The BEST high-end audio from 25 years ago, does it hold up?
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- The Hovland HP-100 still does it for me! This one will be available through High End Audio Auctions, www.highendaud... And Stereo Buyers www.stereobuye...
Peter Epstein, the Invisible www.marecordin...
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Been using my HP100 for almost 20 years. Bought it from a well known reviewer who still compliments this pre years later.
20 years? There are people still using vintage you know, from the 1950s. But one thing not many know ... is the need for 'Live timber baffles' with speakers like Seas black cone and EMI 319. Some grille cloth supports a 'Live Baffle' and it makes a different sound from a modern 'dead baffle'.
lmao i just got the fm300a clone recommend by the german youtuber, very nice amp
Bought mine 24 years ago and has brought many hours of pleasure.
In 1998 I purchased a Nakimichi Dragon transport, a Dragon DAC, a Krell KRS 1-A preamp,
a Krell KSA 200S amp and a pair of Watt Puppy 5 speakers along with some Tara cables....
the old stuff still sounds pretty good to me.
That would've been a super system in 1998, but you'd be surprised how a 2023 super system sounds today, at the same price adjusted for inflation
@@meesmo4 Sorry-I am quite satisfied with my system, and I don't think there is anyone around now that has the equipment set up to make a direct actual audio comparison ( I don't mean reviewing spec numbers on the internet). Even in 1998 there were ways to improve on my system, but the costs become astronomical, and although there is no limit to foolishly throwing money away, there is definitely a point of diminishing enjoyment return for what you spend
Definitely a top notch high end audio system.
Years ago my JBL SA600 amplifier was brought up to JBL’s factory spec by Bob Hovland... I also bought a pair of ‘’Highly Modified’’ Dynakit Mark 111’s from Bob as well.. I just called Bob and told him to check out your review of his Pre Amplifier…He’s one of the old time JBL gurus with lots of stories and I’m sure would make a great interview…
Yeah but in England the equivalent of 1960s JBL SA600 is the Amstrad Executive Series, that are best brought up to British Shoe Box spec by substituting their few components with lower noise modern replacements. You know use wire-wound resistors and where available metal film instead of the carbon composition and replace the capacitors with the best you can afford. Finally use a high sensitivity speaker like a Coral or a Tamon - very pricey but worth every UK penny.
I have known Bob Hovland for about 30 years. I saw the HP 100 when it was being built. The first thing he pointed out to me was the stepped attenuator, I had never seen or felt anything like it to this day! Unfortunately, it was also out of my price range. But, keep in mind you are getting what you pay for when investing in any "Robert Hovland" designed product.
I love the vintage reviews, as there is so much fantastic vintage equipment that isn’t necessarily main stream that people need to know about. Great review as always Steve, thanks.
Nope... steve has the power to shift pricing... bad idea for poor me crawling marketplace for krell etc.
this feels new to me ,vintage is from the 60´s
@@post_historic poor us
@@post_historic We get vintage Krell cheap but there's a hidden repair and it's bad sound.
@@keplermission ahh.. you must be the 2nd harmonic type! Grilling fillets over low volume MOSFETs, or glowy tubes!
Jokes aside, if you have some broken old amps and live between maine and the Carolinas let me know!
I had a great system 25 years ago and still have it… Dynaudio Confidence 5, audible illusions pre amp and Spectral power amp….
Your enthusiasm is infectious! 😊
Whoa Steve! I am jazzed that you did a review on the HOVLAND HP-100. I recently bought one of these, a late model one with a button for the light switch, and the choke in the power compartment was removed through a factory upgrade. A factory mod is to replace one of the preamp tubes with an 12 AT7 tube - the one by its lonesome. It is a special preamp; STEREOPHILE gushed about this preamp, along with the Absolute Sound. It’s a really neat preamp. Thanks for your enthusiastic review. Your energy is awesome!
I’m a sucker for vintage Sansui.
YES SANSUI
Rocking a 74 au3500 Sansui and love it
I'm a sucker for vintage
Luxman, Hitachi and Onkyo.
My current setup is a CHORD
Mojo feeding a Hitachi HCA-7500
into an Onkyo M-504 driving
B&O RL6000 speakers.
Thanks so much for that Steve. It's great to hear that even after all these years this preamp can still hold it's own. It is one fantastic looking piece of kit too.
Piece of kit....lol
I recall reading a review in a audio magazine that I'm not recalling. I do remember that the picture was a thing of beauty that I could only drool over. Thanks for this Steve.
One of the best preamps I have ever heard 💯👌
What a surprise review! I played the Hovland HP200 and Radia and was in love with the looks and the sound. When the Radia broke down I couldn’t find a dealer anymore until Rick Paap, a well known dutch audio designer and specialist helped me out and repaired the Radia for me. Afterwards I sold the system because Hovland went out of business and service.
I remember Rick had a pair of extremely expensive Hovland monoblocks in his shop. He had the problem that he couldn’t sell them because of the service he couldn’t guaranty.
Great review, Steve. Beautiful piece, indeed! Just found a Stereophile review from November 2000 written by Michael Fremer.........he loved it too!!
I feel the same as you do for audio. I understand as I watch you.
That's great, thanks for watching!
I owned one of the original Hovland HP-100 preamps. It was terrific until that gorgeous volume control had noise problems. Hovland was still in business and repaired it although with a different volume pot. It didn’t feel the same or sound the same unfortunately. I kept the unit for twenty years. It had several electrical problems and after several repairs by an outside service, Hovland was long gone, I sold it and purchased a new preamp.
I always wanted a Hovland power amp. Those soft blue lights glowing through the tubes was smoothing to look at
I helped voice the prototypes and knew the whole Hovland guys very well. Hovland did not go out of business for the reason you describe. I don’t want to get into it as I have great respect and admiration for all the players that made the Hovland company. It’s unfortunate as they really cared about sound and all there products were made and voiced meticulously as the Hovland Group
Before even watching the video or recognizing the equipment: I'm sure it holds up! That's one of the best things about audiophilia for budget-conscious people like me. So much well-designed vintage equipment out there can blow away a lot of modern gear that costs 3x the price.
Love this. Love how excited you are
To my ears and experience, the EAR-Yoshino kit is as good as it gets :-)
I just finished restoration on my Ar3 speakers amazing the sound that these speakers create. 56 years old still satisfying.
Owned the HP200 which had the remote but no knobs. Tested their Sapphire and Radia amps and chose the later. They sounded very similar but the Radia was easier to live with as it wasn't tube. But WOW what a thing to look at. Finally ended up with their Stratos mono blocks.
I’m in the uk. Had two different hovland pre amps and sapphire powder amp. Loved it.
You know you're old when the audio equipment you bought new is now considered vintage
I bought the ARC LS15 tube pre amp and 78 lb VAC PA 100 100 tube amp back in 1995 The ARC does have a remote control and has the stepped volume and input control I still use both to this day and they work flawlessly
My Nakamichi from the late 90s definitely has that Japanese silky smooth knob feel 😂
These Nakamichi receivers were awful ... they so bad! But they sounded like Luxman of the same year - really bad! I often wondered why and reckoned that there will be Japanese loudspeakers that sound good with them, they'll have been engineered for some speakers that Nakamichi or Luxman had used.
Great show!
Beautiful Preamp Steve Resistor Ladder ' very hard to make but worth it - I told Thomas that volume control and power switch is huge in a circuit !
Thanks buddy ! No opamps no I.C. love it !
I remember that Pre-amp quite well. I fell in love with look.
Reminds me a little bit of the Audible Illusions which I believe is still made. Thanks Steve You’re many years in Audio makes for such Knowledgeable reviews. Much Appreciated.
I have the Audible Illusions Modulus tube pre-amp also. Great sounding pre-amp with those 2 large volume knobs.
Nice
It looks class
Love the vintage reviews
Steve that preamp may sound better than you remembered because your speakers,room, amp, for sure your DAC, and most likely cables are all better than the stuff used when you first heard it! When I demoed Klipsch La Scala at a private home on a cheap receiver in an untreated room I hated the sound. But when I paired them with my McIntosh stuff in a well treated room, well I think I have found my forever speakers!
Those speakers will reveal the upstream components ruthlessly!
I wish more reviewers would talk about audio equipment that lasts a long time. I purchased an expensive matching Marantz receiver/amp and blueray player back in 2005. The amp outlasted the 3 year warranty by 3 weeks and the BD player outlasted it's warranty by 2 months. I will never buy anything from Marantz or it's parent company again. I purchased my current "signature" Cambridge AZUR AV 751Rv2 receiver around 2015(ish).(which I still love) Had to sent it back to get repairs to a board failure two years ago. Repairs cost me almost as much as I paid for the Amp. ($2600) . I will buy another amp someday but, when I do, it will be from a company like McIntosh that stands behind it's products.
Love this video, Steve! Your point is so right on. In life I always say: “Buy the better sandwich”
I still have my 35 year-old Linn Axis turntable (new Hana mc cartridge and a tune up) and its enjoyed even more now now then when it was new.
I'm working on getting a Carver amp and preamp to go with the Vandersteen 2c's that I have picked up. Should make an amazing sounding old school system.
I have a pair of Vandersteen 2Ce Signatures paired with a Carver m0.5t power amp. The Carver is in place to substitute for a Pioneer receiver that is in the shop at the moment. I definitely get transformer hum out of the Carver, and I can hear it through the Vandersteens when it's on but idle. I hear the same hum out of the chassis. I have no idea if this is something common with old Carver gear or if it's just another EOL bit of electronics.
The thing is, when I have music (or CZcams videos), I cannot hear the hum. Frankly, the sound is fantastic.
Meanwhile, the Pioneer is dead silent, physically and through the speakers. The Pioneer also offers more headroom. So, Tallyho! until the 1250 comes home.
Hi, Carver fan here... I used a tfm 35 and a C11 for a while. Most Carver transformers do hum, some times the chassis top is actually resonating and that's easily fixed with heatproof pads between transformer and chassis. HOWEVER, if you hear hum through speakers (50/60hz, 100/120hz etc) it might mean the power capacitors aren't good anymore, if so the noise will get worse over time. It could also be a loose ground connection. The M1.5T uses a triac to vary the incoming mains voltage so the DC rails are variable... This will also cause physical hum from the transformer and if it's faulty might also cause hum on the speaker. Carver gear does not generally measure well from a technical point of view, but I've never heard any thing quite like them... Just sound lovely:)
That must sound awesome with a good power amp. No digital jiggery-pokery just music and sound.
always love the glass tube chimneys they did
Yes, you do NOT have to be constantly upgrading to the latest and greatest to have a
Great Sounding system that will last for years. My main amplifiers are Pass Labs Aleph 2s
and they are from the same time period as the Hovland! : )
We had CD's 25 years ago, so most any component built 25 years ago should be able to perform to a full frequency response with greater than 100 dB in dynamic range.
I love the respect given to quality vintage audio. Being more of a mid-fi guy I never heard of Hovland audio but this preamp is so intriguing
Great stuff!
I just put my (circa 1993) Canton Ergo 100DC loudspeakers back into service in my home, after having been stored at my parents' home since the early 2000's. They are FANTASTIC, and IMO hold their own very well today.
At the same time I re-inherited my old Yamaha CX-1/MX-1 pre/power combo, that I am having refurbished, and will re-integrate into my system. Cool stuff! :)
Great re-visit to this great pre-amp. I remember the review in Stereophile .Audible Illusions Modulus was another great tube pre-amp that has seemed to disappear .
Great Topic Idea, I'm looking forward to this one!
I loved the HOVLAND. I still do.
I’ve always liked that unit, it looks a bit like a Sugden. I always lusted after phase linear and threshold equipment, both of which I finally acquired. I sold the phase linear 2000 preamp and replace it with a threshold FET 10/HL. Talk about not feel
Look amazing ...and the circuit design, layout and finish looks sublime too!
Knob feel.. lol. I reckon someone could put together a great "Steve talks dirty" review compilation cut xD
I am sorry to say, I did not watch this video earlier. I loved it. Best, D.
My amps from the 1980s still sound great and could hold their own against most of today's offerings
I've almost got the 1200 paid for. Worth every penny it seams.
I love the vintage reviews! I think, ignoring vintage equipment ignores a good chunk of your viewership. I have some pricy (for me) modern equipment, but I enjoy my vintage components as well. They may spend more time in the rack than the new stuff. I especially enjoyed your enthusiasm with the product you were reviewing. I think we all have had one “get away” from us and share your pain.
Very enjoyable. Thanks Steve.
You know your getting old in this hobby when you remember no vintage pieces like this and older. No idea they went out if business. I do remember they made capacitors. I would be curious if anyone tried to purchase them for their capacitors. Thanks !
I have had one for over fifteen years. I love it very much. Unfortunately, it went bad five or six years ago. It makes a buzzing sound when I turn it on. Does anyone know a good repair shop in SF Bay Area?
Audionote Ongaku, Voyd reference with SME V, Snell type Es.
Hi Steve , wow what great looking preamp great build quality, can’t beat a valve (tube) amp , as you know tube amps preamps are common now . Regards mark
I use a NAD C350 that is 23 years old, and has never missed a beat.
Thank you Adam.
Steve, you can’t let this one get away😊
Loved the HP100 and their Musicaps. I almost bought one back in late 90’s to replace my CJ Premier 7. I ended up buying the CAT SL1, it had a superior phono stage, imo. Still have the CAT but that Hovland and the Audible Illusions 3B were spectacular in their own respects 😉
Hi Steve…..love this review and at the same time this review is tough ….. I have huge regrets. Owned one of these with 2 ….not 1, but 2 Mac 2102 tube amps running in mono mode. Still regret the sale, but the need to always be seeking got to me……good news ….I settled on some Thor equipment (now also out of business) and just sold it after almost 20 years of EL 34 tube bliss. Sure miss that Hovland. 😢
I currently have a Thor preamplifier. What did you replace yours with?
@@ganache000 initially an Ayre, but now have a Mark Levinson 585.5 integrated as I downsized to an integrated. Caution as it took me a year to replace after my move as I couldn’t find anything that really had the decay and note resolution that the Thor had, especially in solid state. They were fantastic products. Too bad Mark (the owner) just stopped making them to pursue another venture.
Yes I also coveted that Holland and still do. I'm also very curious to know how it would sound with tube rectification, dual. Perfection is possible in my view.
That preamp needs no remote! Worth getting up for that one! You really sound thrilled!
They were out of LA.
No wonder they went out of business.
Beautiful product
Listened to the Hovland at Immedia..wanted it..I bought the Hovland phono cable..barely able to afford that
And the amp was sexy as hell!
I have a hard time warping my my mind around how something that is basically a switch with a volume knob could have so much impact on the sound quality.
After listening to my 1958 Harman Kardon TA-260, Fisher 500C and Sherwood S8000 versus my modern High end stereo equipment, it proves that sound quality has made zero progress in the last Decades until today, all the opposite as it has regressed in built quality. Speakers have really improved though, but mostly on the bass and efficiency section.
Cool beans. This one speaks to me
I own HP100 since 2005. Together with Dunlavy SC-IV speakers, they are one of the 2 audio pieces that I will never sell. Never.
Power amp is Rogue Zeus which is a 90 kg amp consisting of 18 tubes with MIT and Analysis Plus cabling. Sound is very sweet and extremely detailed. I can easily listen to 4-5 hours on very high volume with no listening fatigue.
Beautiful beautiful preamp. It has such a special sound that I dont think there is anything outhere with that kind of a sound. At least I didnt come across any. You say there are better ones so I would like to know which brand today is better than this Hovland?
Great show steve
I am at an age now where I have bought my last audio equipment for its legacy value. Hopefully my son can enjoy it long after I'm gone.
Hovland was one of the brands whose amps and preamps I also lusted after back in the day. A lot of people loved the look and sound of these things. Hardly anybody I knew wanted to spend the kind of money the Hovland wanted for the HP 100 and Saphire though. That hefty price tag from a brand that was not all that well known nor had the track record of a McIntosh or ARC made the circle I was in leery. I think that pricing themselves out of the market put nails in the brand's coffin. For what that combo cost you could get something that also had great sound and could drive a greater variety of speakers. In this day and age I wonder how easy it is to get it fixed. A Mac is not as sexy, but you can get most models repaired if you need to.
Easy to get get fixed. Bob Hovland still alive and well. and able and willing to work on any Hovland products
@@kenbeckman4948 Appreciate the information. Of course, it does depend on the brand but still not quite the same level of ease as taking something from the likes of McIntosh back to a dealership and getting it taken care of.
Can't comment on the hovland but I DO like the Laurie Anderson record in the corner!!
I'd be interested to know if they needed to upgrade the caps, and also just to know how much a unit like this would sell for today... thx for sharing Steve
Beautiful preamp!
Don't you wish that more preamps came with a balance control?
I became aware of the Hovland capacitor while rolling capacitors in my Musical Paradise MP701mk2 tube preamp..
The basic model shipped with "HVL Components" coupling caps.
I have since upgraded to the much more transparent V-Caps ODAMs or Mundorf SGO EVO supremes
(The HVLs are now doing power supply bypass duty)
All so simple to swap with binding-posts fitted to the circuit board.
>$1000
Check it out?
🎵🎶🤫🎶🎵
Hi @Steve, you can have a listen to Threshold preamplifiers from late seventies and eighties. Nelson Pass has designed many unique masterpieces. His Threshold PCR1 preamplifier is the the golden standard of how the job must be done.
Interesting thank you.
Gotta love Freaky Friday or even Tweaky Thursday audo gear.
Hello Steve I am having my Quad 2's amp s and 22 pre amp restored and powder coated and I believe they are 15 watts per ch and I'm using Russian Gold Lion KT -66 valves , any idea if the Klipsch line has a speaker that would fit this system as I know I need extreme efficiency at least 99 sensitivity, OCD Mikey suggested Altec Lansing as he believes I should stay in the 1958-63 era of design to match ...any suggestions I was thinking Tek Ton as an alternative. ..Thx Steve
Ditto on the Hovland! That thing was seductive and had the goods me too. Just out of reach. Yeah on the knobs too. Why is it soo memorable. So I bought a pile of the capacitors instead which I continue to use in various projects , - speaker crossovers and coupling caps. Yes the products have endured in all their glory but the company hasn’t 😢
Great enthusiastic review. I'm surprised you are picking this up for yourself! Second chance. 😉
Wow they were one of my dream components too.
Dreamers are you know, are people stuck in the advert stage of buying because they lack money.
@keplermission and your point is? All I know is it was not available in Australia and all I could do is read reviews.
@@scottfraser1758 I know Australia, we used to have 10ft pole FM aerials to beat reflections from the aluminum roofs. Australia used to be very hard for audiophiles but Chinese imports? The Chinese wanted Victoria and I don't know if you're still trading with them after the political trouble, threats of nuclear war and such. Australia is a hard life, even in posh places, the neighbors you know, still. If wishes were horses, Beggars would ride.
Hi. Is it possible to get a pair of American made horn speakers for $2,000?
Not new ones, but you could easily find old Klipsch Herseys for that much money. Or old Klipsch LaScalas. Both of those speakers are made in the US.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac
Oh, ok. The thing is, I have a $2K budget for a pair of speakers to give my dad as a Christmas present. I decided on the Schiit Ragnarok as it's an integrated amp and was hoping to find American made horn speakers for it. Is there a pair of horn speakers you recommend for $2K that are, at least, not made in China?
@@newgunguy4176I second this question.
@@newgunguy4176Used klipsch fortes 1’s or 2’s should be available..
Did you keep the preamp? Buy it? You should, is one of your favorites.
Where can I find those cool white patterned sound panels in the background?
GIK Acoustics
Steve...so did you buy the pre amp?
Also, few audiophiles keep and listen to any component decade after decade after decade as you state. Most fall to upgrade fever, boredom or just want something new, much sooner than even one decade to my knowledge. Some dealers say upgrades happen every 18 months on average. I am not sure about that but I am sure dealers love it.
I think Backert Labs Rhythm 1.3 linestage tube preamplifier is one of the best preamplifiers around that has really the same impact as the Hovland HP100.
I think you're right , I reviewed one of their preamps a few years ago.
What! You're not going to buy it??? 😯
Steve, please, most likely you have heard the Aesthetix Calypso, in whichever fit levels of the hardware... I have the basic Calypso managing Rega 8 with the same Cadenza Blue thru JoLida. Could you call the sound somewhat similar between Hovland and Aesthetix? To me Calypso is very magical sounding. Thank you for this lovely yt video!
Yeah , with a tile floor.
Love the Vintage review idea, Advent model 1? AR-3a?
On the subject of knobs, what I don't like is the multi turn electronic things. Just feels cheap.
I don't like tube preamp. Regarding the volume control, it isn't as good as Ayre K1x.
With 2500 Ohm output impedance, the inter connecting cable better be short and/or low capacitance!
Second woot ! After 2 or 3 years NelsonPass still holds the cache of all the elite gear. Definitely a top 3 contender in my book.
The later hp200 had a remote.
Steve get Ayre V3 amp and K3 xe preamp and review it, engineering marvel and it sounds excellent
5 grand at SkyFi Audio.