Eico
Encyclopedia
Eico was a manufacturer of electronics kits located in New York City
, New York
, USA.
s in response to public interest in uranium
prospecting. In the 50s and 60s they offered amateur radio
and electronic test equipment. Their largest secondary market was audio
equipment.
Eico produced hi-fi products in the early 50s to the mid 60s with a line of tuners, preamplifiers, and amplifier
s, available both in kit form or fully assembled. The model Eico HF-81 integrated tube amplifier is just one of several highly-regarded products manufactured by EICO during this period. EICO is also known for "monoblock" amplifiers such as the HF-50 and HF-35, stereo integrated amplifiers such as the ST-40 and ST-70, as well as many other amplifiers and preamplifiers.
In the late 60s EICO introduced a line of solid state electronics audio equipment referred to as Cortina, but by the mid-70s the only audio products they sold were kits manufactured for them in South Korea. EICO left the audio market in the late 1970s and the electronics market some time later. EICO existed as a property management company until 1999, when the company was liquidated at the request of the shareholders.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA.
History
EICO was established in New York City in 1945 to manufacture electronic test equipment in kit form. A wide variety of test equipment remained the company's mainstay during the time it was in the electronics business, however EICO often augmented their product lines with what was thought fashionable. For example, in the late 40s it offered Geiger counterGeiger counter
A Geiger counter, also called a Geiger–Müller counter, is a type of particle detector that measures ionizing radiation. They detect the emission of nuclear radiation: alpha particles, beta particles or gamma rays. A Geiger counter detects radiation by ionization produced in a low-pressure gas in a...
s in response to public interest in uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
prospecting. In the 50s and 60s they offered amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
and electronic test equipment. Their largest secondary market was audio
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
equipment.
Eico produced hi-fi products in the early 50s to the mid 60s with a line of tuners, preamplifiers, and amplifier
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
s, available both in kit form or fully assembled. The model Eico HF-81 integrated tube amplifier is just one of several highly-regarded products manufactured by EICO during this period. EICO is also known for "monoblock" amplifiers such as the HF-50 and HF-35, stereo integrated amplifiers such as the ST-40 and ST-70, as well as many other amplifiers and preamplifiers.
In the late 60s EICO introduced a line of solid state electronics audio equipment referred to as Cortina, but by the mid-70s the only audio products they sold were kits manufactured for them in South Korea. EICO left the audio market in the late 1970s and the electronics market some time later. EICO existed as a property management company until 1999, when the company was liquidated at the request of the shareholders.
External links
- Audiotools This article was largely drawn from this source
- Stereophile.com StereophileStereophileStereophile is a monthly magazine that focuses on high end audio equipment, such as loudspeakers and amplifiers, and audio-related news, such as online audio streaming. It was founded in 1962 by J. Gordon Holt....
magazine's opinion on the HF-81 - Nostalgic Kits Central Pictures, schematics, specifications and more of a large number of Eico kits