Piega Coax 411 Gen 2 Loudspeaker Review

Posted on 4th February, 2025
Piega Coax 411 Gen 2 Loudspeaker Review

James Michael Hughes auditions this exotic, Swiss-made mini-monitor…

Piega

Coax 411 Gen 2 Bookshelf Loudspeakers

GBP £7,900Pair | USD $9,995Pair | EUR €7,990Pair | AUD $15,999Pair

Piega Coax 411 Gen 2 Review

Piega manufactures in Switzerland, so if Nagra made loudspeakers, maybe the Coax 411 Gen 2 would be what they would look like? There's no denying that this is an attractive and stylish design. Its housing, hewn from brushed aluminium with a gently curved asymmetric shape, makes for a highly rigid yet low-resonance enclosure. A sharp rap with the knuckles results in a dull, well-damped thud.

Then there's the sophisticated drive unit array. Superficially, this seems like a two-way design, but the 'tweeter' is, in fact, a dual-driver with separate panels for midrange and high frequencies. Powerful neodymium magnets are used, and the high-frequency driver's upper-frequency response extends to an impressive 50kHz, claims Piega. An additional neodymium magnet – above the tweeter within a web structure – increases sensitivity.

Piega Coax 411 Gen 2 Review

The coaxial driver behaves as a line source with audio signals above 400Hz reaching the listener's ear in a phase-coherent manner, regardless of the height or angle of the speaker, says Piega. Its ribbon technology means an ultra-thin, super-light membrane carries the voice coil and vibrates evenly over its entire surface. The ribbon's low moving mass allows fast acceleration that can precisely follow delicate music signals. The membrane itself is said to be about fifty times lighter than conventional dome tweeters, which means more response for less effort. Piega also says that direct sound, and sounds reflected from the surfaces in the room, reach the listener's ears in correct phase. Its Coax loudspeakers are apparently less affected by differences in room acoustics, so results should be more consistent than those of conventional speakers. The crossover point is a lowish 450Hz, below which a custom 160mm SEAS UHQD driver takes charge.

Piega Coax 411 Gen 2 Review

The cabinet is a reflex design with a 3cm rear-facing port. Piega claims that bass extends down to 35Hz, which is very respectable for a speaker that measures a modest 410x260x310mm. Speaking of specs, the claimed sensitivity is 90dB for 1W with an impedance of 4 ohms, so this will go loud with relatively little power. You will, however, need a muscular amplifier that can comfortably drive low loads.

Paired sets of 4mm terminals are provided, allowing spade, bare-wire, or 4mm banana plugs to be used, with single or bi-wired/bi-amped cabling. The upper and lower sockets are connected via a stout linking cable for single-wire use. Despite the speaker's compact dimensions, each enclosure is seriously heavy, weighing around 25kg – so the build quality is super-solid.

Piega Coax 411 Gen 2 Review

Piega says that its 'Tension Improve Module' puts the cabinet under controlled tension by applying pressure to the inner walls, thus effectively calming cabinet resonances. The removable mesh grill is held in place magnetically, but taking it off is arduous due to the high strength of the securing magnets. To assist with this, Piega thoughtfully provides a removal tool, which is a powerful magnet on a handle that allows the grill to be pulled forward. While this loudspeaker looks nice with the grille removed, the smooth-flowing appearance is compromised somewhat.

For the purposes of this review, I put the Coax 411 Gen 2 up against my reference pair of Klipsch Cornwall IV floorstanders. Of course, these are very different beasts – far bigger and much more sensitive – yet similar in price terms. My listening room is only 4 metres wide but nearly 10m long, so as the Piega is basically a near-field monitor, I placed my review pair just 2 metres from my listening chair. My regular Lavardin IS-X Reference integrated amplifier was used, which delivers around 50W per channel output and proved entirely adequate in driving these loudspeakers.

THE LISTENING

This speaker gives a smooth, open sound that is natural and organic, no matter your chosen listening level. With a power handling of 200W and super-rigid cabinets, this is an unstressed-sounding speaker.

Piega Coax 411 Gen 2 Review

Colouration levels are very low, with no obvious sonic signature, as the baroque recorder concertos by composer William Babell on Pan Classics revealed. This CD is bright and airy, and the Piega delivered a crisp, forward result that was lively and detailed. Although the top end was sharp, the treble never grated – some ribbon tweeters can sound harsh, but not this. Musically, the presentation was fast and immediate.

The sound had an innate rightness that struck me as truthful and natural. Easy to listen to, the ear was not assailed by a welter of hard leading edges. Stereo imaging was precise. Indeed, the reproduction was quite holographic on good material, suggesting space and depth. The smoothness of the tweeter meant voices were clean and well rendered, without nasty sibilants or harsh, spitty break-up. A welcome lack of tonal hardness imparted a silky, refined quality. This was really noticeable with human voices, whether a solo singer or massed chorus. A good ribbon tweeter is free of resonances and break-up modes, which dome tweeters suffer from.

Piega Coax 411 Gen 2 Review

Bass is very respectable for a speaker of this size and surprisingly deep and full for such a compact enclosure. The low end is smooth, balancing well against the crisp and airy treble. Okay, the bass is not going to flap your trousers, so consider adding a good subwoofer if you want that. All the same, take care not to place the Coax 411 Gen 2 too close to walls or corners; otherwise, the bass might become a wee bit heavy.

The Piega proved excellent on acoustic jazz. On Live is Life – featuring the clarinet and saxophone of Arne Domnerus backed by a quartet of vibes, piano, bass, and drums – the sound was pulsating and full-blooded, yet natural and intimate, too. The sax sounded rich and fruity, while his clarinet tone was smooth and liquid. Lars Erstrand's vibes reproduced with impressive solidity and realism – the vibraphone seemed right there in front of you. It had a satisfying tonal body and weight that was natural and truthful.

Piega Coax 411 Gen 2 Review

Next-up was a choral music CD called Baltic Voices 1, featuring the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir under Paul Hillier. I was impressed by the authenticity of the reproduction and how mellifluous and effortless voices sounded. This Harmonia Mundi release is quite atmospheric, and the Coax 411 Gen 2 successfully conveyed the rich ambient acoustic of the hall with a realistic sense of depth and space. But more than that, I felt drawn into the music, so satisfying was the listening experience.

An interesting digital disc of vocal works by Russian composer Valentin Silvestrov on ECM New Series was played right through because this loudspeaker conveyed the music's intimacy and intensity so realistically. Even when played at lowish volume levels, the Piega sounds very clear. Given a 12dB difference in sensitivity between this and my Klipsches, I was surprised that I didn't need to raise volume levels by more. The end result sounded just right.

Piega Coax 411 Gen 2 Review

Elbow's The Seldom Seen Kid CD came across as full-bodied and immediate. However, like many rock/pop albums of the last thirty-plus years, this recording is highly compressed with a strong, heavy bass – almost like the effect produced by the 'loudness' button on nineteen seventies amplifiers. While the Coax 411 Gen 2 reproduced pop material like Elbow very well, it is better suited to recordings that aren't heavily compressed, with artificially boosted bass. Instead, it shines brightest on naturally recorded acoustic jazz and classical music.

THE VERDICT

Piega's Coax 411 Gen 2 is a most attractive proposition for the style-conscious audiophile searching for a striking and modern-looking speaker. Whether in its stock natural silver aluminium finish or in any of its many optional anodised finishes, it's a striking thing to behold. It sounds as good as it looks, too, which means it's a product of the highest quality. Despite its premium price tag, it is fair to say that you get what you pay for.

Visit Piega for more information

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James Michael Hughes's avatar
James Michael Hughes

An avid audiophile for many decades, Jimmy has been writing about hi-fi since 1980 in a host of British magazines, from What Hi-Fi to Hi-Fi Choice. Based in London, England, he’s one of the UK’s most prolific record and CD collectors – no streaming service can yet match his amazing music collection!

Posted in: Applause Awards | 2025 | Loudspeakers | Bookshelf / Standmount | Hi-Fi | StereoLUX!

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