Betting on a second-hand purchase ? Genelec 8030C vs 8010AP + sub.

[Lunatic-Dandy]

Hello everybody,

I apologize for any mistakes as English is not my native language.

I am an avid reader of the forum, I dare to make my first post because I am putting a thousand euros at stake and it is well worth the risk of asking you for advice. I change location and configuration (I have to join a medical complex reserved for patients suffering from unpronounceable illnesses, without going into details, it's tumors related). My current set-up : Kali IN 8 on a good support with good wall spacing.

Future location :

• A (very) small room : Length 1m5, height 2m6, depth 3m+ on the left and the right after 60cm the wall opens onto a small living room.
• The speakers will be positioned in the corners of the walls.
• There will be an acoustic treatment composed of Basotect* foam (10 cm on the side, in front and a makeshift roof at 2m) + DIY bass-traps.

Budget :

I am therefore looking for smaller speakers and my choice would be the 8000 range from Genelec. Obviously, the budget is not infinite but it will be the only "pleasure" place that I am given, I am aiming for €1000 (we will see later...).

Dilemma :

I have an offer for a pair of used Genelec 8030C dating from March 2020 (see photos) for €800. That's good, it's the one I had in mind... But : I see that many of you are equipped with a pair of headphones and a sub (or even subs). I can also have new Genelec 8010APs and add a new subwoofer for around €200-300.

Let's forget about health, can used Genelecs remain in good working order for a long enough time (just to save money and get a good sub), without forgetting that the warranty has expired. I looked at the available data, it's the best (see spinorama, gain = +0.6) but it's riskier than buying two 8010APs and a new subwoofer.

In the end : Are used Genelec 8030Cs out of warranty a good investment? (Ideally 5 years maximum).
In case you think this is risky (this is all my savings), do you think new 8010APs with a sub are a wiser alternative ? I'm thinking of the KRK S8G4 and an upgrade later (Kali Audio WS-6.2).

Or... You have a much better idea depending on the measurements of the room ! That said, we must take into account that I cannot wait forever to invest in the low frequencies (I can buy new Neumann KH 80 DSP for example but it is limited on the budget and I do not think that it equals the 8030C lowrange).

Thank you so much to everyone who is kind enough to give me advice, share their opinion or simply respond to this post.


* About Basotec foams. I'm not here to advertise of course but this material is very effective !
Little tip : On the Panasorb website it's possible to order a box full of residue for €71 wich I did. I received not one box but 2 containing a total of 20 panels of the same size/thickness !

 

[Digby]

Can you explain what 1m5 is, is this the same as 1.5m?

Unless I thought they'd been abused, I wouldn't be concerned with Genelec speakers being 3 years old and expecting them to work another 5 years. I think they would be likely be fine for at least another 5 years.

If you get a subwoofer, it may involve moving it around the room for best response, which would perhaps involve crawling on the floor. In your situation, I might just go for what is easiest, which would be one main pair of speakers. If you are living with other people nearby, then I imagine that a pair of speakers is less likely to generate potential complaints than a pair of speakers + sub (the rumble from a sub can travel quite far).

I hope this information has been useful, wishing you well.