MBL alternatives

Soundlabs.

Love them but don't have the room (size) for them...

Morrison and Dueval are some other omni designs to consider that I have heard some good things about.

I own and run six pair of speakers. 2 are Ohm Walsh giant killers. Others are more conventional box designs.

Soundlabs.

Love them but don't have the room (size) for them...

OK - then try to audition ATC SCM50ASL - Gordon Holt had sound labs for ages (and loved them too) - apparently ATC are his current favorites - as you know he has probably heard more speakers than most.

I run the Classic Audio Reproductions T-3. It is set up with dual 15" woofers, has 20Hz-45KHz bandwidth, nice flat impedance curve, 97 db 1 watt/1 meter and matches the transparency and detail of the best ESLs with its field-coil drivers. Nuance, bandwidth and efficiency all in one package, plus they are easy to set up (mine are about 8" from the rear wall.

Sound: they image beautifully, easily play 'outside the speakers' (try out Amused to Death on LP...), plenty of dynamic range that no planar can reproduce, bottom end impact that most speakers (including the ATC) only hint at, smooth and extended... its hard to argue with them. I've had the speakers for a long time, and the field coil setup is something brand new that I just got updated. The improvement was stunning.

All amplifiers including solid state will sound better with higher impedances like 16 ohms. Although a solid state amp might drive low impedances easily, do not confuse that with offering the best sonic performance: just like tubes, SS amps need higher impedance speakers to *sound* their best.

I run the Classic Audio Reproductions T-3. It is set up with dual 15" woofers, has 20Hz-45KHz bandwidth, nice flat impedance curve, 97 db 1 watt/1 meter and matches the transparency and detail of the best ESLs with its field-coil drivers. Nuance, bandwidth and efficiency all in one package

That is like a custom studio main monitor design - this is serious stuff - only the highest quality drivers period. And four 15" 1602 TAD woofers to boot! I could live with these and be in heaven - although I have not heard them the driver pedigree is enough to know they must sound awesome - unlike anything else - outside of a prestigious studio...

I don't doubt you when you say you get the bottom end impact that most speakers (including ATC) only hint at! (Certainly true for ATC's domestic line which stops at one 15 inch woofer and ATC tend to be voiced bass light)

How about a pair of these ? Now 8 15" TAD woofers in one room is sure to knock one's socks off - as well as precipitate the filing of divorce papers! Wonderful stuff - drool, drool...