Genelec 8030C Studio Monitor Review

[hyperplanar]

and I've adjusted the dial to +6dB already.

+6?? Don’t you want it -6 if the speakers are too loud?

 

[gr-e]

+6?? Don’t you want it -6 if the speakers are too loud?

That's an input sensitivity dial, not gain. At +6dBu the speaker expects higher signal level than at -6dBu, so with the same input signal -6dBu would be louder.

 

[hyperplanar]

That's an input sensitivity dial, not gain. At +6dBu the speaker expects higher signal level than at -6dBu, so with the same input signal -6dBu would be louder.

Ah, had a look at a picture of the back panel and you're right, sorry for the confusion!

To @lc155 the recommended solution in this scenario would be to get in-line XLR attenuators to get the M2's output more in line with what the monitors expect (around 10-15 dB attenuation should be good). This will let you get the maximum signal to noise ratio out of your gear.

 

[kezman]

the speaker has clipping red led?

 

[lc155]

Ah, had a look at a picture of the back panel and you're right, sorry for the confusion!

To @lc155 the recommended solution in this scenario would be to get in-line XLR attenuators to get the M2's output more in line with what the monitors expect (around 10-15 dB attenuation should be good). This will let you get the maximum signal to noise ratio out of your gear.

I see. Doesn't seem like there's much if any settings that could be changed on the M4 to attenuate it, so that might have to do.

Assuming I can get used to the hiss, though. I am very much hyperbolic about how noticeable it is, but having come from completely silent until ear is at tweeter passives, it's a jarring change.

 

[daftcombo]

I see. Doesn't seem like there's much if any settings that could be changed on the M4 to attenuate it, so that might have to do.

Assuming I can get used to the hiss, though. I am very much hyperbolic about how noticeable it is, but having come from completely silent until ear is at tweeter passives, it's a jarring change.

For the volume too loud at 9 o'clock problem:
I advise you put something like a Little Bear MC2 in the chain.
35$, completely transparent and no need to be powered.
That's how I prevent my speakers to be extremely loud between my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 and my Hypex-based S500NC amp (2 x 500 W THD-1% under 4 ohm).

You could also use a JDS Lab Atom or a Topping L30 in pre-amp mode instead of the Little Bear, of course. I was just advising the cheapest.

 

[EAXAE]

How old are you? I'm fairly young which could be a reason why I'm so sensitive to it.

Doesn't seem like it, I'm in my late 20s and my HF threshold is about 18 kHz. Another thing about my 8030 is that I couldn't really say that they hiss, it's more like warm radio noise. And again, it's completely inaudible at 20-30 cm.

 

[q3cpma]

I see. Doesn't seem like there's much if any settings that could be changed on the M4 to attenuate it, so that might have to do.

Assuming I can get used to the hiss, though. I am very much hyperbolic about how noticeable it is, but having come from completely silent until ear is at tweeter passives, it's a jarring change.

Personally, I use it with an Audient iD4 at maximum input sensitivity (-6 dBu -> 100 dB), but just ordered the Motu M2 and will be setting it to the minimum. Right now, hiss (but as mentioned, it's quite soft/dull sounding) can be heard only during the quiet evening after a period of silence to acclimate the ears; I'm at 80~85 cm and am 26 years old, by the way. Minimum distance of audibility is obviously higher when I turn the head to point an ear directly toward one of the speakers.
My conclusion is that it's definitely here, but never annoying or even attention grabbing.

 

[AnalogSteph]

Personally, I use it with an Audient iD4 at maximum input sensitivity (-6 dBu -> 100 dB), but just ordered the Motu M2 and will be setting it to the minimum.

iD4 has a +12 dBu maximum output and 115 dB(A) of dynamic range (112 dB unweighted), so expected noise @1 m would be -3 dB SPL(A) / 0 dB SPL. Should be just fine I think, but I doubt you really need up to 112 dB SPL @ 1 m.

BTW, isn't iD4 --> M2 more of a sidegrade? I mean, the MOTU does go 4 dB louder and dynamic range is 5 dB higher, but you should be able to cover the audible range well as-is. I'd try -4 or -2 for the iD4 and 0 or +2 for the M2.

 

[q3cpma]

iD4 has a +12 dBu maximum output and 115 dB(A) of dynamic range (112 dB unweighted), so expected noise @1 m would be -3 dB SPL(A) / 0 dB SPL. Should be just fine I think, but I doubt you really need up to 112 dB SPL @ 1 m.

BTW, isn't iD4 --> M2 more of a sidegrade? I mean, the MOTU does go 4 dB louder and dynamic range is 5 dB higher, but you should be able to cover the audible range well as-is. I'd try -4 or -2 for the iD4 and 0 or +2 for the M2.

The upgrade isn't as much a sound quality as a functional one: the iD4 LED level coding is buggy, 3 dB step is just too much and having to set the volume at each power on is annoying. But yeah, you're right, minimum input sensitivity doesn't make sense, it's just annoying that Genelec's knob isn't stepped, meaning you never know if you're perfectly level matched (set it to 0 by eye, now, it's indeed better; now I realise just leaving it as-is was very dumb).

 

[lc155]

Personally, I use it with an Audient iD4 at maximum input sensitivity (-6 dBu -> 100 dB), but just ordered the Motu M2 and will be setting it to the minimum. Right now, hiss (but as mentioned, it's quite soft/dull sounding) can be heard only during the quiet evening after a period of silence to acclimate the ears; I'm at 80~85 cm and am 26 years old, by the way. Minimum distance of audibility is obviously lower when I turn the head to point an ear directly toward one of the speakers.
My conclusion is that it's definitely here, but never annoying or even attention grabbing.

I've no idea how you could do that, tbh. Perhaps I'm just more picky in how much movement I want from my volume knob when adjusting volume before it goes from silent to ear bleedingly loud. You definitely won't get away with -6dB on the MOTU, unless you don't want the volume knob past 8-9.

The way you describe hiss is probably the most objective way of describing what I also hear. In this room, I can make it out fairly easily in quiet parts of songs or without anything playing, as I know it's there. 27 here.

Perhaps I'm just more picky about the levels of hiss I deem acceptable. It reminds me of a Bluesound Powernode amp I tried a couple of years back - similar level of hiss. I returned that thing as I considered it unacceptable for the price.

 

[daftcombo]

I've no idea how you could do that, tbh. Perhaps I'm just more picky in how much movement I want from my volume knob when adjusting volume before it goes from silent to ear bleedingly loud. You definitely won't get away with -6dB on the MOTU, unless you don't want the volume knob past 8-9.

The way you describe hiss is probably the most objective way of describing what I also hear. In this room, I can make it out fairly easily in quiet parts of songs or without anything playing, as I know it's there. 27 here.

Perhaps I'm just more picky about the levels of hiss I deem acceptable. It reminds me of a Bluesound Powernode amp I tried a couple of years back - similar level of hiss. I returned that thing as I considered it unacceptable for the price.

Did you try plugging them on a different outlet, with nothing else plugged on that outlet?

 

[hyperplanar]

I see. Doesn't seem like there's much if any settings that could be changed on the M4 to attenuate it, so that might have to do.

Assuming I can get used to the hiss, though. I am very much hyperbolic about how noticeable it is, but having come from completely silent until ear is at tweeter passives, it's a jarring change.

Hmm, seems odd to me since the 8030C's rated self noise level is really low. The XLR attenuators might help if some of the noise is coming from the MOTU I suppose (leaving the Genelec's input unplugged and floating creates more noise than if it were connected to something, so not a valid method of comparison). FWIW I'm 26 and don't hear any hiss from my KH120s until I stick my ear into the waveguide.

 

[lc155]

Hmm, seems odd to me since the 8030C's rated self noise level is really low. The XLR attenuators might help if some of the noise is coming from the MOTU I suppose (leaving the Genelec's input unplugged and floating creates more noise than if it were connected to something, so not a valid method of comparison). FWIW I'm 26 and don't hear any hiss from my KH120s until I stick my ear into the waveguide.

That seems off to me - I was talking to Genelec about it, and they never mentioned anything about dirty power (likely because they're confident in the inbuilt power conditioners they use). They also never said that leaving a source unplugged would result in more noise either.

All they simply said was that after talking to their engineers, what I'd experienced was classed as normal behaviour and perhaps the 8030c's weren't for me.

However, I did note something last night. My ability to discern the hiss seems to have decreased, and although it is still audible, it is more like how @q3cpma describes it now. I'm not sure why this is - have my ears adjusted, or have the electronics in the speakers 'burned in' after a couple of days? I've never heard of the latter happening, so I'm gonna go back to Genelec and ask them what that is all about.

 

[daftcombo]

Hi,

So, I received one 8030C this morning (the other is coming tomorrow) and the first thing I did was to drop it from 50cm high on my wooden floor.
The thing is so heavy (8 kg) and sturdy for its size that I hope there won't be any problem. Actually I can't see any notch on it, and the sound out of the box is excellent. My floor has been damaged a bit (or perhaps the small marks were there before, hard to say).
Do you thing the mechanic parts inside can have suffered?

 

[Doodski]

Hi,

So, I received one 8030C this morning (the other is coming tomorrow) and the first thing I did was to drop it from 50cm high on my wooden floor.
The thing is so heavy (8 kg) and sturdy for to its size that I hope there won't be any problem. Actually I can't see any notch on it, and the sound out of the box is excellent. My floor has been damaged a bit (or perhaps the small marks were there before, hard to say).
Do you thing the mechanic parts inside can have suffered?

Unfortunate, but it's testimony to the build integrity of the 8030C. Impressive. If that where MDF the box would be crunched and maybe cracked with a disconnected crossover perhaps..

 

[YSC]

Hi,

So, I received one 8030C this morning (the other is coming tomorrow) and the first thing I did was to drop it from 50cm high on my wooden floor.
The thing is so heavy (8 kg) and sturdy for its size that I hope there won't be any problem. Actually I can't see any notch on it, and the sound out of the box is excellent. My floor has been damaged a bit (or perhaps the small marks were there before, hard to say).
Do you thing the mechanic parts inside can have suffered?

the chassis is the heavy part and the PCB likely won't have much momentum on that, but check if the gaps are widened or the two halves wobble? if not and you shake it a bit and don't hear something loose inside I bet it's ok, as the drivers itself are moving parts which should be kind of damped. luckily speakers usually can take more abuse than camera lens

 

[daftcombo]

the chassis is the heavy part and the PCB likely won't have much momentum on that, but check if the gaps are widened or the two halves wobble? if not and you shake it a bit and don't hear something loose inside I bet it's ok, as the drivers itself are moving parts which should be kind of damped. luckily speakers usually can take more abuse than camera lens

Thanks. I just shaked it like a shaker but heard nothing. The gaps are not widened and the two halves are stuck together.

 

[thewas]

Also a slow sine sweep is excellent in revealing if something is loose, best do it on both examples for comparison.

 

[Doodski]

Online Tone Generator - sweep.

https://www.szynalski.com/tone-generator/