Genelec

The Genelec 1031A are a larger set of active studio monitors made for using in the recording studio. Since the monitors are active, they are self powered and do not need an external power amp. These monitors are pretty giant, so they are not the type of monitors you can move around from place to place, so once you set them it would be hard to move and are made for stationary studio use. I have used these monitors for both mixing and monitoring during tracking. SOUNDS The sound of the 1031As is absolutely huge! They cover the entire frequency spectrum with its great low end presence and its tight high end response. While it won't color your sound at all, I do find that sometimes these sound too good for mixing as they just never sound as good as they did on these! That's more of a perception thing, and these monitors definitely accurately portray your sound. Overall, the sound is full and clear and are really some of the best mid range speakers I have heard. OVERALL OPINION I've been using Genelec 1031A studio monitors for about three years and they are one of the best set of studio monitors I have heard. They have a huge full sound to them that is hard to rival with any set of speakers that is smaller than these as the huge size of these allows them to cover the full range of frequencies. I have used a couple other pairs of Genelec studio monitors, but these are definitely the best set I have used. These things can really crank loud and are great at showing you all the subtle things within your signal. While I like to use these for mixing, I always have a second set of monitors to A/B with to get a better sense of what the mix will sound like on other speakers. The price of these is incredibly expensive and is aimed at the truly professional studio, but if you have access to them they are an experience to use!

This is a three way active monitoring system. These are definitely intended for studio use, and should only be purchased by studio owners, as they are impossible to move around very much. The speakers are large enough that they can be installed into the wall of the studio that they are being used in, which is the only way I've seen them, though I hear that they can stand freely as well. Not only that, but they need to be fine-tuned to the acoustics of the room that you are using them in if you want the ideal sound out of them. This can be done with the controls that come with the monitors' Direct Control Waveguide Technology, and requires the attention of audio experts. These are active monitors and don't really require an external amp. SOUNDS The sound of these speakers is breathtaking. The monitors are certainly capable of giving great stereo imaging, they really give a full and expansive sound. The dynamics of the project always come out full and clear, there is no unnatural compression with these monitors. This is good because it allows you to maintain more control over the sound. Every range of the freqency spectrum is well represented, assuming of course that the speakers are maintained and tuned appropriately. My newest manager doesn't seem to like these monitors very much; when I saw his pair, and heard them, I knew that they weren't tuned to the acoustics of the room at all. They were far clearer at the first studio I was in that had them. The bass range, when properly tuned, is superb; when left unattenuated, the bass frequencies are muddy, like most monitors. Another thing to know is that sometimes vocal tracks tend to be slightly quieter on these monitors overall, so it helps to have another pair to contrast them with. OVERALL OPINION I like these monitors because of their amazing sound. However, there is a very small niche market for them, and that is almost exclusively for studio owners/sound designers. Their size, as well as their price, make them difficult to manage, and less useful than smaller monitors. However, the sound of the monitors alone is worth it if you have the studio space and can afford the monitors.

The Genelec 1032A's are very high end studio monitors, best served as near field monitors. They are sold as single monitors, and are very expensive. The monitors feature a two way active monitoring system, so no power amplifier is necessary. They've got 10" woofers and a 1" tweeter and aren't huge but aren't small. The frequency response is 36 Hz to 23 kHz. SOUNDS The Genelec 1032A's definitely have a really clean sound, with a tight high end and what seems to be accurate mid and low end. I've used these in a huge studio, one of the biggest here in Los Angeles, so they've also got main monitors in addition to these and also a pair of NS-10's. While I was definitely using the 1032A's here and there, I wasn't relying on them primarily. I would switch back and forth between the three sets of monitors a lot to try to get a more accurate picture, as these sound very good and can be almost deceiving. I'm sure with more use I could learn them pretty good, as is the case with all monitors. OVERALL OPINION The price of the Genelec 1032A is certainly going to be the first thing considered here as they cost a very pretty penny. They wouldn't be cheap even if the price was for a pair of these, and instead they are sold separately. Of course for a professional studio, a great set of near field monitors is necessary and spending this kind of money is also usually necessary, but I would recommend checking out a number of other near field monitors before deciding on these, as I'm honestly not sure they are worth the money. Perhaps it's because I'm not a huge fan of Genelec monitors in general, so if you are I'm sure you're going to think these are the best ever. For me I prefer monitors from ADAM, Dynaudio, and Barefoot, but as always it is a matter of personal preference - just be sure to do your homework.

The Genelec 1030A's are a smaller set of studio monitors that can be used for a variety of applications. The studio that I work at has a pair of these in one of our smaller studios. They aren't the main set of monitors, but are more of a 'B' set of monitors in the studio where we have them. They're suitable for use either way, but in my opinion they are best suited when used in tandem with another set of studio monitors with a bit more low end. The 1030A's have XLR connections in the back, as well as a series of tuning buttons for tuning them to your specific room. These are active monitors, so you don't need a power amplifier. SOUNDS The sound quality of the Genelec 1030A's is generally very good. They have a pretty full bodied sound for a smaller set of monitors, but don't have the best low end response. They're pretty crispy sounding on the top end, and again can get pretty loud for a set of small studio monitors. In the studio that I work at, we have these 1030A's set up in tandem with a pair of Dynaudio BM5As, and having both of them around is a great combination for our smaller studio. The Dynaudio's give some more low end, but the 1030A's have some qualities that the Dynaudio's don't. These are definitely okay to use on their own, but again I think they work best when you have something to compare them to. OVERALL OPINION While many people look at the Genelec 1030A's as a good way to get the Genelec sound without having a huge set of speakers and without the price tag, I still do think that the 1030A's are a bit expensive. Of course you're going to be paying for the Genelec name, but I'm not sure that these are worth it for the price. If I was buying a single set of monitors, I'd rather have the aforementioned Dynaudio BM5A's or a set of Adam A7's, which can be had a much cheaper price than these Genelecs. While these definitely aren't a bad way to go, if you're on a tighter budget, I'd definitely recommend checking out some of the other monitors I mentioned, as to me they sound better and are cheaper. Having said this, the Genelec 1030A's are a fine set of monitors in their own right and are definitely worth looking at.

The Genelec 8030As are a great set of studio monitors. They are compact and each packs a truly huge sound. Because of their small size and weight, they are easy to move and place within a room. They are extremely well built and are very sturdy - it would be hard to break these. It also has the Genelec seal, so you know you are getting a pair of studio monitors from a top, well respected, brand. These are near field monitors and are self powered, so you don't need an external amplifier. They are great mixing and general listening. SOUNDS The sound from these monitors is full of life and produces a neutral signal that is an accurate portrayal of what you are playing, although sometimes I think they sound too good! The stereo image is wide and is definitley satisfactory. The overall sound of these monitors is crisp and clean, while maintaining a fullness not found on your typical studio monitors. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the Genelec 8030A studio monitors for about three years. I've used them both for tracking and listening and for mixing. They work great in all listening applications because they provide not only an accurate portrayal of the sound you are playing but because they cover the whole spectrum of frequencies. Genelec has a reputation for being one of, if not the, best makers of studio monitors. While these aren't the best Genelec monitors I've heard, as some of their higher end models are just ridiculous sounding, for the price these are a great set of monitors. The price isn't the cheapest, but if you are putting together a nice home studio, these are a great option because they aren't as expensive as some other monitors, like the Genelec 8040s, but are still top quality. Overall, these are a great set of monitors ideal for the serious home recording owner.

The Genelec 8050A monitors are some pretty solid monitors to do your mixing in. Not too much low or high in on these. I actually mixed a few songs for a recent album that came out with these monitors. They look great as well, a very nice futuristic design. I had these back in 2006 and still have them today, I use them for reference monitors. These were some of the first pair of monitors I purchased and I got them off eBay from a guy in Europe who assured me they would be great and give me a nice mix. He was 100 percent right, I didn’t have a single issue with them and they still look and sound great today. SOUNDS I wish they had a little more low end to them though, because I like my monitors to have that “boom” and “thump” in the low end so I can know how far I can push my limits with the bass in my tracks. But that’s probably why I get such a good mix in these because they don’t over exaggerate the low end frequencies. So when it comes mixing time I plug these up, but when I am going through the creating process of a track I don’t like to use these I like to use my KRK’s so I can get some boom. Then com mixing time I will switch over to these and power them up and start mixing. If you have your room acousticly treated to go along with these you will have professional mixes and a top radio quality sound right out of the gate. OVERALL OPINION Overall I recommend these all the way, I am not too sure if they still produce this model any more because it came out about 5 to 6 years ago, but if they haven't im sure you can purchase the upgraded version of them.