IMF Electronics Compact II loudspeakers

IMF stands for Irving "Bud" M. Fried, audio pioneer and classical music lover that founded the anglo-american IMF company in 1968.

These IMF Compact Loudspeakers were a great success. Despite opinions to the contrary, the Compact demonstrated that there is a sophisticated strata of the hi-fi buying public who do not judge the merits of a loudspeaker system on a cost versus size basis. This demands a loudspeaker that necessarily needs to be made at a price, rather than to a price. Attention speedy readers, this is the Compact II, so the smaller 2-way, not the 3-way Super Compact II that existed later.

Low frequencies are remarkably extended for a less than 40cm height box, but are smooth and free from the exaggerations of 'one note bass'. The middle and top has a sense of 'sheen' and continuity - rather than the sound of multiple speakers working in a box. The efficiency is high, such is the freedom from distortion and colouration, that listening at low levels as well as high, gives a sense of balance that reveals all that is worthwhile over a wide variety of programme sources. We loved our sessions with this pair, and can bet that at blind test listening most amateurs will expect a bigger size loudspeaker.

To note also the particular "foam flower" inside the bass-reflex enclosure, that is perfecly original.

Probably one of the best vintage compact size speaker of the period, an still affordable. Some do call them "The Rogers LS3/5A killer". A must hear.