• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

After 8 years a pair of Sansui SP-5500X are coming back

Frank Sol

Frank Sol

Lunatic Member
Register to hide this ad
My brother had a pair of sp-5500x back in the day. Last I heard, he still has them. They were a really decent speaker. He drove them with a ka-7100 which I'm pretty sure he still has.
 
Thanks guys... I heard them after recapping for 2-3 days before we set them up at my friend's place

Heard them a few times there

Under no illusion about these being world beaters. They do have sentimental value

Nonetheless they do sound good with certain music... Not a loud Rock n' Roll pair for sure
 
Finally got them hooked up... driving with ChiFi 8 watt EL34 amp. Also just received a new pair of JJ E34L. Testing them out at the same time


speakers.png



All drivers are working (Kabuki) :beatnik:

Not sure what happened to the plates -- I'm almost positive I put them back on when I recapped them
 
Last edited:
Frank Sol said:
I recapped these for a buddy 8yrs ago

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/recapping-a-pair-sansui-sp-5500x-wow.308462/

Unfortunately he is moving into an asst living Veteran Home -- Yesterday he asked me if I wanted the speakers

Picking them up later today... Have no idea what I'm going to do with them :biggrin:

With a Sensitivity of 98dB I'm likely going to drive them with some tubes

What goes around comes around
Click to expand...

I have the earlier incarnation the sp-5500 and not only are they the best kabuki I have hears but one of the most musical to my ears and I have had a lot of speakers.Possibly keepers to the end.
 
Got them from storage after 2yrs or so... hooked up and will listen to them for a few days...

I should probably sell them to someone who would enjoy them full time


Sansui.png
 
I bought four of these SP-5500X speakers this summer and attempted to get the crossovers checked/recapped by two different electronics shops in my area. One obviously did not want to do the job, as he kept raising his estimate as I agreed to the cost, to the point where his estimate far exceeded the speakers value.

The second shop held ONE speaker for three months (no room for all four), before telling me he found nothing wrong with the drivers or crossover. Then he gave me an estimate to recap all four speakers for twice what I paid for the speakers. I refused.

I bought a MESR-100 V2 ESR Meter from Amazon, pulled/checked all of the crossovers, and found no obvious bad caps. However, I did find two completely dead (open) S-133 5" Midranges and found a pair for sale on eBay. It was strange that the two bad drivers were in one pair of speakers with pink wires from the speaker terminals to the crossover, and both were in the left hole position. The other two speakers have green wires to the crossover. Were open drivers installed at the factory on purpose, or just part of a bad batch?

The speakers sound fine with the original crossovers, but I'm sure they would sound better with a recap, but I'm not spending over $1000 to do that. (I don't have the visual acuity, or the patience, to do the recap myself.)

What I did want to ask the experts is their opinion on the Sansui W-147 Woofer Driver. This driver does not have much throw. Not a lot of "punch". I have a powered sub-woofer to augment the bottom end. Would a driver change benefit these speakers?
 
CobraJet said:
I bought four of these SP-5500X speakers this summer and attempted to get the crossovers checked/recapped by two different electronics shops in my area. One obviously did not want to do the job, as he kept raising his estimate as I agreed to the cost, to the point where his estimate far exceeded the speakers value.

The second shop held ONE speaker for three months (no room for all four), before telling me he found nothing wrong with the drivers or crossover. Then he gave me an estimate to recap all four speakers for twice what I paid for the speakers. I refused.

I bought a MESR-100 V2 ESR Meter from Amazon, pulled/checked all of the crossovers, and found no obvious bad caps. However, I did find two completely dead (open) S-133 5" Midranges and found a pair for sale on eBay. It was strange that the two bad drivers were in one pair of speakers with pink wires from the speaker terminals to the crossover, and both were in the left hole position. The other two speakers have green wires to the crossover. Were open drivers installed at the factory on purpose, or just part of a bad batch?

The speakers sound fine with the original crossovers, but I'm sure they would sound better with a recap, but I'm not spending over $1000 to do that. (I don't have the visual acuity, or the patience, to do the recap myself.)

What I did want to ask the experts is their opinion on the Sansui W-147 Woofer Driver. This driver does not have much throw. Not a lot of "punch". I have a powered sub-woofer to augment the bottom end. Would a driver change benefit these speakers?
Click to expand...

For more punch use a more powerful amp. This series of Sansui speaker has incredible power handling. They are sensitive at the expense of low bass, so not a high excursion driver.
 
CobraJet said:
I bought four of these SP-5500X speakers this summer and attempted to get the crossovers checked/recapped by two different electronics shops in my area. One obviously did not want to do the job, as he kept raising his estimate as I agreed to the cost, to the point where his estimate far exceeded the speakers value.

The second shop held ONE speaker for three months (no room for all four), before telling me he found nothing wrong with the drivers or crossover. Then he gave me an estimate to recap all four speakers for twice what I paid for the speakers. I refused.

I bought a MESR-100 V2 ESR Meter from Amazon, pulled/checked all of the crossovers, and found no obvious bad caps. However, I did find two completely dead (open) S-133 5" Midranges and found a pair for sale on eBay. It was strange that the two bad drivers were in one pair of speakers with pink wires from the speaker terminals to the crossover, and both were in the left hole position. The other two speakers have green wires to the crossover. Were open drivers installed at the factory on purpose, or just part of a bad batch?

The speakers sound fine with the original crossovers, but I'm sure they would sound better with a recap, but I'm not spending over $1000 to do that. (I don't have the visual acuity, or the patience, to do the recap myself.)

What I did want to ask the experts is their opinion on the Sansui W-147 Woofer Driver. This driver does not have much throw. Not a lot of "punch". I have a powered sub-woofer to augment the bottom end. Would a driver change benefit these speakers?
Click to expand...

I'm curious how you tested the caps with them still in the circuit?

It's a shame those two shops ignored your pleas for an easy repair. Recapping is NOT hard if I can do it. And for cost?? Maybe 100 bucks for decent caps, ones FAR better than stock, even when new.

My man, I'd do it for you if you were in my neighborhood. I've recapped probably 20 speakers, and sometimes it gets a little tight in there, it's usually pretty simple. Could possibly help if you told us, in a general sense, whereabouts you are. Maybe some kind AK'er might assist you.

You'll never know what these babies can really do with 50 year old (and likely cheap electrolytic) caps.

I can't stress this enough. As for the woofer, another AK'er has already explained. That woofer doesn't move much, and it would be damaging if it did, because their excursion isn't up to today's expectations. They're not bad woofers, just made a different way for a different purpose.

I had some 2500's from this lineup, and after really hammering them awhile, those surrounds loosened up a little.

Good luck!!

EDIT - WELCOME TO AUDIOKARMA !!!!
 
My original 5500s sound warm,smooth,yet dynamic.Driven by a Sony 7065 also a Fisher Audio by Sears receiver.Ive backed off from newer high powered gear and these fit the bill.If I had nothing else I can easily deal with this setup til the end.
 
Frank Sol said:
Got them from storage after 2yrs or so... hooked up and will listen to them for a few days...

I should probably sell them to someone who would enjoy them full time


Sansui.png
Click to expand...
If you can only pull them out every few years it would be to someone elses benefit to sell them after some serious thought.If they are as large as the 5500 they are just too large to move around often.
My speakers are so sensitive I am seriously considering a low powered ChiFi tube amp also.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom