True, though.. if a consumer is enjoying transparency it also applies. These days are like candy markets for hi-fi enthusiasts of all kinds. If I would have to give it a label, it is all about illusions and which illusion you favor over another
It was their studio gear, that was key, and getting a good master tape. Many producers were not that happy with the record as a medium they should transfer it to. Just because it added coloration and bass management was often challenging . I don't really think they were concerned about tube amps at all, as the record itself was already a minor point of irritation. And if they were concerned about gear, they were most likely concerned about the low-end of things . The less durable record players and cheap sets the masses had that bought the record, not so much the high-end market. Many producers had 'the worst gear' in mind as in 'if it plays great on this thing, it plays great on anything'. This is still kind of a thing, that also led to the loudness war. Pushing sound over noisy car engines, crowded shops and work floors with machines always had priority above anything. Most of the noise of that is in the midrange. The mass of people should buy the record, if the view audiophiles do it, it is a bonus.
What is good to know that at this time, the production side pushed inches in the hi-fi world we have seen until the point records and tube amplifiers made a comeback. Because records were still a medium in the 70s (till the production side celebrated the CD in the 80s) and they considered solid state to be at least a little step into more clarity. Then came the CD and it was a game changer in its ability to produce a crystal clear outcome in which the master sounded more like its extract.
But.. long story short, consumers were exposed to CD and solid state for a long enough time till boredom struck and at a certain point people got nostalgic or just interested about the coloration of a tube amp and the rituals that go along with spinning a record.
You probably have already seen this one. Seems to be a great one.
I honestly say that I would be happy to borrow a tube amp and a record player for a weekend. Especially those kind of tube amps should be considered a piece of art to look at, apart from the sound. But I would not like to live with them. For one, it weighs in on the energy bill, and the second reason is that when components break down, finding and replacing them might be challenging. Some solid state amps that are being described as having a similar sound are something I'm into, that is why I got the sansui au505. And I know it might also consume electricity compared to class D. But well.
Little tip.. to get back to the illusion mentioned at the beginning. Get a little subwoofer or use one if you own one, especially for those walking basslines in Jazz it gives this extra floor (literally) of experience for the upright bass, adding a bit of dimension similar to a live experience.
Give serious consideration to one of their stereo power amps (or two of their monoblock power amps) HF-89, HF-87, HF-14, or HF-86-- EICO used reliable circuit designs with excellent to outstanding quality output iron. Their PTs, though, did tend to be a little undersized for the VA demands put upon them and tend to run hot, especially with today's higher (US) AC mains voltage. In some cases (the HF-81 being one), slightly beefed-up drop-in replacement PT are still available - in the case of the HF-81, still available from the company that made the originals(!), Heyboer.
