The Nearfield Monitor 2026 | Seeing Air Vibration

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Key Points

Key Takeaways

Read in 30 seconds

1
The Truth
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Coloration: Consumer speakers (Bose etc.) emphasize bass or are 'flavored' to be comfortable to listen to. Monitor speakers do not add flavor at all. If recording is bad, it plays as bad sound. That is 'Truth'.
3
Genelec 8010A: 'Egg-shaped' speaker made in Finland. Rounded body preventing Diffraction localizes Sound Image (Phantom Center) surprisingly accurately. You fall into illusion that 'Vocal is singing from inside screen'.
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Neumann KH 80 DSP: Speaker made by microphone veteran Neumann. Built-in DSP (Digital Signal Processing), can automatically correct sound according to acoustic characteristics of room. Realizes flat frequency response even in narrow room.
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Active Speakers: Since amplifier is built-in, just connect power and cable to play. Efficiency is superbly good because amplifier optimized for individual drivers is mounted.

Introduction: Speaker as Microscope

If just enjoying music, Bluetooth speaker is enough. However, to “Watch” music, resolution is insufficient.

Excellent monitor speaker is microscope of sound. Sound of bass string hitting fingerboard, sound of vocal lips separating, destination where reverb (reverberation) disappears. Everything can be seen. That is respect for details intended by creator.

1. The Standard: Genelec 8010A

“Standard Instrument” placed in studios all over world. 8010A is smallest model, but Genelec’s philosophy is not compromised at all. Die-cast aluminum body has high rigidity, and there is absolutely no box resonance.

Genelec 8010A

ASIN: B0F4D61HGJ

Palm size, but bass comes out surprisingly. And above all, 'Localization' is good. When I close my eyes, I feel like instrument is floating there.

Amazon

Iso-Pod

Angle adjustment is easy with included rubber stand (Iso-Pod). Important to aim tweeter (high frequency unit) at ear height. This is because high frequencies have strong directionality, and sound changes just by shifting slightly.

2. The Precision: Neumann KH 80 DSP

German veteran, Neumann. Famous for legendary microphone U87Ai, but speakers are also top class. True value of this model is in “Calibration”.

Neumann KH 80 DSP

ASIN: B01N14J2VS

Use dedicated microphone (MA 1) to measure room acoustics and cancel influence of wall reflection and standing waves. Even in bad room, monitor environment can produce 'Correct Answer'.

Amazon

3. Comparison: Analog or Digital

項目	Genelec 8010A	Neumann KH 80 DSP
Input	Analog (XLR)	Analog (XLR/TRS)
Correction Function	Dip Switch (Physical)	DSP (Digital)
Design	Round (Organic)	Square (Industrial)
Price (Pair)	About 90,000 yen	About 150,000 yen

4. The Golden Triangle

Placement is life. Please place so that line connecting listening point (your head) and left and right speakers becomes “Equilateral Triangle”. Length of one side is about 80cm to 1m for desk environment (Nearfield).

Moment you enter this triangle, stereo image forms. Feeling that sound is playing from “Between” speakers, not from speakers. This is real thrill of Hi-Fi Audio.

Conclusion: Train Ears

If you keep listening to music with good speakers, ears become keen. Notice poor sound quality of BGM in cafe, or be moved by greatness of movie SE. Sensitivity to “Sound” that makes up world increases.

That is synonymous with raising resolution of life.