Genelec 8030C Studio Monitor Review

[Cigibroke]

Sound volume in computers is regulated by software, and there are a lot of programs that control de volume, so it's quite easy, in my experience, that some program changes the volume and you don't realize it. Or you simply set the volume at 100% for some application and then play music using another program and discover 100% it's way too loud for that application due to amplification or different sensitivities along the signal path or whatever. When playing audio from a computer, I never use the analog output, always digital at 100% and then attenuate externally. It's just my experience, others may be fine connecting the computer output directly the amp/speakers input. I don't, it's too risky and time consuming.

Thanks for your explanations.

 

[Ze Frog]

It depends on the recording, but usually I don’t pay attention to key stops sounds. For the pedaling yes, I can hear it on some recordings, Vikingur Olafsson is a pianist whose recordings are made with microphones very close to the piano or even inside. I remember also some jazz recordings with audible mechanical sounds.
But the majority of the tracks I listen recently are piano concertos, so the orchestra is superposed to the piano and also the microphones use to be places at some distance of the ensemble, impossible to my ears to detect those details.

Been keeping an eye out for a track with the key hitting the stops to share with you, to see if the Genelec's do that detail well. Granted it's a very minor detail that is irrelevant for a large majority of music, it's just a measure I go by as some speakers that particular detail is lost or not so clear, lol, it's kind of one of my strange requirements in a speaker.

Granted, this isn't really an attribute in all piano when played delicately, but this track should be a good test for you to see what I'm referring to if the 8030C's indeed presents such.

 

[Cigibroke]

I wanted to be share my first toughts on genelec 8030c speakers. As i stated a few pages ago, i tried to connect these speakers as directly to my hp pavilion pc's headphone output. The result is decent amount of hiss sound. Then i tried my lotoo paw s1 usb dongle dac and hiss noise has gone.
So at the end, i bought rme adi2 dac. Now the sound is fantastic. These speakers are top notch for me.

 

[changer]

Did you engage the sensitivity adjustment rotary encoder at the back of the speaker to set it to +6 dB? This reduces the input sensitivity and thus the hiss amplified:

https://support.genelec.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013428399-How-does-the-input-sensitivity-work-on-Genelec-speakers

 

[Cigibroke]

I just turned on ISS setting. Other settings are at deafult levels on the speakers.
By the way, I also liked rme dac very much. It provides a truly smooth and high-quality performance with both these speakers and the headphones.
"1 month ago, an popping sound problem occurred in the topping e50 dac."
So far everything has been going well with rme and genelecs.

 

[Miguelón]

I wanted to be share my first toughts on genelec 8030c speakers. As i stated a few pages ago, i tried to connect these speakers as directly to my hp pavilion pc's headphone output. The result is decent amount of hiss sound. Then i tried my lotoo paw s1 usb dongle dac and hiss noise has gone.
So at the end, i bought rme adi2 dac. Now the sound is fantastic. These speakers are top notch for me.

I did the same thing in my first attempt with active speakers

They are electrically conceived to receive a line out signal, dac/amps for headphones have different current properties doesn’t matter how powerful they are.

A cheap desktop dac will sound perfect, Amirm had measured and reviewed a lot, so you have the guarantee they are acoustically transparent

 

[changer]

I receive no hiss from the laptop 3.5 mm trs line-out when the sensitivity adjustment ist set properly.

 

[Cigibroke]

I receive no hiss from the laptop 3.5 mm trs line-out when the sensitivity adjustment ist set properly.

I liked RME dac too so i am happy with them

 

[Miguelón]

I receive no hiss from the laptop 3.5 mm trs line-out when the sensitivity adjustment ist set properly.

Lap tops have no line out, only headphone output.

Headphones can vary from 16ohms to 600ohms.
Where as line-in's are more like 10000ohms.

A headphone out is often designed to produce more current, at the expense of possibly more distortion.

At 10k ohms the output will be voltage-limited, not current-limited. So they use circuits with less current output and possibly less distortion.

Current means charge per unit time, voltage is a potential to move charges if you’re not familiar with jargon

 

[Basic Channel]

Lap tops have no line out, only headphone output.

Headphones can vary from 16ohms to 600ohms.
Where as line-in's are more like 10000ohms.

A headphone out is often designed to produce more current, at the expense of possibly more distortion.

At 10k ohms the output will be voltage-limited, not current-limited. So they use circuits with less current output and possibly less distortion.

Current means charge per unit time, voltage is a potential to move charges if you’re not familiar with jargon

My laptop does line out. Also line level is more like 600 ohms. Laptop out measures pretty much identical to my focurite 2i2 1st gen with same THD. I think…

 

[Miguelón]

My laptop does line out. Also line level is more like 600 ohms. Laptop out measures pretty much identical to my focurite 2i2 1st gen with same THD. I think…
View attachment 366832

You’re taking line out as line in. Line in is 10.000 ohms usually on active speakers or amps (active speakers are amps with speakers all in one).

600 ohms may be the impedance of a headphone. Line out has little impedances, headphone’s even less (close to zero). What matters is the charge and voltage.

Charge is more prone to distortion, no matter the sensitivity. If the voltage output of your laptop is enough and current is low, chances are that you have no distrotion.

But is not normally the case, is the reason why we buy DACs: most of laptops suppose you’re using headphones ore passive little speakers, so they feed more current to move them

 

[Miguelón]

My laptop does line out. Also line level is more like 600 ohms. Laptop out measures pretty much identical to my focurite 2i2 1st gen with same THD. I think…
View attachment 366832

The measurement should be done with the speakers: when you plug them, they will be part of the same circuit and is then once yo can have distortion and frequency response alterations.

You can have the flattest FQ response of the world, at the output and crank an amp is current is so high. Or conversely, destroy your headphones if you plug them to a fixed level line out which is totally transparent on measurements. Easy to try at home

 

[Basic Channel]

You’re taking line out as line in. Line in is 10.000 ohms usually on active speakers or amps (active speakers are amps with speakers all in one).

600 ohms may be the impedance of a headphone. Line out has little impedances, headphone’s even less (close to zero). What matters is the charge and voltage.

Charge is more prone to distortion, no matter the sensitivity. If the voltage output of your laptop is enough and current is low, chances are that you have no distrotion.

But is not normally the case, is the reason why we buy DACs: most of laptops suppose you’re using headphones ore passive little speakers, so they feed more current to move them

I’m pretty sure line out is 600 ohm, most headphones are nowhere near that. Anyhoo, I’m as well placed to discuss snooker.

My laptop pops up asking if it’s headphones or speakers, and various other dell crap. I’ll maybe “test” later to see what the difference is.

 

[Basic Channel]

The measurement should be done with the speakers: when you plug them, they will be part of the same circuit and is then once yo can have distortion and frequency response alterations.

The laptop soundcard should be measured using speakers?

 

[staticV3]

My laptop does line out.

It's very unlikely that your laptop has a true Line out port, which was designed exclusively for external Amps and mixers.

It's probably a TRS headphone port or a TRRS headset port, both of which can be used for Line out.

All headphone outputs are capable of Line out (except estat).

Also line level is more like 600 ohms.

Line level can be anything from 0.3Vrms to 20Vrms, depending on the application. It is not measured in Ohms.

Line outputs can expect load impedances roughly between 2kΩ and 200kΩ.

 

[Miguelón]

The laptop soundcard should be measured using speakers?

The laptop has an onboard DAC, that is normally fine enough. It will be the voltage-current combination that can be difficult to combine directly with active speakers or amps.
Nothing to do with freq or distortion measurements. If it sounds well with your speakers its ok, but for 70-80€ you can try a DAC with a true line out and compare. If you dislike, you can return it

Usually you can profit all the dynamic range of your active speakers also with line outs, which is very difficult with headphone output of a laptop

 

[Basic Channel]

The laptop has an onboard DAC, that is normally fine enough. It will be the voltage-current combination that can be difficult to combine directly with active speakers or amps.
Nothing to do with freq or distortion measurements. If it sounds well with your speakers its ok, but for 70-80€ you can try a DAC with a true line out and compare. If you dislike, you can return it

I have a focusrite with 2 balanced line outs. I do hear a difference but then I would. It actually sat gathering dust for 2 years until I had ground loop issues that forced me to deal with my laziness issues

 

[Miguelón]

I have a focusrite with 2 balanced line outs. I do hear a difference but then I would. It actually sat gathering dust for 2 years until I had ground loop issues that forced me to deal with my laziness issues

I have the same interface, but it works ok for instance.

Very happy with the headphone section also, it hands well my Sennheiser hd600

I’m considering to get a topping d50 iii to switch my TV and also have a remote

 

[Basic Channel]

I have the same interface, but it works ok for instance.

Very happy with the headphone section also, it hands well my Sennheiser hd600

I’m considering to get a topping d50 iii to switch my TV and also have a remote

I think yours is probably better as mines is the old 1st generation.

Can you or @staticV3 (or anyone really) clarify my final daft questions? When I "test" (calibrate in REW) my laptop out by plugging it into my focusrite line input, am I only seeing how it reacts to my focusrite input? And if so, is that different to calibrating my focusrite line out with the focusrite line in?

 

[staticV3]

When I "test" (calibrate in REW) my laptop out by plugging it into my focusrite line input, am I only seeing how it reacts to my focusrite input?

When you calibrate Laptop Headphone out->Focusrite Line in->USB->back into Laptop, then REW will create a cal file that corrects for the sum of nonlinearities from your Laptop's Headphone Out and the Focusrite's Line in.

Afterwards, you can build your measurement signal chain like this: Laptop HP Out->[DUT]->Focusrite Line in->back to Laptop, and the frequency and phase response of all but the DUT ("Device under Test") will be corrected, so that only the DUT response remains.

As soon as you change the signal chain WRT I/O, the cal file becomes invalid.

And if so, is that different to calibrating my focusrite line out with the focusrite line in?

Changing the I/O will require a recalibration, if you want to minimize the impact of your measurement equipment on the final result.