Sansui 331/881 whole range of vintage receivers (1974) reviewed ,and sound comparison.
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2020
- Here i review Sansui 331to 881 vintage receivers from 1974
12 watts to 60 watts per channel .
tested with Arcam alpha cd player
and various speakers .
Spendor bc1 s Rogers ls35a and B and W DM4 s.
and grado headphones . 
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Man I wished I lived in the same neighborhood as you so I could come over and hang out and listen to endless combinations of amps and speakers and talk about all the nuances. I love it! Keep doing what you're doing.
don’t you live his accent! It’s a pleasant combination of proper english & cockney
Thanks for sharing your passion and knowledge of Sansui.
I stumbled upon your videos a while ago and then began searching for my own Sansui.
Long story short a Sansui 661 is now in my home and I’m absolutely thrilled at how it sounds and it’s beautiful.
I connected it with some large vintage (1980) Boston Acoustics A200 speakers and the power of the 661 with the A200 is more than perfect. My uneducated guess would have been such a large speaker would require the volume to be high but in my 12’ x 20’ room anything over 3 on the volume knob would knock down the house!
Time to spin some vinyl but again, thanks. I’m very grateful for all you shared.
That’s great to hear
Big Speakers super Sansui sound some how
Hi kelvin I have been listening to the Sansui 441 for quiet a while and I must say ver impressed with the little sansui great vids keep them coming
Thanks to you, I picked up a 331. I did a rebuild replacing all caps, and general clean up. I'm totally blown away by the sound !! Amazing how good 12 watts can sound. It may not play as loud as my 9090db or AU717, but it has such a warm non fatiguing sound. If I could only keep one, it would be 331 no doubt!
Yes that’s interesting to hear most people think that all those watts are all that counts😯
I love this channel, my first ever seperates was a Sansaui 441, Thorens TD160 MKI which I got my from Dad who ran his own TV repair/hifi shop in Chiswick, London in the 70s. So nice to see this old gear again, I might even buy them again!
That’s two class bits of kit
I just watched this last night and today found a minty one. It's at home now and I really like them. Hands down one of the best vintage receiver I'ved ever heard.
Great to hear I can’t tell you how many people are amazed how good they sound
I have had amps like Marantz, Harman Kardon, NAD, Technics, but... the moment I bought my first Sansui I'm not switching the brand. Currently listening to Sansui 661 on Canton CT 2000 speakers, and I love it!
Absolutely agree about Sansui Bass prominence. I love it!! I still listen to my father's 331 from 1976....all original apart from fascia lamps. Nice to watch your video!
I literally hit LIKE before I hit PLAY. Because of you I now own two 441s and a 7070. I gave a 441 to my 22yo daughter so she can power her new fluance 85 turntable. So happy I took the plunge.
Great 👍
I bought my Sansui 661 in 1974. I've never made a single repair. I play it through a pair of Smaller Advent speakers purchased at the same time. Replaced the foam surrounds about 10 years ago. It's a great combination for me.
Yes if it’s not broke don’t fix it you can probably spend £3000 on new gear and it won’t be better
Love your opinions up here in Canada. Keep up the good work 👏 👍
I have a 221 that sounds fantastic. Sounds like we both like the cap-coupled receivers.
So, after I watched this video I just went on ahead and bought a sansui 441 from a neighbor. He demo'ed it with a UB40 record and I was blown away. The sound was just as you said.. very open, lively, with good dynamics. Bass is really nice and it sounds as if it has a lot more power in reserve. Easily matches with a lot of speakers too.This one's a keeper for sure. Really helpful review. Thank you.
Good to hear
I had a 221 and a 551 gone now though. They absolutely have a unique delicate sound with just the right amount of bass. I may need to find another.
My first receiver was a Sansui 331. Still have a 331, it's a remarkably musical piece.
Hi Kelvin, These receivers are really a gem. I now have the 551, 661 and the 771. They became my favorites because they sound so sweet compared to others like the amps AU-7700, AÚ-550 and AU-717 (that also are excellent).
Yes all I wanna say is I agree
I just got a 221 and I am impressed with the overall sound. I also have a 7070 that sounds pretty sweet as well.
Kelvin I've just bought a 221 and can't believe how good it sounds. I will stick with it for a while but would love to hear a 441 comparison.
BTW it's driving a pair of big vintage Kef's with no problems.
A lovely warm sound and I'm not tempted to tweak the bass and treble.
Thanks for the Sansui recommendations you are spot on.
That’s great to hear something just lovely and right about that Sansui sound there won’t be a big leap if you get the 441 just a little bit more oomph
Sound quality will be the same More or less K
A neighbor of mine a few years back put out on the curb a 551 which I promptly took. It's in mint condition and sounds really good. The volume needed some cleaning but the unit functions fabulous.
That was mine where do you live 😜
Even the later 80's sansui gives a rather complete sound that, ticks most boxes nicely in my humble opinion. A full days listening just gets me smiling more and more as day becomes night I find myself looking at my speakers the way one would at his respective other, and almost giving them a cheesy wink...just a fusion of crisp full highs, mids good and the punchy bass mostly jazz genre.. I also play lots of vinyl / cd's/ spotify. 1970's Marantz great highs and bass but I get what you say about prolonged listening it requires effort, though great at first. The Sansui sound grabs the audiophile by the lapels and unfortunately doesn't let you go until I guess you enter the realms of valve amps. Kelvin is proof of how good they are as he went full out getting the whole 70's range!! It's easily done when you are onto a good thing.
You Sir are a good influence. Won a 221 on eBay. Paired with my Kef Coda 7's. Sounds lovely. Thanks. Love the vids 😁
Good to hear 👂
Hi Kelvin (or Kevin?), Thanks to you I now own a Sansui 771 and I do not regret it at all. I had a Yamaha A-960 II before - the sound quality is so much better now (other equipment being: Cambridge Audio DAC and Celestion 3 speakers + Sub). What really amazed me: I purchased a Zen Can headphone amplifier only to recognize that the Sansui headphone output on Focal Elegia headphones was a little bit better, so I got rid of the Zen Can. And I thought built-in headphone amps were nearly always trash.... So bottom line: Thanks for your great and helpful videos! Arnd (from Germany)
Thanks for the info
Glad you like it Sansui more or less the best of the Japanese main brands for sure if you ask me
Happy Christmas from London
Thanks Kelvin, only got 3 of the set so far, but i am on the lookout for the rest
Yes Good stuff can be addictive
K
Excelent the xx1 Sansui series. I've a 441 and it sounds superb with all speakers that I have... pure cristaline sound, with only 11w... what a beast.
Yes 331 and fourforone there’s nothing to dislike
thank you for the demo, good thing I can watch in x1.5 speed to get through some of these.
Kenwood 7200 at 55w a channel for me back in 1973, loved that thing. That was my first system and got me hooked on a lifetime of building system after system until I got to my McIntosh world now but it was the Kenwood that got me started, basically the same as these.
I was introduced to good sounding vintage withe the Sansui AU-555 about 6 years ago. It’s 20wpc. I paid $80 used but I wouldn’t sell it for $800. I have a $2000 tube mono blocks and it sounds surprisingly similar, except maybe the highs.
Just picked up a very nice looking 331 from my local second hand goods shop for £25. This thing has really surprised me! It is pounding out Hendrix's Born under a bad sign like a champ!
So many times people tell me how much they were surprised by these Sansui receivers
Thanks for the Sansui comparison. Picked up a 331 today to have a listen. Was hoping to get your thoughts or future video on comparing the Sansui 881 to the 7070,8080,9090 series both in design and in sound. Thanks in advance.
How’s the 331 sound, I’m looking at a 551 , I’m never going to listen to radio I just love the look of receivers
You sure are an "influencer" I just picked up a clean 661. Will be interesting to compare it the rest of my Sansui collection. My 331 is an awesome little receiver.
Great review, I Owe 3 of these series n love the sound of all, hello from San Francisco n Mexico 🇲🇽 🇺🇸
Just waiting on a 331 to get here after watching many of your videos thanks and keep up the good work.
It was 80 quid , not super clean but if it fully works iam happy.
Hi Kelvin,
Very interesting topic, I like yourself have been in the game for perhaps 50 years now and aquired a Sansui Eight Deluxe about 5 years ago and its been completely refurbished in France.
Now to cut to the chase, I have bought and compared this to may amps since then including,Gryphon,Sim Audio Moon,Musical Fidelity, Creek Destiny,Marantz top of the range etc etc and although some have been way more powerful with huge bass slam and fantastic definition....none have given me a greater enjoyment of music than the Sansui, I. always thought that spending big money on amps was the ultimate goal to Hi Fi heaven, how wrong was i.
All the above amps have now gone and the Sansui remains, that I think speaks for itself.....
Look forward now to viewing some of your other review, keep up the good work.
Yes I know some amplifiers just hit the Bullseye and it’s hard to quantify that
that s awesome ! i had a Harman Kardon and switched to a 661 its just an amazing experience! and now Im going for a 881 and a pair of Ditton 25
The 881 has some insanely low bass sometimes I play it with the bass filter on and it just sounds like a normal amp
Glad you’re liking Sansui they are the best of the 70s Japanese stuff if you ask me
Mate I love your reviews, your awesome.
I have received sansui 551 in nice optical condition. LEDs with changed lamps are some of the best deep colours I've seen on electronics. The music has addictive properties. The left channel is weak though and overrepresentes highs, while the right overrepresents the bass in comparison. Now if the system is supposed to sound as with the right channel it is too bass heavy especially for small speakers. Interestingly mine has nice effect of having best of both worlds even with small speakers. It is not a purist thing though to have mismatched speakers and it may make you dizzy as you mentioned somewhere if you listen directly. Fine if you turn your one side, move around, tap or make dancing movements.
The Sansui made my smallish Triangle BR02s deliver, but note that they are also rhytmical. Before these didn't match quite well with my Rotel A10, because they don't have the best texture, even though with clean and pure highs. The Rotel delivers the bass punctually (or maybe is weak for them), and they need to give it to them more strongly. I'll check what is going on inside the Sansui and if this tuning is intentional.
The Sansui sound is like the origin of strong addictive electronic sound, before Germans turned it into techno and Yamaha did their thing. It has the frequencies and power. This model has not the most detail, but even the best texture may not be enough for the song to be memorable or addictive. Detailed texture is good for the moment, but Sansui makes lasting impressions, I think due to the speed, the powerful and emotional bass and sufficient highs. Certainly it has character and is not yet another amp. Also my thinking is that memorable artefacts will also have the looks understandable by non-specialists.
Note: For the texture it must be tonally very correct to have the enchanting properties, I think this is the reason why some quite detailed systems may feel lacking. Note: Yamaha - HS8 here - excels in big soundstage/flowing music where rounding is not a problem (maybe some ambient electronic), still ok with voices, but only the first word in the direction and not the verdict.
I head the 881 and thought it one of the best sounding vintage receivers I've heard. Pristine clean, dimensional and without listening fatigue or harshness. The sound just blooms into the room and reminds me of a tube amp or "valve amp" as the Brits prefer. I also heard two samples of the 771. One soundedlovely like the 881 and the other was rather abrasive but it had been serviced and messed with in ways I'd rather not know.
I prefer the effortless sound of the above two Sansui receivers to the ones they made in the late 70s but I also find the appearance a bit shabby. Some of Sansui's other lines looked very attractive.
When I was a kid we had the 441 sansui it worked fine for over 40 years.
Back then they made really good stereo equipment.
Now I have a akai aa 910 it is about 50 years old and I use it every day.
Yes, certainly, certain brands seem to last for ages much better than modern stuff
Wow, a great collection.
Interesting review. Great to hear an evaluation from a HI-FI enthusiast who has the receivers and has made the comparison using the same speakers. Those speakers however won't be suitable for checking the warmth in the base because they only go down to 80hz. Effectively, you'll be listening mainly to the top end and mid and just some of the upper base.
Well I know that sounds correct but I tell you what you can hear it if not feel it 😛
Just brilliant channel and such good reviews but these beautiful Sansui shelf benders are superb. I still have my Marantz 2252B bought new in 1978 and I still love it so much when I dig it out of the cupboard and plug in some B&W 805s speakers. As for power rating you are so right. I remember power was 52 Watts RMS (Root Mean Squared) at most frequencies. Not music power or peak power. Not so sure about the edgy sound comment on Marantz. I do find the phono preamp is a bit poor but plug in a modern phono amp to the aux and it sings.
Remember the Sansui SR222 turntable? My first foray into hifi, cheap as chips. I had the Mk ii & it looked & sounded sexy, love to see a vintage reappraisal
I love vintage audio gear. Unfortunately I don't have the room or money to collect much. So I made the 661 my main receiver. It really is a sweet sounding unit. I had it restored a few years ago.
First, I have to say thank you for your superb channel and great advise. I followed your advice and picked up a 771 today that works perfect after all these years.
Well, what can I say? I give it a 9/10 because I am sure there are a few astronomically priced receivers out there that sound better. I just have never heard one.
I bought my first Sansui G-7500 in 1978. I did not know what I had then and didn't know to appreciate it. Back in those days, I just wanted it loud. Buy the late 80's, I had had it in the shop for the second time and just figured I'd replace it with a new Pioneer and get more watts. In those days, I was way to busy to just sit and listen to music, just needed it loud for the parties.
Had 2 pioneers over the next 15 years and then got a Yamaha in 2004. It developed a problem a couple years back so I replaced it with a late model used Sony.
I think thru-out this whole process the sound quality was going downhill with each new purchase. I said all that to say this, now that I am retired and want to just sit and listen to my albums, I started doing a little research on getting a new receiver. After countless hours reading and watching You Tube guys over several months, I landed on your channel and let you convince me to go back to a vintage Sansui receiver. So after spending another couple months mulling it around between models, I again let you convince me to go with a 71-75 year Vintage Sansui. Took another month for me to locate one and I pulled the trigger today on a Sansui 771. Bought it from the original owner, who bought it in England in 1975.
I just hooked it up and what can I say, WOW!!! The difference from the Yamaha and the Sony is simply incredible. Really cannot remember the old Sansui or the 2 Pioneers at this point. But, I had no idea that there really would be such a difference. The music is so much clearer, crisp, and smooth. Sounds like the guys are actually in the middle of the room. And this particular receiver has never been services in it's 45 year existence. I cannot imagine what it would sound like if I got it re-capped.
Even my daughter could immediately hear the difference. It really is astounding.
I'm not a hifi guy that has tons of amps, receivers, equipment, etc. but I appreciate what you do and the interest you have taken to let others know your experience. I took you at your word which lead me to this 771. I couldn't be happier.
By the way, the heart beat on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon almost gave me a heart attack. Simply beautiful!!!
And Thanks again.
Great to hear that cheers K
I agree that the Sansui xx1 series is vastly underrated. I own the 221, 331, and 441. Hopefully will soon obtain the 551. Btw the rotary power switch was replaced in favor of the push button starting with 661. Not sure why it was changed. I prefer the feel of the rotary switch to the push button.
Hi
Have the ones with a switch an relais? So there is no loud bang when you turn them on?
Hi Kelvin really enjoyed a trip down memory lane , just a shame I went over to separate amp & tuner because the Hifi mags said that was the way to go.
Yes well there is some truth in that sound quality wise sometimes anyway Thing is they just don’t look so good
K
I had the 221, and the 441 and wish i still had them- I do still have a 661 and i will never get rid of it. Btw, I can't even imagine why someone would give your video here a thumbs down. Your are just expressing opinions about your experience with these receivers, and everything that you say seems fair enough- oh well, I guess some people get a little hung up when they realize that the thousands that they spent on new gear is not really giving them what they wanted all along. Also, I have heard from several sources that a big part of the Sansui magic came from the company's use of Hashimoto transformers. I don't know if that is really the case, but when I listen to these Sansui's, I experience something that I don't get from the other Japanese brands of the same time period. To me they sound sweeter.
Yes I have been thinking that also that I haven’t read it anywhere
Merry Christmas K
in the seventies i had a pioneer sa900 with Altec a7. The pioneer was good, but i thought sansui was better. Interesting reviews, congratulations!
Nice those vintage sansuis, quality still playing after 50 years!!! I doubt the recent pruductions will survive 50 years....
I love vintage stereo gear. Unfortunately, I don't have the room or money to collect much. I aquired the 661 about 7 years ago, and it's now my main receiver. I had it completely refurbished and capped a couple years ago. It sure sounds and looks great! I paid $65 for it. The refurbish was quite a bit more haha. Worth it.
That was a real bargain at $65.00!
I got and am still using my Sansui 9900Z receiver. It's rated at 160 whats per channel and with clean DC power. It's actually got a cooling fan in the back to cool it off it it gets overheated. I love it, think it was made in the very early 80s. It was the last large high power machine they made before they lost their magic. I think it sold for around $1200.00 plus US back in 1980 or 81. My love affair with these machines started back in the mid 70s when I worked as a salesman at a high end stereo store called "Custom Hi-Fi" in the US. I would not give anything for my Sansui receiver, it's pricless!
I have one and z990speakers
Bought a Sansui Eight at the Air Force base in the Azores back in 1972. $225.00 the, drove a pair AR3a's with a Dual 1229. That was back when the wife and I would visit with friends and listen to albums til midnight.
Love it
Listening to a 221 right now mate
Hi Kevin. I just purchased a 331, really enjoying the warm sound, thinking of getting a 661 - hope you are doing ok, really missing your channel, come back soon please.cheers Symon
Good to hear as I’ve probably said in that video 331 and four for one just have the edge for me even though they don’t have the power
@@stereoreviewx Dear Kelvin, Thanks for your reply, I have replaced the lamps in the 331 with LEDS from the usa and it looks awesome althought the signal meter is not working. I dont think I will get another model now in that range but am interested in the Sansui amps. I also just picked up a H.H.Scott 342-B Tuner amp on spec, looking forward to testing it, I had to get a stepdown transformer for it and now I'm waiting on the plugs for the speakers to arrive, have you any knowledge of these amps? I also just bought a Pioneer Quad tuner amp, its ok but not as nice as the Sansui 331. all the best regards Symon James
Watch your review and got 441 and love it. It’s an addicting sound. Love the bunchy and detai bass. Paired with Dynaco a30 a nice combo
Great to hear I must’ve had 25 people with similar opinions on getting old Sansui
Actually it’s normally this range
...suffice to say, when I run my pre amp / amp in my car the sound is sooooo beautiful. I good detail, separation and clarity - best way I can explain it. Oh, I also have individual amplifiers for the high, low, mids respectively. May have no bearing - notn sure..
I picked up a 551 partly due to this video. It's one of my favorite receivers/amps(out of 30). The midrange is really nice. I recently got a 771,more detail,stronger and better controlled bass. Midrange isn't as nice as the 551. It's a toss up for me. I like them both. May add an 881. Would love a video on the x0x0 series
Yes the 881 has got an insane amount of base enjoyable because you never hear anything like it normally
Glad you’re liking the Sansui sound
Agree, a companion video of the x0x0 series would be great!
Hi, absolutely love your videos. Any thoughts on the Lafayette lr-9090? Keep up the great productions. Thanks
My 881 with Genesis 2 bookshelf speakers was still my baseline.
That is a beautiful collection Kevin. Me, I wish I still have my old Hitachi receiver. Hitachi must be the most underappreciated HI-FI brand.
Yes interesting I must say I really have little experience with Hitachi
I will check out if I can get my hands on some cheers K
@@stereoreviewx Hitachi and Harman Kardon are so underrated imo. I sold hi-fi for 15 years. They were great before the dolby surround sound receivers came about. Dolby surround pretty much ruined the receivers. They added more crap to them while downsizing the power supplies . The old stereo receivers were mostly overbuilt.
This is wonderful video Kelvin. Especially since there just isn't much info on these amplifiers out there. After watching I purchased a non-working 441 to see if I could bring it back to life. Thankfully all it needed was a couple caps replaced and new lamps. I now love it more that more than my Marantz 2238b, and about the same as my NAD3020. Question: do these have a little bit of noise? Mainly audible if using headphones? If not, I may delve in and see if I can remove the noise.
No, not a real noise. If you know what I mean, I’ve got a hum on one of those receivers
I agree 100%. More watts don't=better sound. I have 3 Sansuis, ranging from 25 to 85wpc. And soundwise, I prefer them in that order. I use the 25w to fill a 15"x15" room and never reach 50% volume and the sound is intoxicating. The 85wpc needs BIG loudspeakers, a LARGE area, and good volume to shine. But I don't throw parties and so it's really too much power for practical listening.
Less seems to be more with Sansuis!
Yes nice comments are pretty much agree
Very helpful. I accidentally bought an old Panasonic Sh2080L for nothing. Sadly its died. But it started something. Im looking at these to power and old pioneer turntable have. i know nothing about vintage audio. Yet..
One thing is it looks bloody good
I dont know whether you also listen to music on headphones, but I am curious how a vintage amp like these would work in amplifying headphones. I had favourable results with my sansui r-606 before it went to hifi heaven, and I'm tempted to pick up another sansui to plug into, and I'm sort of drawn to these nice silver 70's models, but not sure how the experience would differ in this use case from the early 80's sound I had before. Any insight would be much appreciated!
THEY ARE GREAT RECEIVERS, YOU HAVE THE COLLECTION. SANSUI.
Nice looking sansui’s
Hi Kelvin! Here is Milos, Your fan from Czech republic. Thanks for the great reviews! Based on Your passion for the involving sound of Sansui, I bought the 221 receiver, which is even underneath the 331 of Yours. I was curious, what the hell The HiFi guru from London admires about the Sansuis... Now I got it... I hooked it up on my old AQ 141, 8 ohm 45W speakers with Tesla/TVM drivers. I haven't been using them for ages, as they did not sound anything special, despite the fact I put more damping wadding material inside the speaker cabinets.. But with this Very amp... Oh man, you were so precious saying that this is the "most involving sound"! How the hell can 2x 8 (12) Watts sound like this!? The (quite big and heavy) speakers play like never before. Neither loudness nor tone compensation is needed to enjoy the music. Toe tapping bass, clear mids and non agressive treble. For near field listening it is really a great pairing. Not for big rooms, but definitely for big details of vintage sound, Yes. Will see what happens when paired with Mordaunt Short or such. I know You are not a big fan of Pioneers, but I must say, the Pioneer SX 1500 td with tiny Eltax Symphony speakers, which I have on my office desk (with foam in ports and tilted towards me) sounds very similar, "involvingly warm", unlike the Pioneer SX 650, which, to me, sounds quite a bit sharper and analytical. Thank You for getting me into Sansuis' world. The 221 sitting in front of me is not a dead hardware, but a kind of living being with soul. Keep on Your excellent tips and reviews on vintage HiFi! Thanks
Great to hear someone getting into the Sansui sound
Now, is that whole range I think the 331, just hits the mark more than all the higher numbers
So worth saying, you may have struck Sansui gold there can you may find it hard to get a better Sansui sound .
Let me also say regarding putting more wording in Speakers, I found
If you put too much in, it’s like making the speaker box smaller
I found if I took wadding out, it would make a more lively sound but only at low level and if I went loud, I really started hearing the box reverberating
Happy, listening my friend K
@@stereoreviewx Dear Kelvin, Thanks for Your time You spent writing and advicing me! Honestly, I put a cartload of wadding inside the speakers to obtain more precious sound, but I hadn't realised I mostly listen to music late evenings, quite a quiet, low level volume. After You wrote me the answer, I opened the AQ speakers and took out my portion of wadding. I also found out, that the previous owner must have been tweaking a lot, there was some extra wadding, which was neither mine nor original (I found there a piece of a plush teddy bear - I took a picture of it for non-believers :) After making the speakers more "breathable" I really did find the Bass fundament to be more present on a low level of volume. You were right again! Yesterday, I bought a second hand JBL LX 44 speakers which have 91 dB sensitivity. And they work excellently with this little gentleman of the Sansui family! Despite they start up at approx 45 Hz - as they say - the sound is pleasing and quite robust. The only thing I need to get use to is the Titanium dome tweeter. I fully agree with You that the soft / silk dome one is much sweeter. But these JBL s are otherwise superb for me. I am now exploring their sound. Thanks to the sensitivity the little Sui 221 drives them with less effort than he/she had to with the AQs. Thanks once more for Your great channel! Wishing You a Merry Christmas and all the best for the 2023! You should buy some HiFi present for Yourself :) With regards, Milos, Czech
... Just to update... I needed some time to get used to the JBLs. I got quite tuned into their sound. I don't mind the Titanium tweeter anymore. The first impression and A to B comparison was too quick to reveal the quality. Now, the final landing is Sansui 221 + JBL LX 44. Looking forward to any new review by Yours, Kelvin! Have a nice HiFi time! Milos
Hi, love your reviews! I was wondering what you think of the onboard phono stage of the 881, I've been using one for about a year but was thinking of trying and external pre amp. I do love the sound but have nothing to compare it to, do you think internal phono amps from the heyday of stereos were done well?
I say a good phono stage today would be a plus
But don’t ask me exactly which one I just don’t know enough.
Marantz was the class of the 70's. Voiced to Tube warmth and powered above the others. Still the class today, check prices.
Just purchased a Sansui 661. Please tell me your thoughts on which speakers to pair with it. Thx. Bob
I inherited my mom's Scott reciever from 1978, only 25 watts per channel. It is more powerful than my 40 watt Denon - and more dynamic.
Yes this happens all the time at 20 W from the 1970s is like a 50 W of today my assumption is you can do anything with statistics
K
Hey Kelvin;nice collection Sansui's. I have the (recapped) the AU-515 now; great warm sound. Just sold my AU-719(also recapped). Love Sansui too, but now playing with a Creek Evolution amp. Also nice(and modern looking), but if it sounds better than the Sansui's..? Don't think so..
Did you use a spindle for all that stuff? haha
Today,after work i connected the AU-515 on the Bluesound.(Bluesound was connected on the Creek Evolution for about 4 days)
I'm out..The Sansui sounds better(warmer, fuller but certainly not duller) even with low volume. And the bass and treble on the Bluesound app both on neutral. Bass on the Sansui at -2,treble at neutral.
On the Creek i had to push up the bass(on the B.Sound app; Creek has no tone control) to 3/3,5 db.
The Creek looks much nicer/more modern;nice relais clics when you change the source and remote control .
The Sansui looks much more "ugly", but i don't care.
Yeahh..Sansui is my sound. For me; more enjoyable.
Love Sansui..
And Bluesound ofcourse; Spotify and Tidal
Listen to all kinds of music; Stones,Reggae,Jazzrock/Fusion,Rock,South American,Blues,Soul,Funk,Mellow house and so on.
No classical or opera music
those sound better than the G series recivers. the 711 is amazing. I haven't heard the 811 but I'd like to.
Thanks for the feedback the major difference with the 881 compare to the 771 is that they put some super low base on the 881
Otherwise they sound pretty similar I say K
What do you think of the Pioneer A400? My dad had one new and I bought one off eBay a year ago, the prices are getting a bit silly now though!
Great content! I own an 881 and love the warm sound. I’m looking to mix things up pair it with a modern speaker. Any recommendations?
Seriously my thoughts are that receiver should have big vintage speakers can’t really articulate what I am thinking he is just my instinct
I can imagine modern analytical speakers revealing the shortcomings of the sensory and not exploiting the qualities of the sensory
Two of my favorite receivers Sansui 221 and Superscope R-1240 of any wattage or price.
What’s your views on the Sansui 7000? I just picked up one fully restored for around $825 USD
Hi, I just got Sansui 221. Nice sound. Why it has 2 separate speakers terminals? I connected 2 pair of speakers. Red and black is working but another only black no sound. How I can listen 2pair of speakers speakers separate?
Hi, i am in California i was wondering if sansui 4000 is a good option to buy ,its made from 1969-1972 its 45w per channel. I am looking for a warm sound i have 3way bookshelf speakers.
Richer,clear and bunchy is what I listen too.
Sansui sound? I find it easy to listen too. I don't have to reach for the details.
Have you ever tried the Mordaunt Short Pageant 2? I have just picked some up, and they are amazingly impressive. Keeping my eye out for a Sansui from this range. Or a Sony TA F5A
Oh yeah I have heard those speakers very British sound kind of restrained but yes class basically K
Hello. Thanks a lot for the review. After seeing it, I bought a 331 and I'm very very surprised by the quality of the sound. However, the phono channel sounds quite soft compared to the other ones. I'm running a Technics slb-210 into it and I have to crack the volume full open in order to obtain a decent listening volume. In your opinion is that an issue of the receiver or is just the vinyl player which is not powerful enough? Thanks already!
Well, the phono should be similar volume to the CD of streamer
You’re definitely into phono sockets , yes
Hi Kelvin, I wonder if you could do a video about the loudness button (specially as implemented in the Sansui models): How do they exactly work ? Are they more than just turning the treble and bass knobs? Or are they more like a small equalizer implementation (with just one setting)? In your experience, what are the situations where you prefer to use the loadness button - in terms of songs, type of speakers, type of room? My current setting is a 771 + Mission 753 speakers in a small room (4m x5m ~ 12*15 feet). Most of the times I like to leave loadness on, only on some modern, bass heavy productions (e.g. Roger Waters Us & Them Tour) I leave it off as the bass is too much then. I would love to hear your comments! Thanks and have a nice christmas time. Arnd
Loudness is +10 db to bass and treble at center frequency 50hz and 10k or something
Hi there, thanks for the reviews. It driver me into buy a 331, just got it. I was very impressed by the sound. But i notice that using a phono isnt quit presence there, needed to duble the volume to have same experience. What do you think it might be? I am quite sure inst like that. Thanks
Well I think the photo is often lower on a lot of older or vintage amps so it might just be the way it is but hard to tell from here glad you like the Sansui sound
How many pieces of gear do you own? Do you think that the wattage is measured for 4ohm speakers?
Hi Kevin, great job! Like your reviews and the points you make during these comparisations. May I have a question / suggestion for a future video? If you were to build a streaming hi-fi system from scratch with a budget under two grand what components would you consider?
The digital source is a Raspberry Pi 4b USB cable connection to a standalone DAC, analog RCA to pre-amp, amp and active or passive speakers.
The goal is musicality, and not fatiguing analytical sound. What components would you consider and why? New, secondhand, vintage anything plays.
Transistor, MOSFET, valve amp / pre-amp? Class A, AB or D? How would you split your budget between speakers and amps? What speakers would you prefer for a 200sqf room?
Many thanks E.
Yes interesting idea maybe I’m not up with streaming equipment well enough
I was thinking of doing comparisons say 70 system 80s system 90 system there will be some more interesting things coming up
A bit like your suggestion
Cheers K
@@stereoreviewx Wow, that comparison of advancements over past decades sounds interesting too! What I meant in my first comment is when you have a 'perfect measuring' (low distortion & noise floor, clean source what vintage system would you consider pairing it with to avoid analytic sound (listening fatigue etc) and turn it to a more musical listening experience.
I’d go with a modern source (eg for streaming) into a vintage amp and speakers - and there’s so much to choose from that condition and whether or not any purchases are local to you and able to be collected would likely be key factors for me, rather than getting too hung up on specific makes & models. So long as you don’t pay over the odds, anything used that you don’t like can be sold on for same as you bought it for anyway.
what do you think about the Kensonic Accuphase amps?
hey what camera and mic you use??wondering are they also vintage ??
Hello , j just bought sansui 661 , which speakers would you recommand ....budged max 200$
In The Netherlands we don’t have FM over cable anymore so tuners became obsolete “over night”. I don’t collect but own a Pioneer SA5300 for a second set and I wonder if there is a Sansui without tuner you can recommend that is balanced well but not expensive. As I only use a small percentage of the amps features (on/off and volume) the larger ones with more features are only decreasing that percentage :)
Yes, try the au 317 if you can and let me say in that range I wouldn’t go higher up the numbers. I just buy that one in particular
I have made a video of it
Hello
I want to thank you for your lovely Videos.
I have a Sansui solid State 310 Tuner Amplifier . What do you think about this ? The Tuner isn`t working but when i play Vinyl a have a lot of fun. My Room is smal so i don´t need much power. I`m lookink for matching Speakers do you have any recommendation.
Well it’s kind of hard for me to judge this room size how much money you want to spend et cetera.
I would say the 310 is not highly powered I think I’m right in that.
Certainly you don’t need to have Sansui speakers and actually they’re not to the same standard as the amps at all.
You might try some banging Olufsen S 40 5S 30 that range .
There are loads really I mean one thing I would say to direct you get something with a paper cone bass driver.
Hope this helps Best of luck let me know when you get something and how it sounds cheers K
Whats your thought on the sansui qrx 7001
Mr K can you please shine some light on the purpose of a pre amp???
You really didn't mention much about the 551. I may have a chance to purchase one in great shape for $200 U.S. What are your thoughts on it?
Sir
Any view on Sansui 5000x
Thanks
Hi do you ever get your amplifier recaped and if you do .have you got a recommendation for a company that you use ?
None of those have been re-capped and I haven’t got anyone good anymore to do work which is a shame if anyone is out there please tell me
I have a Samsun au-d22 , looking for an upgrade , was feeling an au 101, any more suggestions for a medium sized room? Cheers!
Well I don’t really know what your amp sounds like I mean it might be quite good it won’t be bad or really not good it’s hard for me to say but I’m going to doubt that the EU101 will give you a significant upgrade
K
Hi,
Are there some that have a relais? So there is not that loud bang in the speakers when you switch the amp on?
Emm dunno
@@stereoreviewx at the moment I think from the 611 on they have relais. On the 611 the power switch was introduced and after a few seconds the relais click.
My Sansui 5050 from 1977 does have a relay.
Thank you, if you ever come to Thailand dinner with great Wine is on me.best regards Reinhart