Напольная акустика — Genelec Adaptive Point Source 8381

The 8381A Adaptive Point Source is a five-way freestanding active main monitor from Genelec, the Finnish studio monitor maker, and the first model of its series called The Main Ones. It costs about USD 32,000 per speaker. Each 8381A is supplied with a 9320A SAM Reference Controller, and its external amplifiers are matched to the individual cabinet at the Genelec factory in Iisalmi.

Key specs that matter

The driver complement starts with an MDC coaxial unit, a 125 mm midrange with a 25 mm tweeter at its centre. Around it, four more 125 mm midrange drivers form the Quad Midrange System, and a 380 mm front woofer sits below. The lower section adds two 380 mm recoil-compensated bass drivers with 100 mm voice coils. Crossover points are 1.8 kHz, 500 Hz, 150 to 250 Hz and 50 to 100 Hz, the last two variable. Frequency response is 20 Hz to 35 kHz at -6 dB and ±1.5 dB from 30 Hz to 20 kHz. Maximum short-term output is 126 dB or more, long-term output 121 dB or more, and peak output at least 129 dB. Inputs and outputs comprise two analogue XLR pairs, two AES/EBU pairs and four RJ45 network ports. The speaker is 1458 mm high, 500 mm wide and 694 mm deep, and it weighs 162 kg.

Engineering and use context

Genelec's aim is Point Source Continued Directivity, meaning that the drivers behave as a single source whose directivity stays controlled down to low frequencies. In the MDC coaxial unit the tweeter sits in the middle of the midrange cone, and the four surrounding midrange drivers extend the controlled directivity to lower frequencies, with the DCW waveguide shaping dispersion. The two rear-section bass drivers are arranged to cancel each other's recoil, so the enclosure stays still even at large excursions. Amplification is external, in two 3U 19 inch Class D RAM-81 units per speaker with a combined output of 5,926 W, which keeps the heat and weight of the electronics out of the cabinet. The MDF enclosure is split into two parts, 880 mm and 570 mm high, making installation easier, and incliner wedges of 4 or 8 degrees tilt the speaker towards the listening position. ISS automatic standby switches the system off when no signal is present, and driver protection circuits guard against overload. Finishes are black or white.

Pairing

The 8381A accepts analogue or digital signals directly from a mixing console, audio interface or monitor controller, and it is set up and managed over the network ports. With its deep low-frequency extension, it covers the full audio band without a separate subwoofer.

Alternatives

The Genelec 8351B is a three-way coaxial SAM monitor for smaller rooms in the same professional range.