Digital Drive: REVIEW: MHZS CD 66E CD Player/Recorder by McGruder

Model:	CD 66E
Category:	CD Player/Recorder
Suggested Retail Price:	$799
Description:	Vacuum Tube Selectable Upsampling CD Player
Manufacturer URL:	MHZS
Model Picture:	View

Review by McGruder on June 09, 2007 at 11:06:55
IP Address: 69.250.180.167 Add Your Review
for the CD 66E

For quite some time now, I have been using a fully modded RAM Denon 3910 as my digital source. This is a very nice universal player which I reviewed well over a year ago. I have read here on AA of the benefits of a dedicated RBCD player over a universal or hi-res player which may contain additional components and circuits to support SACD/DVD-A/Video, etc. The RAM performs well on RBCD, but the SACD's and DVD-A's are clearly more involving, posessing an audible improvement in smoothness, tonality, and subtle detail mostly evident in the delicate details in the upper treble and bass. The midrange is also more natural and organic on the hires formats. These distinctions are more of a generality than a rule, ie. there are poorly recorded SACD's that don't sound as good as most RBCD's, but in general, the RAM Denon 3910 portrays hi-res as a superior format to RBCD.

Since 90% of my music software is digital, I've wanted to experiment the notion that a dedicated player can surpass the performance of RBCD and possibly Hi-res formats over my heavily modded Denon 3910. I'm also running balanced connections between pre-amp and amp, and wanted to find a player that provides the XLR analog outputs for a completely balanced system fron to back. Being on a limited budget, I didn't figure on making a purchase anytime soon.

This changed when I exchanged some e-mails recently w/ an audiophile friend about his experiences with the MHZS CD 66E. He is also using a heavily modded Underwood Denon 3910 w/ tubed output stage. I value this fellows opinion, and he spoke very highly of the MHZS player, which he has since replaced with a much more expensive Electrocompaniet player. I've been cautious about build quality of the Chinese made audio equipment, and further this player has a proprietary DAC of their own. Nonetheless, I trust this man's opinion, and thought I'd give this a shot.

He pointed me to where I could purchase the player at the $689 price point (Pacific Valve), from a US-backed internet retailer. I received my player in excellent packaging a few days later, and savored the joy of breaking out a new component. I was immediately struck by the dense weight of this player compared to my Denon. I partially attribute this to the large toroidal PS in this player, where my Denon has an external transformer, and digital switching PS. The MHZS is encased completely in metal, about 3/8" thick in the front of the unit. The transport is a toploader, also solid metal sticking up about 5/8" above the top of the player. It comes with a dense round weight for manually placing on the center of the disc. The slide door manually glides with ease and has the feel of quality. I think it's an attractive player (mine is black) with a very readable display. The display can be configured to show track along with elapsed time, time remaining, total time remaining. There's a small window glass that makes the 2 - 12AX7 tubes visible through a blue smokey tint. This window is also the access panel for rolling tubes, so you don't have to remove the entire cover. I don't care for the silver buttons on the froint so much, but they look nice in a minimalistic way, and operate flawlessly.

The player counts down for 20 seconds when first powered on, I guess to warm the tubes in the ouput stage. Once a CD is placed inside, the weight placed in the center and door closed, the transport quickly reads the TOC and displays tracks and total time. I've been listening critically for 2 weeks now, as it seemed to take very little time for this unit to stabilize - I'd say only 20 hours of playing time. The seller's website says they perform break-in at their facility, and I have no reason to question the claim. The remote is a bit frustrating. Sometimes when I would simultaneously press the "skip" button on both remotes to the MHZS and the Denon, the MHZS remote would not execute the function. The buttons, when pressed have a less refined feel than the nice metal remote that comes with my BAT preamp.

I've auditioned this player with Acoustic Folk and Blues, Rock, Jazz, Classical, and even Heavy Metal. This player is much more reminiscent of the new era of tube sound than the warmish, bloomy sound you might have previously associated with a tubed player. If you didn't know any better, you'd think it's a very good solid state player. Nothing about is characterized as "warm", but rather, detailed, smooth and full of body and energy leaping out of a very quiet background. I find myself especially drawn to the words in vocals, much like I do with SACD on my Denon. All of this and the tonal or harmonic rightness is a big step forward from the Denon player, and yes, the sound from many more of my well recorded CD's is on par or even better than SACD through my RAM Denon 3910. I should say that most SACD's I've heard so far, like the Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, and Diana Krall "The Girl in the Other Room" are still sounding better, more natural, on the Denon compared to their RBCD layer being played on the MHZS. It's a difficult thing to define "better" because the dynamic qualities of this MHZS are a marked difference from the RAM Denon, which I'd always fancied as a pretty dynamic player in its own rite.

There is no question that RBCD is always better on the MHZS, especially when used in the controversially upsampled 176.4 KHz mode. I experimented with all 3 modes, and find that the majority of discs sound best in the 176.4KHz mode. I know many asylum members scoff at upsampling, but I can definitely say I hear the benefits. On Grateful Dead's "Reckoning" CD, the buzzing of the frets combined with the scrape of the pick on the strings and resonating of the bass strings sounds exquisitely earthy and real. Same can be said for Tim Reynolds "Stream" and Tony McManus "Ceol More". Margo Timmins vocals on Cowboy Junkies "Trinity Sessions" evokes the emotional content of the lyrics. Richard Thompson's work on electric guitar and mandolin stands is well defined and not overlaid by the bass, drum and organs on "Sweet Warrior". Junior Wells harmonica pierces through the quiet background without grain and remains in tonal correctness with Buddy Guy's acoustic playing on "Alone and Acoustic". Pat Metheney's "Life Talking" takes on a musicality, especially in the area of percussion and electric bass that clearly surpasses what I've known on the Denon. I should add that there is an extra level of smoothness and delicacy that is slightly better on the Denon with Pat Metheney's "Imaginary Day" over my old RBCD recording. If I had to summarize the improvement over the Denon RBCD, I'd have to say dynamics, depth and dimensionality are the qualities most improved upon, where the Denon is a very decent performer on RBCD in the first place. On all of the above selections, raising the volume to loud levels just elevated the sound presentation to more exhilirating levels without changing the presentation at all.

I should also add that using an aftermarket powerchord is imperative. My DIY'ed VHAudio Flavor-1 chord with Oyaide connectors fleshed out the bass and lower midrange into correctness with the rest of the midrange and treble. I'll also try an Ear-to-Ear red chord, but I don't expect a huge improvement from here.

The Element Cable cryoed twisted pair XLR IC's seemed to roll off some detail to the point where some of that wonderful dimeninality was compromised. I'm still trying to figure out whether Cardas Golden Cross or HGA Silver Lace XLR's sound better - they both synergize extremely well, with the Cardas Gold being a little bit smoother or midrange friendly, and the HGA silver Lace retrieving a little bit more detail allowing me to hear more subtlties in the music and ease with picking up lyrics.

I also rolled new Tung-Sol tubes in place of the stock JJ Teslas, to a much less significant, yet audible hint of additional warmth. I feel no need to keep rolling expensive tubes here.

One last note - there are 4 CD's in my collection which the Denon cannot read for whatever reason (I had to make CDR copies of them so the Denon could read them). The MHZS reads all of them without a hitch.

As you can see, I'm extremely impressed with the musicality of this player and can't seem to stop hanging out with my system. My experience with digital sources is limited, but for this modest $690 CDP to outperform RBCD on my RAM Denon which costed me about $4000 so handily, I'm floored with this player. If you are on a budget (or even if you are not), I recommend this player without any reservations.

Ken

Product Weakness:	Buttons on remote do not work sometimes, cannot change upsampling rate on the fly
Product Strengths:	Dynamic, open, detailed, nice body in midrange, heavy sturdy build, built from quality components, extreme value, sturdy metal remote

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Nuforce Ref 9.02 SE
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): BAT VK-31SE
Sources (CDP/Turntable): RAM Denon 3910
Speakers: Selah Audio Tanzanites
Cables/Interconnects: Cardas NR bi-wire, Cardas GR IC, HGA Silver Lace, DIY IC from Audio Consulting 4N unshielded silver IC, Element Cables cryoed twisted pair
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Folk, Blues, Jazz, Classical, Rock, Heavy Metal
Room Size (LxWxH): 20 x 14 x 16
Room Comments/Treatments: rugs, plants
Time Period/Length of Audition: 3 weeks
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Monster HTS 5100 MKII
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Nuforce Ref 9.02 SE
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	BAT VK-31SE
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	RAM Denon 3910
Speakers:	Selah Audio Tanzanites
Cables/Interconnects:	Cardas NR bi-wire, Cardas GR IC, HGA Silver Lace, DIY IC from Audio Consulting 4N unshielded silver IC, Element Cables cryoed twisted pair
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Folk, Blues, Jazz, Classical, Rock, Heavy Metal
Room Size (LxWxH):	20 x 14 x 16
Room Comments/Treatments:	rugs, plants
Time Period/Length of Audition:	3 weeks
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Monster HTS 5100 MKII
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner