Fisher 500-B (1959–1961)
Twelve tubes, one chassis, and a multiplex decoder that let FM finally arrive in stereo - the receiver that outsold every other high-fidelity component in America.
Overview
Fisher built the 500-B when stereo FM was still a rumor and most listeners were wiring up external multiplex adapters to hear two channels off the air. Fisher's own advertising called it "the perfect instrument for enjoyment of the new Stereo FM broadcasts." It was a 65-watt receiver with a high-sensitivity FM tuner, a Stereo Master Audio Control, and multiplex decoding, all on one compact chassis. The claim was marketing, but it wasn't far off. Add a turntable and a pair of speakers and you had a complete stereophonic system without a rack of separate boxes.
The timing is what makes the 500-B interesting. It arrived in 1959, right as the industry was moving from mono to stereo broadcasting and recording, and Fisher positioned it as one of the first integrated stereo receivers aimed at a serious listener rather than a casual one. The company's own copy described it as "the integrated stereo receiver that outsells all other high fidelity components." By the 1962 model year Fisher was running full-page ads in High Fidelity (September 1962, p.9) making exactly that boast: more 500-Bs sold than any tuner, preamp, power amplifier, or competing integrated receiver. Period advertising is not an independent verdict, but a company repeating the volume claim across multiple magazines for two years running is saying something.
The design brief was consolidation without compromise: a push-pull tube amplifier, an FM/AM tuner, and a multiplex stereo decoder in a single chassis, housed in a walnut cabinet. Fisher's documentation lists it as an all-tube design with a bronze faceplate, a phono stage, and RCA inputs. There is no headphone jack. That omission still comes up in owner discussions, usually from someone wondering whether the 500-B can double as a headphone amp. It can't, at least not without outboard gear.
Power output is where the documentation gets messy. Fisher's own manual bills it as a 65-watt receiver. The most commonly repeated figure in collector listings and secondary sources is 35 watts per channel in stereo, 70 watts in mono. A 1965 Lafayette catalog listed it as "65 watt FM Stereo," and one eBay listing title claims 45WPC. Three different numbers from three different kinds of source. The safest reading: the 500-B is a roughly 30-to-35-watt-per-channel tube receiver with a mono bridged mode that roughly doubles the figure, and the 65-watt claim refers to total or mono output rather than per-channel stereo. Buyers should verify against the specific unit's documentation rather than trusting any single number.
Key Features
Four 7591 Output Tubes in Push-Pull
The 7591 beam power tetrode separated the 500-B from a lot of its contemporaries. Many competing designs ran 6L6 or EL34 outputs. Fisher's choice of the 7591 gave the 500-B a reputation for clarity and headroom, meaning it stays composed when the music gets loud. Four of them run in push-pull, driven by a complement of 12AX7s, 6BA6s, and 6AT6s across twelve tubes total. That is a serious amount of glass for a single-chassis receiver. Owners consistently describe the sound as warm and musical, with a midrange that flatters vocals and acoustic instruments and highs that stay clean without turning harsh. The push-pull topology also helps explain the bass response, which owners report as strong and controlled when driving 8-ohm speakers.
Stereo Beam Tuning Indicator
One of the 500-B's signature details is the tuning indicator, which doubles as Fisher's "Stereo Beam." It tells you right away whether an FM station is broadcasting in multiplex stereo. That's a small thing by modern standards, but in 1959 it was genuinely useful, since you could see at a glance whether the station you'd tuned was sending two channels or one. The 500-B uses a magic eye tube for this, which sets it apart from the later C variants that switched to a needle meter. Collectors who care about originality tend to prefer the magic eye, partly for the look and partly because it dates the unit more precisely.
FM Multiplex Without an Outboard Adapter
Before integrated multiplex decoding became standard, hearing stereo FM meant buying a separate adapter box and cabling it into your tuner. The 500-B built the decoder in. Fisher's copy called the high-sensitivity FM front end essential for multiplex reception, since weak tuners would lose the subcarrier and collapse back to mono, and the 500-B's tuner was designed with that in mind. A 1961 High Fidelity advertisement (August 1961, p.11) framed the whole package as "the perfect instrument" for the new stereo broadcasts. That's advertising language, but the engineering point stands: a receiver that could pull in stereo FM cleanly in 1959 was doing something most of its competition couldn't without help.
Phono Stage and RCA Inputs
The 500-B includes a phono stage and RCA inputs for phono, auxiliary, and tape (the tape input runs via an external adapter). It's a period-typical arrangement with no headphone jack and nothing digital, just the inputs a 1959 listener needed. One recurring owner note is background noise in the phono stage, usually traced to dirty or worn RCA jacks rather than a design flaw. A contact cleaner pass on the jacks and switches is the first thing to try before assuming the phono section needs work.
Walnut Cabinet and Bronze Faceplate
The 500-B ships in a walnut wood cabinet with a bronze faceplate. The combination has aged well visually, and it's one reason unrestored examples still look presentable on a shelf. Fisher built a common receiver cabinet that fits the 500B, 500C, 800B, 800C, and 400, so cabinet swaps between those models are possible if you find a unit with a damaged case. That helps when you're hunting for a clean example.
Historical Context
The 500-B emerged during the transition from mono to stereo broadcasting and recording, when the hardware and the programming were both in flux. Fisher engineered it to handle the stereo LPs and FM broadcasts that were becoming popular in the late 1950s, and marketed it not as a component but as the centerpiece of a premium home audio system. The typical pairing was a Garrard turntable and Fisher speakers, with the 500-B in the middle of that stack doing the amplification and tuning.
Fisher's advertising in the period leaned hard on the "all-in-one" pitch. A 1962 High Fidelity ad (September 1962, p.9) listed the 500-B's dimensions as 13¼ inches deep by 17¼ inches wide by 5¾ inches high. That was compact enough to fit a bookshelf, and a pointed contrast to the rack of separates it replaced. The same ad listed seven reasons for the model's popularity, starting with the integration of tuner, preamp, and power amplifier on one chassis. Buyers bought the thing in numbers that Fisher was happy to advertise.
The 500-B differs from the later C variants in one visible way: the C models use a needle meter for tuning, while the 500-B uses the magic eye tube. Collectors trying to date a unit or verify originality should check that before buying. Production years are documented as 1959 through 1961, though isolated sources mention 1964 and 1961, and the available research doesn't resolve the discrepancy. Treat 1959 through 1961 as the working range and verify against the serial number if exact dating is important.
Collectibility & Value
The 500-B ranks high on collector lists. One source puts it at 8 out of 10 for collectibility, citing historical significance, build quality, and enduring sound. Fully operational units in original condition command premium prices, especially those with matching serial numbers and original tubes. Typical market values run $500 to $1,200 depending on condition, originality, and completeness, with systems that include the original Garrard turntable and remote control exceeding $1,500. Recent eBay asking prices have included $1,000 for a working unit, $1,000 for a unit described as FM stereo, $1,500 for a high-performance example, and a $12 listing that is almost certainly a parts unit or a mispriced auction. Ruble-denominated listings on Russian marketplaces show a restored example at 145,890₽ and a repair-or-restoration unit at 71,390₽, though those prices aren't directly comparable to US market values.
Owning one means restoring it. Electrolytic and paper capacitors degrade with age and should be replaced by a qualified technician. A recapped unit is more reliable and often sounds better than an unrestored one. The 7591 output tubes are the other major wear item, and testing them and replacing weak or noisy examples with matched NOS or new-production tubes restores performance. Carbon composition resistors drift in value over decades and should be checked and replaced if out of tolerance. The FM/AM tuner may need realignment for best reception, which requires proper equipment and a careful hand. Dirty switches and potentiometers respond to contact cleaner, and tube pins and sockets benefit from a cleaning pass. The power transformer is generally sturdy but should be monitored for excessive hum or overheating. Before you plug in a long-unused 500-B for the first time, use a variac and isolation transformer. That's the standard advice, and it prevents a catastrophic failure on first power-up.
Owner commentary is broadly positive but not uncritical. One owner called it "absolutely great FM tuner and beautiful sounding amplifier," with the caveat that it lacks the power to drive original Advents at high volume. Another described it as "beautiful looking and sounding," noted some phono-stage background noise and possibly dirty RCA jacks, and concluded it "could use a tune up and potentially a recap, but nothing is broken." So it's a well-built receiver that rewards maintenance and holds up against modest speakers, but it isn't a powerhouse for inefficient loads. Service manuals, owner's manuals, recap kits, LED lamp replacement kits, and even full restoration kits turn up regularly from specialist suppliers.
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