Ever Seen One Of These?

Magikthise · Mar 4, 2016

From that auction site.

BLAH BLAH · Mar 4, 2016

What dat...?!?

4-2-7 · Mar 4, 2016

BLAH BLAH said:
What dat...?!?

It's a preamp and power amp....

Magikthise · Mar 4, 2016

It's an HF-V60 tube preamp and PR-330 tube amp. I've assumed Sansui was active in the tube era but never saw any.

Sam Cogley · Mar 4, 2016

Sansuiman · Mar 5, 2016

Seen maybe a couple of each for sale before, they do not show up often. I don't believe Sansui had any US distribution at all in the era these were made. Which is to say that they are exceedingly rare. They are interesting as examples of earlier tube based efforts from Sansui (before their ascent to becoming legendary the world over) but can't say I have ever been inclined to seek them out for my collection.

Not to knock on these certainly, but I hold the opinion that the true age of Hi-fi began about the mid-late 1960's. The AU-111, BA-202 and BA-303 would be of much more interest to me than these earlier models. I say that because much was still being learned and put into practice in the mid-late 60's in regards to good sound reproduction both in tubes and solid state. Output power ratings also increased in that era to a point where better results could be attained with difficult speaker loads. I know some guys swear by 5W single ended triode amps, that just isn't my scene. Yes, I'm a power monger, so give me a tube amp that can hit at least 30WPC, I can work with that. For solid state? Well, I like the 125-160WPC range a lot.

Certainly there is stuff that sounds good from the 50's and early 60's, and while that era of gear is not really on my radar I admit to sometimes being surprised and impressed by some of the stuff from that time frame when I do come across it. I guess I see them more as antiques than pieces to see regular use for serious listening. I know that probably sounds stupid, but being born in the mid- 1970's my taste in equipment is heavily influenced by what I grew up seeing and hearing.

I don't think anyone can say that Sansui didn't really hit their stride until the introduction of the AU-111. After that, they made the big time pretty quickly and the 2000-5000 series receivers cemented their reputation with the public in the late 60's concurrent with Vietnam and all the military guys who brought back pallets of the stuff. From there we all know the rest of the story.

Nonetheless, one can see these are quality built pieces, at a time when Japan was still largely derided as a source of cheap trinkets more than serious equipment of any sort. Really, one has to wonder how much an outfit like Sansui influenced the drive of Japanese industry to build really excellent gear. There were many others certainly, but Sansui seemed to take this path earlier than most. Their design philosophy appears to have been adopted by many Japanese companies - in electronics and otherwise - with the result being that the collective industries of that country turned in a powerhouse of exporting some remarkable stuff while their economic fortunes were still good. Of course, then the 1990's happened and much damage was done to their ability to continue offering such products.

Kevin

Sam Cogley · Mar 5, 2016

Sansuiman said:
Seen maybe a couple of each for sale before, they do not show up often. I don't believe Sansui had any US distribution at all in the era these were made. Which is to say that they are exceedingly rare. They are interesting as examples of earlier tube based efforts from Sansui (before their ascent to becoming legendary the world over) but can't say I have ever been inclined to seek them out for my collection.

Not to knock on these certainly, but I hold the opinion that the true age of Hi-fi began about the mid-late 1960's. The AU-111, BA-202 and BA-303 would be of much more interest to me than these earlier models. I say that because much was still being learned and put into practice in the mid-late 60's in regards to good sound reproduction both in tubes and solid state. Output power ratings also increased in that era to a point where better results could be attained with difficult speaker loads. I know some guys swear by 5W single ended triode amps, that just isn't my scene. Yes, I'm a power monger, so give me a tube amp that can hit at least 30WPC, I can work with that. For solid state? Well, I like the 125-160WPC range a lot.

Certainly there is stuff that sounds good from the 50's and early 60's, and while that era of gear is not really on my radar I admit to sometimes being surprised and impressed by some of the stuff from that time frame when I do come across it. I guess I see them more as antiques than pieces to see regular use for serious listening. I know that probably sounds stupid, but being born in the mid- 1970's my taste in equipment is heavily influenced by what I grew up seeing and hearing.

I don't think anyone can say that Sansui didn't really hit their stride until the introduction of the AU-111. After that, they made the big time pretty quickly and the 2000-5000 series receivers cemented their reputation with the public in the late 60's concurrent with Vietnam and all the military guys who brought back pallets of the stuff. From there we all know the rest of the story.

Nonetheless, one can see these are quality built pieces, at a time when Japan was still largely derided as a source of cheap trinkets more than serious equipment of any sort. Really, one has to wonder how much an outfit like Sansui influenced the drive of Japanese industry to build really excellent gear. There were many others certainly, but Sansui seemed to take this path earlier than most. Their design philosophy appears to have been adopted by many Japanese companies - in electronics and otherwise - with the result being that the collective industries of that country turned in a powerhouse of exporting some remarkable stuff while their economic fortunes were still good. Of course, then the 1990's happened and much damage was done to their ability to continue offering such products.

Kevin

Respectfully disagree. There was some incredible equipment made by McIntosh, Fisher, HH Scott, Fairchild, Radio Craftsmen, Eico, Allied/Knight, Heathkit, Brook, Bell, Altec and others in the 1950s (and even earlier with Brook, EH Scott, Capehart, Fisher/Philharmonic, McMurdo, the big Zeniths, and a few others). I've never had a chance to mess with any of this early Sansui gear, but they certainly seemed to be firing on all cylinders by the time that the AU-111 and the 500/500A/1000/1000A receivers showed up.

Sansuiman · Mar 5, 2016

Sam,

To clarify, I was speaking specifically of Sansui in my remarks above. The outfits you mentioned were certainly making top grade kit for the era in the 50's on. Of course, all those mentioned were also improving as things progressed into the 1960's and the technology kept getting better.

And as I pointed out, the units pictured in the OP are certainly solid in build quality, and I'm certain they sound good within their capabilities. What I was trying to convey is that Sansui hit a certain level of refinement and performance starting with the AU-111 and it's contemporary model receivers, and that was got them noticed and made them so popular for the following two decades. So, I don't see that we are espousing positions that are all that different.

As well, I made a point of stating that my preference in gear (which is a seperate issue entirely from the quality of a particular era, although influenced by it) is the result of the stuff I was exposed to as I grew up. Those older than me are more likely to have had their formative experience in Hi-fi with earlier gear and may well have a preference for it just as I have for that of the late 60's to late 70's period.

My dad was into hi-fi, had buddies who served in Vietnam who were even more so and brought back stacks of gear after their deployment. As a result, I saw a lot of late 60's and early 70's equipment as a kid and became quite interested in it myself. When I started collecting as a young adult, that was the type of gear I naturally focused on. I think that makes sense, and I would hope no one gets the idea I am junking 1950's tech because it isn't what interests me personally.

So, I don't think anyone should be interpreting my post as a criticism of the quality of the gear made prior to the mid 60's. Only that about that time is when higher power outputs and other improvements in amplifier circuits (i.e. reduction of distortion, better control amps, better phono stages) began to appear. It was also the point in time where gear of really good specifications and performance became mainstream in terms of the public at large having access to and buying such gear for their homes. Those were all important factors in the evolution of audio gear.

Kevin

Knucklehead · Feb 20, 2017

The reason for Japan's dramatic rise in product quality in the late 40's to the 80's is partly due to the work of Dr. W Edward Demming after WWII. It took a company I worked for (and retired from) - the Boeing Co. - until the 1990s to start implementing some of Demming's methods. Especially in the arena of quality control - now called quality assurance - which is where I worked. It's hard to know where Japan would be today had there been no Dr. Demming to help Japan out of the effects of WWII.

onwardjames · Feb 20, 2017

Knucklehead said:
The reason for Japan's dramatic rise in product quality in the late 40's to the 80's is partly due to the work of Dr. W Edward Demming after WWII. It took a company I worked for (and retired from) - the Boeing Co. - until the 1990s to start implementing some of Demming's methods. Especially in the arena of quality control - now called quality assurance - which is where I worked. It's hard to know where Japan would be today had there been no Dr. Demming to help Japan out of the effects of WWII.

I learned of this man back in college. The information has stuck with me. He really turned Japan around post WW2.

Ever Seen One Of These?

Magikthise

New Member

BLAH BLAH

Super Member

4-2-7

Smart Ass

Magikthise

New Member

Sam Cogley

Last of the Time Lords

Sansuiman

Go kart Mozart, checking out the weather chart.

Sam Cogley

Last of the Time Lords

Sansuiman

Go kart Mozart, checking out the weather chart.

Knucklehead

The Village Idiot

onwardjames

Hoardimus Maximus

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