Finnish monitor manufacturer Genelec are well known in the industry for high quality monitoring solutions. When their point source, coaxial driver equipped monitor range name ‘The Ones’ was released a few years ago they were extremely well received and enjoy a significant marketshare.

I was recently invited to the Genelec UK’s offices in London to listen to a new addition to the production range. Not a pair of monitors, but rather an extension to The Ones named the W371A.

When Is A Woofer Not A Subwoofer?

Genelec call the W371A a ‘Woofer’ system (note, not a subwoofer). The reason for this is pretty simple. A subwoofer usually reproduces sound below 150Hz. The W371A can reproduce sound from around 500Hz and below. It isn’t just a subwoofer with an expended frequency response. There is a lot more capability to it.

The W371A is a tall, chunky box measuring 40 x 111 x 40 cm, and constructed in two main sections. A closed box woofer system housing a 14” speaker sitting atop the bottom Reflex box woofer system housing a 12” speaker. The two systems are coupled and cannot be split. Together they provide a platform for the top monitors, with any of The Ones being suitable for pairing. Genelec inform me that the best pairing would be the 8351 model. It is also possible to place  the W371A near to the Ones if you do not wish to use the W371A as a monitor stand.

Connectivity on the back of the unit is extensive, allowing for analogue and digital inputs, RJ45, for GLM connectivity. The W371A’s through ports are used to pass audio to the top monitors. Available power is through a pair of 400W amplifiers.

GLM & Modes

The W371A is able to radiate low frequency information in a number of ways, depending on your room orientation, acoustics and preference. The first and default mode is named ‘Complementary Mode’ where the woofers operate independently from one another. The second mode, ‘Directive Mode’ uses the two woofers to create continuous directivity matching with The One three- way coaxial monitoring loudspeaker. There are also Null Steering modes which can be used to reduce back wall, side wall or floor reflections. 

The set up for this is done within GLM (Genelec Loudspeaker Management) software. Much as with other DSP based room correction solutions a reading of the room is done with a measurement microphone in order to identify problem frequencies that the monitoring system can correct. 

Listening Test:

Unlike a typical test where I will install a set of monitors into my studio and use them over several days or weeks I only had a relatively small amount of time with the W371A. A relatively quick run through of a few of my reference tracks was all I really needed though to confirm the incredible level of detail and imaging from the Ones paired with the W371A. As a total monitoring solution I can’t think of anything that has impressed me so immediately and thoroughly. It is difficult to separate the W371A, which this article is a test of, from ‘The Ones’ because it is a total monitoring solution. 

Jamiroquai’s ‘Hot Property’ is almost always the track I go to first, having an incredible amount of bass  that always feels it is on the verge of flying apart. What struck me first was how I heard elements I’d never heard before or at least not with so much clarity, such as the reverb tail on the electric guitar stabs in between the verse vocal lines. It was sublime. ‘New Mistake’ by Jellyfish was simply glorious, again hearing levels of detail that are sometimes glossed over on lesser monitors, such as the low bass notes in the coda. I remember being somewhat lost for words- not to overstate this, these monitors are something special. Although I didn’t get a chance to mix with them I’m very confident that my experience listening to the W371A with the 8361A’s would translate pretty easily.

As part of the listening test I was able to switch from just listening to ‘The Ones’, a pair of 8361A’s without the W371A to listening to both pairs of speakers and switching between the different operating modes as well. The 8361A’s sound fantastic by themselves, no mistake. Switching the the combination of the 8361A’s and the W371A gives you a much fuller, deeper experience. Switching different operating modes was less noticeable, but I put that down to being in a completely new room, listening to speakers I’ve never heard before. I’m sure that had I had more time to experiment, perhaps in a room I knew a bit better then the difference would be more noticeable. 

Pricing

• W371A - £7,859.00 inc VAT each

• 8361A - £4,259.00 inc VAT each

• 8351B - £3,599.00 inc VAT each

• 8341A - £2,799.00 inc VAT each

• 8331A - £2,299.00 inc VAT each

I don’t think anyone would consider the W371A SAM be a budget option at £7859 inc VAT per unit. You also need two of them, and a pair of ‘The Ones’. You won’t get much change from around £20k, although more likely £25k for a larger set of top monitors. The old adage of ‘you get what you pay for’ applies here though.

Alternatives

Were I considering the W371A and a pair of The Ones I’d also have to look at other options such as  Kii Threes with BXT, Barefoot Micromains, some larger ATC monitors.

Conclusion

The W371A is a genuinely interesting and innovative product and that impresses upon a first listen. If you own a pair of ‘The Ones’ I would suggest checking them out, and if you are considering a high end monitoring solution then the W371A plus a pair of ‘The Ones’ is absolutely something I would consider for my own monitoring needs.

Pros:

• A total monitoring solution with incredible levels of detail and imaging.

• Huge bandwidth.

• Can go louder than you need them to.

• GLM4 is a DSP solution that is easy to use and scalable. 

Cons:

• Quite expensive, but you get what you pay for.