Best of high end visited the Genelec booth at ISE 2019 in Amsterdam. We talked with R&D director Aki Mäkivirta about fries, Belgian chocolates and expensive cars. Just kidding. Our chat was about the launch of the new Genelec Smart IP platform. Here’s our report!
Hello and welcome to the Genelec booth at ISE 2019. My name is Aki Mäkivirta, I’m R&D director for Genelec. I would like to present ‘Smart IP’ to you. It’s a technology platform that we are showing here for the first time.
We are pulling a single standard CAT-5 ethernet cable to the loudspeaker. That single cable is able to provide power over ethernet, HQ audio stream over IP and full monitoring of what is going on in the loudspeaker. That means full control of all the aspects in the loudspeaker. It gives you full acces over a single cable.
We are also presenting software that you need when you’re setting up your loudspeaker system. After you’ve installed the loudspeakers, you pull all the cables to the IP switches. Next you fire-up the software. This enables you to find the loudspeakers in the building. You can range them to zones that you want to have in your building. Then you can assign audio over IP streams that should feed individual loudspeakers. After that you’re ready to go for the final step; equalize all the loudspeakers for the purpose that you intend them for. The loudspeakers contain multiple memory locations, where you can store multiple acoustical calibration situations.
We also support a public API programming interface in the loudspeakers so that you’ll be able to use your standard automation system to recall these situations, to adjust volume and to acces information in the loudspeakers.
One cable for power, audio and control
Smart IP carries audio, power and device management over a single network cable, using Dante and AES67 for digital audio transport and Power-over-Ethernet for electrical power — removing the separate power and audio wiring runs a traditional analog install would require. Genelec’s proprietary power management lets Smart IP loudspeakers reach full output over PoE alone, which the company describes as a first for PoE-powered installation speakers, supporting up to eight channels per stream at up to 96kHz.
From museums to boardrooms
Genelec positions Smart IP for installed-sound projects ranging from museums and retail spaces to corporate offices and educational venues, with sub-microsecond network synchronization keeping multiple zones and speakers in step. The range now spans five Smart IP loudspeaker models alongside a dedicated subwoofer, managed through Genelec’s own configuration and control software rather than a traditional analog amplifier rack.
Frequently asked questions
What is Genelec Smart IP?
A technology platform that delivers power, high-quality audio over IP, and full loudspeaker monitoring and control over a single standard CAT-5 ethernet cable.
How do you set up loudspeakers on the Genelec Smart IP platform?
Software lets installers find loudspeakers on the network, assign them to zones, route audio-over-IP streams to individual units, and store multiple acoustic calibration presets per speaker.
Can Genelec Smart IP integrate with automation systems?
Yes — it supports a public API that lets standard automation systems recall calibration presets, adjust volume, and access loudspeaker information.
