Makia Matches Stylish Threads with Genelec Speakers

Makia Clothing company aims to keep customers warm in harsh winter conditions with simple and stylish quality.

Founded in 2001, the brand draws inspiration from the history of Helsinki Harbour, and its logo features the iconic Harmaja light house which was erected in 1833 outside Helsinki to welcome seafarers home. For its flagship store – which is located in the heart of Helsinki in the 1930s ‘functionalist’ Lasipalatsi building – Makia was keen for the design of the premises to be in keeping with the elegant and minimalistic styling of its clothing. The company chose to install six white Genelec 4030C loudspeakers to provide its store with balanced and neutral sound throughout the retail space.

Joni Malmi, founder of Makia, says, “We were looking for quality sound that would be well balanced throughout the store space. The look of the speakers was also important, as the style of our store is functional Nordic minimalism. The choice was pretty easy as I am familiar with Genelec speakers since I’ve been using them in my home studio for more than a decade. The white 4000 Series blends well into the interior design of our store, and the Genelec brand reflects values that we appreciate.”

"We are both Finnish brands that make products that stand the test of time in quality and over trends."

Joni believes that Genelec’s stellar reputation aligns well with Makia’s product ethos – to be of high quality and to stay perennially relevant, functional and stylish. “I can see many similarities, as we are both Finnish brands that make products that stand the test of time in quality and over trends. Finland has a Nordic design heritage that is functional and minimalistic at the same time. Things are made to do a job.”

The Genelec 4000 Series is a compact and powerful two-way active loudspeaker perfect for indoor commercial use. The model contains an integrated amplification unit compromising an active electronic crossover, overload protection circuitry and two power amplifiers, one for each driver to create excellent sound. The speakers were designed by internationally renowned Finnish industrial designer Harri Koskinen, who is known for his bold, uncompromising design aesthetic, which complements Makia’s store design. The beauty of its design is also in its functionality – every rounded edge of the front baffle is not merely for aesthetics, but also helps to negate edge diffraction, which contributes to uncoloured sound reproduction and neutral tonal characteristics which are critical elements of a quality loudspeaker.

The install-friendly 4000 Series meant that fitting the speakers was simple and unproblematic, and the Genelec speakers required minimal adjustment to perform to the standards required for the space. The 4000 Series is fitted with phoenix screw terminals, which ensures an easy and secure connection, and delivers interference-free, professional quality sound. “We mainly use the speaker system for streaming custom playlists through our business Spotify account, and occasionally connect it to a DJ setup for in-store events,” adds Joni. “Our main goal was to achieve a balanced sound inside the store, so that the music distributes at an even volume throughout 150 m² floor space, in a way that you can clearly hear it and still have a conversation. We are happy with the end result.”

KIT LIST

6 X 4030C Installation Speaker