About 80C, from back view, which tube is for phono stage?
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V1 ^___^
The first 12AX7 (V1) at the opposite end of 12AU7.
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Is it the first left unit from back view?

Sure I can offer you a chance to A/B test your Fisher 80-C and Pilot SP-210 in the future if you think the time is ready. Sorry that I will not be available in June and hopefully in July?
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Talking the 80C, I recalled the pre amp test conducted on 2005-09-03. Fisher 80C scored the least marks. Perhaps non- matching with other gears during the test was the reason.

President version :-)

Dear John

I have the Fisher 50-C and 80-C, but I also owned Eico HF-61, HF-65, Marantz 7C, 1 and pre-1 before. Believe Tim and I would not agree with this result.

To look for a preamp is very depending on sound, musical and emotional quality you like, but I never rate preamp by score.

Honestly speaking, the tone and emotional quality of Fisher 50-C is far better than Eico HF-65 and Marantz one in my limited understanding. The only possibility of Fisher 50-C poor sound than Eico or Marantz 1 is cap or design modified by the user.

To aviod misleading the others, It's welcome to bring the Eico HF-65 or any version of Marantz 1 (I owned goodall or black beauty version before) to me for A/B test.

Best regards
Alan

Alan

It was for fun only. We were all reminded the result would be completely different due to the matshing of the other gears and the condition of the pre amplifier itself.

In fact, I bought my Fisher 400CX-2 after the test.

I still recalled it was a great party. It was a blind test and the attendants were more than 12. Great fun.

Alan

Is there any difference between the President 400CX-2 with other 400CX-2?

Any story behind?

John

Dear John

Fisher 400CX-2 is replacement model of Fisher 400CX introduced in 1961.

Actually, Fisher 400CX-2 has three versions, the very early version is using 4 x 12 AT7 with brass front plate, second version is using 4 x 7247 with brown front plate and the last version is using 4 x 7247 with silver front plate.

In fact, Fisher President preamp is console version of 400CX-2. FYI, Fisher also issued brass version and silver version of Fisher President preamp in different period. Believe your silver version is late period with 7247.

FYI, Fisher also issued Fisher 400CX-3 after mid-60's and it has on/off knob on the right hand side of the front panel.

Best regards
Alan

Alan

Thanks for your sharing. An expert indeed.

John

Dear John

You are always welcome!

I never rated the gear by score, because different people usually have different taste toward music and sound. I would say if a gear has advantage at one end, it also will always have disadvantage at the other end. The point is we must understand what kinds of characteristic of sound and music we expect the most before we buy.

Personally, a good quality amplifier or preamp will always have outstanding sound characteristics, but the outstanding characteristic usually is also the weakness of the gear as well. For example, the selling point of Fisher 50-C is emotion, purity, realism and outstanding harmonic extension. It has outstanding high and mid-high range with very smooth emotion and musical flow, the bass is smooth, soft but deep. The disadvantage of Fisher 50-C is lack of solidity, thickness of bass and slightly lack of details if compared to the late period product. The outstanding harmonic extension is also limited the speed of sonic response as well. The goody of Fisher 50-C is reproduce female voice, violin, light Jazz and classic chamber. Reproduce of Rock & Pop and male voice with manhood is always its weakness of Fisher 50-C.

If we A/B tests Fisher 50-C VS McIntosh C-22 with Rock music, I strongly believe most of audiophile will vote for McIntosh C-22. If we A/B tests both preamps with female song, I strongly believe most of audiophile will vote for Fisher 50-C.

Beside sound characteristic, the emotional characteristic is another issue. For example, the Fisher 80-C has better ability on express the sadness emotion than Fisher 400CX-2. When you play sadness song, the Fisher 80-C will have advantage on sadness emotional expression than Fisher 400CX-2. However, when you play pleasure and happy song, than Fisher 400CX-2 will have better emotional expression than Fisher 80-C for sure.

In fact, hi-fi setting skill can made big different on presentation of music and sound. I saw people vote Fisher 80-C at low score and I strongly believe people only test this preamp in “flat”, but do not really know the potential of this preamp after apply tone control.

Best regards
Alan