• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Best Speakers for EICO HF 81?

vinylisfinal said:
dynaco a25's....
Click to expand...

I'll third the Dynaco A-25s. In fact I think it was my rig JohnVF was talking about in the earlier post. Doesn't mean I wouldn't consider an Altec, or Klipsch, or Valencia pairing. But the Dynacos will do just fine for now. :thmbsp:
 
Y'know what else works surprisingly well with an HF-81? Some of the small Ohms with "Walsh" (more like Walsh-esque inverted cone) drivers. I have a pair of what I think are Ohm Walsh 2s which are really pleasant with the HF-81.


P1020689.jpg
 
Thanks!

Hey guys, thanks for the suggestions!!

I'd have to say the Dynacos are too outdated for me, and wont really resolve the detail that the EICO can pull out. I would bet that my 1985 Tannoy C-10s probably sound better.

I've pretty much decided on the Heresy III's. At 99db efficiency, they should mate perfectly with the EICO. With the 12 inch woofer, the bass should be as good as it gets. They should also provide "that retro sound" without mucking up the midrange.

So thanks for all the great info!!
 
ekmanning5 said:
I'll third the Dynaco A-25s. In fact I think it was my rig JohnVF was talking about in the earlier post. Doesn't mean I wouldn't consider an Altec, or Klipsch, or Valencia pairing. But the Dynacos will do just fine for now. :thmbsp:
Click to expand...

Yep, it was in fact your rig! Sounded fantastic. The A25 surprised me with it's bass and yes..it's detail, which is what this thread seems to be about. It had the best balance of modern/vintage sound that I've heard in a speaker of it's size, and better timbre overall than the KLH/ Advents it's usually mentioned with. I wish I had a pair.
 
Cool,your going for the Hershey III's.Sounds like a very good choice for an overall balanced sound,combining the old school, very well reviewed Eico HF-81 EL-84 tube amp with the new upgraded Heresey's,a 12 inch woofer for some realistic Bass,plus they're efficient.l...Excellent choice!.I think old tube gear can be matched very well to newer school speakers,but it takes some time to figure out what works best.Lotsa listening & comparing..Can you finish off this post when you get them to let us know your 'honest opinions'(we can take it!) of the match for any one else who may be looking for a similar combo..I think a lot threads like this one really help new members who find a 'good deal' wherever, and are scratching their heads as to what to use with them,as there are ten gazillion choices,far too much hype with new products out there now!...I agree about the Dynaco's,they're a great retro bargain,they sold lots of pairs,so they're available,but to be honest,I now just use mine for vinyl,pond patio relaxing while reading,pretty much background listening,& outside dinners.I have found a pair of PSB 300's that I like better,with excellent bass,and as a bonus have a smoother top end(Vifa tweeter)..I like the bass & lower mids in my Dynaco A-10's,but the highs are lacking (inmhop).I replaced caps,wiring,speaker connectors and noticed a big improvement,but I wouldn't feel right tearing out a tweeter,so they will remain stock.I just finished sanding the cabs last weekend and painted the grilles and baffle boards black..........."Enjoy Your Music"...Altec Concert Kenny
 
Well, thanks, I havent decided 100% yet. I would STILL like to get a pair of newer Tannoys, but the efficiency of them is the problem. I'd need 96 db or better to feel comfortable with the match. And the only new Tannoy that does that is the "Westminster" which is out of my range.

So i'm leaning towards the Heresy IIIs.
 
I second the KG4's. They are amazing with my Rogue amp and older SC444.

SixCats! said:
Mikey,

You might also want to consider a used pair of KLIPSCH Kg4's.
Not quite as efficient as larger Klipsch however, the Kg4's can be bought on the used market for (under the Radar) prices. In fact, as I type this, I am listening to my Kg4's with my (overhauled by AK member Craig) SCOTT 222D Integrated Amp which I THINK is about 18 Watts per channel and it sounds
BEAUTIFUL. The Kg4's are a smallish Klipsch Horn which can be placed within a foot to six inches from the rear wall and sound fine. I believe the Kg4's are about 94 db efficient. Find a pair of the Kg4's before spending five or six time the money on a new pair of Klipsch Heresy. Ooh btw, the very first speakers I ever bought new were a pair of Heresy in the mid 70's which I did enjoy very much. That being said, if you want a INexpensive intro to the Horn sound, find a pair of Kg4's on the used market. If you do not like them, you could sell them and not loose money. Me thinks I'm keeping my Kg4's.
Oooh yes, with a bit more power, the Kg4's will CRANK!

Regards,
SixCats!
Click to expand...
 
I wouldn't say that 96 dB is overkill for an HF-81, but... why do you think you want 96 dB? On paper you could get better than 105 dB at 1m. That's... loud.
 
B/c my current Tannoys are 93 db and with the EICO, the volume and dynamic range just isnt there.

6 db more would double it, half of that should be fine, hence 96 db.
 
Other nice speaker for the Eico HF-81 or HF-12 is the AR A4, great amp the Eico, I have the HF-12 and other AF-4.
 
I'm surprised there isn't more Eico HF-81 owners on here telling everyone what speakers they use with their HF-81's,especially with the massive volume of people we have on this site now,maybe they're all on holidays or listening to their Eico's,or lurking in the shadows,afraid to come out into "The Light"..I remember when I got my Hf-81 there was a site that popped up when I googled HF-81,there was a blurb about painting the HF-81's housing black,and I am pretty sure he ran it with some older Klipsch Cornwalls and I think Polk R-7's.Not 100% sure of that model number or efficiency,but they were Polk speakers for sure.I would imagine the Klipsch Cornwalls are very efficient,at least 96,probably more though,as my Klipsch La Scalas were like 106db sensitivity.It sounded good with mids and highs with my Klipsch La Scalas,but again she ran too hot pushing that 15 inch woofer and with todays higher voltages...Never heard it with Cornwalls,would have preferred them as they don't stick out into the room as much as the cube like La Saclas do.Will be very interesting to see what speaker you do end up with!...Good luck in your search...Altec Concert Kenny...
 
You're referring to Kelly Holsten's site.
http://home.earthlink.net/~eico_hf81/

Cornies are OK with the HF-81 (used that pair for quite a few years); big ol' Altecs are better.

The Marantz 8B is the best amp I've heard with my own ears with the vintage Cornwalls (mine were 1974s). The current Klipsch "Heritage" speakers (Heresy, Cornwall, LaScala, and Klipschorn) are apparently considerably better sounding than the older "Heritage" products.
 
Hey,Thanks very much for bringing up a link to that site,thats the one.I am not much good on a computer,other than to google/research/email stuff,others,I'm sure have already checked it out.I was obviously wrong with the Polk Model number,it was a Polk RT-5 monitor.Its cool to hear oddball combinations sometimes defy explanation and bring Music to the forefront..I always try anything I drag home with everything I have just to see if any audio magic happens,None yet...Good to hear Klipsch products have improved over time too.Far too many company's products do not get better over time,they just get more cheaply made..That Eico Site is Great,lotsa food for thought,excellent info,pics and its just so well done for an audio site in my opinion.I guess I don't want this thread to end,as the HF-81 is such a neat little amp,and it gave me several happy years of Music! Unfortunately because of budget restraints and Family something has to go to get something else round here and my HF-81 was sold to purchase/modify my EicoSt-70,or else I would still have one.Such a great pre-amp section in the HF-81.I was talking to my tech when he finished off my Eico ST-70 and he said he used an Eico ST-70 just as an amp,playing with it for several years and as far as he was concerned he thought it sounded best when used as an Integrated,as it was originally designed to do.Those Eico engineers knew a thing or two about making involving Music,and pre-amps are a lot more important than a lot of people realize.Its not easy to design a very good phono section.I sure like my auricaps in my Eico St70's phono section.The RT-5 Polks must be kind of rare,I have never even seen a pair for sale used in Canada,but I know one guy with a Scott Integrated who has Polks and they sounded really good to me with tubes..Will have to keep my eyes open for Polks at garage sales,to try with my tubes..I always thought they were not exactly Hi-Fi,if ya know what I mean,but just goes to show you, never judge a speaker by all the Hype & pics in its advertisements!!!...."Listen".. & .Enjoy Your Music...Altec Concert Kenny..
 
I know this is an old thread, but I have a suggestion.

For about three years I used my Eico HF81 with Signet SL260 and SL256 speakers. The SL256 was a particularly wonderful match.

Then a friend of mine left a pair of Alesis Monitor Ones at my house. At the time I published a guide to the music scene in Washington DC and I had used these monitors for a photo shoot of something.

Anyway, on a whim I set up the Alesis monitors with the Eico expecting nothing but I was bored. The results were nothing less than astonishing. Here was a $200 set of studio monitors that were literally wiping the floor of my Signet SL260s. I spent hours going back and forth and there was no contest. I've listened to Alesis Monitor Ones ever since.

The good news is that Alesis Monitor Ones are very easy to get on Ebay at bargain prices. I've seen clean pairs go for $100. Highly recommended.

Word of caution - you want the first version of the Alesis Monitor Ones. The Mark II variety don't have the magic.
 
Update!!

Update:

Its around a year and a half later, and I'm happy to report that I couldnt be happier with my choice of speaker.

I built my my own set of Full range drivers using Audio Nirvana 10 in cast frames, and had a set of cabs made at ANs specs. (the 5.1 cab).

The results are nothing short of magical. Matched with the HF-81 the system has a 3D holographic soundstage that allows every little detail of the recordings to be heard. Friends of mine cannot believe the reference sound I'm getting from this setup. Currently using a Dual 510 with Denon Dl-160 cart, this will upgraded soon to a Rega P5 and Dynavector 20X cart.

Thanks!
 
Last edited:
mikey5967 said:
And no, I've never heard horns. but I have done a lot of research, and i just don't know if the harshness of horns is right for me.
Click to expand...

I think the harshness is associated primarily with front loaded horn tweeters (and maybe squawkers). However, as an owner of a set of Klipsch Chorus II, I can say that I'm comfortable listening to front loaded horns given the right kind of amplification.

Back loaded full range horns, on the other hand, are a completely different animal. They seem to play even nicer with tube amplification. The biggest downside is that you pretty much have to build them yourself, since there's nothing commercially available. Regardless, they can be very efficient due to the lack of crossover losses (a big plus with "low" powered tube amps) and generally tend to have nice wide soundstages.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom