fisher x-100 tube amplifier
- Thread starter edwin
- Start date
Very nice amp. 6BQ5 outputs, which have a reputation as very sweet sounding. Approximately 15-17 wpc. Nice phono stage, too. I really like mine. Along with my 500C it gets most of my listening time.
How much are you thinking of paying for it?
Clay
How much are you thinking of paying for it?
Clay
"seller offering it for $200.00 but i think this is too high am still negotiating "
I presume you want him to throw in his first born ?
If it's working other than needing a replacement 6BQ5 buy it before he finds out that he very likely has a VERY desirable amp on his hands!
6BQ5s are very frequently available on Ebay and are often cited in audiophile forums as being at least the equal to EL34/6CA7 output tubes albeit with lesser output power.
That amplifier will be more than capable of driving any normally efficient loudspeaker ( 86db/w/m/@1Khz or better )
I presume you want him to throw in his first born ?
If it's working other than needing a replacement 6BQ5 buy it before he finds out that he very likely has a VERY desirable amp on his hands!
6BQ5s are very frequently available on Ebay and are often cited in audiophile forums as being at least the equal to EL34/6CA7 output tubes albeit with lesser output power.
That amplifier will be more than capable of driving any normally efficient loudspeaker ( 86db/w/m/@1Khz or better )
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If it doesn't have any cosmetic issues, and it works fine, that's a fair price. No bargain by any means, but a fair price.
If it doesn't work fine, all inputs, AUX and Phono especially, no hum, then it's too much.
If it has cosmetic issues, i.e. the front panel has flaws or missing letters, or the chassis has rust or corrosion spots, or is missing lettering, then it's too much.
If it doesn't work fine, and it has cosmetic issues, then it's way too much.
If any of the trannys, either the power or output transformers are bad, then it's waaaaaaay too much. In that case it's just a parts unit. $50, if it's got all the knobs. Bad trannys and no knobs, it's not worth shipping cost. Buying used transformers can cost you more than you paid for the amp if they're bad.
Sovtek or JJ 6BQ5/EL84 outputs are less than $10 each from Antique Electronic Supply and most outlets. 12AX7's are in the same ballpark, so replacement tube costs are not the issue. There are folks who will pay much more than that for some NOS tubes. (I have 8 NOS black plate RCA 6BQ5's in the mint original boxes that I stole for less than $80 total.) But, you truly don't need to get into that in the beginning.
Believe me, the amp will sound very nice indeed with whatever outputs you feed it, as long as they're working correctly.
Good luck with your negotiating! :boxing:
Clay
If it doesn't work fine, all inputs, AUX and Phono especially, no hum, then it's too much.
If it has cosmetic issues, i.e. the front panel has flaws or missing letters, or the chassis has rust or corrosion spots, or is missing lettering, then it's too much.
If it doesn't work fine, and it has cosmetic issues, then it's way too much.
If any of the trannys, either the power or output transformers are bad, then it's waaaaaaay too much. In that case it's just a parts unit. $50, if it's got all the knobs. Bad trannys and no knobs, it's not worth shipping cost. Buying used transformers can cost you more than you paid for the amp if they're bad.
Sovtek or JJ 6BQ5/EL84 outputs are less than $10 each from Antique Electronic Supply and most outlets. 12AX7's are in the same ballpark, so replacement tube costs are not the issue. There are folks who will pay much more than that for some NOS tubes. (I have 8 NOS black plate RCA 6BQ5's in the mint original boxes that I stole for less than $80 total.) But, you truly don't need to get into that in the beginning.
Believe me, the amp will sound very nice indeed with whatever outputs you feed it, as long as they're working correctly.
Good luck with your negotiating! :boxing:
Clay
"Trannys" are transformers.
If a tube is broken, you will not be able to test it until it is replaced. You will therefore have to spend money just to see if your purchase was a good one. It's seems that there is going to be a certain amount of risk in this sale for you, above and beyond the act of buying online. You may want to keep looking, or take the plunge. No one can decide that but you.
Good luck!
If a tube is broken, you will not be able to test it until it is replaced. You will therefore have to spend money just to see if your purchase was a good one. It's seems that there is going to be a certain amount of risk in this sale for you, above and beyond the act of buying online. You may want to keep looking, or take the plunge. No one can decide that but you.
Good luck!
Look here...
Hi Edwin,
I don't know if you saw this thread, but it's another AK'er who is going through the same process as you are, trying to decide what/how to get a classic Fisher integrated amp up to speed. There's lots of good input from several very knowledgeable guys here...give it a read and it should answer a lot of your questions.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22227
Have fun!
Clay
Hi Edwin,
I don't know if you saw this thread, but it's another AK'er who is going through the same process as you are, trying to decide what/how to get a classic Fisher integrated amp up to speed. There's lots of good input from several very knowledgeable guys here...give it a read and it should answer a lot of your questions.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22227
Have fun!
Clay
NOSValves
Super Member
The X-100 is a awesome little amp. $200 is a very fair price if it indeed has good Transformers and works once the tube is replaced. How long has been since the amp was used ? If its been years it should be brought up on a variac slowly to allow the Caps to reform. The odds are it should be rebuilt before being placed in constant service.
Craig
Craig
I have two tube amps. One is Audio Research high-end piece and the other is The Fisher x-100. The piece is fully restored with original schematics and parts and i can honestly tell you that Fisher sounds better and i like its kinda wooden, wide and soft sound over others precise and sharp sound. It is rare integrated amps that can fearlessly compare with most expensive pieces. My Fisher is combined with handcrafted high-end Audiomodul speakers and Audiomodul subwoofer and i can tell that in years of listening to few of amps including best Luxmans, Marantzes, Audio Research, High-End Sony and McIntosh I have not heard Amp that has that unique sound and you simply can not get tired of listening. But, it has some problems. One of them is that its taking time to warm up and in the first ten minutes channels are quite unstable. But when eventually it gets warm heaven begins. The other problem is that sometimes (mostly in classical music) it lacks power and basses but i solved that problem by using paper-bass speakers and adding subwoofer.
