High-end audio manufacturer MBL has announced the launch of its new C41 music streamer. With MBL’s ‘True Peak’ technology at its heart, along with a wide array of streaming features and physical connections, the C41 shoots for "unparalleled digital sound" combined with the convenience of a modern-day network audio player.
If you're not familiar with MBL, the German company was created in the mid-70s when its founder Wolfgang Meletzky set himself the task of reproducing the experience of a live Mahler concerto via his own brand of hi-fi equipment. From its super-expensive and visually arresting Radialstrahler series of loudspeakers to its high-end integrated amplifiers, this is a company that often operates in decidedly rarefied territory.
The new C41 music streamer, however, isn't as bank-busting as its multi-thousand-pound loudspeaker cousins and is part of its 'compact' Cadenza Line. Central to the C41 streamer is 'True Peak' technology which, in short, provides a more natural, less distorted digital sound thanks to a system of sophisticated stop-gaps built into the unit's digital filters. Complementing this anti-distortion tech is the MBL's 'Core Volume Control' system which, as the name suggests, "allows for volume adjustment at unprecedented levels of quality" for greater dynamic responsiveness.
The C41 features a 'state-of-the-art' DAC and supports high-resolution audio files up to 24-bit/192kHz and DSD64. It is designed to work with a number of different streaming platforms over your network and is UPnP and DLNA compatible. As well as being Roon Ready, the C41 supports Apple AirPlay and will, when an update arrives in late 2024, offer built-in compatibility with Tidal, Spotify and Qobuz. In terms of physical inputs, the new music streamer offers single S/PDIF (RCA), optical, AES/EBU (XLR) and USB-B inputs alongside digital XLR, analogue balanced XLR and analogue RCA outputs.
On-unit volume control is handled by a rotary knob on the front panel which, thanks to MBL's aforementioned Core Volume Control tech should allow for more precise adjustments to your music. You can also manage your streaming servers via further controls on the front panel, with a VDF display providing key title information at a glance. It looks rather stunning and well-finished too, going by the images.
The MBL C41 music streamer is available now in black/gold, black/silver, white/gold and white/silver finishes, priced at £7820 / €8960 / $11,100.
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