Glorious integrated revolution - Genus from Aries Cerat

vess

Well-Known Member
Nov 4, 2012
83
84
923
Sofia, Bulgaria
www.audio-bg.com
Well, nothing prepared me for Genus. I knew it is good, I knew it is excellent, I have heard it is killer amp, yet nothing compares to listening. How come this “little” baby sounds this extraordinary !?

This really is end game amplifier for many, for most audiophiles on a budget. So real, so balanced, no weakness at all, no excuses whatsoever. Many, many pre/power expensive interconnect combos will be ashamed.

Stavros loves his babies and understandably so. This is impossible act to follow. The very entry level products sound so great ! And I have listened to almost all top AC products before Genus and Helene. Usually you are not so excited with less expensive products after listening to top level.

Nothing like this with Aries Cerat, I am thoroughly impressed, or should I say shaken by the sound quality of baby Aries Cerat components. It is easier with unlimited budget, but to create uber high end products so affordable for many, it is a masterpiece work , it is dream come true !

This fabulous journey in Aries Cerat world is like best fairy tale. For grown ups, or may be not fully grown ups.
Deep respect to Stavros, out of this world designer at his best form. It is not a complement, but truth itself.

Sincerely, Vess
 

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bmarq

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2018
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Thanks for sharing Vess. I am interested to audition this amp as well for my Verity Parsifal Anniversary with 89db sensitivity. May I ask what speakers you have tried the Genus with?
 

vess

Well-Known Member
Nov 4, 2012
83
84
923
Sofia, Bulgaria
www.audio-bg.com
Hi, I tried Wolf von Langa both Son and Chicago - excellent. Horning Hybrid Eufrodite Ellipse - stunning. All are 95-96-98 dB.

When I try lower sensitivity speakers, will advise the result.
 

bmarq

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2018
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Thanks Vess. Yes would be great to hear your impressions for lower sensitivity speakers. Great speaker choices you had there by the way.
 

vess

Well-Known Member
Nov 4, 2012
83
84
923
Sofia, Bulgaria
www.audio-bg.com
Yes, I pick the products carefully. I can recommend them wholeheartedly ! And price is right also, for the quality you get.
 
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Thieliste

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Aug 31, 2014
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I might get a Genus for my next headphone rig but would like to use headphones only connected to the speaker taps to get the full 25w.
I will ask Dana cables to build a special cable for me with spades at the end instead of 6.5 jack of 4 pin XLR.
I'm wainting for Hifiman to come up with a Susvara V2 for this project.
This will be an end game headphone rig as i might have to put on hold my speaker rig project for some years unfortunately.
Cheers.
 

Golum

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Jun 7, 2018
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Guess terms “baby” and “little” don’t prepare you properly for the sheer size and weight of this monster :cool:
 

Thieliste

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Aug 31, 2014
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I'm sure no one has experienced driving a pair of Susvara directly from speaker taps of the Genus:p
This is the next level in headphone listening.
I did try my Kennerton Odin 2 years ago at Munich from the Genus headphone output, it was good but not mindblowing.
Speaker taps is the way to go for ultimate headphone experience.
 

Aries Cerat

Industry Expert
May 30, 2015
356
601
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I'm sure no one has experienced driving a pair of Susvara directly from speaker taps of the Genus:p
This is the next level in headphone listening.
I did try my Kennerton Odin 2 years ago at Munich from the Genus headphone output, it was good but not mindblowing.
Speaker taps is the way to go for ultimate headphone experience.

Hello there

The headphone output is driven by the full output stage of the Genus :) This is the reason why so many people get it just for their headphones :) Next level indeed

Cheers
Stavros
 
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Thieliste

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Aug 31, 2014
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Hi Stavros,

Ok i didn't know you had the full 25w from the headphone output that's good to know, therefore no need for spades adapter to headphone cable.
Cheers.
 
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orfeo_monteverdi

Well-Known Member
Jan 16, 2015
99
156
265
Europe
Hello everyone,
(I think here is a better place for this post - and BTW would you please my bad English...)

I have at present a combination made of Aries Cerat Incito preamp + YBA Signature Classic stereo amplifier (70w).

Would a possible upgrade towards an Aries Cerat Genus 25w integrated amplifier make sense
- either with my Analysis Epsilon ribbon panels (DETAILS hereafter; acoustics OK; neighbors; low to moderate levels),
- or with Harbeth M30.2 40th Anniversary (other system, excellent acoustics, no neighbors, may play louder, though moderate levels suit me most of the time)
?

Or would a Genus be totally overkill with both of those speakers?

You will tell me that a higher sensitivity speaker would be better. I know. But it is not in the agenda.

Many thanks,
Orfeo.



DETAILS

Analysis Epsilon ribbon panels - absolutely fabulous panels (beat all Apogee models, and are perfectly reliable):
85dB, flat impedance curve, easy to drive, 4 or 5 Ohms, linear.
crossover point of 650Hz, a common nominal impedance of 4 ohms and 86dB sensitivity, [...] With a minimum rated power requirement of 50 watts, says the manufacturer; but I listen to low to moderate levels.
The very flat impedance curve of the [ here Omega] speakers renders them friendly for high-quality, mid-powered tube amplifiers. While the U.S. importer for Analysis Audio prefers to demonstrate the speakers with 60-watt monoblock tube amplifiers in his showroom (http://v2.stereotimes.com/post/analysis-audio-omega-loudspeakers)

Harbeth M30.2 40th Anniversary, measured at 87dB by John Atkinson
That gentleman from Philipines trying a Genus with his Harbeth c7es; of course, it's not because this videos exists that the combination makes sense; obviously, he was experiencing:

I note that Herb Reichert used quite good amplifiers (Line Magnetic, Pass, Leben) with the Habeth M30.2 Anniversary he then evaluated as a Class A speaker. The M30.2 may look like ludicrous little British boxes, but they are really fine speakers indeed; limited for sure, but they play just right (if not in the same league at all as Analysis ribbon panels).




Some context:
I heard the Genus with the excellent high efficiency 93dB swiss speakers Stenheim Alumine Two, alas in bad conditions (audio show). It was remarkable, though the system's setup was not totally my taste. It was the only occasion I heard the Genus.

Then I heard the whole Aries Cerat system with the Conceros amplifiers in Aries Cerat's room in Belgium some years ago, at a time the importer had no distributor yet ( = Aries Cerat Symphonia horn speaker + Kassandra + Incito preamp + Concero)
That was by far very the best sound of all my life. I confidently can say that I had NEVER heard such a thing before, neither thought that it was just possible... (I attend classical concerts, which are my only reference, and this makes me insanely demanding with my hifi...).

So I know what AC is capable of, in absolute terms; though I have thus never fully digged into the Genus' potential...



Practically, on the other side,
my Incito preamp + YBA combo would partly finance the Genus. But only partly. Then I get a 67Kg tank ( = the Genus) that I cannot move alone...



PS: Wow, this website's ergonomy has still further improved; it is really terrific, a pleasure to use - great job my friends !! Thanks!
I just fail to distinguish between plain text, and hyper text (links), as the colors are very similar. Is it possible to parameterize this?
 

bmarq

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2018
17
6
85
Oliver, hopefully @Aries Cerat Stavros can weigh-in on your query.

I am also seriously considering the Aries Cerat Genus 845 for my 91db/w/m sensitive, 4 ohm nominal Verity Audio Parsifal Anniversary.

Hope Stavros can enligthen us if our speaker choices would be driven well by the Genus.

I am assuming it will given the size, amount of transformers and circuit design but it would be great to hear from the designer whether it would be optimal or would hamper the performance envelopes of both speaker and amp.

I also am not aware of the damping factor of Genus but SETs typically have lower DF which commonly is not a good match for lower sensitivy speakers.

I wonder what the range of speaker sensitivities Stavros had in mind when designing the Genus as well.
 

Aries Cerat

Industry Expert
May 30, 2015
356
601
333
Hello and good morning

Genus is successfully matched with lower sensitivity speakers, with the limitations of course of max spl that you can get from 25W. Other than that, the systems around the world include speakers from SF (low sensitivity) to mid and high sensitivity.

Verity can go rather well with our 25W amplifiers, we had a client that have Concero 25 with (i think) Parsifal.



The Analysis ribbons are quite flat as load and easy load in that regard,but inefficient. It is again a matter of music material,listening distance and spl preference. @oliver, i think you are listening near filed, am i correct?

Cheers
Stavros
 
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bmarq

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2018
17
6
85
Hello and good morning

Genus is successfully matched with lower sensitivity speakers, with the limitations of course of max spl that you can get from 25W. Other than that, the systems around the world include speakers from SF (low sensitivity) to mid and high sensitivity.

Verity can go rather well with our 25W amplifiers, we had a client that have Concero 25 with (i think) Parsifal.



The Analysis ribbons are quite flat as load and easy load in that regard,but inefficient. It is again a matter of music material,listening distance and spl preference. @oliver, i think you are listening near filed, am i correct?

Cheers
Stavros
Thank you for that very helpful information Stavros. I think the model is the Verity Sarastro’s 2, 93db. Not far in sensitivity from Parsifal.

I am encouraged to hear Genus can work well with mid sensitivity speakers. I shall definitely give the Genus an audition as I do not play loud in 30 sqm listening space with lively acoustics.

More power to you and your wondeful creations.
 
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orfeo_monteverdi

Well-Known Member
Jan 16, 2015
99
156
265
Europe
The Analysis ribbons are quite flat as load and easy load in that regard,but inefficient. It is again a matter of music material,listening distance and spl preference. @oliver, i think you are listening near field, am i correct?

Cheers
Stavros
Hello Stavros,
You are correct, I sit relatively close to the speakers:
- (Room 1, see my signature) -> at approx. 2,5 m from the Analysis Epsilon (w. pre Incito + power YBA 1 signature Classic). But that room is in town, with neighbors. Low to moderate levels mandatory. Room acoustics is OK to nice as long as I deploy my SMT S-wing diffusors (which requires a certain setup, as the room is a living room: the SMT diffusors have to be removed after attentive listening; they roll).
- (Room 2) -> at approx. 2,15 m from the Harbeth 30.2 Anniversary (+ Marantz PM-16, 80W). Speakers are 3m away from the rear wall. Room 2 is in the countryside, no neighbors. It has terrific acoustics (former stable, with little curves on the ceiling, solid masonery, carpet on the floor). Here I play unconsciously much louder than in room 1, which it's really fun (even if the system is not as good), but quite in another way than in room 1.

REM: Room 2 was quickly setup after COVID, to survive musically speaking, and to explore the acoustic potential of that room; it turns out that it is indeed high ! I sometimes wonder if I shouldn't swap the systems and move the (big) system of room 1 into the better room 2, where I also feel free to play louder. I will consider that later, as it would be a big moving...
In Room 2, the honest 2nd hand Marantz PM-16, 80W, does the job, surprisingly well BTW. I pump up the volume untill 10 or 11 AM, which I guess says absolutely nothing about the effective power delivered; this should be measured with a watt meter; it will be my next step: I have to know exactly how much watts I use in Room 2, where I play much louder than in room 1.

Tx
Oliver
 
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orfeo_monteverdi

Well-Known Member
Jan 16, 2015
99
156
265
Europe
What is the damping factor (DF) of the Aries Cerat Genus 845 (25w SET, Elrog tubes, 67Kg) ?
Thanks.


On the other side tough, Floyd E. Toole published this article about damping factor in 1975: "The first, and perhaps the most important, observation to be made regarding damping factor in amplifiers is that it has really rather little to do with the damping of anything."
 
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Aries Cerat

Industry Expert
May 30, 2015
356
601
333
Hello
No, it not practical as most parts will need to be changed(from PSU transformers and boards, output transformers etc), does not make much sense.

BR
Stavros
 

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