I own the Au alpha 607i... It is not the top model...
But i did not even succeed to upgrade it with a ZOTL Berning tube amp... Synergy matter too then even if the zotl with his refined linear independant power supply was more silent there is no comparison on all aspects of sound using my K340 which are any way are probably the hardest headphone to drive well ...Not in raw power but with volt swing ...( they had two different cells of 350 Ohms impedance , a dynamic one and an electret one and a complex dual acoustic chamber , there is no other hybrid headphone today by the way in the way they work)
Sansui never even export to America the best of their alpha top models for many reasons one being Us/yen change in these years ...
Those who think Sansui is outdated make me smile ... Their ratio S.Q. /sound quality especially today bought used at 1000 or 2000 bucks beat many modern offerings...I pay my alpha 300 bucks 8 years ago but i used my AU 7700 with my big speakers not the Alpha because i loved the Au 7700 so much...
But my K340 ask for a more clean amp more refined and more detailed then i disconnected the Au 7700 and the Alpha was so good i will die with it....There is better but at 10,000 bucks not at few thousand... Why i bought them ?
Because products that are of mythical status with no negative review after 45 or 35 years and sold good price used, these products reviewed by users decade after decade says more than any reviewers can spell today about a new hyped product which nobody will remember in 10 years ... ...
And when i bought my Sansui alpha and paid it 300 bucks there was no top audiophile amplifier a so good product under 1000 bucks at all ... It is true today too even if the actual price used of the 607i will be around 1000 bucks now ...For the 907i a notch over it will certainly double the price used ...
@mahgister +1! That Alpha 907i from 1987 looks pretty impressive! List price was 260,000 yen, around $2600 dollars. Which one do you have?