Is the Eico HF 81 really that good?

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.

Well,it does sound good in it's original condition. The one reviewed in Stereophile was HEAVILY modified by Sam's Audio Labs from Canada. So the chances of the original sounding as good are very unlikely. Is the original 81 better than moderm amps? Most likely not in most cases but it does sound real good especially for the price. BTW- the hf 12 and the other EICOs also sound very good. I love the ST 70 int. I have a hf 12 (mono) and a Motorola (mono) I found in a pile of older amps in my basement and decided to use them to power my ATOMS. It's laughable how good they sound even as mismatched as they are. Sometimes I feel some what ripped off with modern gear- very high priced compared to some of these (originial unmodified) vintage gems. I've put togerther many systems for less than $50 that can easily outperform systems priced at $5K BUT you have to maintain the old stuff. If you can get an EICO for under $50 , do it. It's worth hearing what goodvintage gear can sound like. More than that I wouldn't

hi,

"05-25-06: Lolo

Well,it does sound good in it's original condition. The one reviewed in Stereophile was HEAVILY modified".

From reading the article I believe it was restored and not modified.

Larry

Stereophile made it seem like this amp was one of the best ever. I have had loads of Marantz and Mcintosh and they were very good and now own Dynaco mk4's. I never really bothered with Eico gear. Could it really be worth $2000 to have this amp upgraded? Bob

The hf-81 in Stereophile had not only a COMPLETE ground up restoration, but had circuit tweaks. It is the pinnacle of what this little int. tube amp can be. For the majority of us, replacement of caps, resistors, upgrading tubes and vibration/isolation devices is as far as it goes.

That is how far I went with rebuilding/upgrading my hf-81 and it sounds outstanding. One thing about the hf-81 is that they have excellent output transformers but can be expensive if they need to be replaced.

I wouldn't spend $2K rebuilding/upgrading any hf-81. I would recommend finding one that is in good condition and doing a partial rebuild/upgrade that would probably cost in the neighborhood of $200-$400. An hf-81 is going to cost you more these days due to the glowing article but I bet you could still find one in the $150-$250 area.