Help me replace my Genelec 8341's for the sanity of my beloved wife

[Sokel]

I've not read the whole thread so someone might have suggested this already.

Take Mrs Sparky round to some hifi dealers just to look at speakers - not to consider sound at all - just to find out what sort of style she would be happy to welcome into your living room. (EDIT - and possibly more importanlly what she would not - for example, there is a big difference in looks between a foil wrapped speaker and a veneered one, which may not show up in pictures)

Consider floor standers which can often look more attractive than stand mouts. Also consider that covered drivers will usually be less intrusive. And look less like a machine you stick your arm into . If it were me I'd be thinking of something a little more sculpted than the average monkey coffin. Say the R5 Meta, or Something a bit understated like JBL HDI-3600

Once you know the type of looks she can live with, you can sort out which speakers have those looks - combined with the audio performance you are looking for.

Plus one about the exposed drivers.
Wife's and friends votes for our living room was 100% about something like Uniwersum MK 4 hORNS (probably because they don't look like speakers and the color is as flexible as it gets.

OP has a bigger problem in his hands than the Gens I think and I also think that his wife's underline intention is not "what speakers" but rather "no speakers" or even beyond that,remodeling (I'm with her with the later,I can't think of something blending in there)

So as others have mentioned,what has to go first is the wallpaper.I know it shouts "Britain",I know they are everywhere,I know (some) people like them.
But the time they were made they were no flashy flat TVs,they were no clean cut electronics,etc.

My vote is remodeling and then decide.Half of audio stuff fun is about the eyes strangely,whether we admit it or not.

 

[DSJR]

A very late and maybe misguided reply here...

Lots of early suggestions replacing good active monitors with domestic *passive* types. No matter which model, at this level I'd suggest the passive option is a sonic step back of some sort.

Staying active and stepping back even more probably, would the budget run to ATC 50ASL's (yes, I know they're an older design now, but I think they're still a great listen if you like realistic timbres as heard live and look good in a trad way and even have grilles!!!)

A bit more up to date tech wise, have a look at the Dynaudio Focus actives. Not so silly money and I was very impressed with what I heard a couple of years back (Focus 50 is under nine grand in UK money) in their ability to reproduce 'back of the room' if it's there in the recording. Again, a standard look that herself may tolerate.

 

[jeffme]

Ask KEF if they will make a pair of LS60's in walnut

Not LS60s, but close...
https://dynaudio.com/home-audio/focus/focus-30

 

[EJ3]

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all well!

As the title suggests, I have a really difficult dilemma to attempt to resolve for which I hope you lovely people will be able to help me with.
After a few drinks last night, we got on to the discussion of decorating the living room as we haven't really touched it for over 5 years so it needs a bit of an update.
It was during this conversation that my wife of 12 years broke down in tears (no exaggeration) at her hatred for my amazing Genelec 8341's and how they have ruined the "look" of her home.....
I was quite taken aback by this revelation as I wasn't aware that she hated them so much! They ruin the aesthetics of the room as they stand out like a sore thumb....which they do.....she has a valid point.

They are the 8341AWM (white model) and they stand proud on a pair of walnut and black speaker stands and I love them.
I have owned a huge number of speakers in my time but these Genelecs are by far, the best speaker I have ever heard in my room (with the GLM kit of course).
I love everything about them but I cannot continue to keep them if I know my wife hates them so much!! That would make me rather selfish.
She went on to tell me about the comments some of our friends have passed which include: "they look like a blood pressure monitor" the one's you see in hospital, the one's where you sit next to it on a chair and put your arm actually into a large machine and it prints out a report for you. Other evil comments were mentioned which I won't say on here as saying those comments will upset us audio loving people. The funny thing is, they are not wrong.

So, I am looking for a replacement speaker that has all the qualities of the 8341's (in particular, the concentric drivers) which are available in Walnut to suit the aesthetics of our lounge (KEF Concerto or R3 Meta maybe)?.
They don't need to be active speakers as I'm happy with going back to needing a power amp or integrated as long as the power amp measures well on it's power delivery and has plenty of it on tap.
I am really interested in the recent developments in the mini power amps that are currently wowing people on here....

My current set up is:

MiniDSP SHD (Full version)
Genelec 8341 AWM (x2) White + GLM Kit
Arendal 1723 Subwoofer 1S (x2) Gloss White
Intel NUC - ROON Core - ROON Lifetime member
Nvidia Shield - PLEX Server

My room is a traditional English small lounge but the plan is to replace the 8341's AND the Arendal subs for speakers and subs that are available with a walnut cabinet which I know limits me somewhat but this is the scope of works.

I did own a pair of BK Electronics XXLS400 (English brand) subwoofer before the Arendals came, they were really nice to look at in walnut and, being a 12" sealed cabinet and with having two of them, they certainly packed a punch!

Anyway, does anybody have any thoughts on how best to replicate the Genelecs in my room with non powered monitors.....with a pair of subs of course...

Maybe one of the several colors that the KEF LS60 comes in, has a concentric driver & side firing for the mid woofers that go pretty low, and has built in amplifiers.

 

[EJ3]

Not LS60s, but close...
https://dynaudio.com/home-audio/focus/focus-30

View attachment 407246

They also have matching style subwoofers.

 

[A Surfer]

The divorce jokes (I hope) are tiring. Not funny at all. We don’t need it 10 times in the same post. We don’t even need it once.

If you wouldn’t say it in the presence of the wife (if you knew her), then it isn’t something you should be saying at all.

I question if these are jokes because they are so humorless. And if f they are not jokes then you guys have serious issues.

Truthfully, I hear women make jokes like this all the time about men. Do you really think that this is simply a thing men joke about? Doesn't make it funny, but might you be overreacting a tad?

 

[Rednaxela]

The divorce jokes (I hope) are tiring. Not funny at all. We don’t need it 10 times in the same post. We don’t even need it once.

If you wouldn’t say it in the presence of the wife (if you knew her), then it isn’t something you should be saying at all.

I question if these are jokes because they are so humorless. And if f they are not jokes then you guys have serious issues.

Compared to the incredible amount of super constructive input here, hardly any divorce jokes have been made.

 

[Sparky]

Plus one about the exposed drivers.
Wife's and friends votes for our living room was 100% about something like Uniwersum MK 4 hORNS (probably because they don't look like speakers and the color is as flexible as it gets.

OP has a bigger problem in his hands than the Gens I think and I also think that his wife's underline intention is not "what speakers" but rather "no speakers" or even beyond that,remodeling (I'm with her with the later,I can't think of something blending in there)

So as others have mentioned,what has to go first is the wallpaper.I know it shouts "Britain",I know they are everywhere,I know (some) people like them.
But the time they were made they were no flashy flat TVs,they were no clean cut electronics,etc.

My vote is remodeling and then decide.Half of audio stuff fun is about the eyes strangely,whether we admit it or not.

You have a valid point. We are basing everything on how the room looks now which isn't going to work.

Once the media wall is built and the room stripped bare, we will have a nice blank canvas to work from.
If I can design the media wall based around how best to blend the Gennys and Subs into it, we will be onto a winner.

 

[Sparky]

A very late and maybe misguided reply here...

Lots of early suggestions replacing good active monitors with domestic *passive* types. No matter which model, at this level I'd suggest the passive option is a sonic step back of some sort.

Staying active and stepping back even more probably, would the budget run to ATC 50ASL's (yes, I know they're an older design now, but I think they're still a great listen if you like realistic timbres as heard live and look good in a trad way and even have grilles!!!)

A bit more up to date tech wise, have a look at the Dynaudio Focus actives. Not so silly money and I was very impressed with what I heard a couple of years back (Focus 50 is under nine grand in UK money) in their ability to reproduce 'back of the room' if it's there in the recording. Again, a standard look that herself may tolerate.

Yes. I've been looking at a whole range of passive speakers but everything I look at is a backwards step for sure.

I am really focussing on how best to preserve the set up I currently have in a way that is pleasing to the eye but it won't be easy.

The thing is, if I go for another pair of monitors, I will still be left with a pair of speakers sat within a box on a media wall....
I am yet to show the wife a pair of speakers that she likes the look of. Pray for me guys.....

 

[Sparky]

Not LS60s, but close...
https://dynaudio.com/home-audio/focus/focus-30

View attachment 407246

Dunno how I would fit those in a media wall..

 

[dshreter]

Another idea is to wall mount the speakers. I actually think the speakers are less offensive than the atrocious appearance of them sticking out on the stands.

Rotate the speakers 90 degrees and wall mount them above the TV, angled down to the listening position. Their appearance on a white wall will be much more subtle and they won’t be right at eye level either.

 

[antcollinet]

Another idea is to wall mount the speakers. I actually think the speakers are less offensive than the atrocious appearance of them sticking out on the stands.

Rotate the speakers 90 degrees and wall mount them above the TV, angled down to the listening position. Their appearance on a white wall will be much more subtle and they won’t be right at eye level either.

Did you read the OP?

There is no way on earth that these speakers being in any way visible is going to result in marital harmony.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Ask her if she likes this design
No need for subs

 

[Andysu]

guess not heard of ebay and proper same professional 2nd hand JBL cinema and get rid of the wife sell her on ebay 2nd hand been well used lol and get the JBL and be happy thou i highly recommend get rid of that junk home cinema keep the wife and get yourself a recsuse cat instead than this junk garbage trash audio

View attachment 407335Ask her if she likes this design
No need for subs

but is it good enough for return of the jedi , the rancor scene at full THX body pressing actual THX cinema auditorium size it doesn't look like it , THX 83 jedi is what its all about

 

[AudioJester]

Lol
Is anyone still watching return of the jedi?

 

[JustJones]

I guess you could show her these and if fabric on a wall doesn't pass then...

Ci4100QL-THX

Features KEF’s patented Uni-Q driver array Ci4100QL-THX is an in-wall speaker certified to THX SELECT2 standard. A deep understanding of the filmmaking process and surround sound is at the very heart of every THX certified 2.1, 5.1 and 7.1 speaker system. ENQUIRY WHERE TO BUY

us.kef.com

 

[CMB]

I hope you don’t mind my honest thoughts here.
Your wife is right, this doesn’t look to good.

Looking at your pictures, I wonder if the Genelecs are the real problem there (I personally find them beautiful). What triggers my eyes there is rather how they look on these brown and black wooden stands. I think this doesn’t match them at all. They would however nicer blend in, if placed for instance on a more modern and white sideboard.

Just saying as you intend to redecorate anyway.

As it is now, I don’t think that any speaker placed like this on these stands would be big improvement.

Kind regards

 

[dshreter]

Did you read the OP?

There is no way on earth that these speakers being in any way visible is going to result in marital harmony.

I did read it… and the current appearance of that corner is awful! Im skeptical that large floor standing speakers with a wooden cabinet would really be preferable to getting these speakers up and out if the way.

 

[markstein]

I do not know the rest of the room and the floor layout, however, would it be an option to place the TV screen into the corner and have a diagonal setup? That would be visually more appealing and might improve the acoustics as well (less sidewall reflections especially on the right side - more symmetrical reflections).

Floyd Toole shows such a setup in his third Edition of "Sound Reproduction", figure 7.18

 

[Andysu]

I do not know the rest of the room and the floor layout, however, would it be an option to place the TV screen into the corner and have a diagonal setup? That would be visually more appealing and might improve the acoustics as well (less sidewall reflections especially on the right side - more symmetrical reflections).

Floyd Toole shows such a setup in his third Edition of "Sound Reproduction", figure 7.18

but does floyd have return of the jedi on laserdisc and does have 83 THX that can do rancor scene with bass directional pressing against his body