Genelec 8030C Studio Monitor Review

[Zeeb]

not sure, but with the UMIK1 I can optimize as which is best without EQ, which works fine for me

I see, that makes sense you wouldn't always need EQ for matching with another Genelec. (I read the 7040 is just as compatible with the 8030 as the 7050 except you shouldn't turn it up as loud. The 7040 and 7050 FR graphs are the same shape above 40Hz for crossing over.)

 

[Zeeb]

I think I'm cracking the case - it has to do with the difference between the 8030A/8030B and the 8030C...

8030A/B manual: "Bass Roll-Off control operating in a –6 dB step @ 85 Hz (to be used in conjunction with a 7050B subwoofer)"
8030C manual: "Bass Roll-Off control: –4 dB step @ 55 Hz" [but the graph in the manual shows -6dB at 55Hz]

[From what I've read the -6dB point is where the crossover point is conventionally targeted. Correct me if I'm wrong.]

So I think it was the older 8030s in which the Bass Roll-Off switch was an 85Hz high-pass filter with slope of 12dB/octave.
The 8030C's Bass Roll-Off looks more to me like a 55Hz high-pass filter with a slope of 12dB.

Maybe the 7050B subwoofer's main-speaker outputs didn't have an internal high-pass like the 7050C does.

I suppose these filters are just approximate as the natural bass roll-off of the drivers makes it harder to produce a simple slope.

But if that's right it means that to integrate any subwoofer with the 8030C, one option is to switch on the 8030C's Bass Roll-Off, and then set the subwoofer's low-pass dial to flatten a 55Hz 12db high-pass slope.


A second option is to not touch the 8030 switches (run it full-range) and dial the low-pass by ear. I guess this might bring up accuracy and distortion issues, especially with loud, bass-heavy music.

[SVS no longer puts high-pass filters on their outputs and suggests to run your main speakers full-range. The SVS Subwoofer Matching Tool for the 8030A (no suggestion for the 8030C) suggests a 58Hz 12db crossover. But looking at the 8030A graph a 24dB+ slope might be technically flatter.]

 

[Zeeb]

A third option with non-Genelec subwoofers is to aim for the 85Hz crossover point that Genelec's 7040A and 7050C subs use in their low- and high-pass circuits. This is a good bit higher than the ~55Hz of the Bass Roll-Off curve...

If this gives you too much bass boost (even with Bass Roll-Off on) - and you don't want to use an external crossover/DSP/REW EQ - you could experiment with the other DIP switches: Bass Tilt and Desktop. As well as any internal subwoofer controls.

It looks like higher crossovers than 85Hz have advantages as well, as argued in this thread https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s/subwoofer-choosing.15740/page-3#post-504321...
but those are more likely to require external crossover and EQ solutions.

 

[oversky]

The Estimated In-Room Response of 8030C is lower than that of 8010A.
But from the written spec, it is 104 dB (8030C) vs 96 dB (8010A).
The introduction of 8030C also makes this clear

If you love the compact format of the 8010 and 8020 models but demand higher SPL and more bass extension, meet the 8030C.

Did I interpret the figure in the wrong way?

Should it be:
Although the sensitivity(?) of 8030C is lower than that of 8010A.
8030C can be fed with higher signal level,
and thus higher SPL.

Then, how do we confirm the SPL spec. from the measurements?

 

[Trell]

… Then, how do we confirm the SPL spec. from the measurements?

You’ll have to test for SPL explicitly and amir does not do that.

Soundandrecording.de does that. An example is in this review: https://www.soundandrecording.de/eq...-mit-voll-koaxialer-treiberanordnung-im-test/

 

[ADoIDo]

Is the 8040B worth the extra $$$ over 8030C? Because they're specs seem pretty close.

I'm wondering the same thing. Plus there may be updates in the C that haven't happened in the B, I'd assume.

Also what do you guys suggest for speaker stands for the 8030 about 2 feet high?

 

[Lilith]

Same question here. Wrote this in another thread and will edit it.

My room is 45 m2. The longest length is 8m which is exactly at around 45Hz.
I know there is a strong room mode (I think at least +10dB or more) at 45Hz which I even see in the measurements with my Eris 5 (they maybe go down to 60 Hz)

The 8030 go to 47 Hz @ - 6dB
The 8040 go to 42 Hz @ - 6dB

Is there any reason I should choose the larger speaker?

Distance is around 1.30 m and it's for mixing.

 

[Pearljam5000]

I'm wondering the same thing. Plus there may be updates in the C that haven't happened in the B, I'd assume.

Also what do you guys suggest for speaker stands for the 8030 about 2 feet high?

C version has a class D amplifier unlike the B version

 

[Tonygeno]

Same question here. Wrote this in another thread and will edit it.

My room is 45 m2. The longest length is 8m which is exactly at around 45Hz.
I know there is a strong room mode (I think at least +10dB or more) at 45Hz which I even see in the measurements with my Eris 5 (they maybe go down to 60 Hz)

The 8030 go to 47 Hz @ - 6dB
The 8040 go to 42 Hz @ - 6dB

Is there any reason I should choose the larger speaker?

Distance is around 1.30 m and it's for mixing.

Increased output. Lower distortion.

 

[MaxRockbin]

Same question here. Wrote this in another thread and will edit it.

My room is 45 m2. The longest length is 8m which is exactly at around 45Hz.
I know there is a strong room mode (I think at least +10dB or more) at 45Hz which I even see in the measurements with my Eris 5 (they maybe go down to 60 Hz)

The 8030 go to 47 Hz @ - 6dB
The 8040 go to 42 Hz @ - 6dB

Is there any reason I should choose the larger speaker?

Distance is around 1.30 m and it's for mixing.

At 1.3M distance, I really don't think you need the bigger speaker. I have the 8030C and it gets loud enough to be uncomfortable (for me) at 1.8M. Of course, if it's important to you to go lower, then yeah. I was deciding between the 8030C and the 8340A and ultimately went with the smaller speaker because people in this forum recommended the volume would be fine at my distance - and I use it with a sub. Which I'd recommend. The 8340A has a few advantages over the 8040B. It has more powerful class D amps an also can be used with GLM, if you decide to go for that at some point. Personally, I didn't consider "The Ones" because at my listening distance, the woofer & tweeter will blend nicely. I think they will at 1.3M too per Genelec's guide to choosing monitors. Red is too close.

 

[YSC]

Just tried a bit on the room EQ with equlizer APO and didn't notice any change significant

 

[Lilith]

At 1.3M distance, I really don't think you need the bigger speaker. I have the 8030C and it gets loud enough to be uncomfortable (for me) at 1.8M. Of course, if it's important to you to go lower, then yeah. I was deciding between the 8030C and the 8340A and ultimately went with the smaller speaker because people in this forum recommended the volume would be fine at my distance - and I use it with a sub. Which I'd recommend. The 8340A has a few advantages over the 8040B. It has more powerful class D amps an also can be used with GLM, if you decide to go for that at some point. Personally, I didn't consider "The Ones" because at my listening distance, the woofer & tweeter will blend nicely. I think they will at 1.3M too per Genelec's guide to choosing monitors. Red is too close.

Thanks, I'm going for the 8030. I make room correction in Linux. For GLM I would need a Windows PC.

 

[cata02]

Posting some feedback from my use case on the 8030c.

I got the 8030c in december and oh boy they are amazing; but the immediate feeling was: where's the bass? and the feeling of sound from small speakers. But man what clarity; feels like muddled sound just got cleared.

But muddy bass for me; i have an asymmetrical setup, with 1 speaker close to 2 walls and 1 with only the wall behind.
I was driving them using the Topping D30PRO

I sent them back and got the 8330 with the 7350 sub and switched to digital input (toslink => coax => aes input).

First reaction from only the 8330: holly crap, these have bass!
It was smth clear to me, confirmed on the calibration where it was obvious i was getting down to 40hz with only the 8330.
Don't have an explanation for this, just empirical evidence and the measurement.

Then i calibrated and that brought in clarity and clear taming of bass; from the charts it's evident that each speaker needs its own EQ.
w/o the calibration i do not think i'd enjoy the sound so much; too much boomy bass.

Then I added the sub and that completed the picture; sub is there to help; the combo is definitely controlled and can get loud w/o hurting sound quality in any way. I can play this system loud and enjoy it, smth i didn't feel with my old passive system or with the 8030c.

I don't have measurements for the 8030c, but i have for the 8330. I am thinking that the topping dac might not work well on low frequencies, or the amp in 8330 (the raw edition) is different), dunno.

I know i have to do some room work to same some standing waves/nulls; will see what I can accommodate.
Also, i got the 8330 to clip, so in a sense i think i could use the 8340 one day, but those require the 7360 sub to go along. lots of $.

 

[ririt]

Posting some feedback from my use case on the 8030c.

I got the 8030c in december and oh boy they are amazing; but the immediate feeling was: where's the bass? and the feeling of sound from small speakers. But man what clarity; feels like muddled sound just got cleared.

But muddy bass for me; i have an asymmetrical setup, with 1 speaker close to 2 walls and 1 with only the wall behind.
I was driving them using the Topping D30PRO

I sent them back and got the 8330 with the 7350 sub and switched to digital input (toslink => coax => aes input).

First reaction from only the 8330: holly crap, these have bass!
It was smth clear to me, confirmed on the calibration where it was obvious i was getting down to 40hz with only the 8330.
Don't have an explanation for this, just empirical evidence and the measurement.

Then i calibrated and that brought in clarity and clear taming of bass; from the charts it's evident that each speaker needs its own EQ.
w/o the calibration i do not think i'd enjoy the sound so much; too much boomy bass.

Then I added the sub and that completed the picture; sub is there to help; the combo is definitely controlled and can get loud w/o hurting sound quality in any way. I can play this system loud and enjoy it, smth i didn't feel with my old passive system or with the 8030c.

I don't have measurements for the 8030c, but i have for the 8330. I am thinking that the topping dac might not work well on low frequencies, or the amp in 8330 (the raw edition) is different), dunno.

I know i have to do some room work to same some standing waves/nulls; will see what I can accommodate.
Also, i got the 8330 to clip, so in a sense i think i could use the 8340 one day, but those require the 7360 sub to go along. lots of $.

thanks for the feedback. What is your listening distance?

 

[cata02]

Approx 2.3m.

 

[voodooless]

8330 more bass? Was that before calibration? At the exact same spot as where you had the 8030? Exact same dipswitch settings?

 

[cata02]

yes, before calibration; i am not tinkering with the dips on 8330, letting glm handle everything.
I can't explain it, but that was the sensation i have.
Though I wasn't able to play the 8030c much w/o playing with the dip switches; the bass was not nice at all. So could be my memory, but 8030 ootb didn't feel that they went so low as compared to 8330, or it could be due to the audio path.

Do check the measurements from glm: 40hz on main speakers; before calibration, I had 39hz on left +4.9db and 39hz on right 0db; i guess my room is liking bass. Don't have any measurement from 8030, so apple-oranges comparison; on paper 8030c go to 58hz i think.

 

[Tonygeno]

Approx 2.3m.

Very precise for an approximate measurement.

 

[cata02]

Very precise for an approximate measurement.

Well, depends on where i sit on the couch. hahahaha
I am a human expert at slouching in a million positions on the couch.

 

[MaxRockbin]

Thanks, I'm going for the 8030. I make room correction in Linux. For GLM I would need a Windows PC.

It just occurred to me that because I'm crossing over at 85db for my sub, I can play louder than if you don't cross over. The amp is the limiting factor, and if it's not playing the low frequencies - which take more power, you've got more headroom. So I'm just saying, take my comment with a grain of salt.