Genelec has announced the first model in its new Signature Series with the introduction of the two-way 6040R smart active loudspeaker created in conjunction with noted Finnish industrial designer Harri Koskinen.
Koskinen’s association with Genelec began 20 years ago with the introduction of the 6040A model, the first Genelec loudspeaker to feature the distinctive minimalist curves of the Minimum Diffraction Enclosure (MDE) – a cabinet design by Koskinen that now forms the core of much of Genelec’s current loudspeaker range.
Fashioned from die-cast aluminum, MDE is designed to produce very clean acoustic performance and wide frequency response from a compact enclosure, free from the resonances that affected more traditional cabinet designs. MDE also allowed the 6040A to utilize Genelec’s Directivity Control Waveguide that’s designed to produce smooth, uncolored reproduction both on- and off-axis with excellent imaging and minimal distortion.
The 20th anniversary of the 6040 launch has given Genelec the opportunity to work further with the technology within the 6040 as part of a new Signature Series. Designed and manufactured by the company in Iisalmi, Finland, the re-engineered 6040R is equipped with the same LF driver design and proprietary bi-amplified class D power amplifier technology as Genelec’s professional loudspeaker models.
Additional refinements include both analog and digital inputs (supporting AES/EBU and SPDIF formats), a digital output, universal mains voltage and sophisticated onboard DSP to allow each 6040R loudspeaker to be intelligently tuned for any acoustic environment via GLM room calibration software that has the new AutoCal 2 room calibration algorithm, designed to take advantage of detailed background information of each individual loudspeaker in the system to tailor the performance to the room.
Further, the new 6040R offers increased power output, higher SPL, wide phase linearity, and lower power consumption. It also partners with selected models from Genelec’s range of F Series and Smart Active Subwoofers and can be used with Genelec wired and wireless volume controllers via either an F Series subwoofer or a GLM network adaptor.
It’s equipped with a 6.5-inch woofer and 19-mm (0.75-inch) tweeter, each driven independently by twin dedicated 150-watt power amplifier stages. It stands at 999 mm (39.33 inches) high and is stated to deliver a frequency response of 43 Hz to 20 kHz with a maximum short term SPL of 110 dB. With the addition of one or two subwoofers, the SPL and frequency response of the system can be further extended.
“I’m thrilled to be involved in the rebirth of the 6040,” says Koskinen. “When I first met Genelec founder Ilpo Martikainen in 1999, he had a clear vision for creating a unique look that would set Genelec apart aesthetically – and with the 6040A, we designed a loudspeaker that was truly ahead of its time both visually and technically. With the huge advances in technology that have taken place in the last 20 years, it feels right to be raising the bar even higher for today’s sophisticated listener with the 6040R.”
“In addition to the blend of performance and aesthetics that the new 6040R offers, this is a design that is based on our long-term commitment to sustainable manufacturing,” adds Genelec Managing Director Siamäk Naghian. “Fashioned from recycled aluminum and offering low power consumption, the 6040R is designed for a long lifecycle and total reliability, and is produced in our Finnish factory – which is powered entirely from renewable fuels. The 6040R is not only a secure and long term investment, but also an environmentally sound one.”
Go here for more specifics on the new 6040R.
