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Score!! And, potential BIG score!!

canuckaudiog

canuckaudiog

On a quest for high fidelity
All right so I think I scored!

Got myself a Sansui AU555A and Sansui G4700 for $110 together. These are my first Sansui pieces and after doing so much reading on Sansui, I've been quite excited to find some. And I finally did! These beauties are in 9/10 shape cosmetically to, were just sitting in boxes for years.

When I took them home at first they weren't playing right, the AU555A was quiet in the right channel. Well, I pulled out the Deoxit and voila.. it's working beautifully now! This is my first success with vintage stuff and getting it to work right so I'm really happy about that.

Next, I think I've found potentially the best score to date. I noticed a pair of Celestion Ditton 44's for $50.. yep.. and they're in 7 or 8/10 shape!! I just have to travel about 1.5 hours out of the city to get them, but that is sure as heck worth it!!

I really gotta stop doing this though LOL man my wife is gonna kill me if I keep acquiring and finding all these awesome deals.
 
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canuckaudiog said:
I really gotta stop doing this though LOL man my wife is gonna kill me if I keep acquiring and finding all these awesome deals.
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Sing Zeppelin now: "There are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on"

Either you can sneak in gigantic audio equipment, (we all do once in awhile) or you can convince her that you sell it for what you paid. Which is true. Also ask your wife not to kill you. My wife has learned that she loves music, and that when you get a deal, the music pays for itself.
 
Junknewbian said:
Sing Zeppelin now: "There are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on"

Either you can sneak in gigantic audio equipment, (we all do once in awhile) or you can convince her that you sell it for what you paid. Which is true. Also ask your wife not to kill you. My wife has learned that she loves music, and that when you get a deal, the music pays for itself.
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Haha yeah, you are right. I'm very lucky with my wife. She even encourages me to find these sweet deals because I said at the very least I could turn around and make a little extra cash on them. Honestly though, I wanna keep it all!!

Luckily she likes her music too, so I convince her by saying that she can use some of the gear :yes:
 
wizargoz said:
Make sure the 44's have the original HF 2000 tweeter. If they do, you are very lucky indeed!
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I spoke with the seller this morning and he said they are all original. He's the original owner of them he told me.

Also, I've secured the deal! I told him I'd give him $80 for the speakers because I couldn't pick them up today, so he agreed to hold them for me and I am due to go there tomorrow morning to get them!! :banana: :banana: :banana:
 
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Congrats on all three!
Well, maybe just congrats on the Sansuis for now, I don't like to count my chickens before they've hatched. Best of luck for the Celestions, and dealing with the wife.
 
holysocks said:
Congrats on all three!
Well, maybe just congrats on the Sansuis for now, I don't like to count my chickens before they've hatched. Best of luck for the Celestions, and dealing with the wife.
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Agreed. Anything can happen, but I think I'm going to be OK with this one. I also opted to buy something else from him, so it's a fairly good deal for the both of us. I will post pics of their glory when I get them :)
 
canuckaudiog said:
I spoke with the seller this morning and he said they are all original. He's the original owner of them he told me.

Also, I've secured the deal! I told him I'd give him $80 for the speakers because I couldn't pick them up today, so he agreed to hold them for me and I am due to go there tomorrow morning to get them!! :banana: :banana: :banana:
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You are going to VERY happy with those 44's! :thmbsp:
 
wizargoz said:
You are going to VERY happy with those 44's! :thmbsp:
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Yeah, nice score indeed. The Celestion Ditton models are totally on my bucket-list. I've heard some really-great things (The Wharfedale W60E's I have are supposed to be similar/close soundwise to one of the Ditton models, and if that's true, then you're definitely gonna' be happy with those 44's).

The AU555 is also on my wish-list. If that's what I think it is, the UA555 is supposed to be the integrated-amp version of the Sansui ****x series receivers (I have a 2000x and a 4000, both from '72). That's my favorite Sansui era. I've heard amazing things about the UA555. Like my main receiver, only better.

*EDIT* - Yup, I just looked at a few pictures of the AU555A. You are gonna' really-love that amp. It's lower-wattage, but it's a sleeper. If smooth and engaging is your thing, this is the amp for you. And based on what I've read, you're really-gonna' enjoy those 44's. British 3-ways rule. I think the power-handling is 10-100w, so I would try them with the AU555A and then go from there. I'll bet they'll sound great. That's a great deal for those.
 
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Gang-Twanger,

Thanks! I've had a chance to check out that AU555A already and you are absolutely right, it's a sleeper! I was a little worried about it's conservative power ratings but they're very conservative. They actually drive my IMF TLS 50 II's just fine, something I wasn't sure it would do. But, it does. If it can drive those with good amounts of power then I have no doubt that it will be able to drive the Ditton 44's with ease.

And the sound out of that amp.. whew! Sansui does quite a good job of adding character to their amps, even if it's not their top of the line stuff. It sounds really dynamic, clear and it's quick. The Sony STR-V5 I have is really heavy and bold in character and I find it to be a little bit overbearing. The Sansui has a very nice balance. Let's just say I will only be looking for an upgraded Sansui amp from now on. :)

Other then that, when I get those Ditton 44's I will most definitely get pictures. It's 4am right now (can't sleep, too excited!!) and the seller has not e-mailed me to say "Someone made me a better offer" or anything like that. I will be leaving here in about 4 hours to go grab them, and then those beauties are mine. :D
 
Speakers acquired!

The cabinets are a little bit rough, but not too bad. They just need some tlc. Also, all the drivers work including the tweeters and the grills are in fantastic shape. They even came with the covers for the tweeters! Just needs some glue.

I'll get pictures up when I get them home in a couple hours :D
 
canuckaudiog said:
Haha yeah, you are right. I'm very lucky with my wife. She even encourages me to find these sweet deals because I said at the very least I could turn around and make a little extra cash on them. Honestly though, I wanna keep it all!!

Luckily she likes her music too, so I convince her by saying that she can use some of the gear :yes:
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What's the worst that could happen......A bustle in your hedgerow? :D
 
Congratulations on a couple of sweet scores! :thmbsp:


Just a suggestion: give some deep thought to your wife and your relationship with her, when it comes to bringing gear home. I pushed my wife's patience perhaps a bit too much for a while, and it began to strain our relationship a bit. Fortunately, I turned things around before it was too late, and since moving to a smaller place where gear MUST be limited, and putting the "extras" in storage (from where they get rotated, and from which they continue to shrink in total number), I notice a marked improvement in how we get along, and even with how my wife relates to my/our music. For example, this afternoon she started playing music she liked, and looking through the CDs. I was in the shower at one point when she came in, holding a CD and saying, "I remember this one... I LIKE it!" I went out to work in the afternoon, and when I came back, she had the TV sound off, and was listening to music. Tonight we spent a couple nice hours in shared listening. I told her some things she didn't know about some of the artists we listened to, and a few personal stories about a few of them I'd personally met or know(n). It was a good "bonding" experience, very much in contrast to the grumbles and subtle coldness I'd get when new gear came in, or when too much was in the living room at once, in the old place.

In retrospect, I think I probably "dodged a bullet" with my marriage over this whole audio-gear thing, and am very glad I did. She's much more appreciative of the music, and even the gear, and understands better now why I like it so much. Instead of driving a wedge between us, the gear and the music are now bringing us closer together. The only real difference is that I'm no longer stacking up piles of gear where she can see it; our living space has a one wall with a nice system across it (both stereo and HT gear), and I have a small tube amp with small speakers by my work-desk, but that's IT! It's a healthy compromise, and worth the cost of keeping the rest off-site. (If you have a basement or garage where you can keep stuff, and do KEEP it within that space, you may be fine; in more modest downtown apartments, we don't have that luxury.)

The lesson? Never forget, people are more important than things, and your wife is more important than most other people --and don't just pay lip service to that idea; PRACTICE it! You'll be glad you did. And if that means passing up on a piece of gear, or selling something off before bringing something else in, or moving some off-site, or whatever, be like Nike and JUST DO IT! Do it as a demonstration of priorities, and how much you care about your wife's feelings. If you don't, and you lose her over it, you'll discover that amps and speakers, as addictive as they can be, are not really a good substitute for a loving wife. :no:

Just some food for thought, from someone who pushed the envelope almost a little too far, and survived the experience, coming out (I think) a bit wiser.
 
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