Genelec announces designer desktop speaker

Genelec has launched a portable speaker for use with PCs, TVs or music devices that promises to offer the brand's industry-leading sound at an affordable price.

The 600A Tube is a compact rear-ported active speaker, packing 2 x 10W amplifiers, and styled to sit discreetly on a tabletop. Sources are connected via a 3.5mm jack.

"Designed from the ground up as the perfect portable speaker, the 6000A Tube brings a new way to enjoy Genelec's professional sound quality wherever and from whatever device you like," reckons the Finnish brand.

The 600A Tube is a limited edition, with 1,000 of the Harri Koskinen-designed gadgets going on sale in Japan and another 1,000 reserved for the European market, and has a price tag of €450 (£390).

It ships with a credit card-sized remote control - a dedicated black leather carry case is an optional €125 (£110) extra.

As an active speaker, the 600A Tube needs to be plugged in to the mains, but an automatic signal-sensing function switches the speaker to stand-by mode after 10 minutes if no input is detected.

The ears have it

Genelec is a favourite of the pro-audio world – Pixar movies are mixed on its speakers – and it'll be banking on this reputation to woo buyers, because the 600A Tube is only available direct from its online shop.

Unfortunately, the company admits that while it is "easy to appreciate the design and technology of the new Genelec 6000A Tube, you really have to hear it to know the difference."

So you'll have to take a leap of faith.