Call in the professionals
How easy is it to incorporate ‘professional’ audio equipment in a more consumer hi-fi context? In some areas, pretty easy. Take headphones — not so very long ago, consumer headphones were priced below professional headphones, for the apparently obvious reason that pro gear was going to operate to higher standards than consumer gear. But then consumer headphone prices rose higher and higher, and today your staple studio headphones — a Sennheiser HD280 Pro or beyerdynamic DT770, say — are looking more and more the bargain (though specifications can vary — some pro headphones are not designed for portable use, for example).
What about speakers, and in particular active speakers? Active speakers are the new darlings of home hi-fi, being exceedingly décor friendly, no amplifiers required, and potentially no sources either, except your phone. Yet active speakers are long established in the pro market, and some have garnered a reputation with audiophiles as well as engineers, Genelec being a prime example.
“We aim to deliver performance-driven tonally neutral Studio Monitors”, says its website, which has as much information about musicians as about equipment. Performance-driven tonally neutral Studio Monitors, did they say? Well that sounds pretty good. But will they work
