This is a review, and detailed measurements of the Genelec M040 powered studio monitor (active speaker). It is on kind loan from a member. It has been discontinued but cost US $895. I see a few available still for $600.
I like the more traditional look of these speakers. They have their curves but not as pronounced as the current series. Back panel shows the usual connections:
I misread the labels and measured it first with -2 dB bass.
Had to do it over again. Power connection is a figure-8 cable which is easier to plug into the back than larger traditional IEC. It was nice to see RCA input as well.
Speaker feels very solid but not overly heavy for its size.
A front LED indicates power and clipping/limiting.
Genelec M040 Measurements
Let's start with our usual dashboard of frequency response and directivity:
Overall response is quite good. The only exceptions are a peak due to cabinet/port resonance around 650 Hz. And bass level being somewhat shy of treble. Here is the near-field response to show the former:
The resonance is very clear. On the other hand, the woofer response is impressively smooth out of band.
Early reflection shows what we already know about the resonance:
Combining with sound power, we get our predicted in-room response in far-field listening:
Horizontal beam width shows the nice control in that axis:
Ditto for our contour plot:
Typical 2-way design shows the usual two "eyes" in the vertical domain:
Distortion is impressively low at 86 dBSPL. It was also just as clean at 96 but clipping light came on toward the end and levels lowered:
I lowered levels to 90 dB and while the clipping light still came on, there was no limiting:
Notice how the left side hugs the near 0% distortion line where our hearing is most sensitive (2 to 5 kHz).
Waterfall basically highlights what we know about the port/cabinet resonance:
Finally, for fans of step response, here is that graph:
Genelec M040 Listening Tests and Equalization
I listened to the M040 monitor in my near-field setup. Without EQ, the overall sound was good but it was not until I applied EQ that I realized more bass was better:
The small notch filter for the port/cabinet resonance as usual improves clarity (although it is very subtle). Once there, the M040 was a delight to listen to. While there is no sub-bass to speak of, the rest of the spectrum sounds wonderful. I especially liked male vocals with the above EQ applied.
I am usually able to clip smaller Genelec speakers but could not do so with the M040. No matter how loud I made it, the clipping indicator did not come on and I could not hear any distortion.
Conclusion
I don't know why but I went into this review thinking the older generation Genelecs don't perform. But I was wrong. Other than one port resonance and small matter of bass output, performance is classic Genelec: great attention to design, construction and overall fidelity. With two simple filters, sound reaches upper echelons of performance ladder. With their more traditional look, the M040 could even be a better fit than some of the newer generation!
I am going to recommend the Genelec M040. With EQ, my recommendation goes up as some of the best bookshelf speakers out there.
-----------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.
Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
I like the more traditional look of these speakers. They have their curves but not as pronounced as the current series. Back panel shows the usual connections:
I misread the labels and measured it first with -2 dB bass.
Had to do it over again. Power connection is a figure-8 cable which is easier to plug into the back than larger traditional IEC. It was nice to see RCA input as well.Speaker feels very solid but not overly heavy for its size.
A front LED indicates power and clipping/limiting.
Genelec M040 Measurements
Let's start with our usual dashboard of frequency response and directivity:
Overall response is quite good. The only exceptions are a peak due to cabinet/port resonance around 650 Hz. And bass level being somewhat shy of treble. Here is the near-field response to show the former:
The resonance is very clear. On the other hand, the woofer response is impressively smooth out of band.
Early reflection shows what we already know about the resonance:
Combining with sound power, we get our predicted in-room response in far-field listening:
Horizontal beam width shows the nice control in that axis:
Ditto for our contour plot:
Typical 2-way design shows the usual two "eyes" in the vertical domain:
Distortion is impressively low at 86 dBSPL. It was also just as clean at 96 but clipping light came on toward the end and levels lowered:
I lowered levels to 90 dB and while the clipping light still came on, there was no limiting:
Notice how the left side hugs the near 0% distortion line where our hearing is most sensitive (2 to 5 kHz).
Waterfall basically highlights what we know about the port/cabinet resonance:
Finally, for fans of step response, here is that graph:
Genelec M040 Listening Tests and Equalization
I listened to the M040 monitor in my near-field setup. Without EQ, the overall sound was good but it was not until I applied EQ that I realized more bass was better:
The small notch filter for the port/cabinet resonance as usual improves clarity (although it is very subtle). Once there, the M040 was a delight to listen to. While there is no sub-bass to speak of, the rest of the spectrum sounds wonderful. I especially liked male vocals with the above EQ applied.
I am usually able to clip smaller Genelec speakers but could not do so with the M040. No matter how loud I made it, the clipping indicator did not come on and I could not hear any distortion.
Conclusion
I don't know why but I went into this review thinking the older generation Genelecs don't perform. But I was wrong. Other than one port resonance and small matter of bass output, performance is classic Genelec: great attention to design, construction and overall fidelity. With two simple filters, sound reaches upper echelons of performance ladder. With their more traditional look, the M040 could even be a better fit than some of the newer generation!
I am going to recommend the Genelec M040. With EQ, my recommendation goes up as some of the best bookshelf speakers out there.
-----------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.
Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
