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SX 5590

MaxP

MaxP

Super Member
Found an SX 5590 at my local stereo pusher’s that is in great shape mechanically and visually. I have been a Sansui fan for a long time, but I am so intrigued by this receiver that I am contemplating trading my beloved 9090DB in on this Pioneer. I have never owned a Pioneer receiver, so I don’t know what to expect. What are your thoughts on the 5590? Many thanks for helping me see straight.
 
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I've had an SX-5590 for a few years now and it sounds wonderful. Like markthefixer said, it's a black SX-1250. I think it was for the European market. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I got mine from an elderly gentleman who bought it while he was stationed in Germany. It's a very powerful receiver at 160W per channel and has an excellent FM tuner that picks up weak stations that other receivers would not. I would say the Marantz 2252B in my secondary system sounds warmer but the SX-5590 still sounds excellent to my old ears. Need to clean the controls often though as my volume pot is getting scratchy again and I had cleaned it a couple of years ago.

I'd pick it up if it's in good working condition and the price is right.
 
Well, I'm not sure. It's rare here in the States but probably the same availability in Europe as SX-1250 is here. Does it take 120V or does it require 220V/240V?
 
I guess the question now is how much the dealer is asking for it and is the asking price a premium over regular sx-1250? Also, is the price firm or is there room for negotiation?

To offer some perspective, I got mine about 4 years ago locally through facebook market place. The price I paid is about the same as SX-1250s sold on ebay at the time in working condition. So I did not pay a premium for mine compare with the going rate for SX-1250 at the time. Not a deal but I don't think I got ripped off either.
 
biomayhem said:
I guess the question now is how much the dealer is asking for it and is the asking price a premium over regular sx-1250? Also, is the price firm or is there room for negotiation?

To offer some perspective, I got mine about 4 years ago locally through facebook market place. The price I paid is about the same as SX-1250s sold on ebay at the time in working condition. So I did not pay a premium for mine compare with the going rate for SX-1250 at the time. Not a deal but I don't think I got ripped off either.
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He’s asking $2k for it. I did a little price checking recently and they varied widely.
 
MaxP said:
It has a clean bill of health, but I just don’t want to overpay if at all possible. Gotta say I am really drawn to it!
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1250s are selling for that or more almost daily but I think those prices are about to fall...just my 2 cents
 
Imo that is overpriced, but to each their own. I do agree that they are nice but it is still 40+ years old. You have to consider its performance vs something new. I can build a new equivalent or higher performing 200W amp for say ~$500.
Do you need a tuner? The tuner is okay but many separate tuners are much better performers.
Certain mechanical parts wear out like pots, that are basically unobtainable. Sure you can service them but in some cases it is a lot of work like properly cleaning the switches if they are required to be fully disassembled. I can go on but I just wanted to point out what I have found when servicing them
 
rcs16 said:
Imo that is overpriced, but to each their own. I do agree that they are nice but it is still 40+ years old. You have to consider its performance vs something new. I can build a new equivalent or higher performing 200W amp for say ~$500.
Do you need a tuner? The tuner is okay but many separate tuners are much better performers.
Certain mechanical parts wear out like pots, that are basically unobtainable. Sure you can service them but in some cases it is a lot of work like properly cleaning the switches if they are required to be fully disassembled. I can go on but I just wanted to point out what I have found when servicing them
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I’m a vintage stereo lover. It’s not really matter of need and more of a desire.
 
If you are going to go whole hog, Compare prices to a 1980 which is a beast by comparison. They both have PS issues and the 1980 tuner is okay if that is working properly.
 
I think $2K is about the going rate right now. Prices on vintage gear had shot up quite a bit since COVID hit. Not sure the reason why. Prices could fall as rhodus said but it might not. I think the same applies for all collectable items like this and vintage cars but it will likely hold its value if you keep it long term. Just my 2 cents.
 
MaxP said:
I’m a vintage stereo lover. It’s not really matter of need and more of a desire.
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I agree. It's not about what you can buy now that's better at lower price. Again, I'd use vintage cars as an example. You can get a $30K to $35k family sedan with a 6 cylinder or turbo 4 that can out accelerate and out handle any muscle cars (or any sports car/super car for that matter) from the 60s, but those vintage cars hold a lot higher value. Also, there's the argument that vintage gear look better and are a lot easier to repair. And some might argue that they sound better than modern gear when brought back to factory spec.
 
I think that they will hold these values for sometime until they become out of fashion or are not repairable anymore.
radio tuners are now becoming out of fashion
But imo i’d just be happy with your Sansui. They are both build similarity and are both respected. I have never serviced one. 9090 might be more reliable or parts/controls easier to obtain. For all you know you might like the Sansui more, then what.
 
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