MBL - USA MBL 126

MBL 126 Radialstrahler

One of the most important and obvious technical strengths of the MBL 126 is that it uses the same vertically mounted spherical tweeter and midrange drivers as the MBL 101 – the iconic flagship loudspeaker that first garnered international recognition for MBL, and a reputation that stands to this day. The diminutive 126 Radialstrahler was specifically developed to create an astonishingly large soundscape in smaller listening rooms. Its pyramid shaped bass cabinet can’t break the laws of physics, but it pushes them to the last hertz with a specially constructed bass-reflex enclosure that reduces cabinet resonance and vibration. With only 11 liters of volume, two 5.5” woofers configured in a push-push grouping on the sides of the cabinet make optimal use of their space to deliver in-room bass frequencies down to 70 Hz. The two bass drivers punch far above their weight with torsion-resistant aluminum membranes that maximize cone excursion. Held firmly in place by an aerodynamically shaped chassis, each of these powerful drivers enjoys maximum freedom of movement. The heat generated by the cones’ linear travel is efficiently dissipated from the driving voice coil via a directly glued voice coil carrier.

In the treble and mid ranges, the potent pyramid doesn’t miss a beat thanks to the speed, clarity, and space-conscious design of the MBL Radialstrahler drive units shared by its larger siblings. The MBL 126 is the breathtaking entry into the Radialstrahler world for small to medium-sized rooms. For an electronic dream pairing, MBL’s Cadenza C51 integrated amplifier, or a C11 Preamp - C21 power amp combination turn impressive into enthralling.

""THE VERDICT...for real-world requirements – the 126 is the best MBL you can buy."

David Price, StereoNET, June 2021

, also available in a noble matt finish

Mids and Highs

Tweeters and midrange drivers are the heart of every loudspeaker. Without the critical frequencies they produce, it’s almost impossible to capture the emotional nuances of voices and instruments. This frequency range covers most of the vocal spectrum while allowing listeners to pinpoint the location of players or instruments within the original recording space.

Refined to perfection over the past 45 years, MBL's Radialstrahler technology enables full 360-degree distribution of sound waves to fill entire rooms with concert-hall majesty, creating a truly immersive spatial experience. And this holds true for all listeners, not just one or two individuals located in the sought-after sweet spot or sound apex of two conventional loudspeakers.

MBL’s technology also bests the geometric design challenges of most living rooms, where multi-angled reflective surfaces and protuberances cause reverberation, making it difficult to reproduce lifelike music. Our one-of-a-kind Radialstrahler technology, used in all tweeters and midrange drivers throughout our speaker lineup, smoothly overcomes edges, angles and reflective planes for the ultimate listening enjoyment.

More about MBL's loudspeaker technology

Chassis strength: the push-push arrangement

Loudspeakers are complicated devices, with lightning-fast internal actions that occur in rapid succession. The membrane is fired back and forth in time with the music signal, and the recoil hits the housing. The larger the chassis, the heavier the membrane and the more powerful the magnet and voice coil, the harder the shock. With such active internal movements, speaker housings tend to produce undesirable vibrations, and can delay and weaken the sound signal if they give in to the recoil.

The housing-less Radialstrahler transducers are not affected by these challenges of movement, especially since their sound impulses are evenly distributed in all directions. Even the cone chassis in MBL loudspeakers conquer the forces that impact faithful sound reproduction. They are only installed in pairs, and are located on the left and right sides of the housing. The two rear sides of the chassis are connected with a massive aluminum strut. The respective membranes oscillate in and out in unison, and the recoil forces cancel each other out. Through clever engineering, the speaker housing is spared mechanical vibrations and shocks, producing sound that is controlled, tight and refined.

The 126  at a glance

• 3-way loudspeaker, bass reflex tuning
• Ideal for rooms up to approx. 25m² (300 ft²)
• HT37 tweeter and MT50 midrange drivers built with Radialstrahler technology
• Long-stroke aluminum chassis bass drivers with aerodynamic baskets for low friction losses
• Bass drivers in push-push arrangement to prevent power loss to the cabinet
• Pyramid shaped, 11-liter bass cabinet with 50 Hz tuning
• Crossover with 2-pole subsonic filter to protect the bass driver
• Choice of customizable finishes