Anyone heard the MBL 116F?

[thedudeabides]

Having heard all the MBL's, except the Extreme, at shows over the years, I would say a significant amount, given the fact that the tweeter and midrange omni pods cover everything above 2K hertz or so.

The MBL essence, from my perspective, is an extremely open, transparent window into the music. The speakers really do disappear for the most part including off-axis listening. And the changes I've made over the last 14 months have helped substantially in that regard.

As with any hybrid, the challenge is to integrate traditional bass drivers and, in the case of the 116 and 111, mid bass drivers with the pods that employ a totally different technology and sophistication.

The 101 contains a mid bass sphere that further extends the benefits of the MBL pod technology but, as you may know, also requires a major (read expensive) step up in amplifier power. My Pass Labs drives the 116's to more than acceptable volume levels. Having said that, the going wisdom is that you need very powerful / SS high current mono amps in the range of 400 to 600 watts minimum to make the 101 perform up to its potential.

If one can afford the 101 and the requisite gear to optimize performance, I say go for it. If you are like most who don't have a C Note tree growing in the back yard, my sense is that you will be quite happy with the 116's performance.

A final note. Assuming one is not uber wealthy and you are interested in pursuing purchasing any MBL speaker, you can find some incredible deals on the used market. That's how I purchased mine. For example, there is currently a 101E MKII on audiogon for $36K. You should be able to pick up a 111 in the $17K +/- range (I've seen this model as low as $11K) and the 116 in the $10K area.

Hope that answers your question.

Best,

GG

[caesar]

Thanks for the thorough comments. I am very happy for you that you got your bass issues under control.

[thedudeabides]

Hi caeser,

THANK YOU for your interest.

Just read through the "Fremer on MBL" thread. The one that blew up and was closed. Very unfortunate.

Interesting that some have such a negative reaction to a speaker that I find absolutely musical and compelling. Also that the person who loves Martin Logan stats (gregad I believe) and apparently can't relate to the MBL sound. I say that because, prior to buying the 116's, I owned, in order of possession, the CLS2A's, the Aerius, the SL3's, and lastly the Summit over a period of some 20 years plus. Suffice to say I know the ML sound and find, in my room, that the 116's do everything the ML's do quite well and more.

Don't know where you are located but I invite you or any other members to come visit me and have a listen. I live in Jackson, WY.

FWIW, my system pictures are posted on the ML site. Absent the speaker change, everything else is pretty much the same.

Best,

Gordon

[DEV]

Interesting that some have such a negative reaction to a speaker that I find absolutely musical and compelling. Also that the person who loves Martin Logan stats (gregad I believe) and apparently can't relate to the MBL sound.
Best, Gordon

I agree and really just don't understand either, really leaves me scratching my head. Adding to that in his own pics posted provided shown it wasn't even the 101E's which he referred to saying he had actually listened to. Each to their own but to make such a bold statement as he did saying they are ""Dull and Lifless." was rediculous and so far from being the thruth. I have no problem with anyone not likeing them but misleading others reading is wrong.

I have found a match made in heaven for my MBL 101E's, pairing them up with Vac Sig pre and the Statement 450 mono blocks, totally got me off the merry-go-round, don't even think of others and just enjoy

I have never heard those specific MBL's so I can not comment but have heard other speakers you make mention too.

Enjoy that's what it's all about.

[thedudeabides]

Hi DEV,

Dull and lifeless would be the last two words that I would use to describe the MBL house sound. I am very envious of your set up. My dream speaker is the 101E.

The 116's have alot to offer and are designed for small to medium size rooms. Response down into the lower 30's, a small footprint and a large, open, dimensional, focused sound. FYI, I listen with cages off.

By the way, I wanted to point out that I have a smallish room and listen nearfield (about 8' from me to the speakers) and they do quite well even listening far off axis.

Unfortunate about gregadd. That was a really good thread that was closed. Seems he had a run in with the Martin Logan Owners website administrator a couple of years ago and no longer posts there. Oh well. I wish him the best. We all have opinions given the subjectivity of this hobby but .................

Question for you and the 101's. What did you end up with toe in and what criteria did you use to evaluate? Given the omni pods, I was very surprised how sensitive the 116's are in this respect.

Best,

Gordon

PS: If I were to return to a conventional box speaker, the one brand that I really like is YG Acoustics.

[fas42]

The problem of course is that the MBLs are an open window to the sound, so every deficiency earlier in the chain is beautifully exposed. So some people may hear things that are not too pleasant, and blame the messenger. Myself, that is exactly what's needed, such a speaker is an ideal measuring device as far as the ear/brain is concerned.

Frank

[DEV]

I agree Frank.

Hi Gordon, looking at your speakers with the woofers on the sides really are a different design so I'm sure that plays in set-up also but I still do hear a difference in relation to toe in on mine. I believe it's partially due to the posts for the mid driver. I actually have numerous listening areas and enjoy all.

You can go to this posting and see my journey and set-up.

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showth...My-VAC-journey