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Sansui 9090, or 9090DB


Taz

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I have heard the 9090db (which is the newer of the two) but I can't remember which model was the "best" one, so I'm of no help.

 

That 9090DB is probably one of the finest receivers I've ever heard.  I can't remember the weight but it is physically huge and weighs a ton.  They also hold their value very well in the used market.

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They're both great sounding. The DB has has a lot of pass-through wiring in the Dolby circuit that can be a source of problems if the solder joints go bad. Its been well documented, however, and fixable. My 8080db had to have the Dolby board redone. My 9090db has been fine, knock on wood. Love em.

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Do you have an 8080db ?

 

No 8080db, just a 9090 and a 9090db.

 

So the 9090db holds value more then the 9090?

 

 

Any TOTL classic receiver will hold its value well. All of the higher-end classic Sansui Receiver's sound great with the kind of build quality you just can't buy in today's equivalent dollars.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm new to the Klipsch Community, so please bare with the new guy. After reading Taz's question, I thought I'd share my experience with a Sansui 9090DB driving my 1974 Cornwalls. I've owned my Sansui for a very long time (but not since new), and I recently had it restored ($600). My decsion to restore was because I had just purchased the Cornwalls (which are in terrific, near mint condition) The guy who worked on the Sansui shared with me that these receivers rarely come on the market because once someone gets one, they hardly ever let it go (unless they inherit one or find one in a garage sale and they don't know what they have). It is a truely fine piece of 1970's solid state electronics. After the restoration, I hooked the receiver up to my Cornwalls and I was very excited to start building my new (vintage) system. However, the Cornwalls are so damn efficient that I think the Sansui has too much power, and the sound is not quite as amazing as when I auditioned the Klipsch's (I'll come back to this in a second). But, back to Taz's initial question - the 9090DB is definetly more valuable than the 9090, and I would highly recommend restoring the DB. But to be honest, I don't use the Dolby component very often, so my recommendation is simply a biased opinion based on resale value. However, I wouldn't recommend that you sell the 9090DB because you probably can't get anything quite as good for the same money. One final point, however. After I hooked up the Sansui to my Cornwalls, the right channel would occassionally cut out. Man, was I frustrated - an expensive restoration and I was having a channel cut out. After flip floping the speakers, hooking them up to the B and C speaker outputs, and various other attempts, it turned out that it was the Dolby selection switch causing the problem. After exercising the rotating switch for a few minutes, both channels played perfectly - probably a dirty pit had formed over the years and exercising the knob allowed sufficient contact. None-the-less, I'll probably take the beast back to the restorer and have him work on/clean the Dolby components. So, in what I almost always consider a valuable approach, that is that simpler is better, if you decide to restore the 9090 as opposed to the 9090DB, you won't have the Dolby selection switch that could cause you the same problem I experienced. Man are life decisions hard. Yes, the DB is more valuable. Yes, it is one more place for problems. If you wish, I can send you a coin to help you make your decision.

 

Now, the reason I came to this forum to begin with - does anyone have recommendations of a tube amplifier that works well (beautifully) with 1970's era Cornwalls. When I auditioned the Cornwalls, they were driven by a tube amp, but I can't remember the brand or the power. At the time of audition, I did not care about the amp because I was absolutely convinced that my Sansui 9090DB would be great with the Cornwalls. Now, I'm thinking a tube amp would be better because the audition made me love the Cornwalls. I was blown away.

 

Any thoughts? Or if this line of discussion (tube amps and Cornwalls) is tired and old and took place long ago, could someone point me to the correct discussion? Or is there a different on-going forum that would be a better place to pose my question?

 

Ol' Tex

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Any thoughts? Or if this line of discussion (tube amps and Cornwalls) is tired and old and took place long ago, could someone point me to the correct discussion? Or is there a different on-going forum that would be a better place to pose my question? Ol' Tex

 

Hi Tex and welcome to the forum

 

I'm no help with tubes but there is a relatively new sub section, Talking Tubes

 

You'll get plenty of suggestions there from some very knowledgeable folks

 

https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/forum/109-talkin-tubes/

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Hi Tex, welcome to the forum.  Fine first post on the Sansui 9090DB.  It is a beast of a receiver and holds its value well in the used market no doubt, probably between $600 and $900.  Liberal use of Deoxit seems routine on that model and seems to cure a lot of the routine problems with the switches.

+++

 

I am not a tube guy so I will not be of any specific help, but Tasdom directly upstream ^^^ is exactly right and pointed you to the right place.  You could also post your question on the 2-channel sub-forum, either one will get you the same folks with the same answers.

 

I frequent several Klipsch discussion boards and this Klipsch.com is THE place to get definitive and expert answers, especially with regards to Klipsch and tube gear.  These guys own them and these guys know them.

 

Chances are if you ask your question on AVSforum.com or the Klipsch Korner at audiokarma.org, the most helpful answers will come from the people who are regulars here.

 

You might as well start with the best.  B)

Edited by wvu80
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I had a 9090DB and had it fully restored, I only have high praises for it.  I had to downsize and free up some space and it was time to let it go.  I was maintaining two seperate systems and the amount of equipment and speakers I had was a bit much,  I still regret getting rid of it........  definitely a fine piece of vintage audio.

Edited by jarrod2750
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Iv had both.

8080 i ran in japan, then before i left they came out with the 9090

so i got TWO at the time for $400+ and free shipping back to the states.

8080 lasted 10 years, sold for parts.

one 9090 gave to a friend for wedding present, and the last 9090 i ran

just sold for parts on the Bay after running 25+ years.

Transformers are/were their problem.

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"Transformers are/were their problem."

 

Well that would be a first.... I have worked on over 200 of these, no joke, and have never once seen one with a bad transformer. Matter of fact, in all the years I have been working on solid state gear, I have only seen 2 bad transformers. This just don't happen.....

Edited by paul79
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"Transformers are/were their problem."

 

Well that would be a first.... I have worked on over 200 of these, no joke, and have never once seen one with a bad transformer. Matter of fact, in all the years I have been working on solid state gear, I have only seen 2 bad transformers. This just don't happen.....

I had the first models made, maybe by the time they hit the states for sale, they had their problem(s) fixed.

I was back here for almost two years before i saw a 9090 at Pacific Stereo, plenty of time to work out the bug(s).

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I bought a 9090db new in 78 I think, the same year I bought my khorns. I think they were 110 watts a side. I used to power the khorns to some outlandish dbs all

the way to the ninties when I got adcom separates. I think I had one side drop and had it repaired to keep going. I don't think I ever used the db function.

I sold the 9090db to a guy working for me for $50, so sad, but he worked hard and I was not paying him what he deserved. He used the amp only in his set up, he was

a very DIY guy, unlike me being a push the button and play person.

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