Genesis 1.1 VS Wilson X2 Alexandria

[garylkoh]

Hi Gary in all the pictures that i have seen i have always seen only 12 12 inch woofers does that mean that the system is a six piece system not 4 like shown in most pictures. ?????

No, the other 12 woofers are in the back of the woofer towers. They are wired in phase so that vibrations in the towers cancel. Amazingly, the 7-foot tall towers are POINT sources because of the length of the wavelengths they operate at.

 

[MrAcoustat]

No, the other 12 woofers are in the back of the woofer towers. They are wired in phase so that vibrations in the towers cancel. Amazingly, the 7-foot tall towers are POINT sources because of the length of the wavelengths they operate at.

Thank's Gary because i love looking at nice gear and i have NEVER seen pictures of the back of your beautiful speakers.

 

[garylkoh]

Good point. I never thought to take picture of the back!

 

[MrAcoustat]

Good point. I never thought to take picture of the back!

I may not be able to afford them BUT they bring me joy just looking at them and i am very happy for those that can afford them, they are truly one of the best looking speakers that i have ever seen and i have seen quite a few,audio as been my ONLY passion for more than 40 years,

 

[LL21]

The history of Infinity is complex, and since the brand is now owned by Harman, this comment is not to be construed as "definitive" and I should defer to them.

The Infinity IRS Beta is a different animal - it's not a line source as it has a ribbon tweeter, ribbon midrange, two ribbon mid-bass and woofer towers. The RS1B though, has a line source ribbon midrange array, and three ribbon tweeters. So, it is more like the Genesis II.5, but as it is a 4-tower design, it would be somewhere between a short G II.5 and a short G II.

The G II.5 developed into the G300, then G350, then G350SE.

I tried to rationalize the Genesis range into:

1) Genesis 1 : this is the ultimate cost-be-damned versions, line source, 4-tower with huge wide wings. You need to live in a castle or at least a mansion. I would put the Infinity IRS in this category.

2) Genesis 2 : this is the first level down, line source and smaller rooms. Current model is the G2.2 (4-tower) and G2Jr (2-tower). The Infinities in this series have the tag "beta" as in IRS Beta, RS1B (shorter but line source), etc.

3) Genesis 3 : still a twinkle in my eye

4) Genesis 4 : no more a line-source (because of size/height constraints). The current G4 has a ribbon tweeter, ribbon midrange and dynamic mid-bass couplers. The old Infinity equivalent would have been a 2-tower version of the IRS Beta, or the IRS Gamma.

Thank you! Very clear...very helpful.

 

[garylkoh]

I may not be able to afford them BUT they bring me joy just looking at them and i am very happy for those that can afford them, they are truly one of the best looking speakers that i have ever seen and i have seen quite a few,audio as been my ONLY passion for more than 40 years,

In that case, you may like this video.

 

[rockitman]

^^^^i could use a pair of those !!!
I need a new house with a bigger room first

 

[GaryProtein]

I have seen that video before.

What a fantastic clip to have on Youtube.

It's the most spectacular installation I have ever seen!

At about 1:13 to 1:18 in the video, you do see the rear of the midrange tweeter towers, but unless you know what you're looking at, you won't recognize it.

Here's another great installation.

There's nothing like having a really big room!

 

[MrAcoustat]

In that case, you may like this video.

Thank You very much Gary, If possible it would be nice of you to post pictures of the back of your speakers WHEN you have a chance, i know that you are a busy man, whe cannot all be RETIRED.

 

[rockitman]

There's nothing like having a really big room!

and Dragons...

 

[racerxnet]

Always a pleasure to read about different approaches to sound reproduction. Especially when it comes to the Genesis brand. I am in the process of remodeling the basement for my audio room and learning of the speaker placement within. My current system has the Genesis 2's. Older model, but still very competitive in today's market.

MAK

 

[Bodhi]

Mak, how do you find the sound stage height with the Gen 2's? I've read that with the Gen 2's you need to set your listening position just right to be in the sweet spot..

 

[garylkoh]

Always a pleasure to read about different approaches to sound reproduction. Especially when it comes to the Genesis brand. I am in the process of remodeling the basement for my audio room and learning of the speaker placement within. My current system has the Genesis 2's. Older model, but still very competitive in today's market.

MAK

Welcome to WBF, Mak. Great to have another Genesis owner on-board. The Genesis II's are one of the great speakers of the 90's and totally competitive in today's market.

 

[racerxnet]

Mak, how do you find the sound stage height with the Gen 2's? I've read that with the Gen 2's you need to set your listening position just right to be in the sweet spot..

I find the height of sound stage to be very good, much better than the RS1B's Ive had in the past. It is great to be able to close my eyes and experience a 3d presentation. Voice and instrument separation is incredible. You hear the singer in the middle of the room where there is no speaker. I am painting my new room and adding dedicated 20 amp runs to the wall, so the system is not in use. I am looking forward to completing the task and enjoying some music.

Gary:

Thanks for the support. I was wondering if it is advisable to replace the caps on the power supply regarding the servo amp. I have no problems, but don't want any down the road as well. This would be a good time if needed while in transition to the new audio room. Your advice is much appreciated.

MAK

 

[garylkoh]

Gary:

Thanks for the support. I was wondering if it is advisable to replace the caps on the power supply regarding the servo amp. I have no problems, but don't want any down the road as well. This would be a good time if needed while in transition to the new audio room. Your advice is much appreciated.

MAK

Yes - absolutely!! The old servo amps ran quite hot, and that would have made the caps deteriorate faster. Change out all the big caps with ones of the same value on the power supply board (the round one on top of the transformer). While you are inside, you might as well change out the coupling caps on the signal board.

Be VERY careful with static. The Z80 chips and memory chips are obsolete and no longer available. If you short out the processing and memory, your amp is dead.

 

[rockitman]

Yes - absolutely!! The old servo amps ran quite hot, and that would have made the caps deteriorate faster. Change out all the big caps with ones of the same value on the power supply board (the round one on top of the transformer). While you are inside, you might as well change out the coupling caps on the signal board.

Be VERY careful with static. The Z80 chips and memory chips are obsolete and no longer available. If you short out the processing and memory, your amp is dead.

Now that is the definition of exemplary customer service. A brand you can expect to back you up many years ahead. I hope to meet you one day, Gary.

 

[Bodhi]

I find the height of sound stage to be very good, much better than the RS1B's Ive had in the past. It is great to be able to close my eyes and experience a 3d presentation. Voice and instrument separation is incredible. You hear the singer in the middle of the room where there is no speaker. I am painting my new room and adding dedicated 20 amp runs to the wall, so the system is not in use. I am looking forward to completing the task and enjoying some music.

MAK

Thanks for the feedback Mak, it would seem the commentary suggesting you need to raise up your listening chair is unfounded. What is impressive is how much better evidently the G2's are compared to the classic RS2B's. Incidentally, do you have the Genesis 2's with the single towers & integrated bass drivers, or the version with the separate bass towers? It would be nice to have the room for a system like that, though i'm not complaining about my S5's

 

[Bruce B]

Now that is the definition of exemplary customer service. A brand you can expect to back you up many years ahead.

See..... that's how you create brand loyalty. Gary is a gentleman and scholar.

 

[racerxnet]

Thanks for the feedback Mak, it would seem the commentary suggesting you need to raise up your listening chair is unfounded. What is impressive is how much better evidently the G2's are compared to the classic RS2B's. Incidentally, do you have the Genesis 2's with the single towers & integrated bass drivers, or the version with the separate bass towers? It would be nice to have the room for a system like that, though i'm not complaining about my S5's

I had the RS1B's which are the 4 column system from Infinity. My Genesis 2's are the older 4 column system as well. My take was that I wanted a affordable system that could better the RS1B's without breaking the bank. Graz is now selling replacement EMIM's for the various Infinity models and I did not want to replace 14 of them at the time. I waited several years until the Genesis came up on Audiogon. Once the room is finished I will start the process over again in speaker placement. Back to painting walls..

MAK

 

[Bodhi]

I had the RS1B's which are the 4 column system from Infinity. My Genesis 2's are the older 4 column system as well. My take was that I wanted a affordable system that could better the RS1B's without breaking the bank. Graz is now selling replacement EMIM's for the various Infinity models and I did not want to replace 14 of them at the time. I waited several years until the Genesis came up on Audiogon. Once the room is finished I will start the process over again in speaker placement. Back to painting walls..

MAK

Mak you've done really well with your Gen 2's. I am a fan of line source speakers. My dream speakers would probably be a 2nd hand pair of Genesis 1.1's, or cost no object it would be fun to fully restore a pair of IRS-V's, but i'm not complaining! Also congrats on building a dedicated audio room. That is the ideal for sure. My listening room is also my living/dining area, so I don't have the luxury of a dedicated listening room as such, though as they say "make the best of what you've got" Would love to see some photos of your room build if you've get time to post a thread.