Fisher 80-AZ
The Fisher 80-AZ's surviving record comes almost entirely from one detailed seller description and a few passing period mentions. What that record establishes is still interesting. The 80-AZ appears to have been a special, limited-production run of an all-triode/pentode amplifier circuit built on the basic 80-Z chassis. Collectors have long regarded it as an outstanding integrated amplifier for vintage tube sound.
The 80-AZ is tube-rectified and rated at 40 watts per channel RMS. The unit documented in the archive had four Fisher-tested Telefunken 7591 output tubes, two matched Sylvania 12AX7s, and two Telefunken 12AX7s in the preamp stage. The seller calls that a very rare version. It has two sets of speaker terminals and a front panel with a black border and silver inlays. The standard amplifier specs (frequency response, THD, sensitivity, dimensions, weight) are not documented anywhere we've found.
The 80-AZ has a dual audience. Traditional stereo enthusiasts prize it, and so do electric guitar players looking for a vintage tube amplifier tone. That crossover makes sense given its triode/pentode circuit and the era's wiring. The one period reference we have is from Audio (November 1955, p.64). It mentions a Fisher 30-watt amplifier with a peak power indicator. That's the 80-A, not the 80-AZ, but it confirms Fisher was actively advertising its integrated amplifiers in the mid-1950s.
A word on dating. The often-repeated "$299 original selling price" is tied in the source text to a 1958 reference, but that year may belong to the 80-Z rather than the 80-AZ. Treat the production year as unconfirmed. What we know for certain is that this was a limited, special-build variant of a respected chassis, and that surviving examples are scarce.
Known facts in brief:
- Type: tube integrated amplifier (stereo), all triode/pentode circuit on 80-Z chassis
- Power: 40 watts per channel RMS
- Tubes (documented example): four Telefunken 7591 outputs, two Sylvania 12AX7 + two Telefunken 12AX7 preamp
- Rectifier: tube
- Outputs: two sets of speaker terminals
- Front panel: black border with silver inlays
No independent magazine review measurements, service documentation, or production figures have surfaced. Most of what's repeated about the 80-AZ today traces back to that single seller listing, which is detailed and consistent with what little else exists.
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