MHZS 66F vs 88F CD players

I bought an 88 player about a year ago and after reading some of the negative posting thought I had probably bought a lemon.
I have owned this unit for about a year and have had no
problems.I think it is a very nice sounding unit.Replacing the stock tubes helped a lot.

Actually, Lampizator, who exposed the use of the cheap DAC in the 66, described the build quality and internal layout as "fantastic" and the sound was well worth the price. "would be a 10/10 to people who don't know any better". A left-handed compliment to be sure, but still high praise coming from a person who is claiming the company is perpetrating a fraud. Additionally, later in the article, he talks about an upgraded 88 with a new DAC.

Read for yourself. Not that his opinion means anything to you, but when you hear these horror stories, you should see for yourself where they're coming from.

http://www.lampizator.eu/LAMPIZATOR/REFERENCES/MHZS/MHZS_CD66F.html

I owned the 33 and 88 'E' models. I thought they were pretty well built, certainly stout (some of the heaviest players I've had -lots of thick metal), no mech issues ever. Of course, I did not have them for more then a few months each. The buttons on the 88 sort of stuck the first time you pushed them and I thought the sensor-by-wire was a bit hokey on the top loading cover.

Build quality is not first rate but on par with better then average Chi-Fi. Sound quality of the two were both equal to or above price range IMO. The 33 really had a gutsy sound, great for rock. At the prices they're going for on agon, they are very good deals on decent players. The 66 seems to be the player in the sweet spot with many positive price/performance raves, some saying it is a very, very good player.

Call Joe at pacific valve -- knowledgeable and fairly personable guy.

Take that Lampizator stuff and the fake part cries with a grain of salt. Sound is what matters, and IME they sounded pretty good.

Lampizator clearly seems prejudiced.