[ourfpshero]

i have been on the lookout for one of these and finally scored one! i have had the ss-20 for a long time and was impressed by it. the ss-80 is Sansui's top dynamic headphone that they made (there is an ss-100 ortho)

the specs are 200 ohms, 20-20k hz. unlike the other cans in its lineup these use a modern type mylar driver- not paper cone! they have the then-normal voume controls and ridiculous tone controls. the volume controls have a nice click-stop at max, the tone controls just nerf the bass so they stay all the way to bass

these are very light for the time (the ss-20 i had weighs almost 2 pounds). the earpads could be thicker for better isolation and bass
sound is actually very nice for its time period (70s). great detail across the board. a little bass light. sound is like an audio technica art series. bypassing the volume and tone controls might help. a nice complement to a vintage collection!

 

[Acix]

Congratulation, they look in good shape how SS-80 compare to the Pioneer 10?
I'm mostly into vintage studio monitor hps the tone and volume keep me away, but maybe Sansui did it right.

 

[ourfpshero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix /img/forum/go_quote.gif Congratulation, they look in good shape how SS-80 compare to the Pioneer 10? :

did a quick side by side: the sansui is brighter with less bass, a little more detail on the highs
both are equally hard to drive, the pioneer slightly more so.
overall very similar. possibly the sansui ss-80 uses the same drivers as an ss-35? how do the ss-35 and monitor 10 compare?

 

[MiguelATF]

The SS-80's are sweet looking phones.  I still have a pair of SS-20's which, in spite of their bulk and weight, produce an astoundingly clear and strong listening experience.  I'm going to have to get them out again and have another listen.....  As Bob Dylan said, "The times they are a changin'...."  He wasn't talking about headphones but he had it right.