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.

The Velvet Underground

If it weren't for Stephen Mejias' Stereophile Blog, I would never know about the Vacuum State of the Art Conference & Show in Vancouver, WA. You can reach their site: http://www.vsac2008.com/index.html

Now I bet you thought I was going to talk about a New York band - so sorry to disappoint. I am talking about the underground of audio that exists and few seem to venture into it. Let me encourage you, there are some real gems here.

Looking for Citation tube amps? Look no further than Jim Mcshane, who has come to be sort of a legend here at Pacific Valve. How about some great cables? Consider Jena Labs, known for great cables and now some cool looking loud speakers.

We also partner with some under ground folks: Response Audio and APL Hi Fi. Since we are part of the "underground" our best bet is to partner with them, where they can mod our products and offer you, the consumer, an upgrade path for your investment.

What else makes the underground so cool is that you can get great products, upgrades and personal support at rock bottom prices. Theses craftsmen (and woman) put all their rubles into making great products and not advertising in main stream audio magazines. These craftspeople are here and making the hobby great. What a gift they are.

There are many, many underground folks, some compete with us. Please Google them: Morrow Audio, Vacuum Tube Valley, the Tube Store (great, just great), tube depot (answers all your questions), Brent Jessies Vacuum tubes - and many more.

All th best,
Vic

Old Tubes, New Tubes


There are certainly some tube purists out there. Some folks will only entertain NOS - New Old Stock tubes. These tubes go by the now defunct brands of: Telefunken, Siemens, GE, Sylvania, RCA etc... Others will entertain the mix, adding in the makers of new tubes: Electro Harmonix, JJ Tesla, Tung Sol, Sovtek etc.

Why the divide? Why do some purists "poo poo" the new makers of tubes. Over all, I am sot sure, but I would like to take the time to open the eyes.

12ax7s
We have a con-num-drum here is that I am very little of the 12AX7 derivatives out there. Tung Sols seem to be the best all-around performers. Forget ELectro Harmonix and Sovteks sans the excellent Sovtek LPS, which is an exception to the Sovtek grainy rule. If you are looking for NOS tubes, Telefunkens are the ones to get. I would not pass by any 12AX7 NOS at this point including GEs, Sylvanias etc. Some of these NOS brands are either too expensive or not readily available. I undestand that Tung Sol makes an excellent gold standard 12AX7. This new tube is readily available and may fit the bill. Cannot comment, have not heard it.

12AT7s
Cannot find a new tube that I say that I like. Especially when the GE 12AT7s and Sylvanias are so readily available. If you are going new, forget EH or Sovteks. Try the JJs

12AU7s
The JJ Tesla 12AU7s are not bad. But, they do not provide the low noise, see through depth and coherence that a GE 6189, Ge 5963 or RCA 5963 provide. Nor are they as stately as the German RFT 12AU7. Again, some of these NOS brands are readily available. If you are going new, I like the JJs


6922/6DJ8
Here we have another tube-num-drum. The new JJs are quiet and liguid. The JAN GEs are NOS and they are on par if not slightly better in some applications. But none of these have the transparency of the Amperex or RCA 6DJ8s. Those are the ones to buy if you can get them.

There are also some honorable mentions here for new tubes:

• The Shuguang 2A3 (highly underestimated, white label)
• Shuguang 300BC (white label)
• Shuguang KT88-98 (not the KT88)
• Shuguang 6550
• Electro Harmonix KT88
• ELectro Harmonix 6550

Have not heard the Genlexes - I hear that they are great as well

All the best,

Vic

Game, SET, Match

I amazed and then not surprised. Contradiction? Perhaps. I am amazed at how many audiophiles do not embrace SETs (Single Ended Triode) amps. I first thought it was because of their low wattage. Take the Classic 16.2. For $2000 you get 9 watts, that is, in Phase Linear 400 terms, $223 bucks a watt. Hardly a bargain. Moreover, how many of us have speakers that could drive large rooms with just 9 watts. So I am not surprised at its small customer base.

If 9 watts won't work for you, there is the Ming Da MC 3008-A, which I have blogged about ad nauseum. Now that is 40 watts per channel. So why has this not caught on? Its $54 bucks a watt. But what's with the weird sci fi tube? So, I am not surprised it has a small customer base.

How about the Ming Da MC 84C - that is $40 a watt - but a great entry point - less than $600. But at only 13 watts per channel, it may be great for my den, but not for my system. So, I am not surprised at its small customer base.

What a shame. Single Ended Triodes offer just spectacular sound: deep wide bass, wide open west midrange and seductive highs. If you have never experienced one, its time you pony up and at least give one a try. You will not be disappointed and watt for watt, you will be competing against some amps costing over $20,000.

There I go again, talking about over-priced audio. I just could not help myself. The $20,000 amp is $375 bucks a watt.

Whats up with OP AMPS??

We have CD players that use OP AMPS and CD players that do not. Then again, there are CD players that use tubes and those that do not. SACD players and HDCD players, top loaders and front loaders - I've got a headache.

So, you are thinking OP AMPS are artificial and solid state sounding - they reek of what solid state grunge does to music - right? Not so fast. I am here to tell you that it really depends upon the sound you are after and not the notion of whether it uses op amps or not.

Take for example, the Lite 15 CD player that we use to carry. A fine CD player that was still better than an NAD or Rotel. It did not use op amps - it was solid state discrete. But, it never did sound better than the MHZS CD 33 or the Bada HD-22SE with the solid state output. The MHZS and the Bada uses op amps.

Then there is the Jolida player - a fine player that I like. But, I do not know if it is as delicate or detailed as an MHZS CD 88. The Jolida does not use op amps, the MHZS does.

You convinced?

Modders swap op amps and interchange them with other op amps and improve the sound - its just like tube rolling. So before you make your selection on op amps or no, use our sound guide and recommendation to help you in purchasing decision,

All the best,

Vic

In the media spotlights

The news squawk boxes are really pushing out a lot these days. A recent and very sad event at Northern Illinois University near our warehouse has got a hold of my sorrows. And then, there is the socio politico: we have two candidates struggling to find out who will be the Jimmy Carter heir-apparent, and on the other side, a cacophony of upset folks are upset that their candidate did not learn economics from "Bed time for Bonzo." Whew!! Its time to turn my attention to some quality music!

But we certainly have some products that are not in the main stream and you will not find out about on any squawk box, unless you are a frequent traveler to Head fi or Audio Asylum. Three products come to mind: the Shuguang S8 amp, the Image 650 and the Image M12 mono blocks.

Truth be told, we sell very few of these - only because they have not caught on. (we sold very few MHZS products in the beginning and now we can't keep them in stock) They are some excellent amps in every respect: build quality, features and sound quality. Enough said!

The Shuguang amp is made by the same company as the the fine Shugang KT88-98, 2A3C and 300BC tubes. The solder joints and components are all top notch and expertly crafted. (There is a review of the Shuguang S8 from Affordable Audio). There is a bias adjustment for switching out the power tubes to your favorite KT88 or 6550. The sound is the best part as it not as sweet or euphonic as the Mind MC 368B90 (which is our best selling integrated, BTW) . This is one of the "newer" sounding Chinese amps; it more neutral throughout the range, warm - yet real in its presentation. The bass is more controlled and not overly ripe - I am not sure if it beats my favorite integrated, the Doge 6130 - but it comes close enough if that I have to get these two together.

Then there is the obscure Image 650 basic amplifier. This is truly wonderful and detailed. I have to match it with a best preamp (Doge 8 or Ming Da MC 2A3) to get my full satisfaction. My "full satisfaction" is an amp that pushes music into the room; its bloom gives me a sense of excitement. When I listen to this amp, I cannot believe that it is just 50 watts as it sounds as powerful as the Ming Da MC 368B90 or the Ming Da MC 34AB. I must say that I really, really like the EH6550 tubes a la Jim McShane (my tube mentor) recommends. Its low end is not as tightly controlled as the Shuguang or the Doge, but it rocks, what can I say?

Likewise for the Image M12. Which sounds like a powerful Shuguang S8 or Doge 6130. It is a tightly controlled low end, has a tube midrange but no syrup. I powered up my 1977 ARC D150 next to it and could not believe that i had a D-150 that was not over ripe or "dated" in it sound. The image presentation is spectacular as the sound stage of the Chicago symphony widens and deepens with no "fuzz" around the pluck of the violin string.

Dollar for dollar, these three "no brand" did not disappoint. Granted, they do not have the cache of a full page Stereophile ad - but they are truly special, well made and made for tube lovers.

Sitting

I am in a Cat Stevens kind of mood - " Sitting on my own not by myself, everybody's here with me" and that is how I find myself when folks call in and ask me to compare one of our products to re-branded Chinese brand (NAD, Cambridge) or for that matter, a Chinese brand (Cayin, Prima Luna, Vincent) to one of our brands

And it is not really true that our brands are sooooo superior that they are not even worth the discussion - that is not it all. In fact, the brands, mentioned above a really excellent brands. They are just, well, priced liked the real estate market in 2003-2004.

And this is the part that everyone misses. A new paradigm has emerged in high end audio and I hope you do not miss it. Pacific Valve aside, there is now and there will be for the foreseeable future, a chance to purchase some excellent high end products at rock bottom prices. Pacific Valve aside, companies like Morrow audio and Vacuum tube valley are re-branding the Yaqin products and selling them to you at a reasonable price. They, in effect, are imitating our "Insurance" model of giving you the best from China, but with warranty, repair and support. And although we do not carry the Yaqin products, (sans for an excellent tube buffer), we applaud these folks.

But you may miss it. I still see prejudice on the audiophile boards. And just like the folks that believed in the spontaneous generation during the 18th century, we have folks on the boards that still believe in the combustion generation; Chinese audio equipment self-destructs like the mission impossible tape, and given the chance, a KT88 amp will take the high-road to pyrotechnics. If they are not tooting the fire extinguisher horn, they insists that the efforts of a Pacific Valve, Morrow or VTV result in a slave labor camps that makes the tomfoolery on the "Lord of flies" seems conservative.

But you may miss it - because this nonsense goes unchallenged. Someone asks a question, these ridiculous statements are made, and then the thread ends. The truth of the matter, is that if any of this were true, the gang of 3 (Pacific, Morrow, VTV) would surely be out of business by now. The truth of the matter is, when you buy a Ming Da, Yaqin, Jolida or for that matter a Cayin amp, you are helping a family business grow and prosper in a country where persecution and lack of freedom are to the culture what 12AX7s are to phono preamps. Helping, not hurting a family business in a country like this, well folks, this, is a nice sound.

The folks that import Chinese products and triple the cost they are missing it - not Mr. Morrow or the folks at VTV- they are getting it.

So I am sitting answering these emails asking to compare equipment at a reasonable price with equipment that is triple the price of what you can get it for at a local cafe on Heifei. But why? Don't miss it

All the best,

Vic

A New Pair of Phones


I am the first to admit that I am not a head phone guy. I just don't get it - why listen to a pair of speaker cans when you can tap your toe to some gut thumping bass.

Alas, we now carry quite a few headphone amplifiers and someone has to comment on them and that someone is me. Oh yes, my new phones are AKG 701s which replace my Grado SRS 225s

Let me say that the AKGs are a world of difference on some of these amps. And let me go so far as to say that the art of headphone - amp matching is a much more arduous art than the art of amplifier-speaker matching. This art's refinement is so much so that your phones can sound thin, tinnny and our of sorts with the wrong amp. Its more than just a roll-off of highs or a softening of the bass.

Friends of the low impedance Grado are not friends of the high impedance AKG - except for one Doge 6120 head amp, who seems to be friendly to all.

The BL Audio is no friend of the Grado, but endears itself, to the AKG - except for the fact that the volume control must be adjusted to the 1:00 position. The BL Audio is delicate, light and pretty darn quite. So unique is the little guy that I dare use it as a passive preamp for a CD player and will be comparing it to my Ming Da MC 2A3

The Bada sound stage is a delicate dance with the AKGs it throws a sound stage wide and deep and yet gives me just wonderful details and warmth.

The Doge 6 is the best all around. It has a slightly warm bass that is needed with phoned (MHO) and silky smooth highs. I equipped mine with Phillips 6BQ5s and 5751s - ah...

The new Ming Da is in a class by itself and it shines above the Doge in just about every aspect except the high end where me thinks the Ming Da is slightly rough around the edges.

And that's the way they sound........

With AKG 701s, at least....

Sitting in the Middle Row.


I have a listening bias.

I like things upfront, that bloom into the room. I am a detail freak. I get jazzed when I hear fingers on instruments and vocalists wetting their lips. I am all about that. Hence, I really like items like Doge CD players and SET amps.

Management asked me to review the new Image equipment. It was in a room above our warehouse in Dekalb, IL. I was excited to review these amps so I scurried up there.

The equipment in the room was the Ming Da MC 2A3 preamp, the Image M12 and 650, some Thiel speakers, a SONY transport and much to my disliking, the DAC 68.

I just can't figure out DAC 68 people. They are an odd bunch to me. The DAC 68 is a noisy creature (not so with balanced out). Since I am a DAC 62 lover, I always turned it down for the punchier, dynamic, DAC 62. DAC 68 people swear by its tonal neutrality and how it portrays music. I was always disinterested.

But now I am forced to listen. After awhile, I finally realized what they had been saying. Yes, it is a little noisy. If you put your ear up to the speaker, you will hear some white noise. I fitted my with JJ tesla 6922s and started listening.

My problem was and is, that my equipment choices either place me in the front row or in the singer's lap. Not so with the DAC 68. I finally felt myself in the music hall. Seated somewhere in the middle row. I became aware of they ambient hall around me and it caused my head to turn to the left and the right as I heard 'air" coming from the sides of the speaker. Vocalists were not so frontal, they were all kind of laid back, yet detailed - just like they would be at the Erie Crown or the Park West in Chicago.

Ok, DAC 68 people, you convinced me. Now, despite its noise, I see why you are buying these and creating your own little DAC 68 "club". Its sound is not out of this world, but in the middle of the world.

All the best,

Vic

When Things Sound Similar


If you continue down this sentence, I m about to say something outrageous. For the most part, Audio components sound similar. Not the same, but Similar.

Take for example, the early Audio Research, Conrad Johnson and Dynanco products. They all sound similar: warm sweet midrange, slight lack of detail, rich, fat low end. You could say the same about Byrston and Mark Levinson.

Then you get a product that does not sound similar. These are few. The Ming Da MC 2A3 preamp is one of those products. It just does not sound like anything I heard before.

The Ming Da MC 2A3 is a series of paradoxes. For so many tubes, it does not sound tube like. For such a nice preamp, you cannot select inputs from the remote, and for the price/performance, well, its stupid cheap.

When I look at the preamp and see those tubes, I cannot imagine what it does - and that is, straight wire with gain. I am expecting a lush over rich, over ripe presentation. Instead I get a wonderful presentation of music, gobs of detail and a a slight, ever so slight warmth.

Another paradox is that it has no controversy. From the email we get from people we trust with good ears, it a unanimous vote. The Ming Da MC 2A3 is so out there, there are very few things in the less than 10K price range, that sound similar to it.

Super, Super Audio CDs

I now have in my hot big hands, a Diana Krall SACD, a the Diana Krall CD in redbook, a Doge 6 CD player and a Shanling SCD300

You know what I am going to do, don't you?

I let each one warm up sufficiently and then took it for a spin. What a difference! Talk about two different personalities!

The Shanling's tubes did what they were supposed to do, provide warmth on the background. To date, this is the most detail I have ever heard from spinning plastic and its rendition was breath taking, to the point where I felt like going up to her (Diana Krall) and asking her where the vending machine was.

Whenever I wanted detail, I always had to give something up: warmth, goose bumps etc. What I got in return was detail, but also fret with irritation. Such is the problem with all NOS DACS that I heard. I like their detail, their dynamics - but, put a bad CD in one of those and look out - you are in for a harsh lesson. The Shanling is the first CD player, first CD player ever, to cut through the muck and give you correct semblance on a cymbal, the sound of the skin on the drum, the pluck of the bass without the background tin.... etc. All of this was truly startling. I never liked any other SACD player because the detail was colored with the solid state gunk that I never liked. Now, all of that was gone.

Enter the Doge 6.

Playing the same cut through the DOGE 6 finally told me what it was all about. The Doge 6 pushed Diana in front of the instruments, gave her air around her voice, let me hear the concert hall. This, this, is what I listen to tubes for. If the Shanling was a new high definition TV. It was clear, crisp clean - it brought you into the music because its cut through all the fog. But, the Doge 6 is a romantic - it just might bring in some fog it feels that the room is smoky. The Doge 6 will do things to music that will really startle you and cause you to sit back in your chair, close your eyes and just listen.

So which one? I have both. When I want to listen clean and through, its an SACD on the Shanling, when I want romance, the Doge.

But it is never, never an SACD on a Japanese label player or a redux Marance. Too solid state for me. I just don't like my SACDs any other way.

All the Best,

Vic

Digitalis


I admit freely that some of us here are not real cable people. Opinions vary. My beef is that its just one more variant that I have to worry about. So, what drones like myself do, is pick a good set of speaker and interconnect cables and just go back to rolling tubes and tweaking.

Until I got a hold of this digital cable.

It was the most unlikely of things. This is the last piece of equipment that I wanted to bother with or have anything to do with. This is the last piece of equipment that I though would make a difference. The monster coax that I was using between my Lite CD player and the DAC62 was suiting me just fine. Then someone borrowed it. Through serendipity, I picked up the Xindak DC-01. WOW.

Images suddenly snapped into place. Air appeared where there was not before. It gave me, do I dare say it, as big of an improvement as the Amprexes I was using. Then I became addicted. I tried it on the DAC60 Modified, then the Great March 2, then the DAC AM and the DAC AH - on each, it completely changed the sonic character and made them into new DACS.

So,I am reformed. On digital cables, that is. What a difference.

All the best,

Vic

Three Blind Mice

Two blogs ago, I decided to review the top end CD players: the MHZS CD 88, the Shanling CD 300 (or for an extra $5o0 you can have an extra zero for a CD 3000) and the Doge 6. Today its the MHZS CD 33, BADA HD22 and the Shanling T-80.

Taking a blind test on these is like having someone blind fold you, then taking you on a plane, train or automobile and asking, "which one are you in?" They are all different - completely different- and reviewing them was an interesting endeavor.

Take the MHZS CD 33. The 33 uses the same chip as the 66 and 88 but a different transport and output buffer topology. We replaced the stock Chinese 6N3 tubes with GE 5670s. The MHZS 33 is, I now declare, the best value in CD player history. It has the sonic characteristics of the Shanling CD 300 (or, if you want an extra zero and have $500 to spare - CD 3000) and the life like presentation of its older siblings. Complex dynamic passages lose their edge, pianos sound life-like and vocals are precise. It does not however, have the last word in detail. So the MHZS places you about 15 rows back in the orchestra hall where the congeal of the orchestra, no matter how complex, makes it way over to your ears.

Witness the Bada HD-22. The HD 22 is the boldest of the group. It has the dynamics of the Doge 6 and the detail of the MHZS CD 88. Its dynamic presentation and un-veiled push is fun to listen to. With complex jazz and rock the player places itself in first place as it pumps bass and drives a frontal presentation of the midrange. While the BADA HD-22 is the most fun, its boldness is not always easy to listen to. As a side effect - small quartets and small jazz ensembles come through with uncanny realism and life like performance. As a matter of fact, if this is what I listened to all the time I would own the Bada, no question.

Then there is the Shanling T-80. The T-80 want to be a solid state CD player. It really does. It is dead neutral across the entire spectrum and has uncanny detail for a CD player in the $500 price range. (P.S. I have not found one with an extra zero, so for those of you who insist on spending the extra $500, you may have to wait for the Shanling t-800). The bass is firm and does not have the ripeness of the 33 nor the push of HD-22. If you listen to music that is across the spectrum, the the T-80 is the one for you. Replace the 6N3 tubes and it becomes even more neutral while gently imparting a high gloss over the upper midrange and a slight emphasis in the lower midrange.

So let me some it up with James Taylor, Janis Ian and the latest release from the Jone's Street Boys:

• For the MHZS the line up (James, Taylor, Janis Ian and the Jones Street Boys) were in a small cozy night club with a nice set of tube amps,
• For the Bada - they were at Ravinia Park (an outside theater) and I had a front seat, and
  
• For the Shanling T-80 (or for $500 we will add the extra zero - T-800), you were in the studio with these cats.

All the best,
Vic

Amer-A-Chord

When I was a small boy growing up in Skokie, IL my parents had, ever since I could remember, a Telefunken console Hi Fi. It was a big wood thing with a Phono, Am/FM/Short Wave and speakers running along the bottom. It was pure mono. I would peak around the back, after I turned it on, to watch the tubes glow. I am guessing, at this point, that they were probably EL84 tubes. The sound that it produced was as smooth as silk, a little shy on the bass and lacking dynamics.The mid range, especially vocals, were unbelievable.

I also remember going over to some friends that my parents had at the time and got a chance to poke around the back, of what was the largest hi fi console I had ever seen in my life, a Fisher console - vacuum tube, of course. The Fisher produced wonderful EL4 based sound.

Just as I was done playing ball one day, we went over to a friends house for some kool aid, and there it was. I never seen anything like it. It floated the LP on a chassis that was suspended, what seemed to be mid air. The platter was as large as the disc. It said, "AR, Inc" on a brass palate that was attached to a wood plinth. It sat upon an H. H. Scott integrated tube amplifier and fed an Electrovoice speaker pushed in a corner. My fried played "Cecilia" from Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water and I never, ever, to this day, heard such an ass kicking low end.

Growing up in the Skokie - Evanston area there were many high end stores to choose from as there still are today. There was a chance for a hobbyist and even a novice to get decent sound.

Now I live in another suburb of Chicago and I am afraid that my children will never experience Telefunken/Fisher/ AR, Inc hi fi that I once had. When they go over to their friends houses, they have something they bought on sale or worse yet, a TV / AV system they purchased at Best Buy. The sound is never smooth, there is nothing innovative from a sound quality point of view and nobody really cares what it sounds like, just how it looks. Such is the strip mall like hi fi land that they live in. Their friends see the tubes and weird looking speakers in our house, but no one is interested. Maybe its because it does not get 330 HDTV channels.

Such is the past, such is my child hood. I have very few friends who have a decent stereo in their homes or even have the inkling in purchasing one. Before my wife's grandmother passed away, she had a Grundig console sitting in her living room. "I suppose I should get rid of this big thing", she quipped, "But it just produces such good sound, and I can't buy anything that sounds like it"

Now she does not know anything about cables, power conditioning or DACs - but she does know good sound, and she too is part of the past.

Moe, Larry & Curly


I have often wrote about the differences between Cd players. I make such incredulous statements like, "The differences between CD players is greater than the differences between cartridges" So what I am saying is that the differences between a Lyra and, say a Dynavector diamond is smaller than the difference between an NAD and Rotel.

And such is the differences between three high end CD players: the MHZS CD 88, The Shanling CD 300/3000 and the Doge 6. (Moe, Larry and Curly et. al)

Take Moe, the MHZS CD 88. Fitted with Tung Sol tubes or GE 5751 black plates + the obscure OB2 tube (Sovtek) swapped for the even more reclusive WY2 tube is a player that it is the most articulate. Take a voice like Elvis Costello's where you can here the crisp vocals that almost sound a little "etchy". This CD player, can be very delicate yet at times, very detailed int he mid range and rips every last bit of detail from the disk. Note that I did not call the MHZS CD 88 "Edgy" I called it "Etchy" where you are drawn into the subtleties and details of the canvas. I kind of like this sound.

Then there is Larry, the Shanling CD 300/3000 or just add them together for the 3300. Fitted with JJ Tesla 6922s, the Shanling is the smoothest of the the three and comes across rich, lush and musical. Here Elvis Costello sounds like he just had some nice hot tea and lemon and the "etchy" part of his voice was missed. The Shanling paints a smooth water color canvas with a broad stroke and places you in the center of the concert hall where the music blends together nicely. Classical, quartets and bar room jazz are great with the Shanling.

And now for Curly, the Doge 6. The Doge 6 clowns around with the music and reveals things to you that are there that you thought were not there. The MHZS CD 88 and the Shanling are CD players, but the Doge 6 is the master tape - it reveals something quite different and that's why nothing else sounds like it.

Sorry it took so long for this post. I experienced a loss of a loved one and I was out of pocket for a while. Now I am plugged in.

Next time we will take a look at some low cost CD players: MHZS CD 33, the BADA PH-12 and the Shanling T80.

Getting the Highs Right.

DAC 62 folks seem to fall into two camps: The high end is just like vinyl or the high end is veiled. Hmmm, discrepancy. What are these vinyl people hearing that the other camp is not hearing?

When I hear that it is veiled, the comparison is almost always other CD players and DACs. When I hear that it is just like vinyl, you guessed it, its from some former Decca lover.

This caused me to pause and try to understand what is happening. Why the phenomena,? Why the duality? And, more importantly, who is right?

Here is my theory. Thanks, no less to mid-fi manufacturers and “The Bunch” (See my previous BLOGs), our ears have been inundated with high end grunge. We are used to the biting, rice krispie crackle of high end digital conversion that passes from our beloved tweeters into the room. We have been conditioned to think that this is what a high end sounds like. So akin are we to this, that when the grunge goes away, we think that some of the high end went with it.

And such was the dilemma facing one Henry Kloss when he first showed us a tape full of hiss, and then a high end compression – expansion appliance crafted by one Ray Dolby. I swore Dolby took away some of the high end of the cassette. I vowed never to use such a thing because I would rather listen to hiss and more high end, then listen to no hiss with some of the music missing.

But that was not the case. Dolby does not remove the music and so neither does a correct conversion process. My new test is that if I am listening to a new DAC and notice some of the high end “veiled”, I now take a closer listen. Perhaps it is the ghost of Henry Kloss.

The 805 Tube


I have been asked to audition the Ming DA MC 3008-A mono block amp that uses a 805, 300B, 12AX7 and 12AU7 tubes. The amp, in the newest designs from Ming Da, can be used as a “basic” amplifier (i.e., needs a preamp) or as an integrated amplifier (Preamp included). I chose the “basic” setting and used the Ming DA MC 2A3 mega tube preamp.

I have to admit that I never seen(except pictures), ergo, never heard an 805 tube This always bothered me, being the SET nut that I am, I have never been in the same room with an 805 or an 845, for that matter. I opened up a large tube box that looked like it should hold a pint of Mcallan Scotch instead of a tube. Nestled inside was one of these 805 retro blimps.

I sported a pair of white gloves and removed the 805 pop bottle from the container and placed it in the amp. Twisting to the left, the 805 torpedo snapped firmly in place. Now for the weird part, on top of the pop bottle was the anode cap where Ming DA Supplies a white bead like wire that snaps firmly in place. This is the weirdest tube installation that I have ever done.

I was ready to go. I turned on the amp. The 805 lit up like a roman candle. So bright was its display that I thought it was going to blow up. But alas, it remained that way for a while and both mono blocks were identical in their luminary flirtatious display. I was not used to this as all the tubes that I know light up slowly and then reach their operating current. Not so with this one – it was more like turning on a light bulb. Luckily the Ming DA provides a warm up circuit that gives the 805 plenty of time to stabilize.

I couldn’t stand it; I let the amp warm up for an hour and then gave it a go. On went “Marlena” from Joni Mitchell’s Travelogue (excellent recording, BTW and a must for any reviewer).

What a completely different experience. I was usually use to the low wattage 2A3s (my favorite), 300Bs and EL84s. 40 watts of this stuff? What a surprise!

Before I start my rave, I need to discuss something that I think is missing in most equipment: authority, Authority is transparency, imaging and dynamics combined to create the image solidly in the room.. I do not know if it was the Doge 6, the Ming DAs or the combination, but I felt authority, I heard bass without boom, midrange without over-voicing or etching and a high end without glitter.

The SET sound is unique. The bane of small wattage surrounds it, until now. These high powered over sized fire flies are causing me to throw all my KT88s and 6550s away. Is it possible?

A Question of Quality

We hear it all the time, “I heard that Chinese equipment, in particular those tube amps, are a piece of junk – they are built like krap” or “Ha, buy one now, and buy one three years later” or how about someone trying to be polite, “Chinese equipment is of dubious quality and origin” But my all time favorite is, “The equipment is not made for 110v even though you can plug it straight into 110v” What??

Let me set the record straight: The origin of Chinese equipment is not dubious, its from China. As far as its quality goes, lets take a stroll down memory lane, shall we?

• The Dayton Wright electrostatics arc’d themselves to smithereens given any good crescendo.
• The Sonus Blue cartridge was held together with peanut butter and in the middle of a good Sheffield labs would self destruct with the cartridge body spinning around like it was on the mad tea cup ride at Disney.
• Connect a solid state amplifier to an ARC SP-3A AC jack and you will smoke the SP-3's Scott transformer
• You will need a good stiff beverage when your $8000 Beveridge amp smokes the main lens and cylinder
• Once you arc your Quad ESL 57, its rip, rip, rip all the way home
• Turning on your Audio Research D-90B was always a celebratory event: smoke and flames flying everywhere – better have Leonard on speed dial.
• Ever wonder why there is not an Audio Research SP-6D? By the way, I am NOT picking on Audio Research here. I love them
• “You mean to tell me that you still have a Magnepan tone arm that is still working”?
• Or, “Oh yes, after a couple a years or so the Mylar glue weakens and you will have to send it back to us”
• Clean your KLH 9s lately?
• Who can forget the bass of the "flames" Linear 700, 700B or 400? Once you blew an output transistor, you were dead in the water until you replaced all of them
• Any G.A.S. Ampzilla Meter.
  

And so on……

You see, high end equipment, like Jaguars, that push the state of the art are not the most quality driven things. All I can say is that my Dayton Wrights, Quads, Magenepans, Sonus Blue, Beveridges and ARC amps gave me years of pleasure. I hope your high end experience does the same for you. The truth of the matter, Chinese equipment is not any more or less quality oriented that some US made equipment. Owners who stock both Chinese and American gear will tell you that.

On another note, most of the quality opinions come from audiophile boards. Those authors are of dubious origin. Perhaps its fear, fear that a $4000 amp and $3000 CD player do not sound any better than a Ming Da $699 amp and a $499 Bada CD player. Hmmm. This industry is due for a good house cleaning and shake out.

All the best,

Vic

Those Mercurial 12AX7s



The 6922/6DJ8s are pretty normal acting preamplifier tubes. If they sound bad, they sound bad no matter what the application: preamp, tube buffer etc. Same with 12AT7s / 12AU7s

Not so with 12AX7s. 12AX7s are, well just plain weird.

Take the Sovtek 12AX7LPS. Its common knowledge that I am not a fan of Sovteks. My initial suspicion occurred when a guitar player said, “Yeah, I like those tubes, they distort the sound pretty good”! Ok – so this is where Vic and musicians part ways. The 12AX7LPS though is a phenomenally great preamp tube. It has a great low end and a warm midrange without smearing things together a la JJ Tesla. Place the same Sovtek 12AX7LPS’ in a Doge 6 CD player and it is just plain awful. Place them in the Shuguang CD player and it breaks free form its Jolida roots and sounds articulate. Put in back in the Ming Da MC 7R – don’t do it to me - yuch!

Then there is the GT Mallards Replicas. In the Doge, Shuguang and Ming Da amps, just wonderful. So So in the Doge 6 CD player and too much Jolida in the Shuguang CD player.

Then there is the JAN 12AX7WA - My favorite all around tube which even makes a C&Y*N amp (you do the math) sound good. So go figure. I have never heard these tubes sound bad, they sound good although do not have the spectacular presentation that the Mullards or Sovteks do.

The JJ Teslas do not excite me no matter where I put them.

I have not heard the Tung Sols – I know, I Know , I will let you know when I do.
Then, we also have the 5751s – yikes!

All the Best,

Vic