【About the audiopro Image11】
Prologue｜Part 1｜Part 2｜Part 3｜Re-release
The speaker I use in my sub-system in a six-tatami room is the audiopro Image11 from Sweden, but unfortunately it was discontinued last year, and the company’s satellite speaker currently available on the market has been replaced by the successor model, the Image12. However, the Image12 is larger in size than the Image11, uses a newly designed driver, and is in every sense an entirely new product — successor in name, but in practice a different proposition altogether, sound included. Compared to the Image11, the Image12 is a step up in overall scale and has its own distinct appeal quite separate from the older model, and whether the new or old is superior really does come down to personal preference — I don’t think one can say categorically. Even so, there are reasons why I deliberately chose the Image11.
To be honest, among the palm-sized speakers under 100,000 yen that were available to choose from last year, the one I personally judged to be the most appealing and the best-sounding all round was the Image11 — and even now that the Image12 has been released, I believe that judgement was not wrong. It may be a happy accident, but I think the Image11 is a masterpiece micro speaker that comes along once every few years, ticking all three boxes: affordable, superb-sounding, and beautifully finished. Of course, this is on the premise of enjoying small-ensemble classical or jazz with clarity at low volume; it is not a model designed for powerful bass or high sound pressure levels.
ポチップ
It is a limited run of 500 sets, apparently brought back into production after Ippinkan negotiated directly with the manufacturer. Well done, President Kiyohara! It is a magnetically shielded model in the Ippinkan specification. Furthermore, the KAI-S model — Ippinkan’s special tuned version — offers a more stable tonal balance and richer bass than the standard model I own, with a full, rich sound that holds up well even with orchestral music and big bands. As it involves hand-applied special tuning, the retail price is roughly double that of the original Image11, but even so, to find this level of sound quality for just under 40,000 yen is something I think you would struggle to match among current speakers. For those of you searching for a compact speaker at a reasonable price — particularly those who love acoustic music above all else, or who would like to enjoy a high-quality, intimate imported Hi-Fi system unobtrusively at the bedside or in a study — this may well be your last chance to get hold of the Image11, the “intimate-scale” AUDIO STYLE best-buy speaker…
For setup tips: with the AIRBOW tuned model, I recommend purchasing the Ippinkan original WOOD-BOY insulators at the same time; for the standard model, the Audio-Technica AT6099 is the one to go for.
【About the audiopro Image11】
Prologue｜Part 1｜Part 2｜Part 3｜Re-release
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List of comments （2）
Image12は以前のスピーカーとはまったく違いますよねー。
僕も個人的には前の方が好きでした。
あと、４万円台ならusherのスピーカーもお勧めです。
Usher、アッシャーって読むんですね。
初耳でしたのでググってみました。
AV Villageで話題のスピーカーですかー！
この雑誌読まないので全く知りませんでした。
ピアノフィニッシュで見た目もなかなか良さそう♪
しかもなんだかユニットがウィーンアコースティック
(セアス＋スキャンスピーク)のパクリみたいな見た目。
扱いやすいフロントバスレフにも好感持てますし、
どんな音がするのでしょうか？いっぺん聴いてみたいです。