Scansonic MB2.5 B Floor-stander

The MB2.5 B is a slim floor-stander with two 4.5” carbon-coned drivers and a sealed ribbon tweeter. The MB2.5 B is a 2.5-way speaker with the second woofer assisting in the power demanding bass region. The cabinet is heavy, braced and curved, with carbon reinforcements.

The MB2.5 B has a solid foundation in the Nordic design tradition. It is simple, sleek, elegant and visually square when seen directly from the front, and curved and organic when seen from an angle. The rounded edges of the cabinet reduces diffraction and minimizes the sonic imprint on the frequency response. It does not matter if your home is modern or classic, the timeless design of the MB-2.5 will fit in any home.

• Size: (WxHxD) 178 x 998 x 286 mm
• Weight: 15,6 kg
• Freq. response: 36 Hz - 40 kHz
• Impedance: > 6 ohm
• Sensitivity: 88dB
• Crossover: 500 Hz + 2600 Hz / Minimum phase
• Enclosure: Curved, heavily braced, ventilated box design with front loaded port and adjustable aluminum feet
• Drive units: 1 sealed ribbon tweeter with kapton/aluminum sandwich membrane
• 2 carbon coned 4,5” bass/mid driver with overhung magnet system!Finish: Black-silk or White-silk
• Amplification: We recommend high quality amplifiers >50W

Alan Sicrom, Hi-Fi Plus (UK) April 2015, concluded:
"...you won’t find anything close to doing what the MB‑2.5 do for the money. They have enough of the Raidho genetic code to sound like Raidho, but not enough to stop a prospective Raidho owner from changing their mind... That’s the big thing about the Scansonic MB‑2.5, there are those who’ve heard what Raidho do and love it, but hate the price. They simply cannot or will not make that kind of financial commitment on a pair of loudspeakers, no matter how good. Those people will see the Scansonic range as a golden opportunity. It brings them much of what the Raidho speakers offer in a more affordable, more approachable package. Very highly recommended!" Check out the entire review

Placing your Scansonic HD Loudspeakers for Optimal Performance

Though rear-ported, your Scansonic HD are easy to place in your listening room. Please follow these simple guidelines:

- In general, Scansonic HD like to be placed far apart, but relatively close to the listener. - Assuming your room can accommodate such placement, Scansonic HD like to be placed approximately 9-12 feet apart (measured from the central, vertical axis of the speaker drivers).
- Imagine a line running left to right from the front of one speaker to the other. This is the lateral plane of the loudspeakers. Now, from the center-point of this line (i.e. halfway between the left and right speaker), place a measuring tape perpendicular to this line, running perpendicular from the lateral plane of the loudspeakers and aiming towards your listening position. Your listening position should be directly on this line, approximately 6'-8' from the lateral plane of the loudspeakers.

Tonal Adjustments
Let's start by adjusting the speakers for the proper tonal balance...
- Scansonic HD need to be placed at least three feet from the back wall, i.e. the wall behind the speakers. Place the speakers at least three feet from the back wall and at least nine feet apart. Using a piece of music with which you're familiar, and which has significant bass content, move the speakers front and back until natural, powerful bass is achieved.
- Next, vary the distance between the speakers and side walls. This will allow you to adjust mid- and high-frequencies for proper balance.
- IMPORTANT: although Scansonic HD MB-series loudspeakers need to be placed several feet from the back wall, as described above, they can tolerate placement within a few inches of the closest side wall. Don't be afraid to experiment with such placement of speakers, as spreading the speakers farther apart and therefore close to the nearest side walls is often essential for best spatial performance.

Spatial Adjustments
Now, let's dial-in the speakers for best spatial performance, i.e., image focus and soundstage width...
- Scansonic HD speakers like a bit of toe-in. Aim each speaker so it points just to the outside of each shoulder, i.e. the left speaker should be aimed just to the left of your left shoulder, the right speaker aimed just to the right of your right shoulder.
- Once aimed per above, adjust for best compromise between image focus and soundstage size. Increase toe-in to achieve greater image focus, increase toe-out to enhance soundstage width. You may also want to move the speakers slightly closer together or farther apart and assess the effects upon image focus and/or soundstage width. Please note: very small movements of an inch or less can have a significant impact: proceed slowly!
- As per our recommendations included in 'Tonal Adjustments' directly above, Scansonic HDs can be placed within a few inches of the nearest side wall (This is a unique attribute for a high performance loudspeaker). Experiment with moving the speakers farther apart and closer together and choose the location that achieves the best tonal and spatial performance.