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Sansui SP-2700a restoration

churchill127

churchill127

Member
Hello AK,

I have been searching for some efficient speakers to power a small tube amp, and was able to get my hands on a pair of SP-2700A's. The problem is, the midrange and horns do not seem to work. The drivers themselves seem to be in very good condition, and from reading a bunch of posts on AK, it sounds like some people have had luck bringing drivers back to life if the tinsel leads have become disconnected from the voice coil. My main problem is, how do you get to the voice coil on these drivers? They have a black plastic cover with one screw, but I was not able to easily remove the cover after removal of the screw. Is there something I dont know?

IMG_6740.jpeg IMG_6741.jpeg IMG_6742.jpeg
Thanks!
 
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While no experience with this Speaker, Once the screw is removed. Most just need a bit of prying to get the rear cover off.
Its not that this is a rare WE Driver. It's dead any way
 
Nyjblbob said:
While no experience with this Speaker, Once the screw is removed. Most just need a bit of prying to get the rear cover off.
Its not that this is a rare WE Driver. It's dead any way
Click to expand...


Thanks! that did the trick, and I was able to confirm that the leads were connected, so while I could try and hunt further for the problem, I think I may just source a replacement.
 
you can probably use a pair of Pioneer Mids with the same sealed backs.PM3's i think. available on the bay
 
There was an old post about those drivers...i had the same problem...never could find a replacement
 
Have you checked the drivers for a resistance (ohms) reading with a multi meter?
Remove one of the wires from each mid or tweeter and take a reading across the terminals. Should be easy as the wires pull off (not soldered).
Take readings and let us know what they are.
 
goodolpg said:
Have you checked the drivers for a resistance (ohms) reading with a multi meter?
Remove one of the wires from each mid or tweeter and take a reading across the terminals. Should be easy as the wires pull off (not soldered).
Take readings and let us know what they are.
Click to expand...

All OL.

I got a pair of sp-2500a's with the deal which had working horn tweeters that had the same specs as the the tweeters for the 2700a's so I was able to desolder the drivers and swap them out, those read ~13.5 ohm each, which is right on spec. I also have 4 working ambiance horns on the way, so its really just the mid-ranges which I need to figure a solution out for.
 
For anyone who may find themselves in a similar predicament, looking for a drop-in replacement for a 6.5inch DF-104/S-127 midrange speaker, I found these drivers on parts express:

https://www.parts-express.com/visaton-ws-17e-65-hifi-woofer-driver-8-ohm--292-599

They have the same resistance and power handling capabilities, low Fs, paper cones, and have an optimum vented cabinet volume that is very close to the volume of the 2700A's. The subenclosures from the old drivers even fit perfectly on these new ones and sealed well with some silicone, and the screw-holes line up as well.

More importantly, they sound and look good to me. Can't beat the price either.

IMG_6771.jpg

While they don't match the silver metal aesthetic, they do match the horn tweeter and crossover well.
 
I always thought one of these would be fun to modify with a second binding post for the up-firing drivers, for some vintage-style Dolby Atmos.
 
FluxT said:
I always thought one of these would be fun to modify with a second binding post for the up-firing drivers, for some vintage-style Dolby Atmos.
Click to expand...

Ha, good idea! I like the speakers, I have them set up facing my office desk, and with a little equalizing throw a very centered soundstage. I also lowered the treble a little and activated my high pass filter on my pre to tame the horns a smidge. Makes for a great jazz speaker with the ambient horns.
 
churchill127 said:
For anyone who may find themselves in a similar predicament, looking for a drop-in replacement for a 6.5inch DF-104/S-127 midrange speaker, I found these drivers on parts express:

https://www.parts-express.com/visaton-ws-17e-65-hifi-woofer-driver-8-ohm--292-599

They have the same resistance and power handling capabilities, low Fs, paper cones, and have an optimum vented cabinet volume that is very close to the volume of the 2700A's. The subenclosures from the old drivers even fit perfectly on these new ones and sealed well with some silicone, and the screw-holes line up as well.

More importantly, they sound and look good to me. Can't beat the price either.

View attachment 2054347

While they don't match the silver metal aesthetic, they do match the horn tweeter and crossover well.
Click to expand...

If you keep the grilles on, only you and parts-express will know they are substitute drivers.
Enjoy the music.
 
Sorry to resurrect an oldish thread but would you happen to know where to get caps for these 2700a’s? I picked up some today at GW and when playing records they sound “fuzzy” almost like their is something on the needle. They sound better the louder I push them and I think I’ll keep them. All drivers are working but they definitely need a good cleaning.

what’s the difference in the 2700 and 2700a’s anyway?
 
Ok never mind on the difference in 2700 and 2700a I found it. Seems the 2700a was a more cost efficient built speaker with similar specs. Amazing what I can find if I look
 
As_A_Kite said:
Sorry to resurrect an oldish thread but would you happen to know where to get caps for these 2700a’s?
Click to expand...

I generally order off of mouser.com. They almost always have anything I could possibly want. I believe for these speakers I tried some JB capacitors off of Newark.com, and they worked well. I didn't do much listening to them before the crossover upgrade. I feed them from a SE 6v6 tube amp from an old Stromberg-Carlson tube console which I rewired and recapped, and I really enjoy the sound. I would definitely make sure you test all the drivers with a multimeter and/or your ears to make sure that they are not blown; mine had multiple blown tweeters and midranges. Once restored to spec, they put out a really nice sound when using the top-firing ambience drivers IMO (I know some people don't hold these speakers in high regard, but they work very well within my budget).

Good luck on your pair!
 
I also suggest replacing all the electrolytics with equivalent film capacitors for better sonic characteristics and more longevity
 
Other than there being some dust, the cabinets were super clean inside. I did a wipe down of everything and deox’ed the pots on the crossovers.

One of the mids was blown. I ordered the speaker that was suggested in this thread, from parts express. Is there a reason to take the plastic cap off the old speaker and put it on the new one or is it ok without it?
 
I am no expert, but I believe that the plastic cap is what makes it a "sealed" driver; this changes the volume of air it sees when in use. I decided to reseal the new speakers to try and get the same sound. The end result makes me happy, so that's all that matters.
 
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