Genelec Takes Pride of Place in Stunning London Apartment

The impressive 31-storey Canaletto tower in London’s thriving EC1 district is one of the city’s most desirable locations. Designed by renowned Dutch architect Ben van Berkel of UNStudio, the building features a striking curved steel and glass façade, making a unique statement on London’s skyline. One Canaletto resident has chosen to equip their elegant apartment with a host of Genelec loudspeakers linked to a sophisticated Crestron-based AV entertainment system to provide precise audio clarity throughout the stylish space.

In the living area, the owners have created a 7.0 sound system with three Genelec 8351s in the front, and four ceiling-mounted Genelec 8340s at the rear of the viewing area offering discrete side and rear channels for 7.0 playback or diverged sounds for 5.0. The speakers deliver an outstanding reference quality experience, which maximises the powerful AV and entertainment system.

“We opted for Genelec firstly because we wanted a high quality, technically superior surround sound solution to optimise our entertainment system, and secondly because many of our favourite film, video game and music producers use Genelec monitors to create the content that we consume”, explained the owner. “Using Genelec ourselves enables us to experience the content as it was intended by the creators and makes the whole experience feel even more authentic.”

The living room system posed a particular challenge due to the large amount of reflective glass surfaces. To counter this, the Genelec 8351s and 8340s were calibrated using Genelec Loudspeaker Manager (GLM™) software, which minimises intrusive artefacts resulting from hard surfaces. Andy Bensley from Genelec’s UK distributor, Source Distribution was responsible for calibrating the system. He explained that GLM was a crucial element in ensuring that the system worked with the space and not against it: “The ability to tailor the system’s HF response in relation to all the reflective surfaces allowed the reproduction to be detailed without being overly bright,” he noted. “Coupled with GLM's ability to compensate for differing arrival times at the listening position, we had the means to deliver an incredibly coherent and immersive system for the client in a challenging acoustical environment."

Elsewhere, a total of 16 AIC25 in-ceiling speakers have been installed throughout the flat. Their sleek design integrates seamlessly with the minimalist Nordic interior design of the flat, while still delivering a precise Genelec sound. All speakers are part of the Crestron home network and connected to a Mirage MMS-2A audio server for Tidal Master audio. Everything is controlled via iPhones and iPads, with the ability to switch individual rooms on and off, change sources on mobile devices, and select songs at will. In the master bathroom and snug, the speakers are also used to play back Apple TV audio.

“The Genelec AIC25 in-ceiling solution offered excellent sound quality in a discreet design package which works extremely well throughout the apartment and integrates very well with the Crestron home network,” remarked the owner. “Furthermore, the amplifier modules slotted very easily into the Crestron AV rack in the utility room, making for a neat and efficient solution all round. Our AV system is actually quite complex and sophisticated, but it’s the exquisite Genelec sound reproduction that really brings it to life and enables us to experience our favourite music, movies and video games just as the creators intended.”