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Sansui or Yamaha integrated?

Nice to see you bought the Sansui. I plan on going the integrated route eventually, although I'm still at a loss as to which one..... Probably something from the early '70's...
 
I thought I'd just drop my two cents in since I find this discussion interesting and the thread has lost traction.

I've owned an AU-9500 for a while and obviously have been using it as my main amplifier. I recently acquired a CA-800 and have been surprised and happy with it.

I would say it comes down to what type of music you are listening to. The Yamaha seems more critical, and finding a well matched set of speakers is key. Versus the Sansui, which is more musical and easier to mate a pair of speakers to.

If you forced me to pick just one (and thank god I don't) I would go with the Sansui, however the decision is tougher than other amps I have had the privilege to own and compare to.

This weekend I plan on using them in combo with pre/main options. Can't wait to post my opinions. I feel that using Yammy for pre and Sansui for power will be a great combo, but that is yet to be determined.

Cheers :music:
 
avionic said:
Don't really matter to me..They both break and need repair or refurb.:D
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I wonder how long it will take my AU 919 to break. Used it everyday for 2 1/2 years, on all night. Never had a problem.
Everybody keeps making me paranoid about black flag failures and so on......:para:
 
My vote, for what its worth is yamaha. I have a cr620 which to my ears is superb. I did have a sansui, cant recall the model and just found it lacked something next to the yamaha.

Also in terms of looks there is no competion, but then i do like shiny things.
 
Enthusiast2 said:
I wonder how long it will take my AU 919 to break. Used it everyday for 2 1/2 years, on all night. Never had a problem.
Everybody keeps making me paranoid about black flag failures and so on......:para:
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Nothing lasts forever. :D
 
SoCal Sam said:
The CA's run hot so be careful with them. The only ones that are really interesting are the CA-2010 and CA-1010 because of the switchable Class A (which in A doesn't sound that much better than normal, IMHO). The 717 as noted previously is dual mono, which is a much higher standard. Get the 717.
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:yes:

The 717 will need to be looked at for that "Red Glue"...I call it "The Blob"
 
I currently have both a AU-717 & a CA-1010, I've been mulling it over for a couple of months now as to which one should go it's a tough decision.
 
cubdog said:
Three year old threads tend to lose traction. :D
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So do 10 year old tires... :no:

I've had some nice Yamahas through here including a CA-810/CT-800 pair, a CR-820 and a CR-1020. They sounded good but not as good to my admittedly less than great ears as the Sansuis that live here including a QRX-8001, an 881, and an Eight Deluxe.

In my case, I think the more "clinical" sound of the Yamahas doesn't work well with my wonderful combo of tinnitus and HF hearing loss. The Sansui, Marantz 22xx, and Fisher tube systems I have are a lot more pleasant for me to listen to. Maybe it's just me and the peculiarities of my ears.
 
CA-1000 and CA-1010 are wonderful integrateds. I'm not sure which I prefer so I rotate them. I have one of each and also a Sansui AU-D607 (Japanese version of the 517) and the Yamahas are far superior in terms of musicality to my ears. It isn't just about the power amp section, but I suspect the Yamahas do the preamp stage better. The Sansui lives in my shop system.
 
It's interesting this thread came back to life at this time. I have a Yamaha CA-810 and a Sansui AU-517. Both original, no recap. Both 65 wpc. I have been swapping them out lately to decide which I like better. Source being my Thorens TD-160 with a Grado F1+ cart, driving my stock Klipsch KG 4.2 speakers. I have found that both have strengths, both have weaknesses.

I find the Yamaha to be more defined in the higher frequency range. Cleaner, more clear sounding. More open and transparent. And although it isn't what I would term "weak", in the lower frequency range it definitely does not pack the punch the Sansui does. I find myself using the variable loudness control a lot to get the tone I want but once I dial it in, it does sound quite good.

The Sansui on the other hand, demands your attention. Very punchy and solid in the mid-bass region. Depending on the source material, the bass can get a bit muddy, but not to the point of being a clear weakness. I never use the loudness switch on the Sansui. Even at very low volume, I don't need it. Sometimes If I am listening very low, I will give it a click or two on the bass tone knob and that will usually do it. The highs are not as open and transparent on the Sansui. Even to the point of sometimes seeming to be a bit veiled. I have wondered if this is due to the age of the unit and the need for a recap. Hopefully some of our Sansui experts can chime in with an opinion on that.

All things being considered, I like both amps a lot and will probably keep both. It seems whichever one I am listening to at the time is the one I like the best, but I always go back to the other at some point and it becomes my favorite. Final analysis, you can't go wrong either way. :music:
 
Being a Yamaha 'fan boy' for many years and to agree with all those accolades " Cleaner, more clear sounding. More open and transparent" then Sansui. I did hear an older Sansui integrated (I can't remember the model but it was restored and pristine) with a pair of NS 1000 and it sounded fantastic with just enough of a bass slam to give a nice and needed punch to the NS1000s and for what ever the talk of Sansui sounding veiled then certainly didn't with these NS1000.
In my neck of the woods quality Samsui tends to be rare, expensive and a rich man hobby. So what is a poor boy to do? Well I'm not that poor but thrifty so I'm still a Yamaha 'fan boy.'
 
Dswankey said:
I currently have both a AU-717 & a CA-1010, I've been mulling it over for a couple of months now as to which one should go it's a tough decision.
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I can say later Sansui has a much different sound then their big receivers, and earlier integrated's.
Having an AU 919, and right above it on a shelf CR 2040 I like them both. But the 919 is the winner.
And I had a 9090, and I would take the 2040 over the 9090.
Why should either of them go? Keep them both. You know you want to.
 
If you still have both, why not pre/main both of them in each direction? See if the combination gives you a sound you prefer or never heard before...

When I used the CA-800 as a preamp to the au9500 as the power, it was definitely a unique blend that the bigger speakers I have appreciate
 
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