[Monsterzero]

Hi! Monsterzero,
What vintage amplifier do you use for your AKG K 340? And by the way how do you compare them with your other headphones? I am very curious about your impressions...

TBH,I dont.Of all the headphones i own it is by far the least enjoyable to listen to.
I originally bought it because of how impressed I was(and still am) with the K240 sextetts and wanted to see how they compared.

It is much too bright for me thru any of my vintage gear.I can get it somewhat tamed on my La Figaro 339 if I rotate in my ultra warm tubes,but considering most of my other HPs are warm by nature I usually use a brighter tube combo.

I have noticed that my K340 sounds "better" after 20-30 minutes of warming up,but at the end of the day it falls short for my personal preferences vs. my other gear.I'd sell it but I dont think I'd get much for it,so I kinda just keep it around as a collectors item.

Ive read your comments in the K340 thread and glad youre enjoying your pair.

 

[SirMarc]

Have you ever a/b it vs. another monster? I see many folks preferring the Pioneer 1250 vs the 9090,but i not only love the Sansui house sound,but the 9090 is simply eye candy for me,whereas I find the Pioneers looks to be kinda meh(no offense)

I've heard the SX-1250 and I've heard various Marantz and Kenwood models. I'm partial to the mid 70's Sansui sound myself.

I'd say from the vintage receivers I've heard, Pioneer is clinical-ish and neutral, but powerful sounding, Marantz a little too warm and syrupy for me, I find Sansui to be the happy medium with nice detailed, but not strident highs, liquid midrange, powerful tight bass, and killer soundstage width and depth, Kenwood leans towards the Sansui sound sig, but with a bit too much lower bass and a more flat soundstage.

Keep in mind that most of this experience is in different rooms with different gear, so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt.

That being said, there was a really long thread on AK a number of years ago on the overall best receiver of the 70's and the 9090 got the most votes.

And yes, after the very cool looking Pioneer SX-1010 in the mid 70's, the Pioneers are kind of blah looking to me too...

Edit: this thread is very Pioneer centric. Head over to AudioKarma and there's a ton of Sansui enthusiasts.

 

[Monsterzero]

Yup,ive been a member of AK for a couple years but not nearly as active there as I am here.
Interesting that you mention the 1010,thats the one Pioneer ive always been tempted by,absolutely love its looks.

My Kenwood Eleven GX sounds nothing like my Sansuis(much brighter and detailed),and its a bit of a problem child and has been relegated to den speaker duty where it drives a pair of Rectilinear Highboys.But on looks alone the Eleven GX is my fav that I own,but due to reasons that my tech has thus far been unable to diagnose it doesnt like being in use for extended periods of time.

The other receiver that im lusting after is a Concept 16.5,drab as hell to look at,but apparently a stunning sounding monster....the next time I find a spare 3000.00 I forgot in a coat pocket I will grab one.

 

[SirMarc]

Man those mid 70's Kewoods are gorgeous. My KR-7600 is mint, and beautiful, but its relegated to back up duty because sound wise, the 9090 kills it. I wish my 9090 was in the shape my Kenwood is. The Sansui looks good for its age, but the Kenwood looks brand new.

I'm partial to the mid 70's look of receivers. The later 70's models look too blingy to me. The G series Sansui's look like nuclear launch systems lol

 

[richard51]

TBH,I dont.Of all the headphones i own it is by far the least enjoyable to listen to.
I originally bought it because of how impressed I was(and still am) with the K240 sextetts and wanted to see how they compared.

It is much too bright for me thru any of my vintage gear.I can get it somewhat tamed on my La Figaro 339 if I rotate in my ultra warm tubes,but considering most of my other HPs are warm by nature I usually use a brighter tube combo.

I have noticed that my K340 sounds "better" after 20-30 minutes of warming up,but at the end of the day it falls short for my personal preferences vs. my other gear.I'd sell it but I dont think I'd get much for it,so I kinda just keep it around as a collectors item.

Ive read your comments in the K340 thread and glad youre enjoying your pair.

Thanks Monsterzero...

it is very strange that the same headphone sound so totally different from different sources and amplifier.... on mine they are not in the least bright, they are warm sounding, with not preeminent bass but there is bass, imaging is the best of all my headphones, and the timbre is more natural than all my headphones.... Dont sell them perhaps you will change your gear someday for them.... thanks very much for your reply....

 

[KG Jag]

Excellent site over viewing many receivers from many makers & rebranders:

https://classicreceivers.com/

 

[OldRoadToad]

.

 

[PhoenixG]

Have you seen what the big G's from sansui are going for nowdays? Some cost as much as a new BMW 2 series...

Man those mid 70's Kewoods are gorgeous. My KR-7600 is mint, and beautiful, but its relegated to back up duty because sound wise, the 9090 kills it. I wish my 9090 was in the shape my Kenwood is. The Sansui looks good for its age, but the Kenwood looks brand new.

I'm partial to the mid 70's look of receivers. The later 70's models look too blingy to me. The G series Sansui's look like nuclear launch systems lol

 

[SirMarc]

Have you seen what the big G's from sansui are going for nowdays? Some cost as much as a new BMW 2 series...

Holy crap! Do you have insurance on yours? Lol

 

[PhoenixG]

Holy crap! Do you have insurance on yours? Lol

If one of those actually sells for those prices, I think I'll be obliged to downsize. I recently moved halfway around the planet to a place that's 220v/50Hz and I'm going to have to re-evaluate anything that isn't dual voltage once it gets unpacked. Or maybe I'll get a bunch of transformers, TBD.

 

[SirMarc]

If one of those actually sells for those prices, I think I'll be obliged to downsize. I recently moved halfway around the planet to a place that's 220v/50Hz and I'm going to have to re-evaluate anything that isn't dual voltage once it gets unpacked. Or maybe I'll get a bunch of transformers, TBD.

Yeah man I feel you. That could probably finance the move

 

[Monsterzero]

I was browsing FleaBay just last night and noticed those ads...silly! Saw one ad for a Kenwood Eleven for 3 large

 

[richard51]

Perhaps i will sell my 100 watts Sansui Au-X701, 20 thousand dollars, it is supposed to be way better than these Sansui 300 hundred watts monster receiver....Nodody interested? i will keep my only 55 watts Sansui AU-7700 though...

 

[Jabba]

Perhaps i will sell my 100 watts Sansui Au-X701, 20 thousand dollars, it is supposed to be way better than these Sansui 300 hundred watts monster receiver....Nodody interested? i will keep my only 55 watts Sansui AU-7700 though...

Insane price on those Sansui G's
In my country the FM is nearing it's end (transition to dab+...).
Only local stations left (ends 2022). Other countries to follow.
So the big amps is more interesting here than the reciever's.
Better stock up with the big Sansui amps, maybe worth a house by then

 

[Monsterzero]

Insane price on those Sansui G's
In my country the FM is nearing it's end (transition to dab+...).
Only local stations left (ends 2022). Other countries to follow.
So the big amps is more interesting here than the reciever's.
Better stock up with the big Sansui amps, maybe worth a house by then

Pardon the ignorance,but what is "dab+"?

I never listen to terrestrial radio anyways,but going back to the way a piece of equipment looks i much prefer a receiver over a standard amp...unless were talking about those old McIntosh tube amps...so beautiful!