XP Series Speakers 1959-1973

[RichardDaRed]

XP-10
An amazing thread, I don't know how I missed it when first looking up Fisher speakers for the XP-10's was going to look at. I have put some of my findings as I opened the speakers here: https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/xp-10-front-grill-removal.471760/ but think this forum is the better place to continue.

So sum it up at this point, I've found the woofer and mids to be in great shape, and I think original, and the tweeters were, at 58 years old, entirely dried up and useless. I replaced them with the Dayton Audio 1 1/8" silk dome tweeters as sipuser had. I still found the highs to be a bit weak to my ear so took a look at the treble trim pots on the back of the speakers. One speaker had a treble pot that worked (or at least showed variation from off to full, and cranking it up to "full" got the cymbals at the start of Cirque du Soliel's Allegria to sound pretty good. Inside the case, Both had a white/yellowish powder collected onto their cases inside the speaker box. Photo follows:


I jumped the bad treble pot and found the tweeter output fairly matched the other speaker with treble pot set to full. I removed the bad treble pot and tested it, finding resistance of 0.8-1.0 when wide open and about 37 when closed. Hmm, sounds like good numbers. Taking it apart for cleaning, very carefully pryiing back the tabs to remove the cover, I could see the wear path but function looked good. A liberal dose of FaderLube and many workings followed by more Faderlube got the wide open setting to a resistence of 0.1 to 0.3. Better. Pictures follow:


It may have been my ears when first listening, or the caps hadn't reformed yet as I've read here, or perhaps the difference of 0.6 resistence is more than I expected, but the control now does show a variation of volume to the high tones. I now have both speakers set to a tick above middle for the mids, and full up on the treble, with my amp, Sansui Classique A-900, set flat on all except for +2 on treble and I like the sound. Alot. I will let it run through the day to see if it sounds differently after a few hours of electron stimulation.

A couple photos follow to show speaker surrounds as have been discussed in this thread:

 

[RichardDaRed]

A couple photos of my tweeter replacement, using 1/4" clear both sides plywood to make a round speaker fit a square hole. This allowed use of the original bolts for the tweeter mount. I used compressable foam at the mounting point of wood to wood as a sealant and vibration reducer. The tweets have a thin foam on them from the factory.

Thoughts at this point - is the pink fiberglass insulation really necessary? Are trim pots needed? A post elsewhere here on AK pointed to variable resistors, i.e. equalizers, never being used to ADD volume, only to reduce, makes me think full up on both, or removal of both from the circuit, would be a good idea, leaving the tone adjustments to the amplifier.

About the sound I'm getting now - I broke in the speakers for about 6 hours with easy stuff - Duke E., Norah J, early John Mayer, Moody Blues, and it all sounded pretty good. Then I put on Rolling Stones Beggers Banquet, Sympathy for the Devil and Street Fighting Man and I gotta say, these speakers can totally rock. My amp showed a steady 12 or so watts output, with peaks above 50, and wow wow wow, the bass line has never been more pronounced and punctual, Mick never clearer, and the guitars, dang, the guitars, wailing so pure. All to my ears, and no denigration to any other speaker I have heard.

The mid on these speakers does a lot of work. I guess Mr. Fisher and Mr. Klipsch had the same sense of the mids being where we live. The crossover also seems to allow for a fair coverage of tones by the tweeters as well as the mids - the tweeters carry deeper than I expected. Again, to my ear and at 68 years old, just now learning how to hear music.

I am moving these into the house and will listen to them for a while. More info when I have it.

 

[larryderouin]

The powder on the metal covers is cadmium dust. It can be Toxic DRY. Use gloves, and a particulate mask, dis-assemble cover, wet down cover under running water and use a green scrubbie to get it off. Spray with some clearcoat (it doesn't have to be automotive paint. Krylon and Rustoleum make a clear. Put a couple coats on the outside. Let dry over night, re-assemble, and have fun listening.

 

[hondsvod]

i can't seem to find any info on the model xp-59. What's up with that?

 

[RichardDaRed]

I don't know, but I sure like the controls there if they work. My 10's are sounding wonderful.

 

[hondsvod]

Some of the controls are seized so i need to take them apart to make full use of them. I've peaked inside and noticed these are built like a tank. I'm drawn to the huge 23 inch cabinets and their overall look. These fishers sound airy with great separation. I had fun listening to jazz. Yet they lacked in certain areas so for day to day listening ill probably stick to more modern speakers. Still i'm intrigued what some tlc will do to them.

If anybody has info on the xp-59 model, i'd love to hear about it.

 

[RichardDaRed]

Some of the controls are seized so i need to take them apart to make full use of them. I've peaked inside and noticed these are built like a tank. I'm drawn to the huge 23 inch cabinets and their overall look. These fishers sound airy with great separation. I had fun listening to jazz. Yet they lacked in certain areas so for day to day listening ill probably stick to more modern speakers. Still i'm intrigued what some tlc will do to them.

If anybody has info on the xp-59 model, i'd love to hear about it.

I think if you dig through this thread, or search the forums, you'll find at least brochures on the XP-series. Here's what I found on Chat GPT:
Fisher XP-59 specifications:
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ChatGPT said:​

The Fisher XP-59 is a classic hi-fi loudspeaker produced by Fisher in the mid-1950s, designed to provide high-quality sound for home audio systems. Here are the key specifications for the Fisher XP-59:

Fisher XP-59 Specifications:​

1. Type:
   • 2-way bookshelf loudspeaker (monitor speaker)
2. Frequency Response:
   • 40 Hz to 20 kHz
3. Impedance:
   • 8 ohms
4. Sensitivity:
   • 93 dB (at 1 watt, 1 meter)
5. Power Handling:
   • 50 watts RMS (continuous power)
6. Crossover Frequency:
   • 2.5 kHz (between woofer and tweeter)
7. Drivers:
   • Woofer: 12-inch low-frequency driver
   • Tweeter: 1-inch high-frequency driver (horn-loaded)
8. Enclosure:
   • Acoustic suspension design with a sealed cabinet
9. Cabinet Construction:
   • Solid wood (often veneered with walnut or similar materials)
   • Rectangular design with rounded edges
10. Dimensions:
    • Height: 23 inches (approx.)
    • Width: 14 inches (approx.)
    • Depth: 12 inches (approx.)
11. Weight:
    • Around 25-30 pounds per speaker
12. Finish:
    • Usually finished in walnut veneer with a satin or gloss surface.

The Fisher XP-59 was a highly regarded speaker in its time due to its high sensitivity and wide frequency response, making it a great choice for hi-fi enthusiasts. Its acoustic suspension design helped deliver deep bass while maintaining clear mid and high frequencies.
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My 10's have become my preferred for the main room, able to sit and listen at a moderate level, or louder and fill a good chunk of the house. Looking at the specs here I see the 59 is a two-way speaker. My opinion is that the addition of a mid-range speaker to handle that range alone allows the woofer to do what it does better, and the mid to not be bothered with trying to do more than needed. I have no education in sound, just my opinion after listening to many different speakers over the years. As one commenter said on another thread about a two-way system, politely, "it just seemed to be missing something." That said, I am sure there is a two-way system that would fool me into thinking it was more. As for modern speakers, yes, they do have a nice and sometimes different sound (if my Infinity RS-4000s can be considered modern and gosh if you're looking for a larger bookshelf speaker, these are pretty wonderful) but there are many factors at play with older speakers needing maintenance or repair that isn't visible to the eye. Attenuators, magnets, coils, surrounds on the verge for cracking and crossovers can all be issues, or be fine. I have never heard a pair of XP-59s, so I don't know. Back to my XP-10s - the balance and clarity in all ranges is, to me, wonderful. Stones at 95dB+, Moody Blues a bit quieter but not much, Norah Jones, John Mayer, Brubeck et al, all have a setting - usually a little variable loudness, not much - that makes it wonderful. I don't know that the woofers or mids have been re-surrounded or not, but I think not as it would have been time to replace the tweeter, too, as obviously dried up as they were. Impressive build on the woofer and mid, for sure. Would love an opinion from anyone that knows if the speakers shown a couple posts above have been re-surrounded.