# Genelec 8310a with sub or 8330a without sub



## Macrawn (Mar 30, 2020)

The 8330a is quite a bit more for the 5 inch speaker vs the 3 inch on the 8310. I was thinking maybe instead of getting the 8330a 5 inch just getting the 3 inch with a sub. Does that make any kind of sense at all? The 3 inch with the sub is maybe slightly more expensive but not by much. 

And one more thing what is the best way to connect these to a computer? An audio interface with usb probably? Any thoughts on which one of these I should get?

Your thoughts and suggestions are appreciated.


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## onebitboy (Mar 30, 2020)

How big is the room you want to use them in?


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## Macrawn (Mar 30, 2020)

It's a small room around 12 x 10. The sub that goes with these speakers is actually pretty tiny. It's an 8 inch speaker. It can get down to 22 hz vs 45 hz for the 5 inch speakers.

I don't see running huge amounts of volume in this room so my initial thought was with a couple of bass traps the sub option wouldn't be bad but maybe running just the 5 inch speakers would be the right choice. 

I built a home theater years ago and it was a decent sized room, but I had a lot of bass traps for the sub. The room sounded great but I couldn't fix one seating position that had a bass null even moving the sub around. It drove me nuts. I know how hard it is dealing with low end even in a large room if it's loud.


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## fakemaxwell (Mar 31, 2020)

No chance the 8330a has enough bass in it for so called "critical listening." It's just too small. However you can get away with just a 2.0 setup. The 8310 isn't worth it even with the sub, they're cute but they're not going to sound good when you crank them up. I'd recommend the 8330a and save up for the sub, you'll be fine in the meantime and when you have the 2.1 setup you're pretty much set for life (until you get more gear envy).

Related note- I did a shootout between the 8330a and the Neumann KH 80s and 120s. The 80s are also 5 inches and absolutely blew away the Genelecs. The two studio employees I was in the room with were also surprised at how good the KH 80s sound, and with a ~40% difference in price right now I'd recommend checking them out.


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## Anders Wall (Mar 31, 2020)

I wouldn't say bass is a problem in Genelec speakers.
The 8330 without a sub will do in a "don't see running huge amounts of volume" room.
Make sure to research how those mini-switches are set.
I remember rolling of the highs on my 1030's.
They were just too bright for my taste/room.

Over 20 some years I've worked with most Genelcs from 1029/8010's to 1236A (they play down to 17hz!?!) and with the right setting in a ok room music normally translates well to other systems.
And that should be the most important thing, not how well they sound in your room but how well your mixes translates.

You should really try the speakers in you studio and do some test mixes before you buy them.
I have a few multitrack sessions that I always recall when trying new speakers/rooms.
If you find yourself adding or cutting extensively where you normally don't then something is off and you need to be aware or address the issues.


Best of luck 

/Anders

Neumanns are great, as is Adams, as is ATC as is etc... pick one that you can afford and do those test before committing.


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## fakemaxwell (Mar 31, 2020)

Sure, that's why I recommended getting the 8330s for now and then upgrading with the sub later. I used my KH 80s for a year and a half as a 2.0 system and they work fine. I don't think you'll have the same success with the 3 inch speakers.

[edit] also my mistake, the KH 80s are 4 inch speakers. Still outperformed the Genelecs in my listening test but yes do see if you can either visit a dealer or rent, people's ears are all very different and you'll find yourself preferring one brand over the others.


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## Macrawn (Mar 31, 2020)

Thanks all of you. Really helpful insights here. I think the 8330 is the right move. The KH 80's are also on the radar.


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## JohnG (Mar 31, 2020)

I think if I were trying to get excellent sound on a budget I'd also go with Neumann -- the speakers that come with their software so you can tune them to your room. 

The engineers I've been working with use Neumann and the results have been good. They are using a more expensive set of speakers than the smaller ones, but still, the small ones are quite something.


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## Macrawn (Mar 31, 2020)

The more I look into the Neumanns the more appealing they become. I think the kh80s could be a good fit for me. I wish I could demo them for a while but I have to just go by reviews and suggestions.


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## fakemaxwell (Mar 31, 2020)

What is your total budget and what are you upgrading from? Noticed you also need an interface. Would recommend the MOTU M2 for low budget, and RME Babyface Pro for the upgrade pick. RME recently released the FS version of the Babyface, it's not something you need and you can find the original BFP used for much less.

I went with the KH 80s because I needed 5 of them for 5.1 plus a sub, so the budget got a bit tighter. I don't think you'll be disappointed with them or any of the other suggestions, but if budget is a concern I don't think they can currently be beat.


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## Macrawn (Mar 31, 2020)

Yes I do need an interface as well. I won't be doing any live recording. I was looking at the Audient ID4 or ID14. Seems like the ID4 probably fits better as people say the sound quality is the same despite different converters. I'll check out the MOTU M2 as well. 

I know it's a wide range but the budget can be from about 1-2.5 grand. I've always been really particular about value. If going closer to 2 grand means I have something that is going to be great for a long time it's worth it. If going 2+ grand is only getting me a marginally noticeable improvement, that's not worth it. Given the space I have right now there is probably only so much that can be done and I'm starting to think that the KH80 would sound just fine and that more expensive speakers wouldn't produce their best sound in my room anyway. The Genelec set up is more expensive. I think about $1250 for 8320, and over $1800 grand for 8830+ the interface. The KH80 is about $1000+ the interface. I've seen more than a few people say they like the kh80 better. If it can get me a mix just as good I don't need the more expensive set.


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