My Love Hate Relationship with MBL
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- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2024
- A deep dive into the pros and cons of MBL audio as Adrian navigates his love/hate relationship with MBL audio. From the mesmerizing soundstage of Morrison Audio in the 90s to the highs and lows of owning MBL 101E speakers, this video is a rollercoaster of audio experiences.
MBL used-haul: • Adrian shows off our l...
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Edited by: Alison@audioexcellence.ca
I just listened to the MBL 101 Extreme at Uptown Audio in New Orleans and it was stunning. Best system I’ve ever heard. Good timing on the review - video reviews on MBL are scant. I also listened to the 126 model with the C51 integrated. No deep bass, but with the equipment matching it’s the exact sound I’ve been looking for. The dealer STRONGLY cautions against using anything other than MBL electronics to drive MBL speakers, and once I listened to it, I understood, so great to hear your validation here as well. Love your content - THANK YOU!
Thanks!
I went to Uptown Tuesday. The MBL set up is truly amazing. I'm now interested in their C21 amplifier.
I also ditto the statement about the content Adrian puts out. Always enjoy the videos.
Adrian, I didn't know you were Singaporean. Well, I lived in Singapore for about 10 years from the late 90's to 2006. Yes and I heard the MBLs in Adelphi. I had no idea how I ended up at the MBL's dealer shop as I was checking out gear with a friend of mine and boom the MBLs!! This dealer in Singapore didn't use MBL electronics to drive them and they carried Jeff Rowland at the time and everything were driven by Jeff Rowland. These people were so nice, they played every single model they had for me from the the standmounts to the 101 E. To cut the long story short, it completely blew my mind!! If you remember, Jeff Rowland had these ICE power monoblocks back then, they were tiny, one model was 200W each into 8 ohms and the other 500W. They were driving this pair of standmounts and this dealer was absolutely blasting it, again it probably blew my brains out. LOL. I had no idea such a small pair of speakers could be played this loud without distortion. The soundstage was scary. It was so precise I could literally point to where each instrument was. Needless to say, I was massively impressed. To date, over 20 year later, it still stuck to my mind. While I can't say I have heard many high end speakers per se, but for my endgame speakers, it is very likely to be MBL. May be not the 101 E MK II as you would need a bigger house, even the 111 F is too big, the 116 F would be perfect for me. I know a fair number of audiophile folks, once they were exposed to MBL they were immediately blown away. So, there is a reasonable amount of following. You could say they are not cheap, but if we are talking about the 116 F, is basically a bit more than the Wilson Sabrina X, but certainly much less than the Sasha V. No doubt is still a fair chunk, but is manageable.
The MBL 101 e's are one of the most amazing speakers I have ever had the pleasure of listening too.
I really like that MBL sets up their systems at audio shows with plants everywhere in the room. =)
It's always a huge performance .. Very cool stuff.
I have a MBL system. Bought through a dealer, demo-versions and such. Expensive, yes, but for me, who suffers from tinnitus, they work and let me enjoy music again, after many years of "struggle". For me they are worth every penny. When I explain to people what it is (I usually don't mention the price), they think I am nuts, but they sure enjoy the sound!
About the bass of MBL speakers: I have a pair of MBL 101D and was driving them using the Jeff Rowland 501 monoblocks, which are 1000W/4ohm class D power amps. The bass is okay in that case, though it still can not match those with 15-inch woofers. Now, I replace 501s with 2 MBL 9007s. Sonically, the MBL significantly outperforms the JeffRowland in the mid, high, and mid-low frequencies. However, the 501s, with their tremendous power, have much better bass than the MBLs, particularly regarding the frequency of less than 75hz. In some sense, the MBL amps tend to optimize the rest frequencies at the cost of sacrificing the bass because even if I use two MBL monos for one speaker, the bass is still worse than the 501s. The bi-amp, where a high-power class D for bass and the MBL class A/B for the main, could be a possible solution.
Great job with these recent videos! Hoping to heart your review on ML1 MKII soon!
Regarding the resale value of MBL and other such 'niche' brands. People who both know them AND can afford them can usually afford new ones and are only interested in new glossy immaculate ones to match their expensive new home. Sometimes they don't even know the brand, they are often people who will drive their expensive car to a posh dealership and let the dealer sell them the most expensive thing he can sell them. No used ones for such type of customers.
I’ve been looking at this brand for months and have only seen a few pieces of gear hit the secondary market in that time.
I just heard a pair of 126s at the Southwestern Audio Fest. They were amazing in a small hotel room.
They may not get the constant press and marketing but they have had many best of shows with their mbl extreme show setups.
I suspect a large part of that lack of resale value is that, as you point out, MBL needs to be purchased as a system. People buying used are often doing so because they cannot afford new and are piecing a system together over time. That isn't really possible with MBL.
I heard the flagship mbl speakers at an audio show with mbl electronics, and I was blown away.
No wonder I couldn't find you!
The MBL 116 speakers are not the model down from the MBL 101s. It goes MBL 101 then 111 then 116. And of course MBL speakers do sound best with their high powered MBL amplifiers. I have owned the MBL 111Bs driven by MBL 9007 Mono amps for over 20 years and I have never heard these sound lean or bright. If anything they are on the warming side. And of course center imaging is not as pinpoint as non Omni directional speakers, that’s pretty much their nature but in my
opinion still very good. Subwoofers, really, not in my room, bass is big, deep and powerful. I really enjoy these speakers, always have and always will. The low sensitivity was not a surprise, I did my homework before buying them.
Thanks for the feedback
They sound good on a very narrow range of music and are extremely expensive so its a niche market and people will hear the limitations very quickly.
Wish there was more info like this about them out there! Another phenomenal video from you! Love your insight!
Thank you
I found omni directional speakers fun for about a day, then you grow tired of it, and want to get back to traditional speakers.
Late 70s I trade Ls3/5as for dahlquest dq10, and whether Omni/bipole/dipole/open baffle they all have something “typical box speakers” lack. My latest is wide dispersion box speakers which still gives me more reflected sound (as does music in real life) and perhaps is best compromise.
It really is a head scratcher on why some products have great resale value while others that are just as good fall short. I always went for the high resale gear knowing I probably would be moving it at some point. In my case buying used gear only appreciated over time so there was incentive to buy better equipment.
It's POSSIBLE that the MBL's lower resale value is somewhat similar to the resale values of expensive cars like Rolls Royce etc. - those who have the means will prefer to buy new. Then, people in the know are aware that the MBL's require SPACE and as you point out, TONS of power - which means a BIG house and a big budget for all of the associated equipment. PLUS not EVERYONE is in love with the look either. For all these reasons, potential buyers for used MBL speaks and amps make for a pretty restricted field despite their apparent virtues.
Great video series Adrian. I appreciate your honesty.
Many thanks
Had MBL 101E speakers with a Gryphon Antillean Signature amp - 150 watt class A not enough power and I did manage to damage one of the speakers - they definitely need the big MBL mono amps. Have changed to Wilson Audio Alexia speakers which sound great but I still miss the MBL’s - they are very special.
Great . First time i heard mBl , it was impressive. I went on each corner of room and still was heard a lot of details. But as you said bass was not coherent.
Anyway I like your channel more than before, because of your honestly
Thanks
Heard MBL at Axpona ‘23. Interesting to me.
You just stated why resale is low, they're too picky on electronics.
It is exactly the problem, the image of the sound with those speaker is not an image, it is more like a acoustic fog. And that was where ever I've heard them my first, second and repeating impression.
I think there's a reason why you don't see many MBL speaker setups with different brand electronics.
Shingles, not nice. I have had it twice. The first time was a nightmare and went on for months. I caught the second time right at the beginning
and got away with it. Apparently it is very rare to get it twice and to get it three times is almost unheard of, so fingers crossed. Hope it all works
out for you Adrian.
I am not sure he actually had shingles, but was just given a shingles vaccine (according to the text on the video) and had a bad reaction, but probably not as bad as shingles itself. It is common for people of his age to get a shingles vaccine (or at least for their doctors to recommend it).
Thank you
Wow I didn’t know that was possible. Once was enough
cool chat, but there is a lot of noise in the background, I even downloaded and checked, just to be sure it is not my system. I think some noise removal is missing. 😅
I have a pair of the MBL 111A, a stunning-looking speaker, but I just couldn't get the bass working for me after I hooked it with the McIntosh Mc611, the Pass labs X100.5 and the Krell FPB 450mcx; the bass is always on the lean side. Maybe it needs even more power, lol.
MBL's are certainly otherworldly appearing speakers! 🤔
Every MBL system I've ever heard has been PAINFULLY bright, as in I have to leave the room at the audio show bright while those inside seemed to be enjoying it.
I don't get it - and this was at multiple shows set up by multiple different dealers.
Great soundstage but painful.
Why do you need to have this massive sound stage for never understood that, you don't go and see a band go to a gig or a live performance and expect a massive soundstage do you it's source point. if you want fantasy yeah sounds stage but that can be done in the recording or using a piece of equipment you don't need the speakers to do it.
It is the wrong setup to put your speakers either side you want your speakers directly in front of you close to each other maybe a foot or a little bit more apart and pointing out 15 to 30 degrees depending on your room and distance
disagree a bit. love a symphony in a great concert hall. the sound is not really point source in that setting nor should it be imo. depends on the type of music i say.
In light of the above, would you be kind enough to share with us what your current system consists of; everything including cables phono cartridge. Hopefully you don’t use your system as an advertisement to sell the brands you carry but rather a representation of you musical preferences. And talking about German goods any chance you will handle Audionet? Specifically their Humboldt integrated amplifier? By all reviewer accounts it exceeds all other heavy hitter brands and does things unique to the brand; the reviews read like audio porn so ecstatic are they.
Adrian, you mentioned loud volumes. I am curious what dB level that would be for you. I am 60 yrs. old, and still love my Klipsch and Mac hitting 100 or more.
11!
@jmalen123 What'd you say?
How are you measuring your SPL100? That is very very loud, even dangerous to your hearing with continuous exposure. Are you measuring to a C weighting? That is most common for non-critical measurement and correlates well with human perception of loudness. It also means you will be exposed to much louder short duration peaks at low and high frequencies.
I use a calibrated system so I’m always aware of the SPL I’m exposed to without the need to constantly test, and 90-C is quite a bit louder than I choose to use for mix or mastering. 100-C would be literally damaging for typical 6-12 hour days in the control room.
@@artysanmobile What'd you say?
@@artysanmobile Yes c weighted, and the peaks are 100 with very dynamic music and for relatively short durations. Sir, your obvious concern for my hearing is commendable and I really do appreciate it. God bless.
Those „semi circles“ are called acoustic lenses.
Yes thanks. I was just describing them so others might understand. Appreciate that
You might as well have talked about horns: once you get it right, it is RIGHT. But the road to perfection can be….. awful
i heard them a few times at a show , but thay never impressed me . for me thay are more show and no go .
They
It just sounds like this reviewers problems are ones that he created. Spent too much, for a system that was the wrong size for the room. He didn't check the sensitivity, or match them to his amps. He had equipment or wire that wasn't clean enough, and the flaws showed. No wonder it didn't sound good. It shows that you need to research any new equipment before buying.
Again, another reviewer who never heard Zeta Zero orbitals which are omni and better in every technical aspect than MBLs.....
Haha, there's always one commenter like you.
I'm sure you've heard more sound systems than Adrian.
Shingles? Damn that sucks. No vaccine?
His reaction was to the vaccine shot, not the actual disease, according to the text displayed on the video.
@@Mark-rw3kwah yes. I read it too quickly. Ty.