What receivers sound comparable to Sansui 5000?

[jr333]

I have a Sansui 5000 and a Sansui 2000X. Both sound fantastic. What other vintage receivers have a comparable sound? Preferably in the 50-60 watt range.

Variety is the spice of life. I love the sound of these x000 Sansui receivers and I'm wondering if there are other units out there that I might enjoy equally.

Thanks!

 

[SmileyFaceEQ]

Pioneer or Yamaha are always (most of the time) winners.

 

[59volvo]

sansui 7000

 

[MaxxVolume]

Just be aware that receivers such as the Sansui 5000 are now 55 years old (!), and many others in that category might have been recapped, and may no longer sound quite the same as when new. As the old saying goes, "YMMV".

 

[spark1]

If you are looking for a similar sound, consider sticking with capacitor-coupled amps/receivers. This is an earlier solid state design, with blocking capacitors in the output path, and results in a sound that most folks feel is warmer, at the price of some detail and distortion (as compared to direct-coupled amps)..

Generally, by the mid to later 70s, the big name manufacturers had moved just about completely from cap coupled to direct coupled designs. So you would be looking at units from the late 60's and early 70s. Note that some manufacturers mixed cap-coupled and direct-coupled designs within the same product line, with the lower-powered units being cap-coupled and the higher-powered units being direct coupled.

If you end up looking at direct coupled amps, you will find that each manufacturer's early models sound more similar to your 5000 and 2000X than do later versions. For example, the Pioneer SX-828 (and the whole SX-x2x series) has a looser, less precise, warmer sound than, for instance the SX-850, which was two generations later. Or even vs the SX-838, which was one generation later.

There is a thread on AK which is built around building a list of cap coupled receivers/amps; it may give you an idea of units to further research and consider. See here:

https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...e-receivers-and-integrated-amplifiers.912075/

A couple of Kenwood receivers that you might like are the KR-7200 or the KR-7600 (direct coupled). The 2230 is a classic Marantz cap-coupled receiver, and the 1060 is its equally satisfying integrated amp sibling.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Pioneer or Yamaha are always (most of the time) winners.

Neither will sound like a Sansui 5000. The Sansui 2000 and 4000 has the same sound, the early cap coupled Sony receivers like the STR-6120 and relatives also do. The Kenwood KA-6100 integrated amplifier is another gem. I have yet to hear a Pioneer or Yamaha ever made, which sounds close .

 

[SmileyFaceEQ]

Neither will sound like a Sansui 5000. The Sansui 2000 and 4000 has the same sound, the early cap coupled Sony receivers like the STR-6120 and relatives also do. The Kenwood KA-6100 integrated amplifier is another gem. I have yet to hear a Pioneer or Yamaha ever made, which sounds close .

Idk what you are getting at here. Of course the Sansui capacitor coupled sound similar.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Idk what you are getting at here. Of course the Sansui capacitor coupled sound similar.

I am aware of no capacitor coupled Yamaha (remember, in the USA, Yamaha's component audio line debuted in 1973) , and none of the capacitor coupled Pioneer I have heard sounded as quite as good as did Sansui's. The closest thing I've heard in Pioneer was the SX-626 receiver, had one in 1988. The earlier Pioneers often had thermal management issues. Remember too, I cited earlier Sony pre 1973. The best early Sony from 1965-1970 were the rival of Sansui in sound and build.

 

[Mr.White]

I had a Sansui 2000X that was gone through by AKer JBLmar [RIP] and it was one of my favorite receivers ever. I only sold it because I'm vastly downsizing and they are commanding high prices at the moment. I have read several times that JVC receivers from that same era sound very similar and this was my experience with this oddball JVC Model 4450 that I found not too long ago. I was bypassing the BSR and plugging my 1200MKII into it and I must say it was a tad better sounding than my 2000X. Yes, you read this right. It developed a intermittent noise in the left channel and I considered getting it repaired. But its lack of a Mono switch and this weird quirk where I could not, without distortion use a double Y-connector to sum the L/R stereo cables either made me decide to put it aside for the time being. But, when it wasn't distorting in the left channel it really did sound fantastic. I would look at JVC from the late 60's early 70's. They are often not too much money.