Genelec 8030C Studio Monitor Review

[YSC]

The problem with good speaker is that you stop worrying about its frequency response or resonances it has inside and start worrying about the room.

With the JBL 305p mk2, there were room modes, but the resonances were more annoying and that was the reason I wanted to try another speaker.

With the 8030C, the sound is balanced and clear. But the room mode caused by the speaker close to the corner ias already annoying me. I will pull out the mic and REW in the next days. And here we go again...

Actually for being completely noob, I saw products of calibrated mic sold alone, and since my dac is dac only and no input available, if I wanna go the rew way what stuff do I need? Like a mic amp interface which runs usb into computer?

 

[daftcombo]

Actually for being completely noob, I saw products of calibrated mic sold alone, and since my dac is dac only and no input available, if I wanna go the rew way what stuff do I need? Like a mic amp interface which runs usb into computer?

A Umik is to be plugged directly in a USB port.

I have a standard measurement mic (XLR) plugged in a Scarlett 2i4.

 

[YSC]

A Umik is to be plugged directly in a USB port.

I have a standard measurement mic (XLR) plugged in a Scarlett 2i4.

that looks nice, so I buy this and it will include the rew right? really tempting

 

[ernestcarl]

The problem with good speaker is that you stop worrying about its frequency response or resonances it has inside and start worrying about the room.

With the JBL 305p mk2, there were room modes, but the resonances were more annoying and that was the reason I wanted to try another speaker.

With the 8030C, the sound is balanced and clear. But the room mode caused by the speaker close to the corner is already annoying me. I will pull out the mic and REW in the next days. And here we go again...

I have my original LSR305 currently doing rear surround duty at the corner back walls in my small room.

Room modes are the least of my worries...

I've exhausted near 6dB worth of headroom trying to alleviate the cancellation areas seen above. Distortion was already quite bad before EQ, but post EQ... Eh. I get up to 50% THD in the low-mids! -- max vol. level ~91dB L+R sum at 1.5m distance (*although above is the sum). Last I checked max rated SPL is 97dB (continuous) -- and already double checked that I'm not clipping at all even with peaks. They are indeed quite coloured -- or at least the pair I have are. Since they're usually playing ~12dB below the front mains for upmixing purposes, the distortion is not highlighted as much during playback of music.

Playing actual mch music content with real acoustic drum set sounds... eh... while I am happy that I have these there for surround duty, I'm not completely satisfied with what I'm hearing.

 

[YSC]

I have my original LSR305 currently doing rear surround duty at the corner back walls in my small room.

Room modes are the least of my worries...

View attachment 98649

I've exhausted near 6dB worth of headroom trying to alleviate the cancellation areas seen above. Distortion was already quite bad before EQ, but post EQ... Eh. I get up to 50% THD in the low-mids! -- max vol. level ~91dB L+R sum at 1.5m distance (*although above is the sum). Last I checked max rated SPL is 97dB -- and already double checked that I'm not clipping at all even with peaks. They are indeed quite coloured -- or at least the pair I have are. Since they're usually playing ~12dB below the front mains for upmixing purposes, the distortion is not highlighted as much during playback of music.

Playing actual mch music content with real acoustic drum set sounds... eh... while I am happy that I have these there for surround duty, I'm not completely satisfied with what I'm hearing.

the main interference seems a noway to solve by EQ one? as the great cancellation looks like main 1/4 wavelength cancellation, if so in my poor basic understanding increasing the SPL there will only get you more cancellation and the dip will remain as is?

 

[ernestcarl]

the main interference seems a noway to solve by EQ one? as the great cancellation looks like main 1/4 wavelength cancellation, if so in my poor basic understanding increasing the SPL there will only get you more cancellation and the dip will remain as is?

Dips and volume loss were far worse without the applied boost in this case. The null around 130Hz I only applied 5.2dB? It used to be 20dB deep... after EQ 15 or 16dB. You might say that the boost is still useless, sure, but I actually notice an improvement in hearing more of that missing bass from the drums. Small improvement, nonetheless.

 

[daftcombo]

that looks nice, so I buy this and it will include the rew right? really tempting

REW is a free program. https://www.roomeqwizard.com/
yes, get a UMIK and you're fine.

 

[YSC]

Dips and volume loss were far worse without the applied boost in this case. The null around 130Hz I only applied 5.2dB? It used to be 20dB deep... after EQ 15 or 16dB. You might say that the boost is still useless, sure, but I actually notice an improvement in hearing more of that missing bass from the drums. Small improvement, nonetheless.

just a wild thought, genelec desktop mode preciously make that a dip for desktop, if you put a bass wood plate would that reflection boost back the bass at that region?

 

[ernestcarl]

just a wild thought, genelec desktop mode preciously make that a dip for desktop, if you put a bass wood plate would that reflection boost back the bass at that region?

I'm afraid I don't know. Why not do a before and after measurement experiment and see what the outcome is...

 

[thewas]

The problem with good speaker is that you stop worrying about its frequency response or resonances it has inside and start worrying about the room.

With the JBL 305p mk2, there were room modes, but the resonances were more annoying and that was the reason I wanted to try another speaker.

With the 8030C, the sound is balanced and clear. But the room mode caused by the speaker close to the corner is already annoying me. I will pull out the mic and REW in the next days. And here we go again...

I personally see it from the opposite side, with a neutral loudspeaker room correction is easier as you know that the deviations you measure at your LP are due to the room while with non neutral you aren't sure and cannot kope optimally with them as loudspeaker and room correction need different approaches.

 

[thewas]

I have my original LSR305 currently doing rear surround duty at the corner back walls in my small room.

Room modes are the least of my worries...

View attachment 98649

I've exhausted near 6dB worth of headroom trying to alleviate the cancellation areas seen above. Distortion was already quite bad before EQ, but post EQ... Eh. I get up to 50% THD in the low-mids! -- max vol. level ~91dB L+R sum at 1.5m distance (*although above is the sum). Last I checked max rated SPL is 97dB (continuous) -- and already double checked that I'm not clipping at all even with peaks. They are indeed quite coloured -- or at least the pair I have are. Since they're usually playing ~12dB below the front mains for upmixing purposes, the distortion is not highlighted as much during playback of music.

Playing actual mch music content with real acoustic drum set sounds... eh... while I am happy that I have these there for surround duty, I'm not completely satisfied with what I'm hearing.

I am not surprised as in my experience filling dips which are cancellation related usually doesn't sound good. Our perception is different than steady state LP room measurements.

 

[CJH]

Is the 8330A a better choice over the 8030C?
CJH

 

[lc155]

It could be that your power grid is cleaner. Also, my room being very small can reverberate the hiss and make it louder than what it is.

This myth needs to die. Genelec themselves say the power transformers inside the speakers do all the 'conditioning' required, and it has no effect on the hiss whatsoever.

Genelec are not known for lying about anything.

There is no "Genelec sound". It is just the natural sound of instruments.

I disagree. It is very well-known among pro circles that the Genelec stuff have a specific character, even if they measure pretty flat. I believe this may be due to dispersion characteristics, as compared to the KH120, the Neumann's are described as 'darker' (less dispersion thrown at the walls) and the Genelec is 'brighter', which would make sense if you consider more reflections. Looking purely at the FR graphs, you wouldn't notice this, but other measurements can give you a different picture.

Of course, if you were in a heavily treated studio with no reflections going on it might be a much closer contest.

 

[YSC]

Is the 8330A a better choice over the 8030C?
CJH

If you have the money and want to use glm for room correction h then yes, of course! But IMO if you are like me who is poor, don’t intend to measure and dsp it out but only need minimal mode correction like the dip switches provided on the 8030, then saving the extra cost seems wiser as the FR is almost. As flat as it can be in the 80x0 series and the extra flatness in the 83x0 series shouldn’t be apparent

 

[Pearljam5000]

What's the best and cheapest way to hoop

This myth needs to die. Genelec themselves say the power transformers inside the speakers do all the 'conditioning' required, and it has no effect on the hiss whatsoever.

Genelec are not known for lying about anything.



I disagree. It is very well-known among pro circles that the Genelec stuff have a specific character, even if they measure pretty flat. I believe this may be due to dispersion characteristics, as compared to the KH120, the Neumann's are described as 'darker' (less dispersion thrown at the walls) and the Genelec is 'brighter', which would make sense if you consider more reflections. Looking purely at the FR graphs, you wouldn't notice this, but other measurements can give you a different picture.

Of course, if you were in a heavily treated studio with no reflections going on it might be a much closer contest.

From owning the KH120 and auditioning the 8030 I completely agree.
KH120 are much darker sounding.
This "bright and forward" sound Genelecs are known for is very real to me.

 

[kezman]

which of the following is best overall for mixing & music production?

1. neumann kh120
2. neumann kh80
3. genelec 8030c
4. dynaudio lyd5

 

[lc155]

Pretty hard to call but if you're in a mostly untreated room I'd probably hand it to the KH120 due to having fewer issues with reflections compared to the 8030c. The KH80 is a nice option if you have an iPad and can use the DSP, but you'll have issues with mixing anything with lows in it without some kind of reference since you can't just beat physics.

 

[YSC]

Pretty hard to call but if you're in a mostly untreated room I'd probably hand it to the KH120 due to having fewer issues with reflections compared to the 8030c. The KH80 is a nice option if you have an iPad and can use the DSP, but you'll have issues with mixing anything with lows in it without some kind of reference since you can't just beat physics.

Actually how to read for reflection effects for the speakers?

 

[Pearljam5000]

How is it possible that the 8040 are just 1 dB louder than 8030?
Obviously the 8040's amps haven't been updated for years unlike the 8030C but it's still surprising.
Are they even worth the price difference?
Another weird thing the 8030 reaches 25khz and the 8040 only gets to 21khz

 

[soundwave76]

Lol, not much to correct with no subs

Oooh, trust me, THERE IS! I have used GLM with multiple setups without subwoofers and it always makes a huge audible difference.