Genelec 8020D 4 inch Powered Studio Monitor Reviews
Grab a set of Genelec 8020D active studio monitors and say goodbye to muddled, inaccurate sound and mixes that never seem to translate. Genelec upgraded their popular nearfield with more power, higher SPL capability, and lower energy consumption. When it comes to mixing music and producing professional audio, there's no replacement for quality monitors. The 8020D delivers focused and precise sound with exceptional stereo imaging and directionality, as well as remarkably deep bass for its size. You'll hear dimensional nuances in your mixes you never even realized were there! In addition, it features advanced technology like built-in Iso-Pod decoupling and ISS power management. Step up to a new level of monitoring accuracy with Genelec 8020D studio monitors from Sweetwater.
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Highest Rated Reviews
A lot of depth for such a small package!
I recently A/B'd these against a Neumann KH80 pair and I was blown away by the clarity and definition the Genelecs had, not only in comparison but also how they stand on their own. Besides the obvious "sub" energy that a 4 inch speaker simply can't reproduce, these seemed very accurate and flat across the whole spectrum. They also seemed way more 3-dimensional compared to the KH80s, especially when it comes to where things were placed in the stereo field, as well as clarity in time-based effects (reverb/delay tails.)
These were tested in a treated control room at a professional recording studio, but I'd imagine with all the control functions (multiple levels of low shelf, a high shelf, and a low cut filter) that these would sound great in any less-than-ideal acoustic environment like a bedroom studio.
These are now my reference speakers, with my mains being a pair of Focal Twin6be with the sub6. I imagine I will now do most of my final mixing on the Genelecs, though.
O my !!!
These genelec are unreal for there size I have never heard anything that comes close . I mean my mouth dropped open !that sound so good. I own the 8010 and there are fantastic , there is about three to four times more sound out of the 8020d the bass shakes the room all sound so good it grabbed your heart sound like you half a sub on !!! The balance is perfect you can hear everything I say even the place ment of guitar drum bass etc they have that magical sound that if you close your eyes you can see the band . They go down to48 hertz s and drop from there. What can I say more they pass all my test they sound so luscious to listen to!!! Thank genelec and sweet water !
Better build quality than I expected.
Super sturdy build quality. Very happy with these.
Genelec 8020D
Reviews are not something I typically take the time to write but this product is worthy of an exception.
I've only had these little guys for a few days but my first impression after hooking them up was...Ummm WOW!
I was in the market for a small set of speakers for my desk that I could play during the day while working. Prior to this purchase I would typically keep my main rig on all day as background music then half the evening as I settle in for dedicated listening sessions (about 14-15hrs a day). The main rig is pretty high end and quite expensive. I was beginning to become concerned with my main rigs long term life expectancy if I were to keep running it that many hours a day over the course of several years so I started looking around for a decent Desktop rig.
I wanted something that sounded respectable enough for me to not feel the need or desire to reach for my main rig because the desktop rig wasn't cutting it.
I've been familiar with Genelec for quite awhile and know they have a big following in mastering circles but never heard them in person. After quite a bit of back and forth on what to get I pulled the trigger on these 8020D's in a somewhat blind purchase (in terms of how they sounded).
I'm using the following setup with the 8020D's:
Benchmark Media DAC3
Intel NUC i5 acting as a ROON Endpoint to stream music from my main ROON Core server
USB connection from Intel NUC to Benchmark DAC3
XLR Balanced Analog Out to the Genelec 8020D's
Benchmark DAC3 Volume Knob to handle output levels
With this setup I can stream up to DSD64 musical content to the Genelec's. The room this setup is in is about 12'x12' square and these little Genelec's totally fill the space with sound. I'm still baffled at the amount of Bass these little 8020D's can put out in this size space. It almost defies logic as you are staring at them while they are playing music and you hear fairly deep and impactful bass response emitting from them at levels more than loud enough for my purposes. They are very clean and accurate sounding across the entire Freq spectrum they are rated to cover. If you didn't see them you would never guess their size based on what you hear coming out of them.
Being a very picky Audiophile type I can say that these speakers check all the boxes I was hoping for and then some. Highly recommended and two thumbs up from me.
Genelec is King of Near-Field
Genelec is a highly respected brand. The 8020's ABSOLUTELY live up to that log time respect. Perfectly flat response with very accurate bass, mids, and highs. You can bet your whole project on these things. I've been able to EQ my mixes SO much more precisely than I could with even my most expensive cans. Love these little monitors.
Excellent mid-range!
This is my first set of Genelec speakers. I had been wanting to try Genelec for a long time, but many of the Sweetwater reps talked me out of them in favor of Focal for some reason. I will say that I do own Focal monitors as well, but the Genelec speakers are turning out to make an excellent A/B companion for Focal. They aren't "better". They just have more of a forward mid-range thing going on that can make it easier to get your mix right. I absolutely love my Focal speakers as well, they are more of what I describe as 3D "like" or holographic sounding. For anyone considering Focal or Genelec I say don't hesitate! Amazing monitors. Especially as an A/B pair ;)
This could be your last monitor
I am using this monitor for listening to music, and boy did it amaze me. Plugged these puppies into my Scarlett Solo's TRS output, and immediately I started with some 'Jazz in the Pawnshop". Wow, there were lots of chatters and ambient sounds that I never heard before. The sound image is very detailed and flat, and it has the ability to project sound right in front of you to create an illusion where the singer is just right there facing you, just to my liking.
However, since I came from a 2.1 system, the low-end response was lacking compared to my old speakers, and that's why I marked it down half a star. But on the other hand, the quality of the bass is far more superior than my old Bose, I can almost make out where the drummer sits in live stereo recordings.
I would look to pick up a 7050 sub in the future, but I do believe just two 8020Ds can suit most people's needs, especially if they are coming from a 2.0 instead of a 2.1 system.
Overall, I highly recommend these Genelecs if you can afford them, they are truly an industry standard for a reason. The coaxial Ones are obviously much better, but much more expensive as well. For $... you get to enjoy some of the best traits that Genelec has to offer, which are flat response, detailed image, and near field sound projection. What's not to like?
