MBL Insolvent

@jasonbourne71 You have a point, these are discretionary products that we can all live without. Of course there are folks who are content to listen to music on a $50 bluetooth speaker who would say people who buy a $200 set of bookshelf speakers are just showing off-its all relative.

Creative destruction is part of the system, but I hate to see businesses like this go away (hopefully a white knight appears) because employees suffer, dealers suffer, and we lose the benefit of an innovator. I know I have benefitted from trickle down technology from products I wouldn't spend the money to buy. I've heard the big MBL extremes a couple of times in 7 figure rigs. I thought the technology and sound was amazing. No way 'll ever own anything like that, so be it. I think this hobby is about deploying the resources we are willing and able to put into it in the way that brings us the most joy-that's different for each of us. The way I look at it is if I have a negative emotional reaction to someone who chooses to spend their money to buy an ultra system, well that likely says more about me than them. 

It is, in many ways, a strange hobby, and the rest of the world, if they think about it at all, think we are all nuts. 

Would love to see some “trickle down” of mbl technology to smaller and more affordable products designed to work better in most people’s rooms. 

@kerrybh
Thanks for your grounded take, I appreciate that and it really resonates with me. I think you’re spot-on in acknowledging that improvements in audio are often incremental, and that the most dramatic changes usually come from mechanical or acoustic factors like speakers and room treatments. I’ve had a similar experience, power-related tweaks and cables sometimes bring a welcome refinement, but rarely the kind of leap you get when one takes time to optimize speaker placement or carefully navigate through acoustic treatments. 

I also appreciate your openness about the placebo effect. There’s a lot of ego in this hobby, and it’s refreshing to see someone say, may be it is placebo and that’s A-ok in my opinion. At the end of the day, if it improves your enjoyment, that’s all that really matters.

We really do all hear differently, and approaching the hobby with curiosity rather than dogma makes the experience richer for everyone, IMHO. 

PS: I have added Schnerzinger EMI Protector to my wish list to try someday! 

"It is, in many ways, a strange hobby, and the rest of the world, if they think about it at all, think we are all nuts"

Goes without  saying. 

I've always been impressed/captivated by the MBL demos.

Maybe a Euro equity group will  acquire them and try to wring out what's left of the interest/mystique of  the brand name.

@lalitk "...That may be true, but what seems to hurt many of these high-end audio companies in the long run is affordability...."

Correct. I am pretty sure that is exactly why Audio Research has just released their new affordable line. It has a name, but I don’t see it immediately. Some or all are under $10K. These are directed exactly at entry level. 

While that may seem like a lot of money. When I bought my first audiophile product in 1979 it was a Threshold s500 amp... in todays dollars it cost $20K or in 1979 dollars $5K. So, the new ARC amp is $2.5K in 1979 dollars half the Threshold cost in 1979. 

Another thought on the dilemma. Forty and fifty years ago, there was little budget competition in the field. There was no Schiit, Lumin, Dark Something, Cayin, PrimaLuna. These companies now supply the springboard. 

https://audioresearch.com/new_website/new-products-coming-in-june-2025/