Picked up a Sansui SR-717

[rotobadger]

Well, I had one awhile back but a 717 came up locally for a very good deal. I couldn’t resist.

This one isn’t perfect. Missing the dust cover and needs the cue drop mechanism fixed as it doesn’t lower slowly as it should. It just drops.

Otherwise, I’m in love with this table. Listening to it right now.

It has displaced my Sansui SR-838 (for now?). I know, it sounds crazy but the 717 just hits me in a way the 838 doesn’t. I also have my Yamaha YP-701. The 838 is going up on the sale block.

I have an Ortofon 2M Black on the 717 and it’s pure magic. For me, at least.
It’s not perfect and needs some minor attention but, again, it was a price I couldn’t pass up on.

Thanks for letting me share.

 

[Blowed Fuse]

She’s a beauty!

 

[Bone Yard]

Mid-70's Sansui's are some of the best looking TT's, a perfect blend of wood and metal without looking cheap or Victorian. For me they've been impossible to find locally, never seen one at a thrift, garage sale or basement.

I wonder if your 838 just needs a good cleaning or some new caps? There's no way I would let either go.

 

[rotobadger]

Mid-70's Sansui's are some of the best looking TT's, a perfect blend of wood and metal without looking cheap or Victorian. For me they've been impossible to find locally, never seen one at a thrift, garage sale or basement.

I wonder if your 838 just needs a good cleaning or some new caps? There's no way I would let either go.

Thanks for the reply.

The 838 is in fantastic condition and, some of my preference for the 717 may be the placebo effect. It just LOOKS cooler!

Honestly, I may keep both. But, I gotta generate some $$$ to pay for this addiction!

 

[Bone Yard]

I have about 10 Technics TT's I'd gladly trade for the 838, I did use to find those all the time, great starter tables, they look pretty good but they don't have the killer Sansui Looks and heft.

Covers are easy, you can cut acrylic or polycarb (with woodworking tools) and solvent weld the pieces together, there's a ton of videos on YouTube.

 

[sfox52]

Nice find! I have one of these I bought from one of the AK turntable gurus back around the time I started here fifteen years back or so. I am running an Ortofon 2M Blue on it right now, but I have had good luck with a Denon DL-110 also. I have an old Dual 1019 that I like, but it is harder to keep going smoothly. I always wondered whether the knife edge bearings were serviceable, but it tracks very well and looks pretty nice, so I am happy with it. I see you have the hinges for a dust cove that's a good thing. In the modern days of streaming music, I don't spin LPs very often.

 

[gary7]

Well, I had one awhile back but a 717 came up locally for a very good deal. I couldn’t resist.

This one isn’t perfect. Missing the dust cover and needs the cue drop mechanism fixed as it doesn’t lower slowly as it should. It just drops.

Otherwise, I’m in love with this table. Listening to it right now.

It has displaced my Sansui SR-838 (for now?). I know, it sounds crazy but the 717 just hits me in a way the 838 doesn’t. I also have my Yamaha YP-701. The 838 is going up on the sale block.

I have an Ortofon 2M Black on the 717 and it’s pure magic. For me, at least.
It’s not perfect and needs some minor attention but, again, it was a price I couldn’t pass up on.

Thanks for letting me share.

View attachment 3381070

Kinda in the same situation. Have had a Pioneer PL-L1000, which I love, for some years now. But always loved the look of the Pioneer PL-61 table. Finally got one and got the parts to put it together. Pretty awesome in it's own right. Which one to keep or put as the main table. I also had an 838. Loved it. But still sold it. And always wanted a Sansui 4060

 

[rotobadger]

So, this table definitely isn’t perfect. I was unable to fix the cue lever. Not a huge deal as I like to needle drop but, still, it should be working.

Also, tonight I got an other unpleasant surprise. Feedback (resonance) at high volume. This is an issue I’ve never encountered with my setup. And, this table is supposed to be designed to solid and isolated to avoid this issue. Looks like I have some experimenting in my near future.

Still, the table is really beautiful and I love its monster design. Very heavy and solid. It was $200 so I can’t really complain but I have some real OCD (for real. Clinically diagnosed) and not having everything working perfectly is hard for me to deal with.

To be fair, 50 year old equipment is not the place to look for perfection.

My SR-838 is in my office on the floor and gives me dirty looks when I’m in there.

But, as I said, this table just hits all the right spots for me. Sound, aesthetics, etc. It’s a joy to just listen to my music and watch it spin.

Also, I have two Project Phono preamps. A TubeBox S2 and a TubeBox DS. The 717 seems to like the S2 a lot more. I’m using an Ortofon 2M Black on it.

I know the SR-838 is superior in many ways but sometimes I think of our gear like cars. A Lexus ES is superior and almost every way then a 1975 Porsche 911. But the 911 is desirable for its unique qualities and bugs, warts, glitches, etc. That’s how I feel about the 717.

Make sense?

This hobby is so rewarding. And frustrating.

So, I’m still gonna put the 838 up on the selling block. If it doesn’t sell, I certainly wont cry about it!

Because the dust cover for the 717 is unobtainium,
I’m using the extra 838 cover I have for now just to keep the dust out.

 

[sfox52]

Good thing the 838 cover is a close fit! Did your 717 come with the lateral balance weight? Mine has what I think is a replacement. The original I have seen in pictures has most of the mass below the rod it hangs from, Mine is drilled through the center of the cylinder and just slides on the rod. It doesn't seem to make much difference how it is adjusted. I have not had trouble with feedback on my table, but it is positioned well away fro the rest of my system.

 

[gary7]

My PL-61 had no cover and I missed the one from the seller of the other 61 parts I needed. Luckily the PL-50 cover fit and an ebayer made me a badge.

 

[rotobadger]

Good thing the 838 cover is a close fit! Did your 717 come with the lateral balance weight? Mine has what I think is a replacement. The original I have seen in pictures has most of the mass below the rod it hangs from, Mine is drilled through the center of the cylinder and just slides on the rod. It doesn't seem to make much difference how it is adjusted. I have not had trouble with feedback on my table, but it is positioned well away fro the rest of my system.

Yep, I was surprised that it fit over the whole plinth. Obviously, no hinges but, still, a pretty good compromise.

I do have the lateral weight but it really doesn’t seem to do anything. Mine slides around as well so I feel like a slight bump of the table and it’ll throw off the tracking weight. I’ve left it off with no noticeable consequences.

Even the anti skate weight really doesn’t seem necessary as the table tracks perfectly with it on or off.