460A vs. SA-100

nolasally

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
Anyone have knowledge of both units. I have 460A and am looking at picking up an SA-100. Which one sounds sweeter??
 
Sweetness is of course in the ear of the listener. In terms of sheer capability however, the SA-100 has it all over the 460A. You would be hard pressed to find anything less than glowing reviews of the SA-100 in terms of its SQ, which based on my own experience, I would heartily agree! Full disclosure however, I've never heard the 460A, and I hardly mean any disparaging comments against it. But I know the components and the design of which the 460A and SA-100 are made, and it is there where the difference, and therefore difference in performance capability lies. If you like the 460A, I cannot image that you would be disappointed with the SA-100!

Dave
 
I have both and there is no comparison! 460A is very nice but the SA100 is in a league of it's own. Enjoy your new amp!

fisher 460A.jpg Garage SA100.jpg
 
I've had 460a, 480a, 481a and now have an SA100.
Those console pull amps are a great place to start but they're not in the same league as the SA100. The SA100 just does everything better.
 
I've had 460a, 480a, 481a and now have an SA100.
Those console pull amps are a great place to start but they're not in the same league as the SA100. The SA100 just does everything better.

Yes the SA100 is one of my favorite amplifiers. I listen to mine every night.
I've found the 20-A to be very nice sounding 6BQ5 amplifier as well. Larger iron than the console pulls. I have 2 but one is missing it's cage.

Fisher 20-A.jpg
 
Nice amplifiers! Nice condition too which is getting hard to find.
Yes, it's difficult to find the badges. Out of all the caged amplifiers I've owned I've only had two intact, shown on the SA100 and 20-A in the photos. I've found only 1 other badge over the years as they rarely show up. Seems the glue lets go easily and they are lost or tossed so most cages are just left with the faint oval of where they once were.
 
A Fisher badge sold on the bay a couple of years ago...I forgot how much but I think it was between $200-$300.
 
The badge on my SA-300-B is intact but I don't use the cage because I prefer her to be naked. :naughty:

The badges would be quite easy to reproduce, there's nothing special about them (unless yours is missing.)
 
The badge on my SA-300-B is intact but I don't use the cage because I prefer her to be naked. :naughty:

The badges would be quite easy to reproduce, there's nothing special about them (unless yours is missing.)
Truth be told...I don't have the cage on either of my amps either, they get so hot.

There was a guy who wanted to fabricate replacement badges on this forum a couple of years ago but nothing ever became of it.
Maybe some concern about differentiating an authentic badge from a reproduction and a misrepresented value added to an amp for sale.
If it's real I say consider yourself lucky and leave it at that.

On the SA300 subject..
I don't know if you've ever rolled tubes in your amp, but I had some 12AU7 varients laying around and really liked Raytheon CK5814A.
I tried all the different varients and brands I could find (they're relatively unknown and inexpensive) but liked those Raytheon's the best. Maybe it's the military build.
Better than any 12AU7 I ever ran.
1513835131705156557596.jpg
 
A Fisher badge sold on the bay a couple of years ago...I forgot how much but I think it was between $200-$300.

Yes I think I saw that badge on Ebay. I guess if it's missing and you want one bad enough. They would be easy to reproduce but you would need to use something besides metal as it would be difficult to stamp. Also a reproduction would be easy to spot if it was molded or milled from a plastic type material so it couldn't be sold as original. I got my 3rd badge on a cage I bought for $60. It was a SA300 cage and my SA300 already had one so I gave it (less the badge) to a friend who needed one. Beat up but he wanted it.

I didn't use the cage on my SA100 for about a year. I've found it runs no hotter and looks so cool with the cage attached :beatnik:
 
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