Genelec 8030C Studio Monitor Review

[LTig]

8030c minimum anything else is just meh

I have 8030c wish i had the more expensive 3s lmao feel kinda jelly bruhs

she has $5000 speakers but uses a $100 Focusrite scarlett? is this real life? lol focusrite is garbage i tried both the scarlett and clarett, no good

Maybe try again blind. The audible differences between DACs are much smaller than those between speakers. She is clever and invests money where it counts.

 

[YSC]

Actually it's the opposite. The closer you get to the wall, the higher in frequency the cancellation gets (the 1/4 wavelength becomes shorter). However, since the speaker is generally more directional at higher frequencies, the cancellation is less severe. And since it occurs at a higher frequency, it is more easily mitigated by treatment behind the speaker to absorb the cancellation frequency.

Lol my bad, what I mean was making the boost in bass, I somehow remember it wrong in the genelec guide material, the correct one should be pushing the 1/4 to higher frequencies which do not go omnidirectional and thus not firing backwards and creates the nulls

 

[Pancreas]

Maybe try again blind. The audible differences between DACs are much smaller than those between speakers. She is clever and invests money where it counts.

let me be jelly bruh

5k speakers too much, i cant justify it

Genelec is overpriced, you paying for that exclusive random European country koolaid

I got my 8030c for $900 cash off a local guy who bought it from Sweetwater literally 3 months before to record, he showed me receipts

These speakers are $1400 the pair, even the $900 seem high that's what they should cost imo

Most of the Genelec parts inside are Chinese, i know cause I have opened the speaker and they even say made in China

You're paying mainly for the brand, their design, the look, their research, but the parts, most of them are Chinese

Only reason i got the Genelec is that i thought if the enclosure was aluminum, it wouldn't release any smells like other speakers made of MDF, yet it smelled just as chemically as them, cause the parts inside are Chinese. I had to open them and let them air out for a few weeks

 

[YSC]

let me be jelly bruh

5k speakers too much, i cant justify it

Genelec is overpriced, you paying for that exclusive random European country koolaid

I got my 8030c for $900 cash off a local guy who bought it from Sweetwater literally 3 months before to record, he showed me receipts

These speakers are $1400 the pair, even the $900 seem high that's what they should cost imo

Most of the Genelec parts inside are Chinese, i know cause I have opened the speaker and they even say made in China

You're paying mainly for the brand, their design, the look, their research, but the parts, most of them are Chinese

Only reason i got the Genelec is that i thought if the enclosure was aluminum, it wouldn't release any smells like other speakers made of MDF, yet it smelled just as chemically as them, cause the parts inside are Chinese. I had to open them and let them air out for a few weeks

With a ported speaker, opening it up to air and let it intact to air out don’t seems like will have any advantages, it just risks compromising the seal and QC in the process.

No comment of the made in China parts, as long as the caps aren’t low tier Chinese brand it’s fine, the ICs should be from major brands so it will last.

We are paying for the consistency and the sound it can produce, not asking for every part being made in certain region. And to be fair, at this price having this level of sound refinement is a steal to me even at $1400. You have all those R&D, a aluminium enclosure which lasts, and the consistency in FR.

And speaking of crap DACs, you will be surprised of how many expensive dacs produce a lot more distortion than scarlett

 

[Pancreas]

With a ported speaker, opening it up to air and let it intact to air out don’t seems like will have any advantages, it just risks compromising the seal and QC in the process.

No comment of the made in China parts, as long as the caps aren’t low tier Chinese brand it’s fine, the ICs should be from major brands so it will last.

We are paying for the consistency and the sound it can produce, not asking for every part being made in certain region. And to be fair, at this price having this level of sound refinement is a steal to me even at $1400. You have all those R&D, a aluminium enclosure which lasts, and the consistency in FR.

And speaking of crap DACs, you will be surprised of how many expensive dacs produce a lot more distortion than scarlett

I haven't had any issues tbh what seal? is just a piece of plastic that attaches to the enclosure, is dummy proof, my speakers sound good, is it $1400 good? I dunno i didn't pay that much lol glad I didn't i lucked out but yeah aluminum enclosure is cool and they look different than most speakers

are the 3s worth the $5000 price tag? who knows, id like to have them cause they look cool and surely sound better than 8030c, but are they $3600 better? I doubt it

The scarlett was holding back the genelecs

I mean for $1400 speakers they could've at least included a button on the back to turn off the damn light, also it takes one hour to go to sleep, i dont care about that, what bothers me is the light will take one hour to turn off, so now you have ghetto up your speaker with black tape lol

 

[YSC]

I haven't had any issues tbh what seal? is just a piece of plastic that attaches to the enclosure, is dummy proof, my speakers sound good, is it $1400 good? I dunno i didn't pay that much lol glad I didn't i lucked out but yeah aluminum enclosure is cool and they look different than most speakers

are the 3s worth the $5000 price tag? who knows, id like to have them cause they look cool and surely sound better than 8030c, but are they $3600 better? I doubt it

The scarlett was holding back the genelecs

I mean for $1400 speakers they could've at least included a button on the back to turn off the damn light, also it takes one hour to go to sleep, i dont care about that, what bothers me is the light will take one hour to turn off, so now you have ghetto up your speaker with black tape lol

the rubber seal around the edge of each half is kind of pressed on by the screw torque, which, since one side is thinner piece of metal, in theory you can have overtightened it and "cut" a bit of it out, or even some bits like the internal foam trapped in between resulting in a minor air gap. Imperfect sealing could result in leaking of air and extra distortion which could show up in high volume or measurements. Thing is, I don't see with such a big port just leaving it there for a few days vs opening them completely. Plus I bet the smell comes from something else than the components, you know how many days have the components sent out from all around the world and put into the speaker, then to the wholeseller and finally to you...

for 3s, I don't get which speaker you are pointing at, but for the scarlett, if you try using them and do some REW vs some DAC of your choice, it most likely than not will not matter much if any.

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface Gen 3 Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface (DAC/ADC). I was talked into buying it recently. The 2i2 costs US $140 including free Prime shipping so very reasonable for amount of functionality. For a budge device, the Scarlett 2i2 looks pretty good...

www.audiosciencereview.com

From Amirm's measurement here I don't even remotely see why it will be holding up any speakers. 100db+ SINAD should be as clean as it could even in a very quiet room

 

[Pancreas]

What speaker settings would be the best for my setup? I'm going to buy the Genelec table stands soon. I have everything turned off except ISS

My speakers will be in front of the wall.

 

[Pancreas]

the rubber seal around the edge of each half is kind of pressed on by the screw torque, which, since one side is thinner piece of metal, in theory you can have overtightened it and "cut" a bit of it out, or even some bits like the internal foam trapped in between resulting in a minor air gap. Imperfect sealing could result in leaking of air and extra distortion which could show up in high volume or measurements. Thing is, I don't see with such a big port just leaving it there for a few days vs opening them completely. Plus I bet the smell comes from something else than the components, you know how many days have the components sent out from all around the world and put into the speaker, then to the wholeseller and finally to you...

for 3s, I don't get which speaker you are pointing at, but for the scarlett, if you try using them and do some REW vs some DAC of your choice, it most likely than not will not matter much if any.

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface Gen 3 Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface (DAC/ADC). I was talked into buying it recently. The 2i2 costs US $140 including free Prime shipping so very reasonable for amount of functionality. For a budge device, the Scarlett 2i2 looks pretty good...

www.audiosciencereview.com

From Amirm's measurement here I don't even remotely see why it will be holding up any speakers. 100db+ SINAD should be as clean as it could even in a very quiet room

I don't notice or hear any difference or something sounding off. I have pretty good ears

I don't think you can "cut a bit out" and the internal foam is nowhere near where the rubber seal is. Have you even opened and looked inside these speakers yourself?

 

[Pancreas]

should I move my desk more towards the right so is more centered to the room, as in my monitor being exactly below my TV?

 

[YSC]

I don't notice or hear any difference or something sounding off. I have pretty good ears

I don't think you can "cut a bit out" and the internal foam is nowhere near where the rubber seal is. Have you even opened and looked inside these speakers yourself?

I didn't, but back when my pair arrive, one of the speakers have a slightly loose screw side which although didn't affect the sound, have visual issue making one side of the speaker gap slightly wider, I asked genelec support if I could self tighten it and the reply was:

"The gasket might get damaged if the screws are over tightened and this can lead to leaking, if this happens, the speakers needs to be opened up and the gasket has to be replaced. Hope you enjoy the speakers and let us know if you need any technical assistance!"

and I've seen a teardown of the 8351B here (which is very similar in construction in the joining mechanism), the rubber seal is lined on a thin "ridge" of aluminium, whereas the other half will exert pressure towards it to complete the seal. this structure, if overtighten could potentially cut into the rubber seal and damage it. I am not saying you must have messed up things, but it COULD is the problem, while with a ported speaker it would air out any smell just by leaving it in open air for sometime anyway, the point is not worth to do all these just for some weird smell likely resulting in storage and shipping condition.

What speaker settings would be the best for my setup? I'm going to buy the Genelec table stands soon. I have everything turned off except ISS

My speakers will be in front of the wall.

View attachment 302819

in current setup you should at least engage the desk correction switch and bass -4/-6db being that close to the frontt wall, possibly the left need 2db more to compensate the other corner if you don't do measurement and EQ.

 

[Pancreas]

I didn't, but back when my pair arrive, one of the speakers have a slightly loose screw side which although didn't affect the sound, have visual issue making one side of the speaker gap slightly wider, I asked genelec support if I could self tighten it and the reply was:

"The gasket might get damaged if the screws are over tightened and this can lead to leaking, if this happens, the speakers needs to be opened up and the gasket has to be replaced. Hope you enjoy the speakers and let us know if you need any technical assistance!"

and I've seen a teardown of the 8351B here (which is very similar in construction in the joining mechanism), the rubber seal is lined on a thin "ridge" of aluminium, whereas the other half will exert pressure towards it to complete the seal. this structure, if overtighten could potentially cut into the rubber seal and damage it. I am not saying you must have messed up things, but it COULD is the problem, while with a ported speaker it would air out any smell just by leaving it in open air for sometime anyway, the point is not worth to do all these just for some weird smell likely resulting in storage and shipping condition.

in current setup you should at least engage the desk correction switch and bass -4/-6db being that close to the frontt wall, possibly the left need 2db more to compensate the other corner if you don't do measurement and EQ.

Im not worried about it. My speakers sound good and I don’t notice any difference. I’m not a pro so it is what it is. Maybe I got lucky and there is no leakeage but I don’t want to unscrew to check I’ll leave it as is

I’m probably going to move my desk more to the center and put something else on the left

 

[LTig]

What speaker settings would be the best for my setup? I'm going to buy the Genelec table stands soon. I have everything turned off except ISS

My speakers will be in front of the wall.

View attachment 302819

Before buying the stands use a bunch of books underneath the speakers to put the tweeters at ear height. This reduces muddy upper bass. Play with the low bass and desktop switches, or measure FR with REW. Finally buy stands which put the speakers at the same height.

Shifting the desk to the right should improve soundstage.

Think about pulling the speakers a little forward to reduce reflections from the PCs, and toe them in.

 

[badspeakerdesigner]

The scarlett was holding back the genelecs

No it wasn't. Those things are neutral as all hell. Your room and placement is going dwarf just about every other issue you could run into. Your placement basically makes corrective EQ a neccessity. Since you're on a windows PC this would be very easy to implement with room eq wizard and EQ apo.

 

[Anti-Climacus]

Right, I fully understand your feeling, I didn't noticed you owned the Kali and Adam previously and thought you are just with a tight budget (8030C is very entry level budget to me personally though). But TBH, I have a friend owning a pair of T5Vs and myself use 8030C+7040A, when used alone, the 8030C comparing to the T5V with EQ APO fixing the high shelve is sounding more similar than different, I can feel a bit of preference towards the Genelecs but I am sure sighted listening contribute to quite a bit of this perception also. the genelecs have the advantage of the dip switches to counter desk reflection well, and being much smaller especially in the depth department makes it able to be placed much closer to the walls to push SBIR into the bass range, where it can be tamed by EQ much more effectively, but if put in the same spot, they are to be fair, much closer than different.

That's why in my own man's cave I used the Genelecs, but in the small living room serving as TV speaker I ended up buying a pair of KRK RP5 G4 at less than half the cost of the genelecs for the look, the flat top able to put small stuffs on it, flat enough FR and good directivity and usable auto standby makes it perfect for the job.

Yes, by higher tier I meant for a small two-way studio monitor and in comparison with much cheaper alternatives in the same market segment, it's not that they are "high end" in a general sense.

I imagine that the similarities between 8030 and T5V are more than their differences, especially with a little bit of EQ applied to the irregularities of the latter. But as you rightly mention the Genelec is easier to accomodate in a desktop system because it has less depth whereas the little Adam if I remember correctly was as tall as it was deep! The same goes for IN-5, I tried them in my desktop and their depth of 29 cm puts them too much near your ears, I would like to be able to put them closer to the wall and a little further away from me but they go on the larger side of things. So apart from the tonality of the Genelecs and their perceived sonic superiority, it is also the small form factor that appeals to me particularly, as I already mentioned in my first post, and also their appearance (which is an acquired taste, but I seem to fall in the camp that likes them and finds them unusual and rather cute and not some kind of "cheap plastic computer speakers").

Interesting that you found the KRKs adequate for your living room, they seem tempting and are also very cheap, at least where I live (280 EUR the pair!). Do you have the white or the black version? It seems that Amir also liked them in his review, they have been getting better in recent years I gather..

 

[YSC]

Yes, by higher tier I meant for a small two-way studio monitor and in comparison with much cheaper alternatives in the same market segment, it's not that they are "high end" in a general sense.

I imagine that the similarities between 8030 and T5V are more than their differences, especially with a little bit of EQ applied to the irregularities of the latter. But as you rightly mention the Genelec is easier to accomodate in a desktop system because it has less depth whereas the little Adam if I remember correctly was as tall as it was deep! The same goes for IN-5, I tried them in my desktop and their depth of 29 cm puts them too much near your ears, I would like to be able to put them closer to the wall and a little further away from me but they go on the larger side of things. So apart from the tonality of the Genelecs and their perceived sonic superiority, it is also the small form factor that appeals to me particularly, as I already mentioned in my first post, and also their appearance (which is an acquired taste, but I seem to fall in the camp that likes them and finds them unusual and rather cute and not some kind of "cheap plastic computer speakers").

Interesting that you found the KRKs adequate for your living room, they seem tempting and are also very cheap, at least where I live (280 EUR the pair!). Do you have the white or the black version? It seems that Amir also liked them in his review, they have been getting better in recent years I gather..

In your case getting a 8030 would really make sense, but I do recommend to save up a bit more to get a newer pair, 17 yeas old probably need some extensive service soon and no idea if the driver surround does survive so long and still in working condition, while 8020 is a tad too small to be used alone.

the KRKs are adequate to me likely because my ears are still pretty sensitive, in normal listening ~75dbA is unbearably loud to me already and "living room" in the world's most expensive apartment per square inch means the space is likely an average European house toilet size, listening distance is just 2.5m away from the TV, with bass reinforcement from front wall it's plenty loud, I have the white ver.

 

[pehu63]

let me be jelly bruh

5k speakers too much, i cant justify it

Genelec is overpriced, you paying for that exclusive random European country koolaid

I got my 8030c for $900 cash off a local guy who bought it from Sweetwater literally 3 months before to record, he showed me receipts

These speakers are $1400 the pair, even the $900 seem high that's what they should cost imo

Most of the Genelec parts inside are Chinese, i know cause I have opened the speaker and they even say made in China

You're paying mainly for the brand, their design, the look, their research, but the parts, most of them are Chinese

Only reason i got the Genelec is that i thought if the enclosure was aluminum, it wouldn't release any smells like other speakers made of MDF, yet it smelled just as chemically as them, cause the parts inside are Chinese. I had to open them and let them air out for a few weeks

The following concepts are somewhat independent:

1. Costs of the parts (excluding marketing, research, design, manufacturing, testing, logistics etc),
2. retail price,
3. and value.

For me, the value of the 8030's exceeds the retail price, by a significant margin. Great sound, very compact, and extremely well built. Audio freaks do not seem to bother about energy consumption. These 8030's are extremely efficient, taking less than 3 watts each at comfortable listing levels.

 

[Anti-Climacus]

In your case getting a 8030 would really make sense, but I do recommend to save up a bit more to get a newer pair, 17 yeas old probably need some extensive service soon and no idea if the driver surround does survive so long and still in working condition, while 8020 is a tad too small to be used alone.

the KRKs are adequate to me likely because my ears are still pretty sensitive, in normal listening ~75dbA is unbearably loud to me already and "living room" in the world's most expensive apartment per square inch means the space is likely an average European house toilet size, listening distance is just 2.5m away from the TV, with bass reinforcement from front wall it's plenty loud, I have the white ver.

Here is a picture of the 8030As in question, for what it's worth:

They look like brand new cosmetically, but of course there is no way of knowing what is happening internally. But maybe even this is a sign that the seller was not abusing them in any way, I have seen used Genelecs in ebay in atrocious condition, full of paint scratches and even small dents to the cabinet.

I haven't decided yet, I am contemplating my choices. I am considering the small 8020C too, even if I miss a little bit of low end, F3 on them is around 65 Hz I think, not bad. But only 20 +20 amplification. Maybe down the line I can add a used sub..

What about a pair of used KH120s for 750 EUR? Would that be advantageous to a pair of 8020Cs or 8030As? I can stretch the budget up to 700-800 but no more, otherwise I must wait until next year to save up for a pair of brand new 8030Cs.

Wow, 75 db and you find it already too loud! In a way you are lucky because that way you can spend little money on speakers and be perfectly content. Personally, I listen to music for 6-8 hours (I work in the pc) and that is why I want something good and non-fatiguing for the desktop- most of the time it is not very loud but I want to be able to crank it up for 1-2 hours depending on the day. It doesn't help that I listen to a lot of electronic and ambient music, I guess!

The white version of the KRKs looks nicer in the photos, I don't know if they are the same in person.

 

[unpluggged]

What about a pair of used KH120s for 750 EUR?

How old? They had been available since 2010, and there is some evidence that their capacitors can fail with time. So If they are not older than a couple of years, this can be a good option. At least they are a better option than any 8000 series analog Genelecs up to and including the 8030C.

 

[bodhi]

At least they are a better option than any 8000 series analog Genelecs up to and including the 8030C.

Shh! Better keep that to yourself, if that gets out Genelec is going to be out of business.

----

As for the original dilemma: with budget that limited I would not be looking at monitors from Genelec or Neumann. You end up paying too much for brand, premium design, construction and materials and just a little bit smoother response. That's a fine deal if you can spend the money with ease, but otherwise why would you? Also, getting too small or very old used speakers makes no sense: you will be stuck with them for a long time. Seems like risky move with questionable upside.

You could get Kali LP-6 V2 for 420€, brand new. I think you would not miss much if anything.

 

[cyjanopan]

Here is a picture of the 8030As in question, for what it's worth:View attachment 303469

They look like brand new cosmetically, but of course there is no way of knowing what is happening internally. But maybe even this is a sign that the seller was not abusing them in any way, I have seen used Genelecs in ebay in atrocious condition, full of paint scratches and even small dents to the cabinet.

I haven't decided yet, I am contemplating my choices. I am considering the small 8020C too, even if I miss a little bit of low end, F3 on them is around 65 Hz I think, not bad. But only 20 +20 amplification. Maybe down the line I can add a used sub..

What about a pair of used KH120s for 750 EUR? Would that be advantageous to a pair of 8020Cs or 8030As? I can stretch the budget up to 700-800 but no more, otherwise I must wait until next year to save up for a pair of brand new 8030Cs.

Wow, 75 db and you find it already too loud! In a way you are lucky because that way you can spend little money on speakers and be perfectly content. Personally, I listen to music for 6-8 hours (I work in the pc) and that is why I want something good and non-fatiguing for the desktop- most of the time it is not very loud but I want to be able to crank it up for 1-2 hours depending on the day. It doesn't help that I listen to a lot of electronic and ambient music, I guess!

The white version of the KRKs looks nicer in the photos, I don't know if they are the same in person.

I have a lot of 8330s (Atmos setup), but I had KH120 before and would go this way, hard to find any faults of them, for music enjoyment they're more pleasant and easier to incorporate into the room because of the front facing bass reflex port