MBL 101 X-Treme MKIII Radialstrahler System
The crown jewel of MBL’s legendary product line, the 101 X-Treme MKIII system never fails to astonish—in both looks and sound. Our flagship transducer is comprised of two six-foot-tall towers, each housing a pair of MBL’s iconic Radialstrahler omni systems, flanked by another pair of six-foot subwoofer towers to create an extraordinary four-tower system.
Beyond their aural purity and objet d’art presence, each Radialstrahler tower features a pair of MBL’s proprietary high-, mid-, and low-frequency spherical drivers that capture the unmistakable MBL audio signature. Purposefully configured in a stunning vertical mirror array, the 101 X-Treme distributes sound effortlessly to every corner of your listening space. Meticulously handcrafted from carbon fibre, copper, aluminum, and magnesium, the revolutionary mirror array projects music farther without increasing the volume.
Within each omnidirectional tower, unique driver membranes deliver micro-precise, lightning-fast movements to produce accurate, distortion-free sound across the entire frequency spectrum. The massive pair of enclosed subwoofer towers, each loaded with six 12-inch drivers for a total of twelve aluminum-cone woofers, plumb the deepest reaches of your favorite bass lines using a push-push arrangement that perfectly counteracts unwanted cabinet resonances. Combined with heavy sandwich-core construction and an awe-inspiring system weight exceeding one ton, structural transmission of sound simply doesn’t stand a chance.
The MKIII subwoofer upgrade introduces a newly developed amplifier module that further elevates performance and efficiency. With significantly reduced idle power consumption, lower Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), and an improved Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), the new amplification stage delivers even greater transparency, control, and dynamic precision while operating more efficiently.
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Height Radial system: 1 854 mm Subwoofer: 1 860 mm |
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Width Radial system: 496 mm Subwoofer: 410 mm |
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Depth Radial system: 687 mm Subwoofer: 670 mm |
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Weight Radial system: each channel 265 kg / 584 lbs Subwoofer: each channel 227 kg / 500 lbs Total system: 984 kg / 2 170 lbs |
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| Technical Specifications | |
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| System | 4-way system with double tweeters, midrange and woofers (D'Appolito arrangement), ambient tweeter and active subwoofer |
| Acoustic center | 104 cm / 41'' |
| Subwoofer | Active subwoofer, each channel 6 x 12'' aluminum cone drivers in three cabinets, push-push arrangement, cabinet volume 3 x 86 liters |
| Woofer | Radial TT100, copper-alu-magnesium |
| Midrange | Radial MT50, woven carbon fiber |
| Tweeter | Radial HT37, unidirectional carbon fiber |
| Lowest frequency | 17 Hz |
| Crossover frequencies | 85 Hz, 600 Hz, 3 500 Hz |
| Nominal impedanz | 4 Ohm each upper/lower unit |
| Nominal power handling / Peak | Each channel: 2 x 900 Watt / 2 x 1 800 Watt |
Standard colors:
101 X-Treme MKIII
101 X-Treme MKIII
High frequency listening
Three different wire-types between the crossover and tweeter allow you to fine-tune your music. In the Natural setting, high-quality, solid-core copper braid provides perfect neutral balance. The Fast setting uses the unique conductivity of silver-plated copper wire to open up the sound of damped rooms or warm sounding components. The Smooth position runs the music signal through a solid core copper wire – a perfect solution to counter the sharp, nervous highs often found in reverberant rooms (think stone floors, large windows), or by other bright-sounding elements in the system.
No-compromise, liquid midrange
The Natural setting delivers on its name – transmitting music signals through an air coil to the midrange driver, and delivering a very neutral sound. In Rich mode, the signal runs through an iron powder coil, effectively promoting the delicate timbre of the lower midrange to the benefit of demanding listening rooms and components. Searing vocals and the gentle tickle of ivories never sounded so expressive.
Bass Charge
The Attack position adds a capacitor to the signal path, altering the phase response to allow signals to arrive at the bass melon a tick earlier than to the other drivers. The low-midrange sounds drier with more structure – extremely well suited for bass-heavy listening rooms when compared to the Smooth setting.
Subwoofer Presence
Each six-foot subwoofer column consists of active enclosures powered by a built-in MBL amplifier that cleverly allows for sound adjustments. The Delay control allows the phase response of the playback system to be delicately adjusted from minus to plus eight milliseconds – particularly helpful when the subwoofer tower is not positioned directly next to the main Radialstrahler tower. The Volume dial adjusts the overall output levels of the subwoofers, providing listener options. For example, if one of the sub-frequency columns is close to a wall or in the vicinity of a corner, the level can be reduced by up to 6 dB. If located in a more open space, the level can be moved by +6dB. The Q-Factor control affects the tonal quality of the sub bass from 0.5 (stronger attenuation) to 1.0 (lower attenuation). The result can take the listener from a slender, contoured bass response to a more voluminous, chocolate-rich bass. Since the MKII generation, the subwoofer includes a 2-band parametric equaliser that can emphasise or diminish individual frequency ranges, allowing it to adapt to different listening rooms.
