Remarkable MBL Speaker Review by Breuninger. Is the speaker as good as the review?

[Ki Choi]

Hi Ki Choi,

The VAC Sig. pre MK2 paired up with the Vac Statement 450 mono blocks, there is no pre and amp combo's that come close period that I have heard and/or tried with my MBL 101E's and I have tried allot.

Thanks for your comment DEV. Well, now I have something more to live for... ;-)

 

[Peter Breuninger]

The 101Es are positioned 4' away from the side walls and 9' away from their back wall with me sitting at almost perfect triangle - 3' away from the windows behind me.

MBL's Jeremy Bryan says the 101s can work with glass/window as their back wall. I have them set up in front of a multi-cell bay window and they totally disappear. I too sit in a perfect triangle. I should mention that went "long wall" tens years ago and still love it. This would make a good poll... long wall vs. short wall.

Peter B.

 

[Ki Choi]

Having the long wall for my speaker steup is my preference and would vote for it. However, my current room leaves very little room for my listening chair that would have been positioned in front of a set of french doors that I had tried for about a month.

On another subject but somewhat related...having read your stella review of the 101E MkIIs just last month and fresh in my head, I was expecting to see it listed in one of the Product of the Year catagories in the Jan. 2012 TAS that had just arrived. There's no mention of the 101E Mk IIs - not even a runner up or having being considered for any titles...The Magico Q5s took the Overall Product of the Year award...

 

[caesar]

On another subject but somewhat related...having read your stella review of the 101E MkIIs just last month and fresh in my head, I was expecting to see it listed in one of the Product of the Year catagories in the Jan. 2012 TAS that had just arrived. There's no mention of the 101E Mk IIs - not even a runner up or having being considered for any titles...The Magico Q5s took the Overall Product of the Year award...

Amazing, isn't it? MBL is by far the most "realistic" speaker out there across the entire musical spectrum. And a magazine called "The Absolute Sound" would choose an emotionally challenged speaker that is good at individual sonic attributes that only audiophiles drool over, YET LACKS A SOUL, as their speaker of the year. What a shame!

Ironically, Tom Martin, the guy who owns TAS is an MBL owner! Nice way to kill your brand, Tom!

 

[caesar]

What kind of room treatments are you guys using?

 

[caesar]

Hi Ki Choi,

congrats on your speakers, they truely are marvelous!

in my journey of owning and auditioning endless amps and pre combo's one being the Bryston 28 Squared mono blocks. I had on hand a pair of 9008's and 9011's on hand and recommended to a couple others whom I communicate with that they should try a pair of the Bryston's as I prefered such, they did and sold the MBL's.

I agree the MBL's can sing allot easier in a less treated room then others.

The Cat JL3 Sig MK2 mono blocks were nice but had reliability issues that I did not want to be dealing with, a year of such was enought for me.

The VAC Sig. pre MK2 paired up with the Vac Statement 450 mono blocks, there is no pre and amp combo's that come close period that I have heard and/or tried with my MBL 101E's and I have tried allot.

-MBL 9008's
-MBL 9011's
-Bolder 2050's
-Karan 1200's
-Pass numerous
-Bryston 28 Squared
-Cat JL3's
-Mac
and the list goes on ....

I realize this is a bold statement being made by me but it's well deserving, if you have read my prior posting for years I do not make SUCH statements so the combo has to be pretty SPECIAL!, I'm mostly active on another site "A" and if you read my past postings on such for years you will see.

Enjoy!

DEV,

Amazing system. Congratulations.

That is quite a an amp journey! You must look like Mr. Olympia to lift those heavy amps!

How did you find Boulder with MBL? and why did you choose VAC over CAT? Is one better than another, or are they just different flavors?

 

[caesar]

Gentlemen,

So does this speaker have weaknesses? Obviously, it needs expensive amplification. Starting point for the powerful Brystons is a minimum of $20K - to start. Another guess is ability to play well quietly??? How about transparency? Microdynamics - do drivers start and stop fast??

Anything else???

 

[Ki Choi]

Caesar,

the Q5s were overall - The Product of the Year - must higher than the Speaker of the year award! I'll give it a listen again at the upcoming CES but it didn't move me at the RMAF in Oct...

 

[Ki Choi]

What kind of room treatments are you guys using?

Wall-to-wall master recorders - tape that is... - is to break up the reflections. ;-)

 

[MylesBAstor]

Wall-to-wall master recorders - tape that is... - is to break up the reflections. ;-)

You're a real cut up Ki

 

[microstrip]

TAS 219 also includes an interview with Juergen Reis, Chief Engineer of MBL, carried by Neil Gader. It helps us understanding what is behind the MBL speakers . Copyright issues preclude the full transcription, but I choose two partial answers to illustrate it, as I also share some of his views. .

How do you define high-end audio to someone unfamiliar with the hobby?
I would define a high-end audio system as a music playback system that is able to transfer the emotion in the music back to the listener.

What makes you prefer omnidirectional loudspeakers to forward-firing designs?
(...) Forward-firing speakers only work best for one listener. With omnis I can sit in different places, and still have a soundstage. They integrate with the room far better than conventional loudspeakers. People have always enjoyed and played music in groups, and this is the natural way to experience music. It’s been my life’s work to make systems that sound as natural as possible.

 

[DEV]

DEV,

Amazing system. Congratulations.

That is quite a an amp journey! You must look like Mr. Olympia to lift those heavy amps!

How did you find Boulder with MBL? and why did you choose VAC over CAT? Is one better than another, or are they just different flavors?

caesar,

thx, I'm lovin my system. Always had to have a friend to assist due to the crazy weight and size for most but still get a work out.

It takes some time to because I take pictures during the whole unpacking process for a couple of reason, damage and to know how to properly repack.

Looking at my notes what I found over all was I would like this and that but none had me ending my search

Looking at my notes one area of note was how do they sound at low volume, are they engaging, musical etc. What I found was with most of these amps in comparision they really were not what I would call all that musical at low volume listening. The one that won out was the Bryston's.

The Cat JL3 Sig MK2 mono, these were the first amps I got because I was told these would be it and talking to Ken these were designed around MBL's. Well long story short the journey was a nitemare, continuous issues to the point of a year dealing with such. It was always something and dealing with Ken the experience was far from being pleasurable. The amps did sound nice but they are no way even in the same hemisphere of the VAC 450's in my set-up.

Actually referring to my notes the VAC's were the only amps that got a 10 out of 10 on everything and then some, no kidding. I was seriously looking to find any flaw but could not, only one would be the price at close to $80K is large. In all honestly when you refer to the others though and their prices these are a true bargain!

No I would not say it's just a different flavor, in my notes I go through many areas comparing such as, bass, dynamics, midrange, floor noise, highs, stage, realism, piano, violin, stand up bass, cymbals and on.
I make notes include the company, packaging, qaulity, fit and finish, odd noises, transformer noises etc. it involved.

What I have learned is these speakers are not all the bad to drive once loaded in a room but they do like current.

As per what I wrote nothing even comes close period.

 

[DEV]

Gentlemen,

So does this speaker have weaknesses? Obviously, it needs expensive amplification. Starting point for the powerful Brystons is a minimum of $20K - to start. Another guess is ability to play well quietly??? How about transparency? Microdynamics - do drivers start and stop fast??

Anything else???

No speaker is perfect but by far these are my favorite speakers.

Can they play well quietly, mine do in spades with the VAC's. Out of those amps I listed the Bryston's beat them all but not close to the VAC's.

Transparency amazing.

Microdynamics to die for.

Do the drivers start and stop fast?, yes with my VAC's

 

[Peter Breuninger]

Speaking of tube amps and MBLs... I am having excellent results with a pair of Ayon Orthos IIs. They are 200 watts per channel and I've yet to clip them them (with the MBLs). I have found MBLs to play quiet levels as well as concert levels. As Dev says "yes" to start and stop fast, I do as well. MBLs are awesome! (that a quote from a female listener at Axpona NY in the MBL room). I totally agree.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

The A's biggest problem, however, was a bit of hardness in the upper midrange that Gindi tamed to a certain extent with the Mpingo discs on the driver.

I'm confused. Did he place the Mpingo discs on top of the cabinets or somehow adhere them to the drivers?

Tim

 

[caesar]

So does anyone know what happened to Meletzky? Usually, (in the real world, and not in our little hobby industry) founding entrepreneurs get kicked out by the VCs after the company moves from away from "start-up mode" to "growing company mode". Original founding entrepreneurs usually are not good managers, so the VCs bring in professional managers to realize their investment. Here, though, it seems a bit unusual for a small company to kick out a guy who invented the technology and after whom the company is named.

 

[caesar]

Does anyone know or understand how the MBL speaker is able re-create that "you are there" feeling?

 

[LL21]

Hi Ki Choi,

congrats on your speakers, they truely are marvelous!

in my journey of owning and auditioning endless amps and pre combo's one being the Bryston 28 Squared mono blocks. I had on hand a pair of 9008's and 9011's on hand and recommended to a couple others whom I communicate with that they should try a pair of the Bryston's as I prefered such, they did and sold the MBL's.

I agree the MBL's can sing allot easier in a less treated room then others.

The Cat JL3 Sig MK2 mono blocks were nice but had reliability issues that I did not want to be dealing with, a year of such was enought for me.

The VAC Sig. pre MK2 paired up with the Vac Statement 450 mono blocks, there is no pre and amp combo's that come close period that I have heard and/or tried with my MBL 101E's and I have tried allot.

-MBL 9008's
-MBL 9011's
-Bolder 2050's
-Karan 1200's
-Pass numerous
-Bryston 28 Squared
-Cat JL3's
-Mac
and the list goes on ....

I realize this is a bold statement being made by me but it's well deserving, if you have read my prior posting for years I do not make SUCH statements so the combo has to be pretty SPECIAL!, I'm mostly active on another site "A" and if you read my past postings on such for years you will see.

Enjoy!

Congrats!! Sounds amazing. Have you ever compared notes with Oded? He is on A as well. He owns the new Focal Stella EMs with the VAC Statement monos and Ref preamp. He too has owned 'a lot'...Tidals, Rockport Hyperions, Gryphon Colosseum monos, and the list goes on. He too swears by the new VAC electronics. In fact, thats where i first read about them! I have since emailed him as well...great guy, very responsive, very insightful and truly enjoys this passionate pursuit!

 

[LL21]

Does anyone know or understand how the MBL speaker is able re-create that "you are there" feeling?

I always understood it was largely the omni directional element of the design which more closely mimicks the way real instruments deliver sound in a room...in 360-degrees. Cones and panels have a directional element to them and reviewers often thus focus on the dispersion and 'off-axis' performance as well as the 'on axis' performance.

speaking of which, does this mean you can literally turn a pair 180 degrees and still hear exactly the same thing?

 

[LL21]

then again...i suppose thats like saying if you listen to an acoustic band from behind, would it sound the same...presumably not!!! dumb question. sorry - my bad. though i imagine it would be easier to listen to mbls from behind than a cone speaker?