The MHZS CD 88

I would love to talk to you about the MHZS CD 88. How transparent it is. How it is one of the few tube CD players out there with tube rectification that smooths the transients, and once properly broken in, (could take several weeks folks) ,it is capable, for the money, of some great CD sound. We have been selling the MHZS line since 2005. We have sold many, many units. They are hard to pick up on the used market. Everything was going so well, then suddenly......

Lamp - blasted.

You know who he is, just Google MHZS CD 88 and you will find him. When we were first Lampblasted (and I invented the word and coined phenomenon - right here, just now, see I did it) several of you sent us emails encouraging us to respond to rants going on via Head Fi or Audio Asylum. We opted not to, because there are several Fi'ers and inmates who have purchased the MHZS CD 88 and they will speak up - and sure enough they did.

But what about the phenomena a vendor experiences by being Lamp-blasted. Someone, sitting in a small room at a remote part of the world, can, without ever having purchased the product or had it shake the dust off a woofer cone, suddenly convince a few of us that, well ,it a piece of roach do-do.

Your emails were great, "He Sounds angry", "He has a bone to pick" etc. etc.

You can use boards to exchange information and give courteous detailed reviews or you can use it to "get even". When someone is using it to "get even" we should all perk your ears up and consider the source and most importantly, the motivation. Now, I obviously am biased, and I state this ad-nauseas. I am not going to defend the MHZS CD 88 or counter the rant. What I would like you to do, is to consider the following Lamp-blast that if were posted, would have kept me out of high end audio.

"Its some company out of, guess where, Minneapolis. Some small shop that I never heard of. The darn thing is a throw back to the 1950s, and guess what, it still uses tone controls!! The piece of Sh#$t thing even uses a loudness contour. Now, I ask you , how 'High End' can this thing be? Written on the front are the words, "High Definition Stereo Control" - with tone controls? Ha! do not make me laugh. Then I opened the thing up, it still uses those cheap 12AX7 tubes. What is worse, I saw a transistor in the power supply from 'Delco' - the car parts people. Well I bet it makes noise and hisses just like an old steam engine. .. and what about those people from Minneapolis? - nothing good can come out Minneapolis you know what Sinclair Lewis said"

And that my friends, is the canard that says its all. The MHZS CD 88 requires no defending and nor does the Audio Research SP3 or for that matter, the hard working ethical people of Minnesota.

All the best,

Vic

12AU7 -a-go-go


Trying to find some good NOS 12AX7s these days is the proverbial needle-in-the-haystack, try as I might, they are all too expensive for NOS or they are used at premium prices. *SIGH*

Brtheren in glass plugs, do not despair for there are some great deals in 12AU7 and 12AT7 NOS tubes. My attention turned to the 12AU7 'cause I had to do the "Tube Righteousness" section for the bargain basement - great performing Classic 9.0 Preamp. The 12AU7 and its derivatives (6189, 5963, 5814 et.al), can still be had at great prices that even a Jack Benny devote will be proud of.

The Classic 9.0 is a great preamp for the money. Solid construction and an external power supply make it one of the quietest preamps ever. Although it is not as detailed, clear or concise and the Doge 8 or the Ming Da MC 2A3, in its price class - it cannot be beat. And, because it took just two tubes, it is a great test bed for tube sound quality. On hand I had a GE 6189, a GE 5963, an RCA 5963, German RFT and a JJ Tesla 12AU7. Here we go, a-go-go......

GE 6189 / Sylvania 6189
These are essentially the same. The 6189 produce a big bold sound. The bass was big and fat and turned the Classic 9.0 into a Dynaco PAS 3X. If you like this kind of sound, then this is the tube for you. Maybe that is why it sounds so good in the Bada DC-222 - as it slightly colors and uplifts the midrange in the preamp section so it does not sound so sterile in the amplifier section.

German RFT 12AU7
The German RFT was the complete opposite. It was polite, smooth and accurate. In a sense, it made the Classic 9.0 slightly boring and uninteresting. While it did not veil the midrange, it brought out the Classic 9's short comings and the sound stage was very flat and the bass anemic. This tube is probably a great bet for the Ming Da MC-7R, where toning down some of the tubey-ness of that preamp would be a plus. It would be terrible in the Bada DC-222, my guess, and it would make it too sterile, well, too German.

JJ Tesla 12AU7
The Teslas were an over-all, well rounded performer. They did not excite nor dull. They did make the sound a little velvety and greasy in the midrange. Use these in a system where it sounds a little harsh and tranistory to you. They perform well in the Bada DC-222. They may make the Ming Da MC 7 a little too smooth - so unless you like that sound consider other choices.

GE 5963
As far as the Classic 9.0 goes, this tube is one that I can live with. It is smooth and detailed throughout the midrange and delicate in the highs. It has a slight bass hump, and while it is not fat in the bass, it is a little pudgy. It had one of the best instruments and space placements and really let orchestras play through. All in all, it turned the Classic 9.0 into a different preamp. Use it in the Bada DC-222 if you want a more accurate sound with tube warmth and detail. It matches well in the 7R as it lets the rectifying tube perform its magic without too much interference.

RCA 5963
The RCA one ups the GE in terms of spacial acuity, high end articulation and detail. The bass is tighter and firmer, but not lean. Use this in the same way you would the GE. In the Classic 9.0, it was my favorite and the one I recommend (while they last).

All the best,

Vic

P.S Look for the Launch of my social network, "The Halo Getter", where we will discuss Audio, tubes, the high end industry and other fun-sense.