Sansui 551 -

I was discovering very quickly, that low powered receivers and amplifiers have a sonic appeal that their high power counterparts can’t match.  Reading Art Dudley in Stereophile, reading blogs like twogoodears.blogspot.com  and experimenting with everything I ever owned.  This takes time, in my case years.  Which is why I tell everyone I am not an audiophile, I am a music lover.  Audiophiles use music to listen to their gear, music lovers use their gear to listen to music.  Huge difference. 

Sure, if you’re looking to make your ears bleed and want to feel thunder against your chest as you listen, high power certainly has its appeal, and don’t get me wrong sometimes that is exactly what I want.  But, 95% of the time I am really listening.  The sound of well tuned drum set, the depth and ring of the toms, and bass drum.  The crack of snare and the sparkle of a set of vintage Zildjian cymbals.  The ring of a grand piano, the tone of acoustic guitar the depth of double bass.  I want to be there.  I also want to hear Robin Trowers Strat, played through his vintage 100 watt Marshal head at louder than what I would call normal volume.  Surprisingly, my Sansui 551 gives me most all of this.  

I can’t believe how loud and full 16 wpc can sound, I can’t believe the bass I get from this.  Going from system to system I keep coming back to this little guy.  It just sounds right, sweet, punchy, has tone, gobs and gobs of tone, texture and just the right sparkle.  It’s the sweetest sounding Sansui I have ever owned.  By saying it’s sweet sounding, I mean non-fatiguing, robust bass when needed, midrange that isn’t in your face and highs that are crystal clear.  

For the audiophile, no, it doesn’t have any state of the art parts, no specially treated chassis, no need for specialty cables, or snake oils and when you see it with its cover off, well its not very impressive.  No huge power supply or capacitor stack.  Where does all that bass come from?  Clean, tight, well defined bass.  No flabby pants here.  This is an example of a very well designed, built, superb sounding perfectly voiced amplifier.  It’s pretty too, and has a fantastic tuner. Mine was purchased new February 12, 1977.  The serial number tells me it was manufactured in 1974.  The receiver has all of its original components and parts and has never been serviced.  It has no business driving my modified Definitive Technology BP10’s (from the 1990 CES Show) but it does drive them, with finesse and authority.  Everything you play, and I mean everything sounds wonderful.  

If I had a set of horn loaded speakers this receiver would be my end game, as that would give me just a tad more volume for those times that I need it. 

The soundstage, and depth trounces any McIntosh preamp or integrated I have owned.  They don’t even come close.  For subtlety, texture, feel, emotion, the Mac’s are in the backyard compared to this little Sansui.  I have owned several of the XX1’s and can say without question they all carry the same sonic signature.  This was my first real hifi receiver.  I only used it for a couple of years, because I believed that I needed more power, needed to have better.  Phase Linear, Citation, McIntosh, Crown, Marantz, GAS, Pioneer, SUMO, Project/ONE, Carver, Mark Levinson, Yamaha, Nikko, SAE etc., etc., you name it I feel like I have owned it. 

Need a great sounding receiver, and don’t want to break the bank?  Need a great sounding receiver and don’t need to make your ears bleed?  Do you have fairly efficient speakers?  Do you own horn-load speakers?  If so, this could be exactly what your’e look for.

I still use my Sansui 551.  I probably listen to this more than anything else I own and I have quite a collection of gear.  This little guy is just magic!

Hifi Engine is a great source for reading specs and reviews on the XX1 series of receivers from Sansui.  You will find they are all highly regarded.  Be sure to read about the 221, 331 and 441 as well.  Great reviews from music lovers, which just confirm what I have said here.  You just can't go wrong with any of these.

I will cover the 661, 771 and 881 in later posts, but somehow the 551 is my hands down favorite.  The little guy thinks he has 50wpc.... Sansui watts always seem bigger, better somehow.  More to come!