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

fas42

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Jan 8, 2011
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Yes, my experience of the 101E's many years ago was the classic "disappearing" trick, being able to walk around them and not have a sense of the sound emerging from the drivers, I'm sure Tim would find them quite disturbing! Part of the answer is the omni thing, part probably that the cabinet reaction to the driver motion is balanced, not adding to the sound. And, partly due the speaker design forcing one to use top notch electronics to drive them - anything less is too unpleasant - so a lot of the usually necessary tweaking is automatically taken care of, by default.

Frank
 

ack

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May 6, 2010
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rlawry

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I recently heard the mbl 101e's as part of an all-mbl system at the Newport Beach Audio Show and I must say that it was the best-sounding system I have ever heard, everything else a distant second. The room was a double room in the hotel and the speakers were set up along the long wall, something like 24 ft x 16 ft. When I first entered I was sitting in front of the left speaker but the acoustic band in the recording was arrayed so that the left side of the band was located behind the left speaker. When I was able to sit front and center the focus shifted as it would in real life. The illusion of a band sitting in the room was eerily real, even more amazing in that this was at a show in a double motel room.
 

Ki Choi

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May 13, 2010
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I recently heard the mbl 101e's as part of an all-mbl system at the Newport Beach Audio Show and I must say that it was the best-sounding system I have ever heard, everything else a distant second. The room was a double room in the hotel and the speakers were set up along the long wall, something like 24 ft x 16 ft. When I first entered I was sitting in front of the left speaker but the acoustic band in the recording was arrayed so that the left side of the band was located behind the left speaker. When I was able to sit front and center the focus shifted as it would in real life. The illusion of a band sitting in the room was eerily real, even more amazing in that this was at a show in a double motel room.

Agree 100% although I was not at the NBAS. Had the similar experiences at other shows that led to voting for its performance with my wallet last year!
 

DEV

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Oct 19, 2011
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I live with it every day which puts a smile on my face while listening to what ever source I have on, my preference being vinyl. My own first hand experience I have been there and tried this and that and nothing comes close as to having them paied up with the VAC Sig MK2a pre and 450 Statement mono blocks, now you really get to hear what these speakers can really do, absolutely amazing!
 

XV-1

Well-Known Member
May 24, 2010
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I heard the 101e's at the Singapore dealers a couple of years back - sensational sound.

BTW Dev/Ki/ Peter

How Much power is needed to drive the 81db efficiency effectively and loud.
 

DEV

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Oct 19, 2011
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There's power and then their's quality of that actual power and from all my amp experimenting over the years which has been a wide spectrum I have found for sure trying such will most defiantly provide a total different over all spectrum and greatly depend on what satifies you.

They like current, I never thought in the end I would have tube mono blocks
 

DEV

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Oct 19, 2011
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I heard the 101e's at the Singapore dealers a couple of years back - sensational sound.

BTW Dev/Ki/ Peter

How Much power is needed to drive the 81db efficiency effectively and loud.

I actually never paid attention to that, just tried numerous amps that interested me and heard their characteristics they offered paired up with them. Most defiantly was a great learning exsperience.
 

Peter Breuninger

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Jul 20, 2010
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200 watts push pull tube, 400 watts into 8 ohms SS.

I heard the 101e's at the Singapore dealers a couple of years back - sensational sound.

BTW Dev/Ki/ Peter

How Much power is needed to drive the 81db efficiency effectively and loud.
 

mep

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Apr 20, 2010
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200 watts push pull tube, 400 watts into 8 ohms SS.

Uh, Peter, why do you need half of the power if you use tubes? P = I x E and the formula doesn't give a damn if the provenance of those watts is SS or Tube. Half the power is half the power. I know there is an old saw about tube watts sounding louder than SS watts, and I believe that is true with guitar amps because they sound great when the tubes start to compress the sound.

But it doesn't make sense to me at all when you say you can get by with a tube amp that puts out half the power of a SS amp on a very inefficient speaker. Tube amps won't have anywhere near the current capability or dampening factor, and now you say it’s acceptable to half the power in relation to a SS amp? You couldn’t hit a 103dB peak cleanly with a 200 watt anything amplifier with those MBLs.
 

FrantzM

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Apr 20, 2010
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Uh, Peter, why do you need half of the power if you use tubes? P = I x E and the formula doesn't give a damn if the provenance of those watts is SS or Tube. Half the power is half the power. I know there is an old saw about tube watts sounding louder than SS watts, and I believe that is true with guitar amps because they sound great when the tubes start to compress the sound.

But it doesn't make sense to me at all when you say you can get by with a tube amp that puts out half the power of a SS amp on a very inefficient speaker. Tube amps won't have anywhere near the current capability or dampening factor, and now you say it’s acceptable to half the power in relation to a SS amp? You couldn’t hit a 103dB peak cleanly with a 200 watt anything amplifier with those MBLs.

Same here :confused:
 

DEV

New Member
Oct 19, 2011
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Pairing up amplication with these speakers is going to depend on;

- size of room
- volume you want to listen to

We all have preferences ;)

I know someone in my area using MasterSound 300B mono blocks and sounds fabulous
 

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DEV

New Member
Oct 19, 2011
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Dev:

Have you tried to move the MBLs out into the room? It seems they are very close to the room boundaries.

Sorry don't understand your question? Are you refering to the pic above? If so that is not my set-up but someone else local using MasterSound 300B tube mono blocks to drive them. I was responding to others above suggesting they need .... power.

When are you going to post some pics of your set-up? So we can have a look see
 

Ki Choi

Member Sponsor
May 13, 2010
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Seattle WA area
Sorry don't understand your question? Are you refering to the pic above? If so that is not my set-up but someone else local using MasterSound 300B tube mono blocks to drive them. I was responding to others above suggesting they need .... power.

When are you going to post some pics of your set-up? So we can have a look see

My system is not worthy... but here's a shot from my iPhone few months ago...

photo (1).jpg
 

DEV

New Member
Oct 19, 2011
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Hi Ki, nice.

Humm, the space looks like it could have issues, is this an attic set-up? Your right speaker would be out of balance due to such, are you having any issues with such?

I have never had my speakers that far off the back walls, my tweeters are 54 inches off the back wall. I actually can't do such in my current space would need to relocate to my designated room.

How far off the back wall are your tweeters? Do you find the stage is stable, any issues?

I agree with the above post, those decks are sweet. I have had the constaint urge but just haven't pulled the trigger mainly due to music availability.

What are you using for a pre? Pass?

Have you tried any other amps beside those 9008's, if so what.
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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MylesBAstor

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Ki Choi

Member Sponsor
May 13, 2010
764
29
1,590
Seattle WA area
Hi Ki, nice.

Humm, the space looks like it could have issues, is this an attic set-up? Your right speaker would be out of balance due to such, are you having any issues with such?

I have never had my speakers that far off the back walls, my tweeters are 54 inches off the back wall. I actually can't do such in my current space would need to relocate to my designated room.

How far off the back wall are your tweeters? Do you find the stage is stable, any issues?

I agree with the above post, those decks are sweet. I have had the constaint urge but just haven't pulled the trigger mainly due to music availability.

What are you using for a pre? Pass?

Have you tried any other amps beside those 9008's, if so what.

Hi David:

The room was made for a pool table above the garage. Yes, the Left and Right spaces behind them are not equal. However, when I had Gary Koh over few months ago, he was surprised how the sound was well balanced even with uneven spaces. I think only the MBLs can get away with having asymmetrical space behind them and still have stable sound stage.

I believe my left tweeter is about 8' away and right one is about 5' away. The book case filled with CDs have been moved since the photo.

As Myles had mentioned above, I do swap the tape machines in and out as I work on them.

My pre is Manley Reference Tube Preamp that is re-issued model from 2009. They made about forty of them. All went to Korea but two stayed in US. I have one of them.

http://www.manley.com/manrpp.php

I had the Brystons first and then the 9008As. I have a pair of monster McIntosh MI-200 monoblocks coming from Japan soon for the 101Es.

Ki
 

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