For more of my content subscribe to KZread.com/@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

Many a returning Viet Nam veteran brought back a Sansui sound system they picked up on their way back during a stop over in Japan. If you owned a Sansui system back in the day you were one of a select few with bragging rights. Even today those Sansui systems are still very much a desired system.

@erwinvigilia6303

11 ай бұрын

Yep - we were stationed in Guam 68-71, dad came back from Japan with 350 around '70 and it was awesome, a lot of our neighbors on the base had Sansui systems.

@tomp538

11 ай бұрын

Copy that. Still have a set of SP3500 speakers

@cdyoung976

11 ай бұрын

As teenagers in the 90's, we used to jam out on my buddies dad's sansui stereo. His dad was a Vietnam vet too. Man those huge boxes with 12" woofers pounded! We used to pack them in their car and drive around blasting Metallica! Great speakers and great times!

@babaoreally8220

11 ай бұрын

I had my amp and SU-400 speakers shipped home from Nam in March of 69.Speakers were beautiful,heavy pieces of furniture with 15” woofer,2-6”midrange,and 2-2” tweeters.They would literally vibrate your bones.The intro to Joplin’s Ball and Chain was almost unbearable.Thanks for taking me back to those memorable times.

@lewisrovak7696

11 ай бұрын

What about my Sansui 9090db..any thoughts??😂

A video on Akai History would be very interesting and I cast a vote for a future video on Akai. Anyone else interested?

@off2geo

11 ай бұрын

Perhaps Aiwa as well👍🏼

@AndMakrid

11 ай бұрын

Absolutely!

@jdekong3945

11 ай бұрын

be nice to see a vid on Akai

@robertwright5487

11 ай бұрын

I sure am! 👍

@stephenstevens6573

11 ай бұрын

Yes! I'm interested!! I had 2 Akai reel to reels as well as several others from the likes of Teac, Pioneer and Sony. The Akais were always superior IMHO. The glass and crystal heads were bulletproof as well as sounding the best of all of them. Was always curious as to why they never seemed to float to the top of the industry.

Back in the 1970's, my father owned a Sansui Receiver 331 with the green back light. I remember that thing sounded fantastic and all of my friends thought I was so lucky to have a "cool father" for owning a Sansui. Although my father past away many years ago, I still have his Sansui 331 in 2023!

@Warpedsmac

Ай бұрын

My father bought the 331 back in 1975...like you, people and my school friends came around to listen to it, the Sansui AA-3900 speakers with the FR-1080 turntable...people could not believe their ears; laughing and shaking their heads in disbelief!!! 12 watts per channel but it is SANSUI watts!!! Everything is still working perfectly to this day with normal maintenance. Cheers from sunny Australia!!!

@frozentundra7446

Ай бұрын

@@Warpedsmac Nice!

Our neighbor returned from Viet Nam with what seemed like every Sansui component made. That was the first time I saw the Sansui reverb highlighted in a video earlier this year. As a 15-year-old, his setup was the coolest thing I had ever seen. It was a note of nostalgia seeing the reverb recently in the store. Thank you

@McFarqua

10 ай бұрын

We got that right or Subic......

@deniswauchope3788

10 ай бұрын

Yeah, I saw that reverb, I had one of those too. Not that I ever went acid-trippin' with surround sound, no siree!

Bought a new Sansui G6000 receiver in NYC in 1979 for 360 bucks. it still works , and still sounds great. Sansui proved that all good things really do come to an end. I wish they would re-release the old stuff made new. It would be awesome. I just watched the video. running through all that gear was really fantastic. thanks for taking the time to make this. people that like music have no idea what they missed when this gear was out. It was a great time to be alive.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Such a nice receiver! Thanks for sharing!

@danbasta3677

11 ай бұрын

Rerelease silver faced stereo component systems. They looked the best, better than black, that is a fact.

I loved my Sansui 5000 which lasted me 22 years of almost constant high power use. It had such a beautiful natural sound. I used it with my Akai GX-230D which, believe it or not I'm still using. I recorded almost 1,500 vinyl albums on it. There's just something about that pure, high end analogue sound that digital remasters can't duplicate. Surprisingly those tapes still sound great. I'm still using my analogue HK receiver I bought in 1991 when my Sansui died, and my top of the line Radio Shack speakers from 1972 and 1979. Five years ago I went to Best Buy to by a Sony TV that was on sale, and the sales rep wanted me to hear this super expensive sound system in their Magnolia Room. We selected a song I have in my collection so I'd know what it's supposed to sound like. I was prepared to be blown away, and I was. I was blown away by how bad it sounded. I could hear the sound of the plastic...yes plastic cabinets resonating, and the annoying boom in the muddy upper bass. I told him I couldn't even listen to the rest of the song, and told him since he lived near me to stop over and hear it on my old analogue system with acoustically sealed heavy wooden speaker cabinets, and he did. Once he heard it he asked how he was ever going to feel good about demoing that ten thousand dollar system again. As they say, they don't make them like they used to.

@clittle1559

11 ай бұрын

to flick on a stereo in a car or house +theater , store whatever and make an immediate opinion, and walk away is a bit narrow-minded. Most new 10k audio systems have more then bass treble and partical board cabinets .long story short being a person that there Playlist could go from zeppelin or Fleetwood mack or Gorge Thorogood to hozier,Struggle Jennings/jelly roll to slipknot then to boosie or Kevin gates that being said that 10k audio unit probably/obviously! wasn't turned to listen to your genre of music at that sec. we're not going backwards here,? except these 4 years and this senile administration....

@iracordem

10 ай бұрын

yep, analog warmth…producers originally using studer, otari or mci ‘john henry’ rollers, CURSED the first sony 48 track. sure there was no real setup or qtipping needed, saving session start time, but a whole new set of sonic issues entered. little things like compressing the output, not the input. you wanted to take the whole mix thru a tube amp & mic the speakers. nowdays its tube amp plug-ins, tape sat simulator plug-ins, other helps…they help

@echelonrank3927

10 ай бұрын

i picked up a set of dumped home made spekers from side of the road. didnt think much of them except they were like 50 kg each, kinda riduculous. i dunno who on earth made them but they sound solid as.... lets just say i got rid of my KEF reference series soon after that LOL still, the KEFs sounded infinitely better than the plasic home theater garbage thats filling every living room and dumpster these days.

@JohnnyDanger36963

10 ай бұрын

Never happrened

@carrite

10 ай бұрын

>>There's just something about that pure, high end analogue sound that digital remasters can't duplicate. Which, vinyl surface noise or tape hiss?

While in the Air Force I owed a QRX-9001. In the barracks this receiver would emit enough light to land a C5 in dense fog. While lighting up the room, I could also warm up leftovers. Great sounding machine. Looking at the used prices, wish I would have kept it.

@DikNose-st8jx

Ай бұрын

How could you have known that the majority of the population would become brain damaged? I like this old gear but folks are driving up the prices. Why? It can't come close to competing with Modern Gear. What should be $5 is $5,000 now. Nevermind that a dollar is worth 1 cent too thx to low-lifes like the gov and Mr Pawn Shop youtube guy here. I served too btw. Let's pretend to free.

My nearly 50 year old AU517 (and TU717) gets used nearly every day, it sounds fantastic. I've only had it for the last 8 to 10 years and it is one of my favorites.

@jack6539

7 ай бұрын

Same here. I have had various other sansui amps from the 70s - 317, 517, 717 and I think a 919 and many others, but I always came back to the first sui I bought - the 517. That warm sansui sound always gets me.

@donzero4944

22 күн бұрын

I too had Au and Tu 517 separates. Picked them up in 1979 or 80 I think Consistently used as primary and secondary systems until 3 years ago. Sold them and they are still working just fine !

It's really heartbreaking how such a legendary company went to shit. I"m going to upgrade my stereo next year and the AU series, (7700, 9500) and particularly the professional (9900, 11000) are first in the list with some Pioneer SA as contenders. it's a shame that those things went down after the 717. Fortunately they were built with such perfection that we'll be able to enjoy those pieces for many years to came. Thanks for the great video!

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Thanks Frankie!

@janath9118

11 ай бұрын

Yes, its indeed heartbreaking to see such a legendary audio manufacturing company like Sansui of Japan went to bankruptcy in this manner.

@frankierodriguez8661

11 ай бұрын

@@LennyFlorentine always a pleasure 😁

@Gpray75

11 ай бұрын

Sooo, in your opinion, is the au-717 worth getting a full restoration these days?🙏

@frankierodriguez8661

11 ай бұрын

@@Gpray75 As far as I know, if you have a qualified tech and the necessary parts, why not. Fact is that the 717 was a very innovative amp when launched if I'm not wrong. However I'd go for the professional series for sure.

I purchased a 331 Sansui receiver along with speakers in 1975. I’m still using that system to this day. Best decision I’ve ever made

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

The 1 series was great! When you turn it off FM the tuner dial goes off so you could hide listening to music at night from your parents. Haha

@thijsvdakker1615

11 ай бұрын

i have the same receiver still here, bought new by my mother, together with a pair of Wharfedale Denton speakers and akai tape deck. Brilliant combination.. :)

@JR-uc5oz

11 ай бұрын

I traded up to McIntosh! Best decision I've ever made.

@etch4

11 ай бұрын

I had a better deal.I got the Sansui 331 for free. It was totally dark and silent. 3 bulbs to led replacement + 2X 10uF couple caps (elco's) L + R channel. Nice retro look and easy to use, for more than 10 year now..

@Warpedsmac

Ай бұрын

Hi from Australia Did you match it with Sansui speakers and turntable? If so which models?

Sansui was the pinnacle of audio equipment of my teens and also very rare, expensive, and almost not obtainable due to international sanctions and embargoes. AKAI was also sought after, as was Kenwood and Pioneer. A history of AKAI would also be interesting.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Thanks, lots of requests coming for that one!

@TheReal1953

11 ай бұрын

Depends on the places you audio-shopped. I was in high-end shops in the 70's that wouldn't carry Sansui, Kenwood, Sherwood, Scott and the like. Sansui had the best light show at night and they always seemed to be upping the ante on power/features.

@wolfgangdevries127

11 ай бұрын

Yamaha

@swiftusmaximus5651

11 ай бұрын

Actually Sansui had alot of issues which kept them from Pioneer, Marantz kind of success and then Yamaha entered and it was a slow death after that. I sold Hi Fi in the late 70's early 80's

@Zarcondeegrissom

11 ай бұрын

@@LennyFlorentine I can understand, especially if it's one of the tape recorders with the glass coated heads (like the GX-635D), aside from modern hard drives I don't think anyone else has done that with magnetic heads.

I worked in a couple of Hifi stores in the late 70's and I have to say that after hours of comparing the big 4 Japanese receiver lines through that time period I always preferred Yamaha. Looks only being a part of the equation. I recall that Yamaha was consistently the winner as far as musicality and sound. Yamaha was also the clear cut winner as far as reliability. They seldom showed up on the workbench. The company that gave Yamaha a run for the money music wise in our store was Tandberg. Those were fun days to be in Hifi sales.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

I bet they were, someone had got to have some pictures of those days!

@socalav

11 ай бұрын

Totally agree. Sansui was great, but it was the era of GREAT hifi from an entire industry. Yamaha definitely sounded better to my ears as well. But there were so many others too. It was really the absolute golden age.

@LaserLuther

11 ай бұрын

Yamaha has always had a warmness to their sound that I love, almost a tube like sound IMO.

@drumsmoker731

10 ай бұрын

It was the perfect storm of highly qualified engineers, favorable economics and a booming market. They could produce high-end for the masses at affordable prices.

@stuuuporman

10 ай бұрын

I like Yamaha also, but several of their products, we sold, had output transistor and/or power output problems.

Love a history lesson. What a shame what eventually happened to Sansui. I have my late fathers 441 receiver he purchased in the mid 70’s I believe. I was a young kid. Sounds good to this day.

Sansui was by far the most amazing stereo system when I was in high school in 1972. I still remember the first time a friend invited me over to experience his new Sansui system. Sitting between two speakers while listening to The Beatles' "I Am the Walrus," it was as if I could hear every instrument distinctly. Even quality headphones couldn't duplicate the stunning fidelity of the Sansui system.

Thank you for this video. I always wondered what became of Sansui. I had an AU-777 for many decades and when it was time to replace it the brand was nowhere to be found. I loved that amp.

My Dad bought his first Sansui in 1969 to replace The Fisher Model X 100b. Dad bought a very interesting Sansui 600L AM/FM and Short Wave Receiver, this receiver even had a integrated equalizer. In 1976 dad replaced that receiver with the AU5900 with Matching TU5900 tuner. We also purchase a Sansui front loading Tape deck the SC3110, other equipment paired with the AU5900 was a Thorens TD 124 that Dad bought in 1958 upgraded in 1964 with a grado labs wood tonearm, also a Sony Reel to Reel TC 377_2 , a pioneer equializer SG9500, and Sansui and Fisher speakers. To this day I have the AU5900, the TU5900, the Thorens td 124, and the pioneer equilizer in working order. I love the sound of that amplifer, my whole vinatage equipment is my pride and joy.

I have a Sansui 6060 receiver/amplifier with a wonderfully dampened analog station dial that my father bought 50 years ago. It works perfectly and looks like new, it still resides in the original, dedicated stereo cabinet with a Pioneer direct drive turntable and an Akai cassette deck. I use it almost daily to listen the radio or to our old records, I love the sound coming from the big speakers with the deep bass.

Had a 9090 as a teenager. Got in a lot of trouble with that. It was very loud let’s say. I even had a funeral home director come over and asked me to turn the music down. They were trying to have a funeral. But I have a 7070 today and it’s going strong I love it. Four Sansui speakers. I bought a 6060 for my son, and another friend. I guess you could say I’m a Sansui guy. Thanks so much for all the information. It’s some stuff I’ve always wondered about.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Those Sansui's were so good they were worried they'd wake the dead... haha

@steveslate3601

11 ай бұрын

Still have my 8080!! As a young musician, i did a lot of woodsheding plugging my Bass into the mic input playing along with the radio and all my albums!! It was a real workhorse. Still works but needs work.

The Sansui 9090DB was the receiver that got me into HiFi back in 1976 when I was 12 years old. It belonged to my oldest brother who had it paired up with a pair of Technics SB7000A speakers.

@MissionaryForMexico

11 ай бұрын

About same age too!

I have a Sansui TU-9900 tuner and a Sansui AU-D7 amp that I picked up when I was on active duty in Korea in 1983. It still sounds great and has more power than I'll ever use. Sansui definitely was good stuff back in the early years.

I have a bunch of Sansui gear and use it often. Some belonged to my military dad that he bought over seas and other stuff I have acquired. Love the warm full spacious sound. Hope to keep it in the family another generation.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

The stories those systems could tell...

Long ago I had a Sansui 1000A Tube Type Receiver, Technically rated at 28 watts per channel, that receiver could pump out sound all day long like much much more powerful receivers. Old but awesome.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Those were great!

@dreammix9430

11 ай бұрын

I still have my Sansui 1000a that i bought in the early 70s when i was 16. I loved that thing. Parents hated it. But i think it was 60 warrs per channel because it has 4 6L6 output tubes in push pull parallel. With 3 iron core transformers that thing is HEAVY! I plugged it in a couple years ago and when i turned it on it immediately blew the AC fuse :(

@MysticFrequencies

11 ай бұрын

@@dreammix9430 Yeah I was quoting the RMS power at 8 ohms, that’s too bad it’s blowing the fuse, i would bet that like old TV’s that it needs the capacitor cans rebuilt. Wish I still had mine.

@dreammix9430

11 ай бұрын

@@MysticFrequencies yeah those caps are probably dry as a bone. I just cant get rid of it though. Too many memories. Edit: maybe ill rebuild it... when i retire :)

Great video. My house is full of vintage Sansui from the golden age. Once I learned about the golden age of stereo just before the stereo wars I focused there and went through a bunch of Sansui gear. I grew up on Pioneer in the 70's but love vintage Sansui.

Helped my friend pick out a stereo system at Circuit City in NC circa 1984. He ended up with a Sansui receiver powering some Micro Acoustics speakers (odd brand - not Boston Acoustics - but sounded good) and a Pioneer cassette deck with a Technics turntable and the ubiquitous Discwasher record cleaner. Even his wife liked it and didn't complain too much about his "hobby". Life was good. The AM/FM tuner on that Sansui was every bit the equal to my Pioneer.

@robtaylor-manning4871

11 ай бұрын

😮

@flugplatz21

10 ай бұрын

I got a '69 5000a a few months ago. Kinda the same thing at my house. In the first couple weeks, three times or so, the wife just stopped for a second, unprompted, and said " That sounds REALLY nice." The guys at the store said Marantz was generally warm and mellow, while the "Sansui sound" is a little more lively. I love it!

Ouch. I followed Sansui's long, sad decline up until about 2000, then sort of forgot about it (and Kenwood, and Denon...it was getting all too depressing). Thanks for bringing me up to speed here, and definitely looking forward to more like this.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Yeah, everything gets kinda foggy around 90s and 00s, glad you enjoyed!

I was stationed in Okinawa in 1977 - 1978. I bought a Sansui 9090db on the Marine Corp birthday on sale for 305.00. It's still marked on the box. I still use it and sounds great with my Altec Valencia 846b speakers. Thanks for an interesting education on Sansui!

Thank you!!! Great info 👍👍👍Keep it up….Do more please!!!!

I own a Sansui 9090 that I bought for $100 maybe 15 years ago. Sounds incredible and whenever I get the itch to buy a new amp, I put that money into components instead and keep the 9090 as the core of my system. I've had it serviced a few times and one time the tech didn't do the best job. Wish I had some way to get it to Just Audio all the way from Chicago for some of your expert service work!

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

We can arrange a freight pickup and delivery at an additional cost.

@alexw890

11 ай бұрын

Was it Deltronics by chance that did the bad work?

@Depeche_Commode

11 ай бұрын

@@alexw890 No, I lived in NYC at the time and it was a place on Long Island called In House Audio Repair.... or something like that. It didn't help matters any that I was also ignorant about hifi at the time too.

I had a Sansui AUD-33 amplifier which included a Super Feedforward System for distortion reduction, which I bought in 1983. It was a wonderful amp which I kind of regret selling around 1999. I hope it's still in use somewhere.

You guys are remarkably affective at making me want to forage through my spare junk room (similar to a kitchen junk drawer) to get reacquainted with my retired gear. Most appreciated! New old found treasure.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Haha! That's great

Thanks for digging into this, I didn't know any of this. Sansui receivers were on the top of my dream receiver wish list when I was growing up in the 70s. I always wondered what the heck happened to this great company. Thanks for this video, great job!

I have always loved Sansui. They were easy to repair and they had a nice look. You could feel the quality in the sound they produced. Too bad I didn't keep any.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Totally agree!

My very first integrated amp was a 301i Sansui. I always liked that it sounded very soothing and musical, although it lacked in the analytical department. Which, on the other hand, made listening to mediocre productions much easier.

This style of video is fantastic and I hope you do more deep dives like this.

Bought an AU-417 in 1971, still going strong today. Listening to this utube channel with it and a pair of Sansui speakers.

I am not a fan of Sansui speakers by any stretch but, I love their receivers/amps. I just got a Sansui Eight for a good deal and it has been such a joy to listen to for the past few weeks. I have a G-4700 that needs repair soon too.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

The eight is great! Ship it in to us for restoration!

Back in the 80’s & 90’s, my grandmother worked for the Hect Co. department stores as a sales person in their electronics department. This was back in the day when most of America purchased their stereos, televisions, appliances, etc. in department stores. Sansui, even back then, was positioned as a top-brand line…above brands like Fisher, Sanyo, Sony, RCA, etc. For many, hi-fi meant a “rack system” of plug-and-play components that included matching speakers. In hindsight, pretty much every system coming out of department stores from this era was probably made by the same Chinese or Taiwan factories…they just had different branding and faceplates. One thing I’d like to mention is that there was a clear brand that was really different that you could find in the department stores back then: Philips/Magnevox. Of course, they had that European difference to them, but beyond that, they were built to a higher state and had better performance. Those first CD players from Magnevox are still considered the best performing and sounding players ever…would’ve been great to see if the rest of Philips/Magnevox gear could have matched the Technics/Kenwood/Pioneer/Onkyo gear of that day. Great history lesson, Lenny!

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Awesome share! Everyone should read this! Phillips also made pretty much every cd mech for 90% of the cd players ever made regardless of who made them.

Nice tutorial. I bought an 881 in 1976 and it's still with me, working perfectly.

I was there in the 70s and it was heady times for HiFi. This video brought those old feelings back to me. Thanks.

When I was working at an audio store in 1979-81, I used to deal with the Sansui representative all the and went many times to pick up special orders for customers. However, since I was a military dependent, I was able to purchase my own components through the military PX.

Another terrific video! I bought a Sansui 9090 receiver a few years ago, and the build quality is first-rate. The quality of the switches and the heaviness of the large volume knob gives one the confidence this receiver will be working long after I'm dead. The sound has so much depth and comes on strongly if you let it. I use it all the time and love it. Please keep creating these videos, and Thank You!!

I loved this video on some audio history ,please do the same for other brands that seemed to have fizzled out like pioneer ,altec lansing ,... . So many greats have been lost over the years and i love to look back on the history of what would have been for sale in the golden years.

Sansui my all time favourite audio brand. Love my never-selling AU-d11/TU-s9, AU-8500 & G-8000. Looking for some 8080/9090, AU-9900. Great video!

Its a shame, I always thought it was some of the best equipment on the market, however a lot of the good companies have disappeared.

@glennso47

11 ай бұрын

But the crappy companies are still around? 😮

In the late 80s, Sansui had some car audio amplifiers, too. Only they were made by Precision Power, Inc. (aka PPI). PPI was renowned for making some of the best sounding car audio amps, and the line they made for Sansui were excellent as well. It's a shame that some of these brands that were considered high-end back in the day have been whored out by conglomerates.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Yeah a shame!

@iceman45ification1

11 ай бұрын

@JustAudioHiFi correction, I meant late 80's. Lol

@nickmrt2670

11 ай бұрын

Never knew that. I had a PPI 2150 and that thing was bulletproof. Some of those 80s and early 90s car amps as well as some head units are going for a pretty penny.

@iceman45ification1

11 ай бұрын

@nickmrt2670 old school PPI amps were awesome. I built a sound system for my car, and I run PPI Power Class amps from the late 90's. Almost 30 years old and still sound amazing. You couldn't beat the USA made amps. And yeah, they're going for a pretty penny. Old school brands like Orion and Linear Power are crazy expensive right now.

@ks-hg5vo

11 ай бұрын

Nice name drops coming over all fuzzy. I still have my sansui car amp. Monster!! The heat sink looked like it had been built from a battle ship. I must dust it off. I miss my 7909. My Phoenix gold eq230 is now doing some time in my home cinema.

I just picked up an 8080DB and absolutely love it! Matches well with my vintage Frazier speakers. I have several pair of Sansui speakers (200, 1500, 2000) that I have reconditioned but have not listened to yet.

Wow, great video. I always wondered what happened to Sansui. You did a great research and brought back memories. I bought my first stereo system, a 100 watt Sansui stereo rack system, back in early 80’s in Okinawa, Japan when I was in the Navy and had resupply stop/visit there. The turntable was direct drive with linear tracking arm that can select specific track via the track buttons. That was hi tech back then. The system was all black with this cool aqua colored lighting that looked awesome at night. I also bought their VHS VCR when I was getting into home theater. This was when they still make it Japan.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Thank you very much!

Sansui until end of 70s made music machine, which were build lile tank, reliable... Wish to have Sansui Quadraphonic receiver 😊

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Yeah their QRX quads rocked! Thanks for sharing.

@vinylsolution2522

11 ай бұрын

I bought my first vintage reciever in 2013, a Sansui QRX-5500. I had it serviced and cleaned up, it's been Rocking in my garage ever since, with two sets of era correct Sansui Speakers. I just purchased my Dream Sansui, a G-7500... and it sounds Glorious. You can't go wrong with a Sansui from 1970-1979. Great Videos Sir. Cheers.

@jejeroy

11 ай бұрын

They were built like no others electronic product a solid frame my au-9500 must weight around 50-60 pounds and when you look inside you can really see that it was an electronic marvel of its time the perfection is outstanding each circuit were build to work for hundred years, i'm sure that a day someone else will receive my amp and discover the sound quality of the 1960-1970 !

Recently acquired a late 1980's AU X711 integrated, it was not cheap but what a nice unit. Part of the Alpha series which are considered as good as it gets. Also use a Sansui SR 525 turntable, fully manual direct drive.

@TheKyotoKid

11 ай бұрын

Too bad you skipped that time frame, there were a few highly regarded models produced such as the X711 and X911 culminating into those final years.

@petemac1109

11 ай бұрын

@@TheKyotoKid they did indeed - the 711/911 are lovely amps. Interestingly, in Japan they made even bigger versions of those amps for the local market, including the big 33kg Alpha x-balanced 907 models. They are truly works of art.

Excellent Video!! Thanks for Sharing!

I had a Sansui 60w receiver when I was in college in the mid to late seventies. I didn't know anything about the technical aspects, I just know it sounded great and looked super cool with that blue dial! When I was a freshman, I went into another guys dorm room to listen to music and he had a super cool looking Sansui receiver, I was high as a kite and right then decided I'd get one myself, and I did!

As an owner 3 9090DB's , I agree with the greatness of Sansui!!

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Now you need some G Series just because. Thanks Dan!

@dancundiff3316

11 ай бұрын

@@LennyFlorentine Well......maybe, not really my style.....but about that 1980!!! Take a Monster Kenwood on partial trade???

That is really sad, A Tragic ending of a great company.

I bought the Sansui G-4700 in about 1981...still have it and it sounds and looks awesome. Still has the emblems attached to the front.

Nice work thanks Kelvin

In 1996 or 97, i happened to listen to a Sansui made CD player. It was for the first time I had listened to the CD sound. It sounded amazing. Even though I have heard systems costing much more, the sound of that Sansui CD player remains afresh in my mind.

@mrkkitson

11 ай бұрын

I bought a Sansui integrated amp in Japan in 1978. It was AWESOME

One local audio dealer lamented the fact that many Veterans returning from SE Asia were picking up cheaper hifi gear on their way back to the US upon their separation from Military Obligations and it definitely impacted the US Stereo Market. Sansui was one of the major brands leading the market in the very late 60’s and early 1970s. The rest is audio history.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Very true

Great vid, very well made and informative! I still own a pair of Sansui SP-Z7's that I bought in Germany when I was stationed there back in 1982, they are not in mint condition, but they are in very good condition and they still sound great. I remember going to disco parties before I went into the Army, and this one DJ had a 4 set of Sansui's, I believe there were SP X8000 or 9000, man they were blowing the place up! The Stereo Wars was a great period, definetely a great time for audio, because even the lesser known brands were also putting out some serious equipment for you to have. Now days, it's so sad to go to places that sell audio, because they really don't have anything. Most is focus on home theater with some decent offerings but really nothing like it used to be. That is why I kept my old school stereo equipment, which I still listen to and try to maintain in decent operation, they still sound great.

We owned a few Sansui receiver amps and speakers when I was growing up. You used to be able to find them cheap at thrift stores. They were huge, heavy, and sounded great. I really took them for granted back then.

When my uncle, a Viet Nam vet, passed away over 30 years ago, my family got his belongings. Included was his Sansui G-8000, that I still have.

I bought a Sausui S-X1200 in July 1989. I still have it and it still works. It had a processor switch and a Tape Mon 2 - so it could accommodate 2 equalizers using 2 separate inputs.

Very informative. Much appreciated.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Excellent overview. Thank you!

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks for the great history of Sansui. Such great audio equipment.

My family has had a Sansui QR-1500 since I was a child. My family raised me in SoCal listening to KMET and later KLOS. I remember when John Lennon passed and my mom, shocked by the news coming through that unit. My dad would listen to Chick Hearn on AM. Dad passed many years ago but Mom is still cruisin at 75 and every time I turn the power dial, I think of them both. I'm 52 now and that same 'ol receiver is now in my home with our same 'ol Audio Lab loudspeakers. Those 15 measly watts still sound so good.

Fantastic video guys!

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Thanks man!

I’ve been a Pioneer guy my whole life. I have a Pioneer SX-750 that I’ve been using for almost 20 years, and absolutely love everything about it. That being said, I always worried that it would crap out, and I’d be without a vintage 70’s receiver while it was in the shop. Almost two years ago, my cousin passed away. He and I had a great connection through music, and talked about bands, songs, records and stereo equipment all the time. When he passed, his wife asked me to help sell all of his records and equipment, not knowing what to do with them. For helping, she said I could take whatever I wanted. He had a beautiful Sansui G3500 that cosmetically looked prestige, but wasn’t working. $300 in repairs later, I now have it running on a second stereo setup in my listening room. I have to say, for such a small unit, that sucker packs a punch, delivering great sound and plenty of volume. Visually, it’s stunning like most great equipment from the 70’s. I love every time I turn it on, thinking of my cousin as if he’s there listening to me. I can see why there’s such a fan base for Sansui.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Needle Drop! Thanks for sharing that great story about you and your cousin!

@NeedleDropRules

11 ай бұрын

@@LennyFlorentine thanks! Keep these great videos coming!

I have an 881 for more than 50 trouble free years and still love it. I enjoyed you sharing your knowledge. Thank You.

@LennyFlorentine

10 ай бұрын

Great to hear!

Wow....memories....I bought a Sansui 8080db receiver back in the late 70's from Crazy Eddie's in NY for $400 and that was considered a great deal. Loved that receiver. It could pump out volumes to any speaker at that time. Those were the good ol' days!!

Wow. Great episode. A while ago you convinced me to stop "saving" my Onkyo tx-4500.(was using my 2500) So I pulled it out and one channel was gone,so in it went for the full re-cap re-do. I thought , maybe it's not good for these things to sit, so,when I got my 4500 back, I set up my tx 2500 for my 90 yr. old mom in her painting studio(the entire living room), added to her collection of classical CD's, and she is loving it.(shoulda done it sooner)It's a concert hall up there now. So thanks. In a way , you affected some change...in both our lives.

I remember back around 1975 there was a recall on the Model 7 receivers, replacing the output transistors and bias resistors. I've been looking for one ever since. Impressive

In the early 90s, I picked up a used Sansui unit meant for home video editing. It provided a couple of effects and transitions, which was interesting, but the bit I actually used, was some audio noise reduction. I used to use it in the process of digitizing records and tapes. It's still somewhere in my house, but no idea where. Until this video popped up, I'd pretty close to forgotten about it. I really liked it a lot...and I think I may have had something else they made, but I can't really recall for sure.

I purchased a Samsung 771 receiver in the mid seventies while a Marine stationed in Okinawa. I also had Sansui speakers, I don't remember the model. That setup lasted for at least 15 years. I eventually replaced it with a Pioneer receiver. I sold it at some point in a yard sale. It was a little sad because it had served me well for so many years.

Great History Lesson this answers some questions I had back in the day 👍

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Thanks Reginald!

I bought my G-7500 new in 1979, and it was incredible. About the 20 year point some solder joints needed re-done, and I got another 10 years out of it. It was incredible sounding, not to mention the memories that went with it. I won't part with it. I could have it gold-plated, but it really doesn't need it. It is beautiful as is.

I bought a lot of Sansui receivers when I was in Vietnam, Hong Kong and in the Akihabara district 1968-1972. Later, I was part owner of a Lafayette Electronics store and we sold Sansui hi-fi stuff. The receivers were every bit as good, if not better, than many other well known Japanese brands. Sometime in the 90's I bought a few Sansui TVs. Boy, does your video bring back memories!😊

I’d never heard of them until seeing the name on a used turntable I picked up a few years back, which I still currently use..the Classique 250T. I love it. The autoreturn feature on the tonearm is what I love the most. I had no idea they were so high end during a bygone era. Even though I’m guessing that’s a very early 80s product (I’d love to know which year, if anyone knows) I’ve had zero issues with it. Upgraded the cartridge to an Ortofon 2M Blue and I’m looking to move into yet another one with a moving coil type as I’ve heard they’re much better when it comes to detail.

Speaking of the great company, I still have my 1975 direct drive Sansui turntable, it cost me 1/3rd of my initial stereo which was 3 months wages. Things are so cheap these days as well as poorer quality. I used it daily until about 17 years ago when I "got together" with someone who had pretty much NO interest in perfect music reproduction. Shortly after I bought it, well years, the only thing I did to it was replace the head shell and cartridge with a unit that cost more than the entire thing, and then spent 1/3rd the cost again on an audiophile needle. The electronics is good and the drive motor phenomenal lasting so long and with it's precision speed still there. Oh yeah I had to replace one of the speed adjusting pots (as I constantly used it) in the late 90's. Nice to hear the brand Nakamichi mentioned here, wish I had one of their decks, but back then they cost 1.5 times what my entire initial separate component stereo did! A little off topic here but great video man.

My father was a real fan of the brand and he had a complete Sansui hifi system with big amp, a weird cassette deck with no door, a real-to-real tape deck, DSP and everything. Before that, he had a great integrated amp/tuner a bit like the one on the thumbnail. I remember I was amazed by the number of inputs and outputs, tape monitor switches and routing features. Left and right channels had their own tone controls on coaxial knobs and I remember that the potentiometers were super smooth and felt like there was some damping. It was also super heavy. You bring back good memories 🙂

I bought a Sansui receiver from a pawn shop just outside of Fort Hood in 1978. That thing kicked ass and beat anyone’s system in our barracks. Had it for about ten years and it stopped working. Took it to a few repair shops but no one could fix it. Kept the Sansui speakers for another 20 years after that. Great audio

I have a Sansui early DVD recorder, it is an amazing machine and I still use it as a CD player. The sound clarity is amazing. Cheers from Oz.

Since the mid 1970s, when I was buying my main stereo gear, and coincidentally got my start in radio as a disc jockey then engineer, I repeatedly saw two manufacturers names inside of every piece of equipment I ever opened up.. Toshiba and Matsushita. Unless I’m terribly mistaken, almost all Japanese audio equipment, during the 70s and early 80s, was built from components from those two companies, later including JVC (Japan Victor Corporation). I don’t remember ever needing to open up Sansui products from that era because they just worked so well for so long. This video makes me want to crack open a Sansui amplifier, tape deck or EQ and see who’s inside.

Back in the day I had an AU-777, it was by far the best sound amp I've ever owned. I got it with two Sansui speakers too, can't remember what model they were, but the sound was just awesome. My neighbor played electric guitar, he loved to plug into my system, he'd have the walls shaking! I also had an Akai X300 10" reel to reel tape recorder, what a heavy beast that was. Man, I miss those days! Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

@LennyFlorentine

10 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

When I started getting into hi-fi in the UK in the mid seventies, Sansui were highly respected - even their budget amps! I still have my turntable, a 222 mk2 that still looks classy 44 years later!

Just had my 7070 repaired, been in my family since 1994, Love the sound especially paired with my 15" Cerwin Vega

Interesting video; I've often wondered where this brand went. I still have and occasionally use one of the late '70/early '80's Sansui models, although I don't know the model number. (I never look at the back panel anymore) It plays fine, although I need a new antenna to make the radio work better.

Thanks for doing this research, my first turntable was a Sansui SR-222 which I had for many years. A great affordable piece of gear which I enjoyed tremendously. Y

I own a Sansui AU-G99X, purchased back in 1986 and it still sounds beautifully, paired with Bode 901 V6

@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw

9 күн бұрын

I just bought an AU-G77X on eBay for $192 + $60 shipping at an auction. I was the second bidder.

Bought a Sansui AU-G77X integrated amp in the 80's and still use it today in my analog listening room. 110 watts / channel still sounding good.

I've still got Dad's Sansui 4000 that he bought at the PX in Vietnam back in 1970. I did have to get some capacitors replaced last year but, hey, what other equipment lasts 50+ years and can still be fixed?! I still love the sound in the man cave, superior to my more modern receiver in the living room. I grew up with this unit and it just seems like an old familiar friend. :-)

I currently own the Sansui G22000 receiver, amp, SC3100G casette deck and SP-X 11000 (set of 4) speakers. Great video, excellent back story. Thank you

I still have an old receiver in the basement..love it

Great story about Sansui... I've had many Sansui products over the years.. Never had any problems with them.. I just recently purchased a vintage Pioneer KP-500 car stereo.. I would love to have you guys restore it if you do that kind of work... Again Thx for your input on the Sansui line of equipment...Take care...

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! No car audio at our shop though

I worked in the A/V retail industry from 1984 to 2008, and a bit here and there until 2014. No place I worked at ever sold Sansui, but I always heard great things about the brand. Mostly from ex-GI's, who told me they bought their Sansui products from their base PX's. Those early 70's receivers looked awesome, especially those massive 9000 series.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

I have two vintage receivers that I don't see me ever parting with. One is a 1969 Sansui 4000. Love the sound. I was fortunate enough to pick it up a few years ago locally.

Wild ride man ! Reminded me of a Pioneer stereo I had back in 74 -75 can't remember the model just remember that it rocked for the times back then ! Just loved that thing and built it into the house which ended up being sold with the house and I still regret that every time I think about it now !

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Thanks glad you enjoyed it!

My 1982 Sansui PL-51 programmable, direct drive, linear tracking turntable still has pride of place atop my component system.

I LOVED my SANSUI system I got for Christmas. 1971. Today I have multiple system & am listen to this thru a set of Vintage Curtis Mathis Speakers from the later 70's, an AWESOME set of Speakers.

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Great memories!

Thank you so much for this video you really answered a lot of questions about Sansui 👍👍🎵

@LennyFlorentine

11 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!