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Revel Salon2 vs Genelec 8351B - Blind Test Preparations

srrxr71

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Oh BTW this reminds me of another interesting subjective impression from comparing these speakers.

If I listen to mono content or configure the miniDSP to play mono through both speakers, on the Revel Salon2 it sounds exactly as if the sound is coming from a phantom center source in front of me. There is almost no sense that the phantom center image is not real, or localized to the left/right speakers.

In the Genelecs, the phantom center experience is not nearly as realistic. I’m not sure why, but I think it is related to what my ears hear as I turn my head left and right slightly. If I turn my head to the left or right, it becomes even more obvious that the Genelecs sound more localized to the speakers, while the Revel Salon2 phantom center image remains very impressively anchored in place.
The phenomenon you describe is what keeps me on the speaker merry go round.

I liked my Focal solos but got annoyed at how the tonality changes with the slightest movement. The phantom center collapses pretty quickly on head turns. To solve that…

I picked up the KEF LS50W. They are pretty decent about head movements but they still reveal tonal changes. The phantom center is decently stable. Then I tried…

A pair of Apple HomePods. In hindsight not really the best at high fidelity but a very enjoyable speaker. This one maintains tonality and a solid phantom center even with a 90 degree turn. Unfortunately it is a very colored “party” sound. To fix that…

Genelec 8341s. They are yet to arrive. I hope they can mostly solve this problem and I guess 45-60 degrees is okay but if not I guess at least I know now I can sell them and save for a pair of Salon 2. I just dread going back to passive.

It seems like directivity has something to do with it. I hope someone tests a HomePod in paired mode.
 

stevenswall

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Genelec 8341s. They are yet to arrive. I hope they can mostly solve this problem and I guess 45-60 degrees is okay but if not I guess at least I know now I can sell them and save for a pair of Salon 2. I just dread going back to passive.

It seems like directivity has something to do with it. I hope someone tests a HomePod in paired mode.

Sounds like you're describing dispersion and the wider it is the better, like with the HomePod, bit you want the even tonality of a great speaker.

I wish Genelec would make something with very wide dispersion for those that prefer. The Ones most still consider narrow, though the 8260 seems to have notably wider dispersion if I'm reading their off axis measurements correctly.
 

nerdoldnerdith

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Sounds like you're describing dispersion and the wider it is the better, like with the HomePod, bit you want the even tonality of a great speaker.

I wish Genelec would make something with very wide dispersion for those that prefer. The Ones most still consider narrow, though the 8260 seems to have notably wider dispersion if I'm reading their off axis measurements correctly.
Their 2-ways are pretty wide
 

stevenswall

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Their 2-ways are pretty wide

Their PDF that shows the 8260, 8240, and 8250 shows that the 8260 has notably wider dispersion than the others when I look at the off axis graphs.

The 8260 is a pretty tight cluster of lines that roll off a little in the treble region.

The two ways are a less tight cluster of lines and fall off more rapidly.
 
OP
E

echopraxia

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The phenomenon you describe is what keeps me on the speaker merry go round.

I liked my Focal solos but got annoyed at how the tonality changes with the slightest movement. The phantom center collapses pretty quickly on head turns. To solve that…

I picked up the KEF LS50W. They are pretty decent about head movements but they still reveal tonal changes. The phantom center is decently stable. Then I tried…

A pair of Apple HomePods. In hindsight not really the best at high fidelity but a very enjoyable speaker. This one maintains tonality and a solid phantom center even with a 90 degree turn. Unfortunately it is a very colored “party” sound. To fix that…

Genelec 8341s. They are yet to arrive. I hope they can mostly solve this problem and I guess 45-60 degrees is okay but if not I guess at least I know now I can sell them and save for a pair of Salon 2. I just dread going back to passive.

It seems like directivity has something to do with it. I hope someone tests a HomePod in paired mode.
Both the Salon2’s and Genelec’s are good at phantom center image, in different ways. The Salon2’s have wider beam, so sound attenuates more gradually (yet still with consistent tonality) across the horizontal plane, but in most other respects the Genelec coaxials are better: more consistent tonality not only vertically, but tonality that remains extremely consistent at almost any distance from the speaker.

For example, I can sit on the floor at the center point between my Genelec 8361A’s (significantly off-axis both horizontally and vertically, in addition to being very close to each), and they sound great and still relatively uncolored. The same is definitely not true for the Salon2’s or any other traditional non-coaxial speaker. The phantom image of the Salon2’s remains more stable when extremely unnaturally close to them (e.g. if you stand directly between them) due to their wide beam, but in this situation their overall tonality (despite the stable phantom center) becomes much more colored than the Genelecs at the same close distance.

In other words, the Salon2’s are extremely consistent in tonality and attenuation across the horizontal axis, while the Genelec coaxial are more consistent with tonality across all axes (especially vertical and radial/distance) at the “expense” of a narrower beam (attenuates quicker off axis).

As long as your listening position is a few meters out though, there isn’t really any noticible difference in phantom image quality (though the ratio of direct to indirect sound is very noticeably different). If you listen extremely close to the speakers, the Salon2 phantom center image is better but the Genelec’s overall tonality is much better (whereas the Salon2’s direct sound will start sounding unnatural when you’re that close).
 

stevenswall

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Does anyone have a link to the outcome of this? Curious what people reported hearing difference wise.
 

srrxr71

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Both the Salon2’s and Genelec’s are good at phantom center image, in different ways. The Salon2’s have wider beam, so sound attenuates more gradually (yet still with consistent tonality) across the horizontal plane, but in most other respects the Genelec coaxials are better: more consistent tonality not only vertically, but tonality that remains extremely consistent at almost any distance from the speaker.

For example, I can sit on the floor at the center point between my Genelec 8361A’s (significantly off-axis both horizontally and vertically, in addition to being very close to each), and they sound great and still relatively uncolored. The same is definitely not true for the Salon2’s or any other traditional non-coaxial speaker. The phantom image of the Salon2’s remains more stable when extremely unnaturally close to them (e.g. if you stand directly between them) due to their wide beam, but in this situation their overall tonality (despite the stable phantom center) becomes much more colored than the Genelecs at the same close distance.

In other words, the Salon2’s are extremely consistent in tonality and attenuation across the horizontal axis, while the Genelec coaxial are more consistent with tonality across all axes (especially vertical and radial/distance) at the “expense” of a narrower beam (attenuates quicker off axis).

As long as your listening position is a few meters out though, there isn’t really any noticible difference in phantom image quality (though the ratio of direct to indirect sound is very noticeably different). If you listen extremely close to the speakers, the Salon2 phantom center image is better but the Genelec’s overall tonality is much better (whereas the Salon2’s direct sound will start sounding unnatural when you’re that close).
I sort of like the narrower beam as I am always in the sweet spot. I also absorb first reflections anyway.

I suppose it might come down to whether one primarily listens to mixed music or acoustic space recordings.
 
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