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Image 412 LoudspeakerTone Magazine Issue No. 21 - March/April 2003Designed and built here in New Zealand, the Image range of loudspeakers combines quality components with native materials and handcrafted workmanship in a world-class product that is uniquely and proudly Kiwi. With the company's flagship, the Image Reference, founder and chief Chris Ball is fast realising a dream of seeing the brand afforded the same respect in audiophile circles as local legends Perreaux and Plinius. Already the tasty 400 series is gaining attention for its high level of finish, individuality and performance. Superior image Replacing the original 402 floorstander, the up-rated 412 is a slim 180mm wide by 230mm deep by 900mm high. Hand built from locally produced High Density Fibreboard, the cabinets are beautifully finished in a glowing red rimu veneer. Inside, the 412 employs the same internal bracing as larger models, and two of the same Morel drivers found in the Reference. Bass and midrange are handled by a 160mm unit with a whopping 75mm Hexatech voice coil and DPC cone, while Morel's superefficient MDT33 28mm soft dome tweeter takes care of business above the crossover at 2.5KHz. Both drivers are centred high on the front baffle and covered by a removable black cloth grille, while the back panel sports a tapered bass port and bi-wireable binding posts. Along with internal bracing, Image floorstanders have a sand-filled cavity at the bottom to further reduce cabinet resonance and improve stability. Throughout the Image range the superior insulation of wool replaces Dacron and bonded acetate for internal damping. Total control What you see is what you get with these Images - cultured look, cultured sound, although a bit more would have definitely improved their performance. As it was, low to moderate volumes the 412s produce a measured tonal response, with bass rolling off below 80Hz. Mids are present, if a little controlled for my liking, producing definitive stereo imaging but with less depth than I expected. Where these babies shine, however, is in their stratospheric top end, courtesy of the matched pair of Morel tweeters. Their phenomenal headroom gives the 412s a huge vertical soundstage and some of the sweetest highs I've heard in a while, and transition through the crossover is velvety smooth and unnoticeable. Image's hand-spun brass spikes make fine-tuning a cinch - especially on uneven floors, and the easily gripped knurled section avoids having to turn the speakers over. Personally, I would use a sub with these boxes, but for classical music or in a small to medium room they would be perfectly fine.
"A world-class product that is uniquely and proudly Kiwi"
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| © copyright 2002 i m a g e LOUDSPEAKERS | |||||||||||||||||
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Image Loudspeakers ltd is the manufacturer and distributor of IMAGE LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEMS. 21 Eric Paton Way, Mt. Wellington, Auckland, New Zealand. Phone: ++64 9 570 8090. Fax: ++64 9 520 6229 Email: |