I demo'd the 116 in a room a little larger than yours with MBL electronics and an esoteric cd player (sorry all model #'s forgotten) at Katli Audio in SoCal. I also heard the MBL 101 at the LA Audio show.
I'm pretty sure the 101 will not work in your room, as bass is balanced for larger spaces. For me, it was bass heavy in a very large room at the show. OTOH, the 116 will probably produce a nicely balanced sound in your room. My issue with the 116 is the lack of true deep bass. I'm not sure I need it (my musical taste doesn't really run that way), but the demo indicated a speaker with extended, rather than full range, bass.
Prior to demoing the 116, I listened to the same program material on the Acoustic Zen Adagio in the same room since it had been previously set up for audition. Bass extention on the two speakers was similar, though the MBL clearly had more punch. The MBL also produced a certain sense of "body" that the Adagio did not. Overall, I clearly preferred the 116, but...
At its price, I just couldn't pull the trigger. For full range reproduction, 101s, Vandy 5As and Quattros, and Sound Labs all feel like better choices to me at their respective price points- my taste only! If your taste/space demands less than full range, I'd probably go with the Adagio -again, my taste only! Bottom line, I've stuck with my Verity Parsifal Encores.
Hope this is helpful,
Marty
I'm pretty sure the 101 will not work in your room, as bass is balanced for larger spaces. For me, it was bass heavy in a very large room at the show. OTOH, the 116 will probably produce a nicely balanced sound in your room. My issue with the 116 is the lack of true deep bass. I'm not sure I need it (my musical taste doesn't really run that way), but the demo indicated a speaker with extended, rather than full range, bass.
Prior to demoing the 116, I listened to the same program material on the Acoustic Zen Adagio in the same room since it had been previously set up for audition. Bass extention on the two speakers was similar, though the MBL clearly had more punch. The MBL also produced a certain sense of "body" that the Adagio did not. Overall, I clearly preferred the 116, but...
At its price, I just couldn't pull the trigger. For full range reproduction, 101s, Vandy 5As and Quattros, and Sound Labs all feel like better choices to me at their respective price points- my taste only! If your taste/space demands less than full range, I'd probably go with the Adagio -again, my taste only! Bottom line, I've stuck with my Verity Parsifal Encores.
Hope this is helpful,
Marty