Genelec 8010A, Samson MediaOne BT3, M-Audio AV32, Tascam VL-S3, Mackie

1
Like the Eve Audio SC203s,
the low-end extends further
than you’d imagine, though
it seems more like a psychoacoustic
trick on the Genelecs. Plenty of
power, but it is the sound that makes
these the clear winner. The stereo
imaging and sound staging is a cut
above, revealing a dimensionality
that makes mixing easy. Transients
are clear, the bass is tight, and the
mid range is well articulated and free
of phase shift problems. They sound
like a much larger nearfield monitor.
Overall the voicing is better to my
ears than the Eve Audios. They are
also individually powered, making
them useful for surround set-ups too.
genelec.com
VerDICt 9
2
Like the M-Audio and
Mackies, these have
3.5mm aux and phones
sockets on the front, and like the
M-Audios this is my favourite part.
They lack any real presence in the
7kHz-10kHz range, though there is
some airy hiss audible higher up.
They have that ‘in-a-sock’ sound and
battle the M-Audios for last place.
samsontech.com
VerDICt 5
3
These are not really suitable
for music production. The
low frequency range is
dominated by a hump around 120Hz
that effectively masks all around it
making the low mids hard to discern.
The high frequency range is narrow
and equally misbalanced.
m-audio.com
VerDICt 5
4
These are the smallest of
the 3” monitors, and in
many ways they sound it,
but this is not a criticism; they are
realistic with regard to size and
price. The best sounding of the
sub-£100 models by far, with good
mid range articulation and a well
detailed HF/transient response. They
roll off significantly below 100Hz,
but there’s no compensating low/
low-mid bloat as exhibited by some
of the others. There is also plenty of
volume for the size.
tascam.com
VerDICt 8
5
These are a powerful pair
with a reasonable MF to HF
response, and their small
box ‘boom’ is nowhere near as
pronounced (bad) as the M-Audio
AV32s. The bass-end may be larger
than the Tascams, but the overall
sound stage is less realistic or pure,
with more audible resonant peaks
(poor phase response). They’ve got
plenty of SPLs before cracking up.
mackie.com
VerDICt 7
6
Do you get what you pay
for? Hell yeah! Quality
transient response with a
nicely balanced mid range that lets
you hear what’s going on, which is
what you need for tracking and
mixing. The bass-end is impressive,
reaching down surprisingly low
(thanks to the non-ported rear
passive radiator design) without
booming or sounding boxy. The front
mounted rotary switch opens up a
good range of functionality that is
normally accessed via fiddly rear
panel DIP switches, which makes
set-up and adjustment easy. There
are USB and optical digital inputs,
besides the RCA analogue, as well as
a Sub out. These are nice to work on,
with enough adjustability.
eve-audio.com
VerDICt 8.5
FM VerDICt
THE BEST VALUE Tascam VL-S3: A compact powered
monitor that eschews artificial low-end bloat, focusing
instead on a well-balanced frequency response.
THE STAR PERFORMER Genelec 8010A: Excellent
soundstaging and clarity make these ideal for tracking
and mixing in small spaces or on the move.
6
5
Mackie Creative
Reference CR3
£79
Eve Audio SC203
£389
Group Test | Reviews
103
FMU306.rev_grouptest.indd 103 17/05/2016 17:45