How did you first fall in love with Fisher and what was your first model?

[RS Steve]

You know, it's pretty amazing how some people only equate the Fisher brand with their later studio standard solid state stuff, and have no clue about how well built the early tube equipment was. I run into this quite often, and feel obligated to educate them with a tour.

 

[Rob Thomas]

Steve,

I saw that on a group online recently. They were making derogatory claims that Fisher was only a house brand for Sears and was the "cheap" alternative to HiFi. He wasn't alone. Boy several of us really chimed-in and gave him an education. It's amazing that some people are only familiar with the Sanyo years. I thought everyone into audio gear at least knew of Fisher 500.

 

[RS Steve]

Steve,

I saw that on a group online recently. They were making derogatory claims that Fisher was only a house brand for Sears and was the "cheap" alternative to HiFi. He wasn't alone. Boy several of us really chimed-in and gave him an education. It's amazing that some people are only familiar with the Sanyo years. I thought everyone into audio gear at least knew of Fisher 500.

There are many that don't think ancient tube equipment can even compete with good solid state stuff, it's quite fun to prove them wrong. But that subject is for a different thread.

 

[kevco]

My parents always had music playing when I was a kid. My father was a die hard Pioneer receiver guy (we're talking 70's here). At some point after my parents divorce my new step father came home with a brand new Fisher boom box, a huge one, silver with detachable speakers and a phono stage. He said that Fisher was the "best" and I guess as far as boom boxes go, this thing was pretty good. It ran on at least 8 D batteries, maybe more, so it never left home. I ended up with it eventually around junior high and found a JVC turntable to mate with it and it became my teenage bedroom stereo with the detachable speakers spread as far apart as their captive wires would allow and the bunny ear antennas aimed at far away Philadelphia trying to catch the weak college radio signals at night.

Eventually I was bussed to a new school, 45 minutes each way on a full sized school bus on an outlying suburban route. Every kid who lived more than 5 miles from school was on that bus. It was a long boring ride twice a day and for entertainment my boom box became my travelling entertainment center. 8 rechargeable nickel cadmium D cells being charged daily at home and that 40 lb Fisher box left on a shelf in my home room while I was in class. I DJ'D Boston, AC/DC, and Led Zeppelin to the rest of the bus daily with that huge thing.

This is getting long but that Fisher bird was my escape from boredom and my musical education. Eventually I found a Marantz 2275 receiver and very quickly realized that it sounded far better than the consumer grade black boxes I'd been using at home as an adult. This lead me to tube gear and inevitably back to that Fisher bird. I guess that my step father had some experience with real Fisher gear during his youth to have named it "the best". From that boom box I took a walk backwards through time to the real Fishers and here I stay.

My first model was a later model 400 receiver but my SA-16 was the real game changer. That thing just does everything right. I'm surprised it doesn't get more love. Just a basic recap and it's a keeper.

 

[DolphnSmooth]

I've always heard good things about Fisher here on the forum, and have never had the chance to listen to any equipment of vintage other than my own. I've plenty of nice SS amp, yet hadn't had anything tube. I'd always figured that to have a tube amp would be a pipe dream simply because of how expensive the stuff was, and how limited my funds were.

Fortunately, I picked up an original Fisher 800-B for $200 at the end of June, and I'm very eager to get it serviced and finally flick the switch on. I've never heard anything tube, and have high hopes for the 800-B. It's certainly a very beautiful piece, and would love for it to compete well with my other three SS amps.

 

[Tim D]

I started with a pair of trashed XP7B's about 18 months ago. I've been working on them ever since. I've got them working good electrically and sonically, but the cabinets and grills still need a complete restore.

Since that time, I've added an almost minty pair of XP7B's from the original owner and a pair of rough KS-2's (kit speakers from Fisher). I've also picked up some rough components including KX-100 which needed complete refurb, KM-60 and a 500-B.

I've got the KX-100 up and running now and it's about 80% done. I need to paint the trannies and get a cabinet and go over the electricals one last time.

I'm working on the KS-2's right now. I've had to break down the cabinet to restore the cabinetry.

The KM-60 and 500-B are in the queue.

 

[biscuithead]

Before my vintage enlightenment, I always thought Fisher was junk. I was born in '76 and the Fishers I was exposed to were junk. Then I was working with an old-timer and he told me he had a Fisher 500... I told him " if its a Fisher, its junk". He properly scolded me and gave me the office. I started researching and soon after a Coronet came up for sale locally.
Four Fisher consoles and six separates later... I've changed my position on this old junk...

 

[eduarsan1]

I was born in 1980, I am also an electronic engineer with a specialization in power electronics and it can be said that I am a person from the solid state era; However I started in this lost love when I was 16 years old and in my country Colombia many times the artifacts are not thrown, they are fixed and in the church there was a scott amplifier 299A which was repaired for the Sunday school, sadly thieves stole it.

A year later I went to the army and after finishing my service I got a Fisher X-100-A which was my first Fisher and it has been almost 20 years to restore these beautiful machines that have an incomparable sound, so it was love at the first sight.

My daily use amplifier is a 400 that has been operating for more than three years without problems after being restored. another 5 amps are in the wait list.

Greetings to Fisher lovers !!!

 

[Masonavenut]

Figured I may as well throw in even though I'm am a recent convert.
I first saw and heard Fishers in high school at my friend (get this) Richie Fishers' house.
I really knew nothing about them but Richies dads system was impressive and unobtainable.
I have recently been reminded of how fantastic these old systems sound when I happened to walk into a friends office and his Mac system was playing.
I immediately recognized the sound and started to remember the old days and the systems I couldn't afford then. For me Marantz and Fisher.
So I've been on a tear lately to procure these systems and listen to music again like I used to in high school. I have two Fishers now, a 400 that I just got back from the shop and an 800c that almost just fell in my lap and is unrestored as of now.
I have to say it has given me a heck of a lot of pleasure. My wife is even loving it and it's replacing stupid tv time in the evenings.
So between working on my cars and listening to music I think I've regressed back to high school. Awesome.

 

[nasadowsk]

Friend of my mom gave me an old X-202 in good shape, many may years ago ("nobody wants this old tube stuff").

Few years later, picked up an SA-100 from a family friend, along with a 100T and other stuff. Gave the 100T to a coworker (needed a pretuner), kept the SA-100 and X-202. They're on the shelf cause I have a pair of MKIIIs now, but both are still perfectly serviceable, even if they eat 7189s...

 

[larryderouin]

nasadowsk; Read Dave's thread on the SA-100 clone he built and how you could bring it up to spec and beyond, while not having it eat 7189's all the time.
This one is in the Stickies under Technical threads. http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/improving-the-fisher-sa-100-with-efb-ii.476431/

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/teaser-pics-fisher-sa-100-clone-in-progress.466229/
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....uild-breaking-in-red-plate-protection.528397/

Also in the TECHNICAL thread sticky there are numerous threads on the X-202.

 

[thefraze1020]

I'm a youngster in this world of vintage electronics. I was born in 1992 (I am 25). When I was young, my parents had a Fisher TV from the 80's. That thing lasted for years. And my grandpa bought a pair of Fisher speakers in 1986 when his current house was built (I now possess and use these speakers). Thus, I had an early exposure to Fisher products, even if they weren't "true" Fishers.

After spending a few years going through one surround sound after another, with all of them being total junk, I decided to get into vintage electronics. One brand I remembered from my childhood, Fisher. I bought online a Fisher RS-1015 receiver, which when I got it in the mail, I thought that it was absolutely beautiful. I've since found out that in the late 1970's, that was the bottom end model. It still is a fantastic unit. So, my next step was to get a cassette deck. I scored online a Fisher CR-110 deck. After a little cleaning, it has been super reliable for me for the past two years. Love it! My grandpa then gave me his floor speakers from the 80's, I bought online a pair of Fisher bookshelf speakers from the 60's, and then found at a thrift shop a Yamaha turntable (P-500) for $10. My system was complete. Now, I use all of these components almost daily. This system serves as the sound for my TV (which is not vintage; it is a Vizio).

Finally, a year ago, I was given free a Fisher stereo console by a friend. It needs work cosmetically, but all the electronics work. After doing research, I found out that I have a 1967 Philharmonic P-292-IP (Italian Provincial/ Distressed Cherry). It has a Fisher AM/FM tuner and a Garrard turntable. Score!

 

[jcamero]

I picked up a "The Fisher 160t" receiver last week for 3 bucks! Yes, 3 US Dollars. Was not expecting too much, but quite impressed from the litter buggar. Nice sounding, comparable to my HK330c. Very clean, no static in the controls. I'll need to open it up, look over the caps for a parts list, and restore. I did download a service manual, most caps seem to be .01uf. A keeper for sure.

 

[Ohighway]

I wont say I fell in love. But I did develop a liking for my first Fisher piece, a 500c receiver I bought almost 20 years ago. Around 10 or so years ago I bought a pair of Fisher 50a monoblocks from a friend. Have a definite liking of those too.

 

[larryderouin]

I picked up a "The Fisher 160t" receiver last week for 3 bucks! Yes, 3 US Dollars. Was not expecting too much, but quite impressed from the litter buggar. Nice sounding, comparable to my HK330c. Very clean, no static in the controls. I'll need to open it up, look over the caps for a parts list, and restore. I did download a service manual, most caps seem to be .01uf. A keeper for sure.

I got mine a few years ago from AK'er AppleScruff, whose Father worked for FISHER building MPX units. I will say this, it's a gutsy bastard for a 15-20W receiver. I put it with a set of 98db/1W/1M Sansui SP-2500's and can actually rattle windows in the house (Room is 14 x 19). Between it, the 250TX, and the 500-TX, the Varactor tuning in the 160-T is the tightest receiving tuner of most any Receiver I have. I've got 3 stations at 100.3 in DC, 100.7 NW of Baltimore, and 101.1 in DC. This is the only one that can separate them totally by using the varactor. The 250-T and 500-TX both need an alignment. I put the 160-T on the Sencore SG165 for shits and giggles, and stereo separation was >35db L and R.

Not too many caps in it. And like you noted most are .01uf, except for the electrolytics. It'll definately improve in sound quality. Not a lot to it, but it will bring home the bacon. Great for a headphone amp next to the bed as it only has a pilot lamp and MPX lamp. NO big dial to light up the room and it runs very cool.

 

[hammr7]

Rick, you realize that audio isn't like marriage; you can have excited feelings for a bunch of different audio components (isn't that what separates are all about?). Just let yourself go and spread the love!

My dad had me soldering small Heathkit gear when I was 7. He told us we could have our own system once we could afford to pay for it ourselves. By the time I was 15 (and my brother 13) we got a TV and stereo in our room by lugging home an old console a neighbor was throwing out and repairing it.

The B&W TV worked (the neighbor had upgraded to a color TV), so we replaced the trashed turntable with a Garrard and fixed the Fisher tuner and amp. I can't remember which models, but all our friends were jealous that we had the best sounding stereo in the neighborhood.

It wasn't until ~ 5 years later when older friends started coming back from Vietnam with their PX systems that ours lost favor to massive receivers with lots of cool lights and meters. I got lured to the solid state side for a few decades, but never lost that first love feeling for the Fisher tube gear.

 

[larryderouin]

Those 50A's of Ricks DO SOUND NICE pushing those K-Horn's around. And they do it so effortlessly!

 

[havols]

I belong to a later generation ... born in 81, and in Brazil.
Here, the fisher models are a bit rare. I've always liked vintage sounds, and used a lot of pioneers of x3x series.
I met the first fisher through the models TX100 and 250TX, which appear for acquisition for a reasonable price. Today, the 250TX is semi-restored thanks to the help of audiokarma members. After, a few months later I got the 220T all original, and function great too.
A year later, I decided to give myself an original FISHER KX 200, but at a high price. Well, I appreciate it a lot, and sounds fantastic. I already had some tube amplifiers of 50's and 60's, but this fisher, with its big output transformers and the RCA 7591 tubes give a wonderful sound. With the help of Dave Gillespie and Larry here in audio karma, I recapped it, and made the necessary adjustments. Today it is one of the my 3 best amplifiers.
A few months ago I got an all-original FM-90X tube fisher, including the T-tank. The only problem with it was the rectifier tube that was broken. Well, it replaced the tube, and the electrolytic capacitors, and surprise ... everything worked perfectly. The two tuning VUs work perfectly. And the sound of it really transforms the FM sound into a warm sound ... exceptional ...
My great sadness was when I did not get a fisher 500s that appeared around here ... without the power transformer ... and the rest without any guarantee of operation ... The price was too high for the chassis without any tubes or guarantees. .. then gave up buying. But I always read that this receiver has a great warm sound... So, i I have a regret for not trying to restore it.
Well .. for now I have always been looking for some new fisher to buy ... but the prices are really high ... without any good sense
Regards from Brazil

 

[tater415]

My first Fisher which I just purchased about 7 months ago is the RS 1080 this thing is big heavy and beautiful with its teal blue lites and of course the sound. I liked it so well that I ran out and bought an RS 1060 of course I had to run out and get the RS 2015 and then I had to get the RS 2010 I think I got it covered here's a few pictures

 

[jdsalinger]

I came across a real haul at a consignment/antique shop in Madison, WI. 500T, Garrard LAB80, AR2ax speakers. I had no idea what any of that stuff was, but they had it all priced at $25 for everything and the owner was trying to hustle me out the door before I changed my mind to buy!

The 500T sat on the shelf in my basement for about a year before I even plugged it in. I just figured it was cheap junk because of the cheesy wood grain front. Then one day I was cleaning the basement and though, what the hey...let's plug this thing in for some tunes. The warm bass and crystal clear radio signal jerked my head and dropped my jaw. I actually think that this is what introduced me to AK because I had to research this receiver after learning what it was. Same thing when I hooked up the Garrard. Oh, and now....the 500T styling has grown on me and I think it is one of the most handsome receivers ever made.