Wow, those look bodacious. Reminiscent of the IRS types of yore. Would love to hear them someday.
Genesis G1 "Dragon" Launch Party - May 4th, 2012
- Thread starter carolkoh
- Start date
I attended the meet for a couple of hours. As always Gary is such a wonderful host. The speakers are wonderful with amazing dynamics. The scale of these things is really something else. Gary will post a picture of me with them. I don't think I have ever felt as short as when I looked at that picture! 
His bass unit has four channels of amplification or is it 5? Driving that many woofers times 2 for each channel! I think he said each amp channel has 1000 watts. The new units integrate (between drivers) much closer. At some 5 or 6 feet, they sounded like one unit. The planar speakers we had did not integrated at double that distance.
The industrial design is also simple and elegant. The carbon fiber panels give the unit a very classy and high-end look.
Clearly Gary has a hit on his hands for anyone with large rooms to accommodate them.
His bass unit has four channels of amplification or is it 5? Driving that many woofers times 2 for each channel! I think he said each amp channel has 1000 watts. The new units integrate (between drivers) much closer. At some 5 or 6 feet, they sounded like one unit. The planar speakers we had did not integrated at double that distance.
The industrial design is also simple and elegant. The carbon fiber panels give the unit a very classy and high-end look.
Clearly Gary has a hit on his hands for anyone with large rooms to accommodate them.
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
I attended the meet for a couple of hours. As always Gary is such a wonderful host. The speakers are wonderful with amazing dynamics. The scale of these things is really something else. Gary will post a picture of me with them. I don't think I have ever felt as short as when I looked at that picture!
His bass unit has four channels of amplification or is it 5? Driving that many woofers times 2 for each channel! I think he said each amp channel has 1000 watts. The new units integrate (between drivers) much closer. At some 5 or 6 feet, they sounded like one unit. The planar speakers we had did not integrated at double that distance.
The industrial design is also simple and elegant. The carbon fiber panels give the unit a very classy and high-end look.
Clearly Gary has a hit on his hands for anyone with large rooms to accommodate them.
Thanks, Amir! I'm glad that you had the time to come and visit
Each woofer tower has twelve 12-inch woofers (6 front, 6 back horizontally opposed) and six channels of amplification. The 4-ohm woofers are wired in parallel, resulting in 1000W into each pair of woofers. I like having the low impedance to "suck" juice out of the amps, resulting in "faster" bass. (I know that both are technically debatable - but it's what I hear vs driving them in series or using 8-ohm woofers.)
This particular pair was designed as a custom pair for a customer who had too small a room, and extending the size of the room was not an option. So, now we have a pair of G1's that will barely go into a room that's only 7m wide.
Here's a picture of Amir with the Genesis Dragons - to put a sense of scale to the speakers.
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Who's that above; is that Amir? :b
* Wow, those loudspeakers are very tall! ...And very similar to Infinity IRS Beta of few years ago.
* Wow, those loudspeakers are very tall! ...And very similar to Infinity IRS Beta of few years ago.
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
One of my favourite things about an event like this is the "vinyl wars" that go on with friends bringing out their rare recordings to play and enjoy.
There was quite a vast collection, and I can't remember them all. Some of the best and most memorable included:
1) An awesome Direct-to-Disc from 1976 on white vinyl
2) The UHQR of Respighi Feste Romane
3) The Jeton Direct Disc of Monty Alexandre's Solo was the best piano recording played in the evening:
4) The DVD-A of Brain Salad Surgery by EL&P
5) One of the most amazing was a CD of The Yellow Shark by Frank Zappa - one of the only recordings of his classical music.
There was quite a vast collection, and I can't remember them all. Some of the best and most memorable included:
1) An awesome Direct-to-Disc from 1976 on white vinyl
2) The UHQR of Respighi Feste Romane
3) The Jeton Direct Disc of Monty Alexandre's Solo was the best piano recording played in the evening:
4) The DVD-A of Brain Salad Surgery by EL&P
5) One of the most amazing was a CD of The Yellow Shark by Frank Zappa - one of the only recordings of his classical music.
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Yep - that's Amir. Edited my post.
They are slightly taller than the IRS V's and quite a bit taller than the Betas.
Yeah OK, I was too short with the Betas indeed. :b
* Amir doesn't resemble his avatar. ...He's better looking in person. :b
** Got that DVD-Audio of E.L.P.------The tune 'Lucky Man' is awesome in surround sound!
* Amir doesn't resemble his avatar. ...He's better looking in person. :b
** Got that DVD-Audio of E.L.P.------The tune 'Lucky Man' is awesome in surround sound!
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Just looking at those black beauties brings Also Sprach Zarathrustra to my mind! I half expect to see early hominids throwing bones up in the air, or something!
Thanks, Amir! I'm glad that you had the time to come and visit
Each woofer tower has twelve 12-inch woofers (6 front, 6 back horizontally opposed) and six channels of amplification. The 4-ohm woofers are wired in parallel, resulting in 1000W into each pair of woofers. I like having the low impedance to "suck" juice out of the amps, resulting in "faster" bass. (I know that both are technically debatable - but it's what I hear vs driving them in series or using 8-ohm woofers.)
This particular pair was designed as a custom pair for a customer who had too small a room, and extending the size of the room was not an option. So, now we have a pair of G1's that will barely go into a room that's only 7m wide.
Here's a picture of Amir with the Genesis Dragons - to put a sense of scale to the speakers.
View attachment 3566
Hi Gary, very nice.
I owned a pair of IRS V's in Rosewood finish approx 15 years ago and had them set-up in a 36ft x 42ft with 12ft ceiling room.
Sonic wise in comparison to your current designs what's your take over all.
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Like my memories of a classic car, my memories of classic speakers are always better than they actually were. I remember the IRS from hearing them ONCE over 25 years ago - and it was one of those audio memories that shook me to the core. I try not to listen to another pair now and compare. I made that mistake with a Lotus Elite and regretted it......
The biggest advance I made between the G1.1 and the G1.2 was the coherence between the servo-controlled dynamic cone woofers and the ribbon midrange. You can dance to the G1.2 - something that you couldn't do with the G1.1's.
Having heard at least five pairs of IRSs in my years, I can say that properly set up, they were magical. IMHO, one of the best speakers I've ever heard with the caveat that the biggest issues was the parts quality (as it seems for so many speakers; the designer puts all the effort into the drivers and runs out of money and has to cut corners on the xover)
Redid an IRS Xover for a friend and it was a different beast. He also had the servo redone and that was a marked improvement. But very few speakers (and I assume based on reports that Gary's version does this too!) could move the quantity of air the IRS did. When HP talked about air conditioning noise in Symphony Hall, it was there; when HP talked about the underground under Kingsway, you couldn't miss it! I rmemember introducing HP to Emerald Forrest and will never forget the look on his face when they started to play the drums and his pants started to flap in the breeze
That's why I was pushing Gary to debut them back East
Know he'll never bring them to a show
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Myles while owning mine for some years I had allot of fun specially when it came to listening to anything with a bass note involved, I also had both my Xover and servo redone which was an improvement.
I recall listening to a pce of music a friend brought over with a sax player and if you were wearing a dress shirt you would feel it move on specific notes, pretty amazing experience. Personally I have never experienced the air being moved as with these listening to any others but you really do need a large room for them to strut their stuff.
Gary I look forward to one day hearing your G 1.2's.
Gary I recall reading a page you wrote in relation to isolation under speakers which was very interesting indeed and making reference a part 2 to come, did you ever complete and publish such? If so kindly provide a link.
I recall listening to a pce of music a friend brought over with a sax player and if you were wearing a dress shirt you would feel it move on specific notes, pretty amazing experience. Personally I have never experienced the air being moved as with these listening to any others but you really do need a large room for them to strut their stuff.
Gary I look forward to one day hearing your G 1.2's.
Gary I recall reading a page you wrote in relation to isolation under speakers which was very interesting indeed and making reference a part 2 to come, did you ever complete and publish such? If so kindly provide a link.
I am working on finishing the vintage IRS V shoot. I called the owner yesterday to check in. Dev... what was your speaker progression after the IRS Vs and before the MBLs?
Hi
I am in Haiti right now and had to miss the Dragon Debut .. The Gen 1.1 was a reference speaker to me and I have no doubt this is a superior speaker one with which the other biggies will have to contend with... By the way none of the most celebrated speakers can't do the things it does in the bass .. Do you know a speaker that does?
Gary , upcoming PM
I am in Haiti right now and had to miss the Dragon Debut .. The Gen 1.1 was a reference speaker to me and I have no doubt this is a superior speaker one with which the other biggies will have to contend with... By the way none of the most celebrated speakers can't do the things it does in the bass .. Do you know a speaker that does?
Gary , upcoming PM
Hi Peter,
that must be exciting, what does the rest of the set-up consist of? What area of the world?
It's been so long and I have learned so much along the way, preferences changing also.
You have had your MBL's for a while and trying them with this and that, what is your take in comparison. I would love to hear them now.
Not so easy to answer;
Long list of speakers afterwords and all over the place, my main reason for the sale of the IRS V's was a move and the new home just didn't have the same great room. I actually stored them for a few years but lost sight of having that designated room any time soon so I just ended up selling them.
Then I started trying this and that from different manufactures, which included ML "a few", Mag 20, B&W Matrix 800, Quads, PMC BB5 powered, Wilson WP8, Revel Studio, Egglston Andra 2's, Avalon Isis to name a few. The last two speakers I actually had set-up in two different rooms while the MBL's arrived and then I moved the Andra's to break-in the MBL's. My Isis speakers had been up for sale for some time and a few weeks after the arrival of my MBL's a guy was serious wanting them. Actually this person wanted everything in that room, I had a pair of VTL Ref 750's - ARC 610T's and a few other goodies. I tried not to sell some of the amps because I really wanted to hear them with the MBL's but the deal was quickly going south and I found my self not married to them so hence my decision to sell.
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
A few more fun things that happened:
Ki Choi was nice enough to bring over a Studer A810, a Cello head amp, and some tapes. Not just any tapes - but original master tapes. This one was from 1961 - and about the best big band recording I have ever listened to.
The next day, I was fool enough to bring my wife and kids to come for a listen. I played them Ki's tape, and the first thing my wife said was: "So, when do I get my own tape machine?"
Ki Choi was nice enough to bring over a Studer A810, a Cello head amp, and some tapes. Not just any tapes - but original master tapes. This one was from 1961 - and about the best big band recording I have ever listened to.
The next day, I was fool enough to bring my wife and kids to come for a listen. I played them Ki's tape, and the first thing my wife said was: "So, when do I get my own tape machine?"
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
We typically have a lot of non-audiophiles come to these events. Club members bring their friends.... their friends bring their friends.... and it's a great way to introduce music lovers to the industry. So, we always try to put on a good show with lots of beer, wine, snacks and of course, some of the best music that we can find.
One of Carol's friends brought her two teenage daughters - and while music lovers, they had never heard Prog Rock - my old-timer's music.
I played:
and one of them came up and asked "What was that??? It's beautiful."
Then:
and she came up again, paper and pen in hand.
Then again with:
And then:
Well.... may be Phil Collins isn't really prog.
But when I played
Half a dozen guys came up with paper and pen. Current progressive rock. What could be more cool!!
One of Carol's friends brought her two teenage daughters - and while music lovers, they had never heard Prog Rock - my old-timer's music.
I played:
and one of them came up and asked "What was that??? It's beautiful."
Then:
and she came up again, paper and pen in hand.
Then again with:
And then:
Well.... may be Phil Collins isn't really prog.
But when I played
Half a dozen guys came up with paper and pen. Current progressive rock. What could be more cool!!
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