lunchmeat
Cannabinoid
What model of Sansui are you talking about?
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Pioneer receivers
- Thread starter DVjorge
- Start date
Yep, not every Sansui is automatically the better choice.
And the sound comes from your ears as well.
The SX-828 is my personal Favorite of the Pioneer stuff
DVjorge
Active Member
It is true but it looks like the Sansui's house sound is preferred over the Pioneer's sound for most people. What happen with Sansui is that all of them since the first in the line to the top one have a distinctive Sansui sound. It doesn't happen with most of the other brands. According to people who have collected Sansui for years, any Sansui receiver sound excellent even when there are small differences in sound. At the end, all of them sound such as Sansui does.
Brian
An Old Geezer
I find most manufacturers within at least a couple of generations of designs typically have a house signature, probably as a result of the design team working on more than one generation. Early Sonys seem to have it, McIntosh, Philips Lab Series, Marantz, Fisher, Scott, Sherwood and Kenwood each had what I refer to as a company signature sound. I always envisioned a line where on one end there was McIntosh and the other Pioneer and all others in between. Criteria of where on the line each fit was based on the signature, not one quality. It was submitted to SAC at at the time and was slated to be used as a learning tool for those taking the course and exam not long before the organization folded.
poorman
Well-Known Member
I've always been primarily a Pioneer fan, having grown up with an SX-3700. I now own several Pioneer pieces, including an SX-950 receiver, and SA-9100 and SA-8100 integrated amplifiers. I very much enjoy their sound.
That said, I recently picked up a minty Sansui AU-999. It sounds very good as well. It's sound to me is like Pioneer's SA-9100, but even warmer, although not quite as tight on the low end.
My point: both manufacturers made some great-sounding gear in the 70s. If you want to try a Pioneer receiver, do some research in the Pioneer forum, and then pick up a Pioneer. I suspect you could find a receiver in the x2x, x3x, or x50 series that you would appreciate.
That said, I recently picked up a minty Sansui AU-999. It sounds very good as well. It's sound to me is like Pioneer's SA-9100, but even warmer, although not quite as tight on the low end.
My point: both manufacturers made some great-sounding gear in the 70s. If you want to try a Pioneer receiver, do some research in the Pioneer forum, and then pick up a Pioneer. I suspect you could find a receiver in the x2x, x3x, or x50 series that you would appreciate.
Bigears
Manager of my own day
Sure maybe.
vitalsigns65
Bron-Yr-Aur
I have a Pioneer SX-1250.
and..
A Sansui G-8000
To my ears they both sound great and to pick one over the other would be very hard.
but...
If I was forced to sell one, and keep one, I'd keep the Pioneer SX-1250 mainly because it's of higher value and it has a better tuner.
An SX-1250 in this condition would be hard to replace for under $750.00.
The G-8000 would be cheaper, and easier to come by.
Now...
If this were a mint G-9000 that would change the verdict because this I would never part with!
There's one on EBAY right now- a super mint G-9000DB with 18hrs. to go, and the current bid is $845.00.
Now that is one sweet "G" !!
Peace
and..
A Sansui G-8000
To my ears they both sound great and to pick one over the other would be very hard.
but...
If I was forced to sell one, and keep one, I'd keep the Pioneer SX-1250 mainly because it's of higher value and it has a better tuner.
An SX-1250 in this condition would be hard to replace for under $750.00.
The G-8000 would be cheaper, and easier to come by.
Now...
If this were a mint G-9000 that would change the verdict because this I would never part with!
There's one on EBAY right now- a super mint G-9000DB with 18hrs. to go, and the current bid is $845.00.
Now that is one sweet "G" !!
Peace
Attachments
vitalsigns65
Bron-Yr-Aur
BTW-
I got a Yamaha CR-1020 that takes a big s%$# on them both!
I got a Yamaha CR-1020 that takes a big s%$# on them both!
There are lots of reasons why many of us are drawn to the vintage gear of the 70's. Do we listen to it all the time? Probably not. Honestly, my HT setup gets more usage, but I do find myself listening to more vinyl and tapes as I build my vintage source collection, but I confess I have a CD player hooked in to the vintage setup too.
For many of us here on AK, this 'hobby' brings back the nostalgic appeal of our youth, which I dare say holds a lot of memories of the late 60s and 70s for us boomers. There was tremendous change going on in this country and we all found some degree of comfort (or rebellion) in the music we listened to. I was a gear head then, but never could afford my champagne appetite, so I had to settle of cheap stuff, but it was still rewarding. Things are a different today, and I enjoy the 'hunt' of rediscovering some of 'cool' stuff after 40 years and dragging out some of my gear I had stored away for 30+ years! It's very rewarding and I can share it with my son too.
I've had a lot of Pioneer gear over the years, and it all started with lowly SX-626 receiver I had in college. Now, I use an Elite series in my HT setup, but am also enjoying a Sansui G 8000 as the anchor of my vintage setup. It has a great sound to my ears.
Sorry to ramble OT.
redjr...
+1 on that. That is one fine looking receiver. It's really nice to see some of these old receivers in such great condition. Clearly, it came from an owner who knew how to care for his gear....There's one on EBAY right now- a super mint G-9000DB with 18hrs. to go, and the current bid is $845.00.
Now that is one sweet "G" !!
Peace
Very nice indeed. I wish I had a spare $1000 hanging around! I'm going to watch this to see what it sells for. I picked up a G-8000 a couple months ago to start my vintage rig for a song, but it's not in quite as good a shape, but not to far from it. I guess I was just lucky.
redjr...
m1aman
Born To Die....
Hits the nail on the head for me.
I like them both but, usually end up selling the one I can make more money on to buy more stuff, which is usually Sansui.
Owned/borrowed:
Sansui: AU-5500, AU-6600, AU-555a, TA-300, 331, 221
Pioneer: SA-9100, SA-9500ii, SX-3700
Kept the SA-9100 and SA-9500ii, regretted to sell the SX-3700 as it would have been a great receiver for my Grado HF2 Vixen modded headphones the AU-5500/6600 were also a great match with the headphones. While I did like the Sansui amps, I prefer higher wpc and the features on the Pioneers.
AU-5500, AU-6600 were a tad bright for my taste. AU-555a was a very nice smooth sounding amplifier but not dynamic enough for my taste. TA-300 wasn't really mine, and 221/331 while they were nice, they didn't impress me as much, and were difficult to move. Sansui speakers aren't bad when paired with the right ampifier as well.
I still like Sansui but I need to hear higher end gear and those seem to be hard to come by.
Owned/borrowed:
Sansui: AU-5500, AU-6600, AU-555a, TA-300, 331, 221
Pioneer: SA-9100, SA-9500ii, SX-3700
Kept the SA-9100 and SA-9500ii, regretted to sell the SX-3700 as it would have been a great receiver for my Grado HF2 Vixen modded headphones the AU-5500/6600 were also a great match with the headphones. While I did like the Sansui amps, I prefer higher wpc and the features on the Pioneers.
AU-5500, AU-6600 were a tad bright for my taste. AU-555a was a very nice smooth sounding amplifier but not dynamic enough for my taste. TA-300 wasn't really mine, and 221/331 while they were nice, they didn't impress me as much, and were difficult to move. Sansui speakers aren't bad when paired with the right ampifier as well.
I still like Sansui but I need to hear higher end gear and those seem to be hard to come by.
analog addict
Glory or Death!
+1 on the Pioneer SX-828, followed by the SX-1010, and then the SX-1250....
ggregg
Super Member
Depends on which Sansui. Most of the seventies gear was excellent. Quite a bit of their later eighties gear was garbage. Same can be said of Marantz.
Blanket statements never usually hold up. Most brands have standouts and a few stinkers.
It's not just Sansui and Pioneer. One could throw Marantz, Harman Kardon, Yamaha, and a dozen other brands in the mix. Much depends on the model.
Count me in as a Sansui fan. I've had examples of most of the others and prefer them in the end. That's just me. I won't apply any blankets to anything. Given my tastes in music and SPL, my favorite listening is done with a 555a or 2000x. A close second is a smallish Luxman integrated I own. Has anybody ever seriously analyzed the audio from any these vintage systems ? I suspect they are not linear. If they were, wouldn't they mostly sound alike ? I would not be surprised if it was found that brand X, Y, or Z had some anomaly that has found favor with owners. It would not change my opinion one bit. After all, whatever speakers we choose makes quite a difference with their quirks. How they interface and the room acoustics, all form the final product. It's a great hobby, mix and match, always looking for that sweet combination.
I have had an awful lot of high end Pioneer gear pass over my bench. I have not had any Sansui gear pass over the bench, so I cannot speak on a comparison basis. If you want to know what I have found to be the sweetest sounding "fully restored" vintage amp (not receiver), that has the Pioneer brand, it is, hands down, the SA-9100 (and its tuner, TX-9100). It is not the biggest, but it is the sweetest sounding amp I've restored, and I've done many of them. Compare that amp to a Sansui of like power, and I think the Pioneer will hold its own very, very well.
As for bias, I am a high end Pioneer restorer. In my main rig are 2 SPEC-4s (driven by a SPEC-1, all fully restored, including recap), which come very close, but the SA-9100 wins in sweetness and sonic ahhhh factor. None of Pioneer's receivers come even close to the SA/TX-9100 combo. That is all my opinion. Let your own ears decide.
Enjoy,
Rich P
As for bias, I am a high end Pioneer restorer. In my main rig are 2 SPEC-4s (driven by a SPEC-1, all fully restored, including recap), which come very close, but the SA-9100 wins in sweetness and sonic ahhhh factor. None of Pioneer's receivers come even close to the SA/TX-9100 combo. That is all my opinion. Let your own ears decide.
Enjoy,
Rich P
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I got into this whole mess because the differences in the equipment and their sound had me hooked quick. I tend not to be completely hard and fast with judgement because of each "take" needing to be fully explored with pairing, quality of build etc...but have rendered it down to what I prefer after it all.
Pioneer is very high quality and drop dead gorgeous. Early Pioneer (Ahhh.....that SX-1010) has a warm, detailed and smooth powerful sound while the later generation is more forward with an edge geared towards putting a bit more sizzle at you. This sound was intentional and made for a house sound that decidedly made no apologies because of it's wide acceptance, and when paired to fully be taken advantage of? (A snapshot of the intent to put rock and roll right "up front" and more visceral......it does it well.)
Sansui kind of followed a similar path (especially early on) but stayed more smooth with less "in your face" while still insisting on only a moderate forward sparkle. This take was a lot safer for pairing with a larger array of sound characteristics delivered by speaker manufacturers and (to me) it is easier to find decent pairing with.
In the end I know it is all about how a setup is matched for not only the original intent....but for the appreciator and what details in "the whole system" tilts the table for them. Generally I prefer a smoother but yet powerful take (Sansui, Luxman, Onkyo, Marantz) but the SX-x50 / SX- xx50 can shine "incredibly to superior" with certain speaks. (Has gobsmacked myself and others and my neutral / middleman attitude about all this stuff gets justified.....hard and fast judgement is ridiculous.)
Soundesign does suck though.
Pioneer is very high quality and drop dead gorgeous. Early Pioneer (Ahhh.....that SX-1010) has a warm, detailed and smooth powerful sound while the later generation is more forward with an edge geared towards putting a bit more sizzle at you. This sound was intentional and made for a house sound that decidedly made no apologies because of it's wide acceptance, and when paired to fully be taken advantage of? (A snapshot of the intent to put rock and roll right "up front" and more visceral......it does it well.)
Sansui kind of followed a similar path (especially early on) but stayed more smooth with less "in your face" while still insisting on only a moderate forward sparkle. This take was a lot safer for pairing with a larger array of sound characteristics delivered by speaker manufacturers and (to me) it is easier to find decent pairing with.
In the end I know it is all about how a setup is matched for not only the original intent....but for the appreciator and what details in "the whole system" tilts the table for them. Generally I prefer a smoother but yet powerful take (Sansui, Luxman, Onkyo, Marantz) but the SX-x50 / SX- xx50 can shine "incredibly to superior" with certain speaks. (Has gobsmacked myself and others and my neutral / middleman attitude about all this stuff gets justified.....hard and fast judgement is ridiculous.)
Soundesign does suck though.
superdog
AK Member
Thats a beautiful Pioneer setup.Sansui is my choice for vintage but I am familiar with these early 70s Pioneers.They have a very similar sound and I am ok with any Pioneer of this period.They sound just as good in my opinion.I had a 10 wpc SA5200 with a TX-7100 that was excellent.My SX 838 is one of four vintage receivers that I kept out of perhaps forty that I had.
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