Genelec 8030C Studio Monitor Review

[Liya]

Then I put them closer to the edge of the desk.
Not sure if this is any better.
When I said 'dreadful' I mean this:
closed in/small soundstage, more like listening to headphones. in this set up once I move away from my chair they just almost sound like a mono speaker chucked somewhere in the corner of the room. In fact, when I play the JBL Xtreme and while I am not sitting at the desk it won't sound much different to the 8030s. In other words, they won't fill the room with sound. I once had them on stands, 6 feet apart and they were totally different, good soundstage etc.
I mean, if these are meant to be heard near, they don't sound particularly good in this 'desinged for' situation.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Maybe you need to get used to the sound

 

[Liya]

Possibly. But then I could just adjust to the sound of any other speaker.
I guess, these meant to be good and I don't hear it. Especially not in the set up they were created for? So that's why I am asking whether I'm doing something wrong.

 

[RobL]

Make sure your RME didn’t get switched to mono inadvertently…happened to me before, accidentally pushed 4 on the remote and couldn’t figure out why the soundstage was so small, lol

 

[Liya]

Make sure your RME didn’t get switched to mono inadvertently…happened to me before, accidentally pushed 4 on the remote and couldn’t figure out why the soundstage was so small, lol

It is in stereo and full width.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Did you listen to them before you bought them ?
The sound just may not be for you

 

[YSC]

View attachment 340500
Then I put them closer to the edge of the desk.
Not sure if this is any better.
When I said 'dreadful' I mean this:
closed in/small soundstage, more like listening to headphones. in this set up once I move away from my chair they just almost sound like a mono speaker chucked somewhere in the corner of the room. In fact, when I play the JBL Xtreme and while I am not sitting at the desk it won't sound much different to the 8030s. In other words, they won't fill the room with sound. I once had them on stands, 6 feet apart and they were totally different, good soundstage etc.
I mean, if these are meant to be heard near, they don't sound particularly good in this 'desinged for' situation.

not sure about mono like sound, as my usage is very similar yet the stereo image is quite precise, did you try sit lower to make the tweeter approximately at ear level? and on desk I would say engage the desktop mode switch, the 150hz bump is really dreadful

 

[Liya]

Did you listen to them before you bought them ?
The sound just may not be for you

I have them for over a year. Used them 6 feet apart on stands and was listening 10 feet away. They were way better than on desktop.

 

[Liya]

not sure about mono like sound, as my usage is very similar yet the stereo image is quite precise, did you try sit lower to make the tweeter approximately at ear level? and on desk I would say engage the desktop mode switch, the 150hz bump is really dreadful

Yeah, I have tired the desktop switch too. I guess (for me) an open back headphones are simply better while at the desk. I can move my head up and down, don't have to be glued to exactly one position to appreciate the sound etc, and that is my point: if these are designed for nearfield listening then I don't get it. They sound better from 10 feet away.

 

[sajgre]

Yeah, I have tired the desktop switch too. I guess (for me) an open back headphones are simply better while at the desk. I can move my head up and down, don't have to be glued to exactly one position to appreciate the sound etc, and that is my point: if these are designed for nearfield listening then I don't get it. They sound better from 10 feet away.

From what I understand you don't have a problem with Genelec, you just don't like nearfield setup. Imo you won't enjoy any speakers in nearfield.

 

[Liya]

From what I understand you don't have a problem with Genelec, you just don't like nearfield setup. Imo you won't enjoy any speakers in nearfield.

This is absolutely correct Sir!

 

[YSC]

This is absolutely correct Sir!

maybe, I actually tilted the speaker up before I got the dedsk stand to raise them at my ear height, in nearfield and non-coaxial setups sometimes you have to do compromise just to get the acoustic axis pretty aligned at approx +/- 10 degrees. tilting it up did quite well for my short height, but then if you are taller guy and didn't tilt it up enough, and have a good headphone, in that nearfield it might not be as good an option as the summing up will be worse

 

[Liya]

maybe, I actually tilted the speaker up before I got the dedsk stand to raise them at my ear height, in nearfield and non-coaxial setups sometimes you have to do compromise just to get the acoustic axis pretty aligned at approx +/- 10 degrees. tilting it up did quite well for my short height, but then if you are taller guy and didn't tilt it up enough, and have a good headphone, in that nearfield it might not be as good an option as the summing up will be worse

I have them max tilted. tbf, I would need Genelec short desk stands, but then I like to tilt the back of my chair often and that would screw the precise monitor placement. So screw that. For me, while at the desk, headphones please.

 

[xaviescacs]

I have a similar experience with my mine in desk configuration. My guess is there are three factors that apply in my particular case. The first one is that desk should be treated, because reflections that early can be quite loud, if I understand the subject correctly. The second one is that I like "real" , "live" sound, with some reflections, like in real club or concert hall. "Direct" sound with less reflections may be better sound for a professional mixing something or whatever, and it's probably objectively better in terms of fidelity, but not for me to enjoy music. The third is sound stage. Narrow sound stage feels boring and unexciting. I guess there is no loss in fidelity due no narrower sound stage, but again, subjectively, a wider sound stage makes a big difference.

 

[RobL]

I have a similar experience with my mine in desk configuration. My guess is there are three factors that apply in my particular case. The first one is that desk should be treated, because reflections that early can be quite loud, if I understand the subject correctly. The second one is that I like "real" , "live" sound, with some reflections, like in real club or concert hall. "Direct" sound with less reflections may be better sound for a professional mixing something or whatever, and it's probably objectively better in terms of fidelity, but not for me to enjoy music. The third is sound stage. Narrow sound stage feels boring and unexciting. I guess there is no loss in fidelity due no narrower sound stage, but again, subjectively, a wider sound stage makes a big difference.

I’d have to agree, I much prefer listening from 3-4m than near field. I’ll willingly take envelopment for a bit of precision…

 

[EasyC]

I've got them on a desk and really, really like the sound. Soundstage is not narrow, but nice and wide. Tweeters are at ear height, the vertical directivity is narrow but horizontal it's smooth, 7050C under the desk.
It is of course near field, which does resemble headphones in a way maybe, but with headphones the stereo image is between your ears. I always use CanOpener to get it in front of me, which I like better, but not as much as I like the 8030's with sub. And my head is in front of the screen anyway, so most of the time I'm exactly in the point of the triangle anyway. I'm making music, but listen to it a lot as well without fatigue for hours ...

Did you do any measuring with REW? I had to correct some room modes en did the +2dB Q2 at 2655Hz.

 

[Pe8er]

closed in/small soundstage

A-ha, thanks!

I once had them on stands, 6 feet apart and they were totally different, good soundstage etc.

This is your solution. In order to achieve better soundstage, try to move the desk away from the wall and put the speakers on stands in the gap between desk and wall. Tweeters should be on your ear level (and be precise about it). And it's OK for the speakers to be super close to the wall, it will give you a bit more bass.

From here, you can play with toe-in angle to achieve a wider or narrower soundstage.

Mind you if the speakers/stands are still directly behind the desk, try those towels because early reflections screw up imaging too.

Try it and let us know!

 

[Anti-Climacus]

I have them for over a year. Used them 6 feet apart on stands and was listening 10 feet away. They were way better than on desktop.

f these are designed for nearfield listening then I don't get it. They sound better from 10 feet away.

closed in/small soundstage, more like listening to headphones. in this set up once I move away from my chair they just almost sound like a mono speaker chucked somewhere in the corner of the room. In fact, when I play the JBL Xtreme and while I am not sitting at the desk it won't sound much different to the 8030s. In other words, they won't fill the room with sound. I once had them on stands, 6 feet apart and they were totally different, good soundstage etc.
I mean, if these are meant to be heard near, they don't sound particularly good in this 'desinged for' situation.

6 feet apart and 10 feet away is certainly pushing it beyond what even Genelec suggests, according to this graph (which I am sure has been posted here ad nauseam):

The recommended listening distance of 8030 is 1.8 m (beyond 2 m it will be really pushing it, especially at 3 and more m away) because that is the point where the direct sound is starting to be dominated by the reflections and the reverberations of the room itself. So I guess you are used to (and maybe also prefer) a highly reverberant sound because it gives the illusion of a wider, more open and exciting soundstage - that may indeed be more exciting but it doesn't follow that it is "correct" in any way or that it faithfully reproduces the characteristics of the mastered recording.

Also bear in mind that studio monitors tend to have a more controlled directivity vs hifi speakers (see for example the Wharfedale Diamond with its wide but uneven directivity and compare) which I suppose may give the impression of a closed, "headphone-like" sound. The advantage of this is a more consistent reproducing of music whereas in a speaker of "uncontrolled" directivity (and of axis response which doesn't follow that of on axis) the outcome may vary greatly from recording to recording, sometimes it may sound great and sometimes not. My experience with Genelec has been that even the shitiest of recordings sound acceptable (and the well recorded music sounds trully wonderful) where speakers with bad directivity are highly dependent on genre, type of music etc.

The notion that a good monitor with controlled directivity and linear on and off axis response "exposes" bad recordings making them even worse whereas a hi-fi speaker masks the flaws is false for me, my experience has been the exact opposite. Of course it is perfectly fine if you find Genelec and the soundstage it produces not exciting, opressive or whatever, maybe it is indeed not for you. But I would say give it a try for a reasonable amount of time, give yourself some time to get accustomed to this "new sound" and you may be surprised! Also invest in some good desktop stands, bring the tweeters at ear's height, try to maintain an equilateral triangle, push the speakers close to the back wall, toe them in by 30 degrees so you are sitting on axis, and engage the suitable dip switches for your specific placement.

 

[Liya]

I haven't done any measurements. I used the recommended +2db at 2,6kHz, not any more, apart from 'against a wall' dip switch. I don't have stands high enough to try them behind the desk. Anyway, I am back to the old set up and all is good.

 

[ejr]

I don't have this particular model, but I do have three sets of Genelec speakers and swear by them. (I used to swear AT other speakers). The first set (two speakers and a subwoofer) was recommended to me by a Hollywood soundman when I asked him what was the minimum setup I needed to edit sound for broadcast video at that time (circa 2001). I still use them today, in place of a soundbar for the TV mounted over the dresser in my bedroom (the subwoofer goes on the floor). Better than any soundbar I have ever heard and what I would recommend unless you take surround sound seriously (I don't). Over the years, the power switch on one of the speakers has gotten a little flaky, so I turn them on using the switch on the power strip that all the speakers are plugged into. My Loxjie D40 serves at the preamp.

A second pair of Genelecs (originally connected to the TV that I used to monitor video, after it had been edited and burned to DVDs) now serve as the speakers for the stereo system in my dining room. My Loxjie D3 serves as the DAC, because it sounds slightly more detailed than the one in my Emotiva preamp. Genelec says these are the sonic equivalents of their G Two speakers today. Not quite as impressive as my bedroom setup, but good enough for jazz and dinner conversation.

I most recently acquired a pair of Genelec G Ones for my second computer, which is connected to my DAW and a MIDI keyboard. I can't play the piano any more, due to my arthritis, but sometimes I go back and fool around with some of the tracks I recorded when I was young. And my grandniece and grandnephew like to play with it when they come to visit. (It's safer than trusting them with my headphones).

Bottom line, for me -- and I say this very subjectively -- is that when I listen to Genelecs in the above contexts, I am never thinking "Oh, that sounded bad", or "This is missing something", or "Could this sound better?" Because that is how I had always felt about the passive speakers I had owned prior to becoming a Gelenec fan. Not noticing the quality of the sound (rather than the content of the video or audio playing) is and has always been the only criteria that mattered to me. The Genelecs were the first speakers to get me there and I have never looked back.