Which one would you buy


So, I came across these "rebuilt" EICO HF-81 integrated amplifiers. 
Which one would you buy?


1. SkiFi Audio - $3200 - Ebay link

2. Hamand hifi - $855 - Ebay link

noromance

Showing 1 response by devinplombier

Generally, what @mulveling said. 

Skyfi's business model is to soothe the paranoid, you-get-what-you-pay-for crowd with bloated prices and cloying pseudotechnical mini-essays.

The Ham & Hi-fi listing does have great pictures showing a quality rebuild. Where I diverge a bit is reading this from their listing

note that the tubes are untested and we cannot guarantee their condition, particularly the vintage 12AX7. Further, you'll notice that the screws that hold the gold cover in place are missing, but you can likely find substitutes at your local hardware store.

1. Why didn't they test the tubes? Surely a shop with the word "ham" in its name has got a tube tester somewhere.

2. If the tubes are untested, how was the amp tested? Different set of tubes? Maybe I missed that part and now I'm too lazy to go back 😃

3. Just replace the cover screws already if your local hardware store "likely" has them. Asking $855 for an amp but not bothering to get $2 worth of screws and spray painting their heads to match, I don't know, unless I'm missing something, that kinda rubs me the wrong way honestly.