Genelec 8030C versus ATC SCM40 - comparing specs

[Berlin]

I ordered a pair of Genelec 8030 for my home office. They arrived this week and I mounted them on the wall in front of my desk (about 75 cm away). My already high expectations have been far exceeded. They sound great and look beautiful in their raw finish.

When I compare the sound of my Genelecs to that of my ATC SCM40s, I hear the expected differences due to the size and positioning of the speakers. The ATCs are the larger speakers, so I didn't expect the small Genelecs to produce the same amount of bass. The ATCs produce a deeper and more noticeable bass. However, comparing the specs of the two speakers, the Genelecs should be able to go at least as deep as the ATCs do:

Genelec 8030C: 47 Hz - 25 kHz (-6dB).
ATC SCM40: 48 Hz - 22 kHz (-6dB).

So why do I miss the deep bass line in songs such as "Regular Pleasures" (Patricia Barber) and "Dance on a Volcano" (Genesis)..?

 

[dfuller]

The ATCs are a sealed alignment where the Genelecs are ported. That means they have a much deeper F10 than the Genelecs do - if the measurements on AVMentor are anything to go by, the SCM40s have an F10 in the mid-30s of Hz. The 8030Cs have an F10 around 43hz.

 

[Ultrasonic]

The sealed vs ported difference is probably the answer here, provided we're talking about a level-matched comparison. The ATCs will be capable of playing louder which would also make the bass more prominent.

 

[Berlin]

The sealed vs ported difference is probably the answer here, provided we're talking about a level-matched comparison. The ATCs will be capable of playing louder which would also make the bass more prominent.

Well, I measured the level with my iPhone. The Genelecs played at about 75 DB and the ATCs at about 68 DB...

 

[DSJR]

Are we talking 40 passives or 40A's? They're a little different performance-wise

 

[Ultrasonic]

Are we talking 40 passives or 40A's? They're a little different performance-wise

Whilst I agree in general terms, the quoted bass extension is identical.

 

[Berlin]

Are we talking 40 passives or 40A's? They're a little different performance-wise

Just the passive ones...

 

[Pearljam5000]

Just the passive ones...

Other than the bass, how do they compare in general?

 

[richard12511]

The ATCs are a sealed alignment where the Genelecs are ported. That means they have a much deeper F10 than the Genelecs do - if the measurements on AVMentor are anything to go by, the SCM40s have an F10 in the mid-30s of Hz. The 8030Cs have an F10 around 43hz.

This. The ATCs are larger speakers with much deeper bass.

 

[YSC]

I have a guess:

1) positioning: wall or corner boundary gain can be massive, so if the ATC was closer to the corner it could get a huge peak on bass response and sounded much deeper

2) FR flatness: even though averaged volume by phone were similar, if say the ATC have a V shaped FR the highs and bass would definitely sound larger or deeper

 

[tw99]

Room modes would be my guess.

 

[thewas]

Except the different room placement as written from others the closed baffle vs ported baffle plays a big role, as the first rolls off below the resonance frequency with theoretically 12dB per octave while the latter with 24dB.

 

[Frgirard]

Well, I measured the level with my iPhone. The Genelecs played at about 75 DB and the ATCs at about 68 DB...

The atc 40 is a little speaker with a little volume for a sealed speaker. The port is essential to have spl.
I read on this forum - we read so many strange things on the hi-fi forums ( The ATCs are larger speakers with much deeper bass or The ATCs will be capable of playing louder which would also make the bass more prominent) - that passive ATC models were not recommended.
ATC : Frequency Response (-6dB): 48Hz-22kHz
ATC : Crossover Frequencies: 380Hz & 3.5kHz Strange 3.5 kHz where the ears have a great sensibility.

 

[Ultrasonic]

The atc 40 is a little speaker with a little volume for a sealed speaker.

Not really - it's a floorstanding model after all.

 

[Berlin]

Other than the bass, how do they compare in general?

Well, my first subjective impressions are:
- the 8030 sound cleaner, a bit more defined but thinner than the ATCs
- the sound of the 8030s is of course not that much impacted by the room. For that reason I can listen louder to music before reflections from the room become annoying.
- the 8030s are lacking sound stage depth as compared to the ATCs (examples: Mahler, Leonard Bernstein; Shostakovich, Andris Nelson)
- I like how male and female voices sound on the 8030s. They sound thinner and a bit sterile when compared to the ATCs but I like how they sound.
- Piano and acoustic guitars sound much better and more natural on the ATCs
- even though the ATCs are 115 cm off the front wall and > 1m off the side walls they have a deeper bass (l am sitting 2,75 m away from them)
- compared to the 8030s the ATCs do not sound neutral any more
- the 8030 do neither sound harsh or fatiguing even though I listend to them for approx. 8 hours/day during the last to days
- Before I got the Genelecs I thought my ATCs sound neutral. Compared to the 8030s they do not.

Both speakers sound great but different. The ATCs do not have a flat response. There is decrease of approx. 4 dB at around 4kHz. I am wondering what impact on the sound this has.

 

[Berlin]

1) positioning: wall or corner boundary gain can be massive, so if the ATC was closer to the corner it could get a huge peak on bass response and sounded much deeper

The ATCs are positioned > 1 m from walls...

 

[Berlin]

I would like to try the 8351s and/or 8361s in my living room....

 

[Pearljam5000]

A more fair comparison would be the 8050 vs the SCM40 as tiny 5 inch speaker obviously can't compete with a 6.5 3-way floorstander

 

[Pearljam5000]

I would like to try the 8351s and/or 8361s in my living room....

That would be interesting

 

[Berlin]

A more fair comparison would be the 8050 vs the SCM40 as tiny 5 inch speaker obviously can't compete with a 6.5 3-way floorstander

In Germany the 8050 are half the price of the SCM40. Yes, a comparison would be interesting...