Genelec 8040A vs Focal CMS65

[nortek]

please delete

[pan60]

i am a fan of many older speakers and never been into speakers with built in amp.
i have had some time with Dynaudios and liked them very much, as well i recently got in a set of Focal CMS50s and find i am liking the build and so far the sound for near field monitoring. well worth a look.
lets know what you end up with: )~
pan

[Gharper23]

I just ordered a pair of Focal cms 50. Should be getting them in Monday. I will report back.

[warhead]

If you can afford the Solo6 I'd grab them and call it a day, although I have to say there are very cool things about the CMS65 that don't really make them less of a speaker...the CMS65 is most certainly the best performer for the dollar on your list in my opinion.

War

[Lazarus Long]

Originally Posted by warhead

If you can afford the Solo6 I'd grab them and call it a day, although I have to say there are very cool things about the CMS65 that don't really make them less of a speaker...the CMS65 is most certainly the best performer for the dollar on your list in my opinion.

War

There's no emoticon that I expresses how much I agree with this statement.

[Roc Mixwell]

Originally Posted by warhead

If you can afford the Solo6 I'd grab them and call it a day, although I have to say there are very cool things about the CMS65 that don't really make them less of a speaker...the CMS65 is most certainly the best performer for the dollar on your list in my opinion.

War

+1 for the CMS series. It is Top Notch Hardware. Surely there is an extra push of sonic depth with the Solo6. And then the Twins......The BE range are clearly amazing speakers in all regards.

Anyway - I recently had a change to try the CMS40 with the CMS Sub and thought it was a fantastic system that sounded like something you can work with and get amazing results, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the CMS50's all day long. Those things are phenoms.

[dickiefunk]

I have a pair of CMS 65's and think they sound amazing!!

I compared them to :-

Dynaudio BM6a mkII
Acoustic Energy AE22
Mackie HR824
Adam A7
KRK VXT8
Tannoy Reveal 8D

The CMS65's were clearly my favorites with the Acoustic Energy AE22's coming 2nd!!

[leaf studios]

hi guys

can i just ask why the focal cms 50's ' and 65's are so popular , seems almost like some holy grail of monitor has been created , i dont see one negative post on many forums.Can i ask what defines it , i am in the market for some montors for quite close range monitoring and mixing of spacious music with light beats and bass and i keep toying with the cms 50. I cannot demo gear . I ive in a far away land ! seriously its not going to happen , i kind of chose the yamaha hs80 as i got the impression they sounded ns10 like but translated well , i get the impression the cms50 sound llike heaven and translate well , thats not common ? and now i am obsessing over a pair of cms 50's even though i dont know why ?

Originally Posted by Roc Mixwell

+1 for the CMS series. It is Top Notch Hardware. Surely there is an extra push of sonic depth with the Solo6. And then the Twins......The BE range are clearly amazing speakers in all regards.

Anyway - I recently had a change to try the CMS40 with the CMS Sub and thought it was a fantastic system that sounded like something you can work with and get amazing results, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the CMS50's all day long. Those things are phenoms.

[Tube World]

Originally Posted by leaf studios

hi guys

can i just ask why the focal cms 50's ' and 65's are so popular , seems almost like some holy grail of monitor has been created , i dont see one negative post on many forums.Can i ask what defines it , i am in the market for some montors for quite close range monitoring and mixing of spacious music with light beats and bass and i keep toying with the cms 50. I cannot demo gear . I ive in a far away land ! seriously its not going to happen , i kind of chose the yamaha hs80 as i got the impression they sounded ns10 like but translated well , i get the impression the cms50 sound llike heaven and translate well , thats not common ? and now i am obsessing over a pair of cms 50's even though i dont know why ?

One reason is there are people who sell Focal monitors (which are a very good company ) and they go on gearslutz and try to get people to buy them. Nothing wrong with that, but that's just the truth. With that said, the CMS monitors though they are good monitors, you would have to go with the Solo's to compete with the Genelec 8040A's. The amps and design of the Genelec are of higher quality than the CMS Focal series. Does that mean you cannot get good mixes with the CMS Focals....of course you can. But the Genelec will allow you to hear more depth in your mixes....as will the Solo's. So it really depends on your budget.

[SPORT]

Originally Posted by leaf studios

hi guys

can i just ask why the focal cms 50's ' and 65's are so popular , seems almost like some holy grail of monitor has been created

listen to your music, not to your speakers

[soundpuretodd]

As an engineer, for me it has a lot more to do with the amount of time sitting in front of the monitors. The 8040a's sound amazing, but like a lot of its predecessors I found that they can be somewhat ear-fatiguing. The Focals have equivalent detail on top, but without the expense of wearing your ears out on longer sessions. Genelec seems to becoming THE staple in the broadcast industry but perhaps this is because in the broadcast arena incredibly long listens at higher volume levels (I don't mean blasting, either) are not as common as they are in the studio. I thought that the 8040's were fairly reliable as a monitor, but the way they wore down my ears was a much bigger problem for me. Agree with others here, if you can afford the solo's, they are worth the extra money, but I don't know anyone that has been disappointed with the CMS65's, and I would also take them over the 8040's...

[typek]

+1 for Focal 65's. I bought a pair last year and never once regretted it. I'd go with the 65's not the 50's though.

[theshizon]

+1 on cms65s, had mine for a month now and am very happy with them

[Roc Mixwell]

Originally Posted by leaf studios

hi guys

can i just ask why the focal cms 50's ' and 65's are so popular , seems almost like some holy grail of monitor has been created , i dont see one negative post on many forums.Can i ask what defines it , i am in the market for some montors for quite close range monitoring and mixing of spacious music with light beats and bass and i keep toying with the cms 50. I cannot demo gear . I ive in a far away land ! seriously its not going to happen , i kind of chose the yamaha hs80 as i got the impression they sounded ns10 like but translated well , i get the impression the cms50 sound llike heaven and translate well , thats not common ? and now i am obsessing over a pair of cms 50's even though i dont know why ?

Use them for a while and you'll know why we like them, or why you hate them.

[spicemix]

Originally Posted by 19503

Hi there Im looking for 6,5 inch mid-end nearfields and have been browsing alot on the net and narrowed it down to these two for now (might also listen to the 5" versions of them but generally I have bad experience with 5" bass). Im gonna go to a shop and compare them, I just wanted to hear your input on the matter. Im making EDM mostly (flat and clear response is most important) but I will also be using these alot for pure listening. I know Focal hifis from before and know they are good for listening but im a little worried about the bass-response being soft. When it comes to Genelecs im afraid they have too much booming bass and a little hissy treble but thats just what i think before listening.

The list which I narrowed the two down from was this:

- Genelec 8030A/8040A
- Dynaudio BM5A/BM6A
- Adam A7X
- Klein&Hummel O110
- Quested S7R
- Tannoy Precision 6D
- Focal Solo 6 BE
- Event ASP6
- Focal CMS50/65
- Mackie HR624

Alot of these lacks eq-settings etc and other options which would like to have which is why I ended up with these two, but please let me know if I should absolutely check out some of them anyway. This is my first post around here btw.

I hafta say Genelec to me are THE monitor for electronica. Your "booming bass and hissy treble" are exactly what you need to pay attention to with electronic music, especially in the digital era. And Genelecs just sound right for that genre. Focals to my ears are far too band-limited for that (and any other) genre.

I recommend Genelecs, ideally 8050, and a Genelec sub, ideally at least the 7060B. But the 8040s on their own can do the job fine.

Pick monitors that will both inspire you and punish your excesses. If you pick a monitor that humors your excesses you will be depressed hearing back outside.

[Roc Mixwell]

Originally Posted by spicemix

Focals to my ears are far too band-limited for that (and any other) genre.

Wow - something i don't agree with at all

Every time I use GENELEC monitors, and there are electric gtrs in a session, I proceed to push up the fader they appear to HAVE A MASSIVE BLACK HOLE where the mid range should be. Non-Starters for me.

[spicemix]

Originally Posted by 19503

what i meant by hissy treble is what alot of others have said, that they are ear fatiguing. Im going to use these monitors many hours each day so its important that the treble is "smooth" but clear

thanks for all the help so far, im getting unsure about the CMS65 after a more reading, they dont seem to be very flat, and im also afraid they they might distort at high levels because of the weak amp (that someone also said).

Maybe I should save some more and get JBL LSR6328P, they seem to be the perfect monitor of all but very pricey here in Norway.

"Ear fatigue" is a sales term. I use NS10's all day as do many if not most professional mixers and I guarantee everyone trying to make a sale would list them as the #1 most "ear fatiguing" monitor unless a pro that outranked them was present to laugh them out of the room. Anyway you got honest advice from at least one informed person, I will leave you to be eaten alive now by the salesdroids.

[pan60]

been playing with the Focal CMS 50's and i have to say i am liking them.
i was concerned about the bottom but they have a nice tight bottom.
i will be spending some time with these.

[IMANOUEL]

For Me
JBL but I don't know this model
klein and humel I have a pair of Klein and humel But the 0200
Focal solo 6

are the best
the others models are no good!

[Patrice Baumel]

i don't get the hype surrounding the focal cms 65. good value but on that list of speakers they would not be in my top 3. next to translating well i like my monitors to sound fun. the 8040's, o110's and solo 6 are my favourites on that list.

the 8020's are a good purchase. once you outgrow them they are still excellent mobile monitors for location work or working in your holiday home...

[leaf studios]

do the cms65's not sound 'fun ' ?

Originally Posted by Patrice Baumel

i don't get the hype surrounding the focal cms 65. good value but on that list of speakers they would not be in my top 3. next to translating well i like my monitors to sound fun. the 8040's, o110's and solo 6 are my favourites on that list.
the 8020's are a good purchase. once you outgrow them they are still excellent mobile monitors for location work or working in your holiday home...

[zephonic]

@OP:

Congrats on your 8020's. I have never heard the Focals, but Genelecs are proven speakers. Some may say they flatter the sound a little, but they'll let you hear everything that is there. IMO, you can't go wrong with them.

[teamyoung012]

I have a pair of the Genelec 8040's and I must say that I am impressed with the sound I am getting from them. You can def hear the bass from them but the vocals are still defined and the mix is clean and crisp. They do present a little bit of his in the highs that you cant really hear in other speakers and in a car but when you are done mixing a track you will love the outcome in a car. They also dont have volume control on them.. They are preset so u cant screw up a mix buy blasting them too loud... unless you just blare the overall master. I hope this has been some help to anyones decisions on Genelec.

Matt Young