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I was looking at a pair of Fisher speakers today.they looked heavy probably 10" woofers, thick cabinets, older stuff had the old emblem on it, think they were geee..... cant remember, s something 6 s-9 or sx6 or something like that. Anyhow I just felt unsure about Fisher speakers I mean they looked the part but how do they sound>? Anyone know? did fisher ever make good speakers>?
Follow Ups:
"I mean they looked the part but how do they sound> ? Anyone know? did fisher ever make good speakers> ?"Their best ones in my opinion were
the XP series. The quality of their
stuff was pretty good until the early
70s. After that it started going down
hill. By the 80s it had hit the
bottom of the barrel. I used to work at an
authorized dealer. After awhile we
started calling them Fisher Price.
I was at my neighbors house yesterday and I never noticed they have a HUGH pair of Fisher speakers in the corner of their den. I mean HUGH. They are so big they use them as tables and thats why I never noticed. The woofer has to be 14-18". I would really like to hear them one day. I would image they don't sound as nice as they look being the rest of the audio collection is bottom of the 80's barrel.
Fisher made some really crap speakers. The one exception was the XP series. They were modeled on the old Wharfdales and were quite good. Of the xp series, I own or have auditioned the xp-55, xp-6, xp-7, xp-7b, xp-9, xp-9c, xp-10, and the xp-18 (Which has 18" woofers and is pretty rare...but Wow! what a beast...:)! They all had quality Ailnico speakers, rubberized surrounds, (I've never seen one with foam rot)and good quality caps in the crossovers...not to mention those heavy duty cabinets with real walnut or cherry veneers.
In my opinion, all of these speakers perform quite well with just about any tube gear. There are other models in the XP series that I've not heard. Unlike a lot of folks, I won't comment on those without having heard them.
The best part of all this is that because of the bum rap on Fisher speakers in general, the XP series now tend to be available cheap! A good set of xp-9c's for instance can generally be had for somewhere between $75. and $150. And I've seen them even go cheaper on Ebay once in a while. At those prices, almost anybody can afford to pick up a set. And if it turns out that they aren't to your liking, you can generally turn them over for what you paid or sometimes for more. Like so much of this hobby/obsession, it comes down to whether or not you like the sound you get as to whether they're any good or not.
I've got some tech specs and other info on some of the units...send me your email, and I'll send em off to you. Walt
I picked up a pair of xp 9c speakers at the local dump and both speakers had foam/paper surrounds that had rotted out . I wonder if these were not original? any thoughts on this. Norm
Hi Norm!What a great dump score...:)! Ayway, I've never seen any of the xp series with paper/foam surrounds. So my first instinct is to say they probably weren't original. on the other hand, these were produced well after the company was sold and who knows what cost cutting moves were made then...so maybe they were original. Walt
I picked up a pair of XP55s last fall, and was amazed at how well they sounded for such a small, unimposing speaker. They were pressed into duty for the Christmas season in the living room, as unobtrusiveness was important. I have picked up a second pair as a result, with the idea that they will make a nice quad system when I figure out where in my house I can set one up...I also have a pair of XP7s as well, and like them - mebbe a little soft on the top end, but what late 60s/early 70s speaker isn't nowadays? Smooth, New England type sound is how I would characterize them. A notch down from Large Advents, but in the same vein.
BTW, if you have some scans of literature on either or both, I'd surely appreciate it! My email is pbgentry@alumni.clemson.edu
I have a few pieces of lit as well, let me know if there is something you are looking for and I'll send it if I have it.
Cheers,
Hi PBG;my PC crashed on me this morning. So, I'm replying on this antique (vintage?) Webtv gizmo. anyway, as soon as I'm up and running again, I will send you the speaker info. Walt
Thanks a million!!
Cheers,
***"did fisher ever make good speakers> ?"***NO
I like vintage Fisher (& Scott) gear. Excellent stuff!
EXCEPT speakers.
I have had many many Fisher speakers.
At best, weak, very weak link in their chain.Nice cabinets, for the most part. But that's all.
YMMV
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