Genesis 450XS User manual

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Owners Manual and Set-up Guide:
Genesis 450XS Loudspeaker
Contents
A QUICK START SET-UP GUIDE 3
UNPACKING 3
ROOM PLACEMENT 3
SET-UP GUIDE 4
POSITIONING 4
POWER CONNECTIONS 4
SOURCE INPUT CONNECTIONS 5
CONTROLS 5
TUNING THE SYSTEM 6
ADJUSTING BASS GAIN 6
LOW PASS FILTER 6
IMAGING AND SOUNDSTAGE 7
FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS 8
THE REFINEMENT STAGE 9
ROOM TREATMENT 10
MASTERING THE REFINEMENTS OF THE SYSTEM 11
THE TECHNOLOGY 12
THE GENESIS RIBBON TWEETER 12
28-INCH MIDRANGE 12
MID-BASS COUPLERS 13
THE SERVO-BASS ADVANTAGE 13
ALUMINIUM-CONE WOOFERS 14
1000 WATT CLASS D SERVO AMPLIFIER 15
CROSSOVER 15
SPECIFICATIONS 16

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A Message from Genesis
Congratulations! You are now the owner of one of the finest
loudspeaker systems in the world! Based on the technologies
developed for our flagship Genesis 1, the 450XS is our smallest
floor-standing line array loudspeaker model with three front-firing
ribbon tweeters and a 24-inch mid-range ribbon. Yet it delivers some
of the imaging and soundspace of our largest 7-foot tall products.
The Genesis 450XS loudspeaker system was designed to
reproduce music at live listening levels with virtually no restrictions
on dynamic range, frequency response, or imaging capabilities. This
is what we mean by “absolute fidelity”, the ability to reproduce the
musical event faithfully, as was intended by the performer.
Standing 57 inches tall, 23.5 inches deep, and only 14.5 inches
wide, the Genesis 450XS is a diminutive giant. By means of an
active servo bass, response down to 16Hz is achieved, and the full
range and impact of a symphony orchestra or a rock band can be
reproduced.
Please read this Owners Manual and Set-up Guide to get the
maximum enjoyment out of your purchase. Also, if you have access
to the internet, please check back at our website often. The address
is www.genesisloudspeakers.com. We will put the latest updates,
tips and tricks, and support for our owners on our website.
Please write the serial number and purchase details of your
Genesis 450XS here for future reference.
Bought at: _________________________ Date: __________
Address: __________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
____________________ Telephone: ___________________

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A Quick Start Set-up Guide
Now that you have your new Genesis 450XS loudspeaker system,
we realize that you can’t wait to hook it up and start playing!
However, please read this quick set-up guide (even if your dealer is
setting it up for you!) before you proceed.
Unpacking
Your loudspeakers will come to you in two large shipping crates. The
450XS weighs over 140lbs (63.5kgs) each, so we suggest a
minimum of two strong people to move the speakers around. We will
not be held liable for damage (to either the speakers or your backs!)
during unpacking and setting up.
Room Placement
A good starting position for your 450XS is about 20% the way into
the room as measured from the front wall (the wall you look at as
you are seated listening to the speakers) and six to eight feet apart.
You will want to sit ten to twelve feet away from the speakers.
6’ to 8’
20% 80%
10’ to 12’
Typical room placement: Place speakers about 20% of the
way into the room and 10 to 12 feet from the listeners

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Set-up Guide
Positioning
A good starting position for the 450XS is about 20% of the way into
the room as measured from the front wall (the wall you look at as
you are seated listening to the speakers). Start with the speakers six
feet apart. You will want to sit at least 10 to 12 feet away from the
speakers (eight feet if you have the space). We will experiment with
moving the speakers around later.
Power Connections
There are two connections you will
need to make to the 450XS. First, the
power cord for the built-in amplifier
will need to be plugged into a power
socket. A 10-foot power cord is
included with your speakers for this
purpose. We do not recommend
using an extension cord for the
450XS due to the high power
demands of the 1000W amplifier.
However, if you MUST use an
extension cord, use an extremely
heavy duty one.
Before you plug the power cord in,
please make sure that the voltage
selector is set to the proper
voltage. Taiwan, Japan and North
America will require the 115v setting.
Most European countries and other
Asian countries will require 230v. We recommend that you plug the
450XS into an unswitched outlet, or a switched outlet that will always
be left ON.
There is an on/off switch for the power amplifier. This switch should
always be left on. The built-in amplifier has an auto-sensing circuit
that will automatically shut the amplifier off when there is no music
being played for around 10 minutes. It will immediately switch the
amplifier on if there is music sensed.

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Source Input Connections
Connect the output of your power amplifier to the High Level Input
binding posts using a high-quality loudspeaker cable. Make sure that
you have the correct polarity connected for both speakers – the plus
or positive (red) terminal on the 450XS should be connected to the
plus, positive, or red terminal on your power amplifier.
The Bass Input selector switch should be in the down position –
pointing to the inputs being used. This is the recommended hook-
up, both sonically and for convenience.
Nevertheless, you may wish to connect the bass section of the
450XS directly to your preamplifier instead. You may wish to do
this if you know that your power amplifier may be deficient in the
bass, or does not have a response flat down to 20Hz.
If you do this, use a good quality interconnect cable to connect the
output of your preamplifier to the Preamp level input RCA
connector on the back plate of the 450XS. Using this connection,
switch the Bass Input Selector to the up position. This will bypass
the high-level input from the servo amp, and take the bass input
for the built-in servo bass amplifier directly from the preamp.
Controls
The knob on the upper left marked “Gain”
controls the volume of the built-in bass
servo amplifier. Begin with this control at
position 7. The knob on the upper right
marked “Low Pass” controls how high the
woofer will play. At the extreme low of
40Hz, the woofer will play up to 40Hz, and
then begin rolling off, or reducing its volume.
The recommended beginning position for
this control is 105Hz.
The lower left knob marked “Tweeter” is a
volume control for the rear tweeter. Turning
this control clockwise will increase the level of the tweeter. This
will increase the apparent space of the soundstage. Start with
this control at the twelve o'clock position. There is about a 3 dB
range for this control.

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The lower right knob marked “Midrange” is used to adjust the
level of the midrange. Start at the 12 o’clock position. Turning the
control anti-clockwise will make the midrange sound leaner, and
turning it clockwise will make the midrange sound fulller. There is
about a one and a half dB range for this control.
Tuning the system
Music is the best way to begin your set-up procedure. We suggest
that video sources be used only after you have set-up the system to
properly reproduce music.
We suggest that you start with a single vocal with instrumental
accompaniment because the sound of the human voice is more
easily recognizable than many instruments and is the least
complex sound to deal with.
Adjusting Bass Gain
Leave the low pass filter alone for the moment, as it should remain
set at approximately 105 Hz. This control will be addressed later.
Turn the gain control of the woofer amplifier up or down until the
voice sounds correct. Whatever controls you use, turn them up and
down only a little at a time (less than ½ a notch!). It is easy to turn it
up or down too much.
Concentrate on the mid bass regions (as opposed to the very low
bass in your recording) to achieve a natural blend. The voice and the
music accompaniment should sound as if it were cut from one cloth,
not separate.
If the voice sounds “thin” or does not have enough “chest” to its
sound, turn the woofers amplifier’s gain up till it does. If you find that
turning the volume up creates too much low bass, you will then need
to work on the low pass filter.
Low Pass filter
This control will lower the frequency cut-off point of the woofer.
Turning the low pass filter up to a higher number will extend the
upper bass regions without affecting the low bass level. Some rooms
may require you to set the low pass filter up to 130Hz. Do not be
afraid to increase this control to give the sound more body.

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Next, set the woofers using more than just a voice. Select some
music that you know to have good deep bass. Set the gain on the
woofers for a natural and powerful bass sound. Use a symphonic
piece of music if you can, or use a natural bass instrument for your
guide. Try to make it sound real. You may have to return to the vocal
to make sure you have not gone too far in one direction.
At this point, if there is not enough mid bass, turn the low pass
number to a higher position or, alternately, position the main
speakers closer together in order to achieve better mid bass
coupling between the main speakers. If it sounds too “fat” turn the
low pass control down or adjust the volume. At this point it is
suggested to use the low pass filter control until you get to the
refinement stage.
Imaging and Soundstage
If your vocal selection is a well-recorded audiophile CD or LP, the
performer should appear to come from behind the loudspeakers and
be at the appropriate height for a standing person. If it is not, there
are several remedies that will address this.
If the vocal appears to be larger than life, you should first check the
system volume. Is it a volume that would be appropriate for
someone actually singing in your room? If there is too much
volume the artist will appear too big and the opposite is true
for too little volume. If the volume is set correctly and the image is
still too big, place them closer together and re-listen. Place the
speakers no less than 5 feet apart. If the image is still too big, toe
the speakers in a slight amount.
Conversely, if the image is too small, move the speakers apart.
The speakers should be no more than eight feet apart. Repeat
this process till you have it right. If the voice is too low in height,
turn the midrange control up (turning the knob clockwise) and the
image of the voice will move upward slightly.
If you have the speakers 20% of the way into the room, and you are
not getting enough front to back depth (the singer not appearing
behind the speaker enough) pull the speakers away from the front
wall a little bit at a time. If you do not have them pulled far enough
away, you may not have enough front to back depth. However,
slightly more than 1/3 of the way into the room is about as far as

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you want to go. Pulling them halfway into the middle of the room
is unlikely to help much, and probably make things worse.
Find the best compromise for your room, your tastes and your space
requirements. If you are not getting proper focus on the voice, you
may angle the left and right speaker up to about 15 degrees (toe-in)
towards your listening position until you have a properly defined
centre image. If the speakers are too far apart you will lose the side
image and if they are too close together you will have too small a
centre stage.
When properly set-up, very little sound should appear to come
directly from the speaker. Instead, the sound stage should extend
far beyond the left and right edge of the loudspeakers and they
should have tremendous front to back depth. When the recording is
close miked (when the instrument or performer is very close to the
recording microphone) the music may appear to come directly
from the loudspeaker. This is normal. Typically, however, the sound
should appear to be detached from the loudspeakers.
A simple rule of thumb to follow is that focus will be achieved by
placing the speakers closer together or farther apart, and front to
back depth can be adjusted by the distance from the rear wall.
Further, as the system “breaks in”, the depth and width of the
soundspace will increase and so will the “smoothness” of the sound.
Further adjustments
In some problematic rooms a resonance may develop at one or
two frequencies that is unnatural to the music. By moving the
speakers closer to the front wall or farther from the front wall, the
resonance may be reduced at the listener’s position. There are
no absolute rules concerning problematic rooms, so do not be
afraid to experiment with best speaker placement.
Ultimately, it is all about balance. You have a number of controls
at hand with which to adjust the bass response, the low-pass filter
frequency and woofer volume. You can also move the speakers
closer together (for better coupling), or further apart.

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The Refinement stage
After following the rough set-up guide above, you may not be
completely satisfied with the results. We share with you here some
of our observations in setting up these loudspeakers:
One rule of thumb you should always keep in mind. Make one
change at a time! Do not, for instance, change position of the
speakers and make an adjustment to the amplifier all at once. Make
each of these changes separately and note the difference - by
listening with each adjustment, then make the next change.
A common problem we find with many set-ups is a tendency to
separate the speakers too far from each other. This gives an
unnaturally wide soundstage between the two speakers, and creates
problems beyond the unnatural width of the center stage. The key
problem is a lack of soundstage information beyond the left and right
sides of the speakers
If you find that the sound is not spacious enough or you are not
getting enough front to back depth, pull the speaker away from the
front wall. This is typically preferable to separating the two speakers
too far, and will almost always give you better depth and soundstage
information. A word of caution, however. If you move the speakers
too far from the front wall you may lose focus.
Yet another problem is a lack of mid-bass energy. In order for the
appropriate amount of mid-bass energy to be present, the speakers
should be close enough together to achieve proper "coupling" of the
midrange driver and the mid-bass couplers. Coupling is desirable in
the lower frequencies from the mid-bass on down. This simply
means that the drivers on the left and right speakers "work together"
as opposed to working separately.
If you find there isn't enough deep bass, your first remedy is the
volume control on the woofer amplifier. This has several limitations.
First, turned up too high, you may get some distortion on very low
frequencies or you may overheat the amplifier.
Secondly, you may make the mid-bass at the crossover point
produced by the top of the woofer out of proportion with the mid
bass produced by the bottom of the mid-bass coupler. This would
tend to sound "boomy" in the mid-bass regions.

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Another good rule of thumb is to first set the volume control of the
woofer for proper mid-bass rather than low bass. The theory is that
if the mid-bass is correct, then the low bass should be very close to
correct. If the mid-bass is proper and the low bass is still not right,
here are some other suggestions.
A good balance between proper low bass extension and a deep and
spacious soundstage needs to be established to optimize your new
speaker's performance.
In order to achieve what the speaker is capable of we suggest you
focus your efforts on a proper balance of soundstage elements that
includes information beyond the left and right sides of the speakers,
front to back depth well behind the speaker, excellent focus of
instruments and voices with proper vertical information and mid bass
fill.
A Genesis loudspeaker system correctly set up, can and should
provide a soundstage that is wall to wall and with pinpoint focus, the
speakers disappearing completely on a recording containing such
information.
Room Treatment
No room is perfect. To optimize your sonic presentation it may be
helpful to treat your room. Here are some guidelines:
Front walls. This loudspeaker is a dipole and therefore there is
sound coming from both the front and the back of the speaker.
How the front wall (the wall you face while listening) is treated or
not treated is important. Generally speaking, the Genesis
loudspeakers prefer a live front wall to a dead front wall.
By these terms, we mean the amount of reflection of sound. A
typical wall of glas, brick, cement or drywall material is a
reflective surface. A heavily curtained or sound-proofed wall
would be considered a "dead wall" or a non-reflective wall. A
normal thin curtain across a window causes only a small amount
of absorption.
Sidewalls. Because the speaker is a dipole it is less sensitive to
the sidewalls. However, as a rule of thumb it is a good idea to
keep the speaker as far away from the sidewalls as is practical.
With this in mind, it may be helpful to add some damping

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material or diffuser panels to the point of first reflection. This is a
point on the sidewalls between the listener and the loudspeaker.
It is where the sound from the loudspeaker first hits the sidewall,
then bounces to the listener. This reflection is undesirable
because it is slightly delayed from the original sound. This point
on the sidewall can be easily determined with the help of a
second person and a mirror.
Sitting in your listening position, have an assistant hold a mirror
up on the sidewall. Move the mirror until you can see the
tweeter. This is the point of first reflection. A diffuser (see your
dealer), an absorptive material or even a piece of furniture can
help break up this point of first reflection.
Rear wall. In many cases it will be unnecessary to do anything
with the wall behind your listening position. However, you may
want to experiment with diffusers or absorbers behind you for
best sound. Absorption behind the listener is usually beneficial.
Mastering the Refinements of the system
Fine tuning an audio system is an art that will take time and
patience. It can be one of the more rewarding learning experiences
you will have in the pursuit of music and its enjoyment.
One of the best pieces of advice we can offer is that you take
advantage of the ear's ability to identify similarities in sound. This
ability is useful in fine-tuning your system because, if every recording
you listen to has a similarity of sound (too much or too little of a
certain frequency for instance), then you can be fairly certain that you
have yet to perfect your set-up. Keep at it, and remember to enjoy
your music as you work on perfecting your set-up.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at Genesis. Our
website at www.genesisloudspeakers.com is the first place that you
can look to for more information, but you are welcome to either send
us an email at [e-mail] , or just give us a
call! We will be happy to entertain any questions you may have.

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The Technology
The Genesis Ribbon Tweeter
Reviewers in the audiophile press have often remarked that the
Genesis circular ribbon tweeter is the world’s best. It is a one inch
circular planar ribbon design crafted from an extremely thin
membrane of Kapton with a photo-etched aluminium “voice coil” that
is a mere 0.0005 inch thick. The entire radiating structure has less
mass than the air in front of it! That is why it will accurately reproduce
frequencies beyond 36k Hz.
The result of this design is a driver that has a rapid and uniform
response to high frequencies and has the speed of the best
ribbon/electrostatic designs, without the high distortion and poor
dispersion that is typically associated with them.
The 450XS uses four of these tweeters per channel. Three front-
firing, and the other rear-firing wired to the crossover out of phase to
the front tweeters, creating a dipole. Dipoles radiate the same sound
from both front and rear, out of phase in a “push/pull” fashion. Thus,
the sound waves from the front and back of the speakers cancel
each other out as they radiate from the sides of the speakers. This
results in minimum radiation of sound to the sidewalls of the room.
The net result is that the 450XS generates far fewer detail-robbing
room reflections from the sidewalls than other types of
loudspeakers. With fewer spurious reflections to confuse your
hearing, the program source emerges more clearly. Imaging is
deeper, yet more focused.
28-inch Midrange
We sometimes say that the midrange is a window into the mind of a
composer or a singer. And indeed, the midrange is where the
“magic” is in a well-recorded musical event.
The midrange ribbon used in the 450XS is manufactured to Genesis’
specifications. The ribbon itself is made of a very thin layer of
aluminium laminated to a substrate of Mylar that is 0.001inch thick.
The ribbon is then suspended in a magnetic field created by over 12
feet of barium ferrite magnets. The midrange ribbon is a natural
dipole transducer being also open to the rear.

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This results in a perfect line-source ribbon generating a continuous
and perfectly coupled wave front. The benefit of this to the listener is
a wide and even horizontal dispersion yielding a large and highly
stable sweet spot.
Mid-Bass Couplers
In order to create a “sound bridge” between the midrange ribbon and
the bass section, the 450XS incorporates two 6.5inch metal cone
mid-bass couplers. One front and one rear firing, again working as a
dipole.
Made of aluminum, this metal cone is extremely light and stiff. The
driver is hence capable of handling the huge dynamic range
demands of the system while maintaining extremely low coloration
and excellent transient response.
The Servo-bass Advantage
Very few loudspeakers use servo drive, either because most
designers think that it is too difficult to design, too expensive or
because of the extraordinary demands a servo system makes on
the amplifier and the transducer. However, the Chief Scientist of
Genesis, Arnie Nudell, first introduced the servo system in the
legendary Infinity Servo Statik One in 1968(!) – so we know how to
design and build servo systems.
The concept of the Genesis servo bass system is an easy one to
understand: It employs an accelerometer as a sensor, to constantly
monitor the movement of the woofer cone and instantaneously
compare it to the input signal. This comparison circuit identifies any
deviation from the input, and instantaneously applies a corrective
signal to compensate, thus practically eliminating the inherent
distortion of the woofer.
As an example, when you have a high-impact, low-bass signal that
starts and stops suddenly (for example a tympani), the inertia of the
woofer cone makes it slow to start moving, and then after it is
moving, the momentum of the cone makes it continue moving even
after the signal has stopped.
The sonic result is overhang, bloat, lack of tautness and definition,
and a blurring of dynamic impact. With the servo system, the circuit
senses that the woofer is not moving as fast as it should and it
instantaneously applies much more current to make it move faster.

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When the signal stops, it detects that the woofer will continue to
move when it shouldn’t and applies a counter-signal to stop the
woofer faster and more effectively than an open loop woofer could
possibly respond.
Thus, the servo-drive reduces distortion and improves transient
response by making the woofer seem massless. Typical non-servo
woofer systems have distortion levels that exceed 10% at even
moderate levels. The Genesis servo bass system reduces this
distortion to below one percent at almost any output level. It also
drives the woofer to constant acceleration which makes its
frequency response flat!!
The servo system is a more proactive approach to controlling a
loudspeaker than high-damping factor and high current in the normal
amplifier. However, this also means that the woofer, the cables
attaching the woofer to the amplifier, and the power amplifier has to
be designed as an integrated system. Thus, the Genesis 450XS is
designed with a built-in 1000W servo amplifier for the bass section.
Aluminium-cone Woofers
The transducer used in a servo system must be strong enough to
withstand the high current approach of the servo, yet delicate and
light enough to react extremely quickly. The 450XS features two 12-
inch aluminium cone woofers per channel, mounted in a horizontally-
opposed, mass-balanced configuration.
While the servo system is able to ensure that the driver works
linearly as a perfect piston, it is unable to correct for distortion
caused by cone wobble, bending, and break-up. Hence, the drivers
were designed to minimize these non-linear distortions, allowing the
servo system to achieve maximum accuracy.
The woofers are a uniquely designed metal cone driver made for the
Genesis servo system. Made of a cone of solid aluminium, the
suspension and voice-coil have been maximized for long, distortion-
free excursion so as to increase dynamic range. Our aluminium
cones are a magnitude stiffer than any plastic or paper cone on the
market, and virtually eliminate the problems caused by cone bending
and break-up.
The lowest break-up mode (where there can be any chance of
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frequency range that the woofers operate at. Therefore, the driver is
a perfect piston within the frequencies used.
Unlike the mid-bass couplers, midrange and the tweeters, which
operate in dipole, the three woofers in the 450XS operate in-phase
as an omni-pole. All three woofers work in-phase to control the air
mass of the listening room. This means that the surface area of the
three cones and the loudspeaker enclosure all work in unison to
produce bass output that descends evenly to below your hearing
limits.
1000 watt Class D Servo Amplifier
While the advantages of metal cones include extreme stiffness
resulting in very low distortion and break-up, one problem is that of
greater mass when compared to paper cones. To over come this,
Genesis had to build an amplification system of great wattage and
high damping factor. The servo system also places extraordinary
demands on the amplifier because the system uses enormous
amounts of current to make the woofer follow the input signal.
Combined with the metal cones, this means that the amplifier used
must deliver extraordinarily large amounts of clean power.
In the 450XS, the built-in amplifier was specifically designed and
tuned for low frequencies in order to produce the “floor-shakingly
musical” bass signal to power the servo woofers.
One side benefit of this powered woofer system is that almost any
sized amplifier can be used to drive the 450XS. The unique design
of the 450XS means that it has a rising impedance below 180Hz,
relieving the power amplifier to drive just the midrange and tweeter.
No longer must one choose between having an amplifier with
enough power to drive the woofers, and a smaller amplifier having
better spatial and tonal characters. Nevertheless, we do recommend
no less than 70 watts as a minimum.
Crossover
If the servo-controlled bass amplifier is the heart of the 450XS, the
crossover is the brain. In order to manage and maximize the
performance of the extensive complement of transducers used in
the 450XS, we spend more money on the crossover than many
other manufacturers put in their entire speaker.

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Each crossover is designed by computer modeling plus years of
knowledge and experience. The inductors are made for Genesis
with OFC copper windings, and on critical signal paths, expensive
copper film inductors are used. The capacitors used are also custom
made for Genesis, using high-quality stanneous-film polypropylene.
The crossover of the 450XS weighs over five pounds (2.2kg)!
More importantly, the crossovers are designed with many, many
hours of music listening, and constant refining, tuning and tweaking
of the circuit. Out of this comes the “magic” that is a Genesis
designed loudspeaker system. For example, by going the more
expensive route of using several smaller capacitors in parallel
instead of a single big one, transparency and musicality were
improved.
Specifications
 Dimensions: H 57” x W 13.4” x D 23.5”
 Weight: 190 lbs (86kg) per side
 Frequency Response: 16Hz to 36kHz, +/- 3dB
 Sensitivity: 90 dB 1 watt 1 meter
 Max/Min Tube Power: 500/70 watts per side
 Max/Min Solid State Power: 750/70 watts per side
 HF Transducers: Four 1-inch Genesis ribbon
tweeters per side
 Midrange Transducer: 28 inch midrange ribbon
 Mid-Bass Couplers: Two 6.5-inch metal cone mid-
bass couplers per side
 LF Transducers: Two 12-inch ribbed metal
woofers per side
 Controls: Low-pass, gain
Rear Tweeter (+/- 3 dB)
Midrange (+/- 1.5 dB)
 Nominal Impedance: 4 ohms (speakers)
 Power Rating: 1000 watts each
 Finish: Light Cherry