Genelec 8030C Studio Monitor Review

[ROOSKIE]

Once again, it is not me.
Read what ASR says, please.

1. >116dB Superior. Performance exceeds human hearing threshold.
2. █ 115dB-106dB Excellent. Performance is capable of higher resolution output.
3. █ 105dB-96dB Proper. Performance fully covers 16-bit (CD) resolution.
4. █ 95dB-86dB Mediocre. Performance does not meet 16-bit (CD) resolution.
5. █ <85dB Low. Avoid if you take any interest in audio performance.

This is due to separate components these-days meeting these thresholds at a fairly low retail price. In other words don't buy a $5k amp or DAC in threshold "5" when you can buy one in threshold "3" for much less money.
The point is not to pay more for poor engineering. In reality all five might actually sound of the same quality to a human ear.

In the Genelec the finished products is what it is and it sounds excellent and measures excellent which is what is considered.

 

[F1308]

This is due to separate components these-days meeting these thresholds at a fairly low retail price. In other words don't buy a $5k amp or DAC in threshold "5" when you can buy one in threshold "3" for much less money.
The point is not to pay more for poor engineering. In reality all five might actually sound of the same quality to a human ear.

In the Genelec the finished products is what it is and it sounds excellent and measures excellent which is what is considered.

Well, but it cannot be or should I say I myself cannot understand the fact of many products getting a NOT RECOMMENDED to be included in a chain, without knowing the final result after being mixed with other separates while other products get a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED with just a test that does not take into account its own chain...
I am just trying to understand...sorry for that.
Could you NOT RECOMMEND an amplifier having a SINAD of 67 [because if <85dB it is to be avoided if you take any interest in audio performance] just to discover it is being used twice in a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED powered loudspeaker...? Is it fair...?
Am I to get AHB2 or Behringer A800 will do...?
The answer will come from the woofers I plug them to, then...?

 

[bigjacko]

I suggest you lurk more. 96 dB or dynamic range is indeed what CD is capable of, but you won't find recorded music using the whole range (fortunately!). See https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4753356/ for example, which gives an approximate 40-60 dB of dynamic range for most music.

But you still need your amp to have 80db dynamic range for your tweeter to not hiss when you listen at 80db.

 

[BYRTT]

Objective/subjective two nice acoustic performers in a row is great reads and i got to hear that Roger Waters album now thanks Amir.
8030C radars verticals first then Horizontals, maybe that 2500Hz looks best compromise as is ab fabric in it wil always point downwards..

 

[Chromatischism]

I can't help but notice these measure very similarly to the Buchardt S400 only with less power handling and a lower price. They look like great desktop speakers.

 

[amirm]

One note about SINAD. It encompasses both noise and distortion as @bigjacko just observed. A speaker has infinite signal to noise ratio when not playing! So any noise from the amp will be faithfully reproduced hence the reason we hear amplifier noise.

On distortion, speaker linearity is also far, far better at low levels than playing a single tone at 86 dBSPL continuously. Here is the BL curve for example of a speaker:

If displacement stays very small (around 0 mm), then distortion will likewise be very small.

Maybe I try to develop some tests for this.

 

[F1308]

One note about SINAD. It encompasses both noise and distortion as @bigjacko just observed. A speaker has infinite signal to noise ratio when not playing! So any noise from the amp will be faithfully reproduced hence the reason we hear amplifier noise.

On distortion, speaker linearity is also far, far better at low levels than playing a single tone at 86 dBSPL continuously. Here is the BL curve for example of a speaker:

View attachment 74240

If displacement stays very small (around 0 mm), then distortion will likewise be very small.

Maybe I try to develop some tests for this.

THANK YOU !!!!

 

[restorer-john]

@amirm excellent review.

Do you think the issue with the bass, was the bass driver running out of excursion or the internal (50W class D) LF amplifier hitting its limits? A 50W amp is pretty easy to clip/overload on bass...

 

[617]

Outstanding waveguide design. Top octave is super smooth and wide. Price is very good for a product made and supported by Genelec.

Have we encountered a brand yet with one model recommended and another not recommended? All the Genelecs and Revels have been very well designed.

 

[amirm]

@amirm excellent review.

Do you think the issue with the bass, was the bass driver running out of excursion or the internal (50W class D) LF amplifier hitting its limits? A 50W amp is pretty easy to clip on bass...

Thanks for asking as I meant to mention in the review. It most definitely did NOT run out of excursion. It is crackling like an amplifier would when it is running out of power supply juice.

The built-in amps in these speakers is definitely the limitation. Now how much more it would produce with more power before bottoming out, is hard to say.

 

[amirm]

Have we encountered a brand yet with one model recommended and another not recommended? All the Genelecs and Revels have been very well designed.

Yes, Elac. Coaxial did not work, standard 2-way did.

 

[F1308]

Thanks for asking as I meant to mention in the review. It most definitely did NOT run out of excursion. It is crackling like an amplifier would when it is running out of power supply juice.

The built-in amps in these speakers is definitely the limitation. Now how much more it would produce with more power before bottoming out, is hard to say.

How funny after my SINAD questions.....!!!!

 

[Matias]

Could the 2.5 kHz dip be intentional to hide the crossover integration point? I once read that Raidho did this intentionally.

 

[amirm]

Their graphs don't show it so maybe they don't think there is a problem to fix.

 

[Ron Texas]

Excellent measured performance for $1400 pair. Probably a killer setup with a sub. I do wonder a bit if it would please as much mid field as near field. Thank you @amirm for another detailed and scientific review.

 

[napilopez]

Their graphs don't show it so maybe they don't think there is a problem to fix.

Interestingly enough, the -10 degree vertical measurement fill in that little dip without much consequence elsewhere, so perhaps listening a little below the woofer level is advisable. Just slouch a bit on your listening chair .

From @MZKM's graphs earlier :

 

[YSC]

This is insanely good for small room desktop listening ! Now my bank account is at risk

 

[Sancus]

Thanks for asking as I meant to mention in the review. It most definitely did NOT run out of excursion. It is crackling like an amplifier would when it is running out of power supply juice.

The built-in amps in these speakers is definitely the limitation. Now how much more it would produce with more power before bottoming out, is hard to say.

This is pure speculation but it seems to me that Genelec designs their speakers to have the limiter engage/warning when levels are high enough to produce audible distortion. So perhaps the answer is simply that they don't want their speakers to be able to bottom out, as that would imply they are already too far past design output.

 

[wwenze]

Sorry Genelec, I used to call you overpriced

Anyone notice the dispersion behavior vs frequency of this and Neumann, at woofer frequencies the reflections and sound power reduces with frequency, but at tweeter frequencies it suddenly stops changing vs frequency. So the in-room response changes slope halfway i.e. from sloping downwards to become flat. So when we want to use a straight line approximation there will be a dip.

Makes me wonder which region is actually better - the downwards sloping one or the straight (but still reducing amplitude vs angle)

Add: ELAC DBR-62 and 305P also

While Uni-fi, KEF, 8341A don't have this problem just to name a few I checked

 

[bigjacko]

On distortion, speaker linearity is also far, far better at low levels than playing a single tone at 86 dBSPL continuously. Here is the BL curve for example of a speaker:

If displacement stays very small (around 0 mm), then distortion will likewise be very small.

Maybe I try to develop some tests for this.

I think one klippel module can measure the BI curve of speaker, do you have it? Also are you going to measure BI cruve with the whole speaker or indivisual driver? I am looking forward to see more measurements coming.