Technical specifications

• Tube Stereo receiver in Push-Pull configuration
• Power: aprox. 25 watts/channel
• Class: AB
• Power tubes: Sylvania 7868 pentodes (x4)
• Preamplifier tubes: 12AX7 (x12)
• Tuner section tubes: 6HA5, 6AB4, 6HS6, 6AU6 (x2)
• Tuning tube (magic eye): EM84A
• FM section: "Golden Syncrode" with nuvistror
• Year: built between 1964 and 1968

The Fisher 400 is the last model of receivers that was built by Fisher Radio Corporation. From 1964 to 1968 many units of this receiver were made with the basic idea in mind to offer a simplified version of the more complex receivers that were built also by Fisher, the model 500 and the model 800. The price of a Fisher 400 in 1964 was $329.50. As I said it was a simplified version of the 500C model. The 400 includes controls for balance, bass, treble and switches for loudness, treble filter, speaker selector. It also has a tape monitor, power on-volume control potentiometer and a headphone socket. This unit uses the four 7868 pentode as power tubes, very common in that time, to deliver aproximately 50 watts with both channels driven (25 watts per channel). In the first versions, the tuner section of the 400 used 3 IF sections that were reduced to 4 IF sections in later models. In the 400, the "Golden Syncrode" configuration of the FM section was again used with a nuvistor. This receiver includes a "magic eye" tuning indicator instead of the vumeter used in the 500C. The amplifier and tuner sections are almost identical to the sections in the 500c, with the advantage that the circuit design in the 400 is simplier and, so, the sound is clearer. In the beginnig of the 70s, the Fisher 400 was sold by Allied Radio and Lafayette at reduced prices until stocks finished.

The unit you can see here was bought in the summer of 2003 at Ebay USA (great place) and it was in good condition. After waiting for the unit for more than 3 months it finally arrived and it was immediately sent to Jorge Bueno at Amptek for a complete inspection and replacement of some parts. The upgrades include changing the selenium rectifier, changing signal capacitors (Auricap), fitting resistor acting as fuses in cathodes of power tubes in order to protect the 7868 (scarce and expensive). An important change that has to be made in this receiver is in the multiplex section in order to adapt the USA de-emphasis (75 us) that comes from factory in the 400 to the european de-emphasis (50 us). To do this it is necessary to change resistor R28 (47k) to 30k for mono de-emphasis and resistors R222 and R223 (27k or 22k) to 4.7k for stereo de-emphasis.

Here you can see some images of my Fisher 400.

The sound quality is as usual with this equipment very good. Used as amplifier the sound is warm and musical and the tuner finds easily all the radio stations reproducing the voices with reality. I will use the Fisher 400 as my second equipment in my living room with a pair of KEF Coda 7 speakers and a ICD DVD as source.

November 27th, 2003-I have just finished a box for the Fisher 400 inspired by the boxes that were sold in the 60s for this equipment. Here you can see the imagenes of the final result.

September 26th, 2007- Here you have the Fisher 400 service manual and the user manual in PDF.