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I have a vintage Sansui AU-717 amp and AT-717 tuner paired w/ the latest version Dynaco A-25XL speakers. This combination has amazing synergy...clear, articulate, and neutral. I've only had vintage gear for 6 months now and I'm impressed w/ this combo.
Are there any Sansui speakers worth considering? I see quite a few SP-2500's for sale on eBay. They look nice, but are they any good? What about other models?
Or should I consider a little more modern speaker from another brand that would be an upgrade from the Dynaco's and match the Sansui amp?
Mike
Edits: 07/29/10 07/29/10Follow Ups:
I have had a good experince with Sansui SP2000 speakers. They don't have a lot of low base but they are very efficent and the build quality is excellent. All the drivers are Alnico.
Dave
Looked good, sounded better...
The top ones had the tweeter 'fins' off to the best of my memory.
Frank
....
Kind of Blue
Another pair of rare nice sounding Sansui's I own are sp-100i. Click on the link for a translation of a japanese website.These listed for $1500 a pair and have the most solid cabinets I've ever seen. About 18" tall, 10" wide and 12" deep, they weigh 45 lbs each. They sound so smooth. They sounded wonderful with a a mid 80's sansui au-d907x integrated amp. Another rare sansui speaker find on craigslist. Never heard any other Sansui's other than the two pairs I own but they did make some outstanding speakers.
Edits: 07/29/10 07/29/10
These look pretty impressive. It is interesting that you said they were smooth. So they were not a dynamic punchy speaker. Did the ones you have include the stands?
Mike
Came with the stands. They are dynamic but well balanced. I consider them smooth because the highs are little more subdued without any peakiness when playing cds than most other speakers I have heard.
driven by an Allnic Audio Labs 300B integrated. The sound was very smooth and just as good as some of the newer horn loaded speakers that I have heard lately. They are the best sounding Sansui speakers ever made.
BTW, its price tag was about $1600 when it was new.
If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing well
(Proverb)
I have mine hooked up to a Yamaha m-70 at 200 watts/ch and they could probably give someone a heart attack when cranked up. Its unreal how they effortlessly handle power and stay composed. Just got a vintage Bogen RP-60 receiver and will have to check them out with tubes.
My old orion blue book has the list price at $1900pair.
I saw these while digging around on line and thought these may be the ones to buy, w/ the sp-2500 next. I liked the tweeters on these (similar in looks to vintage JBLs) and they're not inundated w/ drivers as well. Thanx.
Mike
Edits: 07/29/10
Good luck finding a pair. I'm guessing these are quite rare. I found my pair on craigslist in near perfect condition for $125. I did have to replace the foam surrounds. Might come up on ebay every couple of years.
Edits: 07/29/10
My experience with them has been that they are generally poor, not much bass and really way too much treble. It's sad that they could make very decent receivers and amps but not speakers. Your experience may vary, but that was mine. Some gear might match up with them just fine.
First, nice Dynacos. For the kabuki style, I like the SP1700's. Also, the SP-300 is a nice horn style speaker.
FYI-
I think some are -
I posted this in 2003 - I think it is still true today:
* * * * * *
I had and still have some Sansui speakers from the SP series.
Imo some of the most overlooked speakers out there.
Almost everyone thinks source (amp, integrated or receiver) and doesn't equate Sansui with speakers.
Sansui is one of the few (Imo) companies that got it right...I tend to favor the "less is more" theory when it comes to speakers...but those Sansui make me re-think that. Very clean, clear, detailed and tight...nice speakers
* * * * * *
I am not a big fan of 4 & 5-way speakers (in general) but Sansui made some that worked and (Imo) worked well.
That is my 2-cents.
music has the power to make you happy
... all generalizations are false, including this one :-)
Most of the ones sold in the US were of the so-called "Kabuki" style - typically lots of drivers/ "ways" with a too-large woofer in a too-small box.
The small, inexpensive SP-30 two-way speakers are surprisingly decent.
Like most large Japanese manufacturers, Sansui made some very interesting speakers for the "home market", but they'd be hard to find in the US.
See link below for an interesting smattering of Sansui speakers :-)
Another good source of Sansui info, as you probably know, is:
http://www.classicsansui.net/
all the best,
mrh
SP-L series were rumored to have JBL drivers... I am not sure whether it is true or not, but I had SPK-2000 speakers in the 80s and they sounded sweet and with JBL-like bass...
mjcmt, have had a pair of SP-2500s for over two years now, which sing sweetly via Kenwood KR-5150 amplification. Bypassed the stock crossover, & replaced the stock wiring with 16 gauge. Stock 2500s don't have a lot of bass thump, so replaced stock midrange 10 uf non-polarized caps with 13 uf np's. Also wired the mids in series, which helps deliver Advent/KLH-esque bass-to midrange tonal transition. Since stock x-over provided for either 4.7uf np or 2.2uf np cap tweeter eq, went with 4.7uf np cap on lower tweet, & 2.2uf np cap on upper tweet. Those 2500s now sound expansive-n-expressive! As previously chronicled, gave a bud a pair of SP-1500s, which had their stock x-over bypassed in favour of separate cap x-overs for mids-n-tweets(woofs were direct wired). Recipient loves his Viet-Nam vet-era system, with a Sony STR-6055 unleashin' that sweet alnico tonality. Up in Nevada City, a pair of AS-100s sound heavenly via Rotel RX-602. Only mod was bypassing tweet control, & replacing stock 4.7uf np caps. Was recently informed a pair of modded Classique 900s provides analog reverb for KDVS' Thursday night "Live In Studio A' series. In the living room, a pair of latter-day 'suis, with replacement Utah Cadence woofs, provides rear channel duty. With just a bit-o-elbow grease, mjcmt, 'sui speakers can sound outstanding. WAF is also an extra bonus! 73s from Sactown!!!
Your modifications amount to a rebuild, rather like installing a modern engine and disc brakes in a Model T. I'm sure you improved the heck out of the speakers, but they're no longer SP2500s, nor are they anything like what an SP2500 sounds like. And that's a good thing.
I have a pair of SP2500s for sale. eBay reports their value at ~$150 plus shipping. The cabs are well made. Mine seem to function properly, with no rubs or scraping voice coils, etc. And I think they sound awful. I've had a few customers express interest due to their vintage nature and what they remember from their youth, and eventually they'll sell. But I hate it when they ask me what I think of them. I don't lie to customers, and I give them my honest opinion. As rock speakers, I guess their nearly okish. For classical and jazz they're just awful.
Actually, Omaha Lee, them modded 2500s still deliver their sonic 'sui signature. It's just been freed from that restrictive stock crossover. Those Corel drivers are fairly sought after quality units, ya know? ... Replaced stock pups in a '64 Fender Jag with Dimarzio HS-3s two-plus decades ago, & simplified its' tone stack. It's still got that unique Jag vibe unobtainable from either Strat or Tele. Lucked out gettin' a Marshall Master Lead Combo last year, & replaced stock caps with tantalums. Through 16 ohm hemp-reconed V30(which Brown Soun's John Harrison suggested)replacing stock G12M-70, & 16 gauge wiring, it's now a boutique 30 watts worth of solid-state JCM-800 roar straight outta Bletchley, Milton Keynes England! Wouldn't part with moi's '77 Ibanez Les Paul Custom copy, even though Gibson/Norlin's inferior quality 70's-era Les Pauls are somehow still worth more on vintage market. Sings sweetly with replacement Dimarzio PAF/PAF Pro pup combo! If you're gonna modernize the engines-n-brakes on a Model T, Lee of Omaha, ya best tighten up the suspension as well! 73s from Sactown!!!
You misunderstand. I have no doubt that you've markedly improved your speakers. But they're no longer SP2500s for the same reason that a gutted, rebuilt Dynaco amp is no longer a Dynaco. You pretty much used the cab and some of the parts and built your own speaker.
Thanks Lee, but consider living room monitors(12" hemp-reconed Mesa/Boogie Black Shadows & Dynaudio D28-AF tweets)"proper" self-built speakers. 73s from Sactown!!!
Thanks for the x-over suggestions on the sp-2500. I liked the tweeters on these (similar in looks to vintage JBLs) and they're not inundated w/ drivers as well. Thanx.
Mike
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