Scansonic MB5 B
Scansonic’s MB5 B combines deep, controlled bass with a remarkably transparent midrange, delivering full-range authority from a slim, elegant tower. Its ribbon tweeter brings smooth, airy detail, while the expansive, precisely layered soundstage makes orchestral scale and intimate vocals equally compelling. Enjoy The Music and HiFi News found a refined yet powerful performer that rewards serious systems.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
95/100
Build Quality
93/100
Value for Money
96/100
Pros
Deep, musical and controlled bass gives this slim floorstander unexpected full-range weight.
Transparent, lifelike midrange and smooth ribbon treble reproduce voices and instruments with detail but no obvious glare.
Large, enveloping soundstage with convincing image placement and impressive dynamic scale.
Cons
Needs careful room placement away from rear walls and a substantial run-in period to avoid loose or overly prominent bass.
The warm balance can sound slightly relaxed in the upper midrange and treble versus stricter neutral references.
Dynamics can become somewhat rounded and compressed at realistic high levels compared with much larger reference speakers.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 95/100
Reviewers consistently describe a warm, natural and highly engaging presentation that remains refined over long listening sessions. Its unusually deep bass, transparent midrange, open ribbon treble and large-scale spatial performance give this slim tower genuine full-range authority, while a few listeners note a slightly relaxed upper-mid/treble balance and some softening at very high realistic volumes.
Bass
96/100
Multiple reviewers were struck by how deeply the three compact woofers reach, with double bass, electronic beats and low guitar strings reproduced with substantial weight and resonance. Bass is repeatedly called deep, punchy, musical, clean and tightly controlled; HiFi News does note higher distortion than the preceding model and a suspension that may need time to loosen.
Mid
95/100
The midrange is a major strength, described by Enjoy The Music as exceptionally transparent, lifelike and the star of the presentation. Voices retain fullness and clarity, while instruments are rendered with convincing body and delicacy; Tech Reviews notes that the upper midrange is slightly recessed, though not enough to undermine vocal presence.
Treble
93/100
The ribbon tweeter earns repeated praise for air, detail, smooth integration and freedom from glare, brittleness or sibilance. One reviewer found the top end somewhat more rolled off and less airy than a far more expensive reference speaker, lending the MB5 B a warmer, less strictly neutral character.
Soundstage Imaging
94/100
Reviews describe a huge, enveloping and naturally scaled stage with precise instrumental placement, stable central images and convincing depth. LowBeats heard concert-hall scale with pinpoint localization, although Stjernholm Reviews felt image outlines were not quite as sharply defined as those of a substantially more expensive reference.
Dynamics
94/100
The MB5 B is widely praised for rhythmic drive, powerful macro swings and fine low-level detail, with LowBeats reporting no obvious strain even at very high levels. It benefits from ample amplifier power, and one reviewer found its presentation somewhat rounded and mildly compressed at realistic high volumes compared with much larger reference speakers.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
93/100
Reviewers praise the slim curved cabinet, elegant execution and high standard of fit and finish, with LowBeats calling the workmanship perfect. The braced enclosure, die-cast driver baskets, sculpted rear ports and adjustable spiked feet support the impression of a carefully engineered and well-assembled speaker.
Value for Money
96/100
At approximately €7,200 or $7,490 per pair, reviewers repeatedly consider the asking price strongly justified. LowBeats calls it appropriate, Tech Reviews considers it a bargain against similarly capable competition, and Enjoy The Music goes further, calling it a ridiculous bargain and recommending it to shoppers considering speakers at twice the price.
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 1185 x 319 mm
- Weight
- 25 kg per unit
- Frequency Response
- 29 Hz – 40 KHz
- Impedance
- > 4 ohm
- Sensitivity
- 90 dB
- Crossover
- 250 Hz + 2600 Hz / Minimum phase
- Enclosure
- Curved, heavily braced, ventilated box design with adjustable aluminum feet
- Drive Units
- 1 x Ribbon tweeter · 1 x 5,25” Midrange · 3 x 5,25” Woofer
- Finishes
- Black-silk, White-silk or Walnut
- Amplification
- We recommend high quality amplifiers >50W
Manufacturer's Description — Scansonic
The MB5 B is a unique slim floor stander with four 5,25” carbon-coned drivers and a sealed ribbon tweeter. The MB5 works as a 2,5-way speaker design, where two 5,25” carbon coned midrange-woofers are supported by two additional Carbon coned drivers for additional base performance. The two carbon midrange-woofers are run in series for an increased and dynamic power handling.
The MB5 cabinet is heavy braced, curved and with solid carbon reinforcements.
The speaker is crossed over at 2600 Hz, and the MB5 B carries the base right down to the deepest notes and does that with an effortless drive that will leave amazed.
Fabric grillfronts can be supplied as an additional accessory.
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Scansonic MB5 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