I just bought 4 mb quart home speakers I know nothing about, at an auction (didn't even test, no claims of condition).
2 are Quart 290 (floor-standing)
2 are Quart 390 (bookshelf-size)
I paid $113 + 5 handling fee.
Anybody got any clue what I spent my good money on? Says made in Germany. I've heard of the company's components and car stuff, but have really not paid any attention. I just got auction fever...and sniped them manually.
2 are Quart 290 (floor-standing)
2 are Quart 390 (bookshelf-size)
I paid $113 + 5 handling fee.
Anybody got any clue what I spent my good money on? Says made in Germany. I've heard of the company's components and car stuff, but have really not paid any attention. I just got auction fever...and sniped them manually.
They seem like decent speakers according to a few reviews. but even if they aren't, I'm sure you got more than your money's worth in cabinets and crossover components.
I haven't seen an MB Quart speaker that was anything short of excellent compared to similar designs. I'd say you made a safe gamble provided they are in decent shape. Their drivers are extremely well made/engineered as I'm sure you know.
Dan
Dan
I haven't heard any MB Quart home speakers, but I have some MB Quart car audio speakers and they are great. MB Quart always seems to have a good reputation for quality, both construction of drivers and sound quality. If the cabinets are in good shape and nothing is making any wierd noises, I would think you got a good deal on that set of speakers. Congrats.
Peace,
Dave
Peace,
Dave
Thanks. I could not find any relevant reviews or anything in english about those models.
I pick them up tomorrow and will find out what they really sound like then.
I pick them up tomorrow and will find out what they really sound like then.
Speakers of my youth, lovely 🙂
They were build ~200 mi from where I live. I did not even know they had been sold to the US. Maybe an imigrant brought them.
Anyway, they were highly appreciated here locally as well as nation wide. I still have the original catalogue dating back 1988/89. That had the 280 and 390. So the 290 must be from 1990 or so.
The original prices were:
280 = 498 DM ~ 250 to 350 USD each
390 = 698 DM ~ 350 to 450 USD each
Can't remember the exact exchange rate.
For that money I would have bought them as well. Just for the heck of it and to see if I still like them. Have fun with them and treat them well ! 😀
Maybe they could use some fresh caps by now.
They were build ~200 mi from where I live. I did not even know they had been sold to the US. Maybe an imigrant brought them.
Anyway, they were highly appreciated here locally as well as nation wide. I still have the original catalogue dating back 1988/89. That had the 280 and 390. So the 290 must be from 1990 or so.
The original prices were:
280 = 498 DM ~ 250 to 350 USD each
390 = 698 DM ~ 350 to 450 USD each
Can't remember the exact exchange rate.
For that money I would have bought them as well. Just for the heck of it and to see if I still like them. Have fun with them and treat them well ! 😀
Maybe they could use some fresh caps by now.
The 290 look like matching bookshelf versions of the floor-standing 390. I'd like to use them for sides and rear for home theater.
I just hope the surrounds are some kind of butyl or something that lasts, not foam. I'm sick and tired of nice older speakers with rotted foam woofer surrounds.
I just hope the surrounds are some kind of butyl or something that lasts, not foam. I'm sick and tired of nice older speakers with rotted foam woofer surrounds.
Here's a link to a nice MB Quart thread over at Audiokarma.org that's got some nice pics as well. If you aren't a member, you'll have to join to get access to the thread.
MB Quart owners - Raise your hands!! - AudioKarma.org Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums
I've got a couple of posts in that thread pertaining to replacement of a blown tweeter. I found one eventually. The 490 I worked on had a very unique vent system hidden behind a small grille screwed to the BB. It consisted of TWO tubes. One large and an adjacent one that's quite small. I know nothing about that design, but seems interesting other than it might be a way to cram two vents into a small space.
This was the one I repaired.
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270801384020&clk_rvr_id=256451872439
MB Quart owners - Raise your hands!! - AudioKarma.org Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums
I've got a couple of posts in that thread pertaining to replacement of a blown tweeter. I found one eventually. The 490 I worked on had a very unique vent system hidden behind a small grille screwed to the BB. It consisted of TWO tubes. One large and an adjacent one that's quite small. I know nothing about that design, but seems interesting other than it might be a way to cram two vents into a small space.
This was the one I repaired.
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270801384020&clk_rvr_id=256451872439
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I hear ya ! 😉 They are made with lasting surrounds.
Actually, both are meant to be book shelfspeakers. The floor standers ended in a "S" after the number. See links.
MB Quart 290 | Hifi-Wiki.de
MB Quart 390 | Hifi-Wiki.de
Is that what you've got ? If not, something is wrong.
P.S. When you have 'em, maybe play the Brothers in Arms album for me tonight if you have that and like it 😀 That was one of the test drive albums back then.
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I picked them up. They look visually sound, except for one broken wire terminal post.
My 290 looks very similar to your 490 on eBay except mine are white and have a slightly lower power handling, might be a slightly smaller woofer?
My 390 is tall and narrow, with power handling a little lower than the 290.
Mine all have the "motion control system" plate/vent like speakerdoctor mentioned.
So mine are not quite like those links/pics in the denmark hifi-wiki, mine must be the 290 mcs and 390 mcs. Made from 1989-1991.
Looking at used prices, I got them for about half the normal going price.
My 290 looks very similar to your 490 on eBay except mine are white and have a slightly lower power handling, might be a slightly smaller woofer?
My 390 is tall and narrow, with power handling a little lower than the 290.
Mine all have the "motion control system" plate/vent like speakerdoctor mentioned.
So mine are not quite like those links/pics in the denmark hifi-wiki, mine must be the 290 mcs and 390 mcs. Made from 1989-1991.
Looking at used prices, I got them for about half the normal going price.
I tried the shorter fatter ones with the higher power rating. They sounded good for a 2-way the size of the old Small Advent 2-ways, and probably with better efficiency and extension (both highs and lows). They sound like they cross over higher than the old small advent, yet have good midrange and surprisingly decent bass, so the woofers are covering a lot and the tweeters are pretty transparent. The treble is not too prominent and doesn't ring; really nothing very objectionable at all. I'd have to say it doesn't sound like two resonances, like so many efficient other 2-ways do. Had them toe'd in a bit and sitting atop the taller MB Quarts, and sat where I thought the sweet spot would be. But when I finally got up the bass was much better farther back in the room; in fact everything sounded better. Didn't have the best material, and didn't get a good soundstage for that reason, almost sounded out of phase though I was careful wiring...so I switched the phase and the bass in the room went away so I put it back like it was originally. I need to hook up a better source and try some other material, but I'm already more than pleased for what I paid. I would say they're sensitive to placement and listening position, but that may just be in comparison to my long line source ribbons that sound pretty good everywhere. They do seem a bit narrow in dispersion, and don't sound great off-center but again that may just be in comparison to the ribbons and that narrow pattern might actually reduce early reflections. I think I need to pull the sofa away from them, back a few feet, and dig up some better material.
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The guy who rents a room from me wired both sets of speakers up to the outputs on the same amp. I immediately noticed it sounded worse. So I changed how they were stacked, and put the smaller ones on top upside-down so the tweeters were very close to each other, and checked the polarity (trusting the color-coding of the terminals).
SO I've got two stacks of speakers. Still sounded bad, like the bass was out of phase on one side...one smaller speaker sounded like the bass was out of phase with the other speaker on the same side and also out of phase with its matching brother speaker on the other side. But if I switched the polarity of the wires to that one speaker, then t
SO I've got two stacks of speakers. Still sounded bad, like the bass was out of phase on one side...one smaller speaker sounded like the bass was out of phase with the other speaker on the same side and also out of phase with its matching brother speaker on the other side. But if I switched the polarity of the wires to that one speaker, then t
The guy who rents a room from me wired both sets of speakers up to the outputs on the same amp. I immediately noticed it sounded worse. So I changed how they were stacked, and put the smaller ones on top upside-down so the tweeters were very close to each other, and checked the polarity (trusting the color-coding of the terminals).
SO I've got two stacks of speakers. Still sounded bad, like the bass was out of phase on one side...one smaller speaker sounded like the bass was out of phase with the other speaker on the same side and also out of phase with its matching brother speaker on the other side. But if I switched the polarity of the wires to that one speaker, then the mids and treble seemed out of phase. So I grabbed a battery and confirmed the woofer cone moved in the wrong direction compared to the other three speakers. So I opened up both supposedly matching speakers, and did some more testing, and indeed the wires to the woofer were soldered on with the incorrect polarity at the factory. Unbelievable to me that this kind of mistake wasn't caught at QA.
Anyway, they sound a lot better now that I fixed that one internal wiring mistake.
SO I've got two stacks of speakers. Still sounded bad, like the bass was out of phase on one side...one smaller speaker sounded like the bass was out of phase with the other speaker on the same side and also out of phase with its matching brother speaker on the other side. But if I switched the polarity of the wires to that one speaker, then the mids and treble seemed out of phase. So I grabbed a battery and confirmed the woofer cone moved in the wrong direction compared to the other three speakers. So I opened up both supposedly matching speakers, and did some more testing, and indeed the wires to the woofer were soldered on with the incorrect polarity at the factory. Unbelievable to me that this kind of mistake wasn't caught at QA.
Anyway, they sound a lot better now that I fixed that one internal wiring mistake.
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