Brand Spotlight: MBL, Winner of Absolute Sound 2022 Editors’ Choice Awards

Jun 22, 2022 |

Have you heard of MBL? This German brand manufactures high-end audio components for the hi-fi enthusiast, available either as a complete system or as separates. Producing a full slate of luxury audio products since 1979, MBL is an industry-leading expert in high-end audio.

About MBL

MBL’s company mission is to develop the most advanced speakers and audio players worldwide with the highest possible demand on quality. Over the last three decades, MBL has contributed to breathtaking developments in the worldwide audio sector. They’re one of only a handful of companies that produce omnidirectional speakers, like the MBL Radialstrahler 120 loudspeaker. For anyone looking for the best possible combination of quality and luxury, this brand should come to mind.

MBL - Winner of Absolute Sound 2022 Editor's Choice Awards

Award-Winning Audio from MBL

There’s no shortage of recognition for MBL, including multiple wins on the Absolute Sound 2022 Editors’ Choice Awards list — twelve different wins, to be exact. Products on the winner’s table include:

Loudspeakers: 101 X-Treme MKII, 101 E Mk II, 120, 126
Preamplifiers: 6010 D, N11, C11
CD-DAC: C31
Amplifiers: 9008 A, C51, N15, C21
Check out the specific awards here.

It’s not surprising that a company like MBL receives frequent recognition. Throughout the entire design process, the company stays driven by its goal: to be the cutting edge market leader in terms of technology and quality. Few loudspeakers are as instantly recognizable as the 'Radialstrahlers' — directly translated 'radial emitters' — designed and built by MBL. There was a time when the Radialstrahler was only an idea on a sketch-pad. Now it’s the foundation for several of MBL’s award-winning loudspeakers, recognizable to audiophiles everywhere.

Product Highlight: MBL Radialstrahler 120 loudspeaker

MBL Radialstrahler 120 loudspeakers

This striking design is the omnidirectional MBL Radialstrahler 120 loudspeaker, which has been specially engineered for medium-sized rooms — and in such environments, it sounds fabulous. The soundstage it throws has never been more holographic or enveloping. More extended across the frequency spectrum, it is a more refined speaker in every category. It’s been called the best small MBL yet.

Julie Mullins of Stereophile recently shared a full review of the Radialstrahler 120. She said,

“The MBL 120s sound big and full — voluptuous at times, especially when you turn up the volume, which I did often, though not to excess. Because the Radialstrahler drivers radiate sound in all directions, they avoid the hazards of beamy tweeters and shout-at-you midrange drivers. I love how the sound seems to float in the air rather than be fired at you. Many instruments and voices sound natural. The 120s elevate musical material — they maximize but don't exaggerate what's there, like dressing to highlight your best features. Unlike some speakers, the MBL 120s don't favor one genre of music over another—which is essential for my eclectic tastes. Wallflowers they ain't: Immersive and involving, these speakers are built for fun. Their sound, though always substantial, tends to stay detailed without getting thick or muddy.”

Read the full review at sterophile.com.

When the team at Dubai Audio considers brands that aim to produce (and deliver on) a luxury audio experience from product design and engineering to form and aesthetics, MBL is among the top of our list.

Related Posts