Genelec 8030C Studio Monitor Review

[staticV3]

Excuse me by bothering you, if I connect an RCA output with adapted cables will improve the excessive sensitivity of the speakers given that will provide half voltage?

I think SNR will be the same weather reducing output volume by 6 dB on the knob than using unbalanced outputs, but I’m not sure

If I had the choice, I'd stick to a fully balanced connection and just turn down the DAC some, with the Genelec set to the lowest sensitivity.

An ADI-2 would be ideal as you can set its XLR Line out to, among other levels, 1.75V @0dBFS.

Alternatively, you could insert a Monitor1 between DAC and Genelec.

 

[Pancreas]

I don’t notice any difference tbh except now I have it at -30db for the volume I used to have at -40 or -43db

I should keep it at -30db and then just adjust volume with windows?

Cause the windows slider has nothing to do with the volume in the interface.

Before I had interface volume at -42db and the window slider was always around 25-30 depending

Now window volume slider is more like 40-50

 

[Miguelón]

I don’t notice any difference tbh except now I have it at -30db for the volume I used to have at -40 or -43db

I should keep it at -30db and then just adjust volume with windows?

Cause the windows slider has nothing to do with the volume in the interface.

Before I had interface volume at -42db and the window slider was always around 25-30 depending

Now window volume slider is more like 40-50

Yes, is more or less that, by this way you have also less harmonic distortion and noise, so your setup has globally better SINAD.

The digital volume is better at higher levels, to avoid loosing bit depth (although this is partially avoided by upsampling in the DAC section of your audio interface).



The basis of all this things can be strong but its effects not very audible.

The signal carries noise, mainly unavoidable when quantizing the recording by the AD in your interface (+/- 1 bit), some other from the circuits themselves (a little bit as I remember, mostly is quantization noise and associated harmonic distortion).

Amplification of a weak signal carries more error than amplification of a strong signal. Your audio interface produces a clean 4 volts signal with very low distortion, in general. Not the same as the amplifier, because of operating at higher currents.

This depends on the quality of components but in general is way more easy to produce low distortion and noise at signal levels, in the low current region, so reducing the speakers gain ratio (output / input) and keeping your interface closer to its max is better than the opposite.

Total volume is not affected if you always maintain the (potential) 104 dB SPL of the speakers, reducing signal and multiplying amplification will give same number than increasing signal and reducing amplification: this is a linear property.

Here you will read many times the word “nonlinear” and “nonlinearities” which are properties that change with the operation ratios. Noise and distortion are examples of nonlinearities and the final number of them depends on the operations you’ve done, even if the total volume is the same.

 

[Miguelón]

If I had the choice, I'd stick to a fully balanced connection and just turn down the DAC some, with the Genelec set to the lowest sensitivity.

An ADI-2 would be ideal as you can set its XLR Line out to, among other levels, 1.75V @0dBFS.

Alternatively, you could insert a Monitor1 between DAC and Genelec.

Interesting, I’m reading the RME ADI 2 manual, it has various references levels at the XLR output and also onboard DSP. Quite expensive for me, but to take into account on the future.

The monitor controller seem to act as passive attenuator, I think it will give the same result as turning down my volume knob on the interface: not very sure of its internals but probably consist on attenuation of the original signal.

Thanks for advices!

 

[YSC]

Interesting, I’m reading the RME ADI 2 manual, it has various references levels at the XLR output and also onboard DSP. Quite expensive for me, but to take into account on the future.

The monitor controller seem to act as passive attenuator, I think it will give the same result as turning down my volume knob on the interface: not very sure of its internals but probably consist on attenuation of the original signal.

Thanks for advices!

Basically it’s an internal pot tuning down the internal amp gain (with noise), so lowering it will reduce the noise (hiss) when it’s idling without signal, while normally your dac will be cleaner in noise floor and you would want it go nearer to full signal range, that’s why more often you will be recommended to tune the active speaker volume down and maximise the dac output, it’s important to get the balance and not stressing either component

 

[Miguelón]

Basically it’s an internal pot tuning down the internal amp gain (with noise), so lowering it will reduce the noise (hiss) when it’s idling without signal, while normally your dac will be cleaner in noise floor and you would want it go nearer to full signal range, that’s why more often you will be recommended to tune the active speaker volume down and maximise the dac output, it’s important to get the balance and not stressing either component

You’re talking about the monitor controller, I suppose…

Passive attenuators are transparent to the audio signal?

 

[YSC]

You’re talking about the monitor controller, I suppose…

Passive attenuators are transparent to the audio signal?

Yes, I am talking about the sensitivity knob in the monitor, any reasonably built passive controller is transparent to the audio as it is basically attenuating the signal+noise as a whole, since for DACs, there is always an intrinsic noise floor, the dac digital volume control is basically lowering the strength of the signal portion of your music, the lower you go digitally, the lower Signal to Noise Ratio is outputted.

While for amp inside the monitor, any amping will inevitably introduce some more noise, in the Genelecs, you are getting the xdb extra signal with y db of noise introduced, and that sensitivity knob is basically attenuating the amplification + noise as a whole, so the lower sensitivity you set, the lower of that amp noise is getting into your final sound, so ideally, you will want higher signal from DAC (before clipping), with lowest sensitivity from amp to get the desired volume

 

[Miguelón]

Yes, I am talking about the sensitivity knob in the monitor, any reasonably built passive controller is transparent to the audio as it is basically attenuating the signal+noise as a whole, since for DACs, there is always an intrinsic noise floor, the dac digital volume control is basically lowering the strength of the signal portion of your music, the lower you go digitally, the lower Signal to Noise Ratio is outputted.

While for amp inside the monitor, any amping will inevitably introduce some more noise, in the Genelecs, you are getting the xdb extra signal with y db of noise introduced, and that sensitivity knob is basically attenuating the amplification + noise as a whole, so the lower sensitivity you set, the lower of that amp noise is getting into your final sound, so ideally, you will want higher signal from DAC (before clipping), with lowest sensitivity from amp to get the desired volume

Thanks, I knew barely all the info except the monitor controller one, though your explanation was a confirmation that I understood well how each block works (I’m still on self-formation in audio electronics )

Nice to read that monitor controllers are transparent and also relatively cheap…

Can the DAC go clipping? I thought music tracks were under the 0 dBFS level in all of their content, with full volume. Or is only in case of EQ that you can get over the max?

 

[Pancreas]

It sounds a bit cleaner and the hiss is still there but reduced compared to before. I only hear if i put my ear next to the speaker.

One thing I notice is that my guitar cable no longer produces a signal when touching something else except the floor. That may have to do with me lowering the gain at the mic 1. Before it was 20db and now I have it at 8db

I have my guitar cable always connected to the audio interface and jack touching the floor, I would see no bars on the interface, but whenever I would touch the cable or place the cable touching something else that is not floor, I would see a permanent raise on the mic 1 bar, thus preventing the speakers from going to sleep unless I kept the cable touching the floor

but now I have the cable touching something else, doesn't produce a stationary increase on the mic 1 bar

Interestingly, my interface has always been at 44.1k rather than 48k which I heard is average or recommended?

I don't know why but I decided not to change it, as my computer is old and 48k uses more cpu while providing better latency I think

Then I read 44.1k is better if playing cds or music and 48k for videos

the music I listen is mainly Apple music app high res losless which is 192khz but i think thats for some songs, not all of them

I have checked and most of the songs in my library are 44.1hz cause they're from 90-2000s

 

[Miguelón]

It sounds a bit cleaner and the hiss is still there but reduced compared to before. I only hear if i put my ear next to the speaker.

One thing I notice is that my guitar cable no longer produces a signal when touching something else except the floor. That may have to do with me lowering the gain at the mic 1. Before it was 20db and now I have it at 8db

I have my guitar cable always connected to the audio interface and jack touching the floor, I would see no bars on the interface, but whenever I would touch the cable or place the cable touching something else that is not floor, I would see a permanent raise on the mic 1 bar, thus preventing the speakers from going to sleep unless I kept the cable touching the floor

but now I have the cable touching something else, doesn't produce a stationary increase on the mic 1 bar

Interestingly, my interface has always been at 44.1k rather than 48k which I heard is average or recommended?

I don't know why but I decided not to change it, as my computer is old and 48k uses more cpu while providing better latency I think

Then I read 44.1k is better if playing cds or music and 48k for videos

the music I listen is mainly Apple music app high res losless which is 192khz but i think thats for some songs, not all of them

I have checked and most of the songs in my library are 44.1hz cause they're from 90-2000s

You won’t notice any difference from the sample rate or bit depth to listen your music or playing guitar.

Conversely if you’re going to mix and edit, is useful to have more headroom in the recording and go to 24 bits

 

[Pancreas]

The 8030c sound good but I wish it had the damn GLM

My dream desktop speakers would be 8331A but that $5000 price tag is too much for me

upgrading to 8330 is big and fat NO. I got my 8030c barely used for $900 cash in hand

The 8330 are still $1900 pair, for some slight improvement in sound and GLM, not worth it

 

[TurtlePaul]

I can understand the 8010 and 8020 but common the 8030c at $1400 it SHOULD have GLM

But they charge $2200 for the pair of 5” monitors with GLM kit…

Honestly, in 2024 it is a bit of a rip. My 8030 measure pretty good without EQ. I already have a UMIK-1 and am thinking of going with the MiniDSP Flex and REW to avoid the Genelec GLM mark-up and potentially the Genelec subwoofer mark-up.

 

[Miguelón]

The 8030c sound good but I wish it had the damn GLM

My dream desktop speakers would be 8331A but that $5000 price tag is too much for me

upgrading to 8330 is big and fat NO. I got my 8030c barely used for $900 cash in hand

The 8330 are still $1900 pair, for some slight improvement in sound and GLM, not worth it

You don’t need at all the GLM kit which, indeed, costs $300 only the mic with the little box…

8030 are as good as other 5 inch monitor or even better, you can do room correction with a $100 mic and free software. In my honest opinion, the GLM is mostly a marketing tool.

And the dip switches in general can make enough corrections to walls, corners and desktop setups, not perfectly but enough for listening.

 

[Deluxillo]

For a close distance in a room of 23m², is there anything better than this speaker eqed with SVS SB-1000 Pro (top 1 spinorama ranking)?

Im coming from LSR305p MKII. Would be that a worth upgrade?

 

[pehu63]

For a close distance in a room of 23m², is there anything better than this speaker eqed with SVS SB-1000 Pro (top 1 spinorama ranking)?

Im coming from LSR305p MKII. Would be that a worth upgrade?

I had the JBL305mk2 before the genelec 8030. Big improvement for me, clarity, better bass, and much less resonances. I use an ADAM t10s subwoofer now with integrated high pass filter. Nice improvement, but less than I hoped or expected. Surely more loud, and more bass. For lower listening levels, not needed.

Please note that the SVS pro series do not have an integrated high pass filter. You need it, so if you buy an SVS pro, get a HP filter matching the SVS.

 

[Deluxillo]

I had the JBL305mk2 before the genelec 8030. Big improvement for me, clarity, better bass, and much less resonances. I use an ADAM t10s subwoofer now with integrated high pass filter. Nice improvement, but less than I hoped or expected. Surely more loud, and more bass. For lower listening levels, not needed.

Please note that the SVS pro series do not have an integrated high pass filter. You need it, so if you buy an SVS pro, get a HP filter matching the SVS.

Great, thanks. Did you make a comparison with both speakers eqed and with a sub?

Wich other sub would you get? Can I do it via PC?

 

[N9R]

Im coming from LSR305p MKII. Would be that a worth upgrade?

I own and use both. The 8030C are in a different league. A huge upgrade.

 

[Deluxillo]

I own and use both. The 8030C are in a different league. A huge upgrade.

Its the best speaker eqed with sub you can ask right? According to spinorama

 

[staticV3]

Its the best speaker eqed with sub you can ask right? According to spinorama

Not technically.

The computed score numbers have rather limited use and accuracy.

There are definitely better speakers than the 8030C, even if you offload bass to an external Amp.

It's still a damn good speaker though.

 

[Pearljam5000]

How is it that the Genelecs sound so good with relatively not such expensive drivers?