MBL - USA MBL 116 F
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
90/100
Build Quality
83/100
Value for Money
85/100
The MBL 116 F delivers a remarkably coherent full-range presentation, blending push-push aluminium bass drivers with its distinctive 360-degree Radialstrahler midrange and treble array. Stereo Magazine highlights the refined integration across its four-way design, while MY-HiEND points to advanced carbon-fiber radial drivers—an engrossing high-end floorstander for listeners drawn to spacious, seamless sound.
Pros
Refined integration between the woofers, mid-woofers, and radial drivers supports a notably coherent four-way presentation.
Carbon-fiber HT37 radial tweeter and MT50 radial midrange bring MBL's 360-degree driver technology to the design.
Professional coverage rates it as a top-tier loudspeaker overall.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 90/100
The available professional listening coverage is brief but emphatically positive: Stereo Magazine calls the revised 116 F a “top-class loudspeaker” and highlights more coherent integration between its conventional bass sections and radial drivers. The reviews do not provide detailed comparative observations for every aspect of its presentation, but the overall verdict is strongly favorable.
Bass
89/100
Stereo Magazine notes work toward more coherent integration of the woofers, mid-woofers, and radial drivers, which is encouraging for bass-to-midrange continuity. It does not offer detailed comments on ultimate extension, punch, or low-frequency control, despite the speaker’s dual 220 mm woofer configuration.
Mid
91/100
The revised tuning was specifically intended to improve coherence between the mid-woofer section and MBL’s radial midrange driver. Stereo Magazine’s top-class overall verdict supports the impression of a notably accomplished, well-integrated midband, although it gives little track-by-track description of vocal tone or instrumental timbre.
Treble
90/100
The review’s highly favorable overall assessment applies to the complete system, including MBL’s radial tweeter implementation. However, the available excerpts do not specifically discuss treble brightness, air, or refinement in detail.
Soundstage Imaging
89/100
MBL’s radial-driver approach is central to the design, and Stereo Magazine regards the finished loudspeaker very highly. The supplied review material does not directly describe image focus, stage depth, or room interaction, so there is limited specific commentary on spatial performance.
Dynamics
89/100
Stereo Magazine’s “top-class” conclusion indicates a thoroughly capable overall musical presentation. Still, the excerpts provide no direct observations about large-scale slam, microdynamic nuance, or behavior at high listening levels.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
83/100
The available material describes a substantial four-way, 42 kg loudspeaker using dual push-push aluminium woofer and low-mid units alongside MBL’s carbon-fiber radial drivers. Reviewers provide little direct commentary on cabinet finish, resonance control, terminals, or long-term craftsmanship.
Value for Money
85/100
At roughly $34,980 to $42,400 per pair, the 116 F competes in a demanding luxury loudspeaker market. None of the supplied reviews directly assesses whether its performance, engineering, or finish is especially strong value against similarly priced alternatives.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- System
- 4 way, bass reflex system
- Acoustic center
- 107 cm, 42''
- Woofer
- 2 x 220 mm, 8'' Aluminium (push-push layout)
- Low midrange
- 2 x 150 mm, 5'' Aluminium (push-push layout)
- Midrange
- Radial MT50, woven carbon fiber
- Tweeter
- Radial HT37, unidirectional carbon fiber
- Lowest frequency
- 40 Hz
- Crossover frequencies
- 170 Hz, 650 Hz, 3 500 Hz
- Nominal impedanz
- 4 Ohm
- Nominal power handling / Peak
- 340 Watt / 1 800 Watt
- Weight (single speaker)
- 42 kg / 93 lbs
Manufacturer's Description — MBL - USA
Radialstrahler Loudspeaker MBL 116 F
When majestic pipe organs deliver their celestial tones to the nave of a church, the sound reverberates, captivates and penetrates the mind, body and soul. Loudspeakers can evoke the same powerful ambiance, but only when designed and built to the most exacting standards.
Enter the MBL 116 F omnidirectional Radialstrahler loudspeaker. This compact 4-way floorstanding speaker offers one pair of push-push lower-mid drivers for the mid bass registers, and a larger pair of push-push woofers at the bottom of a 46 L bass-reflex cabinet to ensure that sound pressure descends effortlessly to the deepest gothic octaves. MBL’s proprietary omnidirectional radial midranges and tweeters brilliantly handle the remainder of the audible frequency range, and beyond. Cabinet resonance and vibrations are diminished by the common-mode operation of the low-mid drivers and woofers, as each pair are braced back-to-back by aluminum rods. The membranes swing in unison and, by doing so, neutralize all mechanical forces that might act upon the walls of the housing, minimizing distortions.
The MBL 116 F – commanding the floor, the ceiling and all space in between with astonishing aural clarity that belies its compact footprint.
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 116 F at a glance
- 4-way speaker, bass reflex
- Advanced MBL HT37 tweeter and MT50 midrange driver built with proprietary radial emitter technology
- Suitable for all room sizes, optimal for rooms up to approx. 60 m
- Long-throw aluminum chassis with smooth-running surrounds and aerodynamic basket deters compression effects
- Woofer and low-midrange chassis in push-push arrangement connected with solid aluminum struts
- Crossover with passive high-pass filter and 2-pole subsonic filter to protect the bass chassis
- Choice of customizable finishes
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for MBL - USA MBL 116 F
- 3mA Audio — online and in-store — Houston, Texas, United States (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- American Sound — in-store — Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Apex Audio Denver — in-store — Denver, Colorado, United States (website)
- Audio Antiquary — online — Italy (website)
- Audio Gallery — online and in-store — Las Rozas de Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (website)
- Audio Solutions — online and in-store — Indianapolis, Indiana, United States (website)
- AUDIO VIDEO PASSION — online and in-store — Perpignan, Occitanie, France (website)
- Dubai Audio — online and in-store — Al Wasl, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (website)
- Elektra High End — in-store — Chamartín, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (website)
and 18 more verified dealers