Sansui Serial Number Database Update
- Thread starter LBPete
- Start date
what is the decode secret for the sticker on the back of the faceplate for a Sansui AU 9900
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That is the face plate manufactures serial number and date code. It's my understanding that this date code uses the traditional Japanese calendar. I don't know how to convert it to our calendar. We used to have a member that knew more about this sticker but he's long gone.
- Pete
- Pete
890DB 827090104RickBrim
QRX5500 234100959RickBrim
TU7900 027020636RickBrim
AU9900 215111043RickBrim
SR929 317040820RickBrim
FRD3 619121343RickBrim
AU999 011050099RickBrim
TU999 011050099RickBrim
AU20000 237040139RickBrim
TU9900 836070076RickBrim
TU777 239120016RickBrim
I saw some where that the date started from the original date of the start of the company so like if the Sansui CO started producing electronics in 1948 that year would be shown as 01 so this year would be 48 I thought I saw this on AudioKarma but cant' find it again
That could be but I doubt that Sansui made their own face plates. If the face plate manufacturer followed that numbering logic, you would need to know when that company began operations. My memory of the discussion on this label goes back to 2004 or 2005. I looked for it recently and couldn't find it either.
I appreciate you posting your serial numbers. That's quite a collection. I upload hundreds of serial numbers every month. For that process to be somewhat automated the serial numbers need to be in an exact format. It's keyed off the model number. It must match exactly with the master model list. The database looks at every digit and space in the data line and can drop or miss catalog data that is not formatted correctly.
In the future, please include the dashes in the model names and insert commas with no extra space. Like this: TU-777,239120016,RickBrim. The commas are important. They tell the database to skip to the next field. Without them, everything winds up in the first field. I've cleaned up your post so we are good to go. Your serial numbers will be in the October report available in early November.
Also, I'd prefer that you post new serial numbers in the 2017 Serial Number Update thread so they are all in the same place. I just posted some stats there from last month's batch of serial numbers that you might find interesting.
Thanks again,
- Pete
I appreciate you posting your serial numbers. That's quite a collection. I upload hundreds of serial numbers every month. For that process to be somewhat automated the serial numbers need to be in an exact format. It's keyed off the model number. It must match exactly with the master model list. The database looks at every digit and space in the data line and can drop or miss catalog data that is not formatted correctly.
In the future, please include the dashes in the model names and insert commas with no extra space. Like this: TU-777,239120016,RickBrim. The commas are important. They tell the database to skip to the next field. Without them, everything winds up in the first field. I've cleaned up your post so we are good to go. Your serial numbers will be in the October report available in early November.
Also, I'd prefer that you post new serial numbers in the 2017 Serial Number Update thread so they are all in the same place. I just posted some stats there from last month's batch of serial numbers that you might find interesting.
Thanks again,
- Pete
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Hi Pete, just curious as to the overall database numbers now as there have been many large submissions in the past months from several regular contributors? Are you getting many duplicates nowadays?
My May 2020 pdf file was 265 pages and now the November 2023 Sansui Serial Number Report is 824!!
My May 2020 pdf file was 265 pages and now the November 2023 Sansui Serial Number Report is 824!!
Hi Bruce, (@Reidy12) as you know there are several active members contributing serial numbers "harvested" from various internet sites as well as a whole lot of members posting the serial numbers of their own collections. I process these numbers at the end of each month and upload them into a MS Access database. Since the folks harvesting serial numbers often are looking at the same internet sites, there are always duplicates in the monthly postings. I have a robust process for finding and eliminating duplicate serial numbers.
Last month I compiled 537 serial numbers from various threads in the Sansui forum. There were 16 duplicates in that initial batch. After cleaning up the formatting and dropping out invalid serial numbers, there were 492 valid serial numbers to add to the database. 101 of those matched serial numbers already in the database dropping the total to 391. After manually entering the valid non standard serial numbers and adding in a few new serial numbers I discovered when researching new, unreported Sansui models, a total of 415 serial numbers were added to the database in November 2023.
Weeding out duplicates is a routine part of processing the serial numbers each month. The most time consuming part of the monthly process is researching new, previously unreported models. The database catalogs 1,593 Sansui models. Every month turns up models not previously cataloged. Sansui had some very odd Model Naming Conventions. They were inconstant in using prefixes and especially suffixes. Words like Vintage, Extra, Limited, Premium and a range of added letters often are not reported properly. In many cases "new models" are simply a variation in the name of a model already cataloged. So every time a reported model doesn't match a model on file I conduct an internet search to find actual photograph of the model in question.
As far as the difference in the of the monthly report between May 2020 and November 2023 here are some milestones in the history of the database.
The database was started in December 2003 by AK member Morden2004. He maintained the database through October 2008. Between 12/02 and 10/08, 5,304 serial numbers were collected in the database. Many of these original serial numbers were "Harvested" from the internet by AK members.
I revived the database in 2017. AK was a very different forum. It now had two or three hundred thousands of members that could contribute to the database.
Here's a summary of it's growth.
10/08 - 5,304
12/17 - 6,775
12/18 - 8,149
12/19 - 8,976
12/20 - 10,848
12/21 - 22,785 (many thanks to AK member @Peter lye for supercharging the serial number search)
12/22 - 31,222
11/23 - 34,839
There are several AK members in addition to Peter Lye that have made significant contributions to the growth of the database:
@Oilmaster Revived the practice of harvesting serial numbers from the internet
@Reidy12 Jumped in with both feet
@PE9ZZ A very active contributor
@karik57 An active contributor
@Monicker1 An active contributor
I'm thankful to all the many, many AK members that contribute. Every serial number improves the database. If you would like to contribute please post your serial numbers in the 2017 Sansui Serial Number Database thread. Please use this format: Model,Serial Number,AK Member name (or internet site) 9090DB,821234567,LBPete
Hope this information is helpful.
- Pete
Last month I compiled 537 serial numbers from various threads in the Sansui forum. There were 16 duplicates in that initial batch. After cleaning up the formatting and dropping out invalid serial numbers, there were 492 valid serial numbers to add to the database. 101 of those matched serial numbers already in the database dropping the total to 391. After manually entering the valid non standard serial numbers and adding in a few new serial numbers I discovered when researching new, unreported Sansui models, a total of 415 serial numbers were added to the database in November 2023.
Weeding out duplicates is a routine part of processing the serial numbers each month. The most time consuming part of the monthly process is researching new, previously unreported models. The database catalogs 1,593 Sansui models. Every month turns up models not previously cataloged. Sansui had some very odd Model Naming Conventions. They were inconstant in using prefixes and especially suffixes. Words like Vintage, Extra, Limited, Premium and a range of added letters often are not reported properly. In many cases "new models" are simply a variation in the name of a model already cataloged. So every time a reported model doesn't match a model on file I conduct an internet search to find actual photograph of the model in question.
As far as the difference in the of the monthly report between May 2020 and November 2023 here are some milestones in the history of the database.
The database was started in December 2003 by AK member Morden2004. He maintained the database through October 2008. Between 12/02 and 10/08, 5,304 serial numbers were collected in the database. Many of these original serial numbers were "Harvested" from the internet by AK members.
I revived the database in 2017. AK was a very different forum. It now had two or three hundred thousands of members that could contribute to the database.
Here's a summary of it's growth.
10/08 - 5,304
12/17 - 6,775
12/18 - 8,149
12/19 - 8,976
12/20 - 10,848
12/21 - 22,785 (many thanks to AK member @Peter lye for supercharging the serial number search)
12/22 - 31,222
11/23 - 34,839
There are several AK members in addition to Peter Lye that have made significant contributions to the growth of the database:
@Oilmaster Revived the practice of harvesting serial numbers from the internet
@Reidy12 Jumped in with both feet
@PE9ZZ A very active contributor
@karik57 An active contributor
@Monicker1 An active contributor
I'm thankful to all the many, many AK members that contribute. Every serial number improves the database. If you would like to contribute please post your serial numbers in the 2017 Sansui Serial Number Database thread. Please use this format: Model,Serial Number,AK Member name (or internet site) 9090DB,821234567,LBPete
Hope this information is helpful.
- Pete
WOW, the last 3 years has been supercharged, ~350% increase!! Thank you for the great numbers breakdown, fascinating info.
I wonder what percentage of manufactured Sansui units this represents, the listed models would be better % represented than the build numbers....maybe 100's of thousands (?) of units over the 40 yrs odd spread we cover......still some work to do
I appreciate your dedication to building a bigger better database for all to see....epic contribution Pete.
I wonder what percentage of manufactured Sansui units this represents, the listed models would be better % represented than the build numbers....maybe 100's of thousands (?) of units over the 40 yrs odd spread we cover......still some work to do
I appreciate your dedication to building a bigger better database for all to see....epic contribution Pete.
I wonder how big the database would be if we had proportional representation from middle and east Asia. Considering how much of the company's market was domestic or near to Japan. Plus, we have no idea what products or accessories have escaped our notice for their domestic consumption. I had no idea we had catalogued 1593 models!
As far as I can tell, we have good collection efforts from Europe and the UK. North America and Australia/NZ. There will not be many Sansui products sold in countries that have traditionally relied on cheap Chinese knock-offs. And marketing to the USSR realm may have been beyond most Japanese marketing ambitions.
As far as I can tell, we have good collection efforts from Europe and the UK. North America and Australia/NZ. There will not be many Sansui products sold in countries that have traditionally relied on cheap Chinese knock-offs. And marketing to the USSR realm may have been beyond most Japanese marketing ambitions.
The Asian market was extremely well represented in the work of @Peter lye. There are also many Serial Numbers from the Asian auction sites. Japanese Domestic Models (JDM) can be identified when the ID plate only lists 100V input.
- Pete
- Pete
avantbored
Active Member
AU8500, 214031001, avantbored
AU-505, SN# 832111775
