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Genesis amp-does anything compare?

I heard a Genesis amp, for the first time today, and was floored by what I heard. It sounded like nothing I've read about when it comes to ICE powered amps. Digital done right, I guess. Almost tube like without the bloom; wonderful midrange, deep and precise bass, and sweet and airy highs. Great soundstage withs lots of depth with a degree of precision I'd not thought possible. I could have stayed there all day. I was told that no one else makes them this good. I felt like crying (I openly wept to my inner self).

What I'd like to know is if anyone has heard this amp and if so, have they heard some other, lesser priced, digital amp that comes close to sounding as good. I would like to believe that there have been some advances made in the last few years that have closed the gap between this jewel of an amp and all the others out there.

Thanks, in advance,
Nonoise
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nonoise's avatar
nonoise OP
10,874 posts
 
Thanks Teajay!

Its quite a jungle out there and feedback like this makes it a lot easier.

All the best,
Nonoise
plato
1,543 posts
 
Yeah, er, not to sound cynical but I believe digital amps can be designed to sound any way the designer intends. In other words, they can tailor the response curve to an ideal they think will please most listeners.

I've been using a Wyred 4 Sound STI-500 amp for more than a year and like it better than my previous NuForce 9SE V2 amps and better than my friend's Spectron Musician amp (and better than a lot of analog SS and tube amps too).

That said, a few months back I bought a very inexpensive Tri-path Class-D amp built into a Marantz amp chassis by an Audiogon member and it is one of the smoothest most detailed and liquid amps I've had the pleasure of using. In fact, it replaced my favorite QuickSilver GLA amp in my Magnepan system. And the little GLA is one of my favorite EL-34 tube amps.

I could be wrong, but assuming quality parts are used (and I know there are many choices of parts and topologies) it's the final voicing of the amp that makes or breaks it. If it has synergy with the rest of your system then great... but unfortunately this can NEVER be taken for granted until a given amp is evaluated in one's particular system. There are just too many variables in the mix.

So please remember that unless you auditioned the Genesis amp in your own system all bets are off. If you heard it in an unfamiliar system then you were effectively auditioning a complete system (room acoustics and all) not any single component therein.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise OP
10,874 posts
 
Thank you, Plato, as well, for your thoughtful advice.
( that took me back a couple of thousand years)
I agree that final determination is within one's own system. But, I'm somewhat familiar with the system it demo'd in and it was with two different speakers, two different CDPs, and I swear it was with the owner's all tube system until I saw the Genesis amp sitting there, grinning at me (I think it winked as well).

As soon as I pay down some debt its time to audition some class D amps.
Its nice to be in the hunt, again.

All the best,
Nonoise
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