New To Me Sansui!

chaz

chaz

AK Subscriber
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Picked up my first Sansui receiver today.
Bought it off of an online classified site last week. Had my sister pick it up and leave it at my folks' place. Visiting this weekend and bringing it home.
Man! She is a beauty - pretty close to pristine physical condition.
I've only ever had Marantz receivers ( and only my 2215b at that), so I'm anxious to get her home to see what she sounds like.
Couldn't help but take a few snaps with my phone.
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I hope your down with the sickness!! The Sansui sickness!! I just hooked up a 350A for the first time. Hour into it and love it!!
 
Thanks folks.
We don't leave for home 'till 5:30 today and it's a 4 hour drive, so I won't really be able to listen to untill after dinner tomorrow.
I'm hoping it compares well with my 2215b.
From what I've read I think it should do so quite favorably.
Might have to check out the Sansui forums to see if I can find a recap list. The seller said as far as service it has been cleaned and DeOxit had been sprayed on the switches and nobs.
As far as I can tell there are only two bulbs for the display an they are both fine.
Might get some LEDS and see how they look, cus bulbs never seem to last very long.
 
OK just listened to Heart's Dreamboat Annie with the 331 hooked up and As much as I love my Marantz I gotta say this Sansui sounds so SMOOTH. It's like warm buttery caramel I just want more and more.
Funny thing is I can't turn it up much past 4. It's just too Loud. No distortion or clipping just too damned loud! Don't know exactly what it's putting out as far as watts, but it seems like a lot more than 12.
Not much more to say than that except I think my Marantz is gonna be relegated to the TV with the Athena AS-F1s and my albums are now gonna be played through the Sansui and the Dynaco A25 Xs. And whatever else there is in the Sansui line I can't imagine it sounding better than this little receiver - I certainly don't need any more power, so as far as system building goes I think I'm done. . . for the foreseeable future anyway;)
:smoke:
 
chaz said:
co A25 Xs. And whatever else there is in the Sansui line I can't imagine it sounding better than this little receiver - I certainly don't need any more power, so as far as system building goes I think I'm done. . . for the foreseeable future anyway;)
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Try a Sansui single digit receiver (even the lowly 6). It will blow you away. My first Sansui I heard was a 221. I heard the "sound", but ignored it. Lol
 
Finding a synergy you appreciate is a wonderful thing! (Finding it in lower watts is a personal sweet spot for many of us around here....reality check as to why we are in this hobby in the first place maybe?)

I have never had eyes on that receiver before (much less ears) but no surprise there with Sansui....what beauty. (Enjoy.)
 
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I have the only slightly higher-powered 551. It's incredible, i mean incredible, and is the most pleasant sounding amp I have, so much so that I don't know why I continue to look/buy. Not crazy about the looks of mine but the sound beautiful.
 
I too has an eye opening experience with this Sansui 331. I got one free from a friend at work. One channel was out, so it sat on my shelf for a few months. I decided to look at it one day and pulled the cover off. I was stunned to see two amp modules. I never thought amp modules were used in the seventies. Anyway, I traced the problem to one of the modules and found a replacement. When I was hooking it up to my main system, my wife was there and asked about the receiver. I said it only has 12 watts per channel and it uses amp modules. When the music started playing, we both looked at each other and said wow. Again I was stunned how nice this sounded and it seemed to have more power than 12 watts per channel.
 
I had the 661 and gifted to a friend. Absolutely butter on bread. Silky smooth! As already mentioned,there's just something about lower wattage vintage receivers and amps. I've had several lower wattage Pioneer, Sansui, Marantz, and HK preferred them all over their bigger more powerful brothers. My all time favorite, the little HK 330B. Congrats on the 331 and in pristine shape at that!
 
I bought my 661 after having some nice B&O gear which didn't have the warm sound I was looking for from vinyl. I've not heard many vintage receivers but I just love the Sansui sound and I'm in no hurry to try out other receivers right now. I listen to music most nights for 3-4 hours and it's like an addiction. I've not managed to crank the volume above 3 through my Wharfedales and it's usually set nearer to 2. Best £40 I've ever spent!
 
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