Genelec 8030C Studio Monitor Review

[TimVG]

Are you sure it's not the source? Do you have the input gain at its minimum? Personally, I can't hear anything past 1 m and I'm still young. At 50 cm, there's something, but I barely hear it unless I point an ear directly at it.
Both the 8341A and 8030C are specced at < 5 dB(A) at 1 m, which would indicate not too much difference between both models.

Same here - no audible hiss.

 

[Senior NEET Engineer]

Are you sure it's not the source? Do you have the input gain at its minimum? Personally, I can't hear anything past 1 m and I'm still young. At 50 cm, there's something, but I barely hear it unless I point an ear directly at it.
Both the 8341A and 8030C are specced at < 5 dB(A) at 1 m, which would indicate not too much difference between both models.

It's the same source. 8341A is <= 3 dB. Like I said, this is just a nit pick not a deal breaker. Maybe my gaming room is just really quiet. New construction, thick insulation, no main roads nearby, etc.

 

[MZKM]

I set up the Genelec 8030C on my workstation desk

How do you think they would fair in a living room for music? How do you think they would fair in a living room for movies?

 

[q3cpma]

It's the same source. 8341A is <= 3 dB. Like I said, this is just a nit pick not a deal breaker. Maybe my gaming room is just really quiet. New construction, thick insulation, no main roads nearby, etc.

Oh yeah, sorry about wrong quoted spec. Well, maybe. I have my fridge making some noise, otherwise same situation as you.

 

[F1308]

Well, you'd have to (more or less) destroy the speaker for that.

Well, I will ask Genelec for that SINAD... they surely must know.

 

[q3cpma]

Well, I will ask Genelec for that SINAD... they surely must know.

It's already in the manual: "Amplifier system distortion at nominal output: THD <= 0.05%", nominal output being 1/8th of the maximum power. See https://www.audiosciencereview.com/.../active-speaker-oems.11089/page-2#post-315407

 

[Koeitje]

Thanks for the review. I'm currently using these as surround speakers in my gaming room. One nitpick is that I can hear the tweeter hiss from 5 feet away whereas the 8341A is near silent from same distance. For a general desktop speaker I'd prefer something quieter, but it's definitely not a deal breaker.

Guess that answers the question about the amplifier used in it

 

[edechamps]

Well, I will ask Genelec for that SINAD... they surely must know.

They will just redirect to you to the spec sheet in the manual, which states: "Amplifier system distortion at nominal output: THD < 0.05 %" (= 66+ dB SINAD).

Not that this information is useful in any way, mind you. There's no point in looking into specs of internal components when you already have the numbers for the finished, end-to-end product.

 

[TimVG]

How do you think they would fair in a living room for music? How do you think they would fair in a living room for movies?

That's how I use them along with a sub in a 2.1 configuration. Goes plenty loud, and especially loud enough for casual listening/watching. Listening distance about 12ft.

 

[F1308]

They will just redirect to you to the spec sheet in the manual, which states: "Amplifier system distortion at nominal output: THD < 0.05 %" (= 66+ dB SINAD).

Not that this information is useful in any way, mind you. There's no point in looking into specs of internal components when you already have the numbers for the finished, end-to-end product.

Higher than 66...?
Seriously...? No interest in audio performance but outstanding sound when placed in a please-do-not-open-me-box next to a couple of woofers?
What is this table below used for then ?
Someone is pulling our legs...

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.

 

[amirm]

Did you find out how to change the reference axis? Or are you just changing the expansion point?

Yes I did. As a matter of fact, I can set it before measurement time using the robotics so it is very precise and I don't need to hand measure anything.

There were just so many parameters in there -- some of which won't take effect unless you do certain things -- that I could not nail it before. Now it is trivial to do. And I can also adjust it post measurement although that requires half hour of number crunching.

On your second question, there is a specific field for Reference Point. It defaults to tweeter point if you don't set it.

I should also mention that on larger (hifi) speakers it makes next to no difference. It is these small speakers where it can have an impact.

 

[amirm]

Five feet away? Yikes - that's a deal-breaker IMHO. @amirm , did you hear tweeter hiss like that from the unit you tested?

I have a PC running so over that noise, no, I did not hear it. I should test for this.

 

[amirm]

There is a trick used in cheap bluetooth speakers which is to lower the mid to high frequency gain when there is no input. That way the hiss goes away when there is nothing playing. And if something arrives, the lower frequencies still play until the filter is adjusted. May cause some pumping but be better than hearing hiss all the time when not in use.

 

[vkvedam]

Very nice indeed, I always had a very high regard for Genelecs and certainly didn't disappoint at all

 

[q3cpma]

Higher than 66...?
Seriously...? No interest in audio performance but outstanding sound when placed in a please-do-not-open-me-box next to a couple of woofers?
What is this table below used for then ?
Someone is pulling our legs...

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.

You're asking to measure the weight of the brake pedal, here. I'm sure you understand that it's the overall car weight (and weight distribution) that matters, not that of something that'll always be negligible in the whole picture.

 

[q3cpma]

There is a trick used in cheap bluetooth speakers which is to lower the mid to high frequency gain when there is no input. That way the hiss goes away when there is nothing playing. And if something arrives, the lower frequencies still play until the filter is adjusted. May cause some pumping but be better than hearing hiss all the time when not in use.

I guess it's more practical in DSP using solutions, though.

 

[F1308]

You're asking to measure the weight of the brake pedal, here. I'm sure you understand that it's the overall car weight (and weight distribution) that matters, not that of something that'll always be negligible in the whole picture.

I am not the one asking for something negligible.
It is being said that a SINAD higher than 96 dB is required to get CD quality. Then testing started. Then best prices were searched.

 

[q3cpma]

I am not the one asking for something negligible.
It is being said that a SINAD higher than 96 dB is required to get CD quality. Then testing started. Then best prices were searched.

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.

 

[F1308]

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.

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.

 

[q3cpma]

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 for electronics and this is mainly an engineering goal, not really concerned with audibility. Any fault in the electronics being "amplified" by the sensitivity of the transducers, it's logical to aim high enough upstream of it, especially if it's easy to do.
Notice that nowhere in that scale does it say "it'll sound bad".