Two
absolute fidelity
A Message from Genesis
Congratulations! And Thank You!
You are now the owner of one of the finest loudspeaker systems in
the world! The Genesis 2.2 is the result of technologies developed
and refined over the past 40 years in constant production.
The G2.2 loudspeaker system was created for the music lover who
knows (almost) no compromise. It is designed to reproduce music
(and film) at live listening levels with virtually no restrictions on
dynamic range, frequency response, or imaging capabilities. This is
“absolute fidelity™”, the ability to reproduce the musical event
faithfully, as was intended by the performer or filmmaker.
However, the G2.2 is not meant to reproduce music at ear-splitting
levels. If you are looking for just LOUD, this is the wrong
loudspeaker. A Ferrari and a Caterpillar may have the same price
and horsepower, but they are very different vehicles and you
wouldn’t use your Ferrari to move a load of gravel.
Please read this Owners Manual and Set-up Guide to get the
maximum enjoyment out of your purchase. Also, if you have
access to the internet, please check back at our website often. The
updates, tips and tricks, and support for our owners on our website
and in our newsletter.
Please write the purchase details of your Genesis 2.2 System
here for future reference. Remember, send in your registration
card to extend the limited warranty on your loudspeakers.
Bought from: ____________________________
____________________________
Date: ___________________________________
ii
absolute fidelity
This page intentionally left blank
Warranty Statement and Extended Registration Card
should be placed here
iii
absolute fidelity
Set-up Guide
Now that you have your new Genesis 2 loudspeaker system, we
realize that you can’t wait to hook it up and start the music!
However, this is a big, complex system and we want you to set it
up correctly and more importantly, safely. So, please read this set
up guide (even if your dealer is setting it up for you!) before you
proceed.
Planning the Placement
Before you even have the loudspeakers delivered, it would be a
good idea to make a plan of where you will place them. You will
not need a huge room, but at a minimum the room should be about
16 feet (5m) wide where the speakers will be placed. You should
have a minimum of at least 6 feet (2m) of space behind the
speakers. The listening position should be a minimum of 10 feet
(3m) from the front of the midrange ribbon to allow for proper
integration of the drivers.
In a typical placement, the midrange/tweeter wings will be placed so
that the two columns of tweeters are on the inside, and between six
feet to eight feet (2m to 2.6m) apart. The woofer towers are placed
behind and outside the wings with the column of woofers about 4 feet
1
absolute fidelity
from the midrange ribbons. In order to allow for sufficient space from
the sidewalls, this dictates that the optimum room is at least 19 feet
(6m) wide.
Placing the woofer towers asymmetrical but equidistant from the
midrange/tweeter wings will result in better integration of the bass
frequencies to the room. Keep the side of the woofer towers no
less than 16 inches from the sidewall.
The suggestions here are typical in a minimum space. With a larger
room, it is possible (and optimal) to have a layout as shown below
with the midrange, tweeters and woofers equidistant from the
listening position. Still, the woofer towers should be placed
asymmetric in the room with the distances of the woofers from the
2
absolute fidelity
nearest wall being different.
As the room will greatly influence the sound of your system, fine-
tuning adjustments in placement will be necessary. Every room will
be different, with doorways, furniture, closets, wall construction and
covering, etc. all making a significant impact on positioning.
Unpacking
The Genesis 2.2 system will arrive in a number of pieces. There
are four large wooden shipping crates, two containing the woofer
towers, two holding midrange/tweeter panels (or “wings”). There
will also be a pallet of cardboard boxes holding the acoustic
suspension system, the various modules of the servo-controlled
bass amplifier, and a box containing the various cables. (There
could also be up to three more boxes if you have the optional
Maximum Dynamic Headroom Reservoir and power supply
upgrades to the servo-controlled bass amplifier.)
To remove the contents of all the crates, you will need help. The
G2.2 loudspeaker system with crates weigh a total of 1,400 lbs.
Each woofer tower weighs over 220 lbs, and each tweeter tower
weighs over 150 lbs and they have to be lifted out of the shipping
crates. We are not liable for damage (to either the speakers or
your backs!) during unpacking and setting up.
We suggest the use of a forklift to move these
crates around, and at least four strong people to
un-box and position the loudspeakers. In order to
remove the loudspeakers from the crates, the front
and top of the crates can be removed. This is
secured with screws – remove all exposed screws
except the ones marked with blue paint – and the
top and front can be lifted away.
With the top and front of the crate removed, each
wing and tower of the loudspeaker can be carefully
lifted and slid out of the crate. Before you put the
speaker up on its feet, it will be necessary to install
the acoustic suspension (next page).
After unpacking, we strongly suggest that the crates be dismantled,
flattened and safely stored away in a cool, dry place. They will be
needed should you relocate or move. It will be expensive to custom
3
absolute fidelity
build crates strong enough to transport these loudspeakers without
damage.
Assembling the Acoustic Suspension
A unique feature of the Genesis 2.2
loudspeaker system is the integration of an
acoustic suspension system for the
loudspeaker columns. This is an essential
feature of the cabinet structure – resulting in
lower coloration, better definition and rock-
solid imaging.
The suspension system comprises of a
suspension frame made of 1-inch of solid
cast acrylic, a set of Neoprene decoupling
shock absorbers, and a set of steel spikes.
Acoustic Suspension under the
midrange/tweeter wings
Should you be placing the speakers on a hardwood floor or a floor
that would scratch easily, do not use “spike cups”. These defeat the
purpose of having a spike in the first place! Use a copper penny –
the weight of the speaker on the spike will create a depression in
the penny, and this point is what will efficiently transfer vibration to
the floorboards.
A couple of points to note during the assembly of the acoustic
suspension system:
1)
2)
The triangular “hole” in the suspension frame points to the
front of the speaker (towards the listener).
Do not over tighten the shock absorbers that are pre-
installed on the cabinet – finger tight is sufficient. A hex-key
(or allen wrench) is supplied to tighten the bolts holding the
suspension frame to the shock absorbers. Again, do not
over tighten these bolts.
3)
4)
The point of the spike should protrude through the
suspension frame only far enough to couple to the floor. If on
a concrete or marble floor, for example, 5mm or 1/5” is more
than sufficient. If you have your speakers on a 1/2" deep pile
carpet, then you will need to have the spike protrude about
3/4" so that the suspension frame clears the carpet.
If you need to move the loudspeaker after you have installed
the spikes, do not “walk” the speaker cabinet on the spikes –
retract the spikes first, shift the speakers, and then lower the
4
absolute fidelity
spikes again. This will avoid causing damage to the acoustic
suspension and to your floor.
5)
While the acoustic suspension is designed for you to be able
to use the system on any surface, if you have very light and
resonant bare floorboards, you may need to place a heavy
slab of marble, slate, or granite under the loudspeaker to
avoid exciting the floor.
The Servo-Controlled Bass Amplifier
The included remote-controlled
modular Servo-Controlled Bass
Amplifier powers the woofer
towers of the G2. There are
three modules, an acoustic
suspension (or amplifier stand)
plus a power supply unit and
numerous supplied cables in
the standard configuration.
The parts of the amplifier are:
Genesis 2 Servo-Controlled Bass Amplifier
1)
2)
3)
The electronic crossover and Control Module with left
and right balanced inputs and two control outputs.
A pair of Control Interface Cables (CIC): these have
7-pin Neutrik™ connectors at each end.
A pair of Servo-Bass Interconnects (SBI) with XLR
connectors at one end and a pair of banana plugs (or
optionally spades) at the other end.
4)
Two Servo-feedback Amplifier Modules with one
control input, and two Neutrik 50-amp Speakon™
outputs.
5)
6)
One Acoustic Suspension system.
Two pairs of Servo-Bass Cables (SBC) with Neutrik
50-amp Speakon™ plugs at each end.
7)
8)
A single Power Transformer for the Amplifier Modules
with two Neutrik™ 20-amp PowerCon™ outlets.
A pair of Power Umbilicals with a Neutrik 20-amp
Powercon plug at each end (one grey and one blue).
As an optional upgrade, comprising two Maximum Dynamic
Headroom Reservoirs and an additional Power Transformer is
available. This conveys additional macro- and micro-dynamic
5
absolute fidelity
capabilities to the servo-bass system. With this upgrade, two
additional Acoustic Suspension systems are supplied.
In the typical configuration, the Control Module, and two Servo-
feedback Amplifiers are placed in a stack between the midrange/
tweeter wings. The Power Supply is placed behind the stack. Using
the supplied Power Umbilicals, connect the Power Supply to the
two Amplifier Modules.
A word of caution – the Neutrik PowerCon connectors used
for linking the power supply to the amplifiers are designed for
passing current. They are not designed to make/break current.
Hence, be sure to connect the Power Umbilicals before you
connect the Power Supply to the wall outlet.
With the optional Maximum Dynamic Headroom Reservoir
upgrade, the Control module is placed in the middle, flanked by the
two Servo-feedback Amplifiers topped with the MDHR. The Servo-
feedback Amplifiers would ideally be set closer to the woofer
towers with shorter Servo-Bass Cables, and the Control module
can be placed between the midrange/tweeter wings.
Using the supplied CIC, link the Control Module to each of the
Servo-feedback Amplifiers. One amplifier module is for the RIGHT
woofer tower and the other will be for the LEFT. This can be
determined by the last letter of the serial number. It does not matter
which CIC is used for the right channel and which is used for left.
However, one is marked with a red ring and the other is marked
with a white ring for convenience.
Use the SBC to connect the woofer
towers to the woofer amplifier. Each
end of the cable has a pair of 50 amp
twist-lock Neutrik™ Speakon™
connectors, and is clearly marked,
AMPLIFIER or SPEAKER. It does not
matter which connector is used as
long as the correct amplifier module is
used for the left and right towers. It
does not matter which SBC is used for
the left or the right; however, one is
marked with AMPLIFIER or SPEAKER in
red lettering, and the other in white
6
absolute fidelity
lettering.
When you connect the woofer tower outputs pay close attention to
the way the connector works. It only goes in one way and you
cannot put it in wrong. However, you can fail to put it in all the way
or fail to lock it in place. Line up the alignment pins on the
connectors, push the plug in, and twist it clockwise until the lock
"clicks" in place to keep it there. By looking carefully, it will be
obvious as to how it works.
At the AMPLIFIER end of the servo-bass cable, you will find a male 1/8”
jack. The female end is on the chassis of the servo-bass amplifier
labelled GND. These jacks are used for grounding an internal shield
within the servo-bass cable. For the time being, leave this shield
disconnected. The shield ground should be used only when
necessary.
Midrange/Tweeter Connections
Next, connect the mid/tweeter
panels to your power amplifier
using a pair of high quality
loudspeaker cables (not
supplied) to the 5-way binding
posts. We recommend using
good quality spade
connectors for this job.
There are two ways to get the
music signal from your hifi
system to the Servo-Controlled Bass Amplifier to drive the woofers.
The first, and preferred way is to drive it using the output of the
power amplifier that is driving the midrange/ tweeter panels using
the supplied pair of Servo-Bass Interconnects.
The Servo-Bass Interconnect will be supplied with a pair of banana
plugs at one end, and an XLR balanced male plug at the other end.
The banana plugs will plug straight into the binding posts of the G2
midrange/tweeter tower inputs when you are using speaker cables
with spade connectors. If your speaker cables use banana plugs,
you can order spade connectors with the SBI at no extra charge
when you order your loudspeakers.
Servo-Bass Interconnects
parallels speaker cable inputs
The XLR connector contains a specially developed internal
7
absolute fidelity
balancing circuit that enables the power amplifier to drive the
balanced input of the servo amplifier. Because of the extremely
high impedance of the balancing circuit, the parallel connection
places absolutely no stress on the power amplifier. Do not use any
other interconnect cable for this purpose as the high level output
from your power amplifier will blow the input circuit of the Control
Module! This internal circuit also allows even fully balanced power
amplifiers* to be connected this way.
Plug the XLR end of the SBI into the Control Module and the
banana plug end into the binding posts of your midrange/tweeter
towers (preferred) or the output binding posts of your power amp.
Each end of the SBI has a grounding alligator clip on a flying green
lead. Leave this grounding clip disconnected for the time being. It
is not necessary in most instances.
The alternative method of connecting the servo-bass amplifier to
your system is to use a pair of balanced interconnects (not
supplied) from your preamplifier to the servo-bass amplifier. Your
preamplifier will need to have two sets of outputs, or you will need
to use a high-quality Y-cable (not supplied). If you use this method
of connection, your power amplifier will be driving the midrange/
tweeter towers and the servo-controlled bass amplifier will be
driven in parallel by your preamp.
As no power amplifier is “straight wire with gain”, we do not
recommend this way of driving your servo-bass amplifier. The
reason is that coherence and good integration between the
midrange and bass is much harder to achieve.
Servo-Bass Amplifier Remote
Your Genesis 2.2 servo-bass amplifier is supplied with a Logitech
Harmony™ remote control. This is a universal remote control that
can also be programmed to control the rest of your music system.
While we do not provide customer support for the programmable
supply it pre-programmed with the correct codes to control the
* Do NOT use this method of connection with Class D power amplifiers that have both +ve
and –ve speaker outputs floating above ground. Some of these amplifiers have as much
as 36V on their speaker “ground”, and this will damage the Servo-Controlled Bass
Amplifier. Use the second method of connection.
8
absolute fidelity
Genesis servo-bass amplifier. To do this, we have created an
online profile# for you to use.
Your UserID is Genesis2207011 and Password is Genesis
Please visit the Harmony Remote website for support, and to
activate and configure your remote.
Bass Control Adjustments
Your servo-bass amplifier should be the last thing you turn on in
your system, and the first thing you turn off. As a general rule, turn
your system on starting at the source to the amplifiers, and turn it
off starting at the amplifiers back to the source.
If the remote is not already set-up to control the Servo-
Bass Amplifier, press the [Devices] button on top, and
select Amplifier on the screen by pressing the button next
*
to it. Plug the woofer amplifier into a power outlet , and
using the remote control, turn it on by pressing the OK
button. The display on the Control Module shows on .
When you make any adjustments, the display flashes
to identify the function that is being adjusted.
The bass volume or gain is controlled with the Ch. +
and – buttons. (The Vol + and – buttons are used for
your main volume control on your preamplifier.) When
you first press one of the volume control buttons, the
currently-set volume will flash. The next press will
move the volume up or down. Pressing and holding
the Ch. + or – buttons will change the volume up or
down rapidly.
The bass volume/gain has a range of 0 to 100. A volume
setting of around 40 is nominal1 for normal sized rooms. That is a
# If you have managed to let us know ahead of time what the rest of your system is, it
might even be possible for us to pre-program the remote for you.
* Do NOT use any power conditioners with the Genesis Servo-Controlled Bass Amplifier.
We have found that every power conditioner that we have tried will restrict the dynamics of
the system – except the Titan by IsoTek Systems.
1 This assumes that the standard SBI is used to interconnect the Control module to the
midrange/tweeter towers.
9
absolute fidelity
good place to start when making adjustments. In general, a lower
bass volume setting is needed in smaller rooms.
Next, adjust the phase with the buttons marked “ꢀ” or “ꢁ” on the
remote control. When you first press the phase up or down button,
the display will flash Ph and then the current phase setting will be
shown. The next press of the button will move the phase up or
down. Set the phase to zero as an initial setting.
If you are not driving the servo-bass amplifier as recommended
using the output of the power amplifier and the Servo-Bass
Interconnect supplied, the phase will depend on the phase shift and
group delay of your power amplifier. A typical value can be
anywhere from 45 to 135 degrees. A phase inverting power
amplifier will require that you invert the input phase of the Servo-
Controlled amplifier.
Two crossover controls are provided on the Control Module that
helps you tune the system into your room. The high-pass filter
determines how low the woofers will play, and the low-pass filter
determines how high the woofers play to. The frequency that you
set these filters to will be the “knee” frequency after which the
woofers will attenuate by 6dB per octave, and is not the –3dB point.
The high-pass filter and low-pass filter is set using the
up/down/left/right navigation ring around the OK button.
Up/down adjusts the high-pass filter up and down
respectively, and right/left adjusts the low-pass up and
down respectively.
Initially, set the high-pass (HI) filter to 26Hz until the
woofers and amplifiers break in (about 300 hours of play).
After which it can be set to 20Hz. Next, adjust the low pass
(LO) filter to 98Hz using the button marked "low pass" (on the
remote control).
In addition to the current setting, the Control Module can memorize
up to two sets of settings. To recall the settings in Memory 1, press
the [1] key momentarily. To recall the settings in Memory 2, press the
[2] key momentarily.
To store the current settings in Memory 1, press and hold the [1] key
for approximately 5 seconds or until the display flashes. To store the
10
absolute fidelity
current settings in Memory 2, press and hold the [2] key for 5
seconds or until the display flashes.
Midrange/Tweeter
Controls
You will notice two controls on
the back of the midrange/
tweeter panel. The left hand
knob is a trim control for the
rear tweeters. Turning this
control clockwise will increase
the level of the rear tweeters.
If there is not enough space
behind your loudspeaker, the
rear tweeter control can be
turned down. In large rooms,
the tweeter control can be turned up. Use this control if you need a
bit more treble or to increase the apparent space of the
soundstage. Start with this control at the twelve o'clock position.
The control on the right side is a three-position switch used to
adjust the midrange. Start at position two. Position one will sound
fuller in the lower midrange while position three will sound leaner
and have more upper midrange.
The less obvious effect (more obvious to some people!!) of the
midrange control is to make the soundstage sound more forward,
and change the perceived height and position of the performance.
Relative to position two, you can raise the soundstage by moving to
position three (it’s like moving your seat forwards in the concert
hall!!)
Position two gives you a soundstage perspective of about the
middle of the concert hall. Position three is more like the orchestra
seats, and position one may be more like the circle seats.
While it is relatively easy to put the Genesis 2 loudspeaker system
into your room and system and get a reasonable sound, it is not as
easy to perfectly integrate the loudspeakers into your room, and
get great music out of it. The time you will take to do this properly
will be well worth it for the long-term enjoyment you will derive. This
fine-tuning is covered later in this manual.
11
absolute fidelity
Servo-Controlled Bass Amplifier Protection
The servo-bass amplifier has numerous protection circuits built in to
protect both the amplifier and the woofers. If you over-drive the
amplifier, it will self-protect and you will hear clicking or thumping
sounds. This is caused by the amplifier limiting current to the
woofers (much like the over-rev fuel-cut off in sports car engines).
If that happens, turn down the volume of your system to protect
your hearing and your speakers. The amplifier is designed to be
current-limited to 20amps – this is more than enough to supply over
1600W transients to the woofers. However, the servo-system in the
G2 is not compression or dynamic limited. Hence, it is possible to
play the system too loud, and damage the woofers (and also
possibly blow your ribbons).
Due to the efficiency of the amplification modules, they deliver
and draw current extremely quickly. Even though in a well-wired
home it is unlikely, you may find that a very loud bass drum thwack
will cause your lights to dim, or the circuit breakers to trip if you do
not supply enough power to your system.
A possible solution will be to install an additional 20amp circuit in
your listening room, and purchase an additional power supply to
separate the power needs of the left and right woofer towers. Also,
the Maximum Dynamic Headroom Reservoir (developed for the
Genesis Reference Amplifier) is available as an optional upgrade.
A Word about Finish
The G2 is entirely covered in high-gloss acrylic. Acrylic was picked
for its sonic properties as well as its beauty. However, acrylic is a
soft material that can scratch easily.
Every G2 system is delivered with a 3-stage acrylic polish system
by Novus. Do not use any other cleaners or polish on your G2
loudspeakers. In particular, DO NOT use paper towels to wipe the
surface of your loudspeakers. Paper fibres are extremely abrasive
and can introduce fine scratches on the surface. If dusting is
necessary, we recommend a soft feather duster.
12
absolute fidelity
Tuning the system
Music is the best way to begin to fine-tune your setup. We suggest
that video sources be used only after you have setup the system to
properly reproduce music. While we deliver the G2 system only
after at least 24 hours of running-in, fine-tune your system only
after at least 200 hours of play. As the loudspeaker system breaks
in, it will sound better and better.
Begin with the bass level
Start with a single vocal with simple instrumental accompaniment
because the sound of the human voice is more easily recognizable
than many instruments and is the least complex sound to deal
with.
Leave the low pass filter alone for the moment, as it should remain
set at 98 Hz, This control will be addressed later. Turn the volume
control of the woofer amplifier up or down until the voice sounds
correct. Whatever controls you use, turn them up and down only a
little at a time. It is easy to turn it up or down too much.
Concentrate on the mid bass regions (as opposed to the very low
bass in your recording) to achieve a natural blend. The voice and
the music accompaniment should sound as if it were cut from one
cloth, not separate.
If the voice sounds “thin” or does not have enough “chest” to its
sound, turn the woofers amplifier’s volume up till it does. If you find
that turning the volume up creates too much low bass, then it is
time to decrease the low pass filter control.
The low-pass control will raise or lower the frequency cutoff point of
the woofer. Turning the low pass filter up to a higher number will
extend the upper bass regions without affecting the low bass level.
Some rooms may require that you set the low-pass filter to 100Hz.
Do not be afraid to increase this control to give the sound more
body.
Next, set the woofers using more than just a voice. Select some
music that you know to have good deep bass. Using the volume
control on the servo amplifier’s remote control, set the woofers for a
natural and powerful bass sound. Use a symphonic piece of music
if you can, or use a natural bass instrument like a stand-up bass for
13
absolute fidelity
your guide. Try to make it sound real. You may have to return to
the vocal to make sure you have not gone too far in one direction.
If, at this point, it does not have enough mid bass, turn the low pass
number to a higher position or, alternately, position the midrange/
tweeter wings closer together in order to achieve better lower
midrange coupling between the main speakers. If it sounds too “fat”
turn the low pass control down or adjust the volume. At this point it
is suggested to use the low pass filter control until you get to the
refinement stage.
Imaging and Soundstage
While imaging and soundstage are a controversial subject (how do
you ever know that the soundstage is recorded correctly in the first
place), it is vitally important to our enjoyment of a recorded musical
event. The G2 is able to deliver a realistic soundstage only if the
recording contains such realism.
If your vocal selection is a well-recorded audiophile CD or LP, the
performer should appear to come from behind the loudspeakers
and be at the appropriate height for a standing person. If it is not,
there are several remedies that will address this.
Assuming that the vocal recording is accurate, if the vocalist
appears to be larger than life, you should first check the system
volume. Is it a volume that would be appropriate for someone
actually singing in your room? If there is too much volume the
artist will appear too big and the opposite is true for too little
volume. If the volume is set correctly and the image is still too big,
toe the woofer towers in a very slight amount or place them
closer together and re-listen. Repeat this process till you have it
right.
If the voice is too low in height, turn the midrange control to the
next highest position and the image of the voice will move upward.
There are many solo vocal recordings where the singer is recorded
using a microphone hung above head height. In this case, it is
correct for the system to portray a singer that seem to be singing
from a pit in between your loudspeakers.
If you have the speakers only 20% away from the front wall, and
you are not getting enough front to back depth (the singer not
appearing behind the speaker enough) pull the midrange tweeter
14
absolute fidelity
panels away from the front wall a little bit at a time. If you do not
have them pulled far enough away, you may not have enough
front to back depth. If you get the speakers much beyond 1/3 of
the way into the room, it is unlikely that pulling them further away
is reasonable.
Too much absorption on the wall behind the speakers will also
result in less depth in the soundstage. The G2 requires a
relatively “live” front wall.
Find the best compromise for your room, your tastes and your
space requirements. If the speakers are too far apart you will lose
the side image and the image density in the middle of the
soundstage will be too diffuse. If the speakers are too close
together you will have too small a center stage, and you may find
that the edges of the soundstage collapse inwards.
We recommend you begin with six to seven feet apart as
measured from tweeter to tweeter. If you are not getting proper
focus on the voice, you may angle the midrange panels from 1 to 3
degrees inwards towards your seating position until you have a
properly defined center image.
When properly set up very little sound should appear to come
directly from the speaker, instead, the sound stage should extend
far beyond the left and right edge of the loudspeakers and they
should have tremendous front to back depth. When the recording is
close miked (when the instrument or performer is very close to the
recording microphone) the music may appear to come directly
from the loudspeaker. This is normal. Typically, however, the
sound should appear to be detached from the loudspeakers.
A simple rule of thumb to follow is that focus will be achieved by
placing the speakers closer together or farther apart, and front to
back depth can be adjusted by the distance from the front wall and
treatment (or lack of) of the front wall. Further, as the system
“breaks in”, the depth and width of the soundstage will increase,
and so will the “smoothness” of the sound.
Phase Control
We suggested in the beginning of this manual to set the phase to
zero degrees when the Servo-Bass Interconnects are used. If a
balanced pre-amp level input is used, the phase angle may be
15
absolute fidelity
anywhere from 45 deg to 135 deg (or require that the input to the
Control Module be phase inverted if the power amplifier used is
phase inverting).
Now that you have roughed the system in, you may want to
experiment with different phase angles. Using the remote control
you can adjust the woofer's phase angle up and down in five-
degree increments.
The changes are subtle and they usually affect the imaging and
soundstage. Listen carefully to the positioning (in acoustic space)
of the orchestral players as you change the phase control. You
may notice small shifts in their apparent relationship to the other
members of the orchestra. Do not expect them to actually move.
Expect minute changes in the soundstage, the apparent width of
the stage, your ability to distinguish individual players etc. If you
reach a phase shift of ninety degrees you have probably gone too
far. Using the recommended connection, the phase shift needed is
usually 15 degrees or below.
The other change to listen for is rhythm and timing. Adjusting the
phase will subtly change the relationship between the bass and the
midrange. When you get the phase perfectly correct, you will find that
the timing between the vocalist and the double bass “snaps” in place,
and your foot will start to tap, and you will sway to the music. This is
basically what we term “PRaT” – or Pace, Rhythm and Timing.
Further adjustments
With the woofer towers positioned in the recommended placement
behind and outside the midrange tweeter panels, low bass in the
room should not be a problem. Should you have too much bass,
simply turn the volume down on the remote control. Too little, and
the opposite will apply.
In general, the low-pass filter and the bass volume goes in opposite
directions. With higher bass volume, a lower frequency for the low-
pass is needed. And with lower bass volume, a higher frequency is
needed for the low-pass.
In some problematic rooms a resonance may develop at one or
two frequencies that is unnatural to the music. By moving the
woofer towers closer to the rear or side wall or farther from the rear
or side wall, the resonance may be reduced at the listener’s
16
absolute fidelity
position. There are no absolute rules concerning problematic
rooms, so do not be afraid to experiment with best woofer
placement.
Ultimately, it is all about balance. You have a number of controls
at hand with which to adjust the bass response, the low-pass filter
frequency and woofer volume. You can also move the speakers
closer together (for better coupling), and also move the woofer
towers closer together, or further apart, or even move them closer
to a corner of the room for more bass.
One trick that we have found to always work is NOT to have the
woofer towers placed symmetrically in the listening room. When
you have the woofers equidistant to the walls, there will be wall-
loading which will increase the volume of some frequencies in the
bass and mid-bass. However, for proper soundstage
development, the midrange/tweeter wings should be symmetric in
the room.
Place the left and right woofer towers equidistant from the midrange
towers. However, have one woofer tower further to the side of one
midrange tower, and have the other woofer tower further to the back
of the other midrange tower. It may look strange, but the principle
here is to position the midrange/tweeter towers for the best imaging
and soundstage, and the woofer towers for the smoothest and best
bass and ambience retrieval.
The Refinement stage
After following the rough setup guide above, you may not be
completely satisfied with the results. We share with you here some
of our observations in setting up these loudspeakers.
Make One Change At A Time
One rule of thumb you should always keep in mind. Make one
change at a time! Do not, for instance, change position of the
speakers and make an adjustment to the amplifier all at once.
Make each of these changes separately and note the difference -
by listening - with each adjustment, then make the next change.
Each adjustment, in positioning, and in control adjustment will
result in a subtle sonic change. Even when you are moving the
midrange/tweeter panels further apart, or closer together, move
17
absolute fidelity
one panel, listen, and then move the other panel. You may also
find an asymmetric placement in-room more accurate and
pleasing.
Defining the Soundstage
A common problem we find with many set-ups is a tendency to
separate the speakers too far from each other. This gives an
unnaturally stretched soundstage between the two speakers, and
creates problems with focus. The key problem is a lack of
soundstage information beyond the left and right sides of the
speakers.
If you find that the sound is not spacious enough or you are not
getting enough front to back depth, pull the speaker away from the
front wall. This is typically preferable to separating the two
speakers too far, and will almost always give you better depth and
soundstage information. A word of caution though: if you move the
speakers too far from the front wall you may lose the focus of the
image.
A problem with the soundstage could also be caused by the
recording. Try another recording if you cannot achieve what you
are trying to do.
Appropriate Mid-bass/Low-bass Balance
Yet another problem is a lack of mid bass energy. In order for the
appropriate amount of mid bass energy to be present, the speakers
should be close enough together to achieve proper "coupling" of the
midrange ribbon driver. Coupling is desirable in the lower
frequencies from the mid-bass on down. This simply means that the
left and right drivers "work together" as opposed to working
separately.
If you find there isn't enough deep bass, your first remedy is the
volume control on the woofer amplifier. This has several limitations.
First, turned up too high, you may get some distortion on very low
frequencies or you may drive the amplifier into protection. Because
of the high efficiency of the amplifier, it is unlikely to overheat.
Push the woofer towers back towards the rear- or side- wall. This
will increase the coupling of the woofers to the room. Do this
procedure in small increments (approximately half an inch at a
time) and return often to the recordings you have used to adjust the
18
absolute fidelity
front to back depth and soundstage properties of your system. It is
easy, yet unproductive, to go too far in one direction (and if you
move the woofer towers too far from the wall you may lose low bass
extension and if they are too near the walls, you will create a
boominess in the room).
Secondly, you may make the mid bass produced by the top of the
woofer out of proportion with the mid bass produced by the bottom
of the midrange ribbon. This would tend to sound bloated or thick in
the mid bass regions.
Another good rule of thumb is to first set the volume control of the
woofer towers for proper midbass rather than low bass. The theory
is that if the midbass is correct, then the low bass should be very
close to correct. If the midbass is proper and the low bass is still not
right, here are some other suggestions.
A good balance between proper low bass extension and a deep
and spacious soundstage needs to be established to optimize your
new speaker's performance. This is because large space
ambience information is largely in the lowest frequencies. The
wavelength of a 20Hz soundwave is approximately 60 feet (20m),
so if you want to recreate the soundspace of a cathedral, you will
need to go lower than even 20Hz.
In order to achieve what the speaker is capable of we suggest you
focus your efforts on a proper balance of soundstage elements that
includes information beyond the left and right sides of the
speakers, front to back depth well behind the speaker, excellent
focus of instruments and voices with proper vertical information and
mid bass fill.
A Genesis loudspeaker system correctly set up, can and should
provide a soundstage that will “melt the walls” and with pinpoint
focus, the speakers disappearing completely on a recording
containing such information.
Room Treatment
No room is perfect. To optimize your sonic presentation it may be
helpful to treat your room. Here are some guidelines:
1. Front walls. This loudspeaker is a dipole and therefore
there is sound coming from both the front and the back of
the speaker. How the front wall is treated or not treated is
19
absolute fidelity
important. Generally speaking, the Genesis loudspeakers
prefer a live front wall.
By these terms we mean the amount of reflection of sound.
A typical wall of glass or, brick, cement or drywall material is
a reflective surface. A heavily curtained or sound proofed
wall would be considered a "dead wall" or a non-reflective
wall. A normal thin curtain across a window causes only a
small amount of absorption.
2. Sidewalls. Because the speaker is a dipole it is less
sensitive to the sidewalls. However, as a rule of thumb, it is
a good idea to keep the speaker as far away from the
sidewalls as is practical. With this in mind, it may be helpful to
add some damping material or diffuser panels to the point of
first reflection. This is a point on the sidewalls between the
listener and the loudspeaker. It is where the sound from the
loudspeaker first hits the sidewall, then bounces to the
listener. This reflection is undesirable because it is slightly
delayed from the original sound. This point on the sidewall
can be easily determined with the help of a second person
and a mirror.
Sitting in your listening position have an assistant hold a
mirror up on the sidewall. Move the mirror until you can see
the tweeter. This is the point of first reflection. A diffuser (see
your dealer), an absorptive material or even a CD rack can
help break up this point of first reflection.
3. Rear wall. In many cases it will be unnecessary to do
anything with the wall behind your listening position.
However, you may want to experiment with diffusers or
absorbers behind you for best sound. Absorption behind the
listener is usually beneficial.
Mastering the Refinements of the system
Fine tuning an audio system is an art that will take time and
patience. It can be one of the more rewarding learning experiences
you will have in the pursuit of music and its enjoyment.
One of the best pieces of advice we can offer is that you take
advantage of the ear's ability to identify similarities in sound. This
ability is useful in fine tuning your system because if every recording
20
absolute fidelity
you listen to has a similarity of sound (too much or too little of a
certain frequency for instance) then you can be fairly certain that you
have yet to perfect your set-up. Keep at it and remember to enjoy
your music as you work on perfecting your set-up.
During the design stage of Genesis loudspeakers, we rely on
hundreds and hundreds of hours of critical listening. There are
changes we can make to the crossover that we can measure, but can
hardly hear the difference. And then there are the changes that we
make that we can easily hear, but cannot measure. It is an artform as
much as a science! Setting up the audio system is the same.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at Genesis. Our
website is the first place that you should look to for more
information, but you are welcome to either send us an email, or just
give us a call!
21
absolute fidelity
The Technology
The Genesis 2.2 loudspeaker comprises four “towers”: two
midrange/tweeter wings and two bass columns. Each tower is over
6 feet tall (183cm), and the cabinet is made of a vibration damping
and resonance-control acrylic/composite sandwich material. The
tweeters and midrange ribbon are mounted on a solid 1.5-inch slab
of high-molecular weight cast acrylic.
The rationale for the four-tower system separating the woofers from
the midrange/tweeters is to allow the placement of the high-
frequency wings to optimize imaging and soundstage, and the
placement of the woofer towers to optimize in-room bass response.
Design Philosophy
Nothing has changed in theoretical acoustics since Lord Rayleigh’s
original book on acoustics published in 1877. There are still only
two proper ways for a transducer to propagate sound in a room: a
point source and a line source. Anything else, or everything in
between, is a compromise.
In order for all frequencies of
sound from the loudspeaker to
reach the listener at exactly the
same time, a coherent wave front
is important - not just “time-
alignment” of drivers. The ideal is
either an infinitely small pulsating
point or a pulsating line with a size
on the order of the room
dimension.
Obviously, a line-source is much
easier to mechanize than the ideal
point source. The line-source (if
large enough), can approximate
John William Strutt Lord Rayleigh (1842 – 1919)
the ideal, and in doing so, provide sufficient radiating area for
dynamically and spatially realistic sound reproduction.
The Genesis 2.2 is a line-source that is 4 feet long (nearly the half
the room’s entire height). A line source has no vertical dispersion at
any frequency. Hence, there is no sound bouncing from either the
22
absolute fidelity
floor or the ceiling. No deleterious interference from these surfaces
is created (as in virtually all other kinds of speakers).
Another advantage of the line source is that the vertical spectral
content of music is virtually the same throughout the length of the
line source. Hence, the seating height does not matter with this
speaker; unlike point source speakers where it is important for the
ears to be aligned in relationship with the tweeter.
A third important advantage of a line source is that it attenuates at
–3dB with a doubling of distance whereas a point source
attenuates at –6dB with a doubling of distance.
For example, with a sensitivity of 91dB/watt at 1m, the Genesis 2 is
about average for large loudspeakers. At 2m, the G2 line source
can deliver 89dB/watt, at 4m 86dB/watt, and at 8m 83dB/watt. For
the equivalent point source loudspeaker, it will be 85dB/watt at 2m,
79dB/watt at 4m, and 73dB/watt at 8m. Hence, for a listening
distance of 4m (about 12ft) the line source will appear to be almost
twice as loud as a point source loudspeaker. This is the great
advantage that a line source loudspeaker will have over a point
source loudspeaker in a large room – particularly when the seating
distance is over 4m from the loudspeaker.
The second great advantage of the line source over the point
source is that the change in loudness is much less over a small
change in distance. Hence, it results in a much larger sweet spot
as small side to side changes in seating position result in less of a
sonic change than with the point source loudspeaker.
The Genesis 2.2 is also a dipole radiator. The midrange and
tweeter drivers are mounted on a rigid acrylic panel with no
enclosure. This has two advantages: firstly, it eliminates any
enclosure or boxy colorations caused by cabinet vibrations or
resonance.
Secondly, the dipole creates a cardioid radiation pattern (like a
figure-eight), which has its maximum output at the listening position
and behind the speaker itself, and minimum output to the sides in
the plane of the loudspeakers. This very effectively minimizes the
bounce from the sidewalls.
Hence, in conjunction with the line source, the G2.2 has no first
reflection from the floor, ceiling or sidewalls. The net result is that
23
absolute fidelity
there are far fewer detail-robbing room reflections from the room
than other types of loudspeakers. With fewer spurious reflections to
confuse your hearing, the program source emerges more clearly.
Imaging is deeper, yet more focused.
This results in a loudspeaker system that is virtually room-
independent. Also, because there are no phase and frequency
distorting reflections created, one can be transported into the
audience of the actual concert hall where the music was recorded.
The Genesis Ribbon Tweeter
Reviewers in the Audiophile press have often remarked that the
Genesis circular ribbon tweeter is the world’s best. It is a one inch
circular planar ribbon design crafted from an extremely thin
membrane of Kapton with a photo-etched aluminium “voice coil”
that is a mere 0.0005 inch thick. The entire radiating structure has
less mass than the air in front of it! That is why it will accurately
reproduce frequencies to 36 kHz.
The result of this design is a driver that has a rapid and uniform
response to high frequencies, and has the speed of the best
ribbon/electrostatic designs without the high distortion and poor
dispersion that is typically associated with them.
The G2.2 uses twelve of these tweeters configured as a vertical
line source. Because the output is distributed over many drivers,
each works at very low-stress. This dramatically lowers the
distortions in the high frequencies.
The G2.2 also use three rear-firing tweeters per channel wired to
the crossover out of phase to the front tweeters creating a dipole.
48inch midrange ribbon
We sometimes say that the midrange is a window into the mind of
a composer or a singer. And indeed, the midrange is where the
“magic” is in a well-recorded musical event. This is why the G2.2
loudspeaker system uses a single 48inch-long ribbon per channel
as a dipolar line-source to reproduce these critical frequencies.
The midrange ribbon used in the G2.2 is manufactured to Genesis’
exacting specifications. The ribbon itself is made of a very thin layer
of aluminium laminated to a substrate of mylar that is 0.001inch
24
absolute fidelity
thick. The ribbon is then suspended in the magnetic field created
by over 24 feet of barium ferrite magnets.
This results in a perfect line-source ribbon generating a continuous
and perfectly coupled wave front. The benefit of this to the listener
is a wide and even horizontal dispersion yielding a large and highly
stable sweet spot.
As a line-source dipole, the midrange ribbon has a vertical
dispersion pattern identical to that of the line array of tweeters.
Thus further insulating the listener from the room’s negative effects,
and enhancing the sense of spaciousness and depth.
The Servo-bass Advantage
Very few loudspeakers use servo drive, either because most
designers think that it is too difficult to design, too expensive, or
because of the extraordinary demands a servo system makes on
the amplifier and the transducer. The history of the Genesis servo-
system started from the first introduced in the legendary Infinity
Servo Statik One in 1968(!) – so we know how to design and build
servo systems. The technology has been constantly updated and
refined over the past 40 years.
The concept of our servo bass system is an easy one to
understand: It employs an accelerometer as a sensor to constantly
monitor the movement of the woofer cone and continuously
compares it to the input signal. This comparison circuit instantly
identifies any deviation from the input and applies a corrective
signal to compensate for any deviation, resulting in the virtual
elimination of the inherent distortion of the woofer.
As an example, when you have a high-impact, low-bass signal that
starts and stops suddenly (for example a tympani), the inertia of the
woofer cone makes it slow to start moving, and then after it has
started moving, the momentum of the cone makes it continue to
move after the signal has stopped. The sonic result is softness,
overhang, and bloat in the bass. This results in a perceived lack of
tautness and definition, and a blurring of dynamic impact.
With the servo system, the circuit senses that the woofer is not
moving as fast as it should, and it instantaneously applies much
more current to make it move faster. When the signal stops, it
senses that the woofer is continuing to move when it shouldn’t be
25
absolute fidelity
moving and applies a counter-signal to stop the woofer faster and
more effectively than an open loop woofer could possibly respond.
Thus, the servo-drive reduces distortion and improves transient
response by making the woofer appear to be massless. Typical
non-servo woofer systems have distortion levels that exceed 10%
at even moderate levels. The Genesis servo bass system reduces
this distortion to below one percent at almost any output level. The
system also drives the woofer to constant acceleration, which
makes the frequency response of the woofer anechoically flat to
the lowest frequencies.
The Woofer Tower
The transducer used in a servo system must be strong enough to
withstand the high current approach of the servo, and yet delicate
and light enough to react extremely quickly. The G2.2 features a
total of four front- and four rear-firing 8-inch woofers per channel –
a total of sixteen woofers in the system.
While the servo system is able to ensure that the driver works
linearly as a perfect piston, it is unable to correct for distortion
caused by cone wobble, bending, and break-up. Hence, the drivers
were designed to minimize these non-linear distortions.
The woofers are a uniquely designed metal cone driver made for
the Genesis servo system. Made with a cone of solid aluminium,
the suspension and voicecoil have been maximized for long
distortion-free excursion so as to increase dynamic range. Our
aluminium cones are a magnitude stiffer than any plastic cone on
the market, and virtually eliminate the problems caused by cone
bending and break-up.
The lowest break-up mode in the woofer (where there can be any
chance of distortion at all) is at 6,000Hz – far above the 16Hz to
120Hz frequency range that these drivers operate at. Therefore,
the driver is a perfect piston within the frequencies used. Thus,
extremely low cone break-up distortion is inherent in the driver that
is designed for the Genesis servo-bass system.
Unlike the midrange and the tweeters, the front and rear woofers
operate in phase as a bipolar arrangement in which all sixteen
operate in unison to control the air mass of the entire room. This
means that the surface area of the eight cones and the large
26
absolute fidelity
enclosure all work together in unison to produce bass output that
descends evenly to below your hearing limits.
Servo-controlled Bass Amplifier
One problem, however, of metal cones, is that of greater mass –
even ones as light as the ones used by Genesis. To over come
this, we had to build an amplification system of great power, and
high damping factor. The servo-system also places extraordinary
demands on the amplifier because the system uses enormous
amounts of current to make the woofer follow the input signal. This
means that the amplifier used must efficiently deliver extraordinarily
large amounts of clean power into low impedances.
The servo-controlled bass amplifier was designed as a holistic
system of woofers, integrated connecting cables, amplifiers, servo-
control and remote controlled crossover circuitry. Two separate
two-channel amplifier modules are used for the left and right woofer
towers.
Specially designed and tuned Dynamic Power Delivery System
(DPDS) power supplies are used – one for two channels – to
deliver balanced dynamics which are critical to bass accuracy. This
improves the power factor of the power supply in delivering the
bass frequencies, resulting in “floorshakingly musical” bass to
power the servo woofers.
A further advantage to separating the amplifier modules of the left
and right woofer towers is that if you are lucky enough to have
multiple 20amp circuits in your listening room, you can power each
woofer tower from a separate circuit. This allows for even better
transient bass dynamics. The Maximum Dynamic Headroom
Reservoir (from the Genesis Reference Amplifier) is also available
as an upgrade to Servo-Controlled Bass Amplifier, which will give
even faster bass transients, and better macro- and micro-
dynamics.
One side benefit of this powered woofer system is that almost any
sized amplifier can be used to drive the mid/tweeter section of the
Genesis 2.2. No longer must one choose between having an
amplifier with enough power to drive the woofers, and a smaller
amplifier having better spatial and tonal characters. Nevertheless,
we do recommend no less than 100 watts as a minimum for the
midrange/tweeter sections.
27
absolute fidelity
The Acoustic Suspension
The suspension for each loudspeaker tower comprises three
elements:
1)
The neoprene vibration absorbers are tuned to isolate and
decouple the loudspeaker cabinet for optimal imaging and
bass response no matter what surface the loudspeaker sits
on.
2)
The skeletal frame acts as a tuned absorber. Made of an
inch of solid acrylic, no two parts of the frame will resonate at
the same frequencies. This ensures that all midrange
frequencies are “dumped” below the base of the cabinet so
that floor-borne vibrations do not affect the imaging and
soundstage of the loudspeaker.
3)
The spikes rigidly couple the suspension system to the floor.
If you have hardwood floors and do not want to make holes
in the wood, use a copper penny (instead of expensive
“spike cups”) under the spike.
A pin-point suspension system is designed to pass all
frequencies. Using a spike cup under the spike will defeat
this system. The spike passes all frequencies to the spike
cup, and then depending on the diameter of the spike cup, it
passes only frequencies below a particular frequency.
A copper penny gets deformed – the spike making an
indentation where it meets the penny, and a little “nipple” on
the other side. This still performs the same function as a pin-
point suspension system, but at the same time protects your
hardwood floor.
Nevertheless, despite the acoustic suspension, if you have a
extremely light and resonant floorboards, the acoustic suspension
may still transmit sufficient vibrations to make your floor resonate
and hence muddy up the bass and the imaging. In that case, it may
be necessary to place heavy marble, slate, or granite slabs (at
least 200lbs per slab) under the speakers. This slab serves as a
foundation on which the acoustic suspension will work.
28
absolute fidelity
Specifications
ꢂ Dimensions:
Mid/Tweeter Wing:
H 75” x W 22” x D 16”
H 75” x W 15” x D 26”
H 11” x W 17” x D13”
H 6” x W 10” x D 12”
Woofer Tower:
Amplifier (stack):
Power Supply:
ꢂ Weight:
Mid/Tweeter Wing:
Woofer Tower:
Servo-Bass Amplifier:
175 lbs (80kg) each
270 lbs (123kg) each
90 lbs (41kg) total
ꢂ Frequency Response:
16Hz to 36kHz, +/- 3dB
ꢂ Controls (on amplifier):
Bass gain, phase,
low-pass, high-pass
ꢂ Controls (on speaker):
Rear Tweeters (+/- 1.5 dB)
Midrange (+/- 0.75 dB)
ꢂ Input Impedance:
4 ohms (nominal)
33K ohms (amplifier)
ꢂ Sensitivity:
91 dB/watt @ 1 meter
ꢂ Amplifier Power Rating:
4 channels @400 watts each
Power Supply 1.8kVA
ꢂ Amplifier Inputs:
1pair XLR (balanced)
ꢂ Finish:
High Gloss Black Acrylic
29
|