You Can Come Home Again-Sansui 500 Receiver

[Ishmael]

A year ago, an odyssey began, a trip back to the origin of my discovery of recorded music in the mid-1960s. This is the story of my brother’s music system brought back from the Vietnam war. A Sansui 500 receiver, Dual turntable and a pair of co-axial speakers that laid on the floor (we never got around to building their speaker boxes). All my years of high school this system played and many many a Friday night friends would gather with a new album, and we would play it, read the liner notes, and talk about the music and our lives late into the night. After my brother’s death, five decades later, the only remaining part of that system, Sansui 500 receiver, returned into my life. But could it be brought back to life? Yes, it could, our decades long stereo shop Hawthorne Stereo could do this through the connections and wonderful professionals they knew. While great playing the Sansui 500 through our Spendor A7 speakers, I felt something was missing, those 16 Ohm speakers long gone.

So, I would look time to time, eBay, Craigslist, Hawthorne Stereo’s Used Room for vintage 16 Ohm speakers until it happened. One day a pair of NOS, still in box, with all papers and the critical design for a front ported speaker box, Pioneer 16 Ohm PAX-20E co-axial speakers were found.

Then I read the seller’s description and Déjà vu. They were purchased by a Vietnam Vet at nearly the same time and at the same Japan PX my brother purchased his system. No, they weren’t the same lost speakers, but they were, perfect.

Tonight, I bring the finished PAX-20E speakers home, turn on the lava lamp, Sansui 500 and pass back in time. I will cue up Joan Baez to play “Forever Young” and as she sings, another voice will join her in song, my brother’s.

You can come home again.

 

[Ishmael]

Thanks all, this has been a revelation of sorts.

Is it the tubes? The restored speakers (new cones/voice coils, the glue had dried and coils were loose, tweeter capacitor)? Matching 16 Ohm speakers with the 16 Ohm tap? There is a synergy here. This system loves the human voice, and a wide range of music, though classical orchestra, "Jupiter" from "The Planets", not so much. Is it the 100 dB/watt efficiency? The mid and treble is very fine, and the bass can be too, but stops around 40 Hz.But, the bass is funny, some recorded material, it is not there as much and other recorded material WOW where did that lead in electric bass line come from, e.g., Doby Gray "Driftaway".

Social Media and the age of comparison anxiety, my modern SS system and Spendor A7 speakers," Better", yes but really as I listen to the same songs through modern and vintage systems, I think the more accurate word is "Different".

Which leads to the why?

Why restore and create the playback system of 1966-70?

A 1966 Ford Mustang fastback with a 289 V-8 and a four speed transmission would be destroyed by the least of the modern Mustang, but the modern Mustang can’t be a time machine. That 66 Mustang can. We who lived those years left our DNA in them, just as each generation does, but therein lies the cool. The arts constantly recreate themselves, music, movies, etc., they mine the past. With this vintage system I seek no more than to slip an 8-track into the playback deck in that 66 Mustang, to sing once more with the wind of those summer nights.

Take Care.

 

[zackthedog]

That's a fantastic story, and it must sound wonderful. Congratulations on completing your brother's system.

 

[nerdorama]

I assume you refer to Hawthorne Stereo in Seattle. I always liked to nose around the used room when I lived over there. Glad you're having fun.
John

 

[TriodeLuvr]

Does the Northwest host a large vintage audio culture? I seem to read more relevant postings online from that area than elsewhere.

Jack

 

[Ishmael]

I can’t believe this. It just keeps getting better and better.

As previously mentioned regarding the Pioneer PAX-20E speakers:

“Then I read the seller’s description and Déjà vu. They were purchased by a Vietnam Vet at nearly the same time and at the same Japan PX my brother purchased his system. No, they weren’t the same lost speakers, but they were, perfect.”

(emphasis added)

My brother’s original system was a Dual turntable, Sansui 500 receiver and a pair of co-axial speakers that had a wire attached from the speaker to a control to adjust the treble. The best I could recall was that they were made by a company whose first name started with a “C”, I thought perhaps something like “Crown”.

But today, while looking through the available 16 Ohm speakers, I found my brothers speakers, the exact identical speakers: Coral Model: 12TX-50.

Purchased!

Then I found the spec. sheet for the Coral 12TX-50 and the sheet with the critical specifications for building the speaker box for these speakers. Something we never did with the original speakers.

It's like reading my brother’s mind. These speakers max. power 25 watts, sensitivity 102dB and voice coil impedance of 16 ohm are a perfect match for the Sansui 500 receiver.

I can wait, enjoy the Pioneer PAX-20E, take the time to have the speakers restored, speaker box built, and have that second, second chance. Perhaps there is an energy in sharing and your good wishes, kind words, lets end with that thought.

I’ll be back next year, when this is done, to share the joy of tears.

Take Care.

 

[Ishmael]

The Crown speakers arrived and they are exactly the same as my brother's speakers. One still has the attached attenuator for adjusting treble, but is missing its knob. The other is missing the entire attenuator, but still has the original cabling. Next week we will visit our speaker repair shop for the moment of truth, test for function and discussion on repair/replacement of hole in the right speaker. Cross fingers. Man lifting them the heft and feel, took me back.

Take Care

 

[bolero]

The Crown speakers arrived and they are exactly the same as my brother's speakers. One still has the attached attenuator for adjusting treble, but is missing its knob. The other is missing the entire attenuator, but still has the original cabling. Next week we will visit our speaker repair shop for the moment of truth, test for function and discussion on repair/replacement of hole in the right speaker. Cross fingers. Man lifting them the heft and feel, took me back.

Take Care

Hey did you ever build the enclosure for these?