Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I broke out one of my crown jewels from the collection. Arguably this is what got me into the whole receiver collection and repair hobby about 6 years ago.
I rotate systems and hook up a different one each weekend. I have a wall of speakers and I do a little mixing and matching to get the sound I like.
My formula is not to run these receivers full time, but to keep them alive and energized. Which means they get powered on minimally every six months and then run and pushed respectfully hard during that timeframe. As such, I post a different receiver each week and after a period of time, you’ll see a repeat.
This receiver has a pretty interesting history, but to make a long story short, I almost lost it entirely. I’ve always been into electronics, but never really did a lot of my own repairs, and the main outputs were blown and I didn’t quite know what to do so I sent it to Crossed Paths Vintage audio repair in Texas.
After about two years and threatening a police report I finally got the unit back and it was repaired. The owner has since been arrested, and there are several dozens of people who completely lost their receivers and money, and I really feel sorry for them. I was one of the last ones to actually get equipment back.
Anyways, just look into reviews and references prior to sending or having someone work on your equipment, this was a terrible experience.
I’ve since become very well-versed at repairing receivers and stock high-quality capacitors and transistors. And all sorts of other parts and test equipment. And I learned a lot during Covid and quite proficient at fixing anything with a little time looking at a service manual on my iPad.
So every piece of equipment I hook up or showcase weekly is generally in perfect condition, with maybe a couple flaws, but has passed my extensive cleanup, replacement of key components, and a burn in.
So once in a while, something will break which I will fix, but I’m not a fan of completely recapping and replacing everything. If I’m working on a particular board I’ll often replace many items on it while it’s out - that sort of thing.
Anyways, that’s quite a long dissertation, but I really like this receiver. Sansui does not dissappoint. But this has similar sound quality to the 7070, 8080, 9090 and then the 661, 771, 881 etc.
I broke out one of my crown jewels from the collection. Arguably this is what got me into the whole receiver collection and repair hobby about 6 years ago.
I rotate systems and hook up a different one each weekend. I have a wall of speakers and I do a little mixing and matching to get the sound I like.
My formula is not to run these receivers full time, but to keep them alive and energized. Which means they get powered on minimally every six months and then run and pushed respectfully hard during that timeframe. As such, I post a different receiver each week and after a period of time, you’ll see a repeat.
This receiver has a pretty interesting history, but to make a long story short, I almost lost it entirely. I’ve always been into electronics, but never really did a lot of my own repairs, and the main outputs were blown and I didn’t quite know what to do so I sent it to Crossed Paths Vintage audio repair in Texas.
After about two years and threatening a police report I finally got the unit back and it was repaired. The owner has since been arrested, and there are several dozens of people who completely lost their receivers and money, and I really feel sorry for them. I was one of the last ones to actually get equipment back.
Anyways, just look into reviews and references prior to sending or having someone work on your equipment, this was a terrible experience.
I’ve since become very well-versed at repairing receivers and stock high-quality capacitors and transistors. And all sorts of other parts and test equipment. And I learned a lot during Covid and quite proficient at fixing anything with a little time looking at a service manual on my iPad.
So every piece of equipment I hook up or showcase weekly is generally in perfect condition, with maybe a couple flaws, but has passed my extensive cleanup, replacement of key components, and a burn in.
So once in a while, something will break which I will fix, but I’m not a fan of completely recapping and replacing everything. If I’m working on a particular board I’ll often replace many items on it while it’s out - that sort of thing.
Anyways, that’s quite a long dissertation, but I really like this receiver. Sansui does not dissappoint. But this has similar sound quality to the 7070, 8080, 9090 and then the 661, 771, 881 etc.
