Why review it now? Well, I'd been wowed by MBL's 101E Radialstrahler…
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Don't be confused by the MBL 6010 D's oddly baroque, even retro looks. Behind all the glitz—the oversize, perfectly finished, black-lacquered faáade; the two big, solid brass knobs plated with 24-karat gold; the ornate lettering; and the incongruous digital volume display—resides a thoroughly modern, remote-controlled, unusually versatile, and well-thought-out solid-state preamplifier. Not that the 6010 is a new design. It's been around for a long time, and the current "D" iteration is at least five years old.
The review sample included the balanced-input and MC-only phono-preamp modules, which brought its total price to a breathtaking $26,490. Yes, the 6010 D is a beautifully finished, well-built, full-function preamplifier in a large, heavy chassis, and MBL cites for it some eye-popping specs—but could its sonic performance possibly justify the price?
Using the 6010 D
I suspect that few audiophiles will use the 6010 D's second set of outputs to route their signals to another room, but if you're one of them, you'll welcome MBL's dual system. Everyone else will pay for a feature they don…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state, remote-controlled preamplifier. Inputs: 5 unbalanced line-level, 1 processor pass-through, 1 optional unbalanced phono (RCA), 1 optional balanced (XLR). Outputs: 2 independent sets, each comprising 2 pairs unbalanced (RCA), 1 pair balanced (XLR); 2 buffered Tape Out (RCA). Frequency ranges: DC–1MHz (CD), DC–600kHz (high-level). Distortion (1kHz/2V): <0.0006%. Signal/noise: 103/109dB, 1V/25 ohms (CD); 102/108dB, 1V/25 ohms (high-level). Input sensitivity (high-level): 315mV. Maximum output: 11V. Input impedances: 5k ohms (CD), 50k ohms…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn, Cobra, and Castellon turntable, tonearm, and stand; Graham Phantom tonearm; Lyra Titan i, Koetsu Coralstone Platinum mono cartridges.
Digital Sources: Musical Fidelity kW DM25 CD transport & DAC, Marantz SA-11S2 SACD player, dCS 904 A/D converter, BPT-modified Alesis Masterlink hard-disk recorder.
Preamplification: Manley Steelhead, Naim SuperLine/SuperCap phono preamplifiers; darTZeel NHB-18NS, Luxman C-800f preamplifiers.
Power Amplifiers: Musical Fidelity kW monoblocks, Luxman M-800A.
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Sidebar 3: Measurements
I examined the MBL preamplifier's measured behavior primarily using Stereophile's loaner sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It" and www.ap.com), with my vintage Audio Precision System One Dual Domain also seeing some use.
The MBL's optional phono module offered a high gain of 68.4dB (measured at the Tape Out jacks), which, in conjunction with the module's excellent signal/noise ratio—66.6dB, audioband, unweighted, ref. 500µV at 1kHz—will make it suitable for use with low-output moving-coil…
Toward the end of the 1992 Summer CES in Chicago, J. Gordon Holt ambled into Audio Influx's demonstration room. He was curious about which PDQ Bach CD we were playing, as a fitting end to the show. We chatted about PDQ Bach live concerts and the grand-spoof entrances made by Professor Peter Schickele. Suddenly he said, "You know, these speakers sound real," going on to mention that he hadn't heard many real-sounding systems. I told JGH that most of what I heard at shows and in dealer showrooms nowadays was surrealistic sound.
Gordon got me thinking about what's been bothering me about…
In a moment, I will resume my ongoing quest to put together a music lover's stereo system for about half the cost of my last such effort (see my columns in the October and December 2005 issues): $3750 rather than $7500. But first I want to urge everyone who hasn't already done so to check out the results of the Five Great Art Songs of the Rock Era write-in competition announced in my February 2008 column. The winning entries are great—really thought-provoking. Indeed, some of the lists, plus an unaccountably belated recollection, prompted me to put together my own alternate list. This list…
The Trio has a rotary volume knob (it's just a controller; it's not connected to a potentiometer), and a click-detented knob for source selection. I find rotary knobs far more intuitive than up/down buttons. My only beef is that the Trio's rotary volume knob is inboard of the source selector; I prefer the volume knob to be all the way to the right.
Beyond ergonomics, I preferred the Trio's design. I like a disc tray to look like a disc tray and not hide among the buttons, and I like square corners on a faceplate. Whether it was Plinius or Classé or someone else who first came…
Those looking for a successor to the old Fried Q near its inflation-adjusted price of $1050/pair should be happy with Renaissance Audio's MLP-403.5 or Eminent Technology's LFT-16. Those whose speaker budgets reach as high as $2000 have many more options, including an LS3/5a descendant such as Harbeth's HL-3PES-2.
Eminent Technology LFT-16 loudspeaker
There is much to admire and to enjoy in this idiosyncratically charming hybrid loudspeaker. Eminent Technology has been around for about 25 years. Founder Bruce Thigpen was a pioneer in air-bearing technology, and ET's first product was…
Sidebar: Contacts
Eminent Technology, Inc., 225 East Palmer Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301. Tel: (850) 575-5655. Fax: (850) 224-5999. Web: www.eminent-tech.com.
Fried Products Corporation, PO Box 680, Gladwyne, PA 19035. Tel: (610) 649-8774. Web: www.friedproducts.com.
GutWire Audio Cables, 9251 Yonge Street, Suite 8267, Richmond Hill, Ontario L4C 9T3, Canada. Tel: (905) 947-8410. Fax: (905) 947-8736. Web: www.gutwire.com. US distributor: May Audio Marketing, Inc., 2150 Liberty Drive, Unit 7, Niagara Falls, NY 14304-4517. Tel: (800) 554-4517, (716) 283-4434. Fax: (716) 283-6264. Web…