Product Review
 

Genesis I60 Integrated 60 Watt per Channel Stereo Tube Amplifier

Part III

February, 2007

Jason Victor Serinus

 

Biasing

For many readers, ease of biasing tubes is a bottom line consideration when choosing an amplifier. My Jadis, for example, is a total pain in the butt, requiring one to turn the 90 plus pound behemoth on its side, remove the bottom plate, warm it up for 30-60 minutes with speakers and inputs connected, and then carefully bias, ideally by using a plastic screwdriver to avoid a major shock and potential system fry. What's especially frustrating is that one must do some mathematical calculations, averaging the voltage reading of the three power tubes in a given row, to get values correct. Also, the slightest turn of the biasing screw can make a major difference, which frequently translates into having to readjust. First it's too high, then it's too low, then it's almost there, etc. I am certain that, once I pass 70 or 75, I will not be up for doing this.

The Genesis I60, on the other hand, presents no such challenges. While the company claims that rebiasing will only prove necessary in the event of a tube change, the procedure is relatively painless. Little holes on either side of the amp are provided for the two leads from a RadioShack multimeter, with a third hole in the center to adjust bias. You insert a small screwdriver, take a reading, and adjust accordingly. You have to rotate the screw a lot to raise the bias more than a tenth of a volt, so fine adjustment is easily accomplished. I've done it, and it's a snap. Plus, the current passing through the screws is very low, so that there is no danger.

Great Sound

I was, and am, amazed by the sound of the I60. If I had to single out a single aspect of its performance, it is this integrated amp's ability to bring the listener in intimate contact with the musical source. By this I do not mean that the soundstage is forward or in your face, or that the sound is overly detailed. The soundstage lies a natural distance away, between and to the rear of the speakers, and presents natural sounding images graced with a goodly dose of the depth and air one would hope for from tube equipment.

What is unique, however, is the way the I60 brings one close to the point of artistic creation. A case in point is Susanne Abbuehl's laid back jazz-inspired vocals on her disc Compass (ECM). Far more than with my Jadis DA-7 Luxe, the I60 pulled me into Abbuehl's throat, highlighting her every nuance. The degree of intimacy was at first startling, but ultimately revelatory.

The I60 also allowed me to discern the difference between the acoustic space surrounding Abbuehl and the other instruments heard on the CD, as well as the different degrees of electronic enhancement employed for each. While nothing sounded etched or overly detailed, the music was presented with an uncommon degree of completeness.

I auditioned a host of recordings, some familiar references, and others being new discs that I couldn't help but play because I was enjoying the sound so much. On Terry Evans' "Blues No More" from his album Puttin' It Down (JVC XRCD), his voice was presented with a wonderfully smooth, seductive warmth. Bass was very convincing, the overall presentation glowingly full and even. On the chamber music reduction of Canteloube's Songs of the Auvergne (CBC Records) featuring soprano Karina Gauvin, I could hardly get enough of the beautiful yet natural midrange, and an equally gratifying, but never over-hyped sense of depth and air. The highs were perhaps not the most extended on record, which made the piccolo totally enjoyable in the room's live acoustic environment.

On Endless Vision (World Village), an exceptional, Grammy nominated CD of Persian and Armenian songs featuring Hossein Alizadeh and Djivan Gasparyan, I especially welcomed the realistic portrayal of the natural, airy acoustic of the outdoor environment in which the concert was held. Overtones and resonance came through in spades. Also notable, both on this CD and all the other recordings I auditioned, was that turning up the volume produced greater revelation rather than overwhelming decibels or harshness. My notes include the comment, "I hear the breath of the woodwind very realistically."

At the last few audio shows I've attended, the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest and CES 2007, one of my new orchestral test faves has been Sir Simon Rattle's extremely atmospheric rendering of Kaija Saariaho's special commission, "Asteroid 4179," found on the new two-disc set of Holst's The Planets (EMI). The I60 got the outer space-like presentation just right, handling complex orchestral passages with ease. The sound was a mite slower and softer on attack than I'm accustomed to with my reference, but it was equally hypnotic.

I noted a similarly mesmerizing sense of atmosphere on percussionist Manu Katché's Neighborhood (ECM). Jazz vocalist Ana Moura's seductive voice sucked me right in, the different lines of her accompaniment beautifully defined yet blended. Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's voice on her much-lauded Handel SACD from Avie sounded gorgeous, and the bass continuo was a standout. While woodwinds on ye olde symphonic standby, Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances (Reference Recordings Minnesota Orchestra version), were not as rich as I've sometimes heard, Ivan Fischer's SACD of Mahler's Symphony No. 2 was shattering in its intensity and soul-shaking beauty. My educated hunch, based on listening to far more music over far more days, weeks, and months than I'm recounting here, is that the modified Philips 1000's CD section cannot match the Theta Gen. VIII's on many counts, especially when it is required to process a lot of complex musical information simultaneously, and that the I60 does a bang up job.

Conclusions

I suspect my feelings are clear. I love the sound of the Genesis I60 integrated tube amplifier. It conveys all the benefits of tube amplification, with virtually none of the drawbacks. With its 60 watts per channel being most compatible with higher efficiency speakers and/or smaller rooms, it seems perfect for most real world setups.

In a world where so many go without food each day, I'm reluctant to call anything that costs in the thousands a bargain. Nonetheless, given the quality of the sound, and the fact that it comes from a U.S. company with a long track record for quality, the ratio of quality to price is extremely high. Given that these amps were produced in limited numbers, I would urge those who hear the call to act without delay.

 

- Jason Victor Serinus -

REFERENCE AND UPSTAIRS SYSTEMS:

Digital Front End
Theta Gen VIII DAC/Preamp
Sony 707ES transport heavily modified by APL Hi-Fi

Amplification
Jadis DA-7 Luxe with GE 5751 Jan and Jan Philips 5814A tubes and cable from Pierre Gabriel

Loudspeakers
Talon Khorus X speakers MK. III (with latest upgrade and Bybee Quantum Noise Purifiers)
Von Schweikert VR-4jr. loudspeakers

Cabling
Nordost Tyr interconnects and speaker cables
Nordost Valhalla single-ended and balanced interconnects
Nordost Valhalla balanced digital interconnects
Nordost Valhalla bi-wired speaker cable
Nordost Bass-Line cable for subwoofer
Nordost Silver Shadow digital interconnect for DVD-Video
Nordost Valhalla Power Cables
Elrod EPS-2 Signature power cables

Power
ExactPower EP15A equipped with outlets from Sound Applications
Nordost Thor Power Distribution System
IsoClean fuses in most components
Dedicated 10 amp line

Analog
Clearaudio Emotion turntable with Satisfy arm
Benz MC-Gold phono cartridge
Classe 6 phono preamp

Accessories
Symposium Ultra Platform under transport
Ganymede ball bearing supports. Acoustic Resonators.
Michael Green Deluxe Ultrarack, Basic Racks and Corner Tunes
Echo Buster and Corner Busters
Shakti stones on amp, Theta, transport, ExactPower and circuit breaker
Shakti Hallographs
Bedini Dual Beam Ultraclarifier, Audioprism CD Stoplight,
Marigo Signature 3-D Mat v2; Ayre demagnetizing CD.

Also on hand and sometimes used:
PS Audio P600 Power Plant power synthesizer with MultiWave II
Interconnects: WireWorld Gold Eclipse 5 and Gold Starlight 5 digital, Harmonic Tech Magic One, Acoustic Zen Silver Reference II balanced, and Nirvana BNC-terminated digital.
Power cables: Elrod EPS Signature 3 plus EPS 1, 2, and 3; WireWorld Silver Electra 5, PS Audio X-treme Statement, Harmonic Tech, and AudioPrism SuperNatural S2.

Room
24.5' deep, 21.4' wide in the listening area. The actual dimension at the speaker end of the room is 37' wide, extending from the front door into the living room through an 8.33' wide archway opposite the right channel speaker to the rear wall of the dining room. Ceilings are 9' high with heavy wooden cross-beams each 17" in height. Curtains cover windows behind the soundsystem. Floors are hardwood and carpet in front of the system, and hardwood elsewhere. Walls in the living room are a combination of plaster and wood, with a large granite fireplace in the rear. Dining room is all plaster. There is RoomTune and Echo buster treatment in corners, and either an Echo Buster or heavy tapestry at the two side wall first order reflection points.

© Copyright 2007 Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity

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