Decent Vintage speakers?

[WubbyWubby]

Hello all. I'm in the market for a decent set of speakers and was wondering if anyone had any info on this model. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

http://delaware.craigslist.org/ele/3997786733.html

 

Thanks again.

[danementzer]

I like Sansui as a brand, but I've never heard those speakers. 

 

A member of Audio Karma has this to say:

 

 

I know that some people have called the SP-2500 perhaps Sansuis better speaker system.
They are very efficient, have a pretty smooth sound, and have a well-made cabinet (as I remember 'em). Mid-bass on up, they sounded OK, but the bottom really dropped below about 50 Hz.
But, like it has been said before (well, by me, anyway  ), record albums often didn't have much below 60 Hz then, anyway.
I preferred the CS-88A and CS-99A from Pioneer.
But the Sansuis were OK.
Much the same could be said and I've said it, for the Kenwoods from that same era.

 

And another AK member:

 

 

I stand behind my orignal claim that my Sansui SP-2000's sound very nice when listenting to vinyl, accurate & very detalied but the lower end could use some help.

However when listening to the radio they sound horrid, colored and cheap boxy sounding. Like it's a totally different speaker. Jeckyl & Hyde if you will.

Of course I don't use these in my main system but I do hook them up every now and then to show them off, they really do sound good for spinning vinyl. I kid you not.

 

And one more from a Sansui guru:

 

 

Being the Huge Sansui enthusiast that I am, I can tell you that Loudspeakers were not Sansui's strongpoint in the way that their amps, receivers and tuners were. Nothing unusual about that- just like Fender is known for their classic electric guitars and Martin for their acoustics- but not vice versa. Sansui made just about every type of hi fi type of product you can think of- cassette decks, open reels, turntables, etc..., so realistically I dont expect everything they made to be perfect. Sansui had their roots early on in making transformers and so they developed into a company whose forte' was in the excellent design of their amplifiers. 

Being the Sansui enthusiast I am, I of course did obtain a pair of their speakers to see how they'd sound a few years ago, which was the model SP-X8700 from 1979. The many large drivers were impressive as was the build quality. As for the actual sound, well..... not exactly my cup of tea. They, like most Sansui speakers are very efficient- thus not much amp power needed to hear music played Loud thru them. But in terms of sound quality- they seemed a bit tinny-sounding to me and no sense of any Soundstage, imaging etc... Huge 17" woofers- but so what if nothing special going on inthe bass dept anyway.

However.... I have read comments by other people Online (Owner reviews at www.audioreview.com) who do like the sound of Sansui speakers. And thats fine. Whats important is how they sound to your ears-> and if you like them- I'm glad to hear it. Certainly cant beat the price you got them for Even in the other post about the Sansui speakers- worth a try for $65, I think. If it doesnt work out, $65 isnt a huge loss and I'm sure they could easily be resold Online- maybe for even more $$ to another Sansui spkr enthusiast.

An online Sansui contact I have, and who did work as a Parts distributor for them back in the 1970's- agrees with my opinion on their speakers- SP-X8700's and most others -good for the loud disco music at the time but not in any way audiophile quality. He said of all the speakers Sansui made, the best model (and rarely seen) is the SP-L800 and 700's.

[WubbyWubby]

I like Sansui as a brand, but I've never heard those speakers. 

 

A member of Audio Karma has this to say:

 

And another AK member:

 

And one more from a Sansui guru:

 

Thanks so much for the quick response. I guess I can look around and compare other units for sale at the price range and see what else i come up with, I do really like the look of that cabinet though

[danementzer]

The biggest thing about vintage gear is not what others say, but what you think. Before you buy, you should definitely take a chance to listen to them on a comparable setup. That's easier said than done, of course. 

 

So, if you like them, then grab em, especially at a great price. However, if you are at all skeptical, wait. You will surely find another deal, and maybe next time it will actually be a steal. 

[WubbyWubby]

The biggest thing about vintage gear is not what others say, but what you think. Before you buy, you should definitely take a chance to listen to them on a comparable setup. That's easier said than done, of course. 

 

So, if you like them, then grab em, especially at a great price. However, if you are at all skeptical, wait. You will surely find another deal, and maybe next time it will actually be a steal. 

Is there a resource that i could utilize to compare prices on vintage gear to see if they are good deals or not?

[danementzer]

Whenever I find vintage gear that may look like a nice set, I do a few things. 1) ask if it works. If it's a private seller, they may lie. But often times flea markets and stores will tell you the truth (to the best of their knowledge). 2) Take off the speaker grates. You will immediately be able to see if the speaker is blow, if it was cared for properly (versus sitting in water), and if it is, in fact, that particular model. This is a good place to get the specific make and model.

 

That leads me to 3) I ALWAYS google the product I'm looking at. I look for a few things. First, look to see how much people are talking about the product. If you can't find any real info on it, chances are it's not worth talking about. Look for any links from Audio Karma, those guys are brilliant and they will know about anything related to most vintage gear. There is almost always a thread like "Is this a good find?" sort of thing. Next, I look for ebay sales. If one is currently on sale, that's a good sign. Look at that price. Otherwise, try and find passed sales and their prices. A lot of times you may not be able to find your model, but you can find the next model up, or later in that series. That will also give you a decent idea. 

 

So, no I don't know of a single definitive guide, but these all combined provide a decent start. You will find that vintage gear is a little like a unicorn. The awesome pieces are out there, for sure, but you will need to know what you're looking for and what it's kind of worth. 

 

For the record, I have speakers that aren't technically great speakers. They never got the fanbase that some others did. But as far as build quality, sound quality and all that, they are effing amazing. Because of that, I practically stole em ($75 in GREAT shape, you can see them in my "show your setup" post). So, don't just buy what others tell you, you will spend $400+ if that's the case.

 

Hope this helps.

Dane 

[WubbyWubby]

Thanks so much for all of the information. I do like the vintage audio equiptment (styling and all around build quality) so i will take your information to heart and utilize it when im conducting my search for audio equipment. My current set up is perfect, for my usage, except for speakers.

[slinch]

I just cannot get into vintage speakers. I love vintage gear in general, especially amps, receivers and reel-to-reel decks. But I never got that "I want it" feeling with a vintage speaker. I guess I just see them as really fragile, like they age worse than any other piece of equipment. Plus, while vintage amplifiers can be some of the most beautiful designs ever created and trump many, if not most modern amps as far as looks go, speakers generally looked really bland back then, at least to me. 

[danementzer]

Man, I gotta post a pic of mine. Reversible grill, gorgeous accents, great construction. Maybe it's just me, but rich woods (veneers) coupled with tweed grills makes my motor run.

[slinch]

The main "problem" I guess I have with them is the design of the box. Because they're usually just that, a regular, boring box. No curved lines, no driver/enclosure blending, just very rough, very utilitarian build.

[danementzer]

I think that's what I love about it. Functional. Usually a great use of space. That style fits my decor very nicely, though. Tell me these aren't gorgeous...

 

[slinch]

I understand they can go well with the room decor and all, but as a standalone piece I'm afraid they do nothing for me at all. 

 

I do love wood finish and natural materials though, but a design I drool over looks something like this:

[danementzer]

That IS gorgeous! What's the pricepoint, $700+?

[slinch]

Not quite, though there is a 7 in there. Sonus Faber Amati Anniversario. Price at release was $27,500. There's a new model out, the Amati Futura, I think I actually like it even better, but the price has gone up to $36,000:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that I think of it, these might honestly be the most beautiful speakers I've ever seen.

 

Ps.: sorry for bombarding with pics, but I just couldn't decide which ones to put up.

[WubbyWubby]

Idk I'm still a fan of that vintage style, although those wood cabinets are amazingly gorgeous.

[ajxd]

I used to be a fan of vintage speakers... then I heard some high end modern speakers.

[thebiglebowski]

Only mildly related, but my Epic 5s came with those "spikes" like those ridiculously expensive ones have. I've just been setting them on the ground (ie, flat speaker bottom to flat floor). Is it actually worth it to use them? The speakers are a little on the heavy side and it doesn't seem like the easiest thing in the word to put the spikes in, stand upright, and get them all on the metal pieces the spikes are supposed to stand on.

 

Hope that made some sense...

[danementzer]

Comparing vintage speakers to those high-end modern joints is like comparing apples to lamborghinis. I sure like a good apple, but damn, it's no lamborghini...

 

Now, make your point while comparing another sub $800 speaker and we can really talk.

[slinch]

I bought these for around $750 new:

 

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/2431/img3936ewq.jpg

 

http://www.minhembio.com/bilder/bild/?pic_id=87233.jpg

 

http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac143/TheMJMan/CIMG1976.jpg

 

Personally I prefer this design over any standard vintage box, but that's just me. Sound-wise there's no contest.

 

These guys looks way above what the price suggests as well (they retail for 400 eur here):

 

http://www.wassada.com/data/shop/src/239052.jpg

 

http://www.audio-kontakt.com/forum/nalozeno/AUIOOA-1311512621032.JPG

 

http://www.audio-kontakt.com/forum/nalozeno/AUIOOA-1311512531027.JPG

 

(I linked the pics because the board is telling me it's the wrong image extension...)

[slinch]

@thebiglebowski

 

What type of floor? It's definitely not necessary, but it can improve the sound. It's especially important if the floor isn't properly flat, so that there contact between the speakers and the floor isn't evenly spread out. 

[danementzer]

Those are definitely gorgeous speakers, no doubt about it. I guess it's like the taste difference between classic muscle vs mordern muscle (referring to cars)

[slinch]

Exactly (old muscle for me all the way )

 

Though there are vintage speakers that I find absolutely gorgeous, but the prices are insane.

 

Kinoshita Monitor RM-6 (On sale for $50k)

 

Infinity Reference Standard IRS V (On sale for $38k)

[danementzer]

Sweet Baby Jesus.

[circuit bored records]

Those Sonus Fabers a page back sound absolutely incredible. The best speakers I've ever heard, personally.

[thebiglebowski]

@thebiglebowski

 

What type of floor? It's definitely not necessary, but it can improve the sound. It's especially important if the floor isn't properly flat, so that there contact between the speakers and the floor isn't evenly spread out. 

 

Basement cement. Reasonably flat but definitely not flat like a floor on the upper levels of my place.