HF-30 MONO BLOCK PREAMP SUGGESTIONS

Grady Cain

Batterista
Subscriber
As my HF-30s get closer to completion, I will be in need of a preamp. Any suggestions/recommendations? Stick with tube or go solid state? What do any of you use and why? Thank you!
 
The Eico HF-85 is "a natural" and highly recommended. The Phono stage is mathematically "correct" and sonically very worthy with its' tried and true, classic, active feedback phono EQ circuitry. Unique to the HF-85, there are two choices for output, with the "Tape Out" or "Record Out" fed after the volume control and then one more gain stage. The Amp Out or Main Out is fed after an additional gain and tone control stage. The tone controls are the favored Baxandall type. The volume control is best used as a dual mono type as there is no balance control in the HF-85. BTW, the HF-81 integrated amp uses a very similar, almost identical phono stage. Even with their AC heated filaments, hum and noise in the HF-81 or HF-85 is very low and unobtrusive in most systems.

My "why" is also a bit special to me. I have upgraded my HF-85 for three phono inputs. Besides the Phono input, there are Mic and Tape Head inputs easily re-configured for Phono duty. Since the Volume control is right after the phono stage and incorporates a tapped loudness control tap, which is rather not too helpful as it was designed, I changed my Loudness control into a High Cut/Scratch Filter, usable on all inputs. Then, there is the rarely used, switchable Tape Head EQ on the front panel, labeled 3 3/4 and 7 1/2, which I have reconfigured to have two different phono EQ choices available on that Tape Head (now a phono) input. As an avid record collector, variable or switchable phono EQ becomes a necessity for early mono discs. Eico's mode switching also has very useful switching for stereo, stereo reverse and mono modes. For vintage gear, an upgraded and retrofitted HF-85 is tough to beat...
 
Thank you very much for the reply and information. I've actually been looking for one for a while - seems they are difficult to come by in any condition...
 
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