I have been into Vintage for about two months now and I think I have come to a decision. I picked up a Sansui Six first and I was debating what speakers to buy it made sense to me to buy Sansui of the same era so I picked some SP-2500 speakers. I am certain there are a lot of nice speakers out there but I basically let the Sansui engineers make my choice. I then picked up a Sansui 800 for my office and another set of SP-2500. I think Sansui was doing such a nice job in the 70's why take the chance of spending a lot of money and not like the sound. The Sansui speakers seem to be very efficient at 98db at 1w 1m. I know this will start the comments flying.
All Sansui
- Thread starter dwemini
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michaelhigh
mind's eye music
Hey, before you get defensive, lots of folks say that the only thing that Sansui speaks play nice with are Sansui receivers. I would try them based on this consensus. They look gaudy and sometimes cheap, not the forte of the brand, but if there's any truth to what I've heard say, you have a good combo on your hands pairing the Sansuis. Go for it.
bluesky
Lunatic Member
Nothing wrong with the earlier '70s Sansui speakers, or the SP-L series which seems to be quite fine actually. People knock them all the time. Who cares.
I really like my SP-2000s. Sure fills the house up with great sounds. Just sounds 'really good' really. How much more 'really good' does it have to sound? Like JBL really good?
I mean, like when they are playing...I never hear the speakers, I just hear the music. And it's 'life-like', I wonder why? (That's a 'hint' for folks who don't know why.)
Gaudy and cheap?
I really like the 'furnature look' of the cabs and the wooden grills. Gaudy? I guess if you don't like the look, then maybe it would be, but wooden furnature never bothered me. I mean... it's a style of 43 years ago granted, but it does look nice! Actually it sounds like the stereo is coming out of the furnature! haha. Not really. The cabinets are 'super heavy' (pick one up sometime), very well constructed, and stable as a rock. You can crank the music and the cabs are rock solid. It's just the fronts, that the speakers are actually mounted in, that could of been made to look 'finer' for the folks that take the grills off. Yes, absolutely, there's no doubt about that...But during the day, when they were made, folks 'always kept the grills on'. Grills on was the 'style', unlike today. Other than that, nothing cheap about them. And the spkrs have AlNiCo magnets.
And yes, there is a difference in sound quality with AlNiCos. Accept it or not. Alnicos sound warm, PERSONAL...I.E. life-like.
In 1970 they were all the rage. Are they the best speakers out there today? No, of course, far from it. But then again...you can get a pair of really fine early Sansui's for $100 to $200 that cost $1000...in 1970! Cheap? No...I don't think so.
With all the knocking of Sansui speakers...they do sound pretty darn good!! (and life-like: another hint!)
Maybe you will need to buy new capacitors for the crossovers. That's normal. I mean, they are fourty three years old. That's like 161 years old in people years. lol. Give em a break!! LOL Just rebuild the crossovers. Got a bad speaker? Get a used one off eBay, or just buy an extra pair of the same model speakers and you have a ton of spare parts! * Pretty simple really *.
Or go buy a brand new pair of Cherwin Vegas for $750+ that last 3 to 4 years before the surrounds rot out. Or you can spend $2000+ for a really nice pair of 'new' speakers, with ferrite, or however you spell it, magnets. Cold as ice! Maybe not quite THAT cold.
Guess it all depends on what you want.
My wife has a 'new' pair of $700 speakers, not the Cerwin Vegas mentioned above, for her new stereo in the family room, it's what she wanted, so it's ok. The $700 speakers sound 'ok' for movies, but that's it. The SP-2000s just blow-them-away and walk all over them in the sound quality department. Also, she wanted new $300 BOSE speakers for the bedroom. Truth: My $9.98 AS-100s blow them away. Totally out of the water.
So...you tell me.
I really like my SP-2000s. Sure fills the house up with great sounds. Just sounds 'really good' really. How much more 'really good' does it have to sound? Like JBL really good?
I mean, like when they are playing...I never hear the speakers, I just hear the music. And it's 'life-like', I wonder why? (That's a 'hint' for folks who don't know why.)
Gaudy and cheap?
I really like the 'furnature look' of the cabs and the wooden grills. Gaudy? I guess if you don't like the look, then maybe it would be, but wooden furnature never bothered me. I mean... it's a style of 43 years ago granted, but it does look nice! Actually it sounds like the stereo is coming out of the furnature! haha. Not really. The cabinets are 'super heavy' (pick one up sometime), very well constructed, and stable as a rock. You can crank the music and the cabs are rock solid. It's just the fronts, that the speakers are actually mounted in, that could of been made to look 'finer' for the folks that take the grills off. Yes, absolutely, there's no doubt about that...But during the day, when they were made, folks 'always kept the grills on'. Grills on was the 'style', unlike today. Other than that, nothing cheap about them. And the spkrs have AlNiCo magnets.
And yes, there is a difference in sound quality with AlNiCos. Accept it or not. Alnicos sound warm, PERSONAL...I.E. life-like. In 1970 they were all the rage. Are they the best speakers out there today? No, of course, far from it. But then again...you can get a pair of really fine early Sansui's for $100 to $200 that cost $1000...in 1970! Cheap? No...I don't think so.
With all the knocking of Sansui speakers...they do sound pretty darn good!! (and life-like: another hint!)
Maybe you will need to buy new capacitors for the crossovers. That's normal. I mean, they are fourty three years old. That's like 161 years old in people years. lol. Give em a break!! LOL
Just rebuild the crossovers. Got a bad speaker? Get a used one off eBay, or just buy an extra pair of the same model speakers and you have a ton of spare parts! * Pretty simple really *. Or go buy a brand new pair of Cherwin Vegas for $750+ that last 3 to 4 years before the surrounds rot out. Or you can spend $2000+ for a really nice pair of 'new' speakers, with ferrite, or however you spell it, magnets. Cold as ice! Maybe not quite THAT cold.
Guess it all depends on what you want.
My wife has a 'new' pair of $700 speakers, not the Cerwin Vegas mentioned above, for her new stereo in the family room, it's what she wanted, so it's ok. The $700 speakers sound 'ok' for movies, but that's it. The SP-2000s just blow-them-away and walk all over them in the sound quality department. Also, she wanted new $300 BOSE speakers for the bedroom. Truth: My $9.98 AS-100s blow them away. Totally out of the water.
So...you tell me.
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bluesky
Lunatic Member
I've heard so many times that the SP-3500s are really nice and sound great!
:thmbsp:
Like all of us, I have 600+/- CDs. Just the way it is.
It really amazes me how AlNiCo mids and woofers just take ' some ' the ' S T A R K N E S S ' out of digital playback. Not completely, not by a long shot...but they sure do sound a lot better! Just sayin...But I'm still an Analog Man. CDs, digital, sounds better on AlNiCos.
Play some '60s or 70's music on AlNiCos >>> " That's the sound ". Yeah, it's an old sound, yeah, it's old.
It's a forgotten sound, 'forgotten a long time ago sound', 35 years + maybe, but...
Us Old Timers know, and HEAR, and FEEL, the difference. With LPs too.
So do real musicians.
True Story: My brother, a real musician, he's played with many of the bands, and in backup bands...he was in the 'circle', came over. I said: "Paul, listen to this!" So I played an LP on my SR-838, low hour 1980 Ortofon MM cart - just an FE, with an AU-717 and he was totally blown away. Know what HE said??? Exactly... >>> "Oh, I remember 'THAT SOUND'!!!!!!!" (With a really 'BIG smile' on his face.)
B]" That's the difference ".[/B]
Pretty simple really...
Guess you would of had to been there, the 70s, AlNiCos, to understand the sound difference. Maybe younger folks wouldn't even hear a difference in sound, or at least sense any audio difference in sound quality. But it's understandable...they didn't grow up with it.
I like my Sansui speakers. I think I'll just keep them!
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Owen_ziebell
New Member
i have a sansui 9090db, sansui sr-636,sansui sc-31000g packed with the sp-5500x.
got all if it from my mother inlaw was her husbands before passing away in 2001 hey bought it all new in 77 from germany and listeninf to 33's now on my sr-636... love it
got all if it from my mother inlaw was her husbands before passing away in 2001 hey bought it all new in 77 from germany and listeninf to 33's now on my sr-636... love it
LMAO!! bluesky you nailed it. We blasted this sound in the 70s and it's part of our memories. My memories in the mid 70s I had a friend living down the street who's Dad had a Sansui system yep Quad Receiver,Quad Reel to Reel, Quad TT, Quad 8 track and 4 SP 3500 hanging in the corners of the room. Well lets just say we gave that system a work out every day all summer long year after year.Nothing wrong with the earlier '70s Sansui speakers, or the SP-L series which seems to be quite fine actually. People knock them all the time. Who cares.
I really like my SP-2000s. Sure fills the house up with great sounds. Just sounds 'really good' really. How much more 'really good' does it have to sound? Like JBL really good?
I mean, like when they are playing...I never hear the speakers, I just hear the music. And it's 'life-like', I wonder why? (That's a 'hint' for folks who don't know why.)
Gaudy and cheap?
I really like the 'furnature look' of the cabs and the wooden grills. Gaudy? I guess if you don't like the look, then maybe it would be, but wooden furnature never bothered me. I mean... it's a style of 43 years ago granted, but it does look nice! Actually it sounds like the stereo is coming out of the furnature! haha. Not really. The cabinets are 'super heavy' (pick one up sometime), very well constructed, and stable as a rock. You can crank the music and the cabs are rock solid. It's just the fronts, that the speakers are actually mounted in, that could of been made to look 'finer' for the folks that take the grills off. Yes, absolutely, there's no doubt about that...But during the day, when they were made, folks 'always kept the grills on'. Grills on was the 'style', unlike today. Other than that, nothing cheap about them. And the spkrs have AlNiCo magnets.
In 1970 they were all the rage. Are they the best speakers out there today? No, of course, far from it. But then again...you can get a pair of really fine early Sansui's for $100 to $200 that cost $1000...in 1970! Cheap? No...I don't think so.
With all the knocking of Sansui speakers...they do sound pretty darn good!! (and life-like: another hint!)
Maybe you will need to buy new capacitors for the crossovers. That's normal. I mean, they are fourty three years old. That's like 161 years old in people years. lol. Give em a break!! LOL
Or go buy a brand new pair of Cherwin Vegas for $750+ that last 3 to 4 years before the surrounds rot out. Or you can spend $2000+ for a really nice pair of 'new' speakers, with ferrite, or however you spell it, magnets. Cold as ice! Maybe not quite THAT cold.
Guess it all depends on what you want.
My wife has a 'new' pair of $700 speakers, not the Cerwin Vegas mentioned above, for her new stereo in the family room, it's what she wanted, so it's ok. The $700 speakers sound 'ok' for movies, but that's it. The SP-2000s just blow-them-away and walk all over them in the sound quality department. Also, she wanted new $300 BOSE speakers for the bedroom. Truth: My $9.98 AS-100s blow them away. Totally out of the water.
So...you tell me.
That sound filled the room with Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Bad Co,AC/DC ha ha ha we can keep going on. The fact is we filled more than just the room you could hear that Sansui monster more than 7 houses away, half a block and never a blow out on those SP-3500.
So now Im a newbie here and this is my first post. But not new to life experience and decided to go back to vinage sound. I wanted QUAD!!! and LOUD!!! Did I buy a vintage receiver and TT to play it through some modern speakers? NOPE. I build vintage cars also and it kills me when I see people mod them out. All they end up with is a old car body with moden engines and other comforts of the here and now. They lost the sound and feel of the vintage car.
So back to the speakers (Sound) the reason I wanted to get a vinage system. Oh lets not forget the quality of build pre plastic,pre photograph paper fake wood, pre Argent silver paint. Most of you get it from what I have read on this site. A lot of good things stopped in 70s and the 80s ushered in a time of junk. Who collects anything from the 80s? let a lone the looks and styles of the decade (IMO)
I started my new vintage stack about 5-6 weeks ago so here is my little ditty and Im jamming Sansui
QRX 7500
SD-5050 Reel to Reel 4ch
JVC 4ch TT
Marantz 6200 TT
SC-5300 cassette deck
Now for the rack mount system. I made my own steel rack with perforated steel side panels, casters and panted satin black that matches the Sansui pieces.
TU-717
AU-717
AU-519
SC-3010
SE-7 10 ban EQ
BA-FI Dual Mono Amp(CA-FI Pre Amp (AX-7 Mixer (Sony SQD 2020 decoder (gota have quad here to)
6 SP-3500
2 SP-9100 Plan on two more
The rack looks nice and can sit in any room in the house but it's in the living room now.
So dwemini SPEAKERS I think you did the right thing by getting the SP 2500s. If you want more power get some SP-3500 or more SP-2500s. Most of these pre fome and pre photograph paper wood speakers take a pounding. Thats why there's so many of them around unrestored all original. People treated these speakers like fine furniture.
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nosirrah
RIP 11-19-2019
Welcome to AK, especially the Sansui forum, I've edited your post removing the want ads. Carry on.
I would like to try some Sansui speakers with my 2000X receiver one of these days. But I am happy with my JBLs.
centsless
Super Member
Don't fret over the hatin'.. Everyone walks their own path and somehow they try to get everyone else to walk with them. I gots me own map thank you very much...
I love the Sansui receivers. Have the 8000, 7700, 6700, and the 9090. The 9090 I have had since new in 1976. I have the SP-2000's...had two pairs of them. Recapped one pair to compare and it was a huge improvement. But...got some AR3a's and those bad boys were history. I did keep the uncapped pair as I love the lattice fronts and are classic....but they couldn't compare to the 3a's...to my taste anyway.
So..what am I gonna do this weekend? .... Look at a pair of SP-5500's. Reason?..they are rare and weren't sold in the US....and... they are 101lbs apiece!...in a 33"highx21"widex17" deep box. Same style as the SP-2000 so out of curiousity, I must go see them and hear them. I just can't imagine what makes them weigh so much but I know it ain't lead!..
I am picturing a complete Sansui room with these bad boys if they are nice and redoing the SP-2000's to match them.
Enjoy your Sansui system and have fun.
Everyone walks their own path and somehow they try to get everyone else to walk with them. I gots me own map thank you very much...I love the Sansui receivers. Have the 8000, 7700, 6700, and the 9090. The 9090 I have had since new in 1976. I have the SP-2000's...had two pairs of them. Recapped one pair to compare and it was a huge improvement. But...got some AR3a's and those bad boys were history. I did keep the uncapped pair as I love the lattice fronts and are classic....but they couldn't compare to the 3a's...to my taste anyway.
So..what am I gonna do this weekend? .... Look at a pair of SP-5500's. Reason?..they are rare and weren't sold in the US....and... they are 101lbs apiece!...in a 33"highx21"widex17" deep box. Same style as the SP-2000 so out of curiousity, I must go see them and hear them. I just can't imagine what makes them weigh so much but I know it ain't lead!..
I am picturing a complete Sansui room with these bad boys if they are nice and redoing the SP-2000's to match them. Enjoy your Sansui system and have fun.
Don't fret over the hatin'..
I love the Sansui receivers. Have the 8000, 7700, 6700, and the 9090. The 9090 I have had since new in 1976. I have the SP-2000's...had two pairs of them. Recapped one pair to compare and it was a huge improvement. But...got some AR3a's and those bad boys were history. I did keep the uncapped pair as I love the lattice fronts and are classic....but they couldn't compare to the 3a's...to my taste anyway.
So..what am I gonna do this weekend? .... Look at a pair of SP-5500's. Reason?..they are rare and weren't sold in the US....and... they are 101lbs apiece!...in a 33"highx21"widex17" deep box. Same style as the SP-2000 so out of curiousity, I must go see them and hear them. I just can't imagine what makes them weigh so much but I know it ain't lead!..
Enjoy your Sansui system and have fun.
Those SP-5500's are on my list. (An acquaintance showed me his boxed up pair and the rarity and beauty of those beasts put them there.) Appreciate the sound of Sansui's speakers or not, they are anything but gawdy (to most tastes), have one big leg in the "collecting of quality" aspect of our hobby for their importance to the period and beauty alone.
I have a pair of SP-2500's (sitting on elevated concrete block pads/up close to a wall) while paired to a G-6000....may not be AR's or nice ADS but still
love 'em.
Things aren't so cut and dried to a lot of us.
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bluesky
Lunatic Member
Nothing wrong with an 'ALL' Sansui rig...works for me! :thmbsp:
Sounds really good. Maybe the speakers don't sound simply outstanding...but they sound pretty darn great!!
I've got 4 pair of Sansui speakers myself (2 pr of SP-2000, 1.5 pr of AS-100, and 1 pr of AS-300 speakers). 10" and 12" AlNiCo woofers in big box cabinets. Yeah, it sounds alright. Since 1969 I've been thinking about getting a pair of JBLs but I'm in no hurry.
1970 Sansui speakers sound fine to me. They fill up the house with great sounds with the "Sound of Sansui". I too think the Sansui Engineers did a pretty good job. Works for me.And it's fun to have a solid Sansui rig. 11 Sansui componets/system items and 1 NAD CD player. (Really like this NAD C-515BEE CD player. Perfect. And CDs sound pretty good over '70 Sansui AlNiCo speakers. Just sayin. It seems to me the AlNiCo magnets really help out the sound of digital. And the new CD players sound pretty darn good anyway.)
Good luck!
:thmbsp:
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nosirrah
RIP 11-19-2019
I know my venerable SP 300's have em....they weigh in at over #80 each.
1969 per the serial numbers.
I can't say that I am solely a Sansui lover but if numbers tell a story, I do have more Sansui than anything else. (Considering that Sansui is not as populous as some other brands......guess I'm a huge fan and having matching Sansui speaks is important to me too.) Tellin' you bud,those SP-5500's are a BIG DEAL now and especially in the future....major congratulations on this one. (My Halle Barry speaks!!!!!)
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bluesky
Lunatic Member
I think...
Most all stereo companies used AlNiCo magnets in their speakers prior about 1975 (approx). They were really big in 1970. You would have to do a search to see when, and why, they went to ferrit magnets and gave up on AlNiCo. I remember reading that the 'supply of the AlNiCo wasn't consistent anymore' so the manufactures went to ferrit. Maybe it was cost prohibited too. Can't remember the full story. It's easy to find on the internet.
AlNiCo was also used in all musical instruments like Fender's amplifier/speakers, which is why they sound so lushish, and they were all tubes too so that had a lot to do with it. THAT sound!!
Not a lot of folks remember THAT sound. And I would imagine most younger folks have never even heard it before.
Folks will say it's just a magnet, and a magnet is a magnet...so be it. Speaker technonogy has come a very long way since 1970, no doubt about that...but those old 1970 speakers do have some kind of 'magic'!! Definatly a very specific certain sound, if you like that. I've always equated it to more of a live concert 'stage' sound. Works for me! :yes:
It's a much 'warmer' sound. Not so stark or analitical. Just more human. More real...for me. One thing for sure: you can listen to them all day and all night and you Never get tired of the sound. Absolutely Non-tiring.
It also seems to me they 'tone down the starkness', the coldness, of CDs (digital) too. But that may not be true. Just seems that way to me.
I'm hopelessly forever addicted to AlNiCos. LOL.
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centsless
Super Member
I got them today...
Will post pics and stuff later on a new thread. These bad boys are beasts I tell ya! Just wasn't ready for the bigness of them.