Stereophile review- Fisher 500 C

As many know, including myself historically, dismissing something because of preconceived notions can be a costly endeaver in Audio. "Nothing to get overly excited about...", "great for a garage...", "I bought my 500C at a garage sale in mint condition for $20.." sound uncanningly like, but not necessarily so, what you see too much on venues like Audioreview.com where someone wants to be a spoiler without much truly critical thought given to a "review" even if the reviewer actually has listened to what they say they are reviewing. Another potential motivation of similar comments I and countless high-end dealers have seen over the last 40 years is a need to justify spending way too much on audio so some folks spend time putting down less expensive alternatives. Somehow both seem less than geniune or at least they don't seem to be. But this is afterall just a matter of taste and just like being at a salad bar making a salad when someone comes up and tells you "hey, you are not going to like that salad because I (pointing at his/her salad) like mine this way". Why, I often wonder, can not people see that audio equipment sound taste is at least as subjective as palate taste and as such not be so dismissive of anothers "salad". The Fisher 500C gets so much right for so little that rarely does solid state do. When I feel deeply moved emotionally, (my Hovland HP-100 preamp contributed to this sense of awareness in spades), by the music played through audio equipment I know I am listening to a synergy of equipment that is doing what the point of music is suppose to be about: Connection.

nanderson is right......there are even many 20 to 30 year old solid state receivers and integrated amps that are just as musical,a lot more neutral (and some as powerful) as most of the hi end products being sold today. as far as tubes go, it really never got much better(only prettier and more expensive) than the marantz 8b. the golden age of u.s. and u.k. audio ended a while ago.

Interesting thread. I do know that one would need to spend a bunch more money to better my restored fisher 400.

Just another source for hard to find tubes:

http://www.vacuumtubes.net/

The problem with using an older piece day to day is that it will be far more prone to breakdown. (Would you rely on that Porsche 356 for commuting?)

Of course, having your stereo break down does not keep you from your day job : - )

--a