Short answer: the Genelec 8361A for better sound quality, the Genelec 8050B for the lower price. The Genelec 8361A ranks #5 of 31 powered bookshelf speakers at $10900. The Genelec 8050B ranks #8 at $3800, $7100 cheaper.
What the Genelec 8361A offers: Three-way coaxial design: 5” mid-range with an inset 1” metal dome tweeter, flanked symmetrically above and below by two 10” front-loaded woofers, giving nearly identical vertical response whether you’re sitting or standing. Watch for: Approximately $11,000 per pair; Genelec’s GLM room-correction add-on (measurement mic plus software) is another ~$450 and wasn’t used in this review.
What the Genelec 8050B offers: CEA2034 spinorama shows a very good on-axis response with excellent directivity. Watch for: A dip around 2kHz shows up in both the on-axis and predicted in-room measurements.
Buy the Genelec 8361A if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Genelec 8050B if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| Genelec 8361A | Genelec 8050B | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $10900 | $3800 |
| Ranked | #5 of 31 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #8 of 31 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 29Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | - |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 34Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | - |
| Dimensions | 22.5"H x 14"W x 13.6"D (571.5 x 355.6 x 345.4 mm) | 17.8"H x 11.3"W x 10.9"D (452.1 x 287 x 276.9 mm) |
| Inputs | XLR | XLR |
| Drivers | Dual 263 x 137 mm woofers, 5.1" coaxial with tweeter midrange, 1" (25mm) coaxial tweeter | 8" (203mm) woofer |
| Weight | 70.3 lbs / 31.9 kg each | 31.7 lbs / 14.4 kg each |
| App | Yes (GLM) | No |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| DSP | Yes | No |
| EQ | Yes (via GLM software) | Yes (Room adjustment) |
| Frequency Response | 30Hz - 43kHz (±2dB) (Manufacturer specified) | 32Hz - 25kHz (-6dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Max SPL | 118dB @ 1m | - |
| Output Power | 1000w Per Speaker | 270w Per Speaker |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Genelec 8351B vs HEDD Type 20 MK2
- JBL M2 Master Reference Monitor vs Genelec 8351B
- Genelec 8351B vs SHIVAUDYO Point Zero
- Genelec 8361A vs Buchardt A500
- Genelec 8361A vs HEDD Type 20 MK2
The Two Speakers In Full
Genelec 8361A: $10900 Bhphotovideo
Pros: Three-way coaxial design: 5” mid-range with an inset 1” metal dome tweeter, flanked symmetrically above and below by two 10” front-loaded woofers, giving nearly identical vertical response whether you’re sitting or standing. Wide, consistent horizontal radiation of about ±60°, very forgiving for multiple seats or a home-theater row. Distortion at both 86dB and 96dB/1m stays below roughly 1%, and multitone distortion is also under about 1% - among the cleanest speakers reviewed. Long-term compression is practically non-existent, with no woofer bottoming or audible intermodulation even driven to 90dB+ at 10 feet. In-room bass extension reaches down to about 35Hz without a subwoofer. Extensive back-panel tuning (bass rolloff, bass profile, treble profile, and a desk/console compensation switch) for boundary placement.
Cons: Approximately $11,000 per pair; Genelec’s GLM room-correction add-on (measurement mic plus software) is another ~$450 and wasn’t used in this review. Shows an on-axis dip around 200Hz that may be tied to some rear-panel radiation or resonance the reviewer couldn’t fully explain. In far-field listening there’s a mild upper-midrange/lower-treble rise (roughly 2-3kHz) that only smooths out with 5-10° of toe-out or closer near-field placement. Short-term compression testing shows some tweeter limiting, though it didn’t translate to audible issues in real-world listening. At about 70 lbs, awkward to lift onto a stand alone.
Full Genelec 8361A review and specifications →
| App | Yes (GLM) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 29Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 34Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| DSP | Yes |
| Dimensions | 22.5"H x 14"W x 13.6"D (571.5 x 355.6 x 345.4 mm) |
| Drivers | Dual 263 x 137 mm woofers, 5.1" coaxial with tweeter midrange, 1" (25mm) coaxial tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (via GLM software) |
| Frequency Response | 30Hz - 43kHz (±2dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | XLR |
| Max SPL | 118dB @ 1m |
| Output Power | 1000w Per Speaker |
| Weight | 70.3 lbs / 31.9 kg each |
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Genelec 8050B: $3800 Bhphotovideo
Pros: CEA2034 spinorama shows a very good on-axis response with excellent directivity. Predicted in-room response is smooth, with only a 2kHz dip as a real issue. Horizontal beamwidth of about ±50 degrees is very smooth and well controlled. Vertical directivity is similarly even outside the 2kHz region, as long as listening position stays within about ±20 degrees of the woofer’s border. Distortion at 96dB SPL/1m is typical low-frequency behavior with the rest of the range well controlled.
Cons: A dip around 2kHz shows up in both the on-axis and predicted in-room measurements. An unexplained distortion spike appears around 10-15kHz at 96dB SPL/1m that the reviewer couldn’t identify a clear cause for. Cumulative spectral decay (waterfall) shows a port resonance lingering in the upper-bass/lower-midrange region. Very expensive.
Full Genelec 8050B review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bluetooth | No |
| DSP | No |
| Dimensions | 17.8"H x 11.3"W x 10.9"D (452.1 x 287 x 276.9 mm) |
| Drivers | 8" (203mm) woofer |
| EQ | Yes (Room adjustment) |
| Frequency Response | 32Hz - 25kHz (-6dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | XLR |
| Output Power | 270w Per Speaker |
| Weight | 31.7 lbs / 14.4 kg each |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons