MBL’s New C41 Network Player Features ' True Peak' Technology

 MBL’s new C41 network player features ‘True Peak’ 

technology for a more natural digital sound...

German high-end audio brand MBL is delighted to announce the launch of the new C41 network player. Featuring MBL’s ‘True Peak’ and ‘Core Volume Control’ technologies along with an extensive array of features, the C41 promises unparalleled digital sound and a seamless music streaming experience. 

MBL is justifiably famous for its extraordinarily pioneering ‘Radialstrahler’ omnidirectional loudspeakers, originally created by company founders Meletzky, Bieneke and Lehnart and subsequently perfected and advanced by current chief engineer Jürgen Reis. Meanwhile, the brand’s growing range of stunningly crafted, masterfully performing electronics has quietly amassed an impressive complement of international awards. MBL’s amplifiers, DACs and CD players come in three series: the top-of-range Reference Line, the innovative Noble Line and the elegantly compact Cadenza Line. 

In the Cadenza Line, the new C41 network player is the perfect choice for audiophiles and music lovers seeking unparalleled digital sound quality. Equipped with a state-of-the-art digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) and MBL’s proprietary ‘True Peak’ and ‘Core Volume Control’ technologies, the C41 is crafted to ensure that digital music is reproduced with the utmost fidelity and naturalness. 

The C41 is designed to work seamlessly with a variety of different streaming partners such as ROON, UPNP/DLNA and Airplay/Shairport. Future compatibility is built-in for Tidal, Spotify and Qobuz, scheduled for incorporation via live update in late 2024. 

The C41’s extensive array of inputs and outputs ensures easy integration into existing hi-fi systems, making it a versatile addition to your audio set-up.

True Peak Technology 

The simple calculation 16 x 6 = 96 represents the dynamic range of a CD, meaning the ratio between the quietest sounds a disc can store and the loudest noise it is capable of producing as defined in decibels. The CD’s audio tracks are encoded with 16 bits and each bit delivers a dynamic range of 6 decibels, making a total of 96 decibels of dynamic range. 

One might assume that this would be enough to flawlessly capture a piece of music on a digital file or CD recording with the lowest levels of the music sufficiently far away from noise, and with sufficient safe distance from distortion-prone overloads. This is indeed the assumption of the major manufacturers of DAC chips, such as AKM, ESS and Texas Instruments (formerly Burr-Brown). 

However, in reality, audio paints a completely different picture, particularly in the case of pop music where overdriven recordings are the norm. Every music producer wants their songs to be loud and dynamic when they reach the audience’s ears and so in many recording studios, producers encode the music signal hard and fast to the maximum level. Unfortunately, this common practice is to the detriment of the highest-quality music playback. If several samples on a CD are fully distorted one after the other, the digital filters of the converters will generate waveforms that are overdriven by up to three decibels – which are then abruptly cut or ‘clipped.’ Unpleasant distortions are the audible and measurable outcome of this practice. 

Fortunately, this is not the case with MBL’s converter design. With sophisticated stop-gaps built into the digital filters, MBL’s engineers have ingeniously created an additional modulation reserve of three decibels, thereby correcting and basically eliminating any sound-degrading overloads from CD or music files. MBL call it ‘True Peak Technology’. The result is natural, distortion-free sound from CDs and digital music files – even at peak volume levels. 

MBL Core Volume Control technology

With its built-in volume control, the C41 can act as the control centre in hi-fi chains that use purely digital sources, eliminating the need for a separate preamplifier. Additionally, a further feature that sets the C41 apart is MBL’s innovative ‘Core Volume Control’ technology, a ground-breaking advancement developed by the company’s own engineers. This technology allows for volume adjustment at unprecedented levels of quality, ensuring that your listening experience is not only pristine but also dynamically responsive to your control. 

MBL C41 network player: key features 

• State-of-the-art DAC with MBL ‘True Peak technology’. 

• Resolution and sampling rates up to 24 bit / 192kHz as well as DSD64. 

• Wide range of compatible streaming services, plus streaming from smartphone via Airplay/Shairport. 

• High flexibility thanks to multiple inputs and outputs. 

• Possibility to connect PC/Mac via USB audio input. 

• Integrated volume control with rotary knob on front panel with MBL ‘Core Volume Control’ technology. 

• Control of streaming servers via smart keys on front panel. 

• Display of title information on VFD display. 

• MBL SmartLink for simple and comprehensive system operation and integration. 

• Easy expandability and updateability through online updates.

Pricing & availability 

The MBL C41 network player is available now, priced at £7,820 (including VAT). 

Web - https://www.mbl.de/en