Any SF owners in Atlanta?

[rgbyhkr]

Hey Julian,

Thanks so much for those thoughts. I found them exceptionally helpful and certainly does serve to raise my interest in both the Avalons and the Martens. Of those, the Eidolons and Mareten Miles III and Bird models stand out for me as potential targets. Your mention of tweeter issues on the Kharma resonates with me as I have experienced listener fatigue and treble harshness before, most notably with Wilson speakers. I'm actually curious to see how I tolerate the Scala's beryllium tweeter. I'm really looking forward to hearing that next level of Verity but also have decided to add MBL to my list as they will be exhibiting at AXPONA. I know show demos aren't ideal, but it may e my only chance as I don't think there is a dealer for them here in Atlanta. People seem to say they are love or hate, so hopefully I can at least gleam that much.

Jeff

[cmalak]

Jeff...Jim (Stillone) on AA has MBL speakers. You may want to shoot him a PM to get his thoughts on MBL speakers. Good luck with your speaker shopping. If you like the Avalon sound, may I suggest you add Thiel 3.7s to your audition list. They image like crazy (a main Thiel attribute just like the Avalons) and have a very natural sound as well. However, you need to be careful with partnering electronics with the Thiels. They are very revealing and will show up any inferior products preceding them in the playback chain. Certainly some people find Thiels hot up top but again I believe that is more a function of poor partnering electronics. They are also cheaper in the $14-15K range. Just a thought. Good luck and let us know how you make out,

[Still-One]

Originally Posted by rgbyhkr

Hey Julian,

Thanks so much for those thoughts. I found them exceptionally helpful and certainly does serve to raise my interest in both the Avalons and the Martens. Of those, the Eidolons and Mareten Miles III and Bird models stand out for me as potential targets. Your mention of tweeter issues on the Kharma resonates with me as I have experienced listener fatigue and treble harshness before, most notably with Wilson speakers. I'm actually curious to see how I tolerate the Scala's beryllium tweeter. I'm really looking forward to hearing that next level of Verity but also have decided to add MBL to my list as they will be exhibiting at AXPONA. I know show demos aren't ideal, but it may e my only chance as I don't think there is a dealer for them here in Atlanta. People seem to say they are love or hate, so hopefully I can at least gleam that much.

Jeff

I'm leett

Jeff

Do you know who will be showing the MBL's at Axpona? I am very fond of MBL's but question why they feel the need to play them so loud at many shows.

Give yourself some time with the speakers because the sound is different from many more traditional speakers. Remember they are all omnidirectional in the mids and highs and the 101e's also have a omnidirectional bass unit. The speaker should disappear when set up properly. The highs are very accurate in my opinion.

Jim

[rgbyhkr]

Originally Posted by Still-One

Jeff

Do you know who will be showing the MBL's at Expona? I am very fond of MBL's but question why they feel the need to play them so loud at many shows.

Give yourself some time with the speakers because the sound is different from many more traditional speakers. Remember they are all omnidirectional in the mids and highs and the 101e's also have a omnidirectional bass unit. The speaker should disappear when set up properly. The highs are very accurate in my opinion.

Jim

Hi Jim,

I put a call into the new distributors (MBL North America) to ask what models they plan to display and if it is being done by them or a dealer. I haven't heard back yet, but I'm wondering if it will be the same as the setup displayed at SSI in Montreal this past weekend. If so, that would be the new 120 and the 101e. I also wonder if pieces from the new Corona line will also be shown.

Realistically, I don't know if the MBL line is for me. I'm very curious and will go in with an open mind wanting to be wowed. However, the WAF issue is more significant with these. Then there's the preferred placement further out into the room than other speaker types (from reading threads on Agon), which would also play into the WAF. That being said, my wife thinks all speakers are pretty ugly. The best I've gotten so far is "that's not too bad" in referene to the Burmester B80. :-) As an aside, from your expeience, how much power do the larger (111, 101) MBL speakers need? I've read sone suggestions that they really need 300W or more. Any truth to that?

Jeff

[Still-One]

Originally Posted by rgbyhkr

Hi Jim,

I put a call into the new distributors (MBL North America) to ask what models they plan to display and if it is being done by them or a dealer. I haven't heard back yet, but I'm wondering if it will be the same as the setup displayed at SSI in Montreal this past weekend. If so, that would be the new 120 and the 101e. I also wonder if pieces from the new Corona line will also be shown.

Realistically, I don't know if the MBL line is for me. I'm very curious and will go in with an open mind wanting to be wowed. However, the WAF issue is more significant with these. Then there's the preferred placement further out into the room than other speaker types (from reading threads on Agon), which would also play into the WAF. That being said, my wife thinks all speakers are pretty ugly. The best I've gotten so far is "that's not too bad" in referene to the Burmester B80. :-) As an aside, from your expeience, how much power do the larger (111, 101) MBL speakers need? I've read sone suggestions that they really need 300W or more. Any truth to that?

Jeff

Jeff
Both the 111F's and 101e's like power (or current). I would not try anything less than 300w unless you are going with Class A amps. I know someone who used to run them with Esoteric A65's.

The 111's like being out a bit from the walls, whereas I have seen photo's of 101e installed almost in the corner.

I wonder if this is the same MBL of America who were the distributor until about a year ago and now back again?

Jim

[Still-One]

Well I looked at the MBL page on the Axpona site and it looks like MBL set-up a subsidiary to handle N. American distribution. So both MBL of America and GTT are both out.

Exhibit Location(s): 1st Floor - Georgia 14
Company Name: MBL
Contact Person: Jeremy Bryan
Address: 263 West End Avenue, Suite 2F
New York, NY 10023
Phone: (212) 724-4870
Fax: (212) 721-4871
Email Address: info@mbl-northamerica.com
Website Address: HTTP://www.mbl-northamerica.com
Description: MBL manufactures some of the world's highest performance audio systems with three unique product lines, including CD players, CD Transports, DACS, Preamps, Poweramps, and our unique omnidirectional "Radialstrahler" loudspeakers. MBL North America, Inc., is the new subsidiary company to handle all things MBL in North America.

[rgbyhkr]

Originally Posted by Still-One

Well I looked at the MBL page on the Expona site and it looks like MBK set-up a subsidiary to handle N. American distribution. So both MBL of America and GTT are both out.

Exhibit Location(s): 1st Floor - Georgia 14
Company Name: MBL
Contact Person: Jeremy Bryan
Address: 263 West End Avenue, Suite 2F
New York, NY 10023
Phone: (212) 724-4870
Fax: (212) 721-4871
Email Address: info@mbl-northamerica.com
Website Address: HTTP://www.mbl-northamerica.com
Description: MBL manufactures some of the world's highest performance audio systems with three unique product lines, including CD players, CD Transports, DACS, Preamps, Poweramps, and our unique omnidirectional "Radialstrahler" loudspeakers. MBL North America, Inc., is the new subsidiary company to handle all things MBL in North America.

I just talked to Jeremy from MBL North America and he confirmed that. MBL in Germany wholly owns this new venture so hopefully that settles the turmoil that I had read about for the previous 2 distributors. He was responsible for the exhibition at SSI and will also be the one to exhibit at AXPONA with pretty much the same setup. He said he may also show a pair of 111s or 116s if the shipment we was expecting came in on time but he didn't think it was going to. He won't have any Corona line pieces at this show.

We talked a bit about the general design philosophy behind their speakers and the differences between models like the 120, the 111 and the 101. I think I have a better understanding now and it sounds like the 111/116 are the sweet spot for my type of listening. Even if he isn't able to bring along the 111 or 116, it seems like I could get a decent idea of how they sound from the 120 and 101. I think I'd at least know whether the 116/111 would be worth further pursuit. Jeremy said that some people prefer the bass response of the 111 over the 101 and given my listening tastes, I probably might fall into that camp. Also, and I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing that my wife wouldn't hate the 111 as much as I absolutely know she would the 101. :-)

Jeff