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best bang/ buck - old sansui vs panasonic XR

I have limited funds to get a new receiver. I am thinking of getting either a refurbished old Sansui high power 8080 or 9090 but I'm concerned that I will have to sink bucks into it to get it refurbished. As an alternative I was thinking of getting a panasonic XR series digital HTR like the 57. If hooked up in bi amp mode it appears to possibly provide high power like the old sansui's. My budget is $300. Would one of the old high power sansui's sound a lot better or would I be better off with a more modern digital amp like the panasonic XR series. Thanks for in advance for any input.
128x12859vovo
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
If you really want good sound, look for a Tandberg receiver. The 2075 and 2080 were among the best-sounding receivers ever made.

Or, if you want a smokin' deal, check out the NAD 7240PE receiver here on Audiogon for $99. This receiver really sounds good.

Any of the above will sound better than the options you are currently considering...

Good luck!

-RW-
59vovo's avatar
59vovo OP
6 posts
 
thanks,but I want high power >= to 100/ch. My experience with NAD has not been positive. I have had problems with poor quality / reliablility on a couple of NAD products over the years (receiver & tape deck) bought new and that stopped working w/in 3 years. I dont expect to get any NAD products anytime soon.

Whatever I get will be used with a pair of Mirage OM10's
chaskelljr2001's avatar
chaskelljr2001
476 posts
 
"59vovo":

If you could find a Sansui 8080 or 9090 in excellent shape and at a good price, I would probably favor a vintage Sansui, Marantz or Pioneer over a new Panasonic XR Receiver, as those receivers from yesteryear are better built and probably sound better than a brand new Panasonic XR does today.

A higher-end Technics model from that era would probably be a good bet as well.

But again..... the trick would be to try to find one that is still in good shape and that you can get at a good price. Any old receiver that you have to put any money in to get it back into decent shape???? If the repair/refurb bill is more than two-thirds of the price of a comparable new receiver (unless it is an older high-end model), it would make better sense to just get a newer receiver.

Good Luck with hunting down your vintage receiver.

--Charles--
jsd52756
420 posts
 
Funny you should mention the Sansui 8080. My daughter has the one I bought new in 1973 in her college apartment. We just had it repaired for $80 and it still kicks booty. All her friends love it. It is a tank and will actually sound really nice. She has it hooked up to Cerwin Vegas (RE38 I believe) with the 15" woofers. If you end up buying one, I recommend picking it up in lieu of shipping if that is possible.
Good luck in your quest.
-John
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