Morel MLP 403

[someguy]

I saw a pair of hefty looking speakers at the local thrift and for $12 picked up a pair of Morel MLP 403. According the the back of the speaker, the specs are:

MLP 403

Linear phase 3 way speaker system
Nominal Impedance 6.4ohm
38-25000 hz
Crossovers 500, 5000hz
Power Handling Continuous 150W RMS
Sensitivity 90db/w/m

Drivers
222mm Woofer,
75mm Soft Dome Midrange
28mm Soft Dome Tweeter

They work well...the surrounds are on their way out, but no rips or tears yet, and the tweeters are pushed in. Cabs are 6-7/10. I used restore-a-finish and feednwax to clean them up a bit, verified all the drivers were working using a tone generator, and set them up.

I listened to them (very) briefly and was not super impressed. Sounded muffled, especially in the bass. Any more info on these speakers? Are the highly regarded? Worth anything? Worth keeping?

 

[Jovinyl]

:scratch2: MLP 403.5 speakers?. Those are my main speakers. $12 bucks, Good Buy. I drive'm with Marantz 2325. I prefered them over large Advents which I also have.

 

[gonzothegreat]

How much power are you using with the MLP 403s? With an efficiency of 90dB, I'd want to drive them with at least 100wpc like Jovinyl's big Marantz. I've seen plenty of speakers sound dead and muffled with sub 100 watt amps only to open up when fed by a nice high current/2 ohm stable amp.

Don't write them off until you feed them some serious juice.

 

[gearhound]

Nice grab for $12.....Morel's have always been top-notch speakers in my book!!
Enjoy!!

Steve

 

[someguy]

I was driving them with a Nikko 7075 amp...my main amp is a Yamaha cr-1020, but its in the shop for some tuner work. If I get it back before the weekend, Ill give them a shot with that amp. Otherwise they'll be given away as a gift along with a Marantz 2230...which is not a lightweight amp by any stretch.

 

[gearhound]

That's funny.............

I grabbed my Nikko 5055 receiver for $10 at a yard sale.
Don't have anything near as nice as your *Morel's to drive.

*Although my KLH 17 aren't too bad by any stretch.

Steve

 

[Kazoodie]

A couple years back, I picked up a pair of Morel MLP 403.II's for around $100.00 from the bay. Right away I thought they were above mediocre, but after spending a couple months with them, I realized how rich and detailed their mids & highs actually were, but a little lack-luster in the bass extension (even running them with a pair of Carver Silver Nine T's) I also realized that I was completely bored with most cabinet finishes available on most speakers at this price point. So, the Morels got tucked away in a bedroom closet for several years. Fast forward to present day...I went back to the Renn Audio site and noticed the MLP 501's existence. Same drivers as the 403's, but in a floorstanding model, and, drops to 36Hz??? Ooh la la... The one difference between the 403.5's and the 403 II which I own, is the midrange driver. The 403.5 uses their MDM-55 and the 403II uses an MDM 75. So, out of the closet comes the 403II, out comes the veneer press, with a fresh batch of birds-eye maple veneer, and out comes the table saw. A month later, I now have a pair of Morel 501's like nobody has ever seen, and better yet, ever heard! I literally shocked myself when I hooked them up for the first time, again. I guess I should mention that I upgraded all internal wiring to Kimber 8VS and also lined the cabinets internals with Focal's Blackhole Tile, and plenty of bracing. If my theater components and my 2 channel components weren't completely separate system's, I'd swear that my Paradigm Servo-15 was playing in tandem with the Morel's. The bass is kick-in-the-chest solid! And though I don't have an RTA on hand, I'd guesstimate that they're dropping well below the rated 36 Hz. Here's a few snaps of the project.

 

[mywifespissed]

I wonder if Morel was inspired by the ATC SCM50 with this 403.II model? Who else used a 3" dome midrange and 9" woofer? An unusual combination. Now that I own this custom Morel set, I can say they have THE best sound I have had at home since I sold my ATC SCM35s a couple of years ago. The sound isn't quite as husky as the ATCs, by which I mean a possible dip in the mid-bass response, the resolution, transient speed and agility are a touch better with the Morel. They are every bit as open and expressive as the ATCs at 1/2 the price

 

[mywifespissed]

So the above speakers I have disliked lookswise since I got them. (See post #7, I should explain that I bought them from Kazoodie). I like understated simple design, they had great sound so I thought I would take the all Morel driver set and make a pair of fake ATC SCM50. I need to sand and recoat then urethane the baffle. This is a first assembly to get a good idea of the finished product. Many hours of work and I'm approaching the finish with the first one. The cabinets are from RTR EXP12. The internal volume of this cabinet, after my internal bracing etc. is about identical to the Morel cabinet these drivers were made for. I've used lead on all 6 sides (2.5lb per sq. ft. for the sides, top and bottom, and 3lb per sq. ft. behind the front and rear panels. The baffle is 1.5" MDF. Each speaker weighs about 75 pounds. I read regularly that stand mount box speakers have better bass than floor standers, have always loved the utility ATC look. I'm pleased at the progress so far. The woofer looks a bit small at 8". The real ATC uses a 9". I didn't use a port, unlike ATC, as these woofers were designed for a sealed box.

 

[Jovinyl]

MLP 403.5 speakers. Still standing strong. "mywifespissed" Hope your project works out for you. Made a move since my last post. A little more livingroom space and speakers are 12' apart toed in just a bit from the 10'+- I had before. I did have to play with the toeing in part. Once again Holy chit! they respond best when I bring it up to a certain volume. 9:00 CDs 10: Lps on the Marantz. This is not saying they don't sound good at lower levels but letting me know they have more to offer. There is no need for me stray to far from those settings other than the recording being weak or strong. I started out with the Encore's. I can see myself trying out the Preludes or just adding in the 501's. Good luck with your project. :thmbsp:

 

[mywifespissed]

I strongly feel Morel to be a value leader. Not too well known, they aren't zippy or flashy sounding. Just musical and natural, to me anyway. I'm converting a pair of small bookshelf speakers, with nice heavy cabinets, to Morel drivers. While Morel drivers aren't cheap, they are well worth the $250 I'll spend for the four speakers.

 

[Jovinyl]

I strongly feel Morel to be a value leader. Not too well known, they aren't zippy or flashy sounding. Just musical and natural, to me anyway. I'm converting a pair of small bookshelf speakers, with nice heavy cabinets, to Morel drivers. While Morel drivers aren't cheap, they are well worth the $250 I'll spend for the four speakers.

Check out the drivers they use in the Encore Line. Another impressive speaker for their size. :thmbsp: