MBL 101e MK2

XV-1 said:
I stopped by at the Singapore distributor yesterday for a listen. Every bit as amazing as when I went tbeir 9 years ago.
Driven by 4 mbl monoblocks, these could go as LOUD as you wanted them to - without breaking into discomfort or distortion.
They played jazz and classical and The Eagles live well but spinning Pink Floyd the wall at loud volumes was incredible. He then brought out the latest Metallica album, I have hearr it before and wasn't that taken. This was almost taken to the event and the sound was fast, dynamic and incredible- all on cd.

MBL is a speaker you feel as well as listen to. The omni drivers really are unique and this is gives them the best mids and treble I have ever heard.

This MBL system was more musically convincing than the top of line Avant-garde Trios with bass gorns at 350k and all top of line Audio Note amps and Audax digital.

If I ever win the lottery, the top of range MBL would be at the very top of my list.

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Fully agree that the MBL Reference combo (9011 + 101e MKII) is really great. As for Avantgarde Trio LE, I would say the Audio Note top gears are not as musical as with a full top Kondo combo. But price viz-a-viz, the MBL is more realistic for my small room and budget. Come to think of it, it may just be the foundation idea for a new change, partnered with Roon (Going away from Sooloos as its not being Mac OS "properly" supported and yes, the Roon also did sounded better). Add a Continuum/Viper/DS Audio or a full Kronos stack might just be the next dream for me.
 
Jerry Seh said:
Fully agree that the MBL Reference combo (9011 + 101e MKII) is really great. As for Avantgarde Trio LE, I would say the Audio Note top gears are not as musical as with a full top Kondo combo. But price viz-a-viz, the MBL is more realistic for my small room and budget. Come to think of it, it may just be the foundation idea for a new change, partnered with Roon (Going away from Sooloos as its not being Mac OS "properly" supported and yes, the Roon also did sounded better). Add a Continuum/Viper/DS Audio or a full Kronos stack might just be the next dream for me.
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Jerry

a change to MBL would be an awesome idea. Especially since the SG dealer is so experienced and a music lover.
 
finally got to hear the 101's. to start they were spread pretty far apart - didn't have my laser measure on me but i would guesstimate 10feet and i was sitting about 6 feet back. the sound was nice, nothing impressive. good details, bit too much treble and the bass was a bit disjointed. the speakers were about 3 feet away from the wall behind them (never remember if thats back wall or front wall) and 5+ feet from side wall.

after a few tracks i asked if we could place them closer together, maybe 6 feet or so. this created an equilateral triangle and wow - everything locked in. the vocals and flow were just so impressive and you get this very strange energy from the omni. strange in a good way. the best way i can describe it, you know how in different rooms - even if silent there is some sound/ambiance if you enter...i guess you are hearing the air? that's what the mbl's are able to project as well. it was really intriguing. i also noted excellent dynamics - everything felt very alive. as you moved around the room the soundstage rarely differed which is nice especially for those of us who have our speakers in a living area and have people over regularly. it would be very generous of us to buy such speakers so everyone gets the sweet spot hahaha.

the stage had great depth and the width, while very big, felt so natural. it wasn't calling attention to itself. tonally, i think very similar to magico's in my opinion - i mean that in a good way. everything sounded as it should, pure but with a slight nudge of warmth. we were listening using the class d mbl amps. good stuff but new to me so really hard to make too many comparisons but i couldn't help but think that my symphonic line kraft, with its massive class a power would bring out even more from this speaker as, to my ears, it has that elusive characteristic: flow.

i certainly don't feel like my rig sounds broken or anything after listening to these but i think the 101's are a very worthy upgrade and currently the top of my list. for my ears, granted these are all across different systems and gear, the alsyvox tintoretto really drew me in but i have concerns about them in my room. the mbl's give me a big taste of everything i liked with the alsyvox and seem easier to place in my room. for me, they come across kind of like a magico meets an alsyvox: i think you get that great ethereal sound staging and dynamics of alsyvox with that tone and body of magico. also i played a good mix of not-so-great recordings and compressed tracks and they sounded great.

the mbl's know how to make music!
 
Skanda said:
finally got to hear the 101's. to start they were spread pretty far apart - didn't have my laser measure on me but i would guesstimate 10feet and i was sitting about 6 feet back. the sound was nice, nothing impressive. good details, bit too much treble and the bass was a bit disjointed. the speakers were about 3 feet away from the wall behind them (never remember if thats back wall or front wall) and 5+ feet from side wall.

after a few tracks i asked if we could place them closer together, maybe 6 feet or so. this created an equilateral triangle and wow - everything locked in. the vocals and flow were just so impressive and you get this very strange energy from the omni. strange in a good way. the best way i can describe it, you know how in different rooms - even if silent there is some sound/ambiance if you enter...i guess you are hearing the air? that's what the mbl's are able to project as well. it was really intriguing. i also noted excellent dynamics - everything felt very alive. as you moved around the room the soundstage rarely differed which is nice especially for those of us who have our speakers in a living area and have people over regularly. it would be very generous of us to buy such speakers so everyone gets the sweet spot hahaha.

the stage had great depth and the width, while very big, felt so natural. it wasn't calling attention to itself. tonally, i think very similar to magico's in my opinion - i mean that in a good way. everything sounded as it should, pure but with a slight nudge of warmth. we were listening using the class d mbl amps. good stuff but new to me so really hard to make too many comparisons but i couldn't help but think that my symphonic line kraft, with its massive class a power would bring out even more from this speaker as, to my ears, it has that elusive characteristic: flow.

i certainly don't feel like my rig sounds broken or anything after listening to these but i think the 101's are a very worthy upgrade and currently the top of my list. for my ears, granted these are all across different systems and gear, the alsyvox tintoretto really drew me in but i have concerns about them in my room. the mbl's give me a big taste of everything i liked with the alsyvox and seem easier to place in my room. for me, they come across kind of like a magico meets an alsyvox: i think you get that great ethereal sound staging and dynamics of alsyvox with that tone and body of magico. also i played a good mix of not-so-great recordings and compressed tracks and they sounded great.

the mbl's know how to make music!
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Skanda - excellent feedback and I agree with you. It’s sad the dealer didn’t bother to set them up properly to begin with. But I’m glad you got them adjusted so you can really hear what they can do. I should add, there are three adjustments on the back of the 101’s to further tailor them to your room and listening preferences.

I thought long and hard about Alsyvox when I first heard them debut in Munich a few years ago (long before anyone else was doing back flips about them). I had many emails back and forth with Alsyvox and still quite like them, but MBL has been around for 40 years, they offer a full suite of speakers and electronics starting at $10,000 and they are the opposite of a panel speaker in that they have a very wide sweet spot. And to say their support of me and my store has been stellar is an understatement. By March, I will have an MBL Experience Center setup. We will have almost every MBL speaker, including the Xtreme, 101, 116, 120, 126 and all electronics across the Corona, Noble and Reference levels.

But I digress. I think the 101’s would be an excellent step up for you. I’m glad you’re hearing what I hear!
 
Mike said:
Skanda - excellent feedback and I agree with you. It’s sad the dealer didn’t bother to set them up properly to begin with. But I’m glad you got them adjusted so you can really hear what they can do. I should add, there are three adjustments on the back of the 101’s to further tailor them to your room and listening preferences.

I thought long and hard about Alsyvox when I first heard them debut in Munich a few years ago, long before anyone was doing backflips about them. I had many emails back and forth with the company and still quite like them, but MBL has been around for 40 years, they offer a full suite of speakers and electronics starting at $10,000 and they are the opposite of a panel speaker in that they have a very wide sweet spot. And to say their support of me and my store has been stellar is an understatement. By March, I will have an MBL Experience Center setup. We will have almost every MBL speaker, including the Xtreme, 101, 116, 120, 126 and all electronics across the Corona, Noble and Reference levels.

But I digress. I think the 101’s would be an excellent step up for you. I’m glad you’re hearing what I hear!
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amazing re mbl experience center and by bday is in march too...coincidence!?? i think not!
regarding the demo, it was actually really cool to hear how well the speaker responded to being moved around and gave me some ideas of some minor moves to try in my own system. i'm loving my current sound but as my amp is still burning in the bass is a bit heavier than i'd like so maybe some temporary measures as the amp settles in (i've probably put 50 hours on it at best). unfortunately we didn't get to mess around with the adjustments - from what i understand each adjustment isn't really an attenuation but instead refers to a circuit with different materials?

sound aside, my biggest take away from the demo is that these don't seem as bad to set up as one would think. also as i read about the efficiency more, i don't think these are any more brutal on amps than your average 88-89db box+cone. totally agree, that these would be a nice upgrade - top of the list for me right now. i know i planned on heading down in jan or feb but i am super disorganized and got very bogged down with work+basically lost a week with the flu. hopefully my schedule eases up soon and i can head down. would be awesome to listen to these side by side with an m2/m3 and anything else you think might be interesting.
 
Skanda said:
amazing re mbl experience center and by bday is in march too...coincidence!?? i think not!
regarding the demo, it was actually really cool to hear how well the speaker responded to being moved around and gave me some ideas of some minor moves to try in my own system. i'm loving my current sound but as my amp is still burning in the bass is a bit heavier than i'd like so maybe some temporary measures as the amp settles in (i've probably put 50 hours on it at best). unfortunately we didn't get to mess around with the adjustments - from what i understand each adjustment isn't really an attenuation but instead refers to a circuit with different materials?

sound aside, my biggest take away from the demo is that these don't seem as bad to set up as one would think. also as i read about the efficiency more, i don't think these are any more brutal on amps than your average 88-89db box+cone. totally agree, that these would be a nice upgrade - top of the list for me right now. i know i planned on heading down in jan or feb but i am super disorganized and got very bogged down with work+basically lost a week with the flu. hopefully my schedule eases up soon and i can head down. would be awesome to listen to these side by side with an m2/m3 and anything else you think might be interesting.
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Yes, I’m waiting for another unit in my complex to become available for sale. The plan is to purchase another unit and build it out. With Xtreme’s, we have outgrown the store. LOL. All kidding aside, that’s the plan. I just need to be patient.

The MBL’s aren’t difficult to setup, but you have to know what you’re doing as a dealer. Sadly, I’m sure most don’t know or don’t care. The tricky part happens when the person doesn’t have a wall on one side. There are some tricks MBL has shown me to make it work nicely. As a side, you were spot on with your equilateral triangle, but you can vary away from that a little bit sitting further back, you will just hear a little more of the room. That’s how I have mine at home.

Everyone talks about the efficiency of the MBL’s. I wouldn’t call them efficient by any means, but they aren’t difficult to drive. I’ve heard them sound fantastic with non-MBL amps too.

The adjustments are varied, but yes, for example, the tweeter is wired with three different wires: all copper, copper/silver and silver. The user can select using the adjustments on the back to suit their taste. There are similar adjustments for the midrange/bass as they relate to crossover, etc.

The MBL’s do need space. They need at least 31 inches from the CENTER of the speaker to any surrounding wall. 36 inches is optimum. So, you can’t put them against the back wall or right up against the side wall.

Anyway, when you get a chance, come on down and listen. We can even go hear the 101’s at my place.
 
The MBL 101E MK2 speakers are exceptional transducers. Of course, like any other speaker, appropriate setup is needed. They provide a fantastic musical experience with a huge soundstage, very accurate image with excellent dynamics. I’m driving mine with a D’Agostino Momentum S250 which drives them with nice control and they play plenty loud.

As Mike mentions, they can be easily adjusted in the back of the speaker. My preferred setting is all copper. My room is 20 X 15 X 10.5.
 
Ritmo said:
The MBL 101E MK2 speakers are exceptional transducers. Of course, like any other speaker, appropriate setup is needed. They provide a fantastic musical experience with a huge soundstage, very accurate image with excellent dynamics. I’m driving mine with a D’Agostino Momentum S250 which drives them with nice control and they play plenty loud.

As Mike mentions, they can be easily adjusted in the back of the speaker. My preferred setting is all copper. My room is 20 X 15 X 10.5.
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hey ritmo, thanks for sharing. quick question about your set up. i noticed that the s250 has the standard 1 set of speaker out terminals for both left and right channel. are you using a jumper? this is something i'd have to consider if i wanted to use my amp to start/if i wanted to avoid monos and bi amping etc. also, if you had the chance to test, did you notice a significant difference between biamping vs. using the jumper. my guess is probably not since you are still using the s250...

interesting regarding the copper choice. i actually run a loom of wireworld cable in my rig right now (well it used to be a loom but now i have some snazzy new boxes that i am running with stock cables because i've been too lazy to take measurements and order the necessary wireworld cabling). it is my understanding that the internals of the 101 are wired with ww platinum. i use all copper on my rig right now as it helps add some body and smoothness for the not so great records while still allowing the great stuff to shine. this gives me some idea of how the jumper changes might sound but if you have any experiences to share about the sound in your system as you change the settings on the back, would be grateful to read your feedback.
 
Skanda said:
hey ritmo, thanks for sharing. quick question about your set up. i noticed that the s250 has the standard 1 set of speaker out terminals for both left and right channel. are you using a jumper? this is something i'd have to consider if i wanted to use my amp to start/if i wanted to avoid monos and bi amping etc. also, if you had the chance to test, did you notice a significant difference between biamping vs. using the jumper. my guess is probably not since you are still using the s250...

interesting regarding the copper choice. i actually run a loom of wireworld cable in my rig right now (well it used to be a loom but now i have some snazzy new boxes that i am running with stock cables because i've been too lazy to take measurements and order the necessary wireworld cabling). it is my understanding that the internals of the 101 are wired with ww platinum. i use all copper on my rig right now as it helps add some body and smoothness for the not so great records while still allowing the great stuff to shine. this gives me some idea of how the jumper changes might sound but if you have any experiences to share about the sound in your system as you change the settings on the back, would be grateful to read your feedback.
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I'll let Mike (Ritmo) respond to your jumper questions. I just want to state that I had the opportunity to hear Mike's setup last week when I was in Florida. There is no doubt in my mind that the S250 is able to handle the 101e MK II's in a nice size room such as Mike's. He has some plans to possibly tweak the speakers position in the room, determine whether he will adjust his room treatments and audition some different speaker cables and PC's. None of these are necessary as his set-up sounds excellent. He just wants to make sure he isn't leaving anything on the table.
 
Skanda said:
hey ritmo, thanks for sharing. quick question about your set up. i noticed that the s250 has the standard 1 set of speaker out terminals for both left and right channel. are you using a jumper? this is something i'd have to consider if i wanted to use my amp to start/if i wanted to avoid monos and bi amping etc. also, if you had the chance to test, did you notice a significant difference between biamping vs. using the jumper. my guess is probably not since you are still using the s250...

interesting regarding the copper choice. i actually run a loom of wireworld cable in my rig right now (well it used to be a loom but now i have some snazzy new boxes that i am running with stock cables because i've been too lazy to take measurements and order the necessary wireworld cabling). it is my understanding that the internals of the 101 are wired with ww platinum. i use all copper on my rig right now as it helps add some body and smoothness for the not so great records while still allowing the great stuff to shine. this gives me some idea of how the jumper changes might sound but if you have any experiences to share about the sound in your system as you change the settings on the back, would be grateful to read your feedback.
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I’m currently using jumpers on the speaker side as a temporary solution. I’m in the process of trying out speaker cables. I’m currently using Shunyata Anacondas. Did try (and liked very much) AQ Thunders (Zero + Bass) in a special configuration they make terminated as a stereo set on the amp side and bi-wire on the speaker end. I’m about to try several speaker cables from Wireworld - more to come.
 
still-one said:
I'll let Mike (Ritmo) respond to your jumper questions. I just want to state that I had the opportunity to hear Mike's setup last week when I was in Florida. There is no doubt in my mind that the S250 is able to handle the 101e MK II's in a nice size room such as Mike's. He has some plans to possibly tweak the speakers position in the room, determine whether he will adjust his room treatments and audition some different speaker cables and PC's. None of these are necessary as his set-up sounds excellent. He just wants to make sure he isn't leaving anything on the table.
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Jim - Awfully nice of you to comment. It was great catching up with you.
 
Redoing my room with Stillpoint Aperture diffraction panels.
I know the 101E speakers are not typically acoustically treated like conventional speakers.
I'm thinking of either (2) 22" square Apertures stacked vertically stacked or horizontally behind each speaker.
Have 1 to put on center rack when critically listening to music.
No front wall corner treatments or 1st reflection points.
Does this sound similar to what other 101E owners are doing?

Pic is of the old layout with GIK absorption panels.


50544591113_3cb54b4eed_h.jpg
 
FRO said:
Redoing my room with Stillpoint Aperture diffraction panels.
I know the 101E speakers are not typically acoustically treated like conventional speakers.
I'm thinking of either (2) 22" square Apertures stacked vertically stacked or horizontally behind each speaker.
Have 1 to put on center rack when critically listening to music.
No front wall corner treatments or 1st reflection points.
Does this sound similar to what other 101E owners are doing?

Pic is of the old layout with GIK absorption panels.


50544591113_3cb54b4eed_h.jpg
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First off, beautiful set up!

You are on the right track because MBL recommends diffuser/diffraction objects for their 101E speakers (as opposed to absorption devices)

However, if you look at Mike's pictures from his own set up (posted above in this thread) and picture from the store in Singapore, you will notice plants. MBL as well uses plants and other diffuser products (made of wood) in their audio showrooms. If you go with plants, you might even earn points at home if you were to have someone else pick the plants (hint!).

That said, adding panels at random (even if educated random) may not give you the best results. You may want to consider using a computer software (like REW or others) and a calibrated microphone to determine your actual room/speaker response. This is unique for your specific set up. You can then visually see (graphs) the effect of the room treatments depending on their location in your room. You can experiment with panel location, speaker location, even the location of your amps (they may be too close to the speakers and/or sit too high up). Ideally, you should be able to order the room treatments with the agreement that you can get a refund for items that you decide not to keep.

Lastly, even after spending money on treatments, you may still want to consider DSP to fine-tune your set up. If you are a Roon user, Roon allows you to add convolution filters (DSP filters) that work behind the scene to automatically make adjustments that you could not address with room treatments alone. The way that works is that you send the software measurements to an outfit that develops the DSP filters for you.

Enjoy it!
 
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