New here, just got a Fisher minty CA-2110 amp...

Hello everyone,
I'm new to this site and thought I would share my new aquisition, in case anyone is interested. I just purchased a "minty" Fisher CA-2110 integrated amp, and is it NICE! I was astonished at how clean this unit is, inside and out, darn near looks like new, and it certainly operates like a new one! I will try to post a picture of it, but it's the one that is in my avitar, in case I can't get it to come up. I also have a VERY nice Technics ST-7600 tuner (although I am hoping to find the matching Fisher tuner for my amp), but it sure makes a sweet companion, never the less, for my Fisher amp. I'm also hoping to find a manual for my amp as well, in case any of you know where I might find one. If anyone has owned, or even heard, one of these amps, I would sure appreciate any input, or expertese, on it. Well I guess that's all for my first posting, except thanks for stopping and taking a look. I look forward to getting to know people, and learn as much as I can, on this site. Happy Holidays to one and all!!!
Cheers,
Audio-maniac

Cool looking stuff!

Should be able to get a manual on that auction site.



Larry

Thanks for the replies and info, it's greatly appreciated.
IMHO Fisher had some real good gear back in the day, I'm glad to see so many still can appreciate it after all these years.

Audio-maniac: Don't expect much from the FISHER FORUM for the later Solid State as it's not that well known by the members here for reasons outlined below.

You have to learn to differentiate between "THE FISHER" Fisher gear that was made in US from 1945 to 1972-4 by FISHER RADIO CORPORATION, and "Studio Standard by Fisher" made by SANYO ELECTRONIC's from the above cut off until now. When it changed to SANYO, it became a poor distant relative of the original Co. The Co., as with most was run NOT by the Engineering Dept, but by the Accounting Dept, and they were parts Nazi's. MORE and CHEAPER Plastic, SMALLER Transformers, less parts to get the same output, etc.

That's a lot of the reason that you don't see Solid State FISHER listed on here, unless it's the somewhat rare 1st and 2nd Generation Solid State Gear from the US Co. Even when FISHER was owned by EMERSON ELECTRIC (US Co.) the gear was still good even tho they had made the transistion to Solid State.

Most of the guys here See and Hear FISHER, and automatically think TUBES! That was their FORTE. And the FORTE still applies in most circles.

Your gear looks nice and it probably runs well, but not that much is known about them. Best to get the manuals from that Auction site. Fix them up and give us a critical review.

Larry

Thanks Larry, I really appreciate you taking the time, and giving me your expertese, on this. I'm a disabled musician, and most of my "collecting" and "education" has been geared towards electric guitars, drums, and very large P.A. ("pro" audio) systems.
I've had several large, and very nice, "home audio" systems over the last 40 yrs.,but never really got into "collecting",or really learning that much about them. I just purchased what sounded good to me, since at the time my "passion"(and money)was aimed towards "band" equipment. Now as I have gotten older, and am not "giggin" so much, I am wanting to learn more about "home audio" equipment, and start doing some collecting.
Anyway, in Fisherdude's thread "Welcome to the Fisher Audio Forum! PLEASE READ THIS POST!", he said "you've probably noticed a growing interest in Fisher gear, both tube and solid state." so I figured this was where I should post my thread, I just made the wrong assumption, live and learn, sorry if I upset anyone. I'm new to this site so I guess I'm bound to make a mistake, or two.
Thanks again Larry, for taking the time to explain this to me, it's much appreciated.
Happy Holidays.

FISHER GEAR, No matter when made or by whom, belongs here. That said the Solid State side is a bit thin. "FISHER" PEAKED in the MID 60's at the tube/transistor transition, and by the early 70's had kind of faded into the background. So most of the gear we have is concentrated from 1955 or so thru 1975 or so with a mattering of older stuff as early as 1950 or so, and some newer stuff from the 1990's. Most of the knowledge base is also concentrated in that 20 year span.

Sorry if I gave the wrong impression or you took my explanation the wrong way. What i was trying to impress was that most of the guys on here have the OLDER Either tube or 1st/2nd gen gear (up to 1975 or so). The newer "Sanyo" period gear is still "Fisher" but almost no-one here is familiar with it. I'm not dissing the new stuff, It fell into the accounting /interior designer hole, along with almost everything else consumer audio wise in the 80's-90's. Some stuff was comparatively good, but a lot wasn't. Most of us aren't familiar with it, and wouldn't be too much help with it until more people bacame familiar with them and their problems.

Like I said up top, FISHER GEAR, no matter who built it or when it was built is welcome.


BOTTOM LINE: IF YOU like how it sounds, that's all that matters.


Larry

Welcome to AK ..maniac ! Music is the key !...

Audio-maniac, you haven't upset anybody in the least. Larry was just explaining why there might not be a lot of detailed information available on your particular receiver, because there isn't a whole lot of knowledge here on the later SS units. However, especially due to so many new members like you, it's growing!

Welcome to AK!

Well, I like your Fisher gear, buddy. Diggin it!

That Fisher amp bears a strong resemblance to Kenwood and Pioneer amps of the late 70's that I've heard some of. That is, it's a looker! If the resembleance extends to performance as well it's real good stuff.

Audio-maniac,
We'll be counting on people like you to populate the forum with solid-state information. For example, I have seen Fisher studio-standard stuff that was utter crap and I have seen Fisher studio-standard stuff that closely resembles and rivals the best made Marantz, Pioneer and Kenwood stuff of the day.
Personally, though a frequent contributor on this forum, my solid state gear trouble-shooting skills start at "clean the pots" and end with "replace what looks burnt".

But, we'd love to hear what you think of this piece. With long experience in the trade, we know your ears know the difference between natural and unnatural sound.

Welcome.

Fisher Studio Standard CA-2110

I was given this amp from a friend. It was dusty, dirty and had a spring where the fuse should have been LOL! The power cord was shot and replaced. Everything else cleaned up very nicely except for a few spots of surface rust on the bottom pan and top cover. Also has a few nicks in the faceplate and a few small pits on the knobs. I decided to paint the top and front of the transformer to give it a glossy black look (and to cover up a couple of spots). I also use a large Sharpie marker to touch up the top of the heat sinks. The Sharpie adds a nice deep blue-black sheen that I find pleasing.

Overall, it's a beautiful amp.

Electronically, it seems to work perfectly. I have not tested it at high volume for very long but it has punch. There is very little free information about this amp on the web but I believe that it is rated between 50 and 60 wpc.

The power transformer is a decent size as is the filter capacitor. Note that the rectifier circuitry was added to the power amp board rather than on it's own board.

This amp was obviously made by Sanyo as evidenced by the Sanyo power amp modules attached to the heat sinks. This type of integrated design is also one of it's greatest weaknesses as these power modules would probaby prove to be made of "unobtainium"!

As you can see from the photos, the parts are laid out relatively well. The frame of the amp is funky with several metal "beams" criss crossing the interior. This makes service easy, but I had trouble re-fitting the faceplace after cleaning the controls. The board layout is funky also (note that boards are tilted at an angle to allow controls to fit in the holes.

Point to Point wiring is reasonably tidy and typical of the era.

I have not found a source for a free user manual, spec sheet or service manual. If anyone knows of a source, let me know!

Regards,

HH Scottsman

Hello,

FYI.

Questions of Value should be posted in Dollars And Sense.

Frannie

Thanks Frannie... I have removed the value question from my post.

You might try HIFIengine.com. You have to register, but it's free. Unfortunately they don't have it.

Probably the best place to get a manual for $$ is Stereomanuals.net. It's a family business and they are dedicated to the service manuals. they put out probably the best looking repro's I've seen, some even better than the original. And the prices are decent. Once you get hooked on their manuals, it's like this hobby. You have to get more. They are my 1st and only choice for manuals. NO AFFILIATION.

Larry

Nice amp. I remember reacting to the 1 I listened to years ago was it reflected a sound similar to a Kenwood which ain't bad at all. Did not reach into the light years on the high end, bass not emphasized, detail a might smudged but not as bad as many other brand models and yielded a refined sound easy to listen to drawing attention to the music rather than the amp.

As I remember, it was the last real attempt by Fisher to recapture market share as a well respected producer of audio equipment.

Found one at St. Vinnie's for $9.99

I haven't tested it yet, but it cleans up nice. Figure I'll look around for some decent outside speakers and use it out on the deck with an iPod for the source. Incidentally, I found a spec sheet on Google Images.