Genelec 8260A Monitor Review
The Genelec 8260A was developed to meet increasing demand for a three-way DSP monitoring system suitable for larger rooms. Huw Price gets calibrating.
Price: £3,779.00
Manufacturer: Genelec
Website: http://www.genelec.com
8260A
Manufacturer Genelec
Price £3,779 each
Contact Source Distribution 020 8962 5080
Web www.genelec.com
The 8260A is the latest in Genelec’s award-winning 8200 Series. It features Genelec DSP, which handles all the loudspeaker functions including the crossover filters, driver equalisers, driver position alignment, calibration, room response alignment, EQ-related filters and distance-compensating delays.
Despite appearances the 8260A is actually a three-way speaker. The big innovation is Genelec’s MDC (Minimum Diffraction Coaxial) mid/high driver technology. The system is similar in concept to Tannoy’s dual-concentric design, but in this case Genelec has aligned the midrange and high-frequency drivers for point source to prevent low-frequency soundwaves from the woofer causing disruption. This coaxial driver also benefits from improved waveguide technology.
The chassis is a die-cast aluminum Minimum Diffraction Enclosure (MDE) with rounded edges to ‘prevent diffractions and yield superb soundstage imaging’. The enclosure is also claimed to be immune to vibration. Each 8260A ships with an Iso-Pod stand that decouples the monitor from its mounting surface, and there are rear support points for floor and wall stands.
The system ships with Genelec’s Loudspeaker Manager software, which manages all the functions and enables the 8260As to be combined with other 8200 Series monitors and 7200 Series subwoofers (the recommended sub is the Genelec 7271A).
Test results
Although the manual runs to almost 170 pages, setting up and calibrating the 8260As is surprisingly easy: once the software was installed on our Mac it was just a case of following the onscreen instructions. Hopefully, PC users won’t have any more difficulty than we did. And once we heard the 8260As in action, we were seriously impressed. Rarely have we heard so clearly inside a mix. We’ve come to associate midrange and high-end transparency with the Genelec brand and the 8260As continue that tradition, but what really blew us away was the bottom end.
Actually, that phrase might be misleading because there’s nothing overblown or bass-heavy about these speakers. Where they really score is in the way details are laid bare in the often muddy waters of the trouser-flap region. You can listen to bass drums and discern what type of pedal the guy was using, as well as estimate how much equalisation was applied at the recording and mixing stages.
Another plus point is the way in which you feel you’re hearing absolutely everything, even at lower levels. With so many monitors you can feel a need to turn them up when you’re struggling to hear details, which only makes your ears tire. This leads on to the fact that these monitors are deceptively loud. As they don’t distort, the usual artifacts of excessive volume aren’t there, so be cautious with the ‘loud knob’… In fact, the only real issue with the 8260As is whether you can justify the price – they’re among the most expensive monitors we’ve tested. Sonically speaking, however, they’re worth every penny.
WHY BUY
Razor-sharp imaging
Impressive clarity
Tightly controlled bass
Surprisingly easy to set up
WALK ON BY
Subwoofer needed for LFE work
VERDICT
Absolutely astounding studio monitors with a remarkable low-end response.
★★★★★★★★★ (9/10)
SEE ALSO:
Monitor Reviews
Choosing & Using Monitors
Monitors & Acoustics
Score: 9
This review first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 87
Filed under
Genelec Monitors,
Hardware,
Reviews,
Studio Monitors
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