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Which Sansui to pick up?

KeithD

KeithD

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
A few for sale locally:

2000 $165
5050 $125
551 $65
5000A ??

The 551 has some cosmetic issues on the face. 5000A has the tuner not working, currently at a local hobby tech, so no price yet.

I have two quad units QR-4500 and 6500, but nothing in the 2 channel Sansui line. Would any of these be a good stereo unit, or should I look for something else?
 
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We're not supposed to discuss pricing in this forum, so I'll just stick to the vitals and my impression of each herewith, without assessing the fairness of the prices quoted in the OP

2000 and 5000A are fairly closely related. Both are late 60's tech, capacitor coupled amplifiers of the same basic underlying philosophy. 5000A is 55WPC output max and when in proper order sounds very good, has a "punchier" sound than later Sansui receivers by virtue of being cap coupled. The 2000 is less output power (right around 25WPC by my recollection) and is of a slightly older aesthetic design that was updated to look more like the 5000A with the 2000A and later still the 2000X. The latter two each got slight power boosts over their predecessors.

551 is early 70's, good build quality. It is middle of the range for its series (221-881). This line is prerty well regarded as sort of a sleeper series, since they predate the 5050-9090 and the horsepower wars, so aren't as quite powerful or as feature laden as the successors that came out a couple of years later. You don't specify the severity of the cosmetic problems, but that is usually a deal breaker for me as I prefer gear that displays as well as it sounds. If the issues are minor, maybe not a problem for you. Kind of a subjective thing.


The 5050 is the smallest model in the series 5050-9090, mid 70's. A decent unit, sounds good but the entry model within its lineup versus the 5000A which was the top of its line, albeit a few years earlier. Major features and power about on par with the 5000A and is certainly more "modern" looking in a mid 1970s sense for layout and styling versus the decidedly late 60's look of the 2000 or 5000A.

Of the bunch, if the 5000A gets to be fully working and isn't outrageously priced once done, that would be my choice. I own one and really like it, even with a lot of newer more advanced Sansui gear at my disposal.

Of these the 551 is the only model I don't own at least one of within the same series. I have 2000X, 5000, 5000A, 5000X, 690 (black front panel version of 6060, one up from the 5050), 8080DB and 9090DB. So, it's the only one I can't personally speak to on sound quality. Other members here have posted favorably about the xx1 series numerous times, including one recent thread that gave very high praise to a 771. I've no reason to doubt the veracity of those claims.
 
Don't overlook the humble 5050. Sure, it doesn't have pre-out main-in feature, but soundwise - mine easily bests all other receivers
I have in that class(30 wpc) including Marantz 2230. Just my opinion.
 
Thanks for all of those thoughts on the various receivers. Sorry if I was not supposed to post prices.

I do like the sound of cap coupled receivers - I really like the sound of my QR receivers and the two Pioneers I have that are cap coupled.

I have read that the xx1 series is good, but to me the aesthetics leaves something to be desired. As I recall the face of the 551 has a spot on the silvered plastic where the silver has been rubbed/chipped off.

I do like the looks of the 5050, but as you say it is BOTL. Satelite, would you say the 5050 is better sounding than other low-wattage Sansuis? Power is not an issue for me since I never play music really loud or need to drive large speakers. In fact, I somewhat prefer low watt receivers since they usually are simpler inside and have been less abused. I would likely use the receiver in a small room with a pair of Klipsch bookshelf speakers. It would take the place of one of my Pioneer cap-coupled receivers that needs maintenance.

Are any of the four I mentioned better design or lower maintenance? I've read most of the 5000A receivers have a board that is prone to go bad.

Which has the best tuner? My Pioneer SX-2500 and SX-990 have amazing tuners in terms of ability to pull in stations.

I'd really prefer to get and eight or seven, but those are pretty rare around here.
 
The 5000A does have a known stability issue with the original driver boards, F-1040 (or F-1040-1) that can be corrected with a modification. There was also a redesigned driver board, F-6013, thst could be installed to address this and many units did receive this update. If not equipped with the F-6013 driver boards, then the mod to the originals needs to be done if it hasn't been already.

After nodding or replacement, the 5000A is a rock solid receiver. Oddly enough, many are still working today even with the original driver boards notnodded, so the failure from these very was hit or miss.
 
Thanks for the further info on the 5000A. The guy that has it also has the 551. He buys/sells/repairs vintage stereo equipment as a hobby in his retirement. Have not seen the 5000A working yet, and don't know when he'll get it fixed, nor what he will want for it. So, I'll probably just wait and see. Interestingly, he gets very few Sansui's in. Of the major brands he mostly has Pioneer, Marantz, some Kenwood and Yamaha for receivers. He says he also gets very few Sansuis in for repair. Don't know if that is because they seldom need it, or there are just fewer of them out there, but I'm pretty sure he repairs more Marantz than Sansui.
 
Hi, l haven't owned a 5000A but my partner has a 2000 that l fully restored for her, l have owned a 551 (still have a 441) and have also owned a 6060 (one model up from the 5050). To be honest they all sound really nice.

The earlier units (2000/5000) have a heavier/better build quality to them but the two later units are also well put together.

KeithD said:
Are any of the four I mentioned better design or lower maintenance?
Click to expand...

I would have to say that the 551 out of the bunch would be the simplest internally and also the easiest/cheapest to maintain or restore if you decided to go down that route. The 551 is the smallest in the XX1 line that uses discrete amplifier components, the 221, 331 and 441 all use STK modules.

The X0X0 series have problems with fusible resistors as a minimum but are straightforward to replace.

The restored 2000 here sounds as good or better than nearly all other vintage pieces that l compare it to and l have had quite a few, (maybe 80-100).
 
Oldsansui441 said:
The restored 2000 here sounds as good or better than nearly all other vintage pieces that l compare it to and l have had quite a few, (maybe 80-100).
Click to expand...
Wow, that's quite the recommendation for the 2000, and I assume the whole x000 line. For some reason the green dial of the early Sansuis is not my favorite (I like the blue/black look), but performance/sound is the most important to me. Actually, that is the reason I've been leaning toward Sansui lately. All of the Pioneers I have had either came with issues or developed them over time. In comparison the few Sansui receivers I've had sound great and have had zero issues. Maybe I'm just unlucky with Pioneer and lucky with Sansui???
 
Those early green dial scales are a point of contention for me too, or at least were. As I've come to gain greater appreciation for the earlier Sansui receivers, it has grown on me. Still prefer the blue on black look though, so I understand where you're coming from. Pioneer really had some sharp looking dial scales and front panel designs, the SX-828 is one I admire, and the SX-990 is pretty neat too.

Back to Sansui, the "straight" 2000 is not one I've heard myself, but I have a 2000X and previously also owned a 2000A and both sounded great to me. The 2000 (no suffix) is a bit less power than either the A or X, but still quite respectable on it's specs.

In the past 3 or 4 years, this series (2000-5000) has really gained a following and this can be seen in the prices they are catching presently. I think a lot of collectors (myself included) got caught up in chasing the big dogs (9090, G9000, the big separates and integrateds) and spent years overlooking the older and more modest models.

What you're seeing now is that these models have gotten the attention they deseeve. Part of this is that they are just good sounding solid units. A secondary reason is that the heavy hitter top of the line models have gotten so expensive now that many have been priced out of buying them, short of finding a miracle deal on a fluke. That does still happen once in a while, but not with the frequency it used to.
 
KeithD said:
Wow, that's quite the recommendation for the 2000, and I assume the whole x000 line
Click to expand...

I can't speaker of the others in this series but to us the 2000 just doesn't do anything wrong, but we both (like you) seem to like that early cap coupled sound.

KeithD said:
For some reason the green dial of the early Sansuis is not my favorite (I like the blue/black look), but performance/sound is the most important to me
Click to expand...

The early Pioneer's sound great also.

KeithD said:
Maybe I'm just unlucky with Pioneer and lucky with Sansui???
Click to expand...

Yes l would say this is the case as no brand of this age is any more reliable than another IMHO.

Sansuiman said:
What you're seeing now is that these models have gotten the attention they deseeve. Part of this is that they are just good sounding solid units.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more, would love to get hold of a 5000, 5000A or 5000X to restore and try out.
 
I thought the guy had a 5000A, but stopped by there and it's actually a 5000X. He also has a model Eight, that has a scratchy channel and needs a good cosmetic cleaning. It's also missing the words on several of the push buttons. Is one of these two worth pursing more than the other? The 5000X is in much better cosmetic condition, but he has not fixed the tuner issue yet.
 
5000X is a very nice unit as well. Really just a minor update on the 5000A with a slightly improved looking dial scale design. It has same amp and tuner, but has two phono inputs instead of one. The 5000A and straight 5000 had an input marked "tape head" which is of no use at all now, as it was intended for use with a reel to reel deck with no internal preamp. The 5000X just replaced that with a second phono input.

The X also has a better chance of having the F-6013 driver boards as they were being put in at the factory partway through it's production run. The earlier models only got them as retrofits during a repair. Note that some early X's don't have them however. I've no idea what the serial number cutover was for the new boards, regrettably.

All that said, the Eight is going to be a better unit overall than a 5000 of any variant. The eight was incredibly overdesigned and built and has engineering flourishes that made it singularly unique. The pushbutton legends are an issue, and a common deficiency in the design but new labels can be made that are pretty decent looking with a little ingenuity.
 
Of them all, my preference would without question be the 5000x, although the 8 might be a contender once I heard it. I’ve had two 2000s and a 2000x, and they are my all time favorite low powered amp, with my preference being the 2000x because you can split the pre from the amp. They have a sound that is captivating! The preamp section is also quite impressive, blowing away a Nikko Beta 30 that I have. The 5000x is on my wish list, just because I was so impressed by the 2000x. And I really like the cosmetics! The green lighting and the fact the tuner dial switches off when not using the tuner is a feature I appreciate, but there are some who prefer to bypass the switch so the dial is always on.
 
At the risk of further confusing the issue, I'll reiterste that my personal preference of the bunch would be the 5000X, if only for the sound. It is, however, a good looking unit; but of a different aesthetic than later models like the 5050, so that may affect its appeal for some.

While I've a weakness for the big flashy models like the 9090DB, I can admit an appreciation for the tssetfully understated look of the 5000 series.

Even with the exceptional engineering of the Eight - which sounds very good, no doubt, I still give the nod to the 5000X unless you are in a position to get both. That has always been my solution to such dilemmas anyway, which is why I've built a huge collection of gear over 21 years. May not be practical, but it sure is fun.
 
At the rate this guy works, I may get neither! The Eight is in his "back room" of stuff he owns that needs repair. No idea how long it has been sitting there. The 5000X is more recent. He diagnosed the problem (tuner out), but did not determine why. It's slowly getting buried under more recent stuff that has come in. This is how he works. When he gets something in, he determines if it is a quick fix. If so, he completes the fix and he puts it up for sale if he owns it, or gets it back to the owner if it is in for repair. If it is not easy to fix or he can't figure out how to fix it, it sits. He's got stereo equipment in his shop that is pulled apart and has not moved its spot for at least two years (as long as I've known him). But, as I mentioned, this is a retirement hobby for him, so he's not motivated to spend a lot of time frustrated on stuff he has a hard time fixing.
 
A 9090 just showed up for sale at a local music shop (they always have some vintage gear for sale). Price is lower than lowest sold price on e-bay. Manager says it's all working (I'd test it if I was going to buy anyway), main flaw is scratches on the top of the wood case that may or may not be noticeable after refinishing.

The 2000 and 5050 I mentioned above are still available at the same prices, just looked at them again today. The 2000 seemed a bit dirty, has no wood case, and controls/buttons seemed a bit stiff. Would need to fully test before I'd buy that one. 5000X and Eight from the other guy are still in the same state (no surprise!) and not ready for sale.

What do you think? Should I be jumping at the 9090, pick up the 2000 after testing, or wait for a 5000? Unfortunately, all these different Sansui lines confuse me. :(
 
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