The Genelecs Files

Discussion in 'Speakers' started by GoodEnoughGear, Jan 23, 2017.

  1. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    I've heard Genelec on many occasions, because they're pretty common amongst studio guys. Funnily enough the brand has been criticised for having a house sound that's too flattering for serious "real Scotsman" studio work. Not once has this been confirmed by measurements and it might turn out that Genelecs speakers are just that - good.

    As for Putzey's work - I find it interesting to say the least. He prefers using phase linear filtering in his loudspeakers, which has its pros and cons. There's a reason why our plug-in has both minimum and linear phase. In filtering there is no free lunch, you just need to choose what you can afford to pay.
     
  2. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    I spent a lot of time drooling through a certain Gearslutz High-end monitors thread that was mentioned and linked to in the nearfields thread. It left me with a lot of interest in Geithain and Amphion. Geithain, certainly very German, but Europe available: I would have seen it when I was in London. Amphion: now that I've gone passive a windfall might still take me to their doorstep
    Kii tickklesme up
    Have often heard this too. Also have not heard cold, analytical, etc: could be the perfect compromise for home and studio?
     
  3. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    Gethain...lovely, too rich for my blood right now. Amphion would be high on my passive list were I still looking that direction.
     
  4. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    Amphions are very good too. They used to have pretty good subs too, but do not make those anymore. @Armaegis another would be Gradients if you are inerested in the coaxial, like Genelec and Amphion they are also finnish, so might be hard to find. http://www.gradient.fi/Gradient/Home.html
    Still, I think the set that @GoodEnoughGear has now is extremely good for the money and size.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2017
  5. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    It's just interesting to talk. I don't think the Genelecs are really going to leave him wanting for much! :D
     
  6. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    The LS50 got such a hype train to its tail, I was shocked when I heard them. These are mid-fi speakers next to any Genelec.

    Totally so. Genelecs are like Fluke is in multimeter bis. Hobbyists complain how a Fluke is overpriced and overhyped. You get one if you don't want to dick around, it just does its job every time. At the time I worked in cal lab, I only gained more respect towards Fluke and I will always recommend one to a friend. So what that he/she has difficult time to spare this much for a DMM. So what that he/she can get more digits and even better accuracy from a Extech/Uni-T/whatever hung-low-dmm for the money.
    With the same spirit I always recommend Genelec as a first choice for a newb. A Genelec is one serious tool.

    My own journey with some Genelecs:
    I have had my 8050-s for nearly 9 years. I have dragged these along everywhere I go. Even hitchhiking to the city where my university was I had each in a travel bag, as I was reluctant to spare cash for a bus ticket. They are small for the 8'' and healthy in 35 Hz response. Same can't be said about their weight though, 15 kg a piece.
    I honestly wouldn't have dared to do that with something like Adam. You're gonna drop a mdf speaker twice, maybe three times. Genelecs can take some serious beating. These have nearly broken my toes twice.

    About the sound:
    It took me years before I had the luck to audition better sounding speakers than Genelecs. I tried various speakers priced for mortals, such as Mackies, Adams, M-Audios, some B&W, Harbeth etc, at best some of those were offering some unique compromises, thus being sidegrades.
    With passives there is always the shitty amp at the vendor's place that needs to be taken to account, it ruined so many auditions for me.
    It feels like dudes at Genelec do have ears and understanding what to stick inside the small case. I had the urge to wire something like Rag into them, but with every source upgrade it became clearer that the amp must do its job adequately, rather the whole package is balanced and .. ultimately limited.

    The downsides of Genelecs are the crossover (uber-perfecto freqency response and phase, it MATTERS, because it's perfect) and believe it or not the incompatibility with actual average living rooms. Every time I have compared Genelecs to other speakers inside and outside (semi-anechoic) Genelecs take a ton more advantage of fields and forests. It's ironic as their big buzz is about the rounded non-diffracting enclosure design yada-yada-yada, that works magic in every acoustic scenario. They must be auditioning the prototypes outside, like I do with mine.
    I will probably never sell mine, as these double as superb computer speakers for gaming or watching movies, and they are reliable as f**k in the times when everything is built like dog shit, but heart yearns for more. For more subtleties, for more coherency/cohesiveness, for more clarity. I know what I want and I will build them,.. at some point.
     
  7. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    I'd always opt for 4 Mastechs rather than one Fluke. Best of course would be having 4 Flukes.

    You always design for anechoic flat response, because it's a stationary target. It's trivial to compensate boundary gain by DSP correction or just go ham with room treatment. The last thing you need is to find out that your speakers lack bass because they were designed with room gain in mind. This is actually the case with Yamaha HS5.

    I'm always happy to donate some, if you lose yours!
     
  8. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    Ooh, the Gradient Five has a passive rear radiator. Very interesting, though perhaps not ideal for desktop-near-the-wall placement.

    This one tickles my funny bones in all the right places:
    https://nsmt-loudspeakers.com/Model-20M
    coaxial bookshelf, sealed, acoustic suspension, minimal crossovers, plus all their talk of eco friendliness at least appeases the green part of my brain
    But $3k/pair is big money :confused:

    I don't think the hype train is underserved per se. They're good, they're compact, at a reasonable price, and with the popularity it also makes them very easy to buy/sell on the used market which is a desirably quality.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2017
  9. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    If anything Genelecs are a bit bassy, but that's not what I was at. My guess would be that there is something going on with directivity/off axis response. Box shaped speakers kind of do what you'd expect in a regular untreated room, if they are any good, but Genelecs perform differently, usually in a weird way. Maybe they indeed are more uniform in directivity wrt frequency response and as a result initiate more room problems. Although it has to be said that their sweetspot is among largest I have heard.
     
  10. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    Note that I didn't say Mastech. I respect Mastech for what it is. Really useful piece of equipment at a low price. A fair deal. Unlike some others.
    If you already have 4 Mastechs you have no excuse for buying Fluke.
     
  11. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    Even the Adams and Harbeths? Adam has a bunch of top end models, and the Harbeth P3ESR has been a pretty solid contender for years from what I've read.
     
  12. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    Harbeth Monitor 30.1 was certainly good, but not all around better. It had more organic tone, a bit softer presentation, but resolving capabilities felt good. It's from memory though with perhaps not ideal amplifiers (it was some p-p french pentode amp if I remember correctly).

    From Adams range I have only heard A5X and A3X, price wise lower class and the sound is step or two below similar sized Genelecs. The S models are hopefully much better. I understand that many would appreciate the ribbon presentation, I thought it was unique, in some ways better than the Genelec metal dome.
     
  13. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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  14. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    ... and that sub is a lot bigger than I imagined it!
     
  15. spwath

    spwath Hijinks master cum laudle

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  16. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    Nope, SAM is digital, so it will run the signal through an ADC-->DAC process, effectively defeating any upstream DAC.
     
  17. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    Any experience with the quality of the built-in dacs in their monitors?
     
  18. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    Not myself, maybe others can comment. Also the SAM stuff is pricier than I wanted to pay, so it wasn't a consideration for me.
     
  19. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    They are not shit, but nothing special either. Tonally correct, but a bit washed away (lacking tonal gamut so to speak). No weirdness in anywhere.
    Even without the dsp-ness a proper hi-end dac like Yggdrasil does better stage and dynamics with regular Genelecs.
    No a-b data, but I felt like the inner dacs are slightly better than something like BMC Puredac which I had recent memory of when I tried dsp Genelecs.
    For some odd reason when I connected my Soekris to these, they got better. Stage depth improved for one. Technically this should not be possible.
     
  20. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    I opened that one first and had the same reaction. First surprise and then a big-ass grin. I can't help but call it Tubthumper (despite the association with Chumbawumba).
     

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