Image 412

Of all the things in the world to smuggle - drugs, watches, booze, people - about the least likely is tweeters. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the very phrase tweeter-smuggler has a faintly ridiculous ring to it. It just sounds too much like budgie-smuggler.

But a quarter of a century ago, when it wasn't easy to import anything into New Zealand officially, Chris Ball of Image Loudspeakers was apprehended attempting to bring a clandestine caseful of tweeters through customs.

Thankfully, Chris has remained on the straight and narrow since that early brush with authority. But his sheer enthusiasm for building speakers in New Zealand is as strong as ever and clearly evident in the latest version of Image's 412 loudspeaker.

May we take a look inside, sir?
I liked the simple aesthetics of the Images. The nicely proportioned cabinets feature real wood veneers and a brace of Morel drivers. Then there's wool for acoustic damping, and pre-packed sand for mass-loading. Construction is very solid with mitred joints all round. None of your machine grooved and folded MDF here, every joint is cut, matched, screwed and glued by a real person. Lovely. I was less impressed by the cheap plastic pegs and grommets that retain the grilles. Although they work well enough, the grommets are too big and just plain ugly when the grilles are removed.

Valuables to declare
Where it really counts though - the drivers - there has been no skimping whatsoever. The Morel MDT33 tweeter is the star, only available in matched left-right pairs, it's the sort of tweeter you'd expect to find in speakers costing many thousands of dollars. While the 16cm Morel mid-bass driver isn't quite up to the same level, it's still an alarmingly good component for what are, after all, only $1800 speakers.

Rum-running, gun-running or just running in?
When I collected the 412s I was warned that they would need a bit of running in. No kidding. Out of the box and connected to my Rega Planet/Mira 3 set up they sounded, well, dreadful: shut in, brittle and lacking in any warmth. At 88db, the 412s aren't the world's most sensitive speakers, but as they eased up, the dynamic range improved dramatically. Even so, you'll still need at least 50 watts of amplification to drive them properly.

40 hours of music later and their true nature began to come through. The Morel tweeters really are extraordinary, giving the 412s a sparkling top end. However, that smallish mid-bass driver, while delivering a fine mid-range performance, really can't provide the kind of bass weight you might expect from floor-standing speakers.

Russian import licence
With Claud Abbado's LSO performance of Prokofiev's Alexandr Nevsky (DG447 419-2) the Images produced a huge - and hugely detailed - soundstage that completely enveloped my listening position, giving an almost tangible impression of the choir. Hundreds and hundreds of midgets.

Damn. It was all going so well, but that lack of bass weight has to take its toll somewhere. In the end, the impression is a little like listening to a scale model. A very, very accurate and exquisitely detailed scale model, for sure, but not quite life-sized.

Contraband or contra bass?
Jamiroquai's Feel So Good from told a similar story. Usually just a big bass, big fun kind of track, with the Images there was a new subtlety to the mix and a far more coherent image. Of course, the problem was staying seated long enough to enjoy the novelty. The Images were rocking and the urge to dance was strong, but instead of the Godzilla-like bass lines Jay Kay seems to favour, he had a new bassist. A little fellow, maybe only 30cm tall. Odd.

Overall the Images found detail and emotion that I'd been missing before. On The Secret Language of Birds, the Images reveal a technical skill to Ian Anderson's flute that isn't usually apparent. They even flatter the idiosyncrasies of his voice, making it seem a lot less whiney while still retaining the slightly desperate edge.

Nothing to declare but genius
The Image 412 is a precociously competent speaker for its $1800 price tag. It's articulate and detailed with glorious mid-range and good dynamics but limited bass. Everything a really good stand-mount speaker should be - but with boxes that go all the way to the floor. What sets them apart though is the lavish and accurately detailed treble that raises the hairs on the back of your neck and cuts to the heart of any performance. It's down to those Morel tweeters, but then you always get the best stuff from smugglers.