Floorstanding loudspeakers — Piega MASTER LINE SOURCE 3

The Master Line Source 3, often shortened to MLS 3, is a dipole floorstanding loudspeaker in the Master series of PIEGA, the Swiss maker based on the shores of Lake Zurich. It sits in the Master Line Source family next to the Master Line Source 2 Gen2, and it is built around ribbon drivers stacked into a true line. Swiss industrial designer Stephan Hürlemann shaped its appearance, and the Master products are assembled by a team led by Daniel Raymann, who has worked for PIEGA since 1998.

Key specs that matter

This is a dipole 3-way system with an acoustic lens. Four line source ribbon drivers handle the treble and midrange together, placed on one level, while two 180 mm UHQD bass drivers work with two 180 mm UHQD passive radiators. PIEGA quotes a range of 28 Hz to 50 kHz, a sensitivity of 92 dB at 1 W and 1 m and a nominal impedance of 4 ohm. The recommended amplifier output runs from 20 to 500 W. Each cabinet measures 165 cm high, 23 cm wide and 33 cm deep and weighs 65 kg.

Engineering and use context

A ribbon in PIEGA terms is a very thin foil membrane that becomes the driver itself when combined with strong magnets, so the whole surface moves evenly and the moving part stays extremely light. In the Master models the ribbons are laid out as a linear source and sound leaves along a straight line and spreads cylindrically into the room instead of bouncing off ceiling and floor. For the MLS 3 four such ribbons are arrayed vertically to form that line. Being a dipole, the MLS 3 sends output forward and backward simultaneously. Acoustic lenses at the back diffuse the rearward output into a fully diffuse field, which is why PIEGA says the MLS 3 can be treated like a conventional box and stand close to a wall. Four finishes are listed - a silver anodised aluminium baffle with a silver cabinet, a black anodised baffle with high-gloss black, a white baffle with high-gloss white and a choice of white or black cover, and a black anodised baffle with a Zebrano matt veneer cabinet. Special design variants can be ordered on request.

Pairing

Bi-wiring is supported through PIEGA multi-connectors, which lets the bass and ribbon sections be fed by their own cables or by separate amplifier channels. The high efficiency combined with the low nominal load points toward an amplifier comfortable with a low impedance, and the modest lower power limit shows that large power reserves are not a requirement.

Alternatives

Inside the same Master Line Source family, PIEGA also offers the Master Line Source 2 Gen2, another dipole line source floorstander.