Sansui SP2500 speakers

[Charix]

I recently bought a pair of SP-2500 for $120 and they are perfect. There isn't a scratch or blemish anywhere, not even on the bottom of the cabinet. There grills are perfect and there are no tool marks on any of the screws. They are mint.

I thought they sounded pretty good but decided to replace the cross over capacitors. I bought Jantzen Audio capacitors from Parts-Express. It made an improvement that seems to get better the more I listen. The highs opened up and the mids are not as over whelming. Definitely a worth update.

After replacing the capacitors, I thought I should have made a video or at least taken some pictures. It may seem daunting to some but it isn't that bad. If anyone has questions please ask.

Now the interesting part...

Even though they were bought together, they are 50,000 different in serial number. The first cabinet I opened was the earlier unit and it has really long base ports. I was surprised they extended so close to the back. I completed the cross over and reassembled the cabinet. I opened the second cabinet and it has the short ports like every SP-2500 I can find has. I wish I had pictures of the long ports. I will take some eventually but I don't want to wear the wood threads by opening them too often.

I compared the bass of the two and the long port cabinet can reproduce low bass better then the short port cabinet does. The long port cabinet has a much fuller nicer bass.

I used a calculator at http://www.mobileinformationlabs.com to determine the port frequency. I used the following:

Cabinet volume: 1.5 cu ft
(1.8 cu ft - .3 cu ft for stuff in the box)
Port ID: 2.5”
Port Length #1: 6 1/4 x 2
Port Length #2: 3 1/8 x 2
Number of Ports: 2

With the calculator I had to guess port frequency until the length came up. I assume the length given is the sum of the two ports.

Cabinet #1: 35 hz
Cabinet #2: 46 hz

It seems like the port length is too short in cabinet #2. Interesting isn't it?

 

[montelatici]

I just picked up a pair of these for free from a familly member and actually prefer them for much of my music over my existing Klipsch Heresy 2's.

The thing is I cant find out much about them. I know that they are rated at 80 watts RMS, were made between 1974 and 1976 and have 2 horn loaded tweeters, 2 mid-range drivers and a single 12 inch woofer but that is about it.

Anyone happen to have a sensitivity rating for them? Better yet, an impedance curve, or a copy of the manual?

Also, the cable attachments are those dreadfull clips. I wanted to replace these with more acceptable binding posts but alas on opening the speakers I find that the whole crossover circuit board is mounted in the way.

If anyone is interested there are a bunch of pics of the speakers on my photo site at http://groups.msn.com/BatMax1photos/stereo.msnw?Page=2

Ignore the first pic - that is just the new location of my Heresies (in the study).

TIA

Your newest board member

Hey, newest board member. Your photo site requires an account and a password!!

I have been interested in these speakers the SP 3500s specifically and there were some on sale locally. All the bad reviews made me hesitate. I later found a post by a former JBL design engineer who said that these speakers were actually designed for Sansui by JBL. Who knows. Maybe the bad reviews come because of the rap that was common in the 60s and 70s that said that the Japanese could not design speakers.

 

[Charix]

Montelatici, here is my take on the SP-2500 so far:

First, play them. I don't think mine were used for a long time and playing has helped smooth them out. If yours hasn't been used in a long time, don't judge too harsh until they are loosened up and capacitors are replaced.

I like the sound. They have some personality, like any speaker, but I am happy with them. For this little review, know that I like popular music and use my Sansui Seven's equalization.

The most often complaint is lack of bass. The bass response is interesting. It isn't boomy or one noted or exaggerated like many base reflex systems. The lower frequency bass is actually quite good for a 12” woofer. The result of this is if your recording includes lower bass and your system is responsive in the lower bass they have plenty of bass.

I have a Sansui Seven and a Sansui 5050. The Seven has always had better sonic detail and strength then the 5050, especially in the lower bass. This difference is noticeable with the SP-2500s which really shine with the Seven. Additionally the SP-2500s seem efficient. The Seven can drive them louder then I need and I like it loud.

Listening to CDs, I have found that older recordings just don't have the lower frequency bass that newer recordings have. It is quite evident with the SP-2500s the difference in the recordings. Since they are not boomy in the upper bass these old recordings seem lacking compared to newer recordings which have lower bass and are quite satisfying. I don't judge this a fault of the speakers, reproducing the sound so you can hear what's there is a good thing. I don't listen to vinyl so I don't know how RIAA equalization sounds.

The mid-range and highs are quite strong, vocals are clear and instruments sound good. Replacing the capacitors has smoothed them out and I would recommend it. Additionally, I set the speaker tweeter to normal, mid-range to soft and when playing loud I set the Seven's mid-range equalization down a few notches. If you like acoustic instruments, orchestral, classic guitar, etc. you may want to leave the mid-range at normal. But if you like screamer rock, with the strong mid-range, these may not be for you.

 

[Scorchin34]

I run a set of SP 2500 with my British Fidelity A1. As stated earlier vinyl sounds beautiful as well as any of the other sources. But when in the mood I do enjoy a smooth will balanced sound with good body and this power to speaker combo works beautifully in my opinion.

Peace,
Preston

 

[AnalogDigit]

I like my pair of Sansui SP-2500's. I also have a pair of Pioneer CS-88A's also that the major complaint was a lack of bass. Well paired with a Realistic STA 2100 or STA 2000 and these speakers sound pretty nice. I even had to tame the mid bass by adding an EQ to the STA 2100. Very sensitive, it gets loud very quick and sounds pretty good with all kinds of music and formats.

 

[HokieVT]

I found a pair here for $50. I may get them for my daughter's house just for the looks.

 

[doctorb]

I got a pair of SP-2500's recently in trade. It took me a little while to warm up to them, but with some tweaking have come to find they sound pretty great! They're a very revealing speaker, lots of detail in the mid's and high's. The bass is enough for me, but I could see how some would think they lack in this dept.

I have them on the floor with a 1 1/2" wedge under the bottom front of the speaker (a la Heresy) to better direct the sound to my seated position. Lastly, I'm not sure why, but I find they sound better with the grills removed.

 

[Go Giants]

I found a pair of sp 2500 at my local goodwill. Fancy grills were long gone, but the drivers were in good shape. I actually think they sound very nice with my Fisher 500b. Excellent mids...A little light on the bass, but I use a sub to compensate. Pretty good speaker effort for a company known more for amplification.

 

[Culpeper]

I recently upgraded a pair and did some estimates on the how the crossover is working with the help of a couple of more knowledgeable members that pointed me in the right direction. The crossovers on these are much better built than most.

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/sp1200-1700-or-2500-crossover-diagrams.771311/

 

[LBPete]

This thread is like a time capsule, originally started in 2002 with comments from some of the original members of AK! A lot of people like the SP-2500s.

Please post the serial number for the database. Click on the link in my signature block.

- Pete

 

[Go Giants]

Blew a tweeter on my Paradigm Studio 40's...I need to order a replacement. Until then,I put my Sansui SP2500's back into play in my man cave. There seems to be a bit of magic dust flying around when I drive them with my Fisher 500b tube receiver....they sound great....

 

[larryderouin]

My 2500's got waterlogged from a hurricane in 2012, about 4"-5" up from the bottom. got them out of the water as soon as I went down in the basement. Front, sides, bottom, back all water swollen. I have a pair of KANAZAWA Cabinets that are approx the same height and width, but 1/2 again the depth of the 2500's. I'll have to strip the kanazawa cabinets and re-configure for the Sansui's, making a new motorboard, and possibly extending the port. I'll have to get the measurements and ask someone to do some math for me. I get migraines doing algebra and geometry. So it's gonna be a while yet before I do this as my wife is in the ICU with Acute Renal Failure, and a few other problems. She's not doing too good right now.

 

[Gnesen]

In spite of the mixed reviews, I picked up a pair of unmolested SP-2500s a week or so ago — I couldn’t resist the nice cabs with the cool wood lattice. And the price was more than fair.

I haven’t listened a whole lot, but they sound really nice to my ears, good enough that I wonder if the negative reviews out there result from sets that aren’t functioning properly. For what it’s worth, I’m running mine with an Onkyo P-304/M-504 pre/power combo, so there’s plenty of headroom available. I haven’t tried lower powered SS amps or tubes, but suspect they’d work reasonably well with speakers of this sensitivity.

Just my initial impression. Subject to change.

 

[Sansuiman]

I have two pairs of 2500's. One I got for free curbside, cabs a bit rough around the edges but fully working. Other pair from retired a USAF Lt., in great shape with original cartons.

I recapped both sets, and think they sound good (not great, but good) to me. Mids tend to be a bit strong, bass could be a touch better. Reading back several posts, I see mention of one oddball 2500 with longer ports and effective lower bass response as a result. Makes me want to consider changing the ports on the rough pair to see if that makes a beneficial difference to my perception.

These don't really get a fair shake. First, these are early 70's and need recapping without question, if still original. Second, they were mass produced and made to a price point. These are not boutique, high end speakers obviously, so I think some people consider them with inflated expectations and are then underwhelmed. Especially in light of the fact that Sansui was known to excel at amps and tuners.

I also believe they (and many similar models of the same era) have taken a public beating on this and other forums for years and the resulting "black eye" has caused many to just assume they are junk, without even trying to assess them objectively. Finally, they are a product of their time.

These were made when vinyl was king, open reel was still a viable format for at least serious audio lovers and cassette was just starting to gain a following. Most amps were also not all that advanced in 1970-72, the horsepower war was in its infancy and so the required frequency response of a speaker system didn't have to go down to 15 or 20 Hz, as is the expectation now days when there is both source material and amplifiers that can deliver response that low.

Sure, there are better speakers, but these are not terrible or even poor. Get some white van specials, or those pathetic little shoebox speakers that came with some mini systems (weak receiver with a turntable on top and maybe an integral 8 track) that were sold in the late 60's to mid 70's, evaluate those then tell me these are junk.

These are the Ford of speakers, not Lincoln, but they are decent enough to suit the listening needs of many people to this day and take a lot of abuse they haven't earned.

 

[Gnesen]

I have two pairs of 2500's. One I got for free curbside, cabs a bit rough around the edges but fully working. Other pair from retired a USAF Lt., in great shape with original cartons.

I recapped both sets, and think they sound good (not great, but good) to me. Mids tend to be a bit strong, bass could be a touch better. Reading back several posts, I see mention of one oddball 2500 with longer ports and effective lower bass response as a result. Makes me want to consider changing the ports on the rough pair to see if that makes a beneficial difference to my perception.

These don't really get a fair shake. First, these are early 70's and need recapping without question, if still original. Second, they were mass produced and made to a price point. These are not boutique, high end speakers obviously, so I think some people consider them with inflated expectations and are then underwhelmed. Especially in light of the fact that Sansui was known to excel at amps and tuners.

I also believe they (and many similar models of the same era) have taken a public beating on this and other forums for years and the resulting "black eye" has caused many to just assume they are junk, without even trying to assess them objectively. Finally, they are a product of their time.

These were made when vinyl was king, open reel was still a viable format for at least serious audio lovers and cassette was just starting to gain a following. Most amps were also not all that advanced in 1970-72, the horsepower war was in its infancy and so the required frequency response of a speaker system didn't have to go down to 15 or 20 Hz, as is the expectation now days when there is both source material and amplifiers that can deliver response that low.

Sure, there are better speakers, but these are not terrible or even poor. Get some white van specials, or those pathetic little shoebox speakers that came with some mini systems (weak receiver with a turntable on top and maybe an integral 8 track) that were sold in the late 60's to mid 70's, evaluate those then tell me these are junk.

These are the Ford of speakers, not Lincoln, but they are decent enough to suit the listening needs of many people to this day and take a lot of abuse they haven't earned.

Nice summary. These are all great points and I agree that I would categorize them as 'good' speakers overall. However, there are some recordings for which the sound is better than good. It looks like this point has been brought up in other posts. All of my listening with the SP-2500s so far has been via Spotify streaming, so I can't speak to sound quality with different sources.

 

[Culpeper]

The original crossover is choked to death and bypasses an old woofer. Like mentioned before, they were designed for obsolete frequency media. The inductors are not needed at all. The MCM woofer is perfect for this box sealed and choked first order. Midranges need a 22 uF cap and L-pad and the tweeters 2.2 uF cap with minimal tone control at the amp. As for the box the construction exceeds those of modern higher tier boxes. Also note from the factory the mids and tweets have reverse polarity. Keep this in mind if converting to first order. Or if used as originally set up check to make sure.

 

[ericc129]

So, the original woofer isn't controlled by the crossover, at all? I've already recapped the original crossover and replaced two burnt tweeters in one speaker. I do really like the the new tone of the mids and highs. I was thinking of driving the woofers from a secondary amp and using a tube amp to drive the upper assembly. Any experience with this or would it just end up being a waste of time? I've heard better speakers, but have certainly heard worse.

 

[Culpeper]

The OEM setup is reverse polarity on the mids and highs and normal on the woofers. The woofer has the crossover built-in coupled with the port lengths and box size. The original playback was designed for R2R and vinyl playback. That is where you will get the best vintage sound. If you want to run modern playback the system will need to be changed from the overly choked OEM ad hoc crossover setup. Consider a 1st order closed box with a new woofer. The $20 MCM 12" is actually not a bad match. It really only needs a capacitor on the mids and highs. I also added an L-pad to the mids.

 

[ericc129]

I strictly run them in the clear setting, no matter the rooms I've tried to place them in; and have been pretty satisfied with the recapped crossover in terms of mids/highs, but I also primarily listen to vinyl.....whats the built in xover point for the woofer? around 200Hz or up to like 800Hz?

 

[ericc129]

For shits and giggles I may play around with an active crossover with these that will eventually be used for other duties.