Greetings! I just joined the forum! I don't have many answers, just a few questions now and then. Like this one...
Some months back, I drove all the way from Toronto to Quebec to pick up a Sansui 9090 that was languishing in a basement. When I got it home, I spent a week listening to it driving Cerwin Vega VS-120's, and was impressed by the clear, powerful sound. Then I took it apart, as much as I dared, and gave it a thorough dusting, wiping, etc.
What I want to say is that I wasn't nearly as impressed by its build quality as by its sound quality. Yes, it was heavy, but I didn't care for the way it was constructed. That and several rust spots inside where some jerkoff had splashed a drink (or sneezed torrentially) through the grille convinced me to sell the 9090. (A really friendly guy in Italy bought it, which was the start of a major shipping headache!)
I then bought an SX-1250 that was supposed to be in "near MINT" condition but that had sonic issues (buzzing & underpowered); I soon added an SX-950 to my collection. Trouble was, neither of these receivers sounded as good as the 9090 had. Granted, the SX-1250 needs a tune-up, maybe even a new cap (I bought four caps on ebay, just in case).
So my question is this:
Is it possible that an SX-1250 just doesn't sound as good as a 9090, thanks to Sansui's renowned transformers and circuits, even if the 1250's build quality is superior? Doesn't the 1250's superlative design, with that beefy toroidal transformer and juicy coke-can caps, make it the hands-down winner?!
I've read plenty of reviews about both receivers. I know that some people swear by the 9090, others by the the SX-1250.
I would really like to believe that my gorgeous 1250 is as good as it gets, but I can't forget the sonic nirvanah I enjoyed for a short while with the 9090. In fact, neither the 1250 nor the 950 sound as clean as my 880, which I've had for a long time. (The 950 is currently driving a pair of Pioneer Elite TZ-9's, but I want to hook up the 1250 to them, of course!) Could somebody give me an objective answer, please?
Thanks, guys!
Some months back, I drove all the way from Toronto to Quebec to pick up a Sansui 9090 that was languishing in a basement. When I got it home, I spent a week listening to it driving Cerwin Vega VS-120's, and was impressed by the clear, powerful sound. Then I took it apart, as much as I dared, and gave it a thorough dusting, wiping, etc.
What I want to say is that I wasn't nearly as impressed by its build quality as by its sound quality. Yes, it was heavy, but I didn't care for the way it was constructed. That and several rust spots inside where some jerkoff had splashed a drink (or sneezed torrentially) through the grille convinced me to sell the 9090. (A really friendly guy in Italy bought it, which was the start of a major shipping headache!)
I then bought an SX-1250 that was supposed to be in "near MINT" condition but that had sonic issues (buzzing & underpowered); I soon added an SX-950 to my collection. Trouble was, neither of these receivers sounded as good as the 9090 had. Granted, the SX-1250 needs a tune-up, maybe even a new cap (I bought four caps on ebay, just in case).
So my question is this:
Is it possible that an SX-1250 just doesn't sound as good as a 9090, thanks to Sansui's renowned transformers and circuits, even if the 1250's build quality is superior? Doesn't the 1250's superlative design, with that beefy toroidal transformer and juicy coke-can caps, make it the hands-down winner?!
I've read plenty of reviews about both receivers. I know that some people swear by the 9090, others by the the SX-1250.
I would really like to believe that my gorgeous 1250 is as good as it gets, but I can't forget the sonic nirvanah I enjoyed for a short while with the 9090. In fact, neither the 1250 nor the 950 sound as clean as my 880, which I've had for a long time. (The 950 is currently driving a pair of Pioneer Elite TZ-9's, but I want to hook up the 1250 to them, of course!) Could somebody give me an objective answer, please?
Thanks, guys!