Have we had a thread like this before? I guess people don't buy new stereo equipment that often, but today I took delivery of a new pair of Genelec 8030 powered speakers for home studio use. I have a few recordings to mix and master in the coming month or two and no access to a professional studio space until the end of March, and the (NAD/Linn) home stereo system sounds lovely but that's not what's needed for these purposes. I've used these speakers before in various contexts so I had a fairly good idea of what to expect, but (although a bit lacking in low end but that doesn't matter too much at the moment) the detail is so precise and so full that you sort of wonder where the sound is coming from, because it surely can't be coming from these tiny odd-looking boxes (they have no flat surfaces and sit on their own removable rubber feet). I started with Gottfried Wallisch and the Wiener Akademie playing Beethoven's 4th Concerto. I can see I'm going to have to discipline myself not to try out large swathes of my recorded music collection when I ought to be using them for work...
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Interesting. May I ask, Richard, on what basis did you purchase these? Did you go to a shop and try them out, for example. -
No, but they're installed (in some cases 8040s and 8050s, which are larger but based on the same concept) in several of the studios in my place of work, and I also frequently ask for them to use as onstage monitors - although more often than not a substitute of some kind is supplied. So I know fairly well how they sound. I've had the opportunity to try out various near-equivalents none of which measure up as far as I'm concerned.Comment
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Keep your receipt and if possible extend the warrantee. I bought some 8020s in 2015 and they died in 2019. Genelec not interested. Found a firm that might be able to repair them. £45 to take a look and an estimate of £200 if it's the simplest, most often fault with these speakers, a blown internal fuse. Hopefully you'll be luckier. The sound is as you say.Originally posted by RichardB View PostComment
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Interesting post Richard. I'm out of touch with current hi fi thinking about speakers but, even so, Genelec is not a name I've heard much about. Given the quality they deliver for you it seems odd that it doesn't seem to be a brand for domestic as opposed to professional use. Why is you Linn/NAD outfit less suitable for your professional use, is it power-handling?
Your new speakers aren't expensive compared to the very high prices charged by mainstream high end speaker makers eg B and W, Harbeth etc, so I'm wondering why bother with them if Genelec sounds good.Comment
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Interesting. I am quite used to Genelecs because they seem to be everywhere in edit suites and dubbing theatres. To me they are too bright but I know that technically they are favoured because of their great clarity. They also get a lot of power into a small spaces rather like 3/5’s which they appear to have completely replaced.Originally posted by RichardB View Post
Don’t get too alarmed by # 4 - you wouldn’t believe the thrashing they get in a professional context - actually you probably would as you’ve spent a lot of time in studios!Comment
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They have a 5 year guarantee as well. The brightness is what I need for detailed editing/mixing work, and the aforementioned clarity requires being in a sweet spot which is why equipment like this isn't really suitable for home listening. The Linn/NAD system makes everything sound good which isn't really what I want!Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View PostComment
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I think you’ve bought exactly the thing . They’re used a lotOriginally posted by RichardB View Post
in video edit suites for fine audio work and I’ve had no reports
of tired ears. One word of warning . The ones I’ve worked with had vol
controls on the speakers with very indistinct markings . In shared areas people who didn’t know what they were doing would wind the wick up. On 2 occasions I deafened myself when the levels had been set too high. Of course none of this may apply to your set up.Comment
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What I am not listening on is a pair of these.
I won a pair, but can’t be doing with headphones in the main, so gave them away without trying them to a happy recipient .
Anybody tried these ?I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.
I am not a number, I am a free man.Comment
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I can see how that might happen but I'm going to be the only one using them. Indeed, out of the box the gain was set too high for my liking.Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View PostComment
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Just out of curiosity, once you've edited and mixed using the Genelecs for detail, do you then audition the programme on another system to gauge overall sound/tonal quality?Originally posted by RichardB View Post
(I'm still using LS3/5As driven by a Quad for video and audio programme editing and I do accept that extreme clarity is probably lacking but I just like the sound quality.)Comment
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Oh yes, I have the aforementioned NAD/Linn system, I will also use headphones some of the time, and at the end of next month I'll be able to take everything into a proper studio as well for a final once over.Originally posted by hmvman View PostComment
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No but they seem like an intriguing idea and I wonder what they sound like. Not really worth buying a pair to find out, even for a headphone collector like me, currently with 4 pairs of various kinds.Originally posted by teamsaint View PostComment
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I'm not surprised - working with a system whose sound and idiosyncrasies you know and like is probably more important than performance figures. But until now I haven't really had good enough monitoring gear at home.Originally posted by hmvman View PostComment
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