Yamaha hs50m vs. Genelec 8020a

[bassam_m]

I'm planning to buy new monitors for my home studio. This would be the first pair of monitors I ever buy. I always mix on headphones but I guess it's just time to start mixing on monitors instead.
I'll be buying either the Yamaha hs50m monitors or the Genelec 8020a. I would like to get feedback on which one do you think is better because I can't try them at a local store.
I would really like to get some replies from people who actually tried both.

Thank you all in advance!

[ScratchNSurf]

I can tell you about the yamahas... similar character to the ns-10's in that they are a negative style of monitor... if stuff sounds good on them it will generally sound good everywhere. Not as much as actual ns-10's but similar.

Genelec's:very solid company, those monitors wont let you down. Very clear

Sent from my DROID Pro using Gearslutz.com

[bassam_m]

Originally Posted by ScratchNSurf

I can tell you about the yamahas... similar character to the ns-10's in that they are a negative style of monitor... if stuff sounds good on them it will generally sound good everywhere. Not as much as actual ns-10's but similar.

Genelec's:very solid company, those monitors wont let you down. Very clear

Sent from my DROID Pro using Gearslutz.com

Thanks for the input. Anyone else?

[britdick]

Yamahas = not accurate, not pro.
Genelecs = the real deal.

[cavern]

[chas19]

Don't know much about that particular Genelec model, but i have the Yamaha's, and i really like them as they are truthful. I find they are the opposite of what britdick said above, and they are in fact very accurate. When you first start using them with your mixes it'll probably sound like crap, but if they sound good on them they will translate well to other speakers. They do lack a bit though in the low end, not great for electronic music.

Doing a quick google search, the genelecs are twice as much as the yamahas, did you mean hs80m ? Doesnt really sense to get the yamaha hs50ms though if you have a much higher budget.

[bassam_m]

Originally Posted by chas19

Don't know much about that particular Genelec model, but i have the Yamaha's, and i really like them as they are truthful. I find they are the opposite of what britdick said above, and they are in fact very accurate. When you first start using them with your mixes it'll probably sound like crap, but if they sound good on them they will translate well to other speakers. They do lack a bit though in the low end, not great for electronic music.

Doing a quick google search, the genelecs are twice as much as the yamahas, did you mean hs80m ? Doesnt really sense to get the yamaha hs50ms though if you have a much higher budget.

The Genelec 8020a sells in my country for $720 for the pair while the Yamaha hs50m sells for $600 for the pair so there isn't a huge difference in the price between the two!

[audioexmachina]

An apparently meaningless detail in the Yamaha is that their amp level controls are on the rear, hardly accessible.

This forces you to listen to your different projects (and your reference commercial CDs) always at the same level, day by day. As time passes your brain develops a natural ability to recognize consistency (level, EQ.... EQ changes a lot when changing monitoring levels) and drifts from average behaviour (intended or not).

Obviously you can do this with any amp/monitors by not touching the volume, but the rear controls on the Yamaha forces you to this sort of discipline. If you're new at monitors as you said, this marginal feature may be worth considering.

Won't compare tech specs are they are available online.

[StringBean]

Originally Posted by britdick

Yamahas = not accurate, not pro.
Genelecs = the real deal.

Define accurate

[swafford]

I've never heard the Genelecs.

I do mono mixes on a single Dynaudio BM15 then switch over to a pair of Yamaha hs50m's. My mixes translate well to everywhere I go. The hs50m's are fatiguing after a while, but there's no reason you can't do great mixes on them.

[Quantik_Music]

I wouldn't listen to people like britdick, simply for no other reason than the fact that what he said isn't very helpful advice. It's very easy to say X sounds better than B but it becomes much more difficult when you have to explain why...which he didn't do I might add. I would from my own experience say that the Yams both the 50 and the 80 models tend to be extremely revealing about your sound, in that I mean that they won't flatter you. If a mix has too much high end you're certainly going to notice it on the yams. As for the gens I have heard it said that they have a more 'smooth' approach in their sound and that sometimes they can sometimes flatter a mix that is mediocre and make it appear to be quite good-that's just what I've heard anyway. If anything I would recommend you look at the HS80's if you're after some yams but that's just my 0.2 cents

[bassam_m]

Originally Posted by Quantik_Music

I wouldn't listen to people like britdick, simply for no other reason than the fact that what he said isn't very helpful advice. It's very easy to say X sounds better than B but it becomes much more difficult when you have to explain why...which he didn't do I might add. I would from my own experience say that the Yams both the 50 and the 80 models tend to be extremely revealing about your sound, in that I mean that they won't flatter you. If a mix has too much high end you're certainly going to notice it on the yams. As for the gens I have heard it said that they have a more 'smooth' approach in their sound and that sometimes they can sometimes flatter a mix that is mediocre and make it appear to be quite good-that's just what I've heard anyway. If anything I would recommend you look at the HS80's if you're after some yams but that's just my 0.2 cents

Thanks for the advice. I was wondering, while reading the specs of both the Yamaha and Genelec I found out that the Genelec can go to as low as 66 hz while the Yamaha can go to as low as 55 hz.
Does this mean that the Genelec lacks a lot of low end? I mainly mix r&b, pop and rock music. So would I be better off getting the Yamaha? (I don't want to buy an external subwoofer).

[Meow]

I know for a fact that the hs50s do not have a lot of low end. I've heard them many times with songs I know elsewhere. My brother actually uses them as computer speakers. I couldn't even begin to tell you why he does that.

I literally know nothing else about the entire subject LOL!!

[monad]

Originally Posted by Meow

I know for a fact that the hs50s do not have a lot of low end...

But HS80 do (also, even 50's can have a good low end, depending on your room and placement). And 80's are very nice, fat and confident sounding. Just like others have said, these Yamahas continue on the NS10 legacy; they are very revealing and working with them is easy. They translate very nicely, especially if your room is treated and/or you use room correction mechanisms, such as ARC (a life saviour).

Both on 50's and 80's the top end sounds warm and crunchy (not sharp and metallic), mids are nice and "cooked".

If you can invest in 80's I'd recommend you do that. If not, you might need a subwoofer for 50's.

[bassam_m]

Thank you all for your replies.
I was wondering if I bought the Yamaha hs50m, would I be able to use a volume controller such as this knowing that the Yamaha's have their volume on the back of the monitors?
TC Electronic Level Pilot | Sweetwater.com
Also anyone got any experience with the Genelec 8020a?

[mikkelkiilerich]

I mix on HS50 and Genelecs 1030's (discontinued, similar to 8030) and the really work well together, so buy both :-)
If you have to start with one pair...hmmm..maybe the gens, but you'll miss low end...
FWIW
Mikkel

[andreaeffe]

Originally Posted by britdick

Yamahas = not accurate, not pro.
Genelecs = the real deal.

Gross exaggeration+Stereotypical hearsay = not true

Yamaha make many different models, Genelec even more so.
And WTF is "pro"???
As pros we use all sorts of stuff, including boomboxes or crap computer speakers (ask Bob Clearmountain) or toilet paper on tweeters.
Whatever works, whatever U like.
Sorry, had to say that.

A pair of Genelec 8020s, for a start, cost like 2 pairs of Yamaha HS50s, and U'd still have some change left.
Are they twice as good, too?
Well, horses for courses and every ear has its' candy, but I'd say they're different, mechanically/physically a bit better built, but U do pay for the name a lot.
I personally don't like the way most smaller Genelecs sound, including these, because somehow U always "hear" the physical volume of the speaker enclosure - the upper bass and low mids are coloured and sympathetic with the resonance frequency of the speaker enclosure, and to me that always gets in the way, as does the fact that in my experience ALL Genelecs, EXCEPT the latest, bigger digitally tailored ones and the big soffit mount main monitors (which cost a fortune but sound brutally honest and revealing) tend to sound hifi-ish - most stuff sounds fine or better on them, great specs, super pleasing to the ear and always non fatigueing, so definitely always nice to have in the studio - but don't make U work hard, and might mask some problems, especially if doing midrangey/guitar based music.
Also, don't let the frequency specs fool U, listen to them in a real life environment and the small Genelecs definitely have more percieved bass and low end than the HS50s.
Speaking of which, the small Yamahas sound very, very bass light, with a "hyperactive" tweeter that can sound fatigueing, and do benefit from a bit of the high trim (switch on the back). They are not at all ear friendly, but end up being very revealing in the details and stereo field placement, and as someone already said above, what U manage to make sound good on them will generally sound good (or better ) elsewhere, too.
Like ALL monitor speakers, they need to be "learnt" - so of course U can adjust to knowing the small Genelecs and making perfect mixes on them, but I think the small Yamahas will make U work harder and do better in a mixing situation - I'd go for the Genelecs in an editing suite/fx suite/TV control room/voice over situation, where it's more about monitoring the process and working with already finished music, than making major mixing decisions, because they do objectively sound nicer, more refined.

As for the volume controls on the front/back, well I'd say both are useless in a real life studio/tracking/mixing situation without some sort of proper monitoring controller, with volume, possibly dim & mono switches, etc - I can't imagine turning two separate volume pots on each speaker separately and attempting to get work done or have a reliable, stable stereo image.

Again, all of the above in my opinon & experience, of course.

So, go listen to them, definitely get the TC or an SM Pro monitoring controller, and happy shopping.


A
F

[The Vulture]

First off.
Buying a pair of monitors without hearing them first is just gambling.
It's a subjective piece of gear and some like blondes other brunettes.

You need a volume level controller. Well, you don't "need" it but to adjust levels in your daw is a pain in the butt and potensially dangerous.

To your question.
I would consider other monitors that are more full range.
Why not even the hs 80?
I even saw a guy here who flush mounted them.
Made me laugh a little

[Oscillator]

I've had a pair of HS50's for around 5 years, which I use in my untreated apartment where I make ITB electronic music and some guitar recording. Compared to most people here I'm very much a noob, so take this with a grain of salt, but I've found that the mixes I make on the HS50's translate very well to many different mediums, earbuds, boombox, home stereo system etc. They are kind of bright, maybe a bit harsh in the top end, but I still enjoy just listening to all kinds of music on them.

[JulianFernandez]

I own a pair of 8020a´s...
I use to have the Tascams VLA-5 and the Genelec are easily more detailed and accurate... Night and day really.

[bassam_m]

Originally Posted by JulianFernandez

I own a pair of 8020a´s...
I use to have the Tascams VLA-5 and the Genelec are easily more detailed and accurate... Night and day really.

How does the low end translate on your Genelec 8020a?

[Arksun]

Originally Posted by bassam_m

I'm planning to buy new monitors for my home studio. This would be the first pair of monitors I ever buy. I always mix on headphones but I guess it's just time to start mixing on monitors instead.
I'll be buying either the Yamaha hs50m monitors or the Genelec 8020a. I would like to get feedback on which one do you think is better because I can't try them at a local store.
I would really like to get some replies from people who actually tried both.

Thank you all in advance!

Being used to mixing on headphones that probably extend quite low, the biggest thing you're going to have to deal with is the sudden lack of sub information jumping to either of those monitors as they'll both be relatively sub-bass light.

So if you can afford the 8020, perhaps the HS80m might be the better option?.

Also you couldn't have picked 2 more different sounding monitors really, it's a real shame you're not within travelling distance to really hear them for yourself as its like chalk n cheese here.

[JulianFernandez]

Originally Posted by bassam_m

How does the low end translate on your Genelec 8020a?

Well, this are my second pair of monitors, but I´m quite happy with them... They´re smaller than the Tascam´s but they´re a more tight an revealing in the low end... They really made look the Tascam like toys...

[sonic dogg]

The price you quoted is probably 600 for the PAIR for the Yamahas and 720 for a SINGLE Genelec.

8020's will need a sub. Genelec makes one mated to those speakers as a system. Its another good sized chunk of change.


The Yamahas will need a sub also. Not as much as the Genelecs.

Like any studio monitor, your ears will adjust to the speakers' information in the room . You will eventually be able to translate what you hear where you are into material that will travel to other systems well.

While I like the Yamahas and have zero problem with ANY choices for monitors by anyone, the Genelecs will become a mainstay for years to come. You may wind up keeping the Yamahas for an extended period of time but they will have a point where your ear training will surpass their abilities. Thats the norm for any system. However the Genelec systems will simply become your second or third choices as you grow as a mixer.

Neither one is particularly labratory accurate, but the Genelecs are very musical as opposed to the Yamahas rather clinical approach. As others have said, make things sound good on the Yamahas and it will translate. The same logic applies to the Genelecs only they are more pleasant to listen to for extended periods of time.

BTW. I own Genelecs and mix on several different sets and systems.