Extremely Rare Sansui HPR 200 Tube Pre-Amp.

johnny_fever

Sansui Addict. No Serious. Not Kidding.
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a while back I found a HPR-200 I believe thats the correct#. Not sure because my unit is white. I have only seen a couple gray ones and only 1 other white one online during my global searches. I did find a catalog. Can anyone help with info or possibly read Japanese? Not sure If It was a kit or not. Thanks Fever
 

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I've seen maybe 5 photos 'only' of your HPR 200 pre-amp. ALL the photos have always had gray metal cases except once I saw one in white. Very Rare in white.

And it looks SO 'minty' too!!

The HPR 200 is a rare find. White & 'minty', Super rare. :D

Thanks for the pics.


:thmbsp:
 
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Hi johnny fever.

This is all the data I have on HPR.

1954/8
Sansui starting the manufacturing production and sales of the amplifier. This was Sansui’s entry into production of the stereo amplifier. Sansui started manufacturing Pre-Amp, Main-Amp kits, and finished amplifier models. The amplifier units were the HW-731 and the HW-733 that were for Williamson type amplifiers. According to one of the original Sansui executives, "By improving transformer quality and technologies, our goal was raised to reproduce better and more musical sound." Sansui introduced the first receivers, the PM-R500 and the PM-V600. The First Sansui Tube Pre-Main Amplifier Kit HPR-100 was Sansui's first radio tube style tuner (attaching tube sphere type - AM). This series included the pre-amplifiers HPR-100 (120) and HPR-150 (200), and the power amplifiers HF-2A3S, HF-A3K, HF-6V6P, and the HF-V6K. Sansui had 99 employees in this year.

NOTE: I don't understand: HPR-100 (120) and HPR-150 (200). That's 4 numbers??

1954/8
HPR-100 pre-amplifier (top) and HF-2A3S mono power amplifier (bottom)
The First Sansui Tube Pre-Main Amplifier ‘Kit’ HPR-100 was Sansui's first radio tube style tuner

1954/8
HPR-120 pre-amplifier

1954/8
HPR-200 Mono pre -amplifier (AM tuner)
Power source is not built in.
It is believed that no type of ‘model number placard’ appeared on this pre-amplifier. At least amplifier below did not have a placard and it was stated none had one.
Note: some HPR-200 in gray metal case (some have factory black knobs, some have factory white knobs. All have rounded corners but seen on that had square corners, at least the Japanese guy said it was a HPR-200???) (See below)

Tubes used:
12AX7 2 each
12AT7 1 each
6BD6 1 each
Power source: 6.3V and 1.5A DC230 - 260V and 25mA.

'Styles' from my research
1. Gray box, white knobs
2. Gray box, black knobs
3. White box, white knobs… VERY rare!
(4.) Found one photo where 'they' made an HPR-200 (so the person said it was but have never seen another, ever) that had a square box with angled faceplate - top of faceplate about ½ inch recessed from the bottom, gray box. I doubt the claim. Maybe it wasn't Sansui?? No name plates.

---
Box shape:
HPR-100: rectangular gray metal box
HPR-120: rectangular gray metal box
HPR-150: no photo, no photo availiable.
HPR-200: rounded corners, like yours. Gray metal box. Only saw one other and yours in white. You got a GREAT one!!

Made for amp same date (?):
1954/8 HF-A3K (HF-2A3K - if this is the same amp?)

HF-V6K main amplifier Mono. (HF-6V6K - if this is the same amp?) 12,500 yen
6V6PP main amplifier (mono) This amplifier uses the masterpiece BW-742 output transformer. According to the catalog of that time (1955/08) this amplifier had a retail price of 12,500 Yen (360 yen to one US dollar). It is the high-class amplifier of that period.

--

The prefix "HPR" signified pre-amplifiers, and the prefix "HF" was for power amplifiers. These amplifiers were sold in three different ways:
1. a semi-complete kit
2. a complete kit
3. and a finished product.


‘Kit’ … from Sansui electricity - PP ‘Amp’
Sansui did make ‘Kits’ that you could buy and assemble yourself, therefore lowering the cost of labor.

---

1953/8 Started production of the stereo amplifier.
Early 1950s: In the 1950’s to the early 1960’s, Sansui had developed a sense of mission to be a ‘world class audiophile manufacture‘. That was the reason that Sansui introduced the first pre-main (integrated) tube amplifier SM-88 in Japan.

1954/4
P-44B, S-65, S-70 power transformers introduced.

HF-V60 made in 1956
 
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Bluesky Is one of our most trusted & valued Sansui historians. I stay amazed with his amount of information. Fever
 

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Im excited about this little guy. Funny how my taste went from high power SS to low power tube stuff. From inefficient to efficient horn type speakers. Sure I miss the big stuff at times. But things change sometime
 
Fever, unbelievable and in excellent condition. Congratulations.

Also, did you spot the power-source being DC230-260. That will have to be a little DC PSU on the side.
Mano
 
Fever... do you have any close up & clear 'inside' photo(s) of your pre-amp??

P.S.: great shot of the 'logo". So Cooool!

You got a really fine 1954/8 'piece'! :) Outrageous.

** Maybe take that Japanese writing to a real Japanese restaurant, like a Sushi place, and they can read it. If you do, please post the results.
 
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I have sent the catalog info to 3 people In hopes to get It translated. I will post the results. Let me see if i can snap some pics this weekend. Fever
 
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