Genelec 8351B

Widely called neutral. ASR found near perfection in tonality on its far-field system, Sound On Sound heard tonal neutrality with no character of its own (GLM-calibrated, 3 × 3.5 m room), LowBeats gives it its best mark for tonality, and two engineers who compared it with ATC and Barefoot monitors in their own studio call it the flattest of the three. Owners say much the same — one can't find an adjective for it after a year. The dissent is small: an owner who also has Dutch & Dutch 8c speakers hears a bright, metallic colouring at 1–1.5 m, an engineer finds it too clinical for hi-fi listening, and a new owner found it analytical for two days before adjusting. Uncalibrated, one video reviewer heard swollen bass and a dark balance that GLM corrected.

“Near perfection as far as tonality and dispersion is provided.”

Audio Science Review (amirm, far-field listening in his main system)

“My overwhelming subjective response to the 8351B, optimised for the room and primary listening position by GLM, was one of tonal neutrality and bomb‑proof professional competence.”

Phil Ward, Sound On Sound (3 × 3.5 m room, GLM)

“The fact that I can't think of any adjectives to describe the sound of the 8351Bs is probably the best indicator that they are pretty good.”

Scoox, Gearspace (owner for about a year, very near field)

“The 8351B are much more wide and deep aounding speakers but they make everything sound bright and clear - due to metallic materials - they transients are crazy but they lie the same time colouring too much.”

galileon, Audio Science Review forum (owner, 1–1.5 m, next to Dutch & Dutch 8c)

Deep and controlled for the size. Recording Magazine calls the low end impactful and precise, LowBeats calls about 30 Hz a statement for a box this size, and the WaysoundRecording engineers preferred its low end to ATC's and Barefoot's with no sub. Owners measure it flat to about 30 Hz in-room, and several run it without a subwoofer. Others add one anyway: an owner of a year says it really needs subs, forum listeners point to the 8361A or a sub for output below 40 Hz, and several note that GLM can cut room peaks but not fill nulls — Sound On Sound saw a 40–50 Hz suck-out it couldn't fix without the W371A. Uncalibrated, two sources heard too much bass in their rooms.

“Its extension has no problem reaching the depths of human perception while doing so in a beautifully controlled and precise manner.”

Alex Hawley, Recording Magazine (studio control room)

“Etwa 30 Hertz untere Grenzfrequenz sind ein Statement, erst recht für eine Box dieser Größe.”

Michael Jansen, LowBeats (German: “a lower limit of about 30 Hertz is a statement, all the more for a box this size”; stands, 2 m triangle)

“The bass reproduction and like the clarity in the low end is fantastic.”

WaysoundRecording (YouTube; own studio, no subwoofer, vs ATC SCM25A and Barefoot MM45)

“However, the 8351Bs really need subwoofers.”

Scoox, Gearspace (owner, with a 7360A sub)

Sources split, though one side is much larger. Sound On Sound praises a neutral balance with outstanding midrange mix detail, an engineer who moved from the 8351A calls it the best midrange he has heard, Recording Magazine hears a slightly more pronounced but balanced midrange than its old 1031A, and the WaysoundRecording engineers found it flatter than ATC's richer mids. Two owners hear something missing: a Korean mix engineer with two pairs says the mids aren't lacking but have less texture and colour than Dynaudio, ATC or PSI, and an owner comparing it with Dutch & Dutch 8c hears voices and acoustic instruments as coloured.

Mostly called open, detailed and unfatiguing, with real spread at the edges. Recording Magazine hears familiar Genelec openness that some might call bright but that sounds natural, MixbusTv had no ear fatigue in two weeks, and an owner who upgraded from the 8351A finds the highs smoother. ASR, in far-field listening, found the highs subdued next to Revel's Salon 2. On the other side LowBeats heard slightly emphasised sibilants until the speakers were toed out a few degrees, one owner calls the sound sharp next to Dutch & Dutch 8c, and another hears everything as bright. Owners report trimming a decibel or two with GLM's tilt when they want to.

“While some might classify it as bright, it sounds quite natural to my ears.”

Alex Hawley, Recording Magazine

“I had no ear fatigue at all and I tried many different level throughout the two weeks that I had them.”

David Gnozzi, MixbusTv (YouTube; two weeks, with a 7370 sub and GLM)

“Die S-Laute sind leicht betont, die E-Gitarre hat Glanz und Biss – vielleicht etwas zu viel dachte ich.”

Michael Jansen, LowBeats (German: “the sibilants are slightly emphasised, the electric guitar has gleam and bite — perhaps a little too much, I thought”; before toeing the speakers out)

“The Genelec sounded subdued in this front.”

Audio Science Review (amirm, on the highs next to a Revel Salon 2, far field)

Mostly praised as wide, deep and immersive. Recording Magazine says the sound enveloped its control room's sweet spot, MixbusTv found depth and width accurate even with the speakers placed close together, and owners on Reddit, Thomann and ASR describe a large, realistic stage. Listeners used to wide-dispersion speakers hear it differently: ASR calls it more intimate and focused than a Revel Salon 2, a dealer says you have to sit fairly close for an immersive sound, a listener who compared it with the 8361A places the stage just behind the speakers and missed wider directivity, and a Japanese owner hears the image come forward.

“The 8351B sound enveloped the control room’s sweet spot in a way I haven’t previously experienced, with a three-dimensional and immersive quality.”

Alex Hawley, Recording Magazine (studio control room)

“But the soundstage! No headphone can dream of creating such realistic image.”

NearbyGoldenPie, r/audiophile (owner, home-office desk, GLM)

“The 8351 is for more intimate and more focused listening.”

Audio Science Review (amirm, far field, next to a Revel Salon 2)

“Both have a soundstage right behind the speakers with great precision and an anchored center.”

Mort, Audio Science Review forum (dealer demo of the 8351B and 8361A at 1.8 m with subs)

The strongest point of agreement. Every source that discusses it — measurers, magazines, video reviewers and owners — praises precise, stable placement and a solid phantom centre; a Korean mix engineer calls the localisation chillingly accurate and better than his coaxial KEFs, and owners say it sounds as if a centre speaker were playing.

“Midrange and high‑frequency performance was similarly satisfying, with great image focus and detail portrayal without any monitor‑borne artefacts.”

Phil Ward, Sound On Sound

“The Phantom Center is as solid as it gets.”

David Gnozzi, MixbusTv (YouTube)

“Ad hoc fällt auf wie präzise Stimme und Instrumente platziert werden.”

Michael Jansen, LowBeats (German: “what strikes you at once is how precisely voice and instruments are placed”)

Highly revealing, with no dissent on the fact — only on whether you want it. Sound On Sound heard reverb tails and compression character with ease, a Gearspace engineer says small EQ and reverb changes have never been clearer, a Japanese owner follows notes from attack to the end of the release, and a B&H buyer finds it as resolving as his active ATC 150s. The WaysoundRecording engineers heard still more recorded detail from ATC's midrange but judged that a distraction for mixing. One engineer who would master on it finds it too much detail for a living room.

“Those midrange mix details that we tend to get obsessed with — reverb tails and compression character, for example — were all easily audible and satisfyingly focused in the space between the monitors.”

Phil Ward, Sound On Sound

“アタックの気配からリリースの末端まで、克明に聞き取れる。”

mkm00077, note.com (Japanese: “from the first hint of the attack to the very end of the release, you can hear it all distinctly”; owner, 1.5 m, no GLM)

“I also agree that it may be too much detail for some in a hifi application.”

Ambientwks, Audio Science Review forum (audio engineer)

Sources split, and the split tracks room size, distance and whether a subwoofer takes the low bass. Recording Magazine praises punchy transients, LowBeats never saw the limiter with a 2 m listening triangle, and owners report more level than they can tolerate at 3 m, about 100 dB for films at 1.5 m and headroom they never use. ASR's reviewer, in far-field listening in a large room with sub-bass-heavy tracks, heard the woofer slots start to make noise and then saw the clip light, and judged it limiting next to a Revel Salon 2. A listener comparing it with the 8361A found it barely reached 85 dB on bass-heavy music at 1.8 m without subs and would not buy it for a big room. One video reviewer hears slightly slower drum transients than from conventional front-woofer monitors.

Forgiving in listening position, less so in room bass. ASR's directivity plots are near textbook, Sound On Sound found it worked in a 3 × 3.5 m room and at very close range once GLM had calibrated it, the WaysoundRecording engineers note a larger sweet spot than their ATCs, and a Korean engineer gets consistent results from two pairs in two rooms. The cautions are about boundaries and furniture: an owner on a desk in a 10 m² room found it harsh until he damped the desk surface, another has 100–200 Hz dips he blames on the woofers sitting near ear height, and several owners found GLM could not cure bass nulls without a subwoofer and treatment. LowBeats found the treble balance sensitive to toe-in.

“Thanks to GLM and the point‑source nature of the 8351B, however, the small size of the room turned out to be relatively benign.”

Phil Ward, Sound On Sound (3 × 3.5 m, minimally treated room)

“with the Gens I really noticed the sound is very HARSH without the foam on the desk, way more than the PSIs.”

Hmast, Audio Science Review forum (owner, on a desk in a 10 m² room, vs PSI A17)

“At least in my room, another weakness is that the bass drivers are close to ear level.”

Senior NEET Engineer, Audio Science Review forum (owner)

Mixes made on it hold up elsewhere, with no real dissent. A Gearspace mixer has never had something fail to translate without being able to hear the cause on the Genelecs afterwards, MixbusTv's verdict is that it translates, Recording Magazine was mixing with more confidence and precision within days, and a Korean engineer finds his masters closest to what the 8351 showed him. The WaysoundRecording engineers felt it matched how they would mix where ATC's forward mids might mislead. One owner adds that any decent monitor can do the job once learned.

“I have never heard something not translate with the Genelecs and then not be able to hear the problem on the speakers themselves.”

Moondog007, Gearspace (mixer, 8351B owner)

“When I say perfect, I mean it translates.”

David Gnozzi, MixbusTv (YouTube)

“It didn’t take long before I was mixing confidently and with more precision.”

Alex Hawley, Recording Magazine

Few sources speak to it, and they split. Asked directly, one ASR owner hears no hiss; an owner who moved from the 8351A found the 8351B dead silent on the AES/EBU digital input with his ear almost at the tweeter; and a Korean engineer has had no hiss trouble with two pairs. Against that, an owner sitting 90 cm away in a very quiet treated room hears a faint tweeter hiss that GLM's level settings don't change — he says it stopped bothering him — and another owner notes the smaller 8331A is rated quieter. The 'dead silent' report is on the AES/EBU digital input, and an ASR member with other The Ones models found that switching from analog to AES lowered the self-noise in his room.

GLM is the headline. Sound On Sound calls GLM 4.1 immensely capable yet easy to use, MixbusTv — who normally avoids correction software — calls its subwoofer integration seamless, and owners credit it with removing boom in minutes and matching rooms. AES/EBU digital input and output, 20 calibration filters by Sound On Sound's count and rear DIP switches for use without GLM round it out. The limits owners name are GLM's own: it trims peaks but leaves nulls, it leaves the range above 1 kHz mostly alone, and one owner still runs a separate equaliser for a stubborn 125 Hz room mode.

“GLM 4.1 immensely capable yet easy to use.”

Phil Ward, Sound On Sound

“I have never heard such seamless integration of the two satellites plus sub.”

David Gnozzi, MixbusTv (YouTube; with a 7370 sub)

“I knew that GLM would reduce peaks, but leave nulls untouched”

Grilled Cheese, Gearspace (owner, 8.5 × 5.3 m room, with a 7360A sub)

Easy to calibrate, but built around the GLM kit. Sound On Sound finds GLM straightforward and thinks setting the DIP switches by hand borders on daft, LowBeats and Thomann owners found the measurement simple, and MixbusTv uses GLM as a monitor controller. The friction is in day-to-day control: an owner notes that GLM volume needs the adapter powered and network cables left in place, another found the rear level control and switches do nothing once GLM settings are stored, a Japanese owner hadn't calibrated after six weeks because setup felt like a chore, and inputs are XLR only.

“Die Einmessung mit dem GLM Kit ist einfach und wirkungsvoll.”

Thomas7701, Thomann (German: “calibration with the GLM kit is simple and effective”; 8351BW owner, home listening)

“The problem with GLM-controlled volume is that you need to keep GLM controller powered up and all the network cables connected to each speaker, which complicates things.”

echopraxia, Audio Science Review forum (owner)

“I even tried the physical -10db and -20db switches and they don't do anything.”

Hmast, Audio Science Review forum (owner, GLM settings stored in the speakers)

Solid and long-lived by every account so far. Sound On Sound describes an enclosure made of two immensely rigid aluminium die-castings, owners call them tanks and plan to keep them for decades, and one reports more than three years of daily use without a glitch; neither long forum thread holds a failure report. The complaints are minor: a paint finish one owner thinks could be better, a cabinet a Japanese owner feels vibrate slightly at volume, and woofer cones whose rough pulp surface worried a prospective buyer until Genelec called it normal and an owner confirmed his looked the same.

“the whole 8351B enclosure is created from two immensely rigid aluminium die‑cast components.”

Phil Ward, Sound On Sound

“I plan on owning and using mine the next 20 years.”

mke246, r/audiophile (owner)

“OP, my 8351B also has that "looks like paper mechanical stress cracks that does not look smooth" around the paper cone, nothing to worry about.”

on9chai, r/audioengineering (owner, on the woofer cones' surface)

Praised for what it does, questioned on what it costs. Sound On Sound's only con is the price, Recording Magazine calls it steep, and owners on Thomann and Clien argue it is cheap next to hi-fi speakers of similar performance; the WaysoundRecording engineers chose it over ATC and Barefoot monitors under $10,000. The sharper challenge comes from inside Genelec's own range: Gearspace engineers say the 8341A with a subwoofer beats the 8351B without one, and an 8351B owner says the 8331A with a sub sounds as good for less. Its US price has risen from $3,995 each in 2020–21 to $4,950 each in 2026; resale values are reported as strong.

“This level of sonic perfection and technological innovation comes at a steep price.”

Alex Hawley, Recording Magazine

“Comparable hi-fi solutions are much more expensive and yet their resulst are far from Genelec Ones.”

Robert_Croatia, Thomann (8351BW owner, with two 7360 subs)

“The 8331As with a sub sound every bit as good as the 8351Bs, produce enough SPL to hurt your ears, have lower self-noise and are cheaper.”

Scoox, Gearspace (8351B owner)

“The 41 w/ a sub will be a greater monitoring option than the 51 without a sub.”

elambo, Gearspace