Since its founding in 1978, professional audio monitoring has been the core of Genelec’s business. Their commitment to research and development has established Genelec as the industry leader in active monitors. Over 30 years later their monitoring products remain true to the original philosophy, offering reliability, neutral sound reproduction regardless of size, as well as the ability to adapt frequency response to the listening environment. During the past decade their business has expanded beyond the professional monitoring segment to selected consumer markets and Genelec products are today found in an increasing number of home theaters and residential systems. Harri Koskinen has been involved in the industrial design of the Genelec 6000 and 8000 Series loudspeakers as well as the 5040A subwoofer. He is one of the most internationally acclaimed Finnish designers today. On top of Genelec his clientele includes Arabia, Artek, Cassina, Design House Stockholm, Finlandia Vodka Worldwide, Iittala, Issey Miyake, Montina, Muji, Panasonic, Seiko Instruments, Swarovski, Venini and Woodnotes. Koskinen’s uncompromised bold design style has gained international renown since the early days of his career. Practicality and strict aesthetics are his trademarks. One of his best-known works is Block Lamp, launched in 1998. Manufactured by Design House Stockholm, the lamp is included in the MoMA collection. Founded in 2000, Koskinen’s design agency Friends of Industry is involved in product, concept and exhibition design. In 2009, Koskinen launched his first namesake collection, Harri Koskinen Works. His designs have been on display in both solo and group exhibitions around the world. The latest of the numerous awards received by Koskinen was the Swedish Torsten and Wanja Söderberg Prize, granted to him in 2009. In 2007, he was awarded the Pro Finlandia medal by the President of Finland. By international standards, Koskinen’s most esteemed award is Compasso d’Oro, which he received for his Muu chair designed for Montina in 2004.
8260A
Genelec’s 8000 Series contains active monitors suitable for both home and professional users. The new 8260A 3-way DSP system is a masterpiece in electro-acoustic design. It features major advances in audio driver technology integrated to a sophisticated enclosure design. Genelec Minimum Diffraction Coaxial Mid/High driver technology takes a big step in perfecting audio quality in professional active studio monitors by providing more accurate imaging and improved sound quality both on and off the acoustical axis. The extremely smooth frequency response leads to outstanding clarity and definition of the inner details of the music. 8260A combines, for the first time, a coaxial driver with a modern waveguide technology, ensuring drivers to couple coherently over their full operating bandwidth, as well as creating coincident mid-frequency/high frequency point source. 8260A is housed in a die-cast aluminum Minimum Diffraction Enclosure™ with acoustically optimized rounded edges to prevent diffractions and yielding superb sound stage imaging. The robust enclosure is completely immune to vibrations. Each 8260A also comes with an Isolation Positioner/Decoupler™, which eliminates coloration of the sound by decoupling the monitor from its mounting surface, and includes integrated rear support points for various floor and wall stands. The 8260A Tri-Amplified DSP Monitoring System can be used together with other 8200 Series DSP monitors and 7200 Series subwoofers in the same setup. The 8260A monitor was selected by the editors of Mix Magazine as one of the Top-20 hits of the AES 2009 show.
