Genelec 7380AP SAM Subwoofer Genelec

The Genelec 7380A SAM Subwoofer is a powerful 800-watt subwoofer with a 15″ driver and software management control, built to complement Genelec SAM Master Studio Monitors in multichannel and stereo applications – Producer Grey finish (P).

The Genelec 7380A is both the brains and brawn of the 7300 SAM series, boasting a 15″ woofer and 800-watt Class D amplifier that will sink the other subs in its class. The 7380A is fully SAM-equipped, meaning that it provides access to advanced auto-calibration and management. Plus, it can operate in standalone mode. Its rear-panel DIP switches enable integration and calibration with a hybrid system comprising traditional non-SAM main monitors. It’s also equipped with Genelec’s proprietary bass management system and support for 7.1 multi-channel set-ups over analog XLR I/O, plus stereo AES/EBU XLR I/O – no need for external A/D converters. To save power, Intelligent Signal Sensing (ISS) puts the 7380A to sleep when no signal is present after a period of time. Additionally, Genelec Loudspeaker Manager (GLM) software allows for the fine adjustment of up to 30 individual Smart monitors and Smart subwoofers, while AutoCal compensates for room modes to perfectly calibrate your set-up to your listening environment. Built to bring the bass to Genelec main monitors systems, such as the 1238DP, 1234A, and 1236A, the 7380A can be floor or flush mounted to maximize both space and low-frequency reproduction.

Genelec 7380AP SAM Subwoofer – Just the Facts:

• Smart Active Monitoring (SAM)
• Genelec Loudspeaker Manager (GLM) software with AutoCal room compensation
• Laminar Spiral Enclosure (LSE) technology
• Bass management system
• Power-saving Intelligent Signal Sensing, auto shutdown
• 15″ bass driver with 119dB SPL output
• 800-watt optimized Class-D amplifier
• Protection circuitry
• Active crossovers
• Producer Grey finish (P)

Genelec 7380A – Behind the Grille

The compact Genelec 7380A smart active subwoofer extends the bass reproduction of Genelec 8000-series and 1032C smart monitors in stereo or multichannel applications. It can be used a general purpose Smart subwoofer solution with any analog or digital audio monitor. The 7380A contains one 12″ low-frequency driver housed in a Genelec’s proprietary Laminar Spiral Enclosure (LSE) bass reflex cabinet and a Class-D power amplifier that outputs 800 watts with very low THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) and IM (Intermodulation) distortion. The amplifier features driver overload, amplifier thermal overload, and driver short-circuit protection.

Networked Smart Active Monitor (SAM) Systems

Genelec’s advanced SAM Systems can automatically adapt to acoustic environments and correct for levels, delays and room anomalies. SAM Systems can be controlled via Genelec proprietary Loudspeaker Manager (GLM) network and software, enabling you to build a highly flexible and reliable monitoring system. If the monitors have to move between rooms, you can rely on SAM technology to give you absolute consistency, a neutral soundstage, and low distortion. All electronics, drivers, and enclosures are designed, assembled, tested, and calibrated in Genelec’s factory in Finland. Genelec quality and reliability ensure a secure long-term investment, with environmentally conscious, low energy consumption and outstanding audio quality.

AutoCal room calibration

Genelec AutoCal is a system integrator’s dream and gets you out of stasis and into production faster. It facilitates setup by measuring acoustic response in the listening area and applying the appropriate compensation in the low and low-mid frequencies to minimize the muddying effect of room modes and other unwanted room resonances, while simultaneously accounting for the differences between various listening positions.

Laminar Spiral Enclosure (LSE)

An essential property of a subwoofer operating at high sound pressure levels is its capacity to move high volumes of air without distortion, which is a function of air turbulence inside the bass reflex port. This effect presents challenges to woofer and reflex port designs. Genelec’s patented Laminar Spiral Enclosure (LSE) provided the solution.

By way of a little background, large air currents, such as those found in bass reflex ports, have a great deal of kinetic energy, which causes the flow to be irregular and turbulent as cross-streams perpendicular to the direction of air flow is formed. A laminar air flow is a streamline flow in which air travels smoothly in parallel layers or paths, with no interference or disruption across layers.  

The Laminar Spiral Enclosure (LSE) bass reflex cabinet provides excellent laminar flow characteristics with minimal turbulence noise and enables an optimal packing of a very long reflex tube into a small space.

The 7380A’s enclosure is made from a spiral-shaped strip of steel. Its purpose is to provide mechanical stability for a large amount of pressure generated inside the subwoofer. The spiral also forms the bass reflex port, enabling linear airflow even at the highest SPL output. The fact that one is part of the other means that air flow in and out of the enclosure’s interior through the port is totally unrestricted. This flow-optimized construction provides extended low-frequency capacity and low distortion resulting in precise bass articulation, with measured second and third harmonic distortion levels typically better than 30dB below the fundamental. This results in an extraordinarily accurate and responsive low-frequency system.

Bass management system

Bass management, from a corporate perspective, is the man’s way of keeping the low frequencies down. Seriously, it’s quite simply a means of directing the bass content of main and low-frequency effect (LFE) channels to the speakers that are best capable of handling them. A Bass Management system uses either analog electronic circuitry or software-based filtering to take low-frequency information from the main channels and route it to a subwoofer feed. Bass management’s basic and main goal is to ensure that the entire audio bandwidth of all channels can be accurately monitored.

The bass management unit in the 7380A subwoofer splits the input into low- and high-frequency components at 85Hz. Frequencies below 85Hz are reproduced by the subwoofer. Frequencies above 85Hz are directed via the subwoofer’s output connectors to the main monitors.

Bass management benefits are:

• The subwoofer extends the system frequency response down the lower limit of the audible range
• Monitor can produce a higher maximum sound level when not reproducing low frequencies
• Optimized low-frequency reproduction by selecting adequate subwoofer location; monitors can also be placed more freely
• Subwoofer’s output are aligned in level and phase with monitors allowing flat and accurate reproduction down to 19 Hz and across the crossover point
• LFE channel output level (0 or +10 dB re. main channels) can be selected for accurate reproduction depending on the source type
• The ability to bypass the subwoofer allows you to evaluate the audible impact of the subwoofer

Optimized amplifier

A custom, Genelec-designed and manufactured Class D power amplifier connected directly to the driver produces 400W output power with very low total harmonic distortion (THD) and intermodulation distortion (IM). Driver-overload, thermal overload, and short-circuit protections are built into the amplifier circuitry. The power supply accepts mains voltages from 100 to 240 VAC.

The active design principle offers multiple benefits:

• The power amplifiers are directly connected to the speaker drivers, maximizing the control exerted by the power amplifier’s damping on the driver’s voice coil, reducing the consequences of dynamic changes in the driver electrical characteristics. This may improve the transient response of the system
• There is a reduction in the power amplifier output requirement. With no energy lost in the passive crossover filter components, the amplifier power output requirements are reduced considerably (by up to 1/2 in some cases) without any reduction in the acoustic power output of the loudspeaker system. This can reduce costs and increase audio quality and system reliability
• No loss between amplifier and driver units results in maximum acoustic efficiency
• Active technology can achieve superior sound output vs. size vs. low-frequency cut-off performance
• All loudspeakers are delivered as a factory aligned system (amplifiers, crossover electronics, and enclosure-driver systems)

Intelligent Signal Sensing function

Genelec’s Intelligent Signal Sensing (ISS) is a power-saving feature that prolongs the service life of the monitor. ISS reduces power consumption to less than 0.5 watts by automatically switching the active monitor to standby when no audio signal has been detected for some time. When playback begins, the mode indicator light on the loudspeaker lights up and the playback resumes after a slight delay (<2 seconds).

Protection circuitry

In the studio, downtime is not an option, particularly when equipment fails and must be shipped out for repairs. Whether you’re working in a professional production environment or even as a hobbyist, it’s essential that monitoring systems remain reliable and functional at all times. Genelec’s reputation for bullet-proof reliability is a product of the internal protection circuitry found in all Genelec monitors.

The protection circuitry prevents driver failure by detecting signal levels and responding accordingly. In the case of sudden peaks or levels that are too high for long periods, the protection circuitry reduces signal level automatically. This feature does not affect the sound quality in any way when working within the specifications of the loudspeaker, but only prevents inappropriate input signals from breaking the loudspeaker.

Protection circuitry benefits:

• Reduces the output level when required (e.g. when driver voice coil temperature reaches the safe limit), which highly improves system reliability
• Appropriate protection circuitry design for each loudspeaker and subwoofer maximizes system output level

7380A Smart subwoofer features and benefits:

• New Smart subwoofers can be used with Genelec GLM network for full GLM 2.0 software functionalities, including wired volume control. They can also be used without a computer and network control as complete stand-alone systems using either stored or manual settings (DIP switch and rotary controls) for various adjustments and functionalities.

• Genelec GLM AutoCal measures the response in the listening area and applies relevant compensation in the subwoofer frequencies to minimize room acoustic resonance effects
• An extended set of room response compensation filters allow for increased in-room calibration precision and user-defined specific calibration curves
• The Laminar Spiral Enclosure (LSE) design provides extended low-frequency performance, accurate tonal reproduction, and wide dynamic capabilities
• 7380 Smart subwoofer supports both traditional analog bass management where the subwoofer handles both high- and low-pass filtering and a distributed bass management architecture, where subwoofer outputs are unfiltered and main Smart monitors apply the necessary high-pass filtering locally
• A cost-effective package offering 7.1 analog XLR inputs and outputs with stereo AES/EBU XLR I/O and no need for additional external A/D converters
• The 9301 AES/EBU Multichannel Interface allows 7.1-channel digital audio sources to be connected to new Smart subwoofers via a single XLR subwoofer output link to cover all possible professional digital audio applications
• Highly efficient Genelec-designed Class D amplifiers combined with latest technology drivers allow the 7380 to achieve substantially higher sound pressure level than their predecessors with wide dynamic range, improved frequency linearity, and very low distortion. This means clean, neutral and fatigue-free audio reproduction at the sound pressure level of your choice, enabling you to work consistently and accurately
• Highly efficient Class D amplifier technology represents a power-saving, environmentally-friendly solution
• High system reliability thanks to advanced protection circuitry guaranteeing long-term uninterrupted use
• Universal mains input voltage allows global use
• Genelec Intelligent Signal Sensing (ISS) switches the system to standby when no audio input is detected, providing significant power consumption savings
• New Smart subwoofer features a hardware bypass for monitoring check without subwoofer bass extension
• Every Genelec product is factory calibrated and fully evaluated for acoustic performance guaranteeing perfect similarity between products and consistent high performance
• Elegant and minimalist industrial design combining state-of-the-art function with aesthetics
• New SAM systems are fully backward compatible, allowing easy expansion of an existing monitoring system
• Genelec quality and reliability makes long-term investments profitable and ensures outstanding audio quality experience

The 7380 is purpose-built for discerning professionals in music, post, film, or broadcast who can appreciate powerful, dependable LF reproduction in a surprisingly compact form factor. For more information, call or chat online with your PAD Studio Specialist today.

Specifications

System

• Lower cut-off frequency: 16Hz
• Upper cut-off frequency -6dB main channel LFE: 100Hz/120Hz
• Driver (no magnetic shielding): 15″ (381 mm)
• Harmonic distortion at 1 m on*axis in half space, 30 to 85Hz: 2nd ≤ 1% @ 100dB SPL; 3rd ≤ 2% @ 100dB SPL
• Maximum short term sine wave SPL output averaged from 30 to 85 Hz, measured in half space at 1 meter: ≥ 119dB SPL
• Maximum peak SPL output with random pink noise measured in half space at 1 meter: ≥ 123dB SPL
• Self-generated noise at 1 m on axis (A-weighted): <5dB

Amplifier Section

• Short-term output power: 800W
• THD at nominal output: ≤0.01%
• Mains voltage: 100 – 240 VAC 50/60Hz

Power consumption (average):

• Standby (ISS active) <2W
• Idle: 40W
• Full output, peak: 600W

Signal Processing

• Max analog input signal: +24.0dBu
• Analog input sensitivity rotary level adjustment: -6dBu (100dB SPL @ 1 m)
• Digital input connector XLR female 110 ohm: AES/EBU single wire
• Digital output/thru connector XLR male 110 ohm: AES/EBU single wire
• Digital input word length: 16-24 bits
• Sample rate: 32kHz – 192kHz
• Digital input sensitivity(100dB SPL at 1 m): -30dBFS
• Digital input maximum attenuation: 48dB
• Positive input gain selection: +6,+12,+ 18dB
• Control network type: Proprietary GLM network
• Control network connections: 2x RJ45, CAT5 cables
• GLM software frequency response adjustment parametric notch filters: 20
• System calibration: Genelec GLM AutoCal, GLM manual, standalone

Crossover subwoofer/subwoofer output channels:

• Centralized bass management: 85Hz low-pass (subwoofer), 85Hz high-pass (output)
• Distributed bass management (GLM control only): 50-100Hz low-pass (subwoofer); no filtering on output
• LFE cutoff: 120Hz
• Mid-band rejection >400Hz: ≥ 50dB
• Bass roll-off control operating range in 4dB steps: 0 to -12dB at 20Hz
• Phase-matching control: 90° steps with DIP switch control; 15° steps with GLM control
  

Input Section

• Input connectors: 7x XLR female; 1x LFE XLR
• Digital AES/EBU In/Out
• Input impedance: 10k ohm balanced

Output Section

• Output connectors: 7x XLR male; 1x LFE XLR

Physical

• Dimensions: (HWD): 27″ x 28-1/4″ x 19-3/8″ (685 x 718 x 492 mm)
• Weight: 152 lb. (69 kg)