Genelec 8050B Studio Monitors

David B · 2023-09-24T17:16:50+00:00

My GAS has gotten the better of me once again. In my pursuit to get the best sound at the piano with my sample libraries I ended up with some very nice but expensive speakers. Switching to the FP90X required me to use studio monitors exclusively for my piano sounds. I wanted to update my outdated Gen 3 KRK monitors. With no success I decided to experiment with the expensive Genelecs. First the 8040s with the 6.5" bass driver. Pretty good. Best so far. If they are so good I wonder what the 8050s sound like with the 8" bass driver. Why did I have to try them out? 🙂 What I like about these monitors. Flat frequency response. I like to start out as flat as possible and add EQ if I want to color the sound to my taste. I want to avoid inherent coloring of the sound baked into the design. Genelec provides a flat response. Clarity at low volumes. This was the biggest difference between the budget monitors and the Genelec. Even compared to the 8040 the 8050 larger bass driver is better. The crossover frequency is lower on the 8050 which I think adds clarity to the sound by alleviating some of the workload on the bass driver. The bass roll-off is lower on the 8050 which meas I don't have to play loud to hear the lower frequencies. The difference between playing through the 8050s and my Sennheiser headphones is almost non-existent (except for the sound stage). Good headphones usually sound better than speakers. However, not when you have awesome speakers. Build construction. Most monitors on the market are made with MDF/particle board. Not good for someone who moves regularly. If I live longer I'll probably move a few more times in my career. Genelec are made out of cast aluminum and will probably survive the apocalypse. What I don't like about them. The price. The monitors cost more than my FP90X. 😳 The color. I don't care for the dark gray sparkly finish. I've got an email into Genelec to see if I could paint them and still maintain my warranty. Some miscellaneous thoughts. Genelec has been an industry leader for a long time. They still service models from decades ago. These are built to last and I'll probably keep them until Jesus comes. I also like the way the inputs on the back are orientated. Very sleek. I also like the way the ISS (Intelligent Signal Sensing) works. After an hour of no signal they go into a power saving mode. LED turn off and they use less than .5 watts. So I can keep them on all the time. What I like is that they wake up immediately when a signal is present. The KRK would take some cajoling to wake up. One speaker would usually wake up before the other and it would usually take several seconds for both to be responsive. Genelecs are instantaneous (maybe a half a second). Finally, the monitors rock when it comes to listening to music while I workout or whatever. I can add some EQ if I need and the speakers really fill my space with a HiFi sound. I was hoping I wouldn't like these and could save some money with less expensive monitors. As usual my wife is right, my taste often exceeds my station in life. 😎 God Bless, David

n-player

The OEM colour looks fine to me. But in your room, the black seems to blend in a lot better.

I suppose there are options to knock off some of the gloss if you like in the future. You could cover the fronts with acoustical cloth, but that always impacts sound IMHO>

A bookcase behind the speakers can be great for acoustics IME. Try filling the empty slots with stuff too.

David B

jdg78 However, I think I prefer the matte finish of the original better - there are so many reflection points on the speakers due to the unconventional shape that the sheen of the black paint makes them stand out a bit.

That's how I feel. Now that the paint has fully dried I think I might try tacking some of the shine off via sanding today. This is my OCD kicking in. Unfortunately, I've learned the hard way in the past that perfection is the enemy of good. ☹️

God Bless,
David

Khuja Wangtishvili

David B Here is a before/After. My wife likes the original color better and says I shouldn't have painted them. 🤦‍♂️
How many of you prefer the original color better? You won't hurt my feelings. I can take it.

I too prefer original color. However, the main disadvantage is your uneven painting over the original one. I know if one is not experienced with spray painting and that in home is hard to get proper final finish.

But you are the one using it so they have to fit you. But here I do agree with your wife 😃

QuasiUnaFantasia

David B Well, I thought the original colour was fine, but the new colour seems a bit better (the shiny look is quite ok with me). However, since none of them are light oak cabinets with cloth hiding the vibrating parts, they're really not my thing. 😄

David B

I just tested a bit of sanding on a small spot in the back with some different grits and fine steel wool. I don't think it would come out good. I'd have to put a final coat of flat if I wanted to take out the shine. That would leave them totally dull. I think I'll live with the shine. The black G series has a bit of shine also.

Here is a pick of a G series monitor from the Genelec site.

God Bless,
David

jdg78

David B Now that the paint has fully dried I think I might try tacking some of the shine off via sanding today.

Hmm…I would be careful with that - I can see it being difficult to get a uniform finish via sanding due to all the curves.

I imagine there must be black spray paints with a more matte finish available or else a clear matte or powder finish that could be applied over the the existing color.

David Lai

David B My dad agrees with your wife. 🙂

David B

David Lai My dad agrees with your wife. 🙂

Yep, my wife wonders why I like everything black. I like the black speakers better than the gray even though they are a bit shiny. The gray gave me no pleasure to look at.

God Bless,
David

CyberGene

I’m not one who is good with color choices, I’m color blind after all. But since we’re comparing two monochrome colors, I prefer them in black. The stock grey one makes them look like cheap and generic PC speakers. I personally love wooden cabinets though.

n-player

David Lai hahaha!

MacMacMac

CyberGene I’m color blind after all.

Which kind do you have? Mine is deuteranomaly.
I'm a mild deutan.
(That sounds like a race of alien invaders: the "deutans".)

MacMacMac

CyberGene The stock grey one makes them look like cheap and generic PC speakers.

Where can I get some of these really cheap generic Genelecs? I'm willing to spend $40 for a pair. 🙂

RIP

David B How many of you prefer the original color better?

I really like black (either your shiny or a dull version) much better than grey, however I would not have had the patience and time to do what you've done yourself. Also, I would not have spend much more money on the black version, but I would have waited if they could have been obtained as a special order at a very close price.

I am still not loving the oval (cartoonish?) shape of these monitors, but I guess it could have been worse ;-)
In fact

CyberGene The stock grey one makes them look like cheap and generic PC speakers.

I totally agree, especially with this oval shape. However those PC speakers are usually much smaller in size.

MacMacMac

I don't understand all the fuss.
Speakers are for hearing. Not for looking.
Looking at speakers is like listening to rainbows.

Do the speakers sound good? Yes? Great.
What do they look like? Don't really care.

David B

MacMacMac I don't understand all the fuss.

Obviously you're aware that there are different personality types. Aesthetics contributes to the overall enjoyment in a lot of things that I do. For piano it involves having a neat and orderly space to play in, eg., cable management etc., and the speakers are included in my playing environment. These are big speakers and it's impossible not to see them. Therefore, they contribute to the overall aesthetic experience which is part of what makes me (my personality type) happy. The environment I play in (all aspects) contributes to the enjoyment of my playing experience.

God Bless,
David

Khuja Wangtishvili

RIP I totally agree, especially with this oval shape. However those PC speakers are usually much smaller in size

Actually this design is characteristic to Genelec and it's hars to think that they have been made by another company. They are sticking to this shape since early 2000's.

This kind of enclosure also needs much more calculatuions and measurements that standard squared one, but reveals it with its sound.

I do not know guy how these masterpieces can remind you cheap PC speakers, as I have yet too see such 40$ PC speakers...

They look expensive to be honest, but maybe you have not much experience in audio and loudspeakers

CyberGene

Khuja Wangtishvili maybe you have not much experience in audio and loudspeakers

You don’t need to have experience with something to get reminded of it when you see something that resembles it. I have no experience with Ferrari cars but I recognize them when I see them 😀

P.S. Not sure why you have to attack people when you disagree with them, it doesn’t make your point stronger 😉

David B

Genelec sent me a free shirt for registering my speakers and getting the free 5 year extended warranty. The factory warranty is 2 years if you don't register them. It only takes about 5 minutes to fill out the online form. Customer service has been great answering all my questions. They let me paint them and keep the warranty. I'm really impressed. Great company.

God Bless,
David

Jose EB5AGV

David B and it is the right (i.e. black) color! 😁

MacMacMac

What do think about these alternative paint schemes for the Genelecs?

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