Lily Audio Genesis One
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
The Lily Audio Genesis One is a polarizing headphone known for its innovative driver technology that delivers a unique 'subwoofer-like' bass slam and exceptional micro-detail. However, it is widely regarded as extremely difficult to drive and features a 'raw' tuning with aggressive treble peaks that many users find sibilant without EQ.
Pros
- Unique bass presentation with physical 'slam' similar to a subwoofer
- Excellent micro-detail and resolution on par with reference headphones
- Very lightweight and comfortable chassis
- Strong sub-bass extension reaching as low as 13Hz
Cons
- Extremely high power requirements; difficult to drive even on high-gain desktop amps
- Aggressive treble tuning that many find 'crazy bright' or sibilant
- Strong petrochemical odor out of the box that requires time to dissipate
- Technical issues reported by some users, such as popping sounds in the channels at higher volumes
Caveats
- The tuning is described as 'raw' and often requires significant EQ to pull down the treble for a balanced sound
- Bass impact is felt through the chassis as much as the drivers, creating a non-traditional listening experience
- The product is highly polarizing, with opinions varying wildly based on the listener's treble tolerance
Best for
- Users with powerful high-end desktop amplifiers
- Listeners who prioritize detail retrieval and physical bass impact
- Enthusiasts comfortable with using EQ to customize frequency response
Avoid if
- You are treble-sensitive or prefer a warm, relaxed sound signature
- You do not own a high-powered dedicated headphone amplifier
- You are sensitive to strong chemical smells from new plastics/materials
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 6-month half-life. The evidence is based on 12 mentions from r/headphones with a median age of approximately 177 days.
Sentiment
4 positive (33%) · 6 mixed (50%) · 2 negative (17%)
Trust + time weighted score: +9% · raw score 17%
What redditors said (10 of 12)
The one reviewer who did like them - at least more than he thought he would - was [GadgetryTech]... Interestingly he said that although they didn't have much bass, the bass that they did have came mostly through the chassis rather than straight out of the drivers, so it had a sort of immersive subwoofer presentation.
I think the tech is really cool, but the tuning definitely needs a LOT of work. Feels like the guys who made it wanted to display the driver tech as "raw" as possible. I'm pretty treble tolerant but this thing is crazy bright.
The Genesis One has a crazy loud popping sound in the right channel at basically any volume above 65db but I don't know the reason for that specific interaction.
I really want to like them, and really, they're pretty damn good with some EQ and the EQ it takes to make them normal is mostly all just pulling down treble, but they are way too hard to drive to ever rec to most people even those willing to EQ.
Too little bass and too much treble is what I heard at canjam. Not optimal conditions. I know a few others also heard it as too much treble.
I think that's a very fair review. The production model may be tuned just a hair lower in the sibilant region, but the top end is still cranked to 10/10. I didn't get a chance to get too deep into EQ last night, but they seem like they could be flattened out fairly easily.
They were my second favorite at CanJam. The winner was Meze Elite and they are now my daily drivers. At least at the SoCal show, the booth setup was terrible. They only had a laptop with a dozen songs in Chinese. Still, I kept coming back to these. They have crazy micro detail and also slam like a subwoofer. The way they present sound is unique, which is likely why they are polarizing.
TL;DR: They sound fantastic and are very lightweight.
After a brief listening session, they seem on par with reference headphones. Highs go well above my hearing, and sub-bass is strong to 13Hz, if you can believe bass test tracks. Detail retrieval seems excellent and controlled.
I read that they're working on the initial smell -- it's strong and petrochemically from a few feet away and will hopefully dissipate over time.
Compare
Lily Audio Genesis One vs Koss KSC75Lily Audio Genesis One vs Simgot EP5Lily Audio Genesis One vs WLmouse Huan IEMs
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