• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Sansui Serial Number Database Update

I will spend some time mulling over the specimens in our database in January. I prefer to wait until the year-end report comes out. Since we have relatively few examples of pre-1965 serial numbers it should not be a particularly difficult task. If I come up with anything conclusive I will be surprised. Again, this is all in absence of someone "old" from Japan giving us a historical perspective - which would be sooo helpful. I wonder if the data of these early days was properly archived and not destroyed somewhere along the way.

I may start a new thread on the topic along the lines of "Pre 1965 Sansui Serial Numbers". If anyone with good information can come forward, he/she can contribute or even take over the project.

Happy New Year to all!!

Cheers,
Ian
 
LBPete said:
Thanks Peter!


Welcome to AudioKarma Exclusively Sansui. Thanks for posting your serial number. This turntable was produced on production line 35 during July 1981. It was the 5th unit off that line that month.


That description of these early serial numbers is the best I've heard. I don't recall seeing that description other than this post. Very good information. Thanks for posting.

The transition from this 6 digit serial number to the more familiar 8/9 digit serial number began around 1965. The 500EA made that transition. Including the two posted recently, we have 5 in the database. One of them, produced in April '66 has a "standard" 8 digit serial number ink stamped on the chassis. All the rest have the old 6 digit serial number.

- Pete
Click to expand...
Mine had a 1962 penny lodged in the chassis . not sure if that happened when new or years after. But there is that .

53945457889_cb1298d67a_b.jpg
 
LBPete said:
Thanks for posting. Most of the serial numbers in the database were "harvested" by a group of AK members from internet sites world wide.

The serial number for this particular 7070 is missing a digit. It should have 9 and only has 8. Can you take another look?

- Pete
Click to expand...
Have you seen my edit to that post yet? It turned out there was a number at the end that I forgot, so I edited that post some time ago to include the missing number.
If you haven't seen that post yet, here is that serial number again
7070,237120551,ebay

This number was taken from an ebay listing, and since I saw someone else do this, I figured I might as well attribute this number (properly) to ebay
Once again thanks for telling me!
 
Last edited:
Nashou66 said:
Mine had a 1962 penny lodged in the chassis . not sure if that happened when new or years after. But there is that .

53945457889_cb1298d67a_b.jpg
Click to expand...

That's a nice touch to a cool vintage piece but it's very unlikely anyone at the Sansui factory had access to US coins. That looks like a very good example of a 1962D penny, it might have some value of it's own.


RZ1 said:
Have you seen my edit to that post yet? It turned out there was a number at the end that I forgot, so I edited that post some time ago to include the missing number.
If you haven't seen that post yet, here is that serial number again
7070,237120551,ebay

This number was taken from an ebay listing, and since I saw someone else do this, I figured I might as well attribute this number (properly) to ebay
Once again thanks for telling me!
Click to expand...

I did get it, thanks. I only update the Database Report once a month. It will be in the December report available in early January.

Right now we don't have anyone regularly "harvesting" serial numbers from US eBay. You are welcome to do so. This is the main thread for posting serial numbers. There are hundreds, sometimes even thousands of serial numbers posted in that thread every month. The more serial numbers we have, the more accurate the data. That thread also has a lot of discussion about the serial numbers and other interesting details about the units they are on.

- Pete
 
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1000A,15080384,reverb,SN INK
1000A,16049709,ebay,SN INK

500,SJ9420,reverb,SN INK
AU-70,RF3413,yahoo,SN INK
AU-70,SG293,yahoo,SN INK
AU-70,75120542,yahoo,SN INK
SAX-100,SH2099K,yahoo,SN INK
SAX-200,SI2370,yahoo,SN INK
SAX-200,SKH1135,yahoo,SN INK

SAX-200,55100415,yahoo,SN INK
SAX-300,RH438,yahoo,SN INK
SAX-300,RH0130K,yahoo,SN INK
SAX-300,15100614,yahoo,SN INK
SAX-300,15100619,yahoo,SN INK
SAX-300,15100497,yahoo,SN INK
SAX-300,15090119,yahoo,SN INK
SAX-300,16011842,yahoo,SN INK
APS-430,17070997,yahoo

SAX-600,97050398,yahoo,SN100V

SM-34 ,TJ342,rvhifi,SN INK
SM-12,XH1997,rqhws
SM-10,UF1726,yahoo
 
Thanks Tom, your 350A was built on production line 01 in February 1973. It was the 404th unit off that line that month. Looks like line 01 was mostly building AU-505s that month. Yours is the only 350A built that month.

- Pete
 
Hello Pete,
I see that the S/N of my AU-20000 is in your database on page 168, S/N 237020092. I'm curious, what else beside the build date can you tell me about my amp? And I'm even more curious about how you know this information? (I'm just a relatively new guy here, amazed at all the information and knowledge in these forums!)

IMG_5728_50 rs.jpg
 
The serial number has the build date coded into it. In a 9 digit serial number the first two digits identify the production line. The third, forth and fifth digits are the year and month of production and the last 4 digits are a sequential count of the units produced on that line that month. The database contains over 42,000 serial numbers all contributed by AK members. I maintain them in an MS Access database which provides a whole variety of tools to slice and dice that data.

We have 134 AU-20000s on file. They were built on production lines 21 and 23. The earliest one was produced in October '75 and an AK member owns the 4th one built. The newest one on file was built in December '77.

Yours was the 92 unit off production line 23 in February '77. That puts it towards the end of production. In February '77 line 23 was also building a lot of QRX-9001s and the odd QRX-8001.

That's about all I have on your AU-20000.

- Pete
 
Interesting information, thanks Pete! I appreciate your explanation. And thanks for maintaining the database all these years!
 
Last edited:
LBPete said:
I've updated the Sansui Serial Number Database. It had not been updated since January 2009. I've compiled all the serial numbers posted in the database update thread.

The updated Sansui Serial Number list is now resides in the Digital Docs forum. You can get to it directly by clicking on this link: Sansui Serial Number Data. When clicking on this link, the pdf file will appear in your browser's download folder. You may need click on the browser's download icon to see it.

The database is extremely useful to determine things like the time frame units were built and the approximate number of units built. The more serial numbers collected, the better the data.

Please post your serial numbers to the 2017 database update thread located here.
When posting serial numbers please use this format: Serial Number, Model, AK handle. Like this: AU-919,220031540,LBPete. This format lets me cut and paste a list with all the data that can be uploaded into MS Access. Otherwise I have to reformat the data into this format. The commas are very important. They tell access to skip to the next field.

Lastly, please double check your serial numbers after you post them. There are a lot of decoding errors because the serial number don't follow the correct date format or the number of digits is wrong. Most equipment is 9 digits except speakers and some other oddball stuff. The 4 and 5 digits must equal a month designation.

- Pete
Click to expand...
I'd like to add my serial #. However, I can't find one on my Sansui 2000 receiver; any help?
 
It will be a paper label on the back panel. Have you looked behind the antenna? Fold it down to get it out of the way.

- Pete
 
If no sticker is behind the antenna, it may have fallen off. Some stickers lose their adhesiveness after 55 years. There may be residual glue marks where it was.
 
Well, yes, Unfortunately I was only able to see part of the serial #....what I can read....First # ?, maybe missing, (I have the upper left corner of the paper label torn off). Second # looks like bottom part of a 0 then 18079125 is readable. I was unable to get a good close-up photo. Not sure if this is even helpful so I did not ad to list...advise & thanks in advance.
2000,?018079125,dan Schafer (this is not posted on the list) up to LBPete I guess
 
We have 48 examples of the 5000 on file. They were all built on production lines 12, 21 and 22. Unless yours is completely unique, The first two digits of your serial number will will be one of those 3 numbers. The third digit can only be an 8 or a 9. If the third digit is an 8 then the first two can only be 12 or 21. Production didn't shift to Line 22 until around January '69.

Hope that helps.

- Pete
 
@Dan Schafer, Sorry, I went cross eyed on the model. We have 83 examples of the 2000 on file. The units built in 1978 were produced on Lines 01, 02 and 22. Those are your choices for the first two digits.

Does 018079125 look right?

- Pete
 
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