessly for almost 20 years until I decided to replace with the then new (white) 8351a’s. I added the 7370 sub a year later which transformed the experience.

I’m currently trialling the 8361a’s (in picture) to assess if I can do away with a sub on the floor (I live in a semi with an intolerant neighbour). I have to say the 8361a’s are truly spectacular... they really do move a heap of air that you can feel their presence, even at lower volumes. And what’s more, they sound great up close - I’m often standing at my mixer for DJing and they’re sublime. The bass is also greater than the 8351/7370 combo and better defined.

I’ve moved the 8351a’s and sub into the TV room which I’m not sure I can now go and reverse as this has lifted the viewing experience dramatically as you can imagine.

I have now a couple of decisions left to make: Do I stick with the 8361 for listening or say screw the neighbour and go for the W371a with 8351b combination? I’m only renting this house and ultimately we hope to buy a stand alone place. I’m in my fiftieth year this year and expect this next investment to carry me through to my 70th . It’s not cheap but if I spread that cost out over 20 years it’s actually pretty reasonable.

And lastly, I want to improve my listening experience and switch to a Roon/Tidal streamer. Reading good things about the Matrix Element X on this forum but then some of the subsequent member reviews seem to point to the need for a pre-amp ‍.

Anyway, happy to be here. I love high end but not such a fan of the old school non-science audiophile approach - I think ASR do a great job of myth busting in this arena.


View attachment 107521

Welcome to ASR, and thanks for sharing your experiences and that awesome DJ setup!

 

[Pearljam5000]

Hi everyone,

long time viewer but finally got round to joining!

I have owned Genelec for home listening / DJing for almost 25 years. My first investment were the humble 1029a’s in ‘97 to which I added the sub a couple of years later. This set up performed flawlessly for almost 20 years until I decided to replace with the then new (white) 8351a’s. I added the 7370 sub a year later which transformed the experience.

I’m currently trialling the 8361a’s (in picture) to assess if I can do away with a sub on the floor (I live in a semi with an intolerant neighbour). I have to say the 8361a’s are truly spectacular... they really do move a heap of air that you can feel their presence, even at lower volumes. And what’s more, they sound great up close - I’m often standing at my mixer for DJing and they’re sublime. The bass is also greater than the 8351/7370 combo and better defined.

I’ve moved the 8351a’s and sub into the TV room which I’m not sure I can now go and reverse as this has lifted the viewing experience dramatically as you can imagine.

I have now a couple of decisions left to make: Do I stick with the 8361 for listening or say screw the neighbour and go for the W371a with 8351b combination? I’m only renting this house and ultimately we hope to buy a stand alone place. I’m in my fiftieth year this year and expect this next investment to carry me through to my 70th . It’s not cheap but if I spread that cost out over 20 years it’s actually pretty reasonable.

And lastly, I want to improve my listening experience and switch to a Roon/Tidal streamer. Reading good things about the Matrix Element X on this forum but then some of the subsequent member reviews seem to point to the need for a pre-amp ‍.

Anyway, happy to be here. I love high end but not such a fan of the old school non-science audiophile approach - I think ASR do a great job of myth busting in this arena.


View attachment 107521

Love the photo
I'm impressed about what you said about the bass!
Other than that, what are the differences between 8351 and 8361?
Do they sound "bigger", or are they pretty similar other than the bass output? thanks.

 

[bungle]

Have any of you considered S360 instead of ”the ones”. Ones are after all near-fields.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Have any of you considered S360 instead of ”the ones”. Ones are after all near-fields.

The guy from Genelec himself said that if you're after clarity then go for the Ones(because of coaxial design) if you need more SPL go for the S360
also it's 2-way vs 3- way, i would always prefer the 3 way and aluminum cabinet

 

[AdamQ]

Love the photo
I'm impressed about what you said about the bass!
Other than that, what are the differences between 8351 and 8361?
Do they sound "bigger", or are they pretty similar other than the bass output? thanks.

Thanks mate!
To my ear the 8351a (remember these are not the current 8351b which as I understand it are significantly improved by comparison to the 8351a) compared to the 8361a seem a little harsher. Also, whilst the 7370 sub was just a huge improvement to the 8351a, I always felt there was just the slightest fraction of delay between the sub and the 8351a - I dunno if this was something I was missing in the GLM set up - I always ran the phase alignment etc. but again, comparing this to the bass on the 8361a, it’s just better integrated - which of course makes sense as there’s much greater Bass coming g from the main speakers rather than a seperate sub on the floor.

Anyway, there are many, many more folks especially on this forum whose descriptions will do them the justice these speakers deserve. All I can say is I feel incredibly privileged and lucky to have them at home to listen to - I would recommend certainly auditioning them if you’re considering speakers around this kind of price point.

 

[AdamQ]

Welcome to ASR, and thanks for sharing your experiences and that awesome DJ setup!

Thanks mate! Glad I found you all!!

 

[Hephaestus]

Have any of you considered S360 instead of ”the ones”. Ones are after all near-fields.

8361A can be used in near and mid field scenarios. Direct sound dominance up to 2.8 meters (room dependant).

 

[bungle]

8361A can be used in near and mid field scenarios. Direct sound dominance up to 2.8 meters (room dependant).

I have a quite small living room, but the speakers are already at the limit of this. Also 8361 adds 1000 $ to price (per each vs S360). For a tool, I would pick the "ones", for listening I would prefer S360.