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Genelec S360 Review (Studio Monitor)

Rate this speaker:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 5 1.6%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 9 2.9%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 111 35.9%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 184 59.5%

  • Total voters
    309

MZKM

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Note: Rating for far-field listening.

Preference Rating
SCORE: 6.3
SCORE w/ sub: 7.9


Frequency response: +/- 2.6dB 39Hz-19kHz ; +/- 12.7dB 80Hz-20kHz


Spinorama-24.png

Horizontal Directivity-19.png
Horizontal Directivity Normalized-17.png

Vertical Directivity-18.png
Vertical Directivity Normalized-17.png
chart-17.png
 
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F1308

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The S360 is a great problem solver for larger listening distances and/or higher reflective rooms like in typical home stereo or home cinema setups where you usually need more expensive main monitors for sufficient direct sound:

index.php


The horizontal directivity of the S360A is a bit smoother than the 8361A one on below comparable S&R tests and the S360A vertical higher directivity of the elliptical waveguide can be an advantage for large listening distances and/or not treated rooms, 8361A is more a midfield studio monitor and S360A more a great solution for typical living rooms and home theatres.


Here also some comments from their engineer
No Genelecs for a very European 3x4 room (31.2 m3 at 2.6 hight) ?
 

Tangband

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If it can be reasonably presumed that the bass/mid driver is PHL 3411 (or a variant OEM-ed for Genelec based on it), any pointers as to what is used for the HF?

Its probably not exactly the same, probably a custom made variant with other TS parametres and maybe lower distortion, just like they did with 8030c were there was a special made driver by tymphany ( as you could see in the russian teardown video ) with aparently lower distortion than stock HDS .
 

Tangband

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No Genelecs for a very European 3x4 room (31.2 m3 at 2.6 hight) ?
This is not entirely true. You can use a Genelec 8030C or G3 in a normal room with really good result.

Just because its wide directivity beaming doesnt mean it dont sound good, just like a Revel m106, Kef ls50 and similar wide directivity beaming loudspeakers will also sound good.

Harmans test reports of prefered speakers dont have anything negative to say about wide directivity , its the opposite - more people tend to prefer loudspeakers with wide beaming directivity - in normal rooms.
 
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Digby

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If it was 1/4 the thickness of the MDF, it would weigh the same or slightly less.
What is the typical thickness of the alu used by Genelec? I suppose they have a reason for MDF. Maybe they don't have the tooling or there is some deficiency in alu at such sizes (potential contortion?), who knows...
 
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F1308

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This is not entirely true. You can use a Genelec 8030C or G3 in a normal room with really good result. Just because its wide directivity beaming doesnt mean it dont sound good, just like a Revel m106, Kef ls50 and similar wide directivity beaming loudspeakers will also sound good.
Harmans test reports of prefered speakers dont have anything negative to say about wide directivity , its the opposite - more people tend to prefer loudspeakers with wide beaming directivity - in normal rooms.
Thank you.
I am trying to understand that table...
I wish I could input size, listening distance and get a recommendation...
 

Axo1989

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Good question. I do not. The sides are rounded. Only the top is not.

Very light on specs in the review, I guess we just go to the Genelec website. Per their dimensional diagram the sides appear flat, the vertical corners are radiused/bevelled. Is that what you meant?


S360A_dimensions.png
 

testp

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The weight is the real surprise. In this color especially, you think it weighs 20 pounds then you go to lift and it doesn't even want to move! At nearly 70 pounds, it is a back breaker.
i would use some lifter, there are many types available now..
 

Tangband

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Thank you.
I am trying to understand that table...
I wish I could input size, listening distance and get a recommendation...
You have to listen for yourself in your room - there is no clear recommendation in 2 channel listening because its very much depending on the placement of the speakers, the size of the room and the acoustical treatment in the room. One cant say that narrow directivity loudspeaker is a better choice or the opposite, it depends on many things.

A good directivity ( wide or narrow beaming ) is really important in any room. And the speaker must be able to play as loud as you want in your room .

Home cinema 5.1 listening can sometimes benefit from narrow beaming good directivity speakers.
 
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LTig

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Ah, thanks. That’s slightly disappointing. Not that it really matters in the grand scheme of things, but I kind of liked aluminum enclosures. Still exceptional performance either way, but I wonder if cost reduction factored in as well? Either that or the thing would have been so heavy that it would need to come with lift points to move it, not to mention having a large casting with internal features to deal with in production.
IMV metal housings only make sense if they have no flat parts (side/front/back/top/bottom walls). Metal is prone to ringing and I think the 8xxx style housing is designed specifically to reduce ringing and having no flat parts helps a lot.
 

Shadrach

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It seems like a lot of money for a speaker that essentially performs about the same as other Genelec models but goes louder.
My view is this is Genelec trying to expand further their share in the domestic use market.
It measures as a good speaker. Having got used to the rounded Genelec look I'm not sure I like the look of these.
It would be interesting to see at some future point the distribution of sales between domestic and studio use.
 

Axo1989

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IMV metal housings only make sense if they have no flat parts (side/front/back/top/bottom walls). Metal is prone to ringing and I think the 8xxx style housing is designed specifically to reduce ringing and having no flat parts helps a lot.

Yes, when Magico (for example) use flat-sided aluminium in their model range (entry-level A-series) they include extensive metal bracing and tensioning. The result is at least as heavy and construction is presumably a fair bit more expensive.

There's no precise dimensional equivalent. The two-way bookshelf A1 built around a 6.5" driver is smaller and weighs 22 kg. The three way centre ACG has more drivers but is volumetrically closer (approx 70 litres vs the Genelec's 68 litres) and weighs 43.5 kg.
 
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thewas

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No Genelecs for a very European 3x4 room (31.2 m3 at 2.6 hight) ?
That chart is a recommendation for professional monitoring (which is what Genelec mainly does), of course you can put them also in a smaller room but the result wouldn't be as optimal, same also with any other non-Genelec loudspeakers.
 

Pearljam5000

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I remember that in one of Genelec's videos they said the S360 is a more compact and affordable version of the 1237A
Which kind of makes sense
Screenshot_20220802-131701_Chrome.jpg
 
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