Finnish loudspeaker manufacturer Genelec will already be a household name to those working in the worlds of music recording and broadcast. But over the last decade, the company has significantly increased its presence in the AV market, with a growing range of active loudspeakers that combine exceptional audio quality with aesthetic beauty and round-the-clock reliability.
The company’s Regional Business Manager for Asia and the Middle East is Arun Kumar, who explains Genelec’s increasing focus on AV:
“Back in 1978, we began by designing active loudspeakers that would satisfy the demands of music and broadcast customers – and that meant neutral, uncoloured performance, serviceability, and the ability of each loudspeaker to adapt to the acoustics of the room.”
Over the years, it became clear that those same qualities were increasingly appealing to customers in AV too. “They wanted clarity, intelligibility and uniform coverage, and loudspeaker systems that would perform consistently – long into the future,” Kumar explains. So in 2010, Genelec created the 4000 series of loudspeakers – aimed directly at the AV market – followed in 2019 by the launch of the Smart IP range of single-cable networked loudspeakers.
An expanding market
Kumar’s own audio experience stretches back over 20 years, during which he was leading the expansion of a very prominent brand in India. “In those days, premium audio was quite a challenge to sell to AV customers unused to that level of quality. I led the company as a system integrator and eventually transitioned to a distribution model, before progressing to head up the APAC business.”
Having joined Genelec in 2018, Kumar reflects on how the business looks right now in his native India:
“The pandemic caused an unfortunate aberration in the AV growth story, but it’s now back with a bang. AV investments by customers have always aligned with India’s economic growth, and anecdotally India is the third largest AV market in the world. Post-pandemic, the Indian economy has proved to be quite resilient – and the growth of AV has followed.”
Significant opportunities
Kumar explains that customers in India are drawn to Genelec’s ability to deliver the highest levels of sound quality, ease of use and adaptability, adding that: “Loudspeakers that combine full range sound with a compact footprint, and are aesthetically appealing and durable, are really valued by the AV industry. Additionally, with a single CAT cable carrying PoE, audio and loudspeaker management, our Smart IP range allows total flexibility in the system design and application. Integrators and consultants are fascinated by this technology.”
With India offering an abundance of skilled AV manpower at relatively low cost, Kumar believes it’s no surprise that many large international AV system integration companies are establishing offices there, and Genelec too sees significant opportunities.
“Our AV market efforts here are focussing on expanding our distribution network to reach all key industry stakeholders, including system integrators, consultants and architects. With a growing range of loudspeakers and an explosion of interest in our Smart IP networked technology, we feel hugely optimistic about the potential here.”
www.genelec.com/av-installation