Sansui-SP-2000 Love or Hate?

[Daryl Edward]

I own 2 pair after a recent purchase, 1 pair I've replaced the 12" woofers twice,I've had them for 20 years and they have alway's been my favorite speaker's, unfortunetly I threw away one of the original woofer's. I just purchsed a pair of very well taken care of Virgin SP-2000, they need to be refomed but have only one scratch on the bottom of 1, It only took me about a week to blow the woofer's out, I'm going to send them out to be redone soon. I did a Major overhaul (rework) of my old one's, replacing the woofers with Dayton Classic's, new Banana plugs, a nice pad of damping foam 12x12 directly behind the Dayton's, with out having the Specs. (SPL) or other info, they were a little heavy on the Bass side, but using a Bose Acoustimass 501 non-powered Sub really mellowed them out, I've been screwing around re-working them since August, but I think they turned out damn good. Anyone else have and use these speaker's, I really like them, I just want to know if it's just me? Daryl Edward

 

[BruceRPA]

First, welcome to AK Daryl Edward!

I have a pair. For my taste, I don't like them so I don't use them. There are many other members here that do like them though. There is an excellent thread about rebuilding the crossovers and adding bypass caps to help tame the booming bass that they are known for. It helped but I still don't like them enough to use them. Search for that thread. I think you will find it to be very informative and very interesting.

 

[Vintage_Hi-F]

The Sp-2000 have cloth surrounds (well mine do any ways) so re-foaming them is might turn out to be a bit impossible. They aren't a bad little speaker, for being re badged corals. Sansui's early SP line (form 66-69) where actually kinda nice it the later SP-X line that gets most of the hate.

 

[oldenuff]

If they're the only speaker you have heard then they would sound ok.

 

[mythless]

Never heard the SP-2000 but I have the SP-1000 and my Dad still wants to find a pair of SP-X7500. They're not bad but when you compare them to other speakers. I found them a bit lacking in the upper treble and the overall sound signature is somewhat mellow and lacking a bit of transparency when you compare them to the HPMs. They need to be matched up with good amplifier to make them sound comparable to my other speakers. I'm going to see if one of my friends wants to take them, as my Dad now prefers another set of speakers over them. He still wants to find a pair of SP-X7500 though...

 

[bluesky]

I have two pair of SP-2000s, among other speaker systems (7 total). I'm using one pair and the other mint pair in the boxes in the closet. Cabs don't even have a fingerprint on em. I think they are as close to brand new as you can get.

I really like them. The pair I'm using sounds really nice. Not bad for 40 year old untouched speakers. They sound 'so good' I wouldn't even consider taking the backs off to do 'anything'. They sound just fine as is.

Are there better sounding speakers out there...yes, of course. No matter what speakers you have...there are better speakers out there. Are there worse sounding speakers out there...'no doubt about that'. SP-2000s do sound pretty nice. They have the big box 1970 Japanese sound, alnico magnets, cloth surrounds-never rot, and are pretty bullet-proof. And for the price they sell for on eBay used, generally $100-150 for a really fine pair, ... it's pretty hard to beat and a great value for the money for sure. Think new they cost $1000+ in 1970 dollars! that would be about $3000 now. I just like them...'but' for someone who didn't have a big budget for stereo speakers these would be gems. You just have to find a pair that works and sounds right. that's the biggie. It's really good if you can listen to them before you buy. They are 40 years old.

The cabs are of a very quality construction, are very heavy, and look cool too, if you into the wooden grill box speaker Japanese look of the 70s. They look like fine furnature, and they do have that heavy big box alnico magnet speaker sound. Crank em up and they handle it real fine.

They are ok, I'm very happy with them. One thing I really like about them is that they, to me, sound very natural, lifelike, comfortable. But as with all speakers, the sound depends on the person listening. I have a pair of Sansui AS-300s that need to be restored, and I'm kinda speakered out right now, but if I was to purchase 'another pair' of speakers, someday, they would be JBLs.

SP-2000s function, look, and sound very nice. That's it really, and there is a ton of info on AK on 'restoration of the crossovers' if you desire to do that. There is so much information it's a no brainer...just do what the guys say and your crossovers are restored.

Love or Height: it's up to you. Some guys really hate Sansui speakers and are knocking them all the time non-stop. Guess they never had a nice sounding pair. Now on the other hand, some guys, like me, really like Sansuis and think they sound pretty good. They do.

But not all Sansui speakers are created equal.
By in large, the 1970s Sansui SP-200/2000/3500 (among a few other models), the 1970s AS-100/300s, and the SP-L series were the good ones. The others I really don't know much about but many of them, from what other people have said, don't sound all that great, and that may of been why people don't really care for Sansui speakers in general. The very early 70s speakers, like the SP-2000s or SP-200s, with the alnico magnets are good.

 

[lance burton]

I have two pair of SP-2000s, among other speaker systems (7 total). I'm using one pair and the other mint pair in the boxes in the closet. Cabs don't even have a fingerprint on em. I think they are as close to brand new as you can get.

I really like them. The pair I'm using sounds really nice. Not bad for 40 year old untouched speakers. They sound 'so good' I wouldn't even consider taking the backs off to do 'anything'. They sound just fine...

I just hauled a pair out of storage (inherited). At first listening, they struck me as less than spectacular, compared to the Infinity Kappa 8's and Pioneer CS-99A's I have set up. The more I listened though, the more I realized that they are very easy to listen to - no ear fatigue. I subconsciously want to have them
going now, all the time - audio addiction. Maybe I'll recap them.

 

[bluesky]

I just hauled a pair out of storage (inherited). At first listening, they struck me as less than spectacular, compared to the Infinity Kappa 8's and Pioneer CS-99A's I have set up. The more I listened though, the more I realized that they are very easy to listen to - no ear fatigue. I subconsciously want to have them
going now, all the time - audio addiction. Maybe I'll recap them.

Exactly. They sound 'natural'. Lifelike.

I should recap mine too but I'm scared to touch them because they sound really good now.

 

[onwardjames]

I just hauled a pair out of storage (inherited). At first listening, they struck me as less than spectacular, compared to the Infinity Kappa 8's and Pioneer CS-99A's I have set up. The more I listened though, the more I realized that they are very easy to listen to - no ear fatigue. I subconsciously want to have them
going now, all the time - audio addiction. Maybe I'll recap them.

I had a mint pair of SP-2500's I gave to my goofball sis. She destroyed them. I remember them being beautiful to look at, but not really for me. They did sound rather nice on vinyl.

WELCOME TO AK, Lance!!

 

[lance burton]

Mine are just a bit muddy in the mid/high frequencies. I cleaned the switches with no improvement. Recapping doesn't look to be overly involved - no layered circuit boards like the Infinity's...

 

[Go Giants]

I have the SP 2500. They actually sound really nice with the right amplification. I like them with my tube Fisher 500b, but they don't have much bottom end...despite the large woofer. I use a sub and that helps a lot.

The mids are where they really shine....spooky good on some recordings. Probably one the heaviest speakers I've ever owned....right up there with AR3's. Those Alnico drivers are heavy af...lol.

 

[pugetegroup]

I'm alittle late for this thread BUT: I have a set of S 900s and a set of SP 2000s. One a 3 way and the other has a zillion speakers...
Honestly? The S 900s sound better.
Why?
Well I'm not a "boombox bass" kinda guy. I want to reproduce the sound of the recording as close as is possible. Being a guitar player, acoustic & electric, I know what the sound should be. The 900s have a wider range than the 2000s. The bottom line is 20 hz and the 2000s is 35. Whoa.. big difference. Power wise, it's all in the amp. The 900s have a 15 woofer, fully vibed, 14 to 1 bass magnet whereas the 2000s have a 12" and a lower pull magnet, 8 to 1. Guess what? That makes a huge bass difference... the strength of the magnet.
Some differences I like, but again: the amp is the real deal here.... not the speakers. Crappy amp: crappy sound. When someone says their amps are "great" what they mean is that they like the sound it puts out. The next person will be of a different opinion. I am using a HK 3370..... 100 Watt - 8 Ohm - 20 - 20000 Hz - THD 0.07%
Man alive. Plenty of oomph, not a boombox but great clarity. THD of 0.07%... not bad. And see: they put out the 20hz low range the 900s can reproduce. They make any speaker sound good. Not great, but good.
So there's my 2 cents.

 

[Nat]

If you blow two woofers out in a row, you should suspect that there is something going on in your system - problem with the amp or with subsonics from somewhere else in the system.

 

[kkd]

Sansui Anything speakers?
Hate ;-)

I had a mint pair of ..... I gave to my goofball sis. She destroyed them.

I have a goofball sis too!

 

[cjackson]

everyone does,,,its like a law. BTW I`m the asshole brother! lol...also a law!

 

[gizzyman47]

If your sp-2000's have foam surrounds, I suspect that the woofers are not original. Or someone has installed foam surrounds mistakenly. They were originally cloth surrounds. That's what mine also have.

 

[mitchalee]

OK. I have the SP1500, 2500, and 3500 as well as 4 of the omnidirectional speakers with 2 8 inch woofers SP-90 maybe? Anyway, the 1500 sound a bit like the Heresy or a very good PA speaker. The 2500 are a bit cleaner and louder. But the SP-3500 are actually very interesting with a class a tube amp and about 5 watts. They have a very textured, solid sound. Not the most delicate or transparent. Not the best deep bass by any means. Again a lot like the Heresy. But all in all the 3500 compete well with very good JLB, Pioneer, or Cerwin Vega and that little Klipsch center speaker that is such a Heresy! These are first rate rock speakers and also do a passable job with jazz and pop.

 

[blademan13]

Just bought a minty pair of SP-2000’s and fired them up today driven with a Denon PMA 757. I had been listening to a pair of ADS 620’s and used those for comparison along with a pair of Energy 22 Pro’s.

The Sansui’s were very weak in the bass department, very prominent in the mids, lacked clarity, definition, detail and dynamics. They threw a big “stereo” sound but really did not have much what I would consider imaging. Bass had little weight, punch or impact. At moderate listening levels I could feel the bass in my listening seat with both the Energy’s and ADS, nothing with the Sansui. They just miss the bass foundation the others provide. Maybe I need to move them closer to the back wall and off the 10” stands considering they were marketed as a large bookshelf/floor stander?

I am interested to hear these driven by my Sansui AU-888. It may soften the mid’s a bit but I am not expecting much. I am running the speakers with the mid control on the soft setting.

These are really gorgeous speakers! Cabinets are well built but could use some serious bracing as they sound a bit hollow when rapped. The grilles themselves are amazing. Definitely the perfect speaker for projecting a vintage look.

I never seem to get the kind of deals some AKer’s manage to score but I think I did alright with these. $100, excellent shape with original boxes. Can’t really see getting rid of them at this point, they are just really cool and have aged well in the last 50+ years.

I did find it a bit strange to see that huge port and very little damping in the cabinet? All in the name of efficiency I would suspect as power was not cheap in 1970 and most of the competition was acoustic suspension?

Regardless of any criticisms I may have, they do sound quite decent and much better than any $100 speakers one could buy new today. They are getting harder and harder to find in good condition and they quit making them a long time ago. And damn, are they pretty!

 

[karik57]

I have never listened to SP-2000 but back in the day I had SP-4000 A which is very similar with 305 mm woofer, two 130 mm midranges and two 54 mm tweeters. I bought them in 1976 and they were my first speakers. The other option was Pioneer HPM-100. I listened to them quite a while and ended up with Sansui. Sansui had a tighter bass response and if SP-2000 soundwise resembles SP-4000 A, it must be a pretty good speaker (considering price and age).

 

[centsless]

Just bought a minty pair of SP-2000’s and fired them up today driven with a Denon PMA 757. I had been listening to a pair of ADS 620’s and used those for comparison along with a pair of Energy 22 Pro’s.

The Sansui’s were very weak in the bass department, very prominent in the mids, lacked clarity, definition, detail and dynamics. They threw a big “stereo” sound but really did not have much what I would consider imaging. Bass had little weight, punch or impact. At moderate listening levels I could feel the bass in my listening seat with both the Energy’s and ADS, nothing with the Sansui. They just miss the bass foundation the others provide. Maybe I need to move them closer to the back wall and off the 10” stands considering they were marketed as a large bookshelf/floor stander?

I am interested to hear these driven by my Sansui AU-888. It may soften the mid’s a bit but I am not expecting much. I am running the speakers with the mid control on the soft setting.

These are really gorgeous speakers! Cabinets are well built but could use some serious bracing as they sound a bit hollow when rapped. The grilles themselves are amazing. Definitely the perfect speaker for projecting a vintage look.

I never seem to get the kind of deals some AKer’s manage to score but I think I did alright with these. $100, excellent shape with original boxes. Can’t really see getting rid of them at this point, they are just really cool and have aged well in the last 50+ years.

I did find it a bit strange to see that huge port and very little damping in the cabinet? All in the name of efficiency I would suspect as power was not cheap in 1970 and most of the competition was acoustic suspension?

Regardless of any criticisms I may have, they do sound quite decent and much better than any $100 speakers one could buy new today. They are getting harder and harder to find in good condition and they quit making them a long time ago. And damn, are they pretty!

I have had a pair of 2000's for awhile now. They look pretty but the cloth surround on woofer has hardened and have not found a way to soften it for any lasting time. The brake fluid trick worked but for a short time. That is the reason you are not getting much bass out of your woofer. I bought a spare woofer to use as a tester but has been shelved long ago waiting for some magic treatment. They were a very popular speaker when new. Always liked the latticework.