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Genelec 8030C Studio Monitor Review
- Thread starter amirm
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5cm is for the port to breath so the airflow is adequate, generally the closer it is to the wall the lower the frequency affected by the SBIR, so in the bass region you can just EQ away the boost and not having not EQ-able nulls in the mids to highs
yes, that's the case, the minimum distance is there because the port need some space to let air flow freely, so the panel is essentially a wall, just not a hard wall. And AFAIK normal panels are not effective in bass frequencies anyway, so the thing is the try keep it away from affecting the mids, do some measurement and further correction
Killingbeans
Major Contributor
There's a switch on the back that you can set with a small flat screwdriver.
Thank you very much, that says it all!
I'll leave it at -6 dB (default), it's perfect.
I would suggest for normal XLR DAC or interface using nearfield you would be better off set it at +6dbU, which is the lowest sensivity to minimize any self hiss and have more control room from your interface volume control, -6db is the highest sensivity setting which will have more noise and keep you using them at the lowest part of your DAC volume range which is usually not optimal
Anti-Climacus
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Maybe not the perfectly right place to bring something like this up (but didn't want to start a new thread over this):
I found on marketplace a pair of 8030A's, the seller says they are from 2006 (!) but in perfectly good condition (photos seem to corroborate that, at least from the outside) and the price asking is around 550 euros (there is room for negotiation there).
So my question is, is that a good deal for a pair of 17 years old powered speakers or am I crazy even thinking it? Of course there is a risk involved there in case something internal breaks suddenly, but I am willing to take it.
I should mention that I own a pair of Kali IN-5s with which I am satisfied more or less (perhaps except for the lack of a little bit of high energy here and there) but wanted a second smaller and easier to position pair of speakers for a desktop situation. Can't afford a pair of brand new or used 8030C and the tiny 8010s I am afraid will leave me wanting.
Also, does anybody know what was the price of 8030A when new in Europe? Circa 2006?
I found on marketplace a pair of 8030A's, the seller says they are from 2006 (!) but in perfectly good condition (photos seem to corroborate that, at least from the outside) and the price asking is around 550 euros (there is room for negotiation there).
So my question is, is that a good deal for a pair of 17 years old powered speakers or am I crazy even thinking it? Of course there is a risk involved there in case something internal breaks suddenly, but I am willing to take it.
I should mention that I own a pair of Kali IN-5s with which I am satisfied more or less (perhaps except for the lack of a little bit of high energy here and there) but wanted a second smaller and easier to position pair of speakers for a desktop situation. Can't afford a pair of brand new or used 8030C and the tiny 8010s I am afraid will leave me wanting.
Also, does anybody know what was the price of 8030A when new in Europe? Circa 2006?
Save again and get the 8030C.. (you're not missing much)
as much as I have confidence in Genelec quality, for a pair of 17 years old monitor chances are the caps are near their service life, and electronics might be failing soon, drive wise I have no idea on how long the rubber usually last but considering all of these and it's just around half priced, I personally will just go for a brand new 8030C
Anti-Climacus
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Hm, these are my fears too! Seller says they have not been much in use for most of the time but since I don't know him personally, can't verify it obviously.
Maybe I will save up and go for brand new as you both say or at least for a pair of used (but not so old) 8030C.
I have found also a deal for a pair of used/"like new" (around 8 years old) 8020Cs, asking price around 450 EUR. Don't know if that would be a better deal..
I want a small form factor for a desktop rig as I said, so not hoping for or needing too much LF extension.
C version using class D should in theory last longer, but if using stand alone the 5" 8030 should be more satisifying as it covers most mid bass where music would cover. Of course, having nothing is worse than having something. So depends on budget I would say get the 8020C if that's your limit. Or if you don't need the auto standby, can consider the Adam T5V, with a minor EQ taming the high shelf it should be pretty competitive to the 8030C.
Anti-Climacus
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Exactly, since I intend to use them as stand alone speakers I thought the larger driver of the 8030 would be better, hence my dilemma (otherwise I would have gone straight for the 8020Cs which are a much newer model).
It's not that I have nothing, as I already mentioned I have a pair of Kali IN-5s , but wanted to build a desktop rig in a bedroom (c. 12 sq. m.) and I am not willing to bother with subs, also the space is a little constrained so can't put giant 8-inch monitors in there (which would most probably be overkill for a small room like that, exciting all the problematic areas acoustically).
Funny thing is I had for 2 years the T5V but sold them a little after getting the Kalis - I thought "what do I need 2 pair of speakers for?", thus embracing minimalism! I enjoyed them a lot but found them a bit lacking in the stereo image, the sweet spot was small and fell apart quickly as you moved through the room and of course the (in)famous high shelf which can certainly be a little harsh on the ears (depending on the recording also), but can be mitigated via EQ as you say. Very nice and capable for a desktop but not so much suitable for a living room situation, hence their replacement by IN-5. But since I had them, I am eager and curious to try something else, so looking for Genelec, Neumann and the like, to see what all the fuss is about with these higher tier monitors. Thing is I can't afford them new so looking at bargains in the used marketplace - this is in a nutshell my whole story..
Anyway, good thing is I can examine and try both Genelecs in person, listening to them (both sellers are near where I live) and maybe send them post-purchasing to a contact of mine, a university professor who in his spare time repairs speakers and (mostly vintage) amps, dacs etc.
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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.
Pancreas
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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
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
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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.
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