Speakers

will you be running quad most of the time ??????

Nice Sansui! I would expect it's voice to be a bit warm,never brittle or etched..With that in mind I would look at Focal Aria 906 or maybe Monitor Audio which I prefer to B&W...Also the Matin Logan Motion 35XT might be a good match...

You're Sansui is hopelessly old, outdated, and obsolete if what you prefer, seek, and desire is accurate, faithful, high fidelity from you're Music Reproduction System.

I have a special place for Sansui receivers.  This is almost going to sound like a joke, but back in the day I purchased from an ad a Sansui receiver along with a pair of Cerwin Vega speakers that had 12" woofers for an enclosed patio when I lived in Huntington Beach, CA.  There was something so musical (magical?) about that combination that no matter who listened to it they always commented how nice it sounded.  Not once did they comment like this regarding my high $ main system.

tomic: In my mind it'll be all quad, but in reality it won't. Not even 1/2 I suppose due to not having that many quad recordings, and some of what I have don't have sufficient vinyl quality to keep the separation.

freediver: thanks for the speaker recommendations, I will look into those... does that recommendation extend to the other models in the Aria line?

clearthink:  Given that I'm in the 'hopeless' range I can experiment with speakers without concern... no place farther down to which I can go I suppose

Thanks also for the Cerwin Vega recommendation. They seem to be alive and well.  ...ditto on the magic,  the new old sansui puts my modern stuff to shame.

I would just keep an eye out on craigslist or the like and you probably can pick up a pair for practically nothing just to give it a try.  Again, I wouldn't have mentioned it but they just blended together perfectly.

Great receiver!  The Sansui does a credible synthetic quad surround sound, so I would go with four loudspeakers.  I think you should consider some vintage Klipsch loudspeakers, the KG4, Forte or even the Heresy.  Good luck!

What does one look for/worry about if buying old/vintage speakers?

Jbl l80 or higher. That's my solution for everything. 

I have a pair of speakers that I bought new in the late 70's. Used them lightly for a few years with a Pioneer receiver. They have been sitting unused for a number of years. Synergistics is a brand that I never hear mentioned in these forums. But, in the day, they gave brands like JBL and others some competition.
The unused speakers should go to someone wanting good sound and not to one who only wants a nice looking speaker for some background music. Just don't have the heart to dump them at a garage sale. They are in good working order and still look very good cosmetically.

If anyone is interested in these speakers they are free of charge. I would only ask to be reimbursed for the shipping charge since they weigh about 50 lbs. each. Here is a description of the speakers but they aren't mine. Just photos I found online of ones belonging to someone else........
http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=212689171

clearthink
If you’re going to be unconstructive at least try to make sure your comments are grammatically “accurate and faithful” to the English language.

Jbl l-65 jubals. Great speakers with Sansui. 
I had a old au 9500 integrated with them and it sounded great. Sansui used to demo their equipment with jbl speakers back in the day. 
Great synergy. 

Also, in buying vintage speakers make sure you can test them. Some times the drivers are blown. 
In the case of l-65’s crystal prism slot tweeters, 
if they’re blown don’t purchase. The woofers probably need re-foaming but that’s no big deal. 
A good pair will set you back at least 12-1500.

Vandersteen 2Ce - I’d take a pair of these any day for the same money over vintage JBL’s or Klipsch which I agree are nice speakers but not up to Vandy’s IMO.

Agreed on Vandersteen 2CE SIGNATURE OR SIGNATURE II

Also look at the Celstion Ditton line. 66's 44's or 33's. Also IMF TLS 50's or 80's
Always recap these if not already done. Makes a huge difference. 

There are a million great 70's speakers out there in your budget. 

If you could find a pair of Sansui SP-100 apeakers that have been restored, I think they would please you.

I had a 4 channel system almost 50 years ago, including a 4 channel reel to reel, using Sansui speakers and amp.

Getting music was tough, but I enjoyed the system while I had it.  YMMV.

And as usual, clearthink adds absolutely nothing to the thread.

JBL or Klipsch from Music Direct...60 day trial!  Don’t waste time on old speakers.  

JBL would be a nice fit with that vintage Sansui. These will fit your budget!

https://www.musicdirect.com/speakers/JBL-4307-Bookshelf-Speakers

FYI, I grew up with a Sansui 8 deluxe...that was the pinnacle of their design and performance!

If you can find 4 Fulton FM 80's or FM 100's on ebay you will have as good of a box speaker as you can find from those days, and they will probably sound great with your receiver.

JBL and horn speakers are not accurate; Cerwin-Vega was a bass-heavy, tweeter heavy speaker that made a good sound for those days, like Advent's did, but they were evolutionary and have be surpassed easily by even modest speakers today.  Most of all, enjoy the MUSIC the way YOU want it.

Cheers!

Thanks for all the options/opinions.  Reading through the marketing materials I  realize it will come down to needing to hear them together.  As much as of-the-era-speaker appeal  as mickeyb points out there are risks, not all of which I'll see.
Any recommendations on reputable dealers which offer a demo/trial period and the ability to return or exchange?

Another + for Vandersteen 2s. I am the second owner of vintage (~1980) Vandy 2Cs. They are original and in pristine condition. If you treasure soundstaging, imaging and top-to-bottom cohesiveness like I do, IMO you can do no better from a speaker in your budget.

Tom

Got my new JBL 4429’s!!!  Holy cow man...that is music baby;))

WOW!! Just wow is all I can say about my 4429’s....even cold out of the box they have that physical presence to the sound and the best tonality I’ve heard. I’ve had Wilson 6’s and 7’s, and Dynaudio C4’s and B&W 802 D3’s to name a few and none had this sense of realism.

Hey rick2718,

If you’re going to stick to two channel, why not look into the original JBL Century 100’s. You might have to update the speaker surrounds, but they’re still a great speaker.

All the best.

JD

Wow, that's a lot of different directions. My take: I have a 1970's Sansui Eight that has gone thru the recap route. I use it in my office for sports radio with some old Polks. I took some Spendor 3/2s from my main system and tried them with the Sansui. Had to stop right away. The old Polks sounded better. When I put the Spendors back in my primary system they sounded excellent again. I hope you can get where I am going with this. That aside first I would not spend over $1,000 on all four speakers especially if you are going vintage. Be patient. Watch Audiokarma. The KG4s or Vandys are likely the best bet in my book. Have fun!!!

Try some of the Usher CP series speakers. I had the cp6381 and it sounded very good. If you want a much better speaker try the usher mini dancer 1 or 2 speakers with the diamond tweeter

because of your Quad aspirations, i will veer from my very typical Vandersteen recommendation ( for great stereo, get 2C and up !!!! )

but i will suggest some work for you.....try to find Shahinian Obelisk....buy a pair to start and add 2nd pair for the quad setup...

failing that get the Vandersteen 2C ( or better ) and a set of on wall Vandersteen for the backside quad pair....

you might find both options shockingly good

have fun.....enjoy the music..

jim

BTW, i worked at a Sansui / Shahinian dealer late 70’s...

yes we has other more high end gear....but the Shahinians may shock you for enjoyment.....

especially w multitrack recordings of the day.....mixed with high eq, heavy hand on pan and a mostly 2 D soundstage......

One year later and my JBL 4429’s provide me with the most realistic portrayal of my music over that of the litany of speakers I have owned!  They were all great speakers, but for a varied music collection and a less than ideal listening environment, the 4429’s deliver realistic uncompressed dynamics, accurate tone and very impressive soundstaging.  Pure joy to listen to with any genre of music!

I had a 4 channel system in the 70's and bought a couple quad albums only to be told I needed a special cartridge for my tonearm to play all 4 channels separately. :( 

Bummer ;(. What you running your music through these days!