Focal vs Genelec: Which Monitor Titan Takes the Crown?

Focal and Genelec are among the top brands in the monitor speaker industry. From the inception of both companies, they have pushed the envelopes of innovation and technological advancement. These two titans go head to head in everything from sound detail, to sound accuracy, and even to sound extension.

Genelec Overview

Genelec is one of the front runner monitor speaker brands on the market. This company has retained their upper hand in the speaker industry by treading a more technologically advanced and ethical road when compared against other monitor manufacturers. For instance, minimal waste and low energy-use sustainable manufacturing has continually been Genelec’s focus. Their products are also made to last for quite long. Regarding technological strategies, there are numerous ways they have shown their innovation and tech prowess. Among these, their 1996 decision to create speaker cabinets using recycled aluminium stands out. It was a radical move that turned out to be massively successful.

Focal Overview

On the other hand, Focal, while being another audio brand front runner, focuses more on innovation and the technological evolution of their speakers. Focal is regarded as a very original and exceptional manufacturer. This is because of how they’ve innovated on the listening experience with their premium monitor speakers.  A vital approach that Focal takes is the meticulous effort they put into every stage of production. They ensure that manufacture, design, and every other aspect of the product and service are firmly integrated. This quality sound design can absolutely be recognized during use.  From the early 1980’s until now, Focal has maintained a solid high ranking among the top pioneering audio system brands.

Focal Vs. Genelec

Having established how both of these leading monitor speaker brands operate, let’s get into their products, specifically the Genelec 1237A and the Focal SM9.

Focal

The Focal SM9 is a range topping active three-way speaker which features the brand’s signature transducers.  The key element of the SM9 is how it has been crafted to be two twin speakers in one – an intensely precise, 30Hz-40kHz three-way speaker or, in ‘Focus’ mode, a bandwidth-constrained two-way system which allows EQ and balance checking in the mid-range signals. The transmission utilizes alteration of the sound to enhance any audio project that it is playing.

Stylish and small landscape design could definitely be used to describe the Focal SM9. The speaker’s main drivers are on the front of the device; a passive radiator rests in the top centre, and a huge heat sink dominates the speaker’s rear. The SM9’s front panel driver arrangement is that of a two-way monitor, with a bigger bass driver resting on the side. The cabinet is internally split into two totally individual sealed sections, one containing the bass driver and passive radiator, and the other holding the treble as well as mid-range drivers. The Focal SM9 is made for use in the near field at one to four metres from listening location. Immediately, once they are raised to position, setup is effortless and only the power/audio connectors require adjustment.

In full range mode, the SM9 delivers intensely illuminating sound. As is the case with good quality monitors, you’re never really aware of how loud you’re blaring them until you attempt to have a conversation in the room.  The Focal SM9 can give off a peak SPL of 116db at one metre. However, at more normal levels, its general balance and detail across the frequency spectrum was, sincerely, top notch. The slightest sonic subtleties were easily displaying out of the sound field, and recognizing them with the ear turned out to be quite the easy feat. The speaker’s dynamic response is so accurate and swift, that voices and instruments clearly stand out.  Each instrument or musical section was to be defined in their own right within time and space, attesting to the supreme quality of the Focal SM9. Sounds were accurately placed inside the stereo image, which displayed an exceptionally realistic depth and width.

Moving to the two-way Focus mode caused a very obvious sound alteration, though the character remained unaffected. Focal’s design aim of enabling concentration on the mid-range, while valuing a lower-quality system as well, was definitely achieved. Due to the bottom octave and a half taken out, and the -3dB point on the treble reduced to 20 kHz; Focus mode does constrain the SM9’s audio quality. Yet, it is still listenable.  In fact, it provides an insight into the issues in mid-range.  Furthermore, taking the -3dB point down from 40kHz to 20kHz also calls to attention what is lost when that extra octave is gone.

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Genelec

In comparison, Genelec 8351A seems to have mastered the art of the three-way monitor. In their usual radical way, they have delivered this ‘Smart Active Monitor’ to hit all the speaker monitor standards.

At first glance, what you’d observe about the 8351A is that the Directivity Control Waveguide (DCW) that is a key feature of Genelec’s Minimum Diffraction Enclosures (MDE) has ‘magnified’, taking up the whole enclosure’s front to become the MaxDCW.  A Minimum Diffraction Coaxial (MDC) driver arrangement sits at the waveguide’s middle section, featuring a 5-inch mid-range driver and a 0.75-inch metal dome tweeter.

What you are not going to find at the front of the Genelec 8351A is a woofer, and there isn’t one below or at the top. Hiding at the various ends of the MaxDCW is a slot that holds one of the 8351A’s twin 8.5 x 4–inch Acoustically Concealed Woofers (ACW). The location of both woofers, in combination with the MaxDCW and the MDC midrange/tweeter, makes this speaker an ‘acoustically–coaxial’ monitor. This translates to it having a regulated directivity across a wide bandwidth, allowing it to be utilized in both horizontal and vertical alignments.

At the rear, there’s a bass reflex port and panel housing XLR connectors for both balanced analogue and digital AES3 inputs.  There are also two banks of DIP switches, one that alters the monitor’s frequency response to assist in making up for its acoustic surroundings. The other sets up the 8351’s inputs and lets you separately mute the woofer and mid–range/HF drivers.

As expected from a high tier three-way design, the mid-range was incredibly meticulous, and the 8351A’s audio output was superbly accurate and generally open.  This meticulous mid-range, combined with the performance co–axial tweeter, generated an excellent stereo image that rested sturdily in the speaker’s compartment.  With well-made recordings, this soundstage was expanded, giving out a completely detailed sensation of spatial and temporal awareness.

Nonetheless, the true winner in the Genelec 8351A was the low-frequency extension and performance. The 8351A isn’t so huge, but the depth and regulation of the bass it produced truly shined across an expansive array of musical genres. When played at EDM volume levels, combined low-frequency sounds were recreated with a striking intensity of transitory detail, along with the compulsory banging thump.  In addition, the Genelec 8351A impressively gave off the essential delineation between bass drum and bass guitar.

Generally, Genelec’s monitor speakers have a signature full and neutral character with front-presenting quality. The Genelec 8351A has a similar signature, but with less forward presentation. This translated to it having a non-daunting effect on music played from it, having a distinct background presence.

Conclusion

Focal and Genelec are two brands continually pushing out innovatively crafted monitor speakers.

The Focal and the Genelec 8351A are both special monitor systems. The SM9 in three-way mode displays a quality dynamic element and tonal equilibrium over the audio output. This feature is something that most similar costing monitors likely envy, and more pricey monitors will have a hard time competing with.  Conversely, the Genelec nails clarity, accuracy, stereo imagery, bass detail, as well as extension, resolution, and transparent delivery in its three-way coaxial monitor design.

Having weighed both brands against each other, it’s clear the Genelec 83514 comes out as the winner above the Focal SM9, due to its better featured and delivered audio output.