Time for a monitor upgrade.Which to get?

[Hugh Robjohns]

Of the three, the Focal unit appears to be the most versatile from a configuration point of view.... but I don't have direct experience of any of those, I'm afraid. The JBL doesn't appear to be flexible enough to match with non JBL mains speakers.

If you're sticking with the Genelecs as main monitors, why not go down the Genelec sub route? The 7040A is only a little over your budget, but at least it's crossover slopes are designed to work with the 1030s.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/recording/s ... ngle-unit

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

Genelec don’t recommend the 7040 for the 1030s ‘if you want to play loud’ according to their now-closed forum. Not sure what this means really? What was your thinking on the crossover slopes?
Its crossover is fixed at 85 whereas the 1030s are optimistically rated down to 52, although they’re struggling well before that.

[Wonks]

Peak SPL output from the 7040A is given as 100dB, whilst the 1030A is 115dB.

So either the sub will leave the 1030s behind at high volume, or more likely, the sub will limit the output signal to the 1030As to keep things balanced, so you loose the ability to go louder (which the 1030A could do on its own).

I can't see you wanting to go that loud, so I think you'd be fine, but I'm only guessing.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Genelec don’t recommend the 7040 for the 1030s ‘if you want to play loud’ according to their now-closed forum. Not sure what this means really?

Do you want to play (really) loud — meaning peaking regularly over 100dB SPL? If so you would need a larger sub as the 7040 has only an 8-inch driver and can't quite match the max SPL of the 1030s. But with more realistic peak levels in a modestly sized room, it would be fine and isn't too far off your notional budget.

What was your thinking on the crossover slopes? Its crossover is fixed at 85 whereas the 1030s are optimistically rated down to 52, although they’re struggling well before that.

The idea is to use a HPF in the sub (or sat) to reduce the amount of LF the sats need to handle. That increases headroom and reduces distortion in the sats. Doing it that way also means the crossover slopes are engineered to integrate properly which is unlikely to be the case if you rely on the sat speaker's natural roll off.

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

Thanks Wonks/Hugh,
No I mix at fairly modest levels, so lack of volume wouldn’t be an issue. The Genelec sub doesn’t actually have a volume control which seems odd? It seems to have sensitivity switching only? Is this an issue?
Also, if you switch it off I presume the LP filter is taken out of circuit and your maim monitors go back to their full range operation?

[Hugh Robjohns]

The Genelec sub doesn’t actually have a volume control which seems odd?

It does... they just labelled it 'Sensitivity' instead.

Also, if you switch it off I presume the LP filter is taken out of circuit and your main monitors go back to their full range operation?

I imagine if you switch the sub off everything goes quiet as the high-pass filters feeding the satellites are active. It has an auto shut-down/start-up facility (which can be bypassed) as a power-saving feature, but I doubt it has relay bypass...

The sub is designed to form a permanent part of the monitoring system, extending the bandwidth downwards. From Genelec's point of view, if you've 'improved' your monitoring system by integrating a sub-woofer, why would you then want to degrade the system by running without it? That's what 'grot boxes' are for, surely?

Some other manufacturer's subs are designed with bypass facilities. What that says to me is that some users want to turn the sub off because it doesn't integrate very well and gets annoying!

[Wonks]

The 1030A has a ±6dB sensitivity/volume control and the 7040A has a -6dB to +12dB sensitivity/volume control. That gives you up to 18dB of adjustment between the two units to get the relative volumes to match. But both have the -6dBu position of those controls as generating 100dB SPL with a -6dBu input signal, so there shouldn't be much (if any) disparity between the outputs of the two units if set to the same sensitivity.

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

Ok I’m with you. Thanks for all the input, both, really interesting.

[ManFromGlass]

I think I have the same Genelecs as you with sub. I can still get a pretty good mix on them.
Here’s a left turn consideration for you (although you may have this covered already). Why not go in the opposite direction and get a pair of Avantones to augment the Genelecs?

[kjnilsson]

Focal shape twins are nice monitors in the price bracket given. Fairly forgiving in less than ideal rooms also.

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

Avantones

Already have a pair! And a Canford mono grot box!