The pride of Finland, at least when it comes to speakers, Genelec couldn’t wait until its golden 50th anniversary to introduce a new speaker, the 8381A, choosing the 45th anniversary as the solemn occasion.
As a member of the company’s The Main Ones line of high-end studio, mastering and audiophile speakers, these aren’t exactly “desktop” speakers. Genelec says, “For audio professionals, the 8381A produces accurate full-band mixes that translate consistently to other rooms and playback systems, while audiophiles will experience every detail and nuance of a musical performance, just as the creators intended it to be heard.”
Looking at the specs, the overall layout of the speaker is interesting with dual side-firing 15-inch woofers occupying the base box with a third 15-inch woofer in the upper box facing forward.
There is a quad midrange module with four 5-inch midrange drivers set into the corners. In the center is another 5-inch mid driver with a 1-inch coaxially placed tweeter in the center. It looks somewhat like the five on a dice. This is Genelec’s Minimum Diffraction Coaxial technology at work.
Powering all those drivers are two Class D amps totaling 5926 W.
Wear a back brace, or better yet get someone else, when moving these boxes around because they weigh 200 kg/440 pounds and are 57 inches high, 19.5 inches wide and 27.25 inches deep.
According to Genelec they’ll top out at 126 dB — plenty of boom if you need it. They also boast a frequency response of 20 Hz–35 kHz.
The 8381A works with Genelec’s GLM configuration, calibration and control software so the sweet spot should never be a problem. A bonus is the SonicAdvisor calibration system that comes along with the 8381A.
In building the 8381As Genelec Managing Director Siamäk Naghian said, “It was also evident that there was a desire from customers for a free-standing system that could deliver even more. headroom and increased low frequency extension. And while we continue to offer a wide range of soffit-mounting main monitors, we’re confident that the flexibility and mobility of a floor-standing adaptive system like the 8381A will provide the perfect solution for any discerning user seeking a truly next-generation sonic reference.”
We might live in a world of amazing yet small speakers but there is still a market for the big sound speaker.