Genelec SpeakerAngle App for iOS Devices Review

With over 500,000 apps for iOS devices, one might think that everything has already been done. Not so. Genelec has just released the only app designed to help users adjust the angle (toe-in) of their speakers. I, for one, was really excited when I received the press release about this app and immediately downloaded it to my iPhone.

We all know that the toe-in of a speaker is critical to achieving a wide sound stage while maintaining precise imaging. It is also crucial to ensure that your front speakers are toed-in equally.  Although, for the average consumer, speaker toe-in is a set it and forget it procedure, an AV reviewer, installer, or ever tweaking audioholic, toe-in speakers constantly.

The app is pretty straightforward.  Essentially, you just set your iOS device on top of your speaker and as you move your speaker, the app uses secret voodoo magic to figure out how many degrees you adjust the speaker. This bring me to my only real gripe with the app, it isn’t possible to set an iPhone or iPad on top of every speaker. Granted, I was able to balance my iPhone on top of my Martin Logan Theos, but it was more than slightly precarious. Once you have set your iOS device on top of your speaker, simply tap the icon of whatever speaker you want to adjust, then tap the degree indicator (orange icon in the above pictures) and start adjusting your speaker. As you move your speaker, the app displays what degree the speaker is at. Once you have the speaker exactly where you want it, tap the speaker icon again to lock the measurement in place. After the measurement is locked in place, you can move on to the next speaker, and you can always take your iOS device back to a speaker and continue adjusting if needed. There were a number of times where I accidentally touched the degree indicator again and re-zeroed the angle, so be careful at first. The app was reliable and valid, consistently proving accurate measurements.

The app can be set for either a 2.0 or 7.0 setup, and is compatible with the iPhone 4, iPad 2, and iPod Touch 4 and later. Hopefully support will come to Android at some point, but I could see that being an issue as there is not a hard and fast standard for Android phone or tablet design.  As far as 2.0 or 7.0 systems are concerned, toe-in is much more important for music so I foresee the app being used primarily for front speakers.  It is important to keep in mind that the measurements provided by the app are relative, so you should start with your speakers facing directly forward, at zero degrees. The advantage of the measurements being relative is that you don’t have to physically lineup your iOS device with anything for an accurate measurement, just set it on your speaker and away you go.

Conclusion

The Genelec SpeakerAngle app probably won’t change your life or realign the stars, but it is a great little tool for toeing-in speakers. There are a plethora of SPL meters and other random audio apps on the market, but this is the first of its kind. Additionally, the app is only $0.99, so how critical can I be? Download the app, play around with it for a while, and let us know what you think in the comments below. If you don’t like it, you are only out 99 cents.