Saved from sure death - Sansui 3300 beauty
- Thread starter Audio Fan
- Start date
superdog
AK Member
You should go back and take some pics of the inside and post it in that "Pics of cats on audio gear" thread over in the General Audio forum.I still can't figure that one out.:headscrat
Me neither
.That should be a real thread crapper.:yes:
Audio Fan
YT Channel - https://tinyurl.com/29zytwu9
You should go back and take some pics of the inside and post it in that "Pics of cats on audio gear" thread over in the General Audio forum.I still can't figure that one out.
Well, I don't want to turn this into a cat hating thread, this was a case of "Cats gone wild" for sure, but I think best to focus on the turnaround story here and getting a nice piece of Sansui gear up and running again.
Now that I have some daylight, I brought it inside for some better shots. It really does shine.
Attachments
Last edited:
Cogsinister
Super Member
Wonderful job......great to see a lovely receiver lovingly brought back to life......
Bravo! Nice work.
just dave
vintage rules!
Me neither
Pun intended:yes: Oh,btw great job on the Sansui.
thefragger
Certified Crazy.
Been there...
Excellent work!
Excellent work!
Squonk07
Someday you'll understand
This was an amazing transformation. I agree with an earlier post that the grime and dust paradoxically probably protected the unit from damage. Kind of like those people they dredge up from peat bogs.
As far as the kitties, sadly feral and/or hoarded cats usually get rounded up and euthanized (at least that's what happens on those shows on Animal Planet). Hopefully that's not the case here.
As far as the kitties, sadly feral and/or hoarded cats usually get rounded up and euthanized (at least that's what happens on those shows on Animal Planet). Hopefully that's not the case here.
WOW! - That's pretty frickin sweet. That's proper recycling there. Looks damn near better than new. There will be a short animated film coming out called "THE STORY OF ELECTRONICS" I haven't seen it yet, but I have seen the other films that this author/filmaker has produced. - I'm sure there will be some discussion in the film about "planned obsolescence" by manufacturers.
I'm not convinced that that was always the case. Otherwise there wouldn't be so much audio gear still playing tunes 10, 20 , 30, 50+ years after they were manufactured. I'm not here to plug the film but I'm certainly interested in the subject matter. The reason I bring this up is that ( if you're wondering what this has to do with your project)
Your Receiver transformation puts some positive spin on the topic of Electronics Waste, and speaks to those involved in the sub culture of Audio, specifically folks who have a soft spot for older discarded gear. It's certainly worth a short film of it's own and that Sansui would make a great model for the marketing poster. Well done!
I'm not convinced that that was always the case. Otherwise there wouldn't be so much audio gear still playing tunes 10, 20 , 30, 50+ years after they were manufactured. I'm not here to plug the film but I'm certainly interested in the subject matter. The reason I bring this up is that ( if you're wondering what this has to do with your project)
Your Receiver transformation puts some positive spin on the topic of Electronics Waste, and speaks to those involved in the sub culture of Audio, specifically folks who have a soft spot for older discarded gear. It's certainly worth a short film of it's own and that Sansui would make a great model for the marketing poster. Well done!
Caseworker
Well-Known Member
Oddly protected in a shield of filth...
Now it looks like NOS! I can't believe how great it looks. +6 karma rewarded!
Now it looks like NOS! I can't believe how great it looks. +6 karma rewarded!
Audio Fan
YT Channel - https://tinyurl.com/29zytwu9
Thus far, I have only had it hooked up in my garage to some Minimus 7's and an old CD player, but what I heard was really nice. The antennae connections are the spring load type, so I need to find one that will work with this type of connection to test out the radio. Turntable hookup will be next though which is the most important.
It does seem that the grime offered up some protection, if nothing else, it kept the veneer from really fading/cracking, plus, the darkness of the trailer ensured no sun fade! :thmbsp:
As for the cats, I got the impression they were sent to new homes, but also, I don't think there were many left either. It was up to eight cats at a time during the 25 year span, not eight at the point I saved this unit. During the short time I was there, I tried to not breath a whole lot, so hence, not much talking was taking place.
Thanks for the comments. If this helps inspire others to save a few more units from the landfill, then it was more than worth the effort many times over. I know we are a small minority of enthusiasts among the electronics masses, but if we can inspire even a very slight change in attitude toward improved recycling of electronics, then I would be more than ecstatic for this little Sansui to be the poster child of a discussion. Had I known this was going to turn out so well I would have taken more "before" pics to document the transformation.
legal eagle
Sound Hound
Niiiiiice save! I did something similar with a curb side find Kenwood http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=245879 (the pics there are pre-cleaning). These old receivers sound just amazing, even the basic ones - probably because they are relatively simple and straight forward.
True.
Sometimes I think that the dirt and grime somehow protects the units, also I think that being inside and untouched like that for 25 years is better than tweakers driving around with it in the trunk of the car, or being tossed into the NFG electronics boxes at the thrift store, with it's cord cut off. It's like karma-the cats kept all away until you decided to brave the mess and save these pieces. Nice work.
True.
Audio Fan
YT Channel - https://tinyurl.com/29zytwu9
I think there is a lot to be said about this phase of build quality for electronics. I doubt my somewhat recent surround sound Onkyo receiver would have come through the same treatment still working and sounding nearly as nice. Secondly, the vast majority of the gear made in the last 30 yrs just does not have that "part of the room decor", "supposed to be seen" design quality that 70's and older gear had with their wood treatments and heavy knobs which inspires us to restore them again. I would definitely not have gone through what I did to pull a 10 yr old Onkyo out of the muck that is for sure.
@ Audio Fan
Hi, you mentioned that you also picked up a Dual turntable. When you clean that up, could you also give detailed description of how you do it? I picked up a Dual 721 and a Dual 504 turntable for $10 each. They are not as bad as the receiver that you picked up, but could use some cleaning. It would be great to know what kind of product to use for the cleaning and etc. Thank you.
By the way, great job on the Sansui.
Hi, you mentioned that you also picked up a Dual turntable. When you clean that up, could you also give detailed description of how you do it? I picked up a Dual 721 and a Dual 504 turntable for $10 each. They are not as bad as the receiver that you picked up, but could use some cleaning. It would be great to know what kind of product to use for the cleaning and etc. Thank you.
By the way, great job on the Sansui.
Audio Fan
YT Channel - https://tinyurl.com/29zytwu9
@lovemusic
I have several other projects in front of the Dual, so I'll go ahead and comment on how I plan to tackle it. Similarly to the receiver, the first step will be to remove as much physical material first (dirt, cat hair, etc) outside with my yard blower. Then, I'll remove the cover, bottom, platter and do the same once more.
At that point, I bring it into the garage and will use a 25:1 solution of organic cleaner to wipe it down with paper towels. This gets the loose dirt off and because there are no strong chemicals, I don't have to worry about getting it on sensitive areas like wood, lettering, etc. I typically only spray liquids on the paper towel, but if no electronics and a smooth surface, like the dust cover, I will spray it on directly.
Since this was in a heavy smoking environment, it will require some stronger chemicals to get through that nicotine. I use a citrus degreaser product on hard plastics and metals, but with caution as it is very strong. I keep it away from any wood veneers or light lettering as it will eat into it rather quickly. I did not have any problem with it on the front face of the receiver, lettering held up just fine with firm rubbing. That stuff takes the nicotine off instantly, very little effort at all. I then wipe it off with the diluted organic cleaner.
For the internals, I plan to take it apart as much as possible and scrub everything with a dilution of the degreaser to get the smell out and remove the nicotine. Using paper towels and a tooth brush, everything needs to be cleaned to ensure the smell is removed. Then relube everything once it is all sparkling again.
For the wood base, I only use the diluted organic cleaner all the way around. Spraying small strips of paper towel, I just keep scrubbing it until no more dirt comes off. Once I am comfortable I can't clean it any more, I turn my attention to fixing any veneer issues and polishing it.
If the dustcover is scratched, I plan to use some plastic polisher, like McGuires, to polish out light scratches. I have buffed out headlight covers before, so this could take a lot of elbow grease to get it back to "like new" condition. I can't really see through the gunk yet if there are any major scratches, but I hope to be surprised to find it in great shape like the Sansui case.
Attached are some pics of degreaser product I used and how they polished up the knobs. Also, one pic of the current condition of that Dual, going to be FUN!
I have several other projects in front of the Dual, so I'll go ahead and comment on how I plan to tackle it. Similarly to the receiver, the first step will be to remove as much physical material first (dirt, cat hair, etc) outside with my yard blower. Then, I'll remove the cover, bottom, platter and do the same once more.
At that point, I bring it into the garage and will use a 25:1 solution of organic cleaner to wipe it down with paper towels. This gets the loose dirt off and because there are no strong chemicals, I don't have to worry about getting it on sensitive areas like wood, lettering, etc. I typically only spray liquids on the paper towel, but if no electronics and a smooth surface, like the dust cover, I will spray it on directly.
Since this was in a heavy smoking environment, it will require some stronger chemicals to get through that nicotine. I use a citrus degreaser product on hard plastics and metals, but with caution as it is very strong. I keep it away from any wood veneers or light lettering as it will eat into it rather quickly. I did not have any problem with it on the front face of the receiver, lettering held up just fine with firm rubbing. That stuff takes the nicotine off instantly, very little effort at all. I then wipe it off with the diluted organic cleaner.
For the internals, I plan to take it apart as much as possible and scrub everything with a dilution of the degreaser to get the smell out and remove the nicotine. Using paper towels and a tooth brush, everything needs to be cleaned to ensure the smell is removed. Then relube everything once it is all sparkling again.
For the wood base, I only use the diluted organic cleaner all the way around. Spraying small strips of paper towel, I just keep scrubbing it until no more dirt comes off. Once I am comfortable I can't clean it any more, I turn my attention to fixing any veneer issues and polishing it.
If the dustcover is scratched, I plan to use some plastic polisher, like McGuires, to polish out light scratches. I have buffed out headlight covers before, so this could take a lot of elbow grease to get it back to "like new" condition. I can't really see through the gunk yet if there are any major scratches, but I hope to be surprised to find it in great shape like the Sansui case.
Attached are some pics of degreaser product I used and how they polished up the knobs. Also, one pic of the current condition of that Dual, going to be FUN!
