NOSValves Posted October 15, 2002 Share Posted October 15, 2002 Well came home today to a package and much to my suprise it was the Donor HF-81 that Mike a forum member from Chicago promised to send me (I have pesterd him for weeks now Thanks Mike). It was definitly a Donor unit beat up bad and missing Nobs rusted like crazy !! But the transformers are all good . Kelly almost sh!t his pants when I told him I bought the unit I did well maybe he will change his mind after what I write here . The unit I purchased was from another member of this forum that purchased it sight unseen from Ebay for a buy it now price of $75 and took his chances. He wrote me and sent me photos wanting to know of it was repairable. Someone had messed with the rectifiers(installed SS units)and most likely didn't have a clue what they were doing !! I said that I had no way of knowing what it would take to fix it. He decided to have a friend bring it up on a variac before deciding to send it to me. When doing this it vibrated badly and blew fuses at 40 volts AC wow !! He decided he was just going to shelve it so I offered to buy it for what he paid for it $75 he said okay as long as if I fix it and decide to sell I would offer it to him first I agreed its only fair right ! Well when it got to me I tested things out and it had a bad and not even original Main Power transformer I was bumming but figured if I couldn't get a original I could buy one that would work. Well it took me about 2 hours today to remove the Power transformer from the donor and paint it and put it in my amp . Then I installed my stock of all Mullard tubes in the little beast and put it on the variac 50 for a hour than 60 and so on. It is now playing away while I type. I'll have to admit I can now see what Kelly rants about with this amp. It does have major air between the instruments ! I also feel in its current completely stock form it sounds as good as any stock Scott I've worked on or repaired for anyone. It does lack in one area so far compared to a stock Scott the Phono section just isn't near as good and has lots of noise when turned up. It just doesn't have the gain or silence of the Scott's. But I havn't rebuilt it yet either were talking completely stock here all original and the wiring and solder work on this one is great. The cosmetics are great also it doesn't even need a paint job !! All knobs present and in good shape. I also noticed that compared to my completely rebuilt and tweaks 299 it can't handle hard hitting rock and roll at high volume levels like the Scott. But this I bet will change I'm very impressed with what EICO could produce for $69 what a value! I can't believe how lucky I got with this one it will definitly be a keeper and get the full on rebuild and mod job it deserves ! I will post some Pictures of the unit later or maybe tomorrow night I'm running out of steem fast !! I just hate when I have to work for a living LOL !! Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted October 15, 2002 Share Posted October 15, 2002 Craig, That post seems just in time for you to prepare to eat a major serving of CROW for Thanksgiving, and maybe throw an apology mobile's way and everybody else you flamed with your anti EICO assaults. Maybe it will prompt you to maintain a more open mind/attitude and endeavor to not be so quick to judge what you have little knowledge or experience with. I also hope it's a doorway to greater willingness to experiment with things new or different. I wish you many hours of enjoyment with "YOUR HF-81"! Klipsch out. BTW, I'm not looking for an apology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted October 15, 2002 Author Share Posted October 15, 2002 Jazzman, I'm not eating any Crow. I never flamed anyone about the HF-81 and never talked it down, always stated that I personally never heard one in a descent situation. If you want to turn this into a flame war I will be more than glad to accomadate you !!! I still think Mobile is arrogant as hell and don't care for his attitude and it has nothing to do with the HF-81. The Scott amps are still hands down much higher over all quality in my Opinion. The HF-81 will have to improve by a major amount as I rebuild it to touch my 299 at this point so don't be pushing Crows just yet buddy !! Your post is exactly why I shouldn't of bothered being honest its attitudes like yours and others that keep many audio hobbiest away from this sight. I've heard it from to many people from different forums and am beginning to agree with them this forum has way to many Audiphile snobs in it ! Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Disc Posted October 15, 2002 Share Posted October 15, 2002 Craig, Congrats on your accomplishment. I hope you get your moneys worth of enjoyment out of that unit. ;-) FWIW - Pat Landrum may have some suggestions on that phono section. According to Pat, the unit I got from him has an exceptional phono section. Very soon now I will know for myself. - tb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted October 15, 2002 Share Posted October 15, 2002 Well, I am glad you did get your EICO going even though it took a bit of effort. Seems it was well worth it. I dont think Jazman was meaning to start a flame war at all. Perhaps he was a bit over zealous in his post but I dont think there was any flame to it really. I think some of it comes from suggestions on new ways of looking at things which have been met with closed eyes. I know you entered this EICO project trying to start with an open mind and that is good. I was hoping you would have some luck with the unit and pretty sure once you got a good unit, you would see some of the reason for the comments. As for the Audiophile snobs comment, as well as my arrogance, I dont think that has ANYTHING to do with this forum at all. In fact, I find this really ironic considering that most die hard audiophiles of the traditional "Stereophile" contingent LAUGH at single-ended triodes. Indeed, I get laughed out of my local HIFI salon when I mention the EICO or any vintage integrated, not to meniton the derisive SET comments - they thing SET is absurd. I think almost ALL in this forum listen to the music first and appreciate ALL aspects of audio. They appreciate GOOD SOUND, whether it be in a 40 year old unit with UGLY appearance and mulitple controls or simple 2 watt circuits that defy conventional rhetoric to $150 passive boxes or ANYTHING that exhibits GREAT ability to produce good sound. Most dont shun high end components simply because they cost more or low end components because they dont cost enough. THEY LIKE GEAR THAT SOUNDS GOOD. This, whether it gets NO press or tons of press. OR Whether it is hailed by many.... I am no more arrogant than any other kook within here. I just happen to have a wry, sardonic, pointed posting style at times and I read most everything in here, whether I think the person has a ton of background in audio or music or not. And I pretty much reply to everyone the same here as well and put a lot of thought and effort in my posts, whether it be humor, info, a retort, or comments. None of them are simple arrogance at all. I do want to say again that I am glad you got your EICO going and also glad you gave it another chance. I only hope I get a Scott as good and am as lucky. I am still looking for the right one and am looking forward to having it here. I expect to be just as impressed! No need to start the ugliness all over again. Good job with the unit! kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted October 15, 2002 Author Share Posted October 15, 2002 Mobile, Agreed I thought we all burried this bull long ago ! Evidently Jazzman has not ? I still say I never trashed the HF-81 and alway's made it clear that I had never heard it but Oh Well. As far as your arrogants you should really look at your post some time. Its pretty easy not to like you at times. Look at the poor dude that was asking about his CW amp today. Could you have been more rude about it ? Your talking about someones property and his reply was right on the money and many people that stop in here never come back you ever notice that ?? Its almost always the same old faces. Ever wonder why ? This isn't true in the Home theater section of this forum or at AA I have never witnessed this kind of battering among like minded people anywhere else except with PC freaks over Intel versus AMD at a few forums. I've been pounding keyboards all over the net for years and you are by far the most talented typist I have ever run across! I can not imagine what you could accomplish with your gift for the written word if applied in the right way. I enjoy your posts but sometimes you just seem to go over the edge ! But lets just say Peace and call this all a truce ! But any way. I spent the night with the HF-81 playing and the more I listened to it the more I like it. I have only 2 complaints so far. It runs out of steam way sooner than my 299 at about 8-10 watts it all done after that its looses it clarity almost completely and then as I also mentioned earlier the Phono section can really use some work. Of coarse all this can be 40 year old parts. I also hooked it up for a few minutes with my PAS 3 and had the same results as with the HF-12s so this pretty much comfirms that using it as a power amp is a real trade off in sound quality its much better as a Intergrated than a power amp. I'm going to fill this baby with Paper in Oils when I have time also rebuild the phono section completely and see what she can really do so stay tuned. If your serious about getting a Scott 299 I will keep my eyes open. I'm going to be getting a 299B soon to rebuild for a forun member and will let everyone know what they sound like they are very similar to the 299A but are suppose to have slightly better Output transformers. Time will tell ! Its all good Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted October 15, 2002 Share Posted October 15, 2002 Well, I surely know my posts pretty well as I end up editing the damn things two or three times. I know how these posts can sound, and my humor or responses dont always play they way I intend. Perhaps I should be a little less over the top with first time posters, but after you've been in here awhile, everyeone's GAME including myself! heh... BTW, the AA gets EXTREMELY HEATED, far more than in here! MAn, you havent been around that place long enough. Take my word for it; besides that one episode with Mdeneen and myself, the Asylum can get much more contentious. If you look at the posts on the home page, the 2 Channel forum is SECOND only to the Home Theatre in posts, actually surpassing GENERAL QUESTIONS by quite a few! In fact, the 2 Channel forum is only a shade behind the HT...something I find amazing since 95% of all humans think of their Home Theater as their AUDIO system as well! This forum should be a more discerning locale as I think some of the people coming here want more from their audio then the average HT system provides, which is a lot of mediocrity on the whole, for music that is. Still, what has really kept the newbies down is actually the almost total TUBE dominance here, which STILL is a very minority segment of the audio World. Vintage and SET amps are pretty low on the totem pole for the average HT nut. As for writing, I actually make half my living from writing..the other half from web mess. And both equal a pretty meager amount, sadly enough!!! heh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted October 16, 2002 Share Posted October 16, 2002 Craig, I'm not going to waste many more words on you. I could work you up one side and down the other anytime I felt like it, so don't push your luck. I can make mobile's past post's look like a love fest, especially if you insist on attempting to hang an audiophile or elitist tag on me when nothing is further from the truth. You need to wake up and smell the sh!t you're shoveling. I'll leave it at that. Klipsch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted October 16, 2002 Author Share Posted October 16, 2002 Jazzman, Please don't hurt me !!! Your a real winner dude ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted October 16, 2002 Author Share Posted October 16, 2002 Mobile, All I know is what I hear from people that don't hang out here. This subject is a dead end any way. Lets get back to the HF-81 and forget this stupid stuff !! Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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