G8000 vs 9090db vs Z9000

z-adamson

Addicted Member
Same power level, different models.

Are they all considered equal in terms of performance, durability etc?

I know folks have preferences in terms of looks, but looks aside, do they all perform the same?
 
i wouldnt think the Z9000 is built to the same standards of the other 2? Ive never heard one, so maybe it sounds very good all things considered?
 
Depends what you want in an amplifier and what flavour of sound you are into.....
To be honest its fairly loaded question as people tend to be passionate about their preferred units.
Me, I would walk away from this three with the G8000, I like the look, the build quality and the design, its easy to service, and I like the sound.
The Z9000 was built at a time where Sansui needed to make more profit, and their production lines became more automated, so they are not as easy to work on and as a result can be frustrating to repair.
But they sound great, and can be bought for handful of magic beans. You get a lot of performance for the money.
9090DB, is a well constructed and designed amplifier made in the hey day of receivers, very nicely build and designed. I have serviced/repaired a few, but they don't float my boat to be honest....But they are a very well respected around here...
 
I'm partial to the 9090DB though that is mostly because it was my first monster receiver. Didn't get a G9000 until much later on in my collecting, but I do really enjoy it as well. I had a Z9000 briefly some years ago. Sounded great, loads of power and looked decent enough in that 1983/84 kind of way (if you like that sort of thing; with time I'll admit it has grown on me considerably). I sold it as I had an offer for it that I couldn't refuse at the time.

Build quality is 9090DB > G series > Z9000 in descending order. To be fair, the big G's are not poorly built, but one can clearly see the trend towards cost controls by the time the first gen G series debuted. It got noticable worse with each successive new series from that point onward.

1985 seems to be the year it got really bad, prior to that most Sansui gear was still reasonably well made, even if decontented from the golden era of the mid to late 70's. The trend towards all plastic front panels and knobs, Sanken brick output devices and multitudes of blinking lights was pretty well complete by 85, save for the high end integrateds and pre/power combos which maintained some dignity.

The G series is very well liked for its sound quality and looks of course, but the Z9000 is largely overlooked still, making it a relative bargain. That's true even even against the 9900Z which came before it but has, of late, been gaining a following. The Z9000 is arguably the last true monster receiver as it is 120WPC class along with a physically large form factor. After that, everything was geared toward being rackmountable form factor which marked the end of the oversized battle tanks that first appeared about 1973/74.

I guess I haven't really answered the question, but hopefully the above will be helpful in guiding your decision.
 
The G-8000 is probably the one I would keep as well, but I kept my Z-5000X over my 9090DB for sound quality. The G-8000 beat out the 9090DB as well.

FWIW, after the Z series there was the S-X series with the new logo. I have the S-X1200 and at 120 WPC I enjoy it often in the garage with the L100s.

Rob
 
I guess the G's have it. I'd add that there was both a Z-n000 and Z-n000X series. Not sure the differences, but suspect it was just minor updates/changes mid run. Those with the X suffix came a bit later but looked largely similar to those without the X.

I am a bit surprised Rob preferred the Z-5000X over the 9090DB for sound, but then the Z-5000X would have been a newer design (presumably direct coupled and at least partly descended from the "pure power" idea that debuted with the G series, though no reference is made of that on the Z-n000(X) series that I'm aware of.

I tend to overlook the short lived SX series of the mid 1980's, but have seen them around. They are, for the era, not bad kit but a bit too prototypically 1986/87 "light show digital" (though not as over the top as in the Kenwood Galaxy Commander receiver of a couple of years earlier). For what they are, and considering the competition at the time, these are, perhaps, worth a second look.

I seem to have a preference for the characteristic sound of the older gear, though I appreciate the greater accuracy of the more advanced models. I know the later amp designs are objectively better for slew rate, TIM and other factors and still I prefer the unique Sansui sound from the pre-1978 era. Can't say exactly why, may be partly due to my nostalgia for these older units.
 
The Z-5000X uses the Super Feed Forward like the AU-D11 and D9. Supposed to eliminate ALL types of distortion.

I have also done extensive comparisons with the Z-5000X and the Eight Deluxe. Lets just say the Eight Deluxe is special.

Rob
 
Ok, that makes some sense. Super feed forward was the tech in use on the integrated amps concurrent with production timeline of the second Z series (the 3900-9900Z being the first Z series). I've had almost no exposure to models with super feed forward designs at this point, odd as that is.

Historically, my interest in Sansui was initially limited to roughly the 1974-1978 era. As I collected more gear, I expanded the time range in both directions, first going with newer models up through 1982 or so, then later going back into the late 60's and early 70's to a limited extent. The lions share of my gear is still heavy on mid to late 70's, so 9090DB, QRX-9001, G-9000, AU/TU 717/ 919 and related matched accessory components as well as definition and professional series gear.

Post 1982, I have some odds and ends but there are large gaps in my collection especially in receivers beyond the 9900Z, which is the newest receiver I own presently. Naturally, I kind of regret selling the Z-9000 years ago now, but live and learn, right? I own nothing newer than early 1986, pre-logo change gear at this point, so that gives you a better idea of what I have and don't have for comparisons sake.

Not to derail the thread further, but I've looked at the numerous debates on the eight versus eight deluxe here in the past and don't feel I have a straight answer on the winner in that contest. Many insist that the original eight was better as they threw a lot of engineering at it on a "cost is no issue" basis.

Others make the claim the eight deluxe is better as it is a newer model benefitting from improvements in technology. Now, advacement in amp tech came rapidly in that era, so that even a year would result in noticeable improvements, or so goes the reasoning. I've not owned either model, which again represents a pretty big blind spot in my collection as it can rightfully be said the eight constitutes a key moment in Sansui's development history.
 
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