X Marks the Sweet Spot

X Marks the Sweet Spot

Written by Frank Doris

Elegant simplicity: the legendary Fi X amplifier, designed by the late Don Garber. It delivers three watts per channel via a pair of 2A3 tubes. This is one of Garber’s earliest amp designs. Before making audio components, he had a store named Fi on Watts Street in Brooklyn, New York. Photographed by Howard Kneller at Stereo Buyers/High-End Audio Auctions, Brooklyn, NY.

 

 

The Fi logo, a work of art in itself.

 

Ed Sullivan strikes a Silvio Dante pose while listening to some great music in 1959. Courtesy of reader Ron Ginsberg.

 

Inner sleeve from the Ed Sullivan album. Dig that mono vs. stereo diagram! Courtesy of Ron Ginsberg.

 

Green Spot Orange-Ade ad, 1960s. We could not find the complete ad on the internet, so this tantalizing glimpse of that ultra-fab console will have to do.

Howard Kneller’s audio and art photography can be found on Instagram (@howardkneller@howardkneller.photog) and Facebook (@howardkneller).

Back to Copper home page