How spacious sounding are the Genelec The Ones?

[Kain]

How is the sound stage or how spacious sounding are the Genelec The Ones? My LSR305 sound quite spacious and have a large sound stage. Wanted to know how The Ones compare? When I move my head to the left or right side, the sound stage doesn't really collapse. Is it the same with The Ones?

 

[Purité Audio]

The answer as always is to try them at home, when I had the 8351Bs here recently I found I had to sit pretty close to be immersed in the music, when you are in the sweet spot imaging is pin point, when I sat further than 2 metres away I felt that I was looking at the music rather than being in it, if that makes any sense?
Having said that when I owned the larger 8260s and when I heard the new 8361’s I didn’t have that feeling sitting that bit further away.
Keith

 

[feitaishi]

The answer as always is to try them at home, when I had the 8351Bs here recently I found I had to sit pretty close to be immersed in the music, when you are in the sweet spot imaging is pin point, when I sat further than 2 metres away I felt that I was looking at the music rather than being in it, if that makes any sense?
Having said that when I owned the larger 8260s and when I heard the new 8361’s I didn’t have that feeling sitting that bit further away.
Keith

do you mean that 8260 has a better soundstage?

 

[holdingpants01]

they're as spacious as the recording you're listening

 

[JustJones]

The JBL will have a wider sweet spot, dispersion, if that's what you're asking.

 

[RobL]

I haven’t heard 305p’s but I had 705p’s and compared to my 8361a’s they sounded very similar as far as spaciousness.The 8361a’s have a wider and more stable sweet spot though.

 

[tmtomh]

do you mean that 8260 has a better soundstage?

Keith can correct me if I'm mistaken, but I'd say No, he's not saying that. He's saying the larger Ones are more enveloping when you're listening from more than 2M away. But that's only one aspect of soundstage. The 8351s (which I own) throw out a first-rate soundstage - very strong and sharp phantom center; excellent width and depth; and very decent height for a standmount.

I haven't heard the 8260 or 8361, but I listen to my 8351s from about 3M away and I would agree with Keith that I do not usually feel "enveloped" by the sound when playing them. Based on some brief experimentation with higher volume playback, I believe that if I turned up the volume further and played them really loud, I could achieve that envelopment, at least to a degree - but that would be way too loud for me. I would also say that a feeling of envelopment is akin to (or at least related to) the idea of "pressurizing the room," which takes a fair amount of volume if you are listening in a room that's large enough to be sitting more than 2M away from the speakers in the first place.

In my case envelopment is not an issue as it has never been high on my personal preference list for sonic enjoyment. In fact, I actually usually prefer to be "looking at" the music because when I close my eyes it makes me feel like I'm sitting in front of the musicians who are playing on a virtual stage; it's like I'm sitting in the 2nd or 3rd row or something. In fact, I had considered the 8361s quite seriously and in the end decided to get the 8351s, thinking they'd be adequate for my needs - and I have not regretted that choice.

But if you want to be enveloped and you are listening from 3M or so, then I would agree with Keith: listen to the 8351s before purchasing because you might not feel that envelopment at that distance.

 

[Kain]

Thanks for the replies.

I was indeed referring to the sweet spot but the rest of the discussion in this thread is interesting and relevant too. Wanted to know if The Ones have as wide a sweet spot as the LSR305. JustJones says the JBLs will have a wider sweet spot while RobL says his 8361As have a wider sweet spot than the 705P (hasn't heard the LSR305). Not sure how the sweet spot compares between the LSR305 and 705P.

 

[dfuller]

Being that they're a fairly narrow dispersion design it is likely that in a more reflective space they will sound more "direct" than wider dispersion designs. I don't consider this a bad thing, room reflections are just distortion (whether or not people consider it bad is another thing).

 

[Purité Audio]

They are ‘distortions’ if the speakers off-axis is very different from its ‘on’ axis.
Keith

 

[dfuller]

They are ‘distortions’ if the speakers off-axis is very different from its ‘on’ axis.
Keith

They are literally distortions of the program material by the room, whether or not it's similar-ish to on-axis.

 

[Purité Audio]

Headphones then or do you have an anechoic listening room?
Keith

 

[jonfitch]

The Ones sound like you are sitting the front row of a recording rather than somewhere in the back. This likely has to do with the excess sound power energy around 300-800 hz with Genelec The Ones, making the percussion range sound a lot louder than is typical with most speakers. If you are looking for "spacious" sounding generally Revel and KEF will sound much more spacious because they are a lot more laid back in this region.

 

[tmtomh]

The Ones sound like you are sitting the front row of a recording rather than somewhere in the back. This likely has to do with the excess sound power energy around 300-800 hz with Genelec The Ones, making the percussion range sound a lot louder than is typical with most speakers. If you are looking for "spacious" sounding generally Revel and KEF will sound much more spacious because they are a lot more laid back in this region.

I know this stuff is subjective, but 300-800Hz range can sound boxy if too hot, but in my experience does not enhance percussion volume or the perception of presence.

Also, GLM removes any excess energy that the speakers might exhibit in that region in a given room. The speakers are certainly not designed or "voiced" for excess energy in that region.

Finally, I can't say I've ever associated spaciousness with the energy in the 300-800Hz region.

 

[jonfitch]

I know this stuff is subjective, but 300-800Hz range can sound boxy if too hot, but in my experience does not enhance percussion volume or the perception of presence.

Also, GLM removes any excess energy that the speakers might exhibit in that region in a given room. The speakers are certainly not designed or "voiced" for excess energy in that reason.

Finally, I can't say I've ever associated spaciousness with the energy in the 300-800Hz region.

Just a theory. Regardless, several dealers and listeners have made the same observations about the Ones. If it's not that region then its something else causing it.

 

[tmtomh]

Just a theory. Regardless, several dealers and listeners have made the same observations about the Ones. If it's not that region then its something else causing it.

My first guess would be their coaxial design (thought that wouldn't explain the difference compared to KEF) and super-tight imaging precision - I've revisited many recordings with my 8351s and on some of them when the center-panned vocals first come in I've nearly jumped out of my seat.

 

[jonfitch]

My first guess would be their coaxial design (thought that wouldn't explain the difference compared to KEF) and super-tight imaging precision - I've revisited many recordings with my 8351s and on some of them when the center-panned vocals first come in I've nearly jumped out of my seat.

All my comparisons were done with other coaxials so I doubt it.

 

[changer]

Also, GLM removes any excess energy that the speakers might exhibit in that region in a given room.

GLM cannot correct SP characteristics of a speaker, this is baked into the design.

But frankly, when I look at the curves they do not support excess SP 3-800 Hz hypothesis in my eyes.

 

[tmtomh]

GLM cannot correct SP characteristics of a speaker, this is baked into the design.

But frankly, when I look at the curves they do not support excess SP 3-800 Hz hypothesis in my eyes.

SP?

 

[abdo123]

they're as spacious as the recording you're listening

What kind of nonsense is this?