Kent,
Welllll....... I had just read the first page. I now see that the real aficionados have come out and Kabuki isn't being dissed any more.
what are "kabuki speakers"???
- Thread starter jpciii
- Start date
Kent,
Welllll....... I had just read the first page. I now see that the real aficionados have come out and Kabuki isn't being dissed any more.
Everyone should have at least one pair of "kabukis" around just for the sake of comparison. More than once my pair has made what I thought was a less than stellar pair of speakers sound great when comparing the 2 on the a+b speaker switch. Then there was one time when my kabukis actually beat up on a very well known and respected pair of speakers. Off to the speaker doctor we go and cured that problem in a hurry. Yes kabukis make a great reference point but imho not much more.
And I would like to add that there are some albums that I heard first on this type of speaker and they don't sound "right" on other, modern speakers.
:thmbsp::thmbsp::thmbsp::thmbsp:
bluesky
Lunatic Member
Well...to be quite honest, I have a pair of Sansui SP-2000 speakers that really sound quite nice!! Very super great, really!! Maybe I just got the lucky pair. I am very happy and totally pleased with them, "kabuki" or not, they sound great! It fills my house up with great sounding music! All the speakers work and there is no need for a recap. I won't even take a screw out of the back, these are no-touchi-these-speekas! They look, work and sound wonderful. Just thought I would throw that in. So some of them ain't all that bad. My SO-2000s sound so good, until they break down, I'm not even lookin for replacements. Why, so... all Kabuki aren't as bad as everyone seems to think, And the drivers have alnico magnets! Sure, I would like to have a pair of JBL 4344s. Maybe someday, but right now, these speakers are just perfect! I honestly love em. :yes:
JesusChrysler
...drives a Dodge ; )
I have to chime in and say my ONLY pair of speaks are of the Kabuki variety.
And I like em', dammit.
Matt
And I like em', dammit.
Matt
Thespeakerdude8
Super Member
More drivers are not always a waste.
Let's get one thing clear....the Sansui's up to the 2500 series were great(maybe the 3500s too, though I never had any). After that, the woofers went up and up in size, and the cabinets turned to sh** for depth.
On many models, the clarity dials determined only the cripness of say one midrange speaker. The other was always dedicated, and remained constant despite switching of the knobs (Soft, neutral clear) This gave it a 4-way feel, and when listening to say hendrix or Zeppelin, the guitar can come alive. Therefore I must say, Sansui did have a purpose for 2 mids on at least SOME of their moels, and the later crap boxes gave them a bad name.
Listen to Jack Johnson on some sp-200 or sp-2500x, or sp-1700 (smaller mids, not quite the same)
The 2 tweeters help with dispersion, if you set your speakers at listening level like I do. It gives a larger sound field.
But if you place any speaker in a crappy room, it will suck. Period. So That is just my opinion from my couch
My 3 way sp-1500's have their midranges wired together...ditto with the dome tweeters. I have to say.. only the sp100's, sp1000 and sp1500's had these dome tweeters, and they sound pretty good. Maybe not asgood as modern replacements, but still pretty good. I wonder if this helps set them apart from the rest of the kabuki speakers? The 6" mids make them sound pretty musical compared to other speakers with tiny mids that sound...well tiny.
I'm in the process of auditioning the SP-Z9 II's I just picked up on CL ($75). Currently listening to "Spring" (Vivaldi). I've tried everything from Kylie Minouge (so I'm a sucker for 'Bubblegum', sue me), to the Doobies (Black Water was particularly pleasing), to David Benoit, Moody Blues, to my Barouque favorites. I have no complaints whatsoever. This may mark me, but I don't care. Thpppbt! 
garagmahal
Active Member
Hey now, I have a set of Sansui SP-3500's, and Kabuki or not they do sound better on some old mono vinyl. Besides, they make great stands for my HPM-100's.
IMHO, all the new stuff looks like it's from the "KABUKI" line of the ACME Speaker Works.
IMHO, all the new stuff looks like it's from the "KABUKI" line of the ACME Speaker Works.
goandy89
Active Member
thank you finally someone else spokeup. i agree. what most people look at and imedatly say kabuki are not and in fact very well designed and test speakers. ex. pioneer cs-803 cs-903 technics sb-g700 sb-g820 sb-g920 yamaha ns-9191 ns-9393. those there are all quality speakers that when paired with a nice amp with a strong output have a great sound. most people out there at first hook them up to a little 50 or 75 watt ampp. sure that may be nice but your amp really doesnt have the power to actually keep the drivers under control and it just "PUSHING" the woofers instead of actualy driving them with then you get muddy light loud bass. with a nice large amp it has the power and reserve capacity the control the sound and give you deep tight bass with nice crisp highs and a very pleaseing midrange to give you a nice full bold live sound. not a shirrlle squeaky muddy booming sound that only a dying cow could uter. i hope you all now realize that alot of the things you are calling kubki mostly if it is of a name brand it is not and mostly likely sound as good if not better than your advents or b&w or b&o or your maggie's. and dont be so fast to judge a speaker on weight.
CS-903 owner here. I like them because they're big and loud and I think they sound pretty good too. They are really bright, though. I have to turn the bass up really high to get the 15" woofer going. They are great in a large room, though. Smaller speakers cannot compete.
My brother has a pair of HPM-70s. They sound a lot warmer and the woofers seem to move more freely although they are only 10". They have much better cabinets, though. A lot deeper than the CS-903s despite having smaller drivers and heavier and more solid.
But I'll definitely be keeping my CS-903s, got them for £50 in near mint condition (the fronts are absolutely mint) which is a bargain, really.
My brother has a pair of HPM-70s. They sound a lot warmer and the woofers seem to move more freely although they are only 10". They have much better cabinets, though. A lot deeper than the CS-903s despite having smaller drivers and heavier and more solid.
But I'll definitely be keeping my CS-903s, got them for £50 in near mint condition (the fronts are absolutely mint) which is a bargain, really.
SwingModern
Well-Known Member
Are these considered Kabuki speakers?
Thinking yes....
Sansui SP-2500 stereo speakers
Thinking yes....
Sansui SP-2500 stereo speakers
o0OBillO0o
Active Member
Hey, at least your are finding "Kabuki speakers", I ran across someone talking about "Bukake speakers" 
Teradacto58
Super Member
Some of the big Sansui's run a 14" woofer...
Teradacto58
Super Member
The Sansui SP-2500 in my opinion Is one of the best sounding out of their line up!! I have a few of them ...plus larger ones also.
BrocLuno
Lunatic Member
One thing missing from the discussion was/is that the term evolved here on AK to mean a bit more ... It generally came to mean Japanese speakers with many drivers and cabinets that looked like furniture. So the WAF got them placed as end tables and they became the audio version of "Kabuki Theater", as in not the real world...
The term may have been coined by one member, but it grew and morphed into what I describe above. In that context, Pioneer CS99's are kabuki. Maybe they work OK when placed correctly and driven correctly, but that is not how the majority of them were set up ... Ditto Sansui, et al ...
All the majors in Japan built these sorts of speakers and they sold well enough that there are many pairs still around. I have recap'd some for friends that want to play with them. When re-worked they can come into their own. But, because of the "look" they now go either side of a TV and still look like furniture. And mostly, they are still not placed correctly ... And mostly they still sound thin and nasal.
I have run a recap'd pair of CS99's loosely stuffed with pillow dacron up on blocks with 125 WPC amp in a corner (out about 2 feet) and they woke right up. There are old threads from about three years ago that detail just this sort of mods. But up one woofer diameter off the floor is not how most folks place them.
The typical floor placement with bounding hard surface really confuses them
The term may have been coined by one member, but it grew and morphed into what I describe above. In that context, Pioneer CS99's are kabuki. Maybe they work OK when placed correctly and driven correctly, but that is not how the majority of them were set up ... Ditto Sansui, et al ...
All the majors in Japan built these sorts of speakers and they sold well enough that there are many pairs still around. I have recap'd some for friends that want to play with them. When re-worked they can come into their own. But, because of the "look" they now go either side of a TV and still look like furniture. And mostly, they are still not placed correctly ... And mostly they still sound thin and nasal.
I have run a recap'd pair of CS99's loosely stuffed with pillow dacron up on blocks with 125 WPC amp in a corner (out about 2 feet) and they woke right up. There are old threads from about three years ago that detail just this sort of mods. But up one woofer diameter off the floor is not how most folks place them.
The typical floor placement with bounding hard surface really confuses them
Teradacto58
Super Member
One thing missing from the discussion was/is that the term evolved here on AK to mean a bit more ... It generally came to mean Japanese speakers with many drivers and cabinets that looked like furniture. So the WAF got them placed as end tables and they became the audio version of "Kabuki Theater", as in not the real world...
The term may have been coined by one member, but it grew and morphed into what I describe above. In that context, Pioneer CS99's are kabuki. Maybe they work OK when placed correctly and driven correctly, but that is not how the majority of them were set up ... Ditto Sansui, et al ...
All the majors in Japan built these sorts of speakers and they sold well enough that there are many pairs still around. I have recap'd some for friends that want to play with them. When re-worked they can come into their own. But, because of the "look" they now go either side of a TV and still look like furniture. And mostly, they are still not placed correctly ... And mostly they still sound thin and nasal.
I have run a recap'd pair of CS99's loosely stuffed with pillow dacron up on blocks with 125 WPC amp in a corner (out about 2 feet) and they woke right up. There are old threads from about three years ago that detail just this sort of mods. But up one woofer diameter off the floor is not how most folks place them.
The typical floor placement with bounding hard surface really confuses them
Teradacto58
Super Member
Out here on the West Coast ....people refering to Kabuki speakers ....also identify them with having the fretwork grills..even the smaller are counted in this description also!
