Genelec 8030C Studio Monitor Review

[Buckster]

I can only think there must be some variability - or difference EU vs US ?

Although slightly older (approaching 50) - my hearing to high frequencies still seems good and I am very sensitive to hiss. The 308 MKIIs as I said were easily audible from listening position 3m+ away and I could not get on with at all. My 305 MKIs are much much quieter and I can just about hear them in a silent room from listening position at one of my computer desks (so about 40cm away)

I can also hear a high frequency whine from my SVS sub from about 5 foot away

I wouldn't be able to hear the 8030C from any sensible distance - I literally have to put my ear near to the tweeter to hear

 

[Ktacos]

Replys like that just sound insane to me. I am really interested to know if this is just bad quality control or due to subjective listening. I guess age also plays a massive role as were talking about high frequencies, which obviously will be heard less overtime. With 31 years of age, i might be too young for this kind of hobby :-D

37 here, hearing stops at 16khz.

 

[williamr]

I can only think there must be some variability - or difference EU vs US ?

Although slightly older (approaching 50) - my hearing to high frequencies still seems good and I am very sensitive to hiss.

Have you had a proper hearing test? You might be surprised how much age-related hearing loss you have. I know I did even though my perception was that there has been no change. This was when I was in my late 30s.

 

[Ktacos]

I can also hear a high frequency whine from my SVS sub from about 5 foot away

That sounds worse to me than any monitor hiss. I think I read about this issue somewhere, they have coil whine and SVS just says it's normal?

 

[Mort]

Hearing ability and sensitivity to hiss may be correlated and it may also be idiosyncratic. Some seem more perturbed by it than others.

I had a buyer for some G threes I'm selling who wanted me to confirm it had no hiss. I told him I wasn't very sensitive to hiss and I would be a bad evaluator. I don't want them disappointed and I can't confirm that!

 

[Miguelón]

Replys like that just sound insane to me. I am really interested to know if this is just bad quality control or due to subjective listening. I guess age also plays a massive role as were talking about high frequencies, which obviously will be heard less overtime. With 31 years of age, i might be too young for this kind of hobby :-D

AFAIK, and I bought my Genelecs with that in mind, the 8030C and G Three B are over the average in the ‘hiss affair”…

Comments about it are ubiquitous on forums, reviews on resellers websites, and here in ASR.

I don’t think is a matter of good or bad quality control, again I never red about someone who received one monitor that hiss and the other don’t.

Without measurements, possibly all monitors hiss equally or at some extent, and individual perceptions may vary..

 

[Miguelón]

No hiss unless ear at tweeter on my 8030c. My rooms noise floor is crazy low too, live out in the country.

Can I ask which is your listening distance?

Take into account that @luke2kk use them on desktop configuration, in which LD can be 0.5 m or so…

 

[Miguelón]

Hearing ability and sensitivity to hiss may be correlated and it may also be idiosyncratic. Some seem more perturbed by it than others.

I had a buyer for some G threes I'm selling who wanted me to confirm it had no hiss. I told him I wasn't very sensitive to hiss and I would be a bad evaluator. I don't want them disappointed and I can't confirm that!

Very honest.

Agree that is quite idiosyncratic, my subwoofer has a characteristic sound around 170 Hz that was discussed here, only in LFE mode and External mode.

Is quite audible and was measured, but in reality many times I left my room I forgot to switch off the sub, and didn’t realize any noise spontaneously when returning.

But once I perceive it, I keep fixed on the sound, and became obsessive.

Finally I decided to use its crossover mode, in which the sound disappears.

I was annoyed by my lack of capacity to accept the noise and don’t care about it

 

[Ktacos]

Can I ask which is your listening distance?

Take into account that @luke2kk use them on desktop configuration, in which LD can be 0.5 m or so…

I'm not too far off from that.

 

[Miguelón]

I'm not too far off from that.

View attachment 525530

Pretty close. Or your Genelecs really don’t hiss or your tympanic membrane has been smashed by your drums…

 

[ElNino]

I don’t think is a matter of good or bad quality control, again I never red about someone who received one monitor that hiss and the other don’t.

Without measurements, possibly all monitors hiss equally or at some extent, and individual perceptions may vary..

I agree that it probably isn't QC. The TPA3118D2 that they use in these has an output integrated noise spec at -80dBV, so some hiss is inevitable even with a perfect implementation. It likely comes down to distance and individual perceptions.

 

[luke2kk]

Just for any curious reader or future Genelec buyer: Did order another pair of Genelec 8030C to give it another hiss test, and can definitly say that it had nearly the same amount of hiss compared to my G Three. As G Three default match 8030C sensitivity set to +4 Id say the latter had a very very little less hiss - whoever says they're dead silent, I would highly doubt that.

EDIT: I kept the G Three

 

[Miguelón]

Just for any curious reader or future Genelec buyer: Did order another pair of Genelec 8030C to give it another hiss test, and can definitly say that it had nearly the same amount of hiss compared to my G Three. As G Three default match 8030C sensitivity set to +4 Id say the latter had a very very little less hiss - whoever says they're dead silent, I would highly doubt that.

EDIT: I kept the G Three

View attachment 526466

Mines were lower hiss in the G Three units, but still noticeable in both models.

The hiss was commented extensively in Amir review, I think every buyer who wants this models to desktop usage is well informed.

Personally, 50 years old and at least 1.5 meters listening distance I can’t perceive it or I should really pay attention to hear it.

A good alternative with less hiss is the Neumann KH120 ii, that I had also side by side in my room.

Subjectively and also by the more compact size I prefer 8030C/G Three, they are fenomenal speakers which accomplish the popular axiom “nothing is perfect”.