First about Online Car Stereo. I was skeptical about ordering from these guys after reading some posts about bad service and shipping, defective products, etc. I also had to ship to Alaska, so the red flags were really flying! But their prices were just too good to pass up so I took the plunge and ordered 11 in-wall and in-ceiling speakers for a system in a new house. My experience was great. I had them shipped UPS 2nd day air, and they arrived on my door step 3 days after I placed my order. All were new, factory sealed speakers, and packed well. Now the speakers. I was a huge MB Quart fan in the ealy 90's when I was building audio systems in restored muscle cars. You couldn't beat the smooth, tight sound of Quarts, and after a couple respectable finishes in some IASCA events, I was hooked. I gave up restoring cars and moved on to home theater. I've completed a number of custom installs, and have had the chance to use some of the best gear made -- Runco projectors, Meridian processors, Thiel speakers, etc. I know good sound. I was ready to give up $5k on some Sonance or Speakercraft in-ceiling speakers when I discovered MB Quart was purchased by Maxxsonic and had a line of in-wall home speakers. But I couldn't find any reviews on-line. There are no real specs published either -- no sensitivity, no info about the drivers, etc. Makes you suspicious. And they are made in China, although supposedly with German engineered criteria. My radar was really going off. But, given my experience with Quart's in the 90's IASCA world, the fact that they are enclosed (not many are) and the incredible price, I took a chance. Glad I did. I just hooked up the five main Alexxa speakers in my family room, three 8" ceilings for the fronts and center, and two 6.5" Alexxa in-wall's for the surrounds. I'm driving them with a 200 WPC Outlaw 7700 amp through an Integra DTC 9.8 processor. They sound great. Not outstanding, but really good considering they are in-ceiling, and cost 1/3 what you'd pay for Speakercraft or others. I have a dedicated HT room with free standing Paradigm Reference speakers that I do all my critical listening/watching in, and you simply can't compare ceiling speakers with this setup. But these MB Quart's sound teriffic. Very smooth and detailed. Good midrange, nothing edgy. The 8" have great base response. The angled baffles put the music right where you want it. I don't know how long they will last, and they are pretty "light" (no heavy magnets like higher-end speakers), but I'm impressed so far. If you want a great in-ceiling or in-wall setup and are on a tight budget, this is the way to go. And don't hesitate about using Online Car Stereo.
