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.

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.