With just half the internal volume, the G2 Giya was launched in 2010 but was immediately acknowledged as possessing all the qualities of the larger model with a minimum of compromise. Of course there was every reason to expect the mid and high frequencies to be virtually unchanged but the key was the low end performance.

Bass alignment in Giya designs is like any reflex enclosure and fundamental rules of physics connect the size of the cabinet and driver design with the efficiency and bass extension. Judicious juggling of parameters resulted in a response which closely follows the shape of that of the G1 albeit with a modest reduction in output level and extension but completely preserving the essential qualities of the Giya bass speed and articulation.

As with the C225 bass unit used in G1, the new C175 in G2 uses an aluminium magnesium alloy diaphragm but, while it is customary to downscale the motor when using a smaller cone, because of our unique approach to bass alignment it has been possible to employ exactly the same magnet and voice coil as that in the larger driver, giving the same generous linear excursion. Identical suspension profiles also permit the huge 50mm mechanical travel so, despite its reduced size, this driver is still capable of moving enormous amounts of air. Such a light cone and high efficiency motor naturally results in stunning bass ’speed’ and articulation.

Every driver and filter network is optimised to give a true fourth order acoustic response through each crossover point. The result is zero phase shift between each successive driver so each pair sums seamlessly as power transfers from one to the next. Furthermore, this type of alignment yields a symmetrical vertical coverage, while the close proximity of the drivers, the result of the use of the compact radial magnet topology, ensures a wide vertical coverage meaning that the listener will experience the same sound whether sitting upright or relaxing in the deepest armchair.

Low pass crossover filters for bass drivers typically require large values and the unusual parameters of C175 and C225 mean those in the G1 and the G2 Giya are, if anything, still larger, but while might be tempting to adopt the smaller cheaper ferrite inductors and electrolytic capacitors, we continue to use air cored inductors and polypropylene capacitors for all the main filter components. As in all the range and for all frequency bands, the crossover filters are hard wired by hand without the use of a PCB, a more painstaking assembly method which is acknowledged to give the most vibrant performance.

All Giya enclosures are built using fibre reinforced skins with a low density core. This type of sandwich structure yields a shell with a stiffness to weight ratio and high dimensional accuracy normally reserved for aerospace applications. Lateral fibre reinforced grids complement the stiff shell and ensure all modes are well out of band and cabinet colouration all but eliminated.