I recently bought an EICO hf-81 and had it rebuilt with new caps, resistors and other components that were either bad or out of tolerance. I have also updated the tubes with decent quality tubes. With that being said, my impressions are based on my limited audio experience.
The hf-81 used in conjunction with the right speakers, in my case very efficient Klipsch speakers, sounds awesome. I say the right speakers, only because of the limited output of 14watts per channel. I would also like to add that I have completely upgraded the speaker crossover networks, so they are very dynamic and detailed without the brightness that has been associated with Klipsch speakers.
I have listened to some high-end systems at hi-fi audio shops and have had the opportunity to own equipment such as Krell, Plinius, Sunfire and YBA. My hf-81 every bit as good, if not better, than some of the other equipment that I've owned. The musicality, warmth, smoothness and detail retrival is just amazing. The article, IMHO, accurately described what the EICO hf-81 is capable of. The only drawback of the hf-81 is the 14watts per channel output. Other than that, this little tube integrated is absolutely amazing.
It's not the "be all - end all" but it can easily compete with other pieces of equipment. When you look at the price point of this unit, it's hard to argue the tremendous value. I have not heard some of the others from that era like the Scott, Dynaco, Heathkit or Fisher. However, the way my hf-81 sounds, I perfectly satisfied that I have something that is one othe best.
