Anybody own MBL 101 X-Treme speakers? How big is your room?

Greg Beron / UHA

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Not immediately, but just thinking ahead...

I can tell you that after spending 4 days and nights with the MBL Extreme System (including four MBL 9011 mono amps and the UHA Ultima1 Tape Deck) at Axpona 2016 it had me under the MBL Extreme "spell".
At the show we started listening at about 9:30am, we broke for dinner from about 6:30 till 8pm then we were back listening till 2am or 3am with zero fatigue.

Never heard dynamics like that, but in addition the strangest thing was they would actually image like mini monitors, in spite of the size they were so transparent.
But when the music called for it they would slam the room with dynamics I can only liken to, "shuddering the building".
The 3D was off the hook, huge and wide beyond the walls and ceiling, all but the music disappeared.

Having many hours sitting the sweet spot, in a properly treated room, playing awesome tapes till my hearts content on this system... has ruined me!

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Ron Resnick

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Do it, Greg! :)
 

Zero000

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I've heard the 101 Xtreme 3 times now at Munich in separate years.

What really annoys me is they have never played anything that shows what those bass towers can really do given high bass modulation on a given track and a LOT of volume. I suspect it could be stunning and probably is.

I'm with Ron go for it LOL:)
 

nc42acc

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Nov 10, 2015
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Greg I bet you will make me a great deal on your MBL 101 E MK II?????


Yep, I already scoped it out.
I would move my rack over to the left side of the room, a plan I am already working on, and there is room no problem.
Could even knock the wall out to the left as you enter the room for another 15'.
 

Greg Beron / UHA

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Greg I bet you will make me a great deal on your MBL 101 E MK II?????

The change out to an Exreme system would be a significant investment in both time and money and of course elbow grease.

That becomes questionable when you have the 101Emk2's that sound fantastic as is.
Hearing the Extremes for 4 days can really mess up your mind to be certain.

However I will probably wait till I sell an Extreme system then buy one.
Marty, I do think you need MBL speakers, I will have the 116's here soon and you should listen to them.
 
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caesar

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May 30, 2010
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The change out to an Exreme system would be a significant investment in both time and money and of course elbow grease.

That becomes questionable when you have the 101Emk2's that sound fantastic as is.
Hearing the Extremes for 4 days can really mess up your mind to be certain.

However I will probably wait till I sell an Extreme system then buy one.
Marty, I do think you need MBL speakers, I will have the 116's here soon and you should listen to them.

Greg,
Thanks for chiming in. I have no doubt your system sounds incredible. Here's a video with Peter Breuninger I found on the internet:


How close do you think you get to the Extremes with your system?

And out of curiosity, have you ever played around with the SMT panels in your room that the MBL team uses at shows? What do you think they add (or subtract)?

P.S. I am sure I'm speaking for hundreds and hundreds of music lovers, but you, Jeremy from MBL, and the entire MBL team deserve a huge THANK YOU for always put on the most incredible musical experience in the late evenings - after long days of working the show.
 
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Ron Resnick

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Whose room is that, caesar?
 

Ron Resnick

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. . . you, Jeremy from MBL, and the entire MBL team deserve a huge THANK YOU for always put on the most incredible musical experience in the late evenings - after long days of working the show.

+1
 

caesar

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Whose room is that, caesar?

I have no idea. I found the picture on the internet, but obviously it's not a fake photoshop job.

And call me ignorant, but I have no doubt that between all the diffusion on the sides and ceiling, and helmholtz resonators all around on the bottom, and, of course the power the amps provide, it sounds friggin amazing.
 
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Eichenbaum

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Whose room is that, caesar?

"Thank you for your help in transforming my listening room into a magical space.

I am fortunate enough to have had a dedicated room constructed for Hi-Fi in my home.

I initially contracted Jocavi for some room help and was supplied with some "computer designed acoustic treatment." This was mostly highly absorptive materials that hung on the walls and from the ceiling, like I have seen in recording booths and "typical" audio rooms.

I have been a long-time fan of the MBL Radialstrahler loudspeaker and their accompanying electronics, and have owned several models.

One of the many strengths of the MBL system is its "lifelike" quality, that it can create believable sonic images that sound "live" in the room with me. I have heard this sensation described as like being at a play, where other systems are more like going to the movies.

But the sound in my room after the installation of the Jocavi designs left me wanting. The room was dead; not just dead for music playback, but also dead when speaking or just "being" in the room without music playing. It made you uncomfortable.

I knew I needed to find a professional who understood the bigger picture. I had a representative from MBL visit and was told that the reverberation and reflection times were incorrect in the room and this was impeding the system's ability to really "live and breathe."

MBL suggested I begin removing the Jocavi treatments one by one and listen each time, noticing if the sound is more natural and convincing with each change. Sure enough, the sound improved each time, until it became clear that a "naked" room was not going to be of much benefit either (too many reflections...smearing things and making it uncomfortable just to sit in the room). MBL suggested I meet with Matts Odemalm from SMT Sweden to see about having my room treatments redesigned and installed.

SMT Custom Listening Room Built by Accurate Construction in Pennsylvania USAI was able to meet Matts at the Munich High End show last year, and was impressed by his knowledge, manner, and passion for great, natural sound. He clearly "thinks out of the box" and does not use foam-type acoustic panels that absorb, reflect, and diffuse all at the same time. All of this is supposed to be calculated for a range of frequency in their modeling and measured by a microphone. Too "rough."

SMT puts knowledge, experience, and practical custom made devices into their "holistic" approach.

With MBL's urging, I hired Matts to give my room the full SMT treatment. It took over five years of trial and error to finally get my dedicated listening room to sound as good as I imagined it could sound. Since SMT designed and installed their optimized devices around the room, there is now a total absence of coloration; where "tonal color" and character take on a much more authentic, realistic presentation. I no longer hear the room or the system: I experience the music.

And the wonderful layers deep in my favorite recordings are now plainly revealed, each within its own space, but still woven within the fabric of the event. I now not only hear the musician's sound, but their effort as well. Their "intent." Music that didn't speak to me in the past has become more vivid, more emotional, more present. I enjoy much more music now that the SMT "system" has certainly injected life and emotion to the room.

Now, tonality in my room is spot on, allowing the MBL system to perform to its capacity...to get out of the way and allow the listener to connect with the music.

Once the SMT system was completely installed, it became plainly clear that this was the most effective room improvement I have ever experienced. Thank you, Matts, for sharing the SMT magic with me.

These moments of revelation are what make our Hi-Fi hobby rewarding. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misunderstanding and misleading that goes on in the High-end audio business. But once on the right track, the results are nothing short of magical.

Thank you Matts and Jeremy

A long journey has brought me to the "best seat in the house" for every "performance."

Yarek
 

Ron Resnick

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Thank you for letting us know! Your room looks absolutely amazing, and I'm sure it sounds even better!

Are those (wood?) diffusers all SMT products? (They look like RPG products to me.)
 

Greg Beron / UHA

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Apr 5, 2012
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We started using the SMT panels for shows starting with Axpona 2016, we featured the MBL Extreme system playing a UHA tape deck.

Yarek had the prime seat at the after hours Analog Tape Event on Friday night.
Others had to sit on the floor.....
I couldn't even get a seat in the room, had to stand in the hall with about 20 others waiting to get in.

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We used the SMT panels along the sides of the room as we didn't have enough to do the entire room.

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If you notice the SMT devices we are using have bass traps below that can be opened or closed to tune the room.
I did notice the specific points Yarek touched on in his info above.
Better tonality certainly, more natural and a better evolution of the soundstage. The room became less of a participant in the sound, the speakers were in control of the sound, not the room.


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The huge shipping boxes were in need of some reinforcement so Jeff Catalano helped us out with his excellent carpentry skills.
HA!

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