The new Fluid Audio Image 2 studio monitors ($1899 each) are able to - in the words of the company - "deliver incredible imaging, frequency response, output, low distortion, and depth of field" in a compact size cabinet with a unique approach. It uses two 8" side woofers, a 5" custom aluminum cone midrange woofer and a newly developed 1.7" AMT tweeter, each one powered by its own Class-D channel, with one module 2x225W for the bass drivers, 150W for the midrange and 75W for the AMT driver.
Basically, because the Image 2 is a 2-in-1 monitor, it delivers a full range response for mixing and mastering that also offers a mixcube mode that helps dial in low end and mids for a wide range of “bass challenged” devices. It also helps adjust the overall balance, depth, vocals, and nail the kickdrum sound. More importantly, Fluid confirms that the Image 2 monitors were developed as a platform. A USB port allows further updates to be loaded to the Image 2, including the ability to load compensation curves and support onboard room correction in the future.
The monitors can be placed with the AMT tweeter on top or inverted with the midrange on top. The dual opposed 8" ultra-long-throw interlocked bass woofers add improved cabinet stability at higher volumes and provide extended bandwidth (+/- 4.6dB 28Hz-20kHz ; +/- 2.0dB 80Hz-20kHz). The closed cabinet design provides a natural roll off, lack of “bass humps”, and less likelihood of unwanted frequency interaction with the room which means these monitors are less sensitive to positioning. Side mount yokes allow for Sound Anchor floor stands and ceiling-mount suspension in multichannel or immersive systems.
Fluid Audio was founded by loudspeaker engineer, musician and recording enthusiast Kevin Zuccaro. Starting with his first job at JBL in 1990, Kevin developed a passion for audio, and learned speaker development from the ground up. Working on speaker drivers, hi-fi systems and cinema projects gave him a well rounded approach to speaker design, however he would always go home at night, play his guitar and focus on his real passion: Creating music and professional tools that would help him do this. He got his chance at Cerwin-Vega in 1998, working on hi-fi products as well as portable PA, but wasn't until he came to M-Audio in 2005 where he began to focus solely on powered studio monitors. Managing the entire monitor segment for Avid, he had the freedom to design and voice all of the M-Audio monitors, and learn to better integrate them into the studio workflow. Leaving M-Audio in 2011, Kevin then founded Fluid Audio.
www.fluidaudio.com
