• 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

SP-L700

craggd

craggd

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
Just picked up a beautiful pair of SP-L700's, also know as SP-G200 in Japan. The SP-L700 has 25,4cm woofers, 120° acoustic lens range, 150W input capacity, 93dB SPL (1W / 1m), a 35Hz to 25Khz response and a crossover set at 2Khz. Just started listening to them on my AU-111 and so far very impressed. They are my first Sansui speakers and one of the few on my wish list. They are really attractive speakers, very well constructed and have an obvious JBL influence.

s-l1600 (8).jpg s-l1600 (7).jpg s-l1600 (6).jpg s-l1600 (3).jpg s-l1600 (4).jpg s-l1600 (1).jpg
 
Register to hide this ad
WOO HOO congrats Dave.
That's one of SANSUI's best speaker ever. Along with the two brothers, SPL800 and SPL 900 the latter one never seen almost anywhere.
Excellent . It would be a very good chance to start your first active system. All you need is a CD 10 active cross , and another amp for the bass . I suppose you have the latter.
Excellent. If you plan on keeping as is a recap is in order.
 
I do want to multi-amp them and have been watching CD-10’s. I could also use them with my CA-303. I actually picked them up on the bay out of Canada. Seller was great, gave me a reasonable price. Shipping was not cheap but he packed them really well.

They have been professionally refoamed, seller wasn’t sure if recapped too but I will check. They sound great!
 
Excellent score there. Not easy to find, thsts for sure. I've no idea how many pairs were sold in North America, but couldn't have been to many given their rarity now. These were probably out of reach to 90%+ of hifi buyers when new, so they down have the prevalence of Sansui's more common and less expensive speaker lines.

Anyway, enjoy those regularly so as to get your moneys worth. The CD-10 may run you as much as the speakers, it is even more uncommon than the SP-L line of speakers.
 
I am appreciating them even more with extended listening. Don’t yet have them perfectly positioned, going to require some more equipment jockeying and preferably a second set of hands as I’m recovering from a foot surgery.

One of the appeals was the quality refoam, which I have read, is not trivial. That and the near perfect cabinetry which is very high quality to start, furniture grade. They were 2nd owner speakers and it shows.

CD-10’s are not that rare in Japan, not cheap but I will land one for south of what I paid for the speakers. I am going to try bi-amping them with my BA-303, BA-202 & CA-303 to start and see my impressions. Not in the same room now so that will wait a bit.

Very happy to have a collectible set of Sansui speakers to add to my mix. First impressions are they are certainly at least on par with my Klipsch Chorus and maybe Cornwall’s which is high praise.
 
Nice Dave . What do you think of their sound , std as it is? Probably they are underdriven with AU111 but I suppose you get the picture. Are they a bit to light side of soundcolor or they just pronounce a bit more the mid range?
How's the high's , I think bass should be quite good.
I would love to see them driven by BA 5000 or BA 3000 and hear your thoughts.
Bare in mind that a CD 10 will definitely require a recap. And that is only the beginning . There are things that can be done to this cross that will make it take off.
 
JOMARK911 said:
Probably they are underdriven with AU111
Click to expand...
Not so sure I would agree, at 93dB they are pretty efficient. and the AU-111 puts out 40WPC. At about 10:00 the volume is as high as I want (granted not a big room). I can connect them to my BA-5000 just for fun though.

As for the sound, preface by saying I am probably not as educated in this area as others, I think they are great. The base is strong and pronounced, you can definitely pick up the midrange as being forward and the hi's are very clear and precise (I like horns).

When I did my internet search on the series to convince me of the purchase (not very hard to do) it was interesting that several folks who had heard both the L700's and L800's preferred the sound of the smaller woofers in the 700's. To be honest I would have bought either if available but thought it was interesting none the less.
 
OMG, a pair of SP-L800’s just posted on Eugene,Oregon CL. If I didn’t already have my SP-5500, I’d be all over it. Can I hide them from the wife?
00j0j_g7TgcOLRW7P_600x450.jpg

Sansui model: SPL 800
Manufactured 1970
1970 price: $1,900

Sansui made many quality speakers over decades... but they were not competitive with American manufactures in that era like JBL, Altec Lansing, etc.
To capture the Audiophile market, Sansui spent time and money producing a series of high-end loudspeakers... often with a very strong JBL flavor
Explaining this is the fact that Sansui was JBL's distributor in Japan throughout the 1970s and very early 1980s -

Drivers per cabinet
Two 12" cast-frame woofer
One 2 3/4" horn type tweeter
Acoustic suspension (sealed cabinet) design

The SP-L800 specifications:
Input power capacity: 95-300 Watts (clean)
Sensitivity: 95 dB SPL (1 Watt / 1 meter)
Frequency response: 30 Hz to 20 kHz
Crossover frequency: 1.5 khz
Impedance: 8 Ohm
Dimensions: 38" tall x 18 18" wide x 15 7/16" deep
Weight: 95 lbs.

Near mint condition
Bi-amp compatible
 
Last edited:
That's not an opportunity likely to be repeated. If you can swing it (the purchase price and the wrath of wife angle) go for it. I've never seen a pair of SP-L800 for sale anywhere near locally for me and precious few pairs online. The 700's are barely more common than that.

I'd say the SP-L line's rarity exceeds that of SP-5500 by a good margin, and the 5500's are not often found even though more have surfaced in the past 3 or 4 years.
 
Go get em , though the price is not exactly right. But the rarity of this model is the decision factor.
Get em and sell the SP 5500.
You can even bi amp them with a cd10 active Cross.
 
Sounds a little of “Sophie’s Choice”. I cherish my SP-5500’s too much to let them go for a potential, but uncertain upgrade. Given the reviews for the SPL-800’s are out of this world, there in lies the future potential refoam, uncertainty of history, and added costs of the crossover equipment and work dialing it in for each playback.
My SP-5500 are perfect for my listening area, in mint condition without need for added expense for refoams or caps, and frankly I love their curvy lattice grills in my front room.
Not to mention, if I brought home two new 100 pound speakers hearing it from my beautiful wife coming down on me like Estelle Costanza, if you get my drift.
 

Attachments

  • 6459B618-44E6-47C1-94F5-B3DB3432876B.jpeg
    6459B618-44E6-47C1-94F5-B3DB3432876B.jpeg
    91.6 KB · Views: 25
Οk you said they are on for sale, i thought you'd want them.
Ok if you have to pass i get it ,along with your drift.
 
Those 5500's do make a statement, and I understand the attachment to them as one who owns them as well. They are probably the only speakers I'd never sell, of all that presently I own.

I'm well past the point of needing anymore speakers, and anything else acquired henceforth is entirely in the "want" category. I suspect you are in a similar situation along with the added difficulty of upsetting the wife.

All then same, these would be difficult to pass up if I were in your shoes.
 
fish mojo said:
OMG, a pair of SP-L800’s just posted on Eugene,Oregon CL. If I didn’t already have my SP-5500, I’d be all over it. Can I hide them from the wife?
00j0j_g7TgcOLRW7P_600x450.jpg

Sansui model: SPL 800
Manufactured 1970
1970 price: $1,900

Sansui made many quality speakers over decades... but they were not competitive with American manufactures in that era like JBL, Altec Lansing, etc.
To capture the Audiophile market, Sansui spent time and money producing a series of high-end loudspeakers... often with a very strong JBL flavor
Explaining this is the fact that Sansui was JBL's distributor in Japan throughout the 1970s and very early 1980s -

Drivers per cabinet
Two 12" cast-frame woofer
One 2 3/4" horn type tweeter
Acoustic suspension (sealed cabinet) design

The SP-L800 specifications:
Input power capacity: 95-300 Watts (clean)
Sensitivity: 95 dB SPL (1 Watt / 1 meter)
Frequency response: 30 Hz to 20 kHz
Crossover frequency: 1.5 khz
Impedance: 8 Ohm
Dimensions: 38" tall x 18 18" wide x 15 7/16" deep
Weight: 95 lbs.

Near mint condition
Bi-amp compatible
Click to expand...

Man, even the price isn't bad (I checked craigs). I'm glad I'm not close enough that this is a personal dilemma, although to be honest, the two models on my bucket list are the SP-20000, and the SP-100i
 
@craggd

Hello! What are the chances you still have these and would be willing to upload a copy of the manual? I just got a set of these but they are basically destroyed and I’m trying to find detailed specs on each driver but I can’t find schematics anywhere.
 
Xadsworth said:
@craggd

Hello! What are the chances you still have these and would be willing to upload a copy of the manual? I just got a set of these but they are basically destroyed and I’m trying to find detailed specs on each driver but I can’t find schematics anywhere.
Click to expand...
The manual is in Japanese, scan is too big to attach. I also have a marketing brochure in English. The AK manual website isn't working right now. So if you want it PM me your email and I can send it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom