sansui SPL-700

I pulled the trigger on a pair of SPL-700 today. Picking them up tomorrow. Price was right, but its a two hour drive one way. Never been a fan of Sansui speakers, except for my AS series, electronics yes:thmbsp::thmbsp:
These look to have a JBL infuence. Looks like a real horn under that diffraction lense, and they appear to have cast driver baskets, not cheap trim rings. They roll on built in castors, terminals are readily biampable.
The guy brought them home from the service. He feels they were never sold in the states.
Any opinions???
http://www.sansui.us/MS_Group03.htm
scroll down to spl-700

Best speakers Sansui ever made.

I'm hoping surrounds are not hard to find for them. All four are failing. The owner says he quit using them when they started to fail.
They appear to be well made in the photos I have seen. WIll post some pics tomorrow if it goes down well.

I have wanted to hear a pair of those for some time.

Great find.

Do let us know what you think about them after you get them re-foamed.

Rob

I recognized them as something beyong the norm by the unusual design of the cabinets. I think several people probably gave them no thought when they saw the ad thinking they were just the normal same old sansui speaker.

A buddy of mine had a pair of SPL800's hooked up to a BA 5000 years ago for a disco service he owned and I can say for sure that they sounded WOW and could take every watt that he threw at them!! I'm sure you'll enjot those 700's just as much!!

As was stated earlier the SPL line was the cream of the Sansui Speaker crop (I know not saying much) that is to say they were actually very good, from what I've been told. The surrounds shouldn't be hard to find. Places like New Foam or Simply Speakers should be able to give you correct sized surrounds.

I will trade you my left dangling appendage for those.

Mission accomplished. In great shape other than the surrounds. Easy transaction, and I can't say enough about how good it was to work with the guy that sold them. He held on to them until I could make the two hour drive, helped load them and even gave me a moving blanket to pad my truck bed, since I forgot mine at home.
Pics later.

DCinDC said:

I will trade you my left dangling appendage for those.

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Wow thats good of you to offer, but let me listen to them first. Besides you may need that appendage again.

crappy cell phone pic...
Just before loading them.
Driving into the sun but at 5 ish it was a nice sunset. Perfect end to a perfect trip.

C o n g r a d u l a t i o n s !!

Excellent speakers and 'very hard to find and rare'!!!

How much??

I love the AS series too! (100s and 300s here. The 100s are 'like new' and the 300s look fine but one woofer needs some work. It vibrates on a few songs, not many, but a few.) What AS speakers do you have?

I love the AS series too! (100s and 300s here. The 100s are 'like new' and the 300s look fine but one woofer needs some work. It vibrates on a few songs, not many, but a few.) What AS speakers do you have?

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I have all three, 100 200 & 300.
I sent you a pm about a parts source orphan for your300. Did you ever look in to it?

I am anxious to hear if they sound as good as they look. Simply speakers does indeed have the correct surrounds.

speaker piggy

Oink!!

Upper woofer pics, top and bottom. Cast frame, no cheesy trim rings here, T nytted with hex bolts into the cabinet.
Horn tweeter. cast aluminum body very heavy.
Baffle is a nice glossy black finish. Insides are braced in both directions. Very solid and heavy.

bryana: I have all three, 100 200 & 300. I sent you a pm about a parts source orphan for your 300. Did you ever look in to it? I am anxious to hear if they sound as good as they look. Simply speakers does indeed have the correct surrounds.

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Hi Bryana, Thanks for your PM, most appreciated!

My 300s cabinets and grills look really very nice (very extremely happy about that) but I have a 'buzzing' problem with one woofer, only on a 5 songs so far, Steely Dan's 'Greatest Hits' and Dylan's 'Desire', both CDs. Can't remember if it buzzes on LPs???

I saw that single 200 for sale but 300s have a larger woofer (12") than the 200s (10"). Not sure yet what the problem is 'for sure'. I think it may be a voice coil but I need to pop the speaker out to check it, maybe it's a loose wire or touching wire to the woofer. But I'm on the lookout for a replacement woofer. Then after I get it, it's a crossover rebuld and total restoration too. Hope to find one 300 for sale somewhere, yeah, right. Impossible, but ya never know. I'd even buy 'another pair' just for parts. All is well, I'm just happy to 'finally have found a nice lookin pair' after a 4.5 year search. Really 'very very rare' speakers in the USA. As you know, the 100s and 200s do come up on eBay from time to time but the 300s never.

I'm going to telephone the 'Speaker Exchange' speaker repair shop in Tampa and see if they can fix the woofer too. I can hear what these speakers are trying to sing and it sounds great! Like ARs or KLHs. They are great looking speakers. They do like power put to em. The Strong Bass is perfect...except for the buzz! LOL. I 'have to' restore them to thier former glory! It's a quest. And it will be fun too. :>)

My AS-100s: Mint cabs and grills, no tar on the bottom of the grills, super excellent sound, I love em. I just got really lucky and found a minty pair at the Goodwill. They kinda look like they just came out of the box. Only 2 small marks on the sides that disappear with English Oil. I just can't honestly believe someone would give these 100s to the Goodwill. It blows my mind really but I'm sure glad they did. They are perfect! Maybe they were just too retro 'old fashion lookin' for em, being 2 foot high heavy box speakers with alnicos! The grill are cool, aren't they!

Thanks Again for your PM! :thmbsp:


SP-L700s: Also, looking forward to the listening test on the SP-L700s!! Super Cool! Beautiful looking and Beautiful Sounding Sansui's! Most say the best! I've never heard them personally but I've heard about them and how they sound! A rare and lucky find! -- Lucky you!! :>)

As Rod Stewart sings: "Some guys have all the luck." You got a pair!

Nice score. I have the sp-l800 and used the surrounds from mat electronics to re-foam. Had a couple of white rings on the top and used Howard mahogany. or was it walnut, restore-a-finish and feed-n-wax to get them back to looking new.

Finally got a chance to hook them up to tubes recently and do they sound sweet.

I had a pr of 700's and 800's in operation at my last house loved them. In my opinion the best by far for Sansui. I sold the 700's to a guy in Alberta and the 800's to my best friend of 40 yrs ( so I can go and listen anytime I like) Sansui was the dist for JBL in the far east back then and used the jbl 300's as the blue print for these.

ps I have checked the web for a pr of both from 2002 till now these were the only ones I have ever seen they are extremely rare