• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Genelec 8010A Powered Studio Monitor Review

richard12511

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
4,335
Likes
6,700
To give you some context, I use the 8030C as mid field speakers in my home office space. And they fill the room and can play much louder than I will ever need. I’d say you’ll probably be safe with a pair of 8010A or 8020D for near field (I haven’t experienced those - I’m just speculating). If money is no object, I’d go for the 8331A’s instead with the GLM kit.

GLM has been so effective in my main system that I’ve ordered a pair of 8330A to replace my 8030C’s.

Curious, what GLM curve do you use? and at what distance?
 

Pearljam5000

Master Contributor
Joined
Oct 12, 2020
Messages
5,125
Likes
5,355
To give you some context, I use the 8030C as mid field speakers in my home office space. And they fill the room and can play much louder than I will ever need. I’d say you’ll probably be safe with a pair of 8010A or 8020D for near field (I haven’t experienced those - I’m just speculating). If money is no object, I’d go for the 8331A’s instead with the GLM kit.

GLM has been so effective in my main system that I’ve ordered a pair of 8330A to replace my 8030C’s.
It's funny
In Amir's review of the 8341A he wrote it doesn't get loud at all(6.5 inch woofer) and you're using a 5 inch Genelec as midfield.
Some say even the tiny 8010 can fill a room and others claim that even the 8361A(10 inch) needs a sub
I really don't know what to think anymore lol
 

infinitesymphony

Major Contributor
Joined
Nov 21, 2018
Messages
1,072
Likes
1,806
It's funny
In Amir's review of the 8341A he wrote it doesn't get loud at all(6.5 inch woofer) and you're using a 5 inch Genelec as midfield.
Some say even the tiny 8010 can fill a room and others claim that even the 8361A(10 inch) needs a sub
I really don't know what to think anymore lol
From various photos it looks like he's listening in fairly large rooms (living room or garage), and he's used to hearing Revel Ultima Salon2s powered by Mark Levinson No. 53 monoblock amps (500W RMS into 8 ohms or 1000W into 4 ohms). Most bookshelf speakers are not going to have impressive volume by comparison.
 

EchoChamber

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
May 22, 2020
Messages
673
Likes
925
It's funny
In Amir's review of the 8341A he wrote it doesn't get loud at all(6.5 inch woofer) and you're using a 5 inch Genelec as midfield.
Some say even the tiny 8010 can fill a room and others claim that even the 8361A(10 inch) needs a sub
I really don't know what to think anymore lol
I don’t know what to say... I guess it could be related to room size and acoustics... My rooms are mostly untreated outside of rugs and furniture, I only have a baby Hofa bass trap in a corner.
 
Last edited:

EchoChamber

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
May 22, 2020
Messages
673
Likes
925
Thanks everyone, thinking I might just splurge on the 8030C for my birthday
I will be selling my white pair once I get the 8330A’s... If you’re in the US and interested, send me a PM. Might be a little while though... I’ve ordered them almost 2 months ago...
 

EchoChamber

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
May 22, 2020
Messages
673
Likes
925
Curious, what GLM curve do you use? and at what distance?
In my living room, my 5381B's are against the long wall following Genelec's recommendation to place them as close to the wall as possible. Listening position is about 3 meters away but close to the opposite wall (yes, not ideal...). I have a baby Hofa basstrap on the corner close to the left speaker hidden behind an armchair. Room is a rectangle but asymmetrical when it comes to open passages and glass surfaces. It is not an empty room but fairly airy...

This is my current auto EQ from GLM 4.0 from 2 weeks ago, after I removed my Christmas tree and rearranged the furniture back to "default":
(I have removed the small level compensation on the left speakers and set them both to 0 dB)
Digital2 2021-01-19 at 11.10.31 AM.jpg
 

richard12511

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
4,335
Likes
6,700
In my living room, my 5381B's are against the long wall following Genelec's recommendation to place them as close to the wall as possible. Listening position is about 3 meters away but close to the opposite wall (yes, not ideal...). I have a baby Hofa basstrap on the corner close to the left speaker hidden behind an armchair. Room is a rectangle but asymmetrical when it comes to open passages and glass surfaces. It is not an empty room but fairly airy...

This is my current auto EQ from GLM 4.0 from 2 weeks ago, after I removed my Christmas tree and rearranged the furniture back to "default":
(I have removed the small level compensation on the left speakers and set them both to 0 dB)
View attachment 108636

Looks really good. That's very similar to my listening distance. What shelf filters do you use in the "Sound Character Profiler"?
GLM4-min.PNG


I've tried to use GLM a few times, but always given up because I couldn't find a profile that fit the listening distance(little over 3m).

*Edit: it looks like the calibration isn't altering the tonal balance above a certain frequency, which is exactly what I was looking for, but couldn't figure out how to achieve.
 

EchoChamber

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
May 22, 2020
Messages
673
Likes
925
Looks really good. That's very similar to my listening distance. What shelf filters do you use in the "Sound Character Profiler"?
View attachment 108651

I've tried to use GLM a few times, but always given up because I couldn't find a profile that fit the listening distance(little over 3m).

*Edit: it looks like the calibration isn't altering the tonal balance above a certain frequency, which is exactly what I was looking for, but couldn't figure out how to achieve.

I have my sound character profile set to "none". Once calibrated, I really like their sound, or lack of any obvious sonic signature and distortion.

My understanding is that the auto calibration only happens at lower frequencies and using negative values. Looking at my settings, 150Hz might be the threshold.

From my experience with the 8351B and 8030C, they will output way too much bass close to the wall and the bass needs to be shelved. Either automatically through GLM or using the switches on non SAM monitors. I think they are calibrated to be flat free standing - close to the wall saves us a lot of power demand... :-D
 

richard12511

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
4,335
Likes
6,700
I have my sound character profile set to "none". Once calibrated, I really like their sound, or lack of any obvious sonic signature and distortion.

My understanding is that the auto calibration only happens at lower frequencies and using negative values. Looking at my settings, 150Hz might be the threshold.

From my experience with the 8351B and 8030C, they will output way too much bass close to the wall and the bass needs to be shelved. Either automatically through GLM or using the switches on non SAM monitors. I think they are calibrated to be flat free standing - close to the wall saves us a lot of power demand... :-D

Ha flat is the one config I didn't try. My thinking was that a 6-8dB treble boost would sound horribly bright. If it doesn't shelf up the treble, though, then maybe that's what I need. I'll have to try that. I assumed "Flat" meant flat in room, but perhaps it means anechoically flat? All of the other curves I tried tilted the treble up or down ~1dB.
 

YSC

Major Contributor
Joined
Dec 31, 2019
Messages
3,194
Likes
2,570
I have my sound character profile set to "none". Once calibrated, I really like their sound, or lack of any obvious sonic signature and distortion.

My understanding is that the auto calibration only happens at lower frequencies and using negative values. Looking at my settings, 150Hz might be the threshold.

From my experience with the 8351B and 8030C, they will output way too much bass close to the wall and the bass needs to be shelved. Either automatically through GLM or using the switches on non SAM monitors. I think they are calibrated to be flat free standing - close to the wall saves us a lot of power demand... :-D
Yea, and we can always
Ha flat is the one config I didn't try. My thinking was that a 6-8dB treble boost would sound horribly bright. If it doesn't shelf up the treble, though, then maybe that's what I need. I'll have to try that. I assumed "Flat" meant flat in room, but perhaps it means anechoically flat? All of the other curves I tried tilted the treble up or down ~1dB.
Actually in room flat sounded quite nice to me also, personally I let the bass having 6db wall loading because the 8030 bass tilt lowering that in my room will create a 100-1k hz low shelve which is worse, but if in room flat it shouldn’t sound too different than the -1db curve down shelving the treble?
 

simple6

Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 18, 2020
Messages
32
Likes
17
Location
London, UK
This is my current auto EQ from GLM 4.0 from 2 weeks ago, after I removed my Christmas tree and rearranged the furniture back to "default":
(I have removed the small level compensation on the left speakers and set them both to 0 dB)
View attachment 108636
Thanks for the graphs!

Bass response in the left speaker seems to be far superior than the right. Probably the placement in the room is mostly responsible for that, but do you think the proximity to the basstrap helped at all in that respect?

In general, did you hear a difference with the addition of the baby Hofa? It is quite compact and attractive! :)
 

YSC

Major Contributor
Joined
Dec 31, 2019
Messages
3,194
Likes
2,570
Thanks for the graphs!

Bass response in the left speaker seems to be far superior than the right. Probably the placement in the room is mostly responsible for that, but do you think the proximity to the basstrap helped at all in that respect?

In general, did you hear a difference with the addition of the baby Hofa? It is quite compact and attractive! :)
It look like it’s the placement, seems he’s putting the left in a corner with more boost and very likely the right speaker have other stuffs nearby which absorbs bass quite a lot, my 8030C setup having one speaker side littered with wife’s random stuffs and bass is like 10db lower than right channel, both right at 5cm to rear wall position
 

Pearljam5000

Master Contributor
Joined
Oct 12, 2020
Messages
5,125
Likes
5,355
According to the specs, how much louder will the KH120 will be vs the 8030C?
Screenshot_20210127-091047.jpg
Screenshot_20210127-091020.jpg
 

EchoChamber

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
May 22, 2020
Messages
673
Likes
925
Thanks for the graphs!

Bass response in the left speaker seems to be far superior than the right. Probably the placement in the room is mostly responsible for that, but do you think the proximity to the basstrap helped at all in that respect?

In general, did you hear a difference with the addition of the baby Hofa? It is quite compact and attractive! :)
Left and right speakers have different surroundings... Right speaker is close to a passage and most of the area behind is open... Left speaker, on the other hand has a metal plate covering the radiator and a glass window behind. Totally different... That's where I feel the GLM calibration helps a great deal to reduce those differences.

Regarding the Hofa basstrap baby. It is not really small... I got it in cream (the lightest option they had) to minimize its visual presence. Sonic effect where positive overall, not night and day (I think I need more room treatment), but it tamed some resonances that tended to smear the soundstage and make the left side a little more bass heavy... Subjectively, the sonic presentation was more textured with greater mid range definition. Precision audio at home is almost impossible unless you are willing to sacrifice livability... I've attached the calibration curves without the baby trap (GLM 4.0 Beta).

Here are some pictures to illustrate this post:

Hofa Basstrap Baby
IMG_2991.jpg
Right 8351B
IMG_2994.jpg
Left 8351B
IMG_2993.jpg

The GLM calibration without the Hofa basstrap baby. I had a real Christmas tree in that corner:

Digital (Christmass)-  2021-01-19 at 10.38.07 AM.jpg

And with the Hofa basstrap baby (also shared in a previous post):

Digital2 2021-01-19 at 11.10.31 AM.jpg
 

YSC

Major Contributor
Joined
Dec 31, 2019
Messages
3,194
Likes
2,570
Left and right speakers have different surroundings... Right speaker is close to a passage and most of the area behind is open... Left speaker, on the other hand has a metal plate covering the radiator and a glass window behind. Totally different... That's where I feel the GLM calibration helps a great deal to reduce those differences.

Regarding the Hofa basstrap baby. It is not really small... I got it in cream (the lightest option they had) to minimize its visual presence. Sonic effect where positive overall, not night and day (I think I need more room treatment), but it tamed some resonances that tended to smear the soundstage and make the left side a little more bass heavy... Subjectively, the sonic presentation was more textured with greater mid range definition. Precision audio at home is almost impossible unless you are willing to sacrifice livability... I've attached the calibration curves without the baby trap (GLM 4.0 Beta).

Here are some pictures to illustrate this post:

Hofa Basstrap Baby
View attachment 108742
Right 8351B
View attachment 108743
Left 8351B
View attachment 108744

The GLM calibration without the Hofa basstrap baby. I had a real Christmas tree in that corner:

View attachment 108745

And with the Hofa basstrap baby (also shared in a previous post):

View attachment 108748
it looks to me like the right speaker is affected by rear wall cancellation as it facesthe door which makes the rear reflection and cancellations affected by the space behind, maybe try close the door and I believe quite a big difference will be measured
 

Pearljam5000

Master Contributor
Joined
Oct 12, 2020
Messages
5,125
Likes
5,355
Left and right speakers have different surroundings... Right speaker is close to a passage and most of the area behind is open... Left speaker, on the other hand has a metal plate covering the radiator and a glass window behind. Totally different... That's where I feel the GLM calibration helps a great deal to reduce those differences.

Regarding the Hofa basstrap baby. It is not really small... I got it in cream (the lightest option they had) to minimize its visual presence. Sonic effect where positive overall, not night and day (I think I need more room treatment), but it tamed some resonances that tended to smear the soundstage and make the left side a little more bass heavy... Subjectively, the sonic presentation was more textured with greater mid range definition. Precision audio at home is almost impossible unless you are willing to sacrifice livability... I've attached the calibration curves without the baby trap (GLM 4.0 Beta).

Here are some pictures to illustrate this post:

Hofa Basstrap Baby
View attachment 108742
Right 8351B
View attachment 108743
Left 8351B
View attachment 108744

The GLM calibration without the Hofa basstrap baby. I had a real Christmas tree in that corner:

View attachment 108745

And with the Hofa basstrap baby (also shared in a previous post):

View attachment 108748
I wish that the woofer was also colored white
genelec 8010A+topping Dx3+audio technica m50x ✌ lovely sound ❤
View attachment 109073
Which cable are you using to connect the Genelecs to the DAC?
 
Top Bottom