Valve aficionado Aries-Cerat has announced the new Genus integrated amplifier. The Genus is an SET (Single Ended Triode) design offering many of the circuit refinements of its larger stablemates the Concero monoblock amplifiers.
The Genus integrated hits a new price point for Aries-Cerat amplification with the unit’s aim being to maintain the expected performance while reducing overall mass. Nevertheless, the 25 watts Class-A1 per channel Genus (40 watts Class-A2) is still a substantial 65kg beast with a massive custom transformer and features circuitry based on the company’s Single Ended Triode (SET) topology. The Genus features a zero local and global feedback circuit which is fully transformer coupled with no capacitors in the signal path. Further signal purity is maintained via a resistor ladder volume control.
The over-engineered and massive power supply has been designed to handle low impedance speaker loads while providing powerful and controlled bass registers. The valve configuration is somewhat exotic and sees some sizable glass – a pair of massive RCA 813 DHT (Directly Heated Triode) valves are protected behind an art-deco style metal grille while the input valves are E280f ‘Supertubes’.
The Genus offers a high quality headphone output which caters to a wide variety of cans by providing switchable low and high impedance compatibility. Further specifications combine a bandwidth of 11Hz to 80kHz (at -3dB) with an unweighted noise floor of more than -100dB. The unit itself is quite sizable with a width of 520mm, depth of 530mm and height of 280mm.
The Aries-Cerat Genus integrated amplifier is imported and distributed in Australia via PuraSound.
Australian Distributor: PuraSound
+61 406 281 051
www.purasound.com
Price: AU$19,500