Introduction
Germany’s MBL may not be the first brand on UK audiophiles’ lips. Still, many will be familiar with, or at least have seen photos of, one of the brand’s omnidirectional ‘Radialstrahler’ speakers. I recall being extremely impressed when I heard one of their top-line CD players a few years ago, an experience that has remained with me for some time.
This review was initially scheduled to take place at the beginning of the year, but due to a problem, it is happening in the middle of the year. I use the word problem tongue in cheek; MBL’s Direct Agent sold his loan units to ensure one of his dealers had stock to satisfy an eager customer. Indeed, the units I’m reviewing here usually reside in the Direct Agent’s home system. He represents various brands, but the fact that he chooses to use these at home is telling.
MBL’s Cadenza line was formerly known as ‘Corona’- no prizes for guessing why they felt the need to change it. The C31 CD Player retails at £6,920 and includes the following digital inputs: an Asynchronous USB, S/PDIF RCA and Optical. The keen-eyed will spot an RJ45 Ethernet socket at the rear of the player, but this is for MBL’s Smartlink system, which allows the player to sync operations with other MBL components.
The C51 Integrated amplifier costs £8,460. I have hosted several amplifiers that sit around this price point over the last three or so years, so it is an area of the market in which I have considerable experience. This integrated amplifier boasts more powerful output figures than most, with 180Wpc into 8 Ohms, 300Wpc into 4 Ohms, and a whopping 400Wpc into 2 Ohms. To describe this amplifier as a ‘Class D’ would be to sell it short. To simplify things, I will refer to it as a hybrid design, which MBL calls LASA.
Design, Build and Features
Whilst the Cadenza range represents MBL’s entry-level line, these units are far from budget and neither do they look nor feel it. At approximately 23 kg for the C51 amplifier and 15.5 kg for the C31 CD player, they are reassuringly solid, but thankfully, for me, manoeuvrable. As you can see from the photos, the review units are in black with silver inserts. Alternatively, you can have the panels in gold and the casing in white, again with a choice of silver or gold inserts. The turquoise display is attractive and visible from across the room, at least in my case. Each unit has five buttons above the display, which show the functions of each. The C51 features a volume control located under the display, while the C31 includes a CD slot. Indeed, it is a slot rather than a tray, but thankfully, it worked flawlessly. I felt the central button on the top of each of the cases to be a nice touch. Pressing it does nothing other than change the display brightness, which is quirky but surprisingly functional.
The C51 amplifier is comprehensively featured, including a ‘record’ output for those with a classic Nakamichi or perhaps an open-reel machine hidden in their rack. There is also a preamp output, as well as the option to add a phono stage. One of the inputs, labelled ‘processor’, will bypass the volume control – I have a friend who would love this feature. You can limit the startup volume, rename inputs and even remove the ones you never use from the scroll through list.
The C31’s transport inspires confidence with its utterly silent operation. I was not surprised by this, however, considering the high standard of build quality across both products. You can hear the transport disengaging following a change of inputs, which is reassuring as it means you don’t have to worry about removing the disc you have just been listening to if you subsequently decide to play something from an external source.
You get a remote unit with both components, which duplicates the front panel controls. It is reassuringly solid and worked flawlessly. As the C51 amplifier’s remote was still in its sealed packaging, I used the C31’s remote whilst the pair was with me.
A Powerhouse Performance
This amplifier and CD Player replaced a pair of now-discontinued Simaudio Moon components, the 600i amplifier and 780D DAC in my system. My primary source for day-to-day listening is a Melco N1-S38 server, which I connected via the C31’s USB input, with the fine USB II-R from CAD. Additionally, I connected my BT TV box to the optical input and my Oppo 103D to the S/PDIF RCA input. The C31 does not handle DSD files, and PCM files are limited to 24/96, so I set the Melco N1-S38 to output DSD over PCM.
I had a few issues when attempting to play music from my Melco N1 via the C31. Initially, I experienced occasional clicking noises with all types of files. Having swapped from a USB cable that I had recently reviewed back to my usual CAD USB 11-R cable, things improved with 16/44 files, but I still heard the occasional odd noise with 24-bit tracks. Aside from that, I enjoyed a spacious and detailed presentation from the server. However, I found the CD of the same files played directly from the C31’s CD transport was rendered with more drive and energy, which produced superior listener involvement. I concluded that Melco and the C31 were not happy bedfellows, which was confirmed after switching to a WiiM Ultra streamer that I had lying around following a recent review. Despite its budget price tag, this combination worked flawlessly, with no nasty clicks and a sense of drive which rivalled CD playback. Having the WiiM connected to the Melco S1 network switch via the Network Acoustics ENO2 filter and Ethernet cable will no doubt have helped here.
Townshend Audio analogue cables were used throughout the review period. As the manual recommended Balanced XLR cables, those are what I used. As my XLR cables are far superior to the finest RCAs in my collection, I saw no point in comparing the two types of connections here. Titan Audio mains cables were used on all components.
Prior to installing the C31, I spent a few days with the C51 connected to my Moon 780DAC, fed by the Melco N1-S38 server. One of my Moon 600i’s strengths is that it effortlessly throws a large, three-dimensional soundstage; another is its great sense of weight and authority, especially in the lower frequencies. Therefore, it was a pleasant surprise when the C51 matched and perhaps slightly exceeded the Moon in these areas. I felt the C51 had a slightly better grip on my Totem Forest Signature’s drive units, sounded slightly more spacious and open in the mids and produced a bigger image, with superior height to that of the Moon amplifier. Instrumental body and speed were also highlights of the C51. The two amplifiers offer different perspectives. For example, the MBL amplifier was more upfront and obviously dynamic sounding, while the Moon amplifier sounded more relaxed, offering a more mid-hall perspective, which was arguably more neutral. The MBL’s 180 wpc vs the Moon’s 125 wpc was made apparent; the C51 gives the impression it can drive any real-world speaker to high levels, even in a substantial-sized room. Ultimately, which is preferable will be down to tastes and system matching, but I could live with either.
Replacing the formerly top-of-the-range Moon 780D with the MBL C31 surprised me. I had anticipated a significant drop in performance. Thankfully, any such drop was far less than anticipated. As with the C51, with CD files at least, the significant differences here are more in the presentation than in the ultimate detail or resolution. These MBL components paired together exceptionally well and produced great music in tandem. You get a soundstage of grand proportions, and instruments within it are given all the air and space one could wish for. What’s more, every element within that soundstage is given dynamic freedom – music sizzles with life. Despite this, this system has sufficient warmth and indeed resolution that the balance never slips into unnatural brightness.
This MBL pairing is the antithesis of bland and matter-of-fact HiFi; its job is to entertain. Possibly it sounds slightly bigger and more upfront than is strictly neutral, but musical entertainment is the beneficiary here; music sounds sufficiently rich and sweet to ensure this effect is never unpleasant. The sense of weight, power and scale is rare in components within this price bracket. That power and scale are accompanied by good levels of instrumental separation, cohesion and organisation, which was demonstrated whilst listening to The Waterboys’ classic This Is The Sea album on CD. I have often heard this album sounding rather thin and edgy, but not here. Listening to the opening track Don’t Bang The Drum, the trumpet was well back in the soundstage, which was bristling with information about the recorded acoustic. Tracks such as The Pan Within contain strong dynamic passages, containing a lot of high-frequency information, which were delivered with strong impact. Still, this MBL combo remained composed throughout and never allowed unpleasant harshness to creep through, even when the band hit full flight. I could follow each instrument throughout this album, with less effort than I remember being the case with previous systems. The bass guitar, which underpins tracks such as The Whole Of The Moon, cut through the mix in a taut, tuneful manner. This album’s final track, also the title track, held my attention well, thanks to this MBL system’s strong dynamics and composure. I feel the system’s accurate timing to be key here as the balance is more brightly lit than is my usual equipment, yet the balance never tips into the course ‘brightness’ that leads to unpleasant fatigue.
Flicking through Qobuz, with the newly launched Qobuz Connect controlling the WiiM Ultra, I chose to listen to the latest release from Obongjayar, whose name I recognised having heard a recent single release on BBC 6 Music. This album, called Paradise Now (24/48), proved to be a great choice to show off the talents of the MBL C31 and C51. I was treated to a huge, smooth yet lively and dynamic sound, with fast and powerful driving bass lines. Although the ultimate dynamic range of this album is unlikely to produce headline figures, the music was presented in an impactful, lively and dramatic manner.
Back to the CD, and David Bowie’s Heathen album, which this system’s drive and energy made compelling listening. The opening track, Sunday, gave me a soundstage that filled the front half of my room and extended beyond the sidewalls. Both the guitars and the swathing electronic effects sounded wonderfully spacious, with a silk like texture. Bowie’s cover of the Pixies track Cactus was a highlight, which the MBL convinced me was good enough to rival the original version.
Toning things down with Joni Mitchell’s Turbulent Indigo, I was treated to a gorgeous, spacious reproduction, which revealed all the airy atmosphere of the lavish studio production. The track How Do You Stop is always a good system tester. It tests the timing qualities and will immediately reveal any unpleasant edginess; thankfully, no concerns on either count here. The drums had just the right amount of crack and snap, Joni’s vocals were perfectly resolved and sounded suitably silky. The music was presented as a coherent whole, beyond, behind, in front and on either side of the speakers. I have rarely, if ever, heard it sound this satisfying.
Specification and Price
MBL Cadenza C31 CD Player – £6,920
MBL Cadenza C51 Integrated Amplifier – £8,460
Click on the links above to find the full specs on the MBL site.
Consumer Enquiries in the UK should be directed to Brian Welch on 07774 254 020
Conclusions
I was very impressed with both components from MBL. The C51 has redefined my opinion of Class D-based technology. It took a week or so to settle in, but once it did, the sound was warm, big, dynamic, velvety, airy, and timed impeccably. The C51’s healthy power output and great control will drive any real-world speaker load with ease and control. The C31 is a great-sounding CD player, which matches the characteristics of the C51 amplifier.
It has comprehensive inputs that, aside from my unhappiness with my Melco machine, give you the best of both worlds when faced with the choice between a separate DAC and a CD player. The C31’s DAC input is limited to 24/96, so it may not be the best choice if you own or are interested in adding a high-end server. However, such a buyer would more likely pair it with a DAC or network player, such as MBL’s newly released C41.
The feel-good factor is high with these components from MBL, and they do feel like they will last a lifetime. Both the C31 and C51 should be added to the shortlist of any music lover looking to purchase components in their respective price brackets. However, as a system, it makes a lot of sense to pair them together to create a relatively compact, great-looking and, more importantly, great-sounding CD-based system, with the flexibility of adding secondary digital sources. It may take a little more effort to find a UK-based MBL dealer in the UK than is the case with certain other brands, but it will be worth the effort.
