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Another way to reach this richer blend is using a denser and lusher source like a Grado phono cartridge. If the G7.1f is any indication of the qualities found in pricier Genesis speakers, it makes sense that Zanden's separates are one of the players of choice for such systems. The G7.1f will not likely be associated with such expensive sources but I could see a Raysonic CD128 do the trick just fine. You'll definitely want to stay on the richer and denser side for sources, perhaps even experiment with DACs of the zero filter/zero sampling allegiance to add more soul to the mix.

Just for fun I also tried the G7.1f with the 12-watt NuForce Icon fronted by the NAT Symmetrical for gain. Nobody in their right mind would make this association and rightly so. The Icon was put on its knees incapable of delivering tight and controlled bass. The sound level was correct, the bass sloppy. It was a little surprise as the speaker is rated 8 ohm nominal and 89dB sensitive which the Icon should have managed at moderate levels especially with an active bass system. After all, it drives the 6-ohm 86dB FJ OMs without much difficulty (not very loud but fairly well considering its ultra-low price). A picture being worth a thousand words, I asked Genesis for the impedance curve of the G7.1f. Gary Koh kindly obliged, accompanying the graph with a few lines of explanation on the unusual crossover he implemented.
What I do is a little controversial. Let me explain. High impedance loudspeakers have always been viewed as "slow and undynamic", for example the original BBC LS3/5A which had a nominal impedance of 14 ohms [FB: being an LS3/5A owner I can only agree but the 12-ohm Zu Essence is a good counter argument to this generalization]. Low impedance loudspeakers have been said to be "fast, dynamic and transparent" - for example the Apogee Stage which had a nominal impedance of 4 ohms but frequently dipped to below 1 ohm. But low impedance speakers frequently bring even large power amplifiers to their knees - which has been the argument against Genesis speakers of the past.
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I set out to design a fast and dynamic loudspeaker that is easy to drive and had to kill some sacred cows to achieve that. As you can see from the curve, the impedance of the G7.1f stays above 4 ohms throughout the high frequencies and there is a 'dip' to 14 ohms in the upper midbass/midrange range from about 150Hz to 600Hz (middle C being about 270Hz). This gives an emphasis of about 2 octaves which contributes to the voicing of the loudspeaker.


However, this doesn't correlate with a non-flat frequency response. It just means that most amplifiers will find this speaker easier to drive in this spot than the other spots, leading to a more "immediate" and "midrange balanced" sound...... but as you noted, it is not a coloration and does not contribute to midrange density like your Nomads. In the high frequencies, the Genesis ribbon tweeter is purely resistive.


That, combined with extremely high impedance, makes the G7.1f an easy load. The huge impedance rise starting at 110Hz corresponds to the "hand-over" with the built-in powered servo-bass woofer. Hence, the main amplifier does not see any more of a load.


With your McIntosh, the reason that the speaker sounds better on the 4-ohm tap might be because you find that it is more "relaxed" than on the 8-ohm tap [FB: that's exactly what I heard!]. This is because the impedance of the output transformer matches the tweeter impedance better. I have no idea why the Icon cannot drive the G7.1f. We have used it with something as low as 5 watts in one of my dealers' demo rooms. It sounded much better than it had a right to!

After I received the curve and Gary Koh's comments, I could not help ponder that this information did not explain the lack of kicking power in the upper bass and midrange I had heard. But some more light got shed on this as the review period approached its end and I moved the speakers (100lb each was no easy stroll) into our larger but not dedicated living room (about 500 square feet open into three other rooms). I was able to sit the speakers away from walls (about 4 feet from the front wall and 5 feet from side walls) and hooked them to the McIntosh MA2275 and Accuphase DP55 as the permanent residents here.


Although solid-state and over 12 years old, the Accuphase remains a great source. It may not have the ultimate resolution and bass weight of more modern designs but sure holds its own on tonal accuracy, timing, dynamics and its midrange is both rich and sweet – everything the doctor ordered to fully enjoy the G7.1f. With the quad of KT88 of the MA2275 and its high-quality output transformers (the 4 ohm taps worked best as explained by Gary Koh), bass was deep and fast but obviously not as tight and detailed as with the GR360 class D amp. More important to me, the DP55 and McIntosh collaborated to give the midrange enough flesh and life to eliminate most my previous reservations. This wasn't the most resolved or quickest sound possible but certainly had a lot more appeal and life, reinforcing my earlier point that electronic matching with these speakers is more critical than usual.
With room to spare on the sides and behind the speakers, the image grew bigger and even more detailed, layered. Those speakers are true imaging champs. As I stood up and walked the room however, I noticed a major suckout right above the tweeter axis which robbed the midrange of all life. The MTM array gives a broad lateral sweet spot but is vertically restricted. You will want to keep your ears at absolute tweeter level for best integration of the various registers. This might explain some of my findings in the smaller listening room. As my chair is relatively high, my ears might have been above the tweeter axis on some sessions. I also experimented tilting the speakers backward slightly (easy to do with the adjustable feet) and it indeed seemed to flesh out the midrange a little; not a radical change but enough to be noticeable and overall an improvement.


It is easy to make the G7.1fs fall into the hyper-analytical clan by feeding their extreme transparency a diet of emaciated transistors. At the other extreme, you can also make them sound sluggish and uninspired with overtly euphonic tube gear (EL34s are probably not the best choice). In between those extremes, the famous Genesis transparency is best served by modern tube amplifiers or preamplifiers (one or the other, probably not both) that bring tonal enhancements without jeopardizing the other qualities of these unusual speakers. All I can say is that they will likely not be an easy drop-in for any established system. You'll have to work with your dealer to get these Genesis to express all their potential. They can get there whatever your tastes but it is not necessarily straight forward.

Value.
$8000 speakers aren't cheap no matter what, end of discussion. That said, those $8000 monoliths do offer an awful lot and turn out to be a good deal even if we take into account my few reservations on wallop and tonal density. The right electronics will take care of that. Amongst the speakers I know that could also come under consideration, many are more expensive. Although they might achieve more than the G7.1f in certain aspects, it will rarely be across the board. Depending on your priorities, the G7.1f might just trump far costlier designs.


Take the Zu Presence. Its recent price change puts it almost 50% higher than the Genesis for similar bass extension. The Genesis has the far more advanced tweeter and wins that comparison hands down as well as in midrange resolution. The Zu strikes back with greater sensitivity, greater weight and impact and greater tonal density - but wants 50% more money. The real challenger in the Zu line is actually the new Essence but more on that in a few weeks.


B&W need to throw their 803D into the game to even approach the bass depth of the G7.1f without ever reaching its level of articulation and detail. The 803D like the Zu offers a denser midrange but Genesis' ribbon to my ears is more transparent and refined than B&W's diamond tweeter. Once again, the price difference in favor of the Genesis is quite substantial at least in the US.
To come to a design I'm familiar with that brings similar value, you'd have to go to the Nomad Audio RPD with active bass. At $5500 it's quite a bit cheaper than the Genesis and offers more weight and heft at the lower frequencies. On the other hand, its tweeter does not come close to the quality and refinement of the Genesis ribbons nor is it as well integrated. If you go Nomad, you'll also have to make do without the support of a traditional retail network or a chance to listen before buying.


Although very extended, the French designs with horn-loaded tweeters I heard recently (BC Acoustic and Triangle) do not have the circular ribbons' transparency and elegance nor do they offer that seamless integration which amazed me with the G7.1f.


I have obviously not heard all the speakers in the highly competitive $8000 - $12,000 range. An interesting comparison would have been against Esoteric's floorstander but I have not heard those in too long a time to express an opinion. From where I sit however, it would seem that the G7.1f can proudly compete with speakers in this general range while sitting at its very bottom for price.
Over the years I have grown more and more convinced that if you want to enjoy more than a handful of discs in your collection, you need to provide density and harmonic reinforcement somewhere. Typically this happens at speaker level because truly transparent, low distortion, non-aggressive speakers are very expensive to
make. Paper transducers are an easy and cost effective way to provide some of those enhancements. The G7.1fs do not benefit from this but offer a lot of other qualities.


Provided you associate them with electronics that offset their limitations and lack of texture in the midrange yet preserve their unique combination of transparency and speed, these Genesis speakers will perform superbly. Ultra-low distortion transducers are not necessarily for everybody. Those looking for this level of resolution with its occasionally ruthless honesty however, the G7.1f will offer one of the very few credible truly full-range alternatives that do not completely obliterate the bank account. For all that the G7.1f has earned my respect. I just wish it had a more sensuous midrange. That would have earned it my love too.
Quality of packing: Very good.
Reusability of packing: Multiple times
Ease of unpacking/repacking: Speakers weight 100lb each – better ask somebody for help.
Condition of component received: Perfect.
Completeness of delivery: No issue.
Website comments: Elegant, functional and informative.
Human interactions: Always very responsive and helpful.
Pricing: Very good value – more than fairly priced.
Final comments & suggestions: Garbage in, garbage out – use high-quality electronics and power conditioning to take full advantage of these speakers’ potential but err on the side of density and richness for the associated gear.
Genesis website