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9090DB or Eight Deluxe?

Robisme

Robisme

Sansui Enthusiast
Subscriber
I was messing around in the shop, playing some tunes and switching receivers around.
I played the 4000 for a bit than the Eight Deluxe then the 9090DB.

I keep coming back to the Eight Deluxe. Am I crazy?

While I love them all, the Eight Deluxe just captures me. It is not "warm" like some describe the older Sansui receivers, but in your face power with great highs and tight bass. I am on the west coast after all.:yes:

All with same Denon CD player and JBL L100's.

Rob
 
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No, you are not crazy! I have the Eight and it is my favorite Sansui receiver. I've owned the G-9700, G-8000, some smaller G's that I cannot remember, 9090DB (x2), and 8080DB.
 
Thanx guys, for confirming what I've been thinking & saying about my 7000. :D I know, the Eight, Eight Deluxe & 7000 are different, but they all 3 fit into their own little family, that's a little "different". You just have to hear them to understand. It'll be great when someone gets all 3 together, (it's inevitable) to really compare the innards. :smoke:
 
The eight deluxe may be the perfect marriage between the old school Sansui sound and the later more sophisticated sound. It retained the high quality tuner used in the Eight and used a totally new amplifier section.

When SoCal Sam was over a few weeks ago, we were talking about the lineage of the Sansui receivers, specifically the 881/9010. The Eight Deluxe was very sophisticated receiver and probably cost a bunch to produce. Judging by how rare they are, it also didn't sell that well. This maybe because of the relatively high price or maybe because the styling and look was the same as the previous models.

When the Sansui designed it's successor, the 881, they very much de-contented it which brought it's manufacturing cost and retail price down. Sales increased. It wasn't until a year later that production on the 9090 began and it set the stage for Sansui's monster receivers.

When Sansui designed the 9090DB they returned to the amplifier design used in the Eight Deluxe and many people believe the 9090DB was the apex of Sansui's receivers sound.

- Pete
 
LBPete said:
When Sansui designed the 9090DB they returned to the amplifier design used in the Eight Deluxe and many people believe the 9090DB was the apex of Sansui's receivers sound.

- Pete
Click to expand...

Is this true of the 8080DB as well?
 
Thanks for the analysis Pete.

I was just listening to my 9090DB with my ADS L710's while washing my car and it sure sounds sweet. :yes:
 
LBPete said:
The eight deluxe may be the perfect marriage between the old school Sansui sound and the later more sophisticated sound. It retained the high quality tuner used in the Eight and used a totally new amplifier section.

When SoCal Sam was over a few weeks ago, we were talking about the lineage of the Sansui receivers, specifically the 881/9010. The Eight Deluxe was very sophisticated receiver and probably cost a bunch to produce. Judging by how rare they are, it also didn't sell that well. This maybe because of the relatively high price or maybe because the styling and look was the same as the previous models.

When the Sansui designed it's successor, the 881, they very much de-contented it which brought it's manufacturing cost and retail price down. Sales increased. It wasn't until a year later that production on the 9090 began and it set the stage for Sansui's monster receivers.

When Sansui designed the 9090DB they returned to the amplifier design used in the Eight Deluxe and many people believe the 9090DB was the apex of Sansui's receivers sound.

- Pete
Click to expand...

Pete, that was great fun visiting with you and Chris. We really appreciated your insight and knowledge of Sansui receivers. I've attached a composite photo of the brouchure from classicsansui.net showing the Eight Deluxe. It appears the Deluxe is an update rather than a complete re-design. Power specs for the two are identical with the Deluxe have a slightly better THD rating. I think the most useful upgrade is the inclusion of a speaker relay.
 

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shacky said:
Is this true of the 8080DB as well?
Click to expand...
There are people that feel the 8080DB sounds better than the 9090DB. The tone control board on the 8080DB doesn't have the tone turnover/defeat switches that are found on the 9090DB so there is less opportunity for distortion.

Personally, I like the ability to defeat the tone controls, otherwise the signal is modified to some degree.

- Pete
 
SoCal Sam said:
It appears the Deluxe is an update rather than a complete re-design. Power specs for the two are identical with the Deluxe have a slightly better THD rating. I think the most useful upgrade is the inclusion of a speaker relay.
Click to expand...
The Eight Deluxe was an update to the Eight but Sansui completely redesigned the amp to update the older model. There is no carry over between the amp on the Eight and the amp on the Eight Deluxe. The design difference is much more than just the addition of the speaker relay.

We see this same kind of difference with the 9090 and 9090DB. There is no commonality whatsoever between the amplifiers in these two models but they share very similar names.

- Pete
 
LBPete said:
The Eight Deluxe was an update to the Eight but Sansui completely redesigned the amp to update the older model. There is no carry over between the amp on the Eight and the amp on the Eight Deluxe. The design difference is much more than just the addition of the speaker relay.

We see this same kind of difference with the 9090 and 9090DB. There is no commonality whatsoever between the amplifiers in these two models but they share very similar names.

- Pete
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification Pete! It seems a rather extreme measure to completely redesign the amp section for no gain in power. I wonder what Sansui was after?
 
In my opinion the 7070, 8080DB/890DB and 9090DB/990DB are pretty much the best of the Sansui 'great Sansui sound' group. :thmbsp:

I also like the G-6000 to G-9000(& G-9000DB) which I think nearly match those x0x0 units mentioned above .

Paul
 
My buddy has a 9090, I have a 9090db, and his sounds a little louder, and better, than mine. Hence, the soon to happen Echowars rebuild.

What is a push/pull design??
 
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