What desktop speakers are you using?

[kidloco]

Picked up my repaired Dynaudio Xeo 2s from Doug Brady’s in Warrington yesterday. Fantastic service as always. Even though I didn’t buy them from there they were more than happy to help. The day they arrived back from Denmark they called to arrange collection.

I did ask what the problem was and said faulty wiring in one of the speakers. I was thinking about selling them and trying some genlecs but after setting them up to test. I remember why I bought them in the first place. They are lovely little speakers and the connection issues all seem gone now.

I’ve just ordered the matching set of desk stands. There £200 new but managed to find a set on eBay. Got them for £80.

 

[Praetorian]

2x PreSonus Eris E5 XT - 5.25" Near Field Studio Monitor with EBM Waveguide and a Temblor T8 8-inch Active Studio Subwoofer being driven by a Creative Soundblaster Z. Utterly amazing sound, like I've never heard before. I was concerned when I read that monitors were "flat" but then I prefer that.

Next upgrade is to get an audio interface - either a Focusrite Scarlett or Behringer UMC22

 

[Tephnos]

2x PreSonus Eris E5 XT - 5.25" Near Field Studio Monitor with EBM Waveguide and a Temblor T8 8-inch Active Studio Subwoofer being driven by a Creative Soundblaster Z. Utterly amazing sound, like I've never heard before. I was concerned when I read that monitors were "flat" but then I prefer that.

Next upgrade is to get an audio interface - either a Focusrite Scarlett or Behringer UMC22

If you can stretch your budget a bit, get the MOTU M2. It's far superior to those two and actually has a working headphone out if you ever need to go that route too.

 

[Praetorian]

If you can stretch your budget a bit, get the MOTU M2. It's far superior to those two and actually has a working headphone out if you ever need to go that route too.

Cool, thank you Will add it to the list

 

[Tephnos]

Pair of Genelec 8030a + Genelec 7050b sub sitting under the desk, both are 13 years old with some visible damage but no audio issues. Motu M2 as my DAC.

Got the Genelecs in and gotta ask, how did you get your MOTU monitor knob up so high? Even when I dialled the sensitivity knob on the Genelec way back, I can barely get it to 9 o'clock without it becoming very loud.

Also, out of curiosity, what's your dipswitch settings for close to the wall and on a desk like that?

 

[mjones1]

Got the Genelecs in and gotta ask, how did you get your MOTU monitor knob up so high? Even when I dialled the sensitivity knob on the Genelec way back, I can barely get it to 9 o'clock without it becoming very loud.

Also, out of curiosity, what's your dipswitch settings for close to the wall and on a desk like that?

the original A version has volume control at front so I have them at about 30% so it’s not super loud when I use my sub & control it within windows.

Genelec recommend only having dip switch 5 turned on when it’s against the wall.
https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zjnzn...4700e9d95a5217f4ff3e373a9d57b7e/8030c_qsg.pdf

Apart from that are you enjoying them?

 

[Tephnos]

the original A version has volume control at front so I have them at about 30% so it’s not super loud when I use my sub & control it within windows.

Genelec recommend only having dip switch 5 turned on when it’s against the wall.
https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zjnzn...4700e9d95a5217f4ff3e373a9d57b7e/8030c_qsg.pdf

Apart from that are you enjoying them?

I only have mine on the table for now (no desktop stands handy), so had both 1 and 5 dip switches active for now, as it was way too boomy and bloated otherwise.

The volume thing is an annoyance, but I take it you're controlling the OUT 1-2 volume from what you said so that you have more headroom for the knob on the interface?

Still getting used to it, but the hiss bothers me more than I thought it would. In a silent room, I can hear it at desk seating distance which is IMO a bit too much. Was hoping it'd be quieter, and this was just with the power cable plugged in so it wasn't anything to do with my interface or cables.

 

[kidloco]

Still getting used to it, but the hiss bothers me more than I thought it would. In a silent room, I can hear it at desk seating distance which is IMO a bit too much. Was hoping it'd be quieter, and this was just with the power cable plugged in so it wasn't anything to do with my interface or cables.

That would drive me round the twist.

 

[M4xson]

Still getting used to it, but the hiss bothers me more than I thought it would. In a silent room, I can hear it at desk seating distance which is IMO a bit too much. Was hoping it'd be quieter, and this was just with the power cable plugged in so it wasn't anything to do with my interface or cables.

And this is the Genelec speakers?

 

[Tephnos]

And this is the Genelec speakers?

Yes, the 8030c. Which is supposed to have cut down the hiss from 10dB on the earlier revisions to 5dB with the newer class D amps. Hm.

If I can't get on with the hissing maybe I should try the Neumann KH120. As a bonus, you have far greater options for customising the output level and input sensitivity, so I'd have less issues with lack of fine volume control on the M4.

It's another crappy looking industrial box, but then again so are the Genelecs, and they don't look all that bad in person.

 

[Yaayuh!]

Tweeter hiss is very common with monitors, given the integrated D amp design and all but I’m surprised the hiss is that loud. I can’t hear it on my Dynaudio unless I put my ear to the tweeter.

 

[Tephnos]

Tweeter hiss is very common with monitors, given the interested D amp design and all but I’m surprised the hiss is that loud. I can’t hear it on my Dynaudio unless I put my ear to the tweeter.

It is, I had just expected better from Genelec at this price range. I know Neumann's are supposed to be virtually silent at least.

 

[catalyst]

I've never had a set of active nearfields that didn't have low level tweeter hiss tbh - the Mackie, Yamaha, Dynaudio and Genelecs I have had in the studio all exhibit this to some degree. I've been using the same set of Genelec 8040a for the past decade though, so I'm not exactly up to speed with recent developments I guess.

 

[Tephnos]

I've never had a set of active nearfields that didn't have low level tweeter hiss tbh - the Mackie, Yamaha, Dynaudio and Genelecs I have had in the studio all exhibit this to some degree. I've been using the same set of Genelec 8040a for the past decade though, so I'm not exactly up to speed with recent developments I guess.

I do expect some degree of hiss, because for some reason they all refuse to use a resistor at the tweeter which could stop the hiss when the monitors are idle, but ho hum.

I'm more just annoyed at the hiss being noticeable at desktop listening distances for nearfield speakers.

 

[M4xson]

I've never had a set of active nearfields that didn't have low level tweeter hiss tbh - the Mackie, Yamaha, Dynaudio and Genelecs I have had in the studio all exhibit this to some degree. I've been using the same set of Genelec 8040a for the past decade though, so I'm not exactly up to speed with recent developments I guess.

Well that made me just never want a pair of active speakers! Audible hiss from a hifi would make me feel like I'm back in the 90s. Maybe they should throw in some 50hz mains hum for a full retro experience!

 

[Tephnos]

Well that made me just never want a pair of active speakers! Audible hiss from a hifi would make me feel like I'm back in the 90s. Maybe they should throw in some 50hz mains hum for a full retro experience!

I suspect now that the HiFi world is moving to actives, that will probably encourage the professional lines to start working on ways to mitigate the hissing as it'll be unacceptable when crappy 'consumer' equipment can avoid that.

 

[catalyst]

I suspect now that the HiFi world is moving to actives, that will probably encourage the professional lines to start working on ways to mitigate the hissing as it'll be unacceptable when crappy 'consumer' equipment can avoid that.

Yeah that's probably true. I haven't heard the KEF LS50 actives, I would be curious to see what they are like.

I suspect part of the problem is it being increasingly standard for folks these days to have active monitors on their desk as an all-purpose speaker, quite close (~2ft) to the listening position. Back in the day nearfield monitors with ~6" woofer would commonly be on stands in a studio and 4-6ft from the listening position, where you are much less aware of the hiss. Would definitely rather no hiss to begin with right enough

 

[Tephnos]

Yeah that's probably true. I haven't heard the KEF LS50 actives, I would be curious to see what they are like.

I suspect part of the problem is it being increasingly standard for folks these days to have active monitors on their desk as an all-purpose speaker, quite close (~2ft) to the listening position. Back in the day nearfield monitors with ~6" woofer would commonly be on stands in a studio and 4-6ft from the listening position, where you are much less aware of the hiss. Would definitely rather no hiss to begin with right enough

Used them for a while before. No noticeable hiss at desktop position from what I recall.

The hissing issue is very simple to deal with, technical wise. It's just that there appears to be little demand from the pro sector for companies to increase the cost a bit more by mitigating it.

 

[JasonM]

Still getting used to it, but the hiss bothers me more than I thought it would. In a silent room, I can hear it at desk seating distance which is IMO a bit too much. Was hoping it'd be quieter, and this was just with the power cable plugged in so it wasn't anything to do with my interface or cables.

If you put the gain to lowest level do you still hear the hiss?

If the hiss goes with gain down, is there still enough volume from the monitors when source volume is raised?

Have you tested for hiss without any line in? The hiss could be coming from cables or source.

 

[Tephnos]

If you put the gain to lowest level do you still hear the hiss?

If the hiss goes with gain down, is there still enough volume from the monitors when source volume is raised?

Have you tested for hiss without any line in? The hiss could be coming from cables or source.

I noticed the hiss immediately after plugging the power in without any source connected - so it is unrelated unfortunately.