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Interesting Interview with Jürgen Reis of MBL
- Thread starter Tks
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Really smart chap.
Recording engineer and designer of an entire playback system (CD transports, D-to-A converters, Pre-amp, Power amp, Speakers).
I don't know if any other designer can say that?
The measurements I've seen of his gear tend to measure state of the art too.
Recording engineer and designer of an entire playback system (CD transports, D-to-A converters, Pre-amp, Power amp, Speakers).
I don't know if any other designer can say that?
The measurements I've seen of his gear tend to measure state of the art too.
Hmmm does he blind test to ensure that silver cables etc sound different, this is not unlike Rob Watts saying, ‘we increased the tap length sound qualiy improved’ but nor providing the proof.
Keith
Keith
I worry about someone at his age voicing a speaker. And the voodoo stuff regarding wires and such.
Newk Yuler
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Somebody gets Paul's Posts. 
Or is it a coincidence?
Well, Paul McGowan's mentioning the MBL in today's message is why I spent time earlier today looking at these speakers on the web. It seems obvious the voodoo influence in design wouldn't sit well with the purists here.
Or is it a coincidence? Well, Paul McGowan's mentioning the MBL in today's message is why I spent time earlier today looking at these speakers on the web. It seems obvious the voodoo influence in design wouldn't sit well with the purists here.
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OP
Tks
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One of the weirdest claims is he's able to hear the difference between the metal vs carbon resistor film from the pre-amp. Now I don't know much about electronics, but to hear audio frequency differences based on the resistors?
Now I don't know much about electronics, but to hear audio frequency differences based on the resistors?
The late great Charles Hansen (who also had a lot of gear measuring state of the art) had a really great overall post about DACs:
https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/...cheap-dac/page/7/?tab=comments#comment-713189
"Passive parts - the quality of these can make a large difference in overall performance, especially for analog. Not many digital engineers sit around listening to different brands of resistors to see what sounds best."
That's not my issue with them. I have heard them 100 times at shows. Problem is, everything sounds the same on them. That omni-directional pattern is always making the music sound diffused, broad and wide. That can at times be stunningly good but listen to a few tracks of different types and you quickly realize that is not how music is supposed to sound like. It is like an oven that makes everything you cook in it, become an italian dish.
The worst thing an engineer can do is to perform such an experiment himself. "Oh, this is an expensive resistor; let's see how it sounds; wow, it sounds a lot better." Tests must be run by someone else and then we can talk.
But the funny thing is when a product measures state of the art, but people don't like what the designer actually says.
Rob Watts is the classic example (it didn't take long for someone to bring up his name in this thread, above).
But look at the Qutest which you measured...
Clearly they know what they're doing?
But, I should add this doesn't mean we should bow to everything they say... but we should keep an open mind that maybe sometimes they are onto something. But also maybe not.
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That's not my issue with them. I have heard them 100 times at shows. Problem is, everything sounds the same on them. That omni-directional pattern is always making the music sound diffused, broad and wide. That can at times be stunningly good but listen to a few tracks of different types and you quickly realize that is not how music is supposed to sound like. It is like an oven that makes everything you cook in it, become an italian dish.
I agree, in my experience. Credit where credit's due for inventing an original transducer design that actually is omni over the entire range with decent FR though.
Humm, now that would be the worlds greatest oven.
So maybe MBL really is on to something.
The proof that they are onto something is controlled testing. In this case, it would call for double blind testing of said speaker against another to see what the listener preference is, without looking that space-ship looking speaker. Such data is not given.
As to Rob Watts, he suffers the same in vastly overdesining his DACs based lack of controlled testing. So no, he is not on to anything other than charging more for a more complicated but unnecessary circuit.
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Tks
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Thing is though, the designer need not say anything if that's the case. Also he ought not make claims that state-of-the-art was achieved with listening tests or beliefs before actual measurements - or simply mostly done by ear, more than actual measurements.
This is why it seems in the two videos I posted he talks about how the last 5% is done by ear (naturally it would because the last thing you would want is for a product of that caliber to go out to a customer, and be damaged or something and the issue would be missed after lab tests verified results prior).
He has just enough leeway with his statements to not draw commotion among skeptics (after the gear gets validated as state of the art by third parties) but also enough voodoo to appeal to low hanging fruit that have deep enough pockets to want to buy something not many others will ever see, let alone posses.
The THX 789-v2 could for instance measure as the best headphone amplifier on the planet for example. But it wouldn't mean anything to the hoards that are susceptible and looking for that "magic" that comes with the invisible promise of a claim made from people of importance or historical prestige. It's not enough to measure well for them, their value system is on another plane of rationale. They're the sort of folks that will place credence that: nothing beats "hand-made" ..for instance
In all fairness to him, he's answering the questions that Darko is asking him... and kind of pressing him with at times.
As a general viewer myself, I'm able to separate the objective things he talks about (things he says can be measured...) from the things he says he hears but don't show up in measurements...
I guess some people pounce on the latter and can't separate these two things and treat them separately...
I get your points though.
Out of interest and possibly showing my ignorance here, wouldn’t an Omnidirectional speaker have an excellent off-axis frequency response?
Isn’t that what all the reasearch and blind-testing shows is preferred by most listeners ?
Isn’t that what all the reasearch and blind-testing shows is preferred by most listeners ?
Yep but if you check JA's Stereophile comments (in measurements section) for a couple speakers he's measured, he notes that it opens up potentially more room issues that need careful attention...
Classic case of solving one issue, opening up another !
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I tend to be sceptical and fear the placebo effect is in full swing when it is the reassuringly expensive components which sound better. If there was a difference in sond between components of the same real value surely sometimes the cheapest would be best?
I was talking to a well known amp designer a few weeks back and he told me he designs everything by ear and he can hear the difference if he puts a radius rather than right angle bend in a track on the pcb. I am unconvinced, personally.
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