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Genelec 8030C Studio Monitor Review

Sure, not sure why you'd want to though.

There is some belief (accurate or not) that 2 ways should not be reflex designs (and there are some compelling reasons for it; port resonance leakages tend to dominate in the crossover region). But you gain so much SPL and linear bass extension that I wouldn't consider it worth bothering with, and the 8030 doesn't have any meaningful port leakage.
i thought that sometimes for some people it could make the sound better, but from reading the comments here i understand now there is no need for that.
 
can you cover the port holes on the back of the 8030c?
why some people do it? what are the advantages?
if you do want to cover the port holes , what is the best way to do it?
and with what materials?
I covered once upon a time with a sock… :)

It was in a very bad place, between two pillars, but finally sacrificed some space and put them on floor stands.

Once equalized the only thing one needs is a subwoofer…
 
You're welcome.

FWIW, it wasn't the warranty that finally sold me on the 8030C. It was Genelec's page here: https://www.genelec.com/product-warranty-lifetime
Which states they guarantee parts availability for a minimum of five years after a product is discontinued.


Chris
Serious company, and given they are built like tanks (I visited a studio where they told me a moving lorry had a little accident and many of the gear fell off, better survival were Genelecs monitors and subs) should last barely forever
 
You're welcome.

FWIW, it wasn't the warranty that finally sold me on the 8030C. It was Genelec's page here: https://www.genelec.com/product-warranty-lifetime
Which states they guarantee parts availability for a minimum of five years after a product is discontinued.


Chris
They are not the only ones:


They even repair 75-year-old microphones: https://www.neumann.com/en-us/serviceundsupport/service
 
They are not the only ones:


They even repair 75-year-old microphones: https://www.neumann.com/en-us/serviceundsupport/service
I would mention there is trouble getting drivers for O300s as of a few years ago.
 
I would mention there is trouble getting drivers for O300s as of a few years ago.
Could be, but we need to bear in mind the following circumstances:

1) The cited statement is about current policy. A few years ago it might have been different.
2) The K+H O 300 is originally not a Neumann product, so the applicable warranty and post-warranty service terms could be different.
3) Neumann, while not declaring an obligation, still may service old K+H speakers when possible.

Also, the long product lifecycles (production run of the KH 120 spanned over almost 13 years) are an evidence for their serious approach in this regard.

And in any case it's great to see manufacturers declare such obligations, especially in our age of prevalent planned obsolescence.
 
Sure, not sure why you'd want to though.

There is some belief (accurate or not) that 2 ways should not be reflex designs (and there are some compelling reasons for it; port resonance leakages tend to dominate in the crossover region). But you gain so much SPL and linear bass extension that I wouldn't consider it worth bothering with, and the 8030 doesn't have any meaningful port leakage.
I have the impression is not true, and based precisely on the low end distortion of many 2 way speakers. Without port you need a big box to allow woofer movements without a tone of power, so then you have the place to a 3d 8-10 inch woofer :)

Without the port AND reasonable size you sacrifice a lot of low end, so need a subwoofer even for baroque music.

Finally with the port you have some amount of bass and some amount of distortion, so you need a subwoofer :cool:

Whatever we do, we need a subwoofer and equalize, the port is just the passPORT which one navigates temporarily on the low end, if I can make a joke…

Post edited: I cancelled my 8030C bass port with a sock when it was over a bookshelf, between two pillars and had a plaster structure at 2,5 meters in front. Now I have proper software and a mic I measured in its ancient location and was a huge 70 Hz +15 dB mountain, sealing the port cancel a lot of bass but it sounded awfully.
 
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Greetings from Greece. I finally decided and got 8030c, with this review and posts playing a big role deciding it. I am happy to be in this group now!
Absolutely wonderful sound, that is, coming from krk g5. My space is somewhat treated, so i don't have many problems. I have sonarworks mic and software to use, but i only tried it, and i don't use it for now.

I have a question. There were a couple of times that i tried them with friends and they played at high volumes for a few minutes, with music that was either with a lot of bass, or even distorted sounds from synths etc. Is there a possibility that they can be damaged in that way? I have an audient id14 audio interface, and the sensitivity setting on the speakers is at about +3 dbU
 
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These speakers have limiters, and they sound bad when you find them. I suspect that's deliberate, to keep everything operating in the linear region.
If you didn't hear any bad sounds, you're fine.

Chris
 
Hello guys
do genuine 8030c has sort of a sparkle on the dark grey model?
how do you know when iss mode is activated? do the leds change color?
its been about an hour without signal and i don't see any change , still hear the same quiet hiss when putting my ear to the tweeters
and the switch on the back is set to off (didn't change anything since i got them)
 
its been about an hour without signal and i don't see any change , still hear the same quiet hiss when putting my ear to the tweeters
and the switch on the back is set to off (didn't change anything since i got them)
ISS Off = Auto standby disabled, 8030C permanently turned on and hissing.
 
so the switch of the iss should be in the upper position?
To turn on ISS, you'll have to set the ISS switch to the upper position, which is labeled "ON" :)

is there any indication when iss mode is active?
When ISS mode is active, the 8030C's power consumption will drop to ~0.5W and the tweeter will stop hissing.

Furthermore, when you resume playback, there'll be a slight delay before the 8030C wakes up.
 
To turn on ISS, you'll have to set the ISS switch to the upper position, which is labeled "ON" :)


When ISS mode is active, the 8030C's power consumption will drop to ~0.5W and the tweeter will stop hissing.

Furthermore, when you resume playback, there'll be a slight delay before the 8030C wakes up.
understood
last question, can you tell me if the sparkle is normal?
 
understood
last question, can you tell me if the sparkle is normal?
Below are high-res photos of a genuine 8030C:

You can zoom in by clicking on the photos repeatedly, then compare to your unit.
 
Below are high-res photos of a genuine 8030C:

You can zoom in by clicking on the photos repeatedly, then compare to your unit.
maybe its my screen but when i zoom in i see white dots,
on my monitors i don't see white dots but they do sparkle
both pics appear similar to me
what do you think?
 

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maybe its my screen but when i zoom in i see white dots,
on my monitors i don't see white dots but they do sparkle
both pics appear similar to me
what do you think?
They look fairly identical to me :D
 
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