He didn’t say if he set them both up with the full calibration. However it is possible that even after he may prefer the Sonos.What I found surprising about this thread (and still do) was that the OP bought a set of 8361s and still found the Sonos a close match for them.
They are different beasts. The Genelec will appeal to the audiophile type who wants every little detail. The Sonos will appeal to someone who wants the room filled with sound.
The Genelecs don’t fill the room. They provide absolute heaven to the person in the sweet spot if that person likes that kind of sound.
Some people don’t. I know someone who likes music to sound as if it’s coming from another room. Others want the room filled with sound. I want the front row experience with every instrument in its place.
The Sonos 5 is impressive in some senses and maybe a stereo pair is just what the doctor ordered for some people.
I enjoyed both a single HomePod and a stereo pair and also having 8 of them surrounding me.
But then when I went back to LS50w, at first it was not impressive at all. I wondered why all the hoopla. Then as I listened I understood why. Now I have 8341s and full on room treatments. It’s at once subtle and impressive. In fact it mostly sounds like a mono center speaker with auxiliary miniature speakers all over the front wall.
Some days it’s not impressive until I’ve had a few hours with it. Some days it blows my mind from the moment I press play.
In general alcohol brings it to heaven level and the later the hour the better it is. Just too many factors. This is why listening tests and impressions are unreliable. The set and setting matters. Haha.
It’s kind of funny. I remember taking someone to audition the 8351s for the first time. She did not seem to care much at all even when offered the sweet spot. Me? I was fighting intense sudden uncontrollable emotional reaction to break out in tears. I literally lost my composure.
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