Genesis 201 Loudspeaker System, Quick Thoughts

I recently had the opportunity to set up my own gear and listen to a Genesis 201 Loudspeaker System on display at a local hi-fi shop. These speakers are unusual in that they place the low-range drivers into their own cabinet, relegating the midrange drivers and ribbon tweeters to a separate enclosure. The woofers are powered by their own custom Genesis amplifier. I employed my own source and DAC, with Genesis-branded pre- and power-amps. Since these speakers are no longer available, this is not a review but just my thoughts on listening to them and my experience overall.

GENESIS LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Frequency Response:

16Hz to 40kHz, +/- 3dB

Sensitivity:

90dB 1 watt / 1 meter

Tube Power:

500w max, 60w min

Solid State Power:

1000w max, 100w min

Input Impedance:

4 ohms (nominal)

HF Transducers:

15 x 1″ circular ribbon (12 front, 3 rear)

Midrange Transducers:

1 x 48″ ribbon

LF Transducers:

8 x 8″ ribbed-aluminum cone

Loudspeaker Controls:

Rear Tweeters (+/- 1 dB)

Upper Midrange contour:

+/- 0.75 dB

Servo-controlled Bass Amplifier Control Module:

Gain, Low Pass, High Pass, Phase

Quartet Servo-Amplifier Module:

500W x 2

Forte Servo-Bass Amplifier:

500W x 2

Dimensions:

Mid/Tweeter Panel: H 75″ x W 21″ x D 16″
Woofer Tower: H 75″ x W 15″ x D 26″
Servo-bass Amplifier Modules (each): H 3″ x W 17″ x D 13″
System Total Weight: 720lbs each

Gear Used

Alienware 17 Laptop

AudioQuest Cinnamon USB Interconnect

Schiit Modi 2 DAC

Bryston BP17 Preamplifier

Bryston 14B3 Driving the tweeter/mid-range towers

Genesis Amp 4×400 Driving the woofer towers

Room size – 13×17 with custom acoustic treatment

First Impressions

Just simply walking into the room, I’m amazed at the sheer size of these speakers. I am six feet tall and the 201s tower over me. The number of drivers in each speaker was a sight to behold, they seemed to have endless potential for sound. They require bi-amplification to ensure they have enough power while the woofer towers are driven by their own Genesis power amplifier.

Listening

Breaking Benjamin Ashes of Eden is one of my favorite songs for speaker auditions. The music feels as if it’s slipping away into space as you listen. Mids and lows balanced perfectly with the high range as it neared the two-minute mark. I really loved the amount of space this song filled as the speakers pushed beyond what I thought possible.

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Our Last Night Skyfall Cover has some of the best male vocals I’ve heard, while also having some low punchy bass to keep the tone of song. Soundstage and imaging was simply amazing. Clear and crisp vocals really shone through and revealed things I’ve never heard before. I probably listened to this song over a dozen times.

PVRIS My House features electronic bass and female vocals as highlights. The speakers kept things tight and smooth, while also allowing the music to creep around the room. The chorus can feel crowded at times but the speakers managed to pull it apart like never before. Endless bass was a term that kept coming to mind as I listened.

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Other thoughts

CThe fit and finish on these speakers is good, but for the price the 201s cost new, I would have preferred to see a real wood finish rather than veneer. That would make them really sparkle in a listening room. I really enjoyed my time with these amazing speakers. If you ever get the chance to hear the Genesis 201 Loudspeaker System, give it a shot, you will be wowed!