What speakers for a Sansui amp?

[admin_exported]

Hi!

Finally i decided to buy a Sansui au-717. (It' on its way here, it was 140 £ so i really hope it was a fair deal).

Hope rock and jazz will sound fine on it. Will it really beat some amps up to 300?

Since it's my first Hi-Fi separete system i need some help to choose some speakers.

I was told that Kef, Mission, Monitor Audio should be fine but i really need some help.

What's your opinions?

 

[8009514]

Just a matter of time till 'Record Spot' sees this and gives you some pointers and advice about speakers for your Sansui.

Rich

 

[mitch65]

Just a matter of time till 'Record Spot' sees this and gives you some pointers and advice about speakers for your Sansui.

Rich

+1 🙂

 

[dave_k]

I'll pre-empt therecordspot and say Mission 752! I had these with a Sansui 217 amp and it sounded superb, so the 717 will be even better I imagine...

 

[Anonymous]

The only problem i can't find a normal Mission 752 in my area. Only one i can find has the ?propylene? ?driver? kinda flawed. 🙁

So until i can find a suitable, is there other idea?

 

[the record spot]

Well, didn't you land a winner! £140? Nice and moreso if it's in good nick.

I liked the comment about it being hopefully good enough to live with £300 amps. LOL! I think you'll find if you do a few compares that you could stick a '1' before the 300 and you'll be a little nearer to what this amp's capable of going toe-to-toe with.

Big tip, spend another £100 or so and get it serviced. Don't be afraid to check if the engineer's familiar with Sansui and their issues - these amps don't crop up often (two or three a year on Ebay; compare that to Audiolab 8000As and the performance leaves them standing...) so it's worth making sure whoever's doing yours is aware of the problem spots to look out for. Check out the link below and select your amp from the homepage. The guy who did this knows his stuff, so you'll be doing well to get this level of servicing, but the author also describes what to look for in detail.

http://www.cdkands.com/index2.html

Speakers? Well, I'm biased with Mission, I think they made some superb speakers in their pre-IAG days and the 75 range - and I'd go so far as to say they must be up there with some of the best hifi of the last 30 years. The 752s still hold up well now, but depending on your requirements or room size, rest assured the 751s just get better the better the amp that's driving them.

In short, you landed a very high quality amp. It's an absolute joy to own, bringing life to music I thought I knew well. The scale, dynamism, detail and power music has can be breathtaking at times. Great phono stage too. Low level listening is the best I've heard; in our room, I can set it at the first notch on the volume knob and it's all there. Other amps struggle or find their sweet spot at a certain point on the dial, the 717 is happy wherever it sits and doesn't distort in a hurry; I've cranked it and the speakers are ready to go before the amp does!

I'll stop here I think! As I said, I think it's an absolute joy of an amp, I hope you think so too.

 

[the record spot]

The only problem i can't find a normal Mission 752 in my area. Only one i can find has the ?propylene? ?driver? kinda flawed. 🙁

So until i can find a suitable, is there other idea?

If that's the 733i, then it's a good speaker. Not as big a soundstage as the 752, more focused immediately in front of you, but for the money you'd pay (roughly £50 a pair) they'll get you going. Check gumtree if you're in the UK. I've seen a good few on there.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks the fast reaction. I've seen you got the same amp and the guys above was just right about your reaction. 🙂

First i owe you a big thanks about the site you have mentioned. I will print it and take it the the service-guy.

I feel sorry about not living in the UK coz we dont have that hi-fi culture. I'm from Hungary btw. What we have here is often overpriced. Okay, it was an exceptional one-time "local" buy. 🙂

But your words was "reassuring" that i don't throw out the money. Seller said that the amp is not in mint but good condition. So I thought after i recieved it's first road will be the service. I have some friends working in electronic repairing (not in hi-fi) they promised me they will find a man for the work. I had a NAD 326 for a time (which costs 300) and now I count max 150 for the repairs thats why i asked that 300 price question. 😛

I'm so excited how will it sound after the lent NAD.

Back to the speakers.

Can you tell me some good bookshelf speakers? Because I'm a student, dont have a big place and because i dont want to spend my budget for big but not as good floorstanding speaker. I think bookshelf speakers may be cheaper. So any other tips will be good! (good floorstanders still welcomed too)

I have found only 760i, 780 and a lot new one.

And thanks again your reaction and help.

 

[the record spot]

Well, depends on what you can get locally and what kind of sound you like, but the Mission 780 would be good, the 760i less so, good though it was.

KEF or Mordaunt Short would be worth looking at - the KEF35.2 was out around the same time as the Mission 75 series and the Mordaunt Short MS20i standmount is a bit of a star and cheap too. One of the other posters on here (Chebby) picked up a pair some months back and really rated them.

Beyond that, not much help - of the current breed, I like Q Acoustics very much - a great new UK brand whose products are well rated and keenly priced.

 

[Anonymous]

I found none of these you have mentioned. 🙂

But i found a transporting company which can brings the package door-to-door so i hope some of the sellers will show some understanding and will trade in this way.

What about the Mission 782? Or 753? or 773?

I listen rock and indie too (beside jazz and classical) and would 752 ideal for it (with the 717)? I heard that 752 excel in the midrange but not perform so good in the highs and bass. So the man i was spoken with said its for mainly instrumental and vocal but he had it years ago and with a marantz not with sansui.

I have found a pair of 753 "here" but many said that too bass-heavy. (And kinda expensive, 200 and used. I means scratched, and the net is dirty and etc.) It is really that bassy?

Sorry for the million questions, i could imagine how disturbing can it be telling the same things again and agian. But i don't have that knowledge and listeing experience what you here have.

 

[the record spot]

Hi, sorry for the delayed reply - okay, the 782s I don't know having never heard them, but another chap on here rates them and has a pair. Not with Sansui gear, but nonetheless, I think they'd be worth hearing.

I listen to a wide cross-section of music and while I'd be inclined to say that the 752 on its own might be a tad on the lean side, partnered with the 717 it works a treat. I'm more rock, but indie and classical do just fine. The crux with any system is the quality of the recording I think - great electronics are all very well, but feed them some highly compressed / over limited / excessively EQ'd stuff and it'll cripple your listening experience before it's started. Get some great recordings (have a look at the Steve Hoffman forum and sign-up to access one of the best free resources on the 'net to help you on your way) and your stereo will sing.

The 753s are apparently superb, the only downside with them - and by extension, the entire 75 series - is that Mission no longer support that product line, which is only an issue if you blow a tweeter or main drive unit. Finding one replacement for a 752 might be easier than finding three or four for the 753 (as it has four drive units per speaker) off Ebay. The slight upside is of course that 752s can be had for around £100 a pair secondhand in the UK (mine were £80) and the 753 is often had for about £200-250, so replacements should probably thought of in terms of buying entire speakers as opposed to individual drive units. The other big positive going about it this way is that as the original selling price for the 752 was around £500 and about £700 for the 753 in the mid-90s, they're likely to have gone to owners who'd be inclined to look after them more than trash them. As with all older gear, there are caveats as well as benefits to consider.

Depending on your budget, there are of course some very good examples of newer speakers out there too, but that ramps up the cost. Certainly, for the price paid for the Missions, you won't find a speaker under £500 that'll better them and I'd imagine for the 752 and 753, you could push that up to £1000 with some justification to spare.

As for the questions - no worries. My views are just views, not gospel, so don't put too much store in them! In any case, the older gear has a lot going for it if you land a winner and you have!

 

[Anonymous]

Hi again!

Thank you for your help again.
First of all budget. I'm just a uni student so my budget has it's limits. 🙂

My only problem is mainly the audition. I mean the lack of it. I bought the sansui blind or in that case deaf. This is my same problem for the loudspeakers too. I don't have the opportunity to touch them, to listen them if i buy them over ebay.
Okay, i never had Hi-fi, and dunno i would be able to call hi-fi this, my first forming system. I only know that what i heard on my mp3, micro"hifi", computer and what i heard my friend's marantz separates had a big difference. So coz my lack of experience i don't really know what i should hear. I just can tell you the difference between two speakers what i can hear but no more. I'm a newbie.

So that's why i chosen the sansui. I think it is a trustable amp. I heard its good for the money. And my hi-fi pal said that's the most important part of the hi-fi is the speaker, then the recording, then the room's acustics. I believe sansui can drive fine the speakers i can afford (200-300Ł as a max).

Back again the speakers. 752 is looking like an answer then. If it can do the trick with the rock music too.
I've read many forums in them in these days, many times they wrote it dont have it's deep bass and highs are not too detailed and the soundstage is not so opened. If i say the true i dont really can imagine with my untrained ears what it can mean. Many told that b&w, kef, etc. would be better. Really don't know what to believe now. Can i count with these worries? Do you have some "comparing" experience in this topic?

Anyway. Should i need some special speaker cable to them or the usual 3-5Ł/m price ranged would be enough? Does it counts anyway?

My only goal is that i would like a system which when i turn on and then lay back in the armchair there would be Music.

Sorry for being long. And again thanks for your much helping reply.

 

[the record spot]

Like I say, no probs. Happy to help where I can.

I'd suggest that for a digital system, your amp would be the more important. I've used several amps with this speaker and CD player and none have brought the best out of them, barring perhaps the Leema Pulse. Anything less delivered less of a convincing image, barring perhaps the Sansui AU-217, but that in turn is limited by its 30wpc (or 40wpc for the mark II version). The 717 brought the music to life and meant there was enough power on tap to not only drive the speaker, but control it properly too.

Speaker cable-wise, I use 322-strand. I used to use single core Audioquest Type IV, but the performance is just as good with the cheaper type. Opinions vary wildly with this kind of thing, so all I would say is that you can try a few out, but as a guide, my 322-strand cost me £5.50 for ten metres. That's for the whole ten metres, not per metre. Have a look at the info on Roger Russell's site for a description on what a piece of wire can do if you want to know more, otherwise, if you're on a budget, 322-strand (or similar) will do nicely and save you some beer money!

Not sure if you can get some speakers over there by Q Acoustics? Their 1050i (which precedes their current 2050) floorstanders were very well rated in the UK. If you can find a pair locally, you might be able to pick them up on a deal. They were keenly priced over here (£380 or so), so secondhand you should get a good deal on them. Hi Fi World rated them highly and partnered them up with a Leema Pulse to deliver excellent results by all accounts. One of their guys (Steve Recihart I think) sometimes pops in here from time to time, but as a brand, I'm pretty impressed with what they do. Again though, it depends on what you can find locally.

 

[Anonymous]

Sadly, here the new hifi stuff is more expensive with 30%. For example the monitor audio bx2 what i heard, i saw 200 in the uk, here its 300. If i order from the uk its here for 220Ł. 🙂 I searched for the q acoustics when you have mentioned first time but here its not very popular brand. I can find Monitor Audios and Dalis much more easily (b&w and kef too). And a used Mission 753 for 200Ł.

Okay beside the original topic can you tell me some cd-player for the sansui? I have an older denon (forgot its number, not have here now) which i think would fine for the first months.

What do you heard about the Monitor Audios and the Dalis?

If nothing else remains and the 752 do fine with bassy music, I would make a try with it. I can purchase it from ebay and a courier company brings home for +30Ł which is affordable. 🙂

 

[the record spot]

The only Dalis I heard were the Ikon 5 floorstander (in the UK around £1000) but which were very good. Although, they should be for the money...! If you can get the 753s for that kind of price and it's one you can afford, then I'd get them. Depends if you have enough room for them, as they're a decent size and need a bit of room to breathe and I'd suggest the 717 as the minimum in terms of power.

I've not had many CDPs, but there's plenty to go for - of the ones I've heard, Audio Analogue's original Paganini had bass that went through the floor, Kenwood's DP7090 is underrated but brilliant and one of the best you could get, Linn's Mimik, my current Marantz SA-7001-KI is superb and I'd flag up Harman Kardon's HD990. All worthy of the cash, but depends if you can get them locally.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks. I start looking for the kenwood i think, it is kinda underrated here. Saw one sold for 50. (and i don't have sacd so the marantz's feature would be useless now from that view.)

The mission 752s would be fine but what i have found on the ukebay was dissapointing since none of the sellers answered me. 🙁 So i need to continue the hunt.

The Monitor Audios what i heard was little shelf speakers so i cant tell how their bigger brothers would behave. Anyway they had impressive "voice" with nad 326. (But the nad cost 2* more than the sansui) And also got nice score from the whathifi team.

The german ebay far more expensive, 250 euros for mission 752s are not an option. Hope i can find one.

Do you know something about klipsch speakers?

 

[the record spot]

I think you'll do well to find the Kenwood - it was released in the late 1990s, so they're going to be few and far between out there now. There's less need to worry about a source I think, certainly with digital and plenty of good examples abound (see any decent Sony player from that period, you'll pick them up for pennies, likewise Philips - Marantz by any other name - and so on).

Best suggestion, clap hands on a Sony BDP-S370 and use that. Superb player for the money. I have one and it's hardly outshone by the Marantz player I use. You'll get a Blu-Ray player, SACD capability, great CD playback, a decent build, slightly noisy transport but nothing I can't handle or hear when anything's playing and it'll cost you about £100, or less since the 380 came out.

 

[Anonymous]

If it's bookshelf speakers what you're after, then I'd say to try out the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1.

I own and love them, but be careful not to partner them with a too bright amp or they can get a bit harsh...

It seems that recordspot knows your amp, so maybe he can tell you the character of your sansui and then decide if it may go well with the Wharfedales.

 

[Richard Allen]

I know RS loves his 752's but for my taste, I would go for the 753 freedoms if you can find any.

That said, because the Sansui is " old school construction as in near bomb proof", I would venture to say that there are a lot of speakers out there that will work with it. I would stay away from MA's but other than that, unlike modern day amps, it should cope well with almost anything. Maybe not ATC's but, maybe even those too.

 

[the record spot]

I think Richard's right - the amp will drive most speakers comfortably, unless you're talking about some trickier loads (82db or lower, but I'm no expert on speaker impedance/sensitivity or whatever the right term is - mine have always been around the 82db to 89db mark so never really a major issue for an amp unless it's pushed).

Sound-wise the 717 is well balanced; a good weighty sound, very lifelike I think, detailed but not analytical, warm but not particularly vague or soft (actually, "soft" isn't a word I'd use to describe this amplifier). It's a powerhouse alright, but not in a way that it bludgeons everything around it for miles. It's simply rather brilliant with music and films too.

EDIT: Klipsch - I don't know much beyond them being a long-established US brand, little known in the UK and with a patchy presence here. They released a recent range a couple of years ago in the UK to mixed reviews. The speakers featured a horn tweeter, which was felt to be quite bright in most cases I think. Ample bass weight by all accounts, in both the standmount and floorstander, so could be worth a look. Depending on your source, it may be too much of a good thing and lean towards excessive bass, so see how you get on.

 

[Richard Allen]

Edit to previous post.

Also take note that RS, if I remember correctly, uses standard proprietory OFC speaker cable and this I agree with. If you need to "fine tune" your system, then the interconnects between source and amp will be the ones to go for. I would start with the £80 Chords (can't remember the chuffin' name of 'em).

Not tryin to get into a cable discussion here or go off-topic but it's worth bearing in mind if you have a prob with the sound.

 

[Richard Allen]

Edit to previous post.

Also take note that RS, if I remember correctly, uses standard proprietory OFC speaker cable and this I agree with. If you need to "fine tune" your system, then the interconnects between source and amp will be the ones to go for. I would start with the £80 Chords (can't remember the chuffin' name of 'em).

Not tryin to get into a cable discussion here or go off-topic but it's worth bearing in mind if you have a prob with the sound.

RS. Nowadays, 82dB speakers aren't that common at this price point. 85dB (ATC) is usually the starting point. Also at this price point, the minimum impedance of an 8 ohm nominal loudspeaker will be 5.9-6.3 ohms. Not a problem for the Sansui.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't believe that cables count that much for a budget system like mine, i was only curious that is there cables which have some synergy with the amp and not cost that much.

About the speakers. I think i have to choose more carefully to my music taste and not based on the technical details. Since i listen to rock which as i hear uses mostly the midrange (coz the guitar) and the bass (drums and bass), and i listen jazz which also needs a detailed bass but here highs more often appears i think. So the bass and midrange i think more important then the higher ranges to my future speakers i think. Tell me if im wrong.

About the size. I'm a student, can't afford a flat but a room now. So i have a 3*5m room now, which has its limits. What do you think will the 753 or 752 too big for the room? I mean not only physical size, but the size of the loudness and the "soundstage" or dunno.

Can you tell me why are the new speakers like MA worse than the older ones? It's only for this amp or in generally the olders better in the original price range.

And as always thank you for your help.

 

[Anonymous]

Amp has arrived today, dusty but nice. Only with minor scratches. I hope everything will be fine inside. Its first road will be the service next morning. Leds fine. I want to try it now. I'm so excited. 🙂

No one uses Mission 753 to answer how "big" its sound?

 

[the record spot]

The 753? Never heard it but assume that with eight drivers between the two speakers, you shouldn't be short of a "big" sound! Plenty of other options out there though, though it depends on what you can get locally. The amp won't have any problem driving most speakers and as it's a conservatively rated 85wpc (nearer 100wpc when measured) then it should do fine with whatever you can find.