How does a fisher 500c/800C/400C compare to the other receivers in same era?

The 800C is a fine receiver. I have two myself, one original and one recapped with the SDS power supply board. I've compared the SDS 800C to my HH Scott LK-72B (also re-capped) and prefer the Scott. OK, an integrated is suppose to beat a receiver. Both are 7591 and both have similarly sized iron. It would seem the 5AR4 rectifier in the Scott makes a difference. I would say the HH Scott 340 with a pair of 5AR4's would sound better than the Fisher. One of these days I will find a 340 to compare.
 
I too prefer a tube rectifer my stromberg has a 5AR4 and something about is it very crisp sounding..... What sounds better about the scott?

my 800C has that power supply board to installed
 
What brand of tubes is in ur fisher compared to the scott? Did u replace the coupling tube capacitors?
 
Would anyone care to comment further on the gap between the very positive subjective write up and the section on measurements which is quite critical in the Stereophile article?
 
I have both a Fisher 400 and a Scott 340B, they both have their own sound. The 340B has more power than my 400. Both units are restored and I'll always keep both of them. I lean a bit towards my 340B.
 
The Fisher receivers seem to have a "dark" tone to my ears. They are competent by not especially musical, IMHO.
 
The Fisher receivers seem to have a "dark" tone to my ears. They are competent by not especially musical, IMHO.

I restored a 400 and it seemed a little murky to me. It had a lot of muscle but no finesse IMO. I wanted to love it, but just couldn't so I sold it. Sorry, I can't comment/compare to other receivers of the era, but I have a couple Voice of Music integrateds that sound more pleasing to me.
 
I think i also hear that "dark tone" it seems to me that in disco music the drums come in very good and the higher pitched violins come in very good but not much in the low mid range like a disco bassline for an example
 
to be honest I prefer the sound of my uncapped magnavox conole more then my current setup which is my fisher 800c with the klh 6 speakers
 
The thought that because a tube amp is old school technology it can only drive old school technology speakers is a fallacy.
That receiver will drive anything with a sensitivity over about 84db.
You're in Massachusetts. Come over to my house in Arlington and the 500-C in my reference system will make your day.
 
The thought that because a tube amp is old school technology it can only drive old school technology speakers is a fallacy.
That receiver will drive anything with a sensitivity over about 84db.
You're in Massachusetts. Come over to my house in Arlington and the 500-C in my reference system will make your day.
lol cool springfield here.... I dont thnik that tube amp means you should have old speakers.... I didnt know they still make full range speakers usually they are these dinky things now. What kind of speakers? and do you use vinyl? if so what do you use for a phono preamp
 
Don't have the Receivers but a Fisher integrated, and by no means does it sound dark, surprisingly very bright and clear on the top, sweet in the middle and quite amazing in the bass region for being a small tube integrated.

I have paired it so far with two pairs of speaker, both of which I found to work and sound great with it. The first pair is a Sansui SP L700, which is a two way speaker that has twin 10 bass drivers and one horn behind an accustical lens. The second pair is the Yamaha NS500m's which are a step down from the NS1000m'. The two pairs sound pretty close with the nod going to the Yamaha's having the slighly brighter, and clean top end, where the Sansui's have a bit of an advantage in the mids and will go a bit louder as they are more efficent.

I thought the amp section of the Fisher I have, a KX200 was pretty close to what the 800 has, it uses the 7951 driver tubes with some 12xa7's on the pre side. I started with a pair of EH tubes but recently I replace them with some Westinghouse branded Fisher tubes. To be honest I can't tell much difference between the Westinghouse and the EH tubes, but soon I will start looking for some nice old vintage 12ax7's for the phone and preamp side.
 
Yeah I bought some old stock fisher output tubes and i couldnt tell much of a difference with the EH either
 
I'm using EH outputs in my 400 and my 340B. Both work and sound very good. I previously had the original output tubes. For speakers I use Forte's. At the moment I'm using my 300B SE amp. I periodically rotate my receivers in and out of my system.
 
Click on the link at the bottom and scroll through the pages to see my reference system. I haven't updated it since I put the last 500-C in.
 
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