MB Quart QSD 216 Component Set Review

JAZZ

Grover Washington "Blues for D.P."

Washington has been one of my favorite jazz players for many, many years and I was deeply affected when he was taken from us a short time ago. I've had this disc for 18 years and I still love to listen to it because it showcases the artist's sound, which was improvisational, imaginative, lyrical, stylish and unmistakable. The MB Quarts did a respectable job of recreating this performance of "Blues for D.P."

This piece starts off with Washington's leading in solo -- answered by the piano, bass and drums' trading short riffs with him. Washington's sax sounded a little too bright and harsh, as did the cymbals and hi-hat -- like they were too far forward in the mix. At this point, I must say that I've long had an aversion to metal-dome tweeters and these QSD's reinforced my long-standing opinion. To my ears, they sounded too edgy, as opposed to the smooth sound of most soft-dome tweeters. On the positive side, they helped point out some details that tend to get lost otherwise and provided a sense of space and air around the musicians -- so I decided not to attenuate their output for this audition. Low-frequency response was very good, if not great, and midrange also came through with authority. As it got into the upper midrange, things like upper octave piano notes and soprano sax tended to jump out and bite my ears. Not all notes, just certain frequencies. In general, pianos are very hard to reproduce in a smooth, linear fashion, and therefore I would be VERY careful not to place the QSD 216's tweeters anywhere near a hard, reflective surface (i.e., a windshield) or their bright tendencies could become overpowering. They'd probably work very well in a kick-panel installation where there are more sound-absorbing surfaces in close proximity to the drivers to help take the edge off.

Score: 5/10

BLUES

Susan Tedeshi "Just Won't Burn"

This track starts with Tedeshi's guitar for a couple of bars and then the rest of the band joins in just before Tedeshi's powerful vocal makes its debut. The MB Quarts did an admirable job on this selection -- without the artificial brightness and occasional harshness they exhibited on "Blues for D.P." Maybe it's because the intensity of this song works better with the sonic signature of the QSD's, or vice-versa. All the instruments here are amplified as opposed to the totally acoustic combo on the previous track. This was a much better match! The drum kit sounded very realistic, with appropriate impact and size. Low-frequency reproduction left very little to be desired, as the bass guitar had excellent definition and Tedeshi's guitar sounded authoritative and lifelike. Her voice had the intensity it would have in a live performance; and her image was nicely centered, stable and out front. It's easy to imagine what the original performance would've looked like. Sometimes it's amazing how different two genres of music can sound when played on the same speakers.

Score: 7/10

VOCAL

Al Jarreau "Somehow Our Love Survives"

This selection is much more complex than the two preceding tracks; and the MB Quarts did a pretty good job of resolving the inner details of the recording. Jarreau's lead vocal was pronounced and out front; the drums had a nice snap to them, and the string section sounded big and full. Some of the piano notes were a little abrasive during the solo at around 2:15 to 3:00, but the low-frequency response and the big sound of the horn section lent a sense of realism to the recording. All in all, a pretty good performance.

Score: 7/10

ROCK

Dire Straits "Money for Nothing"

This is a classic rocker, so I turned things up a notch, actually a couple of notches, to the point where I could actually feel the pressure wave of the bass and drums in my listening room! The MB Quarts hung right in there without so much as a hiccup. These speakers seemed to love the power -- so feed them as much as you can afford, up to their 170-watt limit. In the beginning of this song, Knopfler's voice sounded almost haunting, and when the drums came in at 0:12 and panned back and forth between left and right speakers, there was great separation and impact. When the guitar came in at 0:35, it sounded as if it were right in the room with me. All this rock `n' roll realism came at a price though. Sometimes the high frequencies were just too piercing and shrill. The rim-shots didn't have the body they should have -- sounding more electronic than acoustic -- and the keyboard was too far forward in the mix at times. However, the organ chords in the background at 1:35 sounded appropriately subdued. I was afraid an extended listening session would leave my ears ringing for a while; in fact, I took a short break before I listened to my country selection. If you like an in-your-face, aggressive sound to your rock `n' roll, these may be the speakers of choice for you, but they're a little much for me. Call me a wuss if you must.

Score: 6.5/10

COUNTRY

Dixie Chicks "Landslide"

This is an entirely acoustic rendition of the song made famous by Fleetwood Mac and the guitar-bass-banjo ensemble sounded stunning behind the lead vocal. The harmony background vocals sounded really good too and point out the fact that two of these vocalists are sisters. It's really hard to find unrelated voices that blend as well as these. Again, even at a reduced listening level, I could feel the pressure wave of the bass. With proper in-car acoustic loading, you may not require anything more than a single 8" or 10" subwoofer, and in some vehicles, no sub at all. Detail on this track was beautifully displayed -- with the exception of some mild sibilance and graininess on some of the vocals. An authentic sound of guitar and banjo came through loud and clear. Also, the bass had a nice, full-bodied tone. I'm usually not a big country music fan, but I admit that some country artists are truly concerned about how their recordings sound in the final iteration, and the Dixie Chicks proved this is true.

Score: 7.5/10