Scansonic MB1 B
The MB1 B delivers delicate treble insight, tonal realism and a remarkably spacious soundstage from a compact, curved cabinet. Paul Rigby highlights its airy separation, informative midrange and detailed bass, while Srajan Ebaen found its refined, easy-going voicing consistently engaging across musical styles. A polished standmount for listeners who value texture, clarity and musical ease.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
91/100
Build Quality
87/100
Value for Money
85/100
Pros
Delicate, highly informative treble combines clarity and tonal realism without metallic edge.
Wide, spacious soundstage with strong instrumental separation and air around performers.
Insightful, substantial midrange gives voices and instruments convincing texture and body.
Compact cabinet delivers effective, detailed bass and satisfying tonal balance for its size.
Cons
Compact dimensions limit ultimate bass depth and scale compared with larger loudspeakers.
Does not match the extreme resolution or microdynamic reflexes of more exotic Raidho designs.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 91/100
Reviewers describe an unusually spacious, clear and tonally convincing presentation from this compact monitor. Its ribbon-type tweeter is the star attraction, while the small cabinet still delivers satisfying weight and detail when partnered with a capable amplifier.
Bass
89/100
The 5.25-inch driver cannot deliver the depth and scale of a larger loudspeaker, and Rigby notes limits to bass expanse. Even so, he found improved tonal balance and more informative bass lines, while 6 Moons found the speaker sufficiently extended and weighty for piano without a subwoofer.
Mid
91/100
Rigby praises the midrange insight, describing cello as individual strings rather than an indistinct mass. The broader listening impressions also point to a dense, substantial presentation that gives voices and instruments convincing body for a compact speaker.
Treble
94/100
The upper registers receive especially strong praise for delicacy, clarity, air and tonal realism. Rigby found cymbals more present and informative without losing refinement, while 6 Moons reports no metallic aggravation through the presence region.
Soundstage Imaging
93/100
Rigby repeatedly highlights a wide, spacious stage with generous air around performers. Instrumental separation is a particular strength, helping small secondary details occupy distinct, convincing positions rather than merging into the mix.
Dynamics
88/100
Rigby found the MB1 B remarkably competitive in direct listening against the much larger Quad 57, giving music real composure and involvement. 6 Moons qualifies that praise by saying it does not match the startling microdynamic reflexes of more exotic designs, though it retains an appealingly physical, felt presentation.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
87/100
The review material identifies a curved, heavily braced and front-ported cabinet, with 6 Moons noting that lower cabinet flex reduces box coloration. The carbon-fibre mid/bass driver and planar tweeter are thoughtfully specified, although the reviews provide limited detail on finish execution or long-term durability.
Value for Money
85/100
At £2,250 in standard finishes, or €2,200 per pair in the 6 Moons review, this is positioned as a premium compact speaker rather than an inexpensive standmount. 6 Moons calls it clever at concealing the compromises of size and budget, but neither review makes a clear price-versus-peer value case; Rigby's Quad 57 comparison concerns performance rather than a like-for-like competing purchase.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
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Specifications
- Size
- 178 x 312 x 286 mm
- Weight
- 6.1 kg per unit
- Frequency Response
- 45 Hz – 40 KHz
- Impedance
- > 8 ohm
- Sensitivity
- 86 dB
- Crossover
- 2600 Hz / Minimum phase
- Enclosure
- Curved, heavily braced, ventilated box design with front loaded port
- Drive Units
- 1 x Ribbon tweeter · 1 x 5.25" Mid/Woofer
- Finishes
- Black-silk, White-silk or Walnut
- Amplification
- We recommend high quality amplifiers >50W
Manufacturer's Description — Scansonic
The MB1 B is a stand-mount, two-way monitor. Our main goal was to create a small speaker that does what it does really well. The reflex port is placed in the front, and it uses special inlays that reduce noise to an extremely low level. While the speaker is small and stylish, the music performance is lively bright and bold, with a bass performance that defies its compact size. The speaker is front-ported to allow for placement near the rear wall.
The MB-series features the same good solid, two-way binding post. The feet are machined from aircraft quality aluminum and can be adjusted to level the speaker. For added rigidness, we have added a carbon sheet to the top panel; this, paired with extensive internal bracing, makes the cabinet inert and silent.
For the MB-1 we have a dedicated stand, with MB-series matching aluminum adjustable feet. The MB-1 also fits the X-1 stand.
Fabric grillfronts can be supplied as an additional accessory.
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Scansonic MB1 B
- A 10 Audio Room 4 Music — in-store — Amsterdam Nieuw-West, Noord-Holland, Netherlands (website)
- Adventures in HiFi — in-store — Chester, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Anointed Soundz — in-store — Cedar Hill, Texas, United States (website)
- Art & Voice — online (website)
- AUDIO 2000 — in-store — Wuppertal, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany (website)
- Audio Absolute — in-store — Tambon Bang Khun Kong, Chang Wat Nonthaburi, Thailand (website)
- Audio Exchange — in-store — Raleigh, North Carolina, United States (website)
- Audio Vinyl — online and in-store — Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland (website)
- Audio Vision San Francisco — online and in-store — San Francisco, California, United States (website)
and 23 more verified dealers