Genesis is a relatively small company, but one with a lofty reputation, deservedly so. Yet it doesn't seem to draw the wide recognition it should. With their latest high-end speaker creation, they should have a shot at changing that.
The Studio 16 is a rather unconventional 3-way system. Rather than starting with three drivers-midbass, midrange and tweeter-this system uses a two-chassis design. If there is anything conventional about this system it's the pair of 6.5" midbasses. Each woofer uses a rather generic cast basket and lightweight aluminum cone connected by a rubber surround. Connected to the pole and protruding through the front of the fascia is a solid- aluminum, bullet-shaped phase plug to aid in the response. But there's not much going on beyond that, aside from the nice set screw terminals.
The same thing cannot be said of the mid/high-frequency drivers. Their coincidental source design uses a "controlled flexure" to form a mechanical crossover between the midrange element and the tweeter element. This means that a stiff, small woven roll separates the midrange cone from the tweeter dome. Since the voice coil attaches to the base of the midrange cone, the roll allows the tweeter dome to decouple from the midrange above approximately 2,800Hz, thereby becoming a completely separate sound transducer. This is why this system is referred to as a 3-way, yet the driver gains by using only a single motor structure.
Genesis claims the benefits of the controlled flexure design are many. First, the mid-band and high frequencies are time and phase aligned; therefore, the driver performs as a virtual "point source" from 300Hz and above. Second, there's no passive crossover needed between the mid and tweeter; thus, eliminating the issues that go along with a passive network: less components to install, no phase manipulation needed and no impedance compensation required. Lastly, in the event you plan on using the Studio 16 with a fully active system, two fewer amplifier channels are needed to power the system.
Adding to the uniqueness of the mid/high-frequency drivers is the use of a highly developed motor. Like most tweeters, magnetic energy comes by way of a neodymium magnet-an extremely powerful one at that. It also incorporates a copper sleeve on the pole-piece to reduce coil inductance (improve the upper end), lower distortion and increase transient response.
Our test subject showed up with the optional passive crossovers ($1,699 without crossovers), which look more like small amplifiers. Each chassis is constructed of an extruded aluminum heatsink with steel side and bottom plates. At the leading edge of each unit are two sets of four terminals; two pairs of inputs (yes, it's bi-ampable) and two outputs. The crossovers use quality components in their phase correct -12dB design with access to a mid/high-frequency attenuation switch selectable between 0 and -3dB via a small slit in the side panel.