For Genesis, class-D Equals Color

"I'm a full-time music lover and a part-time audiophile," Gary Koh declared while demming his new Genesis GRA1440, class-D, truly differentially balanced monoblock amplifiers ($22,000/pair). "Music is inherently balanced," he said, as he played the stereo LP version of Al Grey and The Basie Wing's The Last of the Big Plungers, and proved that modified Hypex class-D modules, when incorporated into amplifiers that output 1440Wpc into 4 ohms and include a full Genesis power supply, can yield totally welcoming, alive and colorful sound. There was absolutely no hard edge to be heard on this system.

Making such good sound possible was the brand new prototype Genesis SMc-1 preamplifier ($15,000), which Gary designed with assistance from Steve McCormack. The unit includes Gary's designed-from-scratch internal phono stage, which addresses tracking errors between channels of the volume control. Also responsible were the Genesis G4 loudspeakers ($45,000/pair), which are the first Genesis loudspeakers designed by Gary Koh from the ground up, without using of any of former Genesis designer Arnie Nudell's technology. The G4s include the Genesis ring-ribbon tweeter, a planar-magnetic midrange, twin titanium mid-bass couplers, and two side-firing, servo-controlled 10" woofers. Source was a Roksan Xerxes turntable with modified Magic Diamond cartridge. Not auditioned was the Genesis Muse (approx. $15,000), a due-soon music source that includes server, DAC, and internet radio, and will stream to an iPad or Android device.

COMMENTS
Regadude's picture

Class D is like "New Coke" Flavor of the day! It sucks, and always will!

Jason Victor Serinus's picture

You haven't been listening. If asked to choose between the Class D sound in the rooms sponsored by Genesis and a few other companies and the overly warm, euphonic, and rose-tinted sound I heard from far too many tube electronics and some non-Class D solid-state equipment, I'd turn to the new generation of Class D any day. Class D has come a long way from its early days, when I found the sound of a Class D amp I was committed to reviewing so dry, flat, and gray that I couldn't bear to keep it in my system for more than 10 minutes at a time.

wjbroda's picture

If you had listened to these amps you would not make such negitive comments. They are very good. Easliy comparible to amps in the same price range (and above). Just give them a listen and see for yourself. 

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