why are the old fisher speakers worthless?

[John M Clark]

I still enjoy my XP-55b's that I bought while in college in the early '70s. I just looked at the 8" woofers today and was amazed that the surrounds were like new. Maybe they are the cloth type, impregnated with some chemical to prevent deterioration, like the ones in my KLH 6 10" woofers, which also show no signs of age. I am planning to replace the tweeters in the XP-55b's, even though they are OK. I just replaced the deteriorated phenolic ring tweeters in my KLH 6's with Dayton Audio silk dome tweeters. The improvement in mid-high frequencies and stereo imaging is amazing!

I also picked up a pair of STV-920 Fisher 3-way speakers, with 10" woofers, from a yard sale. The woofer surrounds are virtually gone. I'll replace the woofers with the best one I can find. I saw one from Parts Express that looked good with a fs = 19 Hz. I haven't even heard these yet. The owner said one of the tweeters was blown, so I'll replace both of them with Dayton Audio silk dome tweeters, too.

I'm not sure what to expect out of these STV-920's, but my experience with Fisher speakers has been good so far, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[drumbum]

I'm sure I've posted this before,...I have a set of XP 7S's that were unlistenable until I changed the mids to a RS fe103 clone. Recapped and refoamed the rola 12" woofer prior to the mid switch...yuck...HONKY MID RANGE beyond a watt. Quite OK now, for what they are.

 

[loudnoises]

I still enjoy my XP-55b's that I bought while in college in the early '70s. I just looked at the 8" woofers today and was amazed that the surrounds were like new. Maybe they are the cloth type, impregnated with some chemical to prevent deterioration, like the ones in my KLH 6 10" woofers, which also show no signs of age. I am planning to replace the tweeters in the XP-55b's, even though they are OK. I just replaced the deteriorated phenolic ring tweeters in my KLH 6's with Dayton Audio silk dome tweeters. The improvement in mid-high frequencies and stereo imaging is amazing!

I also picked up a pair of STV-920 Fisher 3-way speakers, with 10" woofers, from a yard sale. The woofer surrounds are virtually gone. I'll replace the woofers with the best one I can find. I saw one from Parts Express that looked good with a fs = 19 Hz. I haven't even heard these yet. The owner said one of the tweeters was blown, so I'll replace both of them with Dayton Audio silk dome tweeters, too.

I'm not sure what to expect out of these STV-920's, but my experience with Fisher speakers has been good so far, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

The later fishers are a mixed bag. The few I've come across were either solid as can be, or made from cardboard. They do not get much love, anywhere, but neither do the vintage ones really either.

For me, baseball and Beatles I break out the xp-7bs. I don't even know if they sound good anymore, they just sound right.

 

[Dave07997S]

To be frank there were some later Fisher speakers that were quite good. Unfortunately most of them if not all of them didn't make it to the US. Now collectability is one thing, good sounding is another. Also, you had to go to the top of their line to get something different. The ST-845s and ST-925s were actually quite good and large, but the cross overs were lacking and a good crossover actually opened them up quite a bit. Also Fisher sold speakers in Europe with their Octavia line that were quite good. Unfortunately Fisher also shot them selves in the foot with some of the garbage they put out (lot of main stream manufacturers did this), however Fisher took it to the next level. I have owned the ST-845s in which I had a custom crossover made and with better interior wiring and it removed some of the harshness and really opened up the sound stage with this. I also had a set of these as a starter speaker, the ST-430. These weren't available in a system and were part of their separate series and these were actually quite good.

 

[Dadrepus]

Anybody have any experience with Fisher Airdyne speakers. I see some for sale in my local Marketplace and the owner has a recording that sounds pretty good. Looks like a 3 way + pie pan. I’m sure these are Sanyo drivers but his recording does sound sweet. He wants 120 for the pair. Boxes in nice shape but I cant tell if they are vinyl or wood covered.

 

[Isotonic]

Years ago, there was a thrift store in Austin that had a pair of XP-9s playing music all day. I loved them. They are not technically great. They are rolled off in the highs, with very little below 100hz. But there was something pleasing about the mids, even if the music pulsed from beneath a fog. It just sounded good to me. Wish I could find a pair.

 

[Collins300G]

A 17 year old thread - that's staying power.
November 1966 my parents bought a Fisher 400 with XP-5 speakers. December 1968 the blown-up XP-5's(my sisters) were exchanged for XP-55B's under warranty. They are our easy listening set
Sometime within the past 20 years I was given a pair of XP9b. They have finally bubbled up on the project list this month. XP9's all seem to have done duty holding plants so I'm refinishing the cabinets right now to remove the water stains and re-secure the veneer. They are looking really nice.
My 79cent paint can top remover got the original grills off really easily and nothing has been messed with in the speaker department. They work but I'll recap the x-overs and see if the tweeters do anything. My gut feeling is the tweeters are dead...donno how to approach that issue yet.
The XP-9b's will go in the garage and replace a pair of no-names that I got at the speaker exchange (the dump) years ago.

 

[7whales7]

seems no one bidding or buying these much
i wanted an old pair (60's) to match my fisher 400 receiver
are they bad sounding ?
anyone using these with fisher tube receivers ?

It depends on what "sound" your looking for? I personally have some old Fisher gear that I like for it's vintage sound, reminds me of when I first heard it when I was a kid at my Grandparents house. First "Good" Stereo I had ever heard. Yes, Warm, to some Muffled, Rolled Off,Etc. but I expect that. It's to sound of that era I kinda remember. Some of that old gear sounds sweet to me...and that's all that matters. It's nice to find people that feel the same. I have more accurate systems for critical listening also. To me it's cool to go back in time and fire up an old Fisher put on some oldies. Be thankful they are to most "worthless". Your voyage back in time doesn't cost that much for now... LOL

 

[twiiii]

They weren't quality speakers to begin with. We couldn't sell them when they were new.

 

[UgroundRaver]

Ive got a pair of XP-7B & A pair of The Fisher 103 speakers. I have restored lots of speakers from this era and i think these speakers are decent quality.

I really like how the 103s look so i may actually keep them for a while. I plan on heavily customizing them though so the only thing im really keeping are the cabinets & grills. Im planning on using some new 10" woofers (both original woofers are toast) possibly dayton audio or something similar along with a nice modern 3/4"-1" dome tweeter.

As far as the XP-7B speakers i plan on only replacing the tweeters with new 3/4" dome tweeters and modifying the crossovers if needed. The original speakers are all in excellent condition but im not a fan of the tweeters because i like my highs sharp since i mainly listen to electronic music. Im going to do some major cosmetic repair and mods to the cabinets since they already have plenty of damage and when im done they will have rolled off edges and be gloss white but the grills will still be mint original grills.

Here are some non fisher cabinets im restoring right now. They are early 60s Jensen and i like to use mid century modern atomic era vibe materials on speakers that have grills that have to be restored. Luckily the grills on the XP-7B & 103 fishers are in mint condition because i really like how they look.

 

[painttoad]

a few years ago i worked on a fisher fm-7000 and a ca-7000. i had the timer as well but forget the model number. anyways, my research led me to the all separates stack and the speakers. i have not heard the speakers but they are intriguing.

 

[loudnoises]

Ive got a pair of XP-7B & A pair of The Fisher 103 speakers. I have restored lots of speakers from this era and i think these speakers are decent quality.

I really like how the 103s look so i may actually keep them for a while. I plan on heavily customizing them though so the only thing im really keeping are the cabinets & grills. Im planning on using some new 10" woofers (both original woofers are toast) possibly dayton audio or something similar along with a nice modern 3/4"-1" dome tweeter.

As far as the XP-7B speakers i plan on only replacing the tweeters with new 3/4" dome tweeters and modifying the crossovers if needed. The original speakers are all in excellent condition but im not a fan of the tweeters because i like my highs sharp since i mainly listen to electronic music. Im going to do some major cosmetic repair and mods to the cabinets since they already have plenty of damage and when im done they will have rolled off edges and be gloss white but the grills will still be mint original grills.

Here are some non fisher cabinets im restoring right now. They are early 60s Jensen and i like to use mid century modern atomic era vibe materials on speakers that have grills that have to be restored. Luckily the grills on the XP-7B & 103 fishers are in mint condition because i really like how they look.

View attachment 3318783
View attachment 3318784
View attachment 3318785

The xp-7b is very nice sounding speaker. All the crossover caps need replacing at this age. I would swap them before you replace the tweeters, with the highs knob turned up they have adequate response; you might do better adjusting the resistor values vs replacement.

 

[mitchalee]

Bought some XP7b back when they were new. Always liked them. My other pair were Dynaco A25. I actually liked the Fisher better, but decided the Dynaco were more musical, so I sold the Fisher. But afterward I regretted that decision because the Dynaco were fine with most music but too soft for Hendrix and other classic rock.

Then a few years back I saw a pair of XP7b missing the grills for about $100 and bought them. One of the mids was mute, but it turned out to be a bad capacitor. Replaced it. Now that was interesting because I realized the two 5" mids are not the same. One handles the upper mids and the other the lower! Wow! I suppose that explains why they always sounded so . . . well, rough and ready but also exciting and defined even though the highs were a bit back.

Replaced the grills with lovely XP7 sparkly metallic treads woven in! Actually, quite nice and a bit mod!

Anyway I listened to Electric Ladyland again on them. And was reminded why I liked them so much for that sort of music. Combo jazz = ok. Folk = nah. Classical = maybe, but . . . But Classic Rock = YES INDEED!

 

[mitchalee]

seems no one bidding or buying these much
i wanted an old pair (60's) to match my fisher 400 receiver
are they bad sounding ?
anyone using these with fisher tube receivers ?

I have a tube version of the

seems no one bidding or buying these much
i wanted an old pair (60's) to match my fisher 400 receiver
are they bad sounding ?
anyone using these with fisher tube receivers ?

I recently bought the tube version of the Fisher 400 receiver, not the 400T version. It was rather pricy and the power tubes are a mishmash. But it sounds spectacular, none-the-less. Played a pair of Klipsch Corwalls through it. Very nice. But am looking forward to playing my Fisher XP7b soon! Given the brightness of the 400 and the warm, mellow quality of the XP7b I expect great sounds! Also, the XP7b are very efficient and a bit mid-rangy, but with fine, well-defined bass and a nice high-end for percussion; all of which matches well with my impression of the 400!

 

[1970 HD]

Well, there's more than a simple answer here.

First, there are basically three different eras of Fisher speakers.

Third and last, anything from the end of the Fisher brand run, during the 1980's Sanyo era, has no collector value whatsoever. This includes any speakers that start with ST or STV.

Prior to this period, there are some very high-quality speakers, and some very ordinary speakers. The various model numbers don't always tell you everything you need to know, so you can usually rely on the old standard tests: If it's heavy, and it has real walnut veneer, it's worth a try.

The bookshelf sized ones pretty much follow the above guidelines. The floor model "Consolette" line are all very good speakers. This would include any speaker from the XP-10 to the XP-18.

Here may be one of the main reasons vintage Fisher speakers are not sought after, especially if you compare the sound to current speakers. The legend is that Avery Fisher insisted on personally "voicing" all of the speakers. Apparently his personal preference was a very warm sound, one that today would be considered to have very rolled off highs. At the time it drove his engineers nuts. So, if you're willing to swap out the tweeters for something more current, ideally with a silk dome tweeter to at least stay faithful to the era, you might find a very lovely sound. And, at a very low price!

"Third and last, anything from the end of the Fisher brand run, during the 1980's Sanyo era, has no collector value whatsoever."

I know this is a very old post but I agree. This was when the BPC era started. Any speakers that were bundled with the component and all in one systems were pretty much relabled "white van speakers". Any name brand speakers manufactured in that era like Kenwood, Pioneer, Akai etc. were by name only.

 

[blademan13]

As an owner Fisher XP-7’s and XP-10’s I disagree with all the ill will. Granted, the tweeters are well known for drying up and dying over time. I bought both of these with well built, high quality and real wood veneered cabinets. I replaced my XP-7’s tweeters with a pair of Peerless tweeters from the early Polk speakers ($30), my XP-10’s got some very nice EV T-350 tweeters. Both now very listenable in their casual listening set-ups. Good bass, great mids and very nice highs now. The big midrange on the XP-10’s brings vocals to life. Would I prefer them in my primary system, frankly no. Could I live with them for casual listening, absolutely. Still better than what 80% of the population listens to.

 

[1970 HD]

As an owner Fisher XP-7’s and XP-10’s I disagree with all the ill will. Granted, the tweeters are well known for drying up and dying over time. I bought both of these with well built, high quality and real wood veneered cabinets. I replaced my XP-7’s tweeters with a pair of Peerless tweeters from the early Polk speakers ($30), my XP-10’s got some very nice EV T-350 tweeters. Both now very listenable in their casual listening set-ups. Good bass, great mids and very nice highs now. The big midrange on the XP-10’s brings vocals to life. Would I prefer them in my primary system, frankly no. Could I live with them for casual listening, absolutely. Still better than what 80% of the population listens to.

Some of the newer name brand stuff did sound good and some of it even better than the older gear. It's just most of the gear from the 80s and on became non servicable other than being able to change a belt or two because that's when they started going to ICs, microprocessors and vacuum fluorescent displays which were difficult to remove from the circuit boards without expensive equipment and almost everything mechanical in the tape decks and some turntables were made out of plastic and not available if any of it broke.

 

[Ds2000]

The Otto Fisher STE speakers were quite good. Sanyo‘s shot at the high end.

 

[MaggieMaggie]

I had a pair for a while, lol I'm here because they are back on Craigslist. Fisher woofers were pretty good, deep warm bass. Tweeters and mids are utter crap. AliEx or the Parts Exp closeout page will set you up with some nice dome tweeters, sport for the blue Jantzen caps, add a resistor before the car to balance the levels and enjoy.

 

[loudnoises]

I had a pair for a while, lol I'm here because they are back on Craigslist. Fisher woofers were pretty good, deep warm bass. Tweeters and mids are utter crap. AliEx or the Parts Exp closeout page will set you up with some nice dome tweeters, sport for the blue Jantzen caps, add a resistor before the car to balance the levels and enjoy.

All the caps in all the fishers of this era are crap. Until they're replaced your upper end is trash. Afterwards they are still a bit rolled off, by design.