Genesis SERVOSUB S4/8 User manual

S4/8 Owners Manual Ver 0.1
1
11
1
abso lu te fideli ty
™
Owners Manual and Set-up Guide:
Genesis ServoSub™ 4/8
Contents
A QUICK START SET-UP GUIDE 3
S
AFETY T IPS 3
C
ONNECTIONS 3
P
LACEMENT OF THE S UBWOOFER 4
A
DJUSTING THE C ONTROLS 4
SETTING-UP THE S4/8 6
P
OSITIONING AND CONNECTING THE S4/8 6
LFE
G AIN 7
LFE
O UTPUT 7
P
OWER 8
S
PEAKER - LE EL CONNECTIONS : H IGH L E EL I NPUTS 8
L
INE - LE EL CONNECTIONS 9
P
HASE S WITCH 9
MAKING YOUR SYSTEM SOUND RIGHT 10
T
HE M AIN C ONTROLS 11
T
UNING THE SYSTEM IN 11
L
OW BASS 12
T
UNING FOR L OW F REQUENCY E FFECTS (LFE) 13
PLACING AND CONNECTING MULTIPLE SUBWOOFERS 13
THE TECHNOLOGY 16
T
HE S ER O A D ANTAGE 16
500W
C LASS -D S WITCHING A MPLIFIER 16
T
HE T RANSDUCERS 17
S
PECIFICATIONS 18

S4/8 Owners Manual Ver 0.1
2
22
2
abso lu te fideli ty
™
A Message rom Genesis
Congratulations! You are now the owner of one of the finest sub-
woofers available for music and home theater systems.
The Genesis ServoSub™ 4 8 is a unique subwoofer with 4 ultra-fast 8”
ribbed aluminum woofers and an integral 500W servo-controlled bass
amplifier. When used to complement the Genesis 6.1c center channel,
or any other center channel for that matter, the S4 8 adds body to the
voice channel for home theater applications.
The hallmarks of the S4 8 are speed, delicacy and articulation. Hence,
it is also the perfect partner to fast panel or electrostatic loudspeakers.
The S4 8 delivers bass frequencies as intended by the musical
performer, or as intended by the movie director. This is what we call
absolute fidelity™. In this case, we mean that the bass response of
the speaker is completely faithful to the input signal. This is achieved
by servo control of the woofer cone.
The S4 8 plays as loudly and deeply as much larger sub-woofers that
cost much more, and outperforms them in terms of transient fidelity
and freedom from the colorations inherent in port-loaded subwoofer
designs.
Please read through the Owners Manual and Set-up Guide to achieve
the maximum enjoyment from your purchase.
Please write the serial number and purchase details of your Genesis S4 8
here for future reference.
Purchased at: _________________ Date: __________

S4/8 Owners Manual Ver 0.1
3
33
3
abso lu te fideli ty
™
A Quick Start Set-up Guide
Now that you have your new Genesis ServoSub 4 8, we realize that
you are eager to hook it up and start listening! Nevertheless, please
read this quick start guide NOW before you begin setting it up.
Sa ety Tips
The S4 8 is a powered subwoofer with a built-in amplifier: it needs to
be connected to a power socket that is always on. Make sure that you
are providing the correct voltage, and keep the S4 8 away from water
and direct heat.
Connections
There are two common options for hooking-up the
S4 8 to your existing system. For dedicated music
systems and bass extension of satellite speakers,
we recommend connecting the high-level speaker
binding posts on the S4 8 to your power
amplifier’s speaker outputs, or connect them to
the “speaker through” binding posts on the
associated speaker, using a short run of cable as
a jumper.
Please note that the binding post inputs on the
S4 8 are high impedance inputs. This means that
you can connect as many of them as you like to
the output of a power amplifier, and the amp will
never “see” the load. This also means that you
should use an interconnect-type cable to connect
the S4 8 even if you use the high level inputs.
Speaker cables are designed for low-impedance
connections. Hence, unless it is a very short
jumper, a thin, small interconnect-type cable is a
better choice than a thick speaker-type cable.
The second option for connecting the S4 8 to your
existing system is to hook it up to your preamp out
using the line level inputs. In this case, if you have
two outputs on your preamp, use one set for the power amp, and the
second for the S4 8, avoiding a Y-connector if possible.
You can use a single S4 8 to augment a pair of speakers, as it
provides for two high-level inputs.

S4/8 Owners Manual Ver 0.1
4
44
4
abso lu te fideli ty
™
For traditional subwoofer use in audio video systems in multi-channel
home theater applications, connect the line level LFE output of your
processor to the LFE input on the S4 8.
Our unique LFE Blend™ technology allows you to use the S4 8 in
BOTH your music system and your home theater system at the same
time by using the high-level speaker inputs to augment the bass
response of your satellite speakers and connecting your processor’s
LFE output to the LFE Input. You are able to blend the two signals
together for better bass management of your listening room.
The S4 8’s LFE out can be used to daisy-chain multiple Genesis
subwoofers together for better control of the bass modes in your
listening room. This makes bass management easier, and makes for
tight, fast, articulate bass.
Placement o the Subwoo er
One of the most common reasons to buy a subwoofer is to augment
your existing loudspeakers when they do not provide enough bass for
your liking. In general, the S4 8 is used to augment front main or center
speakers in a multi-channel system, and would be placed near the
center channel or in between two main front speakers.
In this case, you should also connect the LFE input of the S4 8 to the
LFE Subwoofer output of your processor (or daisy-chained from the
nearest Genesis subwoofer with an LFE output). Since the S4 8 has
speaker-level inputs for two channels, you can place a single sub
between the two front speakers of your multi-channel system.
In a stereo system, you could place the S4 8 in between the left and
right speaker and connect them to both. In general, it is never
advisable to have your subwoofers placed symmetrically in a room.
Hence, we recommend that it be placed nearer the right speaker.
Adjusting the Controls
Locate the spec sheet for your existing main L R loudspeakers or
center channel, and adjust the Low Pass frequency on the S4 8 so it
matches the –3dB point of your speaker’s frequency response (If you
can’t find that the -3dB frequency, set the S4 8 to 63Hz – the 12 o’clock
position on the knob – and tune by ear from there). For speakers of
general sensitivity (around 88dB to 93dB), the Bass Gain and LFE
Gain can also be set at the 12 o’clock position.

S4/8 Owners Manual Ver 0.1
5
55
5
abso lu te fideli ty
™
The Phase switch allows you to reverse the phase of the S4 8. By
flipping between 0° and 180°, the correct position for this switch will be
apparent by the greater low frequency output of the system.
Note: Should your woofer amplifier unexpectedly turn off and you are
unable to turn it back on, you may have overheated or over-driven the
amplifier. It can take up to thirty minutes for the amplifier to cool down
enough to turn back on.
e patient. The two most common causes for this are poor ventilation
and too much amplifier gain (ie, the amp is being driven too hard). If
the amplifier is well ventilated and it still shuts down then you may have
the volume control turned up too high. Refer to the section on
increasing the low frequency response of your speakers without
turning up the volume control.

S4/8 Owners Manual Ver 0.1
6
66
6
abso lu te fideli ty
™
Setting-up the S4/8
While it is relatively easy to add a subwoofer into your system and hear
more bass, it is not as easy to integrate a subwoofer seamlessly into
your system. The Genesis ServoSub 4 8 makes system integration far
easier than most other subs because the servo system makes the
S4 8’s bass quick, clean and articulate. This means that no matter
which main speakers you use, the S4 8 will integrate well with them;
even fast electrostatic or magnetic planar speakers.
Positioning and connecting the S4/8
When the S4 8 is used to augment the low-frequency response of a
loudspeaker, place it as close to it as is practical.
In typical use, the S4 8 can be used to augment the low-frequency
response of the Genesis 6.1c center channel. In this case, the G6.1c
can even be placed on top of the S4 8. Because of the mass-balanced
design, there is minimal vibration of the S4 8 cabinet caused by the
woofers.
When the S4 8 is used to augment a stereo pair of speakers, place it in
between the two speakers, and not too near the wall. In general, it is
not advisable to place subwoofers symmetrically in a room. We
recommend that the S4 8 be placed nearer the right loudspeaker. This
is because in an orchestra (and also in a jazz band) the bass
instruments are on the right.
LFE Input
The Low Frequency Effects (LFE) input allows the S4 8 to be used for
augmentation of center or main loudspeakers as well as for the
reproduction of LFE for your home theater system. The LFE input
blends the low frequency effects signal from the home theatre
processor into the normal input signal on the subwoofer. We call this
our LFE Blend™ technology.
The LFE input bypasses the internal crossover, and hence uses the
home theatre processor’s crossover. This means that the S4 8 can be
used to augment center or front main speakers as well as deliver the
LFE channel without resorting to digital bass management on the
processor.
On the home theatre processor, set the front and center speakers to
“LARGE” and sub-woofer to “YES”. Then, connect the sub-woofer
(LFE) line-level output from the processor to either the single-ended

S4/8 Owners Manual Ver 0.1
7
77
7
abso lu te fideli ty
™
RCA or balanced XLR “LFE IN” connector on the S4 8. Do not use
both of these inputs at the same time.
We recommend that single-ended interconnects be no longer than 10
feet (3m). Hence, we have provided balanced LFE inputs. If your
processor is further than 10 feet from the S4 8, please use a high-
quality balanced cable.
If your processor has only single-ended outputs and is further than 10
feet from the S4 8, we recommend that you consider using an active (or
passive) signal balancing device to convert the unbalanced output signal
from your processor to a truly balanced signal. A truly balanced signal
will give you the benefit of maximum noise rejection and maximum
signal fidelity over long cable runs.
The unbalanced interconnect which connects your preamp to the
balancing device should be shorter than 4.5 feet (1.5 meters). You can
then use a balanced interconnects to connect the output of the signal-
balancing device to the input of the S4 8.
An added benefit of the S4 8 is that the servo-amplifier incorporates an
active signal-balancing device built in. This means that if your processor
has only single-ended outputs, but you can place an S4 8 close enough
to use a single-ended interconnect, then the balanced output of that
S4 8 can be used to daisy chain to the rest of the system.
LFE Gain
The S4 8 has a control for LFE
GAIN that is separate from BASS
GAIN. This allows you to have the S4 8 augment your surround
speakers as well as deliver LFE around the room at the same time
without conflicts. The usual way to control the level of the LFE output is
to set the LFE gain to 6 – the twelve o’clock position – and then use
the home theatre processor’s level control to dial in the level. However,
different locations in the room may have different room gain in the bass
frequencies. The LFE gain control allows you to tune each subwoofer
for optimum balance.
LFE Output
Along with the LFE input, the S4 8 has the unique capability of
providing an LFE output. This buffered output can be used to daisy-
chain the LFE signal from the S4 8 to the LFE inputs of other Genesis
subwoofers including other S4 8’s, S2 12t’s or G928’s. Thus, it is
possible to channel the LFE signal from your home theatre processor
to one S4 8, and then from that to another, and another, and another!

S4/8 Owners Manual Ver 0.1
8
88
8
abso lu te fideli ty
™
You can even use BOTH single-ended RCA and balanced XLR LFE
outputs to daisy-chain even more subwoofers when either the single-
ended input or the balanced input is used.
In the case of bass and LFE, using more low frequency sources
(not higher level) is better than using less. The point is not to
achieve a higher level of bass response but rather, by using multiple
subwoofers to distribute the LFE signal around the room, dramatically
reducing and evening-out room modes and increasing the bass
capability of the system.
Distributing low frequency information is also helpful for reproduction of
Multi-channel Music because you get incredible articulation and detail
in the bass all around the room.
Power
Make sure the ServoSub 4 8 is plugged into a wall outlet that is always
on. The S4 8 has an auto-on feature and will automatically power up
from “stand-by” when it detects a signal, and will switch itself to power
saving after about 10 minutes of being idle.
We recommend against the use of an
extension cord for providing AC power.
If you are forced to use an extension
cord, make certain that it is as heavy
duty (a minimum wire thickness of 12
gauge) an extension cord as you can
find. The S4 8 running at full tilt can
draw up to 1200Watts from your power
supply, so make sure that whatever
you plug your subwoofer into can
handle it!
Speaker-level connections: High
Level Inputs
Using a good quality speaker cable,
connect the output of your power
amplifier to the binding posts on the
back of the S4 8. You may also
connect the S4 8 to the binding posts
on the back of your loudspeaker
terminals if this is more convenient.
Make sure that you maintain proper
polarity. This means that the plus (+)

S4/8 Owners Manual Ver 0.1
9
99
9
abso lu te fideli ty
™
terminal of your amplifier must be connected to the plus (+ red)
terminal on the back of the S4 8, and the negative (-) terminal to the
negative (- white) terminal.
Using the high level inputs to feed the S4 8 power amplifier will not
degrade the sound quality of either your loudspeaker or the subwoofer.
Line-level connections
As an alternative, you can use the low-level inputs on the S4 8. Using
a high quality interconnect cable, connect your preamplifier’s output to
the low level inputs on the subwoofer labeled PRE AMP IN.
We strongly recommend that you do not use single-ended
interconnects longer than 10 feet (3.2 meters) to connect the
preamplifier outputs to your subwoofer. On many preamplifiers, using
an interconnect that is too long will negatively affect the performance of
your preamplifier because of the high capacitance of the interconnect
cable across the output of your preamplifier. This is why we provide
balanced inputs on the S4 8. Balanced interconnects can be as long
as you like.
If your preamplifier has only one set of balanced outputs and one set of
unbalanced (RCA) type outputs, choose your first preference of
connection for the amplifier that is driving your loudspeaker. Use the
remaining set of outputs to feed the S4 8’s amplifier.
Do not connect BOTH single-ended and balanced inputs to the S4 8 at
the same time. You could over-drive the built-in amplifier, and void the
warranty.
Phase Switch
If the subwoofer is out of phase with the speakers they are used to
augment, there will be some cancellation of the bass frequencies
where they overlap. Some speakers are designed to be phase
inverting (in particular those with 2
nd
order crossovers). There are also
many power amplifiers that invert the phase of the incoming signal.
Because there are so many possible combinations, we recommend
that you flip the switch between 0° and 180°. The correct position will
be apparent from the greater amount of low-frequency output of your
system.
If you have a phase inverting power amplifier and have inverted the
phase on the subwoofer, AND you are using both line-level and
speaker-level inputs, you must invert the phase of the speaker-level

S4/8 Owners Manual Ver 0.1
10
1010
10
abso lu te fideli ty
™
inputs to the subwoofer. Connect the +ve speaker lead to the –ve input
terminal, and connect the –ve speaker lead to the +ve input terminal.
Making your system sound right
The ServoSub 4 8 subwoofer is perfect for use in 2-channel or multi-
channel music and video applications. The setup for either is very
similar and the goals should be quite the same too. In our opinion, the
end goal of adding a high-end subwoofer should be to not “hear” the
subwoofer work, but rather to add the appropriate amount of low bass
that is currently missing in your system.
When listening to music, the full frequency range of the orchestra or
rock band should be reproduced with proper dynamic range and
realism, from the lowest notes of a pipe organ to the whack of the
timpani or the pluck of the lowest string on a Fender bass. When
listening to film soundtracks, the same goals should be sought after so
that the results are both realistic and exciting; as the roar of jet planes
rumble through your living room and prehistoric creatures shake the
earth!
Fine-tuning an audio or video system is an art that takes time and
patience. It can be one of the most rewarding learning experiences you
will encounter during your pursuit and enjoyment of high-fidelity music
or video reproduction.
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 (or every video you watch) 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 setup. Keep at it and
remember to enjoy your music and video as you work on perfecting
your setup.
One idea that we would like to suggest is that you set the S4 8’s bass
gain controls for music, and use your processor to turn it up or down
for home theater. That way, you have a subwoofer that will take care of
all your needs.
With proper setup and placement, you can achieve stunning realism,
and musically correct and natural bass – not just more bass.