MBL 1621A

CD Transport MBL 1621 A

Time never stands still. Neither does technology, and our “here and now” has seen convention go out the window. In days past, music listening meant lid up, platter spinning, and gently lowering the tonearm onto your favorite vinyl LP – simple steps in anticipation of the pleasure to come; archaic, perhaps, in this digital age of instant gratification.

Or maybe today it’s just… different. The gold-plated top of the 1621 A CD drive evokes the form and size of a 12” LP record – awakening expectations in the style-conscious music lover. Simply lifting the air-tight drive cover, machined from a solid billet of aluminum that’s perfectly balanced on an ample hinge, is a tactile experience of its own. Insert the CD, secure it with the custom stabilizer puck, close the cover and prepare to be swept away. Once connected to a well-paired D/A converter, like the MBL 1611 F, a highly stable sound image materializes to deliver a composed, unruffled calm, so often missing from today’s digital sources.

Such technical wizardry demands mechanically engineered support that is equal to the task. The CD drive is suspended on a four-kilogram sub-chassis manufactured from three sandwiched metals. The sub-chassis, in turn, is spring mounted on three vibration-damping “pillars” for true base isolation. The disc stabiliser is an acoustically optimised, meticulously crafted device derived from solid brass, aluminium and magnesium. The precision-milled spiral form in the drive cover is more than just beautiful design; it reduces air turbulence in the drive chamber to ensure the stable and error-free rotation of the CD. It is an unparalleled feat of mechanical and electronic engineering that delivers intoxicating music from the laser-etched pits in the aluminum layer of a polycarbonate Compact Disc. When the first notes emerge, you’ll understand. The MBL 1621 A guarantees lasting enjoyment from every CD in your personal collection.

The MBL 1621 A at a glance

• Device housing milled from a single block of aluminum.
• CD Drive positioned on a solid 6 kg (13.2 lb) sub-chassis constructed from brass, aluminium and Terodem, then spring mounted on three points for isolation
• Adjustable levelling ensures the drive is perfectly horizontal
• Airtight solid drive cover to protect against external sound influences and rotational resonances
• Intricately designed and engineered stabilizer puck holds the CD firmly for smooth performance
• 3-beam laser with high directional stability and maintenance-free positioning
• Toroidal transformer with sophisticated protective shield technology, magnetic shielding by Mu-metal housing
• Brilliantly designed output transformer cell with an amazing bandwidth of 98.7 MHz
• Separate voltage regulator for each of the ten function groups
• Symmetrically constructed engine and carriage control
• Separate power supply for digital music signals and digital control signals
• Group-delay-optimised bi-phase signal path for optimum transmission quality

Technical Specifications