whell Posted August 2, 2002 Share Posted August 2, 2002 Found a reasonably good deal on a receiver that I have always admired since my high school days: the Sansui 9090. This is in museum quality mint condition. Only the "Source" knob is in need of some attention, and probably only cleaning at that. The tuner section is super. Got it all hooked up and have been playing it quite a bit over the last few weeks. Simply put, it is one of the nicest pieces of electronics I have listened to in a while. I've got my Marantz system sitting upstairs, yet I find myself sneaking downstairs more and more often to listen to my music. Warm in the middle, more that sufficient high end detail, and, most noticably, the bass. The low end is detailed, but not thumpy or boomy. My old Infinity Studio Monitors, when hooked up to this receiver, all of a sudden have detailed bass that I didn't know they were capable of. Question: Has anyone ever tried Klipsch speakers with a 9090? I know many here favor tubes, which I am not ready to try. But this system to my ear sounds as warm and as detailed as any SS amp I've heard in a long time. ------------------ Mike - Livonia, MI Klipsch RF-3 L/R Klipsch RC-3 Center Klipsch RB-5 rears HSU Research VF-2 Sub Marantz SR-19EX receiver Marantz MM-9000 Amp NAD T550 DVD Adcom GCD 700 CD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BobG Posted August 2, 2002 Share Posted August 2, 2002 One word of caution, I sold lots of 9090's and 9090b's when they were new. They do NOT like low impedance loads, so be careful if you intend to drive two pair of speakers simultaneously. I've seen some big explosions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted August 2, 2002 Share Posted August 2, 2002 This points to a mediocre power supply among other things. kh ------------------ Phono Linn Sondek LP-12 Valhalla / Linn Basic Plus / Sumiko Blue Point CD Player Rega Planet Preamp Cary Audio SLP-70 w/Phono Modified Amplifier Welborne Labs 2A3 Moondog Monoblocks Cable DIYCable Superlative / Twisted Cross Connect Speaker 1977 Klipsch Cornwall I w/Alnico & Type B Crossover Links system one online / alternate components / Asylum Listing f>s> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whell Posted August 2, 2002 Author Share Posted August 2, 2002 Here are a couple of comments from the Asylum relating to your observations that seem to come to a different conclusion: "When I went to work as a salesman at Tech Hifi in the middle '70s, our flagship speaker was the impossibly efficient Ohm A. A short time after its introduction, it was replaced by the Ohm F. Though more efficient than the A, the F was still the least efficient production speaker of its time. The acid test for any amplifier in the store was to hook it up to these miserably inefficient (but otherwise hair-raisingly realistic) speakers. Of all the separate power amps in the joint, the Phase Linear 700B did the best job. Among the receivers, only 2 were capable of driving them to decent levels: the Sansui 9090; and the Tandberg (the model of which eludes me at the moment). It is instructive to note that while the Sansui is extremely powerful by any standard, the Tandberg, which did at least as good a job, was rated at 45 watts per channel. We can, then, derive 2 lessons from the foregoing: power isn't everything when driving inefficient speakers; and the Sansui 9090 is one hell of a receiver. PS I don't recall any problems attendant to the 9090; few if any were returned to the store. " "We saw our share of returned 9090's due to being combined with Ohm F's - the common failure was open power transformer primaries. Detroit liked it LOUD! :-)" ------------------ Mike - Livonia, MI Klipsch RF-3 L/R Klipsch RC-3 Center Klipsch RB-5 rears HSU Research VF-2 Sub Marantz SR-19EX receiver Marantz MM-9000 Amp NAD T550 DVD Adcom GCD 700 CD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BobG Posted August 2, 2002 Share Posted August 2, 2002 Low sensitivity and low impedance are very different things. You could have a low sensitivity and very easy load - say 10 ohms across the band, and the speaker would require a large amp but would not stress it through demand for high current. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted August 3, 2002 Share Posted August 3, 2002 "This points to a mediocre power supply among other things. " Weak output devices. Much better transistors are available today. "The low end is detailed, but not thumpy or boomy. My old Infinity Studio Monitors, when hooked up to this receiver, all of a sudden have detailed bass that I didn't know they were capable of." I hooked up a Hafler DH220 to the preamp outs on my DB9090. Totally blows away the power amp in the receiver, even though the DH220 is rated for less power. Picked up my DB9090, an abandoned repair, for $45. "It is instructive to note that while the Sansui is extremely powerful by any standard, the Tandberg, which did at least as good a job, was rated at 45 watts per channel. " Probably the TR2040 I mentioned in another post, the best sounding receiver I ever heard on Klipschorns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whell Posted August 3, 2002 Author Share Posted August 3, 2002 Well, I would certainly hope that just about ANY separate amplifier (save some very entry level amps), when connected the the pre-outs of ANY receiver, would be an improvement. ------------------ Mike - Livonia, MI Klipsch RF-3 L/R Klipsch RC-3 Center Klipsch RB-5 rears HSU Research VF-2 Sub Marantz SR-19EX receiver Marantz MM-9000 Amp NAD T550 DVD Adcom GCD 700 CD This message has been edited by whell on 08-03-2002 at 12:06 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted August 3, 2002 Share Posted August 3, 2002 Well, not to take issue with anyone's comments here but to merely offer what I do know about the Sansui receiver: My Dad has one. Lots of vintage stuff. He drives several pair of those old Sansui and Sony speakers. Those lattice front jobs, remember? The speakers don't sound too good but the receiver drives the heck out of 'em! After years of cautioning him I finally bought him a speaker selector with impedance protection. I recently considered buying him a pair of LaScalas. Can anyone comment using their opinion/past experince with this receiver/speaker combo as to how the pairing would actually sound(large room). Any thoughts appreciated! Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted August 3, 2002 Share Posted August 3, 2002 Heritage Klipsch and Sansui solid state electronics? You'll need a six-pack and a bottle of Bayer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted August 3, 2002 Share Posted August 3, 2002 So you've heard the combo deang? Any comments? Thanks. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted August 3, 2002 Share Posted August 3, 2002 Hell no I haven't heard this combo -- but I can only imagine. Actually, I'ze jist bein a bonehead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted August 3, 2002 Share Posted August 3, 2002 bonehead, I mean deang, what do you IMAGINE the combo would sound like? Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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