It is you sir that convinced me to buy a 661 a couple weeks ago. It’s a sound I have not heard before and fell in love with. I purchased a 1000X a few days ago and waiting for it to arrive.
A late rush on sales. A very late rush. Don't you want beyond stereo? There's triple speakers sound. There's 5 speakers and 1 subwoofer sounds 👌 Now there's 9 SPEAKERS sound. This reviewer keeps failing to talk 👄 about 3 speaker surround sound. It's FAR SUPERIOR to stereo. This guy keeps on ignoring the elephant 🐘 in the room. Doesn't matter what it is, three speaker surround IS way better than stereo. 5 speaker surround IS also superior to stereo.
@@Gma7788 You are comparing apples and oranges. Why, in your opinion, do you think surround sound is 'better' than two channel audio? Most music is recorded in two channel stereo, so what - are you just into special effects? When a band performs on stage, are they in front of the audience, or surrounding the audience? Surround sound is good for movies, but for music - not so much (unless specifically recorded in multi-channel). Maybe you're just not familiar with high-end, two-channel sound, because if you heard a really proper two-channel setup, you'd eat your words.
@professorvoluck9311 Hi there. I also have a 661..it sounds fantastic, however it has a slight hum, can I ask is your 661 all original, or has it been recapped? Thanks.
Terrific video and I’m thrilled to find Sansui fans. I own a 9090 receiver (1976). Its bass is unlike anything I’ve heard, and it’s built like a vintage Mercedes.
Thank you. Au-999 and Au-9500 are the cream of the crop. Au-9500 along with 8500,7500 was mr.Kikuchi's last master piece before his retirement. I believe he retired in 1974. He was said to be the perfectionist who never hesitated to use the best materials available at that time.🙏🙏🙏
Another great video, after collecting various gear over the past 50 years I have also come to the conclusion that Sansui is my favorite brand. I have G5700, 7070 and an Au-5500. 32WPC from 1974 and it is superb. Agree with you about the speakers, just refreshed a 1969 Sansui SP-2000, lovely looking speakers and on their own they sound quite nice but when put beside my Pioneer HPM-60 they just cant keep up. The HPMs are hooked to my G5700 and I just love the combination.
I never get tired of hearing the praises of early sansui amps They deserve all the accolades I actually use an au777 more often than my expensive mac gear as it has an addictive quality
The AU101 has a few things that make it 'Tubey', mainly the output section is single-ended with capacitor output, quasi-complimentary, using a pair of NPN darlingtons (each essentially two transistors in one package) . Quasi complimentary amps usually have more 2nd order harmonics, as do single ended designs and darlington outputs. Also, many early (70's) silicon transistors sound better than modern ones because production processes were optimised to use less resources and specs like current gain and bandwidth went up. Also also, resistors and capacitors were physically larger for their rating, resistors were carbon, electrolytic caps had higher ESR, , and some early Japanese transistor amps used silver coated internal wiring - all these things add up to a certain sonic character.
I have had years of great listening from a Sansui AU-D22. It's a lovely amp. My other amps are Audiolab 8000A and a great old and very musical Leak Delta 70. The Sansui can more than hold its own. Great channel Kelvin!
You're so right. I own a 555A...completely recapped...stunning, relaxed, pure, powerful, velvet, refined sound. Together with my Kef's 103.2 it just sounds amazing. I just love it. I also own an old Kenwood (KR-4070 also fully recapped) from that time era. Also a very nice amp, but a very different animal. More power, but less calm, refined and pure sound (American...). Thank you for posting your videos.
Thanks for the video. I have now resolved to re-capping my 661. Even now as it has a hum in the power source it's sound stage and detailed presence is beautiful.
Kelvin, It's been a long time since I heard a Sansui amp, but I do remember it was my favorite back then. The reason I like Parasound amps, is probably the same reason you have for the tube like sound of the late 60's Sansui. The legendary engineer John Curl designed most of Parasound's amps. He was building tube gear in the 60's for the Grateful Dead and in the 70's the band wanted Curl to build them lighter Solid state amps that sound tube like. Curl made $40,000 amps for Levinson in the 70-80s and some others. In the early 90's Parasound hired Curl to design their products. Of all John Curls, creations, he deemed his "masterpiece" to be his Parasound JC2 pre amp. I haven't heard everything he has made, but I can attest that the JC2 pre amp is amazing. Curl is all about sound quality. When he made the Parasound JC1 mono blocks about 25 years ago, the amp was just starting to go into production. As the perfectionist he was, he was working on a small add on circuit board to get rid of the last bit of distortion. He listened and it sounded worse, so he threw it in the garbage and called it a day. The distortion on huge mono blocks are only 0.02 %. I think some engineers try to hard to make the specs look better for marketing. If you push to hard to remove distortion in amps, often the life (dynamics) gets sucked out of them. I think the reason we don't see much of that tube like sound from SS amps, is because most of the tube guys from the 60's are dead. It's an art to know how to make solid state sound tube like, and keep all of the benefits of transistors. The Parasound HCA line from the 90's are pretty much the same design as the newer high end HALO line, for a lot less money.
The AU-7900 is a beast with a very nice preamp. The power amp section could be played at it's max for many hours ....I had this set up on a large show room in a bicycle shop. I had the preamp feeding it's own power amplifier a Mitsubishi power amplifier and a couple Sonys. The place rocked after closing when I did most of my work.
My favourite go-to amp is my AU-7900. I grew up with an AU-777a but that one bit the dust 30 years ago. I have an AU-20000 and an AU-3900 as well as other equipment but the 7900 is so versatile. I will never have the luxury of hearing and comparing the rest of the vintage Sansuis. There just aren't a lot of them around anymore.
@@stevengagnon4777 I never had it even close the half volume. Even at the lower volumes you can feel the punch coming through the furniture in the room. Silky smooth sound also
@@eighteenin78 agreed the good "AUs" are coming more rare but they are out there if you want to pay the AU tax. I got my AU-7900 only in the last 6 months after looking at a European website called Catawiki. I could hear Kevin in my ear when I was putting in the higher bids. I finally got it for the sub 1000 mark working but I knew there was a bit of AU tax as it all came to over the to get it serviced and recapped. I was glad there was someone local here in Ireland who was competent and specialises in such repairs
I had some experience of Sansui amps in the lat 70s and early eighties, including the AU317. But I remember the 217 as sounding slightly better. Less power but more open and cleaner at the bottom end. They brought out a series of components that were designed to be used together in a stack system, but despite their rather cheap appearance, the amps still sounded good.
Another terrific video. I always enjoy your content. I also have an affinity for Sansui. I currently have a 5000. A friend had 661 in 1976. I thought it was a great sounding receiver.
My father bought me a Sansui 881 in 1975. At the time, he also bought a pair of Jenzen Electrostatic speakers. I only found out how good this amp was when I listened to my friends Akai,Pioneer and Harmon Korden amps. Although the owners manual says it has 68 watts/channel RMS, you could hardly open the volume! Before giving it to my 25 year old son when he moved out of home, I got it refurbished, the power went up to around 74 watts, it was taken for a big party once and it had ample power with superb midrange and very clean (almost) tube quality bass. My son will never part with it.
It's strange that Kelvin is a big Sansui fan. In the UK, Sansui wasn't considered as being in the same league as Sony or Pioneer, for example. Anyway, thanks to Kelvin, I am now a fully paid-up member of the Sansui Appreciation Society...
My first amplifier was the AU101. It fed some AR 6x speakers (infinite baffle) and the two together produced lovely sound. I then moved up to a Pioneer SA9100 and it was louder but not as warm.
I'm hooked too! AU101, AU222, AU 555A, AU 317, AU717, 331,661,9090DB. Each one restored to perfection and sound awesome. Compared to my restored Marantz 1060, Sansui simply has a more pleasing sound. The 661 is probably the most underrated amp of the bunch.
I have a Marantz 1060 that was purchased as restored 4 decades ago. I had a Sansui Stereo Six that I later found curbside. The Sansui Stereo Six was better in every way. The preamplifier section in it was excellent. The power amplifier in it really did pack some punch for 28 watts , maybe its was the transformer in the power supply, it did have some nice filter caps too. Yeah the Marantz was sort of dry sounding in comparison.
@@stevengagnon4777 For sure my 1060 has been disappointing. Spent alot of time/money getting high end replacement parts. This thing should rock the house, but sad to say it simply lacks what the Sanui's do really well.
I have had an 999 and sounded fantastic. Now I have an undestated qrx4500 which is better despite it shouldnt be. Great video! I really enjoyed it! Regards!
I have a AU 719 in the living room which is great, but in the daytime I spend much time in the shed working on velomobiles. Work is nicer with music and it helps me to concentrate. So I looked for a cheap Sansui amplifier and found a AU 101 that I had recapped. I was very surprised how good it was in conjunction with small KEF Coda7 speakers. What a fantastic sound for little money. Definitely my best buy in hifi.
I am with ya. Sansui just does it for me too. The build quality, design and sound is all right there. Also agree on the valve sound of those little 101s. Maybe the most fun you can have with 10 WPC. Thanks
I’m more of a headphone guy but love how today’s headphones sound on vintage amps compared to the headphone amps made today. Would the 101 be a great affordable way to get the Sansui sound for my HPs without worrying about speaker wattage?
I have repaired a few Sansui units and they generally have a sound that I like and some are quite outstanding. I have been looking for a great one even broken to repair to have here in the workshop. I have repaired the receivers and even the low powered ones are better than the similarly specified competition at the time. It takes quite a lot of improvements to a humble Sony or Pioneer 12 watt receiver to get it to being a patch on the Sansui ones.
While they moved onto the world of transistors, they continued to produce valve/tube gear until 1973, IIRC. My favorite Sansui solid state gear is the late 60s/early 70s. I own a 4000 and 5000X, and I've had an AU-505/TU-505 and a 210 and 221. They ALL sound better to me than the other manufacturers of the time.
Ha ! This guy's like a British version of myself. I agree with most of what he says. Watched many vids too. My oldie is a AU-555A, a late edition to my Sansui arsenal, but totally surprised me. All original and juicy sound. My first (and only brand new) Sansui was a AU-D7. Accurate and clinical. Fun amp for sure, especially since I was in junior high school. And those sexy, blue and red power meters !! But it doesn't sound like the older ones. The 881 and the 7070 receivers are just so satisfying with tube-like 3D sound. The former is in my bedroom and the latter in my basement. Plenty of power and the sound is just breathtaking through the entire audio spectrum. No shortage of lustful bass in these. I'd be hard pressed if I had to choose between the 881 and beast that is the 7070. I own a Pioneer SX-1010 but don't use it as the 'suis sound better to me. Much more engaging. The 331 is nice, too, but I don't use it much as I tend to crank things up. I've heard many amps and receivers in my lifetime, but these Sansuis are way at the top as far as listening enjoyment, and don't forget about their highly selective and sensitive tuner sections, too. Well, Happy Listening!
When I was into vintage audio, I heard out of marantz , pioneer, sansui that sansui has the best sound . Unfortunately I never had one. Sherwood is another that had a tube sound. I had a couple of Sherwood, the first I saw on the side of the road in a pile of junk. I saved it and cleaned it and it was one of my favorite. Thanks for the video I want to find a Sansui.
I’ve just completed my setup with B&O S75 speakers, a Sansui AU-317 as a preamp, and a Kenwood Basic M1A as a power amp. This combination creates magic on a small budget!
I'm a Sansui freak! I've had the 221, 661, 771, 9090, 5000X, G-8700DB, Seven, AU-217, AU-6500, and still have the Eight, 331, AU-101, 555A, AU-D9 and AU-6600.❤️
Sansui is my personal favorite as well. The sound is full and detailed and effortless. I have a whole bunch of vintage amps/receivers hooked up (in two listening rooms) so that I can easily switch between sources and speakers (love those old audio showroom-style switches), and the one I listen to most often is a modest, handsome Sansui AU-4900 integrated (1976, 38 wpc, black face, silver knobs -- similar in appearance to your AU-101) -- which sounds as good to me as my McIntosh separates or other much more powerful (and, in their day, more expensive) solid state pieces by Marantz, Pioneer, The Fisher, Sony or Yamaha from the same period. And in these days of perfect symmetry, I really like the looks of that 881. (I have a lower-powered 551, which I got mainly for its visual appeal!)
Yes, that 4900 that was a kind of sweet spot I think for Sansui I bet it sounds great. I just got a Sansui 2000 really old 1969 I Think also sounds lovely such grippy basin valve top end
I have an old AU555 and a newer Rotel and the Sansui definitely has a more interesting sound with all the characteristics you described. I think my Amp was made in 1970 and astonishingly is still in great shape
I have au-101 amplifier and I agree this tiny integrated amplifier has very good extended sound. It sounds very good with Altec Voice of Theater speaker with efficient horn drive. I came to conclusion after I had listened to many receivers or amplifiers, lower powered equipments tend to sound more like tube than powerful equipments.
Transformers were the product that the founder began the company with after WW2. They were a tube amp company until the transistor wave forced them to change. Sansui sold their transformer division to Hashimoto in 1978 and some engineers went too, and by the 80s Sansui had lost their way as a parts manufacturer and were basically a parts sourcing company. Hashimoto has gone on to make the Sansui style transformers which are really loved by tube amp builders.
Got a heap of Sansui amps . The I like the most is the AU-555A ;its just the best sound even over the AU 717 @ AU -9500 even the later got way more power ;for some reason I refer the AU-555A . Kelvin you might think I mad to prefer to prefer the little AU - 555A over the AU -9500.Alawys look forward to your reviews.
Great video. Now I want to add an au-101 to my collection. I currently have 12. My favs in order. 661,551,au-417,4000. My gf's ranking 221,661,551 She borrowed the 221, sadly I didn't get much of a chance to play with it. I don't think I'm getting it back.
I have an AU101 which I recapped, though it has an odd issue. With most speakers it's great, but with some it has a loud hum on either both or the left channel. Possibly something to do with speaker impedance. It measures fine in terms of bias and offset. Any thoughts, let me know. I also have a 7700 and a BA-F1 power amp which is currently in bits. The 7700 is fantastic.
I just got a 1973 AU555A there during the Summer. Really enjoying re-exploring my favourite music with it. Think it really does well with clean, well produced music .... seems to warm it up. More raw, rough-edged stuff with distortion (early soul), not so much .... but I really love it. I have it paired with Monitor Audio RS6s .... I think the Sansui provides the warmth and the MAs the clarity .... but I am a novice to vintage gear.
12:30 That's pretty much what's today's Vincent SV-237mk sounds like with its valve (tube) pre amp, running the first 10w in class A and its a huge mos-fet out put stage.
I am definitely a Sansui guy myself. Sadly, my collection has dwindled over the years due to space constraints and now I am down to 1. I held on to the GX-7500. Not only was it the best sounding Sandui I owned, but also was the best looking. I had about three Sansui's in the GX line. I had a 9090 which was slightly more powerful. In fact, that was the most powerful unit I had from Sansui. Of the older receivers. I believe I had a 661. It had a nice sound to it, but not as good as the GX line and it was a bit blah in terms of looks. It was definitely built well though. Early on, I too, had discovered that one of the reasons why Sansui units sounded so good was that Sansui made their own transformers and power supplies. They never fell short of any Umph! In fact, when it came to repairs, I had often found blown outputs in a Sansui, rather than a bad transformer. In fact, I never came across a bad transformer. Sometimes a power supply cap went bad, but that was very rare. I would say that the biggest problem that one might encounter on the AU line from the early 80's, particularly the Au-719, is the volume control goes bad and they are nearly impossible to replace given the multi-gang construction. Sadly though, in recent years, the prices have jumped up drastically on vintage amplifiers and receivers. They are getting to the point where it just isn't worth it. Given the age of these vintage units, they are bound to fail sooner or later and either you, or you need to know someone that can fix them. Even though I can fix these units myself, I am getting to the age where I am not looking for big projects anymore. But, in a nutshell, when it came to older receivers and amplifiers, I generally would pick a Sansui over Pioneer, Sony, Technics, Marantz, etc. I do admit I have taking a liking to the silver faced Kenwood amplifiers from the late 70's. These were built nice and have a nice sound quality too. Many even had nice VU meters on them. One of my favorites in this line was the KA-5700. I still have one of these as well, but I have to work on it. Anyway. Nice video! It was certainly a fun trip to follow along on this one.
You are a specialist of Sansui Receivers, very good, please I have a question: If you had to decide between the 661 and the G3000, which one would you choose?
About to acquire an au505, any speaker recommendations for a 12x12' room ? Ive got a pair of paradigm mini monitors and spendor s5e. Likely to be a good match ? Was thinking about a similar vintage to the amp if these dont work well but would be on a minimal budget
Although not widely known, of all the mid-fi audio manufacturers, mainly from Japan, Sansui produced one model that out performed all others at that level. The models B2301 and C2301 preamp and power amp. Their isolated chassis’ and low intermodulation distortion, were the least of why they were as good as they were. This set held its own even against most American and British HiFi equipment. More fun facts with Tom!
Your comparison of the Sansui, Marantz, and Pioneer sounds turned me on to trying a Sansui product. I already had a Pioneer SX-434 and Harmon/Kardon 330B so I went shopping for a Sansui in that lower power range. As it turned out the best deal I came across was for a 661 with some cosmetic issues, mostly it just needed a button cap (also found on eBay) and a piece of veneer on the grill glued down. I can hear differences (the Pioneer and H/K to me seem very close) but honestly I couldn't pick out which is better, just different. I notice more difference between which speakers are selected than between the receivers. But I love them all. At current prices Marantz is not on my radar.
My 1st amp was an A80, then a few years ago I found an AU 417 at an opshop, which is in my living room at the moment. I wasn’t being deliberate.... I just seem to have stumbled across them🤷♂️ I also have 3 sets of vintage speakers, a turntable, and a tape deck 😁👍
Hi Kelvin. Thanks for your excellent channel. My most expensive amp is an AU 555a. Its nice, but It doesnt come near the magical sound of my cheaper sansuis (331, AU 101, 505) in sound quality. Never quite understood why.🤔
I can Recommend Sansui es-200 speakers. Designed for the European market and made in Belgium. They sound great. Be prepared to refresh the crossover caps though since they are now 50 years old. Not a lot sold in the UK, but in the Netherlands they pop up regularly.
Another wonderful review Kelvin. Thank you 👍. Would there be an opportunity for you to give a review on Sansui AU-9900. The 4 digit numbers Sansui were classified as “Professional Range”. Sansui positioned this amp in the Hi-End Hi-Fi category but made it more affordable.
I had that aug11x2 amp back at the beginning of my HIFI journey, it was part of their balanced topology in the mid-late 80s. Glad we came to the same conclusion, it was very grey sounding and put me off them, so I had been wondering why you liked them.
@stereoreviewx Thank you for your prompt reply. I've managed to purchase a 317 as recent as last night :) I paid £225 and intend to have it fully recapped and serviced, so I guess it will cost me near £300.
I was wondering have you tried the 101 using its preamp in other amplifiers and power amplifiers as well? Maybe the 101 preamp is the magic with other amplifies. do you know what the voltage output is on the preamp 2 volts to 3 volts can it go higher?
Unfortunately I've just unplugged my speakers and reconnected another pair and my sansui au 101 now only works on one channel I changed the fuses and it ain't them so it's off to the repair shop great amp buy the way accurately described by kelvin great channel
Dear friend, I have a Sansui Seven and I would like to buy a Sansui AU 317 and which one has the best sound and the most power to use with a pair of Celestion 3-way speakers with 96 dbs of sensitivity? Which would be better?
My favorite is Sansui 800. For me that is the best sounding Sansui. I also love the 1000x and the Au 919 which has a different sound from the early small wattage Sansui. Another good set were the late sixties early seventies Sony receivers...STR 6060F, STR 6200, STR6120. These are extremely well built and glorious sounding receivers but hard to find.
What do you think about using a 'small' pre-amplifier (eg AU-101) together with an amplifier? Does it destroy the quality sound do you think ? in general what do you think about combining amp.'s
It works well for me. You can see my comment above. The Sansui preamp to me is the big key. If you have a pre-out that you can connect to an amplifier you have something that’s much better than most of the items you can get today for four or five times the price. Plus they look a lot better with the wood cabinet.
I had Sansui G-5000 receiver once but I didn't like it. Not crispy enough, boomy muffled sounding, a bit like 70's Marantz receivers. Do the earlier models sound similar? I prefer 70's Akai which is dirt cheap.
I think the speakers matter as much as the receiver itself when it comes to sound quality. I have a Sansui 7070 (which is slightly older than a G-5000 and is known for sounding warmer and more tube like), and it would sound really clear and sweet or bassy and muffled depending on what speakers I paired it with. I'm currently pairing mine with JBL LX44s, which are not super bassy and sound really clear and have crisp highs when paired with the 7070. If you come across a Sansui again, perhaps try pairing it with other speakers.
Pardon me, but I'm going to brag : I have three AU-717. One AU-999. One AU-101. Two BA-2000. Two CA-2000. Also two pair of SP-5500. Three pair of SP-5000. These were designed with love. The speakers were all brought home to the USA by servicemen. They didn't sell these two models in the USA. I've heard that these 5000 and 5500 speakers were actually JBL designs. I wonder if anyone can confirm this. Please do tell if you happen to know. Thanks.
Wow, that is a collection and a half now the the mystery of Sansui Speakers I truly don’t know. I wonder if they made them or someone else made them but I have no information. I did spend some time on it didn’t come up with anything. Sure someone out their nose.
I remember a free dancing teacher in a theater using this small sansui au 505 with thorens td 160 and jbl olympus speakers it sounded so powerfull real in such a huge place ❤❤
Well, I have not had the pleasure of listening to other speakers, but I do have several sets of Sansui units. For the money, in my opinion , old Sansui speakers cannot be beat. Maybe replace the caps, clean the potentiometers. For folks on a budget, grab a set.
I really like my Bose 301seris II with my Advent fried eggs swapped out for the front tweeters ( with angle bracks) leaving the rear Bose tweeters in place. Every thing from the crossover point and above is better even with the original crossover. I did change the crossover eventually. The tweeters remained in series using a variable 8 olm L-pad nice and big 50 watt ones ( it was necessary to match the level) . Then a first order crossover to the L-pad with a 6.8 uF 200 volt polypropylene capasitor in series. And a 0.45 mH inductor heavy guage air core to the woofer in series. That cleaned things up a bit and gave me control of the tweeters.
do you like Harman Kardon 70's and 80's sound? I think HK make the best sounding vintage gear . I have the Harman Kardon HK 505 and 503 amplifiers and just wow
@@melmel1584 the sound of the HK 503 are very good. warm but details sound. The 503 and 505 are DC coupled ultrawideband . If you like listening voices in music these 2 are just incredible.
@@melmel1584 for sound i not see difference in the sound between the 503 and 505. It's the same or very similar. Again i don't understand everyone want Marantz, Pionner, Sansui but Harman Kardon for musicality are very tough to beat.
Maybe the black Sansui uses a quasi complimentary output. Shouldn't make a difference but I do wonder. My Marantz is quasi, I believe but my Kenwood is not . The Kenwood has the Trio KA- 40 W blocks . And there is a difference. In sound.
My only claim to Sansui ownership - besides the SR 525 turntable - is a late 1980's AU X 711 integrated, part of their Alpha line over a few years into the '90's and apparently highly regarded and apparently offering more insight into the music compared to the generally favoured black faced units from the early 1970's s as an example. Interested in hearing from others on whether they feel this is the case - certainly the very last attempt from Sansui with this series to produce a well made and musical amplifier.
Hey Mate. Awesome video as always, but even more interesting today since you talked about Sansui speakers. Just today I was looking on a pair of SP-2500, but after reading reviews about them i decided not to buy them. But I'm looking for a pair of true 70's speakers to fit my system and my ears, and has been doing that for quite a while. What I'm looking for is a pair of 3 way floor standing speakers, closed construction, that goes really deep as well as having a good midrange, a top that goes beyond 20 k, and have a great soundstage. My question is; Does such speakers even exist, or am I wasting my time??? All the best from Denmark.
Leak 2060. Wonderful speakers, good for rock and classical. Extremely detailed, good mid range and a 12 inch Leek bass driver with a huge magnet. I love them, they are very musical, amazing given their age. Put them on low stands, say 8 inches off the floor.
Back in the day when I worked in showroom sales for a big Sansui dealer in suburban NYC, I nabbed an AU-555A (25 WPC @ 8 ohms) at dealer cost and I think I know why you prefer the old blackface models: their output stages were capacitance coupled rather than DC coupled like the newer ones. I for one am not drawn to "valvey" performance, but I understand why that appeals to folks like you who like their sound "colo(u)red" in that particular way.
@@mikw1809 -- If it's not a colo(u)ring effect of some sort, what distinguishes a good valve amplifier from a good solid-state counterpart? The most common description we read and hear about valve amplification is that it sounds "warm" -- in what category would that effect be if not an audible equivalent of colo(u)r?
It is you sir that convinced me to buy a 661 a couple weeks ago. It’s a sound I have not heard before and fell in love with. I purchased a 1000X a few days ago and waiting for it to arrive.
A late rush on sales.
A very late rush.
Don't you want beyond stereo?
There's triple speakers sound.
There's 5 speakers and 1 subwoofer sounds 👌
Now there's 9 SPEAKERS sound.
This reviewer keeps failing to talk 👄 about 3 speaker surround sound.
It's FAR SUPERIOR to stereo.
This guy keeps on ignoring the elephant 🐘 in the room.
Doesn't matter what it is, three speaker surround IS way better than stereo.
5 speaker surround IS also superior to stereo.
@@Gma7788 lmao - what are you talking about?
@@Gma7788 You are comparing apples and oranges. Why, in your opinion, do you think surround sound is 'better' than two channel audio? Most music is recorded in two channel stereo, so what - are you just into special effects? When a band performs on stage, are they in front of the audience, or surrounding the audience? Surround sound is good for movies, but for music - not so much (unless specifically recorded in multi-channel). Maybe you're just not familiar with high-end, two-channel sound, because if you heard a really proper two-channel setup, you'd eat your words.
@AlexMitchell-sj4sb thanks for the heads-up. Appreciated.
@professorvoluck9311 Hi there. I also have a 661..it sounds fantastic, however it has a slight hum, can I ask is your 661 all original, or has it been recapped? Thanks.
Terrific video and I’m thrilled to find Sansui fans. I own a 9090 receiver (1976). Its bass is unlike anything I’ve heard, and it’s built like a vintage Mercedes.
This is so fun to hear about. I was given a AU-11000 which I had recapped. I absolutely love it! Always appreciate your opinions and perspectives.
Thank you. Au-999 and Au-9500 are the cream of the crop. Au-9500 along with 8500,7500 was mr.Kikuchi's last master piece before his retirement. I believe he retired in 1974. He was said to be the perfectionist who never hesitated to use the best materials available at that time.🙏🙏🙏
Yep
I love the perfectionist approach
Another great video, after collecting various gear over the past 50 years I have also come to the conclusion that Sansui is my favorite brand. I have G5700, 7070 and an Au-5500. 32WPC from 1974 and it is superb. Agree with you about the speakers, just refreshed a 1969 Sansui SP-2000, lovely looking speakers and on their own they sound quite nice but when put beside my Pioneer HPM-60 they just cant keep up. The HPMs are hooked to my G5700 and I just love the combination.
I never get tired of hearing the praises of early sansui amps
They deserve all the accolades
I actually use an au777 more often than my expensive mac gear as it has an addictive quality
Me too...have sanaui au777a as well as mcintosh ma 6200 and mcintosh 1700 among many...
Thank you for all of your videos! I bought Sansui AU-505 over the weekend, and it sounds great!
That is a outstanding amp...
The AU101 has a few things that make it 'Tubey', mainly the output section is single-ended with capacitor output, quasi-complimentary, using a pair of NPN darlingtons (each essentially two transistors in one package) . Quasi complimentary amps usually have more 2nd order harmonics, as do single ended designs and darlington outputs.
Also, many early (70's) silicon transistors sound better than modern ones because production processes were optimised to use less resources and specs like current gain and bandwidth went up.
Also also, resistors and capacitors were physically larger for their rating, resistors were carbon, electrolytic caps had higher ESR, , and some early Japanese transistor amps used silver coated internal wiring - all these things add up to a certain sonic character.
I have had years of great listening from a Sansui AU-D22. It's a lovely amp. My other amps are Audiolab 8000A and a great old and very musical Leak Delta 70.
The Sansui can more than hold its own. Great channel Kelvin!
You're so right. I own a 555A...completely recapped...stunning, relaxed, pure, powerful, velvet, refined sound. Together with my Kef's 103.2 it just sounds amazing. I just love it. I also own an old Kenwood (KR-4070 also fully recapped) from that time era. Also a very nice amp, but a very different animal. More power, but less calm, refined and pure sound (American...). Thank you for posting your videos.
Thanks for another great video Kelvin, your videos always make me think back to my older brother's system back in the 70's
Thanks for the video.
I have now resolved to re-capping my 661. Even now as it has a hum in the power source it's sound stage and detailed presence is beautiful.
Just had my 661 refurbished after not using it for 10 years. I forgot just how good this receiver is. You won’t regret it!
Kelvin, It's been a long time since I heard a Sansui amp, but I do remember it was my favorite back then. The reason I like Parasound amps, is probably the same reason you have for the tube like sound of the late 60's Sansui. The legendary engineer John Curl designed most of Parasound's amps. He was building tube gear in the 60's for the Grateful Dead and in the 70's the band wanted Curl to build them lighter Solid state amps that sound tube like. Curl made $40,000 amps for Levinson in the 70-80s and some others. In the early 90's Parasound hired Curl to design their products. Of all John Curls, creations, he deemed his "masterpiece" to be his Parasound JC2 pre amp. I haven't heard everything he has made, but I can attest that the JC2 pre amp is amazing.
Curl is all about sound quality. When he made the Parasound JC1 mono blocks about 25 years ago, the amp was just starting to go into production. As the perfectionist he was, he was working on a small add on circuit board to get rid of the last bit of distortion. He listened and it sounded worse, so he threw it in the garbage and called it a day. The distortion on huge mono blocks are only 0.02 %. I think some engineers try to hard to make the specs look better for marketing. If you push to hard to remove distortion in amps, often the life (dynamics) gets sucked out of them.
I think the reason we don't see much of that tube like sound from SS amps, is because most of the tube guys from the 60's are dead. It's an art to know how to make solid state sound tube like, and keep all of the benefits of transistors.
The Parasound HCA line from the 90's are pretty much the same design as the newer high end HALO line, for a lot less money.
Another fantastic video Kelvin.
The Sansui guru!
Kelvin… nice talk. I own the Sansui 2000X…out of the many modern stuff I own , this is my favorite. 👍
🙋♂️THANKS KELVIN 🤗 for continuing to help the audiophile community on a budget🧐😎💚💚💚
Great reviews on these. Sansui really did make some class amplifiers. Like you I don't understand why they don't make em like this anymore 😢
The AU 105 is a piece of glorious magic. Rounded... Rounded valvey luxuriant sound. Exciting too. One of my absolute favourite amps ever.
I found the Ruark Prologue One speakers give me that :)
Good point on saying vintage amplifiers do their job often as good as modern ones unlike classic cars.
I'm enjoying my Sansui AU-7900
The AU-7900 is a beast with a very nice preamp. The power amp section could be played at it's max for many hours ....I had this set up on a large show room in a bicycle shop. I had the preamp feeding it's own power amplifier a Mitsubishi power amplifier and a couple Sonys. The place rocked after closing when I did most of my work.
My favourite go-to amp is my AU-7900. I grew up with an AU-777a but that one bit the dust 30 years ago. I have an AU-20000 and an AU-3900 as well as other equipment but the 7900 is so versatile. I will never have the luxury of hearing and comparing the rest of the vintage Sansuis. There just aren't a lot of them around anymore.
@@stevengagnon4777 I never had it even close the half volume. Even at the lower volumes you can feel the punch coming through the furniture in the room. Silky smooth sound also
@@eighteenin78 agreed the good "AUs" are coming more rare but they are out there if you want to pay the AU tax. I got my AU-7900 only in the last 6 months after looking at a European website called Catawiki. I could hear Kevin in my ear when I was putting in the higher bids. I finally got it for the sub 1000 mark working but I knew there was a bit of AU tax as it all came to over the to get it serviced and recapped. I was glad there was someone local here in Ireland who was competent and specialises in such repairs
I had some experience of Sansui amps in the lat 70s and early eighties, including the AU317. But I remember the 217 as sounding slightly better. Less power but more open and cleaner at the bottom end. They brought out a series of components that were designed to be used together in a stack system, but despite their rather cheap appearance, the amps still sounded good.
Another terrific video. I always enjoy your content. I also have an affinity for Sansui. I currently have a 5000. A friend had 661 in 1976. I thought it was a great sounding receiver.
My father bought me a Sansui 881 in 1975. At the time, he also bought a pair of Jenzen Electrostatic speakers. I only found out how good this amp was when I listened to my friends Akai,Pioneer and Harmon Korden amps. Although the owners manual says it has 68 watts/channel RMS, you could hardly open the volume! Before giving it to my 25 year old son when he moved out of home, I got it refurbished, the power went up to around 74 watts, it was taken for a big party once and it had ample power with superb midrange and very clean (almost) tube quality bass. My son will never part with it.
It's strange that Kelvin is a big Sansui fan. In the UK, Sansui wasn't considered as being in the same league as Sony or Pioneer, for example. Anyway, thanks to Kelvin, I am now a fully paid-up member of the Sansui Appreciation Society...
Great Video, thank you, I have the 661, great sound with Infinity speakers, you are so right Sansui is incredible.
My first amplifier was the AU101. It fed some AR 6x speakers (infinite baffle) and the two together produced lovely sound. I then moved up to a Pioneer SA9100 and it was louder but not as warm.
I have a AU 222 & AU 555 amps. The sound is hard to beat. Low distortion and the mids are great. Thanks for the subject matter, S.R. X.
I'm hooked too! AU101, AU222, AU 555A, AU 317, AU717, 331,661,9090DB. Each one restored to perfection and sound awesome. Compared to my restored Marantz 1060, Sansui simply has a more pleasing sound. The 661 is probably the most underrated amp of the bunch.
I have a Marantz 1060 that was purchased as restored 4 decades ago. I had a Sansui Stereo Six that I later found curbside. The Sansui Stereo Six was better in every way. The preamplifier section in it was excellent. The power amplifier in it really did pack some punch for 28 watts , maybe its was the transformer in the power supply, it did have some nice filter caps too. Yeah the Marantz was sort of dry sounding in comparison.
@@stevengagnon4777 For sure my 1060 has been disappointing. Spent alot of time/money getting high end replacement parts. This thing should rock the house, but sad to say it simply lacks what the Sanui's do really well.
I have had an 999 and sounded fantastic. Now I have an undestated qrx4500 which is better despite it shouldnt be.
Great video! I really enjoyed it!
Regards!
I have a AU 719 in the living room which is great, but in the daytime I spend much time in the shed working on velomobiles. Work is nicer with music and it helps me to concentrate. So I looked for a cheap Sansui amplifier and found a AU 101 that I had recapped. I was very surprised how good it was in conjunction with small KEF Coda7 speakers. What a fantastic sound for little money. Definitely my best buy in hifi.
I am with ya. Sansui just does it for me too. The build quality, design and sound is all right there. Also agree on the valve sound of those little 101s. Maybe the most fun you can have with 10 WPC. Thanks
101 is magic. The 210 receiver hides an equal amount inside it’s less appealing exterior. Early Kenwood KAs get pretty close.
I’m more of a headphone guy but love how today’s headphones sound on vintage amps compared to the headphone amps made today. Would the 101 be a great affordable way to get the Sansui sound for my HPs without worrying about speaker wattage?
@@mikeg2491Sansui AU505 as well
Yes... Definitely @@mikeg2491
Hi Skylabs good to hear from you
Enjoy your channel all those gorgeous receivers are making me jealous .
All the best, Kelvin
I have repaired a few Sansui units and they generally have a sound that I like and some are quite outstanding. I have been looking for a great one even broken to repair to have here in the workshop. I have repaired the receivers and even the low powered ones are better than the similarly specified competition at the time. It takes quite a lot of improvements to a humble Sony or Pioneer 12 watt receiver to get it to being a patch on the Sansui ones.
While they moved onto the world of transistors, they continued to produce valve/tube gear until 1973, IIRC.
My favorite Sansui solid state gear is the late 60s/early 70s. I own a 4000 and 5000X, and I've had an AU-505/TU-505 and a 210 and 221. They ALL sound better to me than the other manufacturers of the time.
Ha ! This guy's like a British version of myself. I agree with most of what he says. Watched many vids too. My oldie is a AU-555A, a late edition to my Sansui arsenal, but totally surprised me. All original and juicy sound. My first (and only brand new) Sansui was a AU-D7. Accurate and clinical. Fun amp for sure, especially since I was in junior high school. And those sexy, blue and red power meters !!
But it doesn't sound like the older ones. The 881 and the 7070 receivers are just so satisfying with tube-like 3D sound. The former is in my bedroom and the latter in my basement. Plenty of power and the sound is just breathtaking through the entire audio spectrum. No shortage of lustful bass in these. I'd be hard pressed if I had to choose between the 881 and beast that is the 7070. I own a Pioneer SX-1010 but don't use it as the 'suis sound better to me. Much more engaging. The 331 is nice, too, but I don't use it much as I tend to crank things up. I've heard many amps and receivers in my lifetime, but these Sansuis are way at the top as far as listening enjoyment, and don't forget about their highly selective and sensitive tuner sections, too. Well, Happy Listening!
Great presentation Kelvin, thank you!
Here I see the Sansui 2000x/4000/5000x in huge demand. Especially the 5000x. Great video.
AU-X901 to power a set of electa amators (1) here for years… ran plenty of modern “high end” gear but keep returning to my trusted sui💪
When I was into vintage audio, I heard out of marantz , pioneer, sansui that sansui has the best sound . Unfortunately I never had one. Sherwood is another that had a tube sound. I had a couple of Sherwood, the first I saw on the side of the road in a pile of junk. I saved it and cleaned it and it was one of my favorite. Thanks for the video I want to find a Sansui.
I’ve just completed my setup with B&O S75 speakers, a Sansui AU-317 as a preamp, and a Kenwood Basic M1A as a power amp. This combination creates magic on a small budget!
I'm a Sansui freak! I've had the 221, 661, 771, 9090, 5000X, G-8700DB, Seven, AU-217, AU-6500, and still have the Eight, 331, AU-101, 555A, AU-D9 and AU-6600.❤️
Sansui is my personal favorite as well. The sound is full and detailed and effortless. I have a whole bunch of vintage amps/receivers hooked up (in two listening rooms) so that I can easily switch between sources and speakers (love those old audio showroom-style switches), and the one I listen to most often is a modest, handsome Sansui AU-4900 integrated (1976, 38 wpc, black face, silver knobs -- similar in appearance to your AU-101) -- which sounds as good to me as my McIntosh separates or other much more powerful (and, in their day, more expensive) solid state pieces by Marantz, Pioneer, The Fisher, Sony or Yamaha from the same period. And in these days of perfect symmetry, I really like the looks of that 881. (I have a lower-powered 551, which I got mainly for its visual appeal!)
Yes, that 4900 that was a kind of sweet spot I think for Sansui
I bet it sounds great. I just got a Sansui 2000 really old 1969 I Think also sounds lovely such grippy basin valve top end
I have an old AU555 and a newer Rotel and the Sansui definitely has a more interesting sound with all the characteristics you described. I think my Amp was made in 1970 and astonishingly is still in great shape
I have au-101 amplifier and I agree this tiny integrated amplifier has very good extended sound. It sounds very good with Altec Voice of Theater speaker with efficient horn drive. I came to conclusion after I had listened to many receivers or amplifiers, lower powered equipments tend to sound more like tube than powerful equipments.
Transformers were the product that the founder began the company with after WW2. They were a tube amp company until the transistor wave forced them to change. Sansui sold their transformer division to Hashimoto in 1978 and some engineers went too, and by the 80s Sansui had lost their way as a parts manufacturer and were basically a parts sourcing company. Hashimoto has gone on to make the Sansui style transformers which are really loved by tube amp builders.
Got a heap of Sansui amps . The I like the most is the AU-555A ;its just the best sound even over the AU 717 @ AU -9500 even the later got way more power ;for some reason I refer the AU-555A . Kelvin you might think I mad to prefer to prefer the little AU - 555A over the AU -9500.Alawys look forward to your reviews.
Great video. Now I want to add an au-101 to my collection. I currently have 12. My favs in order. 661,551,au-417,4000. My gf's ranking 221,661,551 She borrowed the 221, sadly I didn't get much of a chance to play with it. I don't think I'm getting it back.
I have an AU101 which I recapped, though it has an odd issue. With most speakers it's great, but with some it has a loud hum on either both or the left channel. Possibly something to do with speaker impedance. It measures fine in terms of bias and offset. Any thoughts, let me know.
I also have a 7700 and a BA-F1 power amp which is currently in bits. The 7700 is fantastic.
Sansui Stereo Six was a nice receiver. Excellent preamplifier section and a solid 28 watts of power . Right now I would like to have it running again.
I just got a 1973 AU555A there during the Summer. Really enjoying re-exploring my favourite music with it. Think it really does well with clean, well produced music .... seems to warm it up. More raw, rough-edged stuff with distortion (early soul), not so much .... but I really love it. I have it paired with Monitor Audio RS6s .... I think the Sansui provides the warmth and the MAs the clarity .... but I am a novice to vintage gear.
12:30 That's pretty much what's today's Vincent SV-237mk sounds like with its valve (tube) pre amp, running the first 10w in class A and its a huge mos-fet out put stage.
Any view on Sansui A500
I am definitely a Sansui guy myself. Sadly, my collection has dwindled over the years due to space constraints and now I am down to 1. I held on to the GX-7500. Not only was it the best sounding Sandui I owned, but also was the best looking. I had about three Sansui's in the GX line. I had a 9090 which was slightly more powerful. In fact, that was the most powerful unit I had from Sansui. Of the older receivers. I believe I had a 661. It had a nice sound to it, but not as good as the GX line and it was a bit blah in terms of looks. It was definitely built well though.
Early on, I too, had discovered that one of the reasons why Sansui units sounded so good was that Sansui made their own transformers and power supplies. They never fell short of any Umph! In fact, when it came to repairs, I had often found blown outputs in a Sansui, rather than a bad transformer. In fact, I never came across a bad transformer. Sometimes a power supply cap went bad, but that was very rare. I would say that the biggest problem that one might encounter on the AU line from the early 80's, particularly the Au-719, is the volume control goes bad and they are nearly impossible to replace given the multi-gang construction.
Sadly though, in recent years, the prices have jumped up drastically on vintage amplifiers and receivers. They are getting to the point where it just isn't worth it. Given the age of these vintage units, they are bound to fail sooner or later and either you, or you need to know someone that can fix them. Even though I can fix these units myself, I am getting to the age where I am not looking for big projects anymore.
But, in a nutshell, when it came to older receivers and amplifiers, I generally would pick a Sansui over Pioneer, Sony, Technics, Marantz, etc. I do admit I have taking a liking to the silver faced Kenwood amplifiers from the late 70's. These were built nice and have a nice sound quality too. Many even had nice VU meters on them. One of my favorites in this line was the KA-5700. I still have one of these as well, but I have to work on it.
Anyway. Nice video! It was certainly a fun trip to follow along on this one.
You are a specialist of Sansui Receivers, very good, please I have a question: If you had to decide between the 661 and the G3000, which one would you choose?
not much in it
About to acquire an au505, any speaker recommendations for a 12x12' room ? Ive got a pair of paradigm mini monitors and spendor s5e. Likely to be a good match ? Was thinking about a similar vintage to the amp if these dont work well but would be on a minimal budget
Although not widely known, of all the mid-fi audio manufacturers, mainly from Japan, Sansui produced one model that out performed all others at that level. The models B2301 and C2301 preamp and power amp. Their isolated chassis’ and low intermodulation distortion, were the least of why they were as good as they were. This set held its own even against most American and British HiFi equipment. More fun facts with Tom!
SANSUI made Great amps back then,I have used it since The 70s specially solid States they sound fantastic even today
hi, have you try the receiver Sansui 2000x from 1971 to 1973?
I have one that's all original. Probably needs serviced. What's different is that the knobs are very solid as compared to Marantz receivers
I have the AU-101 and I agree, it's great.
Your comparison of the Sansui, Marantz, and Pioneer sounds turned me on to trying a Sansui product. I already had a Pioneer SX-434 and Harmon/Kardon 330B so I went shopping for a Sansui in that lower power range. As it turned out the best deal I came across was for a 661 with some cosmetic issues, mostly it just needed a button cap (also found on eBay) and a piece of veneer on the grill glued down. I can hear differences (the Pioneer and H/K to me seem very close) but honestly I couldn't pick out which is better, just different. I notice more difference between which speakers are selected than between the receivers. But I love them all. At current prices Marantz is not on my radar.
My 1st amp was an A80, then a few years ago I found an AU 417 at an opshop, which is in my living room at the moment.
I wasn’t being deliberate.... I just seem to have stumbled across them🤷♂️
I also have 3 sets of vintage speakers, a turntable, and a tape deck 😁👍
My AU-D7 sounds amazing and has a great digital display.
Have a AU-505 paired with Tannoy DC-200 speakers and a Thorens TD-160. Love it!
Owned in early 70ties 1 year an AU666.
Blew up a Sennheiser hd414 with it.
(and some hearing around 6000 hz in my right ear.)
Hi Kelvin. Thanks for your excellent channel. My most expensive amp is an AU 555a. Its nice, but It doesnt come near the magical sound of my cheaper sansuis (331, AU 101, 505) in sound quality. Never quite understood why.🤔
505 and 331!
Probably that 555a needs recapping...
I can Recommend Sansui es-200 speakers. Designed for the European market and made in Belgium. They sound great. Be prepared to refresh the crossover caps though since they are now 50 years old. Not a lot sold in the UK, but in the Netherlands they pop up regularly.
I wish I stil had my BA-F1. I'm surprised it and the matching pre don't rate a mention, they are both excellent products.
Another wonderful review Kelvin. Thank you 👍.
Would there be an opportunity for you to give a review on Sansui AU-9900.
The 4 digit numbers Sansui were classified as “Professional Range”. Sansui positioned this amp in the Hi-End Hi-Fi category but made it more affordable.
I wish I could get my hands on one
@@stereoreviewx Sure Kelvin.. Hope you will be able to find a unit. Thank again 👍
I had that aug11x2 amp back at the beginning of my HIFI journey, it was part of their balanced topology in the mid-late 80s. Glad we came to the same conclusion, it was very grey sounding and put me off them, so I had been wondering why you liked them.
Hi Kelvin. As always a great video. I wanted to ask you, how much should a working 101 and 317 cost. I hope to search these and buy them :)
101 about £100 317 maybe £200
@stereoreviewx Thank you for your prompt reply. I've managed to purchase a 317 as recent as last night :) I paid £225 and intend to have it fully recapped and serviced, so I guess it will cost me near £300.
I was wondering have you tried the 101 using its preamp in other amplifiers and power amplifiers as well?
Maybe the 101 preamp is the magic with other amplifies. do you know what the voltage output is on the preamp 2 volts to 3 volts can it go higher?
I use an AU-555A as a preamp. I found its amplifier section to be a bit sloppy in the bass region.
do you know about the sansui 55cdr?
not really
Unfortunately I've just unplugged my speakers and reconnected another pair and my sansui au 101 now only works on one channel I changed the fuses and it ain't them so it's off to the repair shop great amp buy the way accurately described by kelvin great channel
Tq for the superb review
Dear friend, I have a Sansui Seven and I would like to buy a Sansui AU 317 and which one has the best sound and the most power to use with a pair of Celestion 3-way speakers with 96 dbs of sensitivity? Which would be better?
I have sevens also...317 is quality and has its place, no match for seven though, from my purview...I like a fuller sound though
I’ve had a few Sansui amps they all sounded good 😊
I just got an AU555A, tremendous amplifier!!
My favorite is Sansui 800. For me that is the best sounding Sansui. I also love the 1000x and the Au 919 which has a different sound from the early small wattage Sansui.
Another good set were the late sixties early seventies Sony receivers...STR 6060F,
STR 6200, STR6120. These are extremely well built and glorious sounding receivers but hard to find.
What are your favorite albums for testing
What do you think about using a 'small' pre-amplifier (eg AU-101) together with an amplifier? Does it destroy the quality sound do you think ? in general what do you think about combining amp.'s
It works well for me. You can see my comment above. The Sansui preamp to me is the big key. If you have a pre-out that you can connect to an amplifier you have something that’s much better than most of the items you can get today for four or five times the price. Plus they look a lot better with the wood cabinet.
The Sansei SR-222 Turntable was one of the go-to budget hifi products of the 1980's.
All the best, Kelvin.
No it wasn't.
What planet do you come from?
I had Sansui G-5000 receiver once but I didn't like it. Not crispy enough, boomy muffled sounding, a bit like 70's Marantz receivers. Do the earlier models sound similar? I prefer 70's Akai which is dirt cheap.
I think the speakers matter as much as the receiver itself when it comes to sound quality. I have a Sansui 7070 (which is slightly older than a G-5000 and is known for sounding warmer and more tube like), and it would sound really clear and sweet or bassy and muffled depending on what speakers I paired it with. I'm currently pairing mine with JBL LX44s, which are not super bassy and sound really clear and have crisp highs when paired with the 7070. If you come across a Sansui again, perhaps try pairing it with other speakers.
Pardon me, but I'm going to brag : I have three AU-717. One AU-999. One AU-101. Two BA-2000. Two CA-2000. Also two pair of SP-5500. Three pair of SP-5000.
These were designed with love. The speakers were all brought home to the USA by servicemen. They didn't sell these two models in the USA. I've heard that these 5000 and 5500 speakers were actually JBL designs. I wonder if anyone can confirm this. Please do tell if you happen to know. Thanks.
Wow, that is a collection and a half now the the mystery of Sansui Speakers
I truly don’t know. I wonder if they made them or someone else made them but I have no information. I did spend some time on it didn’t come up with anything. Sure someone out their nose.
I remember a free dancing teacher in a theater using this small sansui au 505 with thorens td 160 and jbl olympus speakers it sounded so powerfull real in such a huge place ❤❤
I feel in today’s amplifiers you have to spend thousands to come close to these jewels.
I have my original au7900 still today, but I have a AU717, and CA/BA series WOW!!
Which is better the AU 101 or the AU 505? Love your vids mate 👍
"Why do I love Sansui?" Only when you love listening to "old" sounding Amplifier.
Well, I have not had the pleasure of listening to other speakers, but I do have several sets of Sansui units. For the money, in my opinion , old Sansui speakers cannot be beat. Maybe replace the caps, clean the potentiometers. For folks on a budget, grab a set.
I liked the Bose 301 speaker with my Sansui AU-919.
I really like my Bose 301seris II with my Advent fried eggs swapped out for the front tweeters ( with angle bracks) leaving the rear Bose tweeters in place. Every thing from the crossover point and above is better even with the original crossover. I did change the crossover eventually. The tweeters remained in series using a variable 8 olm L-pad nice and big 50 watt ones ( it was necessary to match the level) . Then a first order crossover to the L-pad with a 6.8 uF 200 volt polypropylene capasitor in series. And a 0.45 mH inductor heavy guage air core to the woofer in series. That cleaned things up a bit and gave me control of the tweeters.
do you like Harman Kardon 70's and 80's sound? I think HK make the best sounding vintage gear . I have the Harman Kardon HK 505 and 503 amplifiers and just wow
hi, how the lower 503 compares to the 505? i have a sansui 881 nad want to try these hk sometime.
@@melmel1584 the sound of the HK 503 are very good. warm but details sound. The 503 and 505 are DC coupled ultrawideband . If you like listening voices in music these 2 are just incredible.
@@melmel1584 for sound i not see difference in the sound between the 503 and 505. It's the same or very similar. Again i don't understand everyone want Marantz, Pionner, Sansui but Harman Kardon for musicality are very tough to beat.
My Sansui AU 717 and speakers Focal 726v, and B&O s75 ❤️
My first amp in the early 70s was the Sansui 555
Thanks for the video
Maybe the black Sansui uses a quasi complimentary output.
Shouldn't make a difference but I do wonder. My Marantz is quasi, I believe but my Kenwood is not . The Kenwood has the Trio KA- 40 W blocks . And there is a difference. In sound.
I can’t remember the model of the Pioneer speaker we had
My only claim to Sansui ownership - besides the SR 525 turntable - is a late 1980's AU X 711 integrated, part of their Alpha line over a few years into the '90's and apparently highly regarded and apparently offering more insight into the music compared to the generally favoured black faced units from the early 1970's s as an example.
Interested in hearing from others on whether they feel this is the case - certainly the very last attempt from Sansui with this series to produce a well made and musical amplifier.
Hey Mate.
Awesome video as always, but even more interesting today since you talked about Sansui speakers. Just today I was looking on a pair of SP-2500, but after reading reviews about them i decided not to buy them. But I'm looking for a pair of true 70's speakers to fit my system and my ears, and has been doing that for quite a while. What I'm looking for is a pair of 3 way floor standing speakers, closed construction, that goes really deep as well as having a good midrange, a top that goes beyond 20 k, and have a great soundstage. My question is; Does such speakers even exist, or am I wasting my time???
All the best from Denmark.
Leak 2060. Wonderful speakers, good for rock and classical. Extremely detailed, good mid range and a 12 inch Leek bass driver with a huge magnet.
I love them, they are very musical, amazing given their age. Put them on low stands, say 8 inches off the floor.
Back in the day when I worked in showroom sales for a big Sansui dealer in suburban NYC, I nabbed an AU-555A (25 WPC @ 8 ohms) at dealer cost and I think I know why you prefer the old blackface models: their output stages were capacitance coupled rather than DC coupled like the newer ones. I for one am not drawn to "valvey" performance, but I understand why that appeals to folks like you who like their sound "colo(u)red" in that particular way.
@@mikw1809 -- If it's not a colo(u)ring effect of some sort, what distinguishes a good valve amplifier from a good solid-state counterpart? The most common description we read and hear about valve amplification is that it sounds "warm" -- in what category would that effect be if not an audible equivalent of colo(u)r?
Try the Sansui AS-100 2-way speakers! 1971 baby! That’s pretty early, and they have earlier models than that.
Yes, why can't Sansui revive a heritage line of low wattage amps? There has to be a market still.