Sansui 800: The King (Okay, maybe The Prince)
- Thread starter birchoak
- Start date
SARTORE
Member
There is a seller in Germany and his 800 seems to be in a very good aesthetically shape but I still need to ask about possible mods, repairs and etc... My father used to say that when it comes to used cars, vintage audio and girls, we better not ask too much about their past
Language limitations are slowing down the communication process to the point that I'm having second thoughts now and that's the reason of my previous question. I have just collected a 771 which was a positive surprise, kind of warm sound and sustained bass, especially when listening to double bass pieces. Not better than my 8D IMHO and 1/6 of the price.
Well well well… where to hide a sansui 800 from my wife ? If I buy it than I’ll have to spend some more money in an expensive dinner
Language limitations are slowing down the communication process to the point that I'm having second thoughts now and that's the reason of my previous question. I have just collected a 771 which was a positive surprise, kind of warm sound and sustained bass, especially when listening to double bass pieces. Not better than my 8D IMHO and 1/6 of the price.
Well well well… where to hide a sansui 800 from my wife ? If I buy it than I’ll have to spend some more money in an expensive dinner
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AnalogueBen
Well-Known Member
Simple, you don't hide it, don't they all look the same to women anyhow?
It's becoming tricky when buying vintage gear when you can't check it over youself, you gotta hope that the seller is honest. I've been burnt,, but I've also won a few too..
BilboBaggins
Addicted Member
And briberies bought with sale proceeds goes a far way in convincing her it might be worth supporting this hobby.
When I sold my Kenwood Supreme 500 and 600, I took my wife to the local Coach store and bought her the most expensive purse they had. Funny thing is, she only used it once. Says it’s too heavy.
Do that once in a while to show it isn’t just a one time deal, and you’re good 95% of the time.
When I sold my Kenwood Supreme 500 and 600, I took my wife to the local Coach store and bought her the most expensive purse they had. Funny thing is, she only used it once. Says it’s too heavy.
Do that once in a while to show it isn’t just a one time deal, and you’re good 95% of the time.
When my wife was alive, she once commented negatively on this hobby. As we were both retired at the time, I asked her would she rather.......
A.) have me spending my "disposable income" on stereo gear and fixing it up at home???........or
B.) Me going downtown acting like a 19 year old sailor(1960's era) on his 1st liberty during a 9 month Westpac cruise, getting absolutely sh**faced, getting laid repeatedly, and coming back home with all kinds of social diseases, and cirrhosis of the liver????
She saw the absolute logic of it all, and kept quiet for the rest of her life.
A.) have me spending my "disposable income" on stereo gear and fixing it up at home???........or
B.) Me going downtown acting like a 19 year old sailor(1960's era) on his 1st liberty during a 9 month Westpac cruise, getting absolutely sh**faced, getting laid repeatedly, and coming back home with all kinds of social diseases, and cirrhosis of the liver????
She saw the absolute logic of it all, and kept quiet for the rest of her life.
birchoak
Hi-Fi Nut
The 800 does so much with so little! That said, I developed a fixation on the Eight years ago and wonder if you folks could share some insights on it--it was said to be an engineer's receiver, with no corners cut, down to the anodized aluminum heat sinks. I recall someone saying it had even more low end grunt than a 9090DB; which is high praise indeed.
Is it worth investing in one? Hard to work on? If an Eight costs, say, three times as much as an 800, does it sound three times better? I am just curious and I know that this is all subjective-- it's fun to discuss these remarkable receivers with actual owners.
stereofun
Super Member
I had a restored Eight (caps and transistors) It's a very nice amplifier, but as others have mentioned difficult to work on, although the 800 have given me more headaches than the Eight ever did - more on that later when I do a write up.
I find it very detailed, punchy, great separation, but a tad dry or lean in the mid section - which to others might mean, more correct. I Also have an Eight deluxe that although original, does seem to be a bit more musical and "fast" than the Eight. Regardless its an impressive amplifier section as a real engineers receiver because no cost cutting: Gorgeous anodized heat sinks, triple tone controls with individual resistors instead of carbon pots, plug-in driver boards and elaborate shielding, 8000 uf supply cans stock, adjustment for even current through the differential pair (you'll find 4 trimmers on each driver boards)
When I had the Eight, I'd still prefer my restored 777a (caps and signal transistors) for its even more detailed and spatial sound stage, with a deeper bottom - but again its personal preference - the Eight is a very impressive unit and should be owned for both its sound and collectability, it is a true statement to the best of Sansui, to no compromise and to a generation of vintage where building the finest really mattered.
I find it very detailed, punchy, great separation, but a tad dry or lean in the mid section - which to others might mean, more correct. I Also have an Eight deluxe that although original, does seem to be a bit more musical and "fast" than the Eight. Regardless its an impressive amplifier section as a real engineers receiver because no cost cutting: Gorgeous anodized heat sinks, triple tone controls with individual resistors instead of carbon pots, plug-in driver boards and elaborate shielding, 8000 uf supply cans stock, adjustment for even current through the differential pair (you'll find 4 trimmers on each driver boards)
When I had the Eight, I'd still prefer my restored 777a (caps and signal transistors) for its even more detailed and spatial sound stage, with a deeper bottom - but again its personal preference - the Eight is a very impressive unit and should be owned for both its sound and collectability, it is a true statement to the best of Sansui, to no compromise and to a generation of vintage where building the finest really mattered.
I am amazed at the nuances you are able to discern.
kevzep
Its all about the Music
Remember some speakers actually require large damping factors, my drivers in my subs must have an amplifier with a large damping factor or they simply do not perform, matching the right amp with the right speaker is as important as choosing your "preferred" setup.
This is why I use the Crown Macro-Tech on my subs as it is the only amp that can drive them properly.
birchoak
Hi-Fi Nut
2.34 times better; that's funny. I would call low end grunt deep, punchy bass. Why difficult to work on? 10 gallons of parts packed into a five gallon space?
birchoak
Hi-Fi Nut
My Scott R74S receiver plays best with Paradigm speakers for some reason. There's a synergy that's absent with every other pair of speakers I've tried.
birchoak
Hi-Fi Nut
Nice write-up; you should be on the Stereophile payroll. I expected the 800 to give less headaches, given it's comparative simplicity. Why is the Eight difficult to work on? I love plug-in boards; so easy to work on! 8000uF caps seem colossal for the era.
Google Sansui Eight pictures, and take a look at the internals, top and bottom.
I liked the Eight, and found it to have what I consider a fairly flat sound (in the good way...that is, without noticeable exaggeration or attenuation of specific frequencies. Note that my preferences are for direct coupled, vs cap coupled amps.
I liked it better than the other single digit, xx1 and x0x0 receivers I've owned, but sold it some years back. I only own two receivers now - the Sansui 2000X (sentimental reasons) and the Pioneer SX-1050, which to my ears is one of the better sounding receivers I've heard. Neither are in service.
Oh, and I have a Pioneer SX-838...technically my daughter's, but she hasn't yet realized she wants it. It is pristine, fully restored and sounds absolutely great with a pair of AR6 speakers that I have. It sits in her empty bedroom - she is out on her own now - and rarely gets used. In fact, it rarely got used when she was still here..like many younger folks, she prefers the convenience of using her smartphone or laptop as a source, and headphones or small powered speaker box for output.
I have much "better" gear, but I would not feel deprived at all if I had to live with that SX-838, the AR speakers, one of my AR turntables, and the little notebook computer and Maverick DAC that sees use in my workshop. As I've gotten older, I find myself thinking more and more seriously about actually selling everything except these pieces (and maybe a CD player) as another step of simplification. Maybe when we sell the big house and downsize (coming soon) I'll actually do it. Along with all of my guitars, except one.
But probably not.
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stereofun
Super Member
@kevzep - true, damping factor is only part of the equation - sort of like saying my car engine has 250Hp, without mentioning the weight it's pulling.
@birchoak - the Eight is super compact and ungodly heavy, some caps are really hard to get to. Yes 2 x 8000 if was crazy big cans in 1971. I talked to a German guy who used to work as a sales guy. Back in the early 70'ties in Hamburg, Germany. At the time the Marantz 2270 was the king in the store selling for 1700 Deutch mark, a good sum. Then the Eight came out.....with a pricetag of 2200 DM, and only had 60 watts vs the Marantz 70. Panic among the sales staff ensued..."how were they going to sell" - then one of the techs came to the rescue, suggesting they show it lid off, displaying the beautiful internals and big cans. When I asked asked him about the deluxe, he frowned and said " Cheap copy"
....about the 800, every board is like hooked up with 10-12 wires,...freaking all component legs are bended flat unto backside of the pcb, many times intertwined with adjoining legs making replacement parts a bitch to dislodge/desolder. I really miss the 999.
@ Spark1 Less is more for sure
That goes for signal paths too 
@birchoak - the Eight is super compact and ungodly heavy, some caps are really hard to get to. Yes 2 x 8000 if was crazy big cans in 1971. I talked to a German guy who used to work as a sales guy. Back in the early 70'ties in Hamburg, Germany. At the time the Marantz 2270 was the king in the store selling for 1700 Deutch mark, a good sum. Then the Eight came out.....with a pricetag of 2200 DM, and only had 60 watts vs the Marantz 70. Panic among the sales staff ensued..."how were they going to sell" - then one of the techs came to the rescue, suggesting they show it lid off, displaying the beautiful internals and big cans. When I asked asked him about the deluxe, he frowned and said " Cheap copy"
....about the 800, every board is like hooked up with 10-12 wires,...freaking all component legs are bended flat unto backside of the pcb, many times intertwined with adjoining legs making replacement parts a bitch to dislodge/desolder. I really miss the 999.
@ Spark1 Less is more for sure
That goes for signal paths too