[IceClass]

  Hello everybody
I'm rookie in here, but I can consider myself as an audiophile for a long time... Dear forum members, I'm looking for Sansui SS-100 right now, would like to buy for a reasonable price. Is anybody here want to sell their headphones? Sounds strange, I know. But anyway, maybe somebody is looking for some money also... Here is my e-mal for your messages: rgu2002@inbox.ru

 
 
I guess you missed the bit in the thread that explained how these things are made of unobtainium.

 

[takato14]

  Hello everybody
I'm rookie in here, but I can consider myself as an audiophile for a long time... Dear forum members, I'm looking for Sansui SS-100 right now, would like to buy for a reasonable price. Is anybody here want to sell their headphones? Sounds strange, I know. But anyway, maybe somebody is looking for some money also... Here is my e-mal for your messages: rgu2002@inbox.ru

Yeah... no. "Reasonable price" is not going to happen. You'll either have to convince another Head-Fier to sell theirs or try to get one when/if it shows up on eBay. Either way, the price will be exorbitant, and if it's not it'll be gone within minutes. I spent a total of $550 on mine and that can be considered a "steal" based on the other prices that have been showing up. The last pair that went on eBay ended upwards of $900.
 
Not to mention the fact that, as IceClass pointed out, they are ridiculously hard to find at all, let alone for a good price. It took me almost three years to find a pair that I could afford.
 
Don't give up, though... they're worth the wait. I'm using them with a measly Objective2 at the moment and they already sound better than anything else I've had for a meaningful amount of time. 
 
Good luck, and as always, sorry about your wallet.

 

[nick n]

.

 

[Synthax]

For sale:
 
http://www.ebay.pl/itm/SS-100-VERY-RARE-SANSUI-VINTAGE-AMAZING-OMNI-DYNAMIC-STEREO-HEADPHONES-/281568541186?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item418ecafa02

 

[rgu2002]

Guys, thanks a lot for your replies! This headphones is really so unique with outstanding sound that price of $800 for them is really reasonable? Just want to understand - is it worth to buy them for that amount ? I dont have so much headphones, so I need some side opinions to judge about Sansui SS-100.

 

[Synthax]

In some aspects they are really unique, lushness, smoothness, coherence, vocals, 3D presentation, presence of sound, non fatiguing style, all are exceptional. But You have to know that these are old. The foam holding inner foil with planar coil may be in bad condition, they are over 35 years old. The extension of frequency response is not huge, some lows are missing, some very treble sounds also... But the midrange and lower midrange are very very good. You should listen before buy.
 
But in opposite I cannot see many contenders this midrange class with even 1000$ price...

 

[rgu2002]

Synthax, thanks a lot for detailed explanation!
Anyway, if anybody will be selling S-100 - I'm ready to buy. For a reasonable price

 

[takato14]

In some aspects they are really unique, lushness, smoothness, coherence, vocals, 3D presentation, presence of sound, non fatiguing style, all are exceptional. But You have to know that these are old. The foam holding inner foil with planar coil may be in bad condition, they are over 35 years old. The extension of frequency response is not huge, some lows are missing, some very treble sounds also... But the midrange and lower midrange are very very good. You should listen before buy.

But in opposite I cannot see many contenders this midrange class with even 1000$ price...

I'd like to interject here... the lows of this headphone are not lacking in any way whatsoever. It's not gonna slam like an Audez'e, but every single bit of frequency content from DC to 200Hz is present, and very controlled and clear.

I can only hear to 17ish kHz, so grain of salt yadda yadda, but the treble sounds much of the same. Relaxed, not aggressive, but all there and very refined. Though, Tyll's measurements of a modded Fostex T30 (which the SS-100 is very similar to) show almost perfect treble extension.

To be perfectly honest, I'm really having trouble trying to pinpoint their flaws, or at least an area they are bested in by the other headphones I own/have heard. They're airy, they have bass, they're flat and smooth, the comfort isn't crappy, they're clean, they're clear, they're built well, they're involving, they get out of the way... None of my other headphones can even touch them.

This is not to say that I endorse the ridiculous prices they tend to go for. Price means nothing in this industry; you can find good headphones and bad headphones at any price point. The SS-100 is a good headphone. It also happens to go for stupid amounts of money because it's rare and pretty. But it's still just a headphone, and no headphone is worth $1k, $850, or even $550 based on material cost, R&D, etc alone.

 

[Synthax]

I'd like to interject here... the lows of this headphone are not lacking in any way whatsoever. It's not gonna slam like an Audez'e, but every single bit of frequency content is present, and very controlled and clear.

I can only hear to 17ish kHz, so grain of salt yadda yadda, but the treble sounds much of the same. Relaxed, not aggressive, but all there and very refined.

To be perfectly honest, I'm really having trouble trying to pinpoint their flaws, or at least an area they are bested in by the other headphones I own/have heard. They're airy, they have bass, they're flat and smooth, the comfort isn't crappy, they're clean, they're clear, they're built well, they're involving, they get out of the way... None of my other headphones can even touch them.

This is not to say that I endorse the ridiculous prices they tend to go for. Price means nothing in this industry; you can find good headphones and bad headphones at any price point. The SS-100 is a good headphone. It also happens to go for stupid amounts of money because it's rare and pretty. But it's still just a headphone, and no headphone is worth $1k, $850, or even $550 based on material cost, R&D, etc alone.

So me to be really really honest, I do like SS-100 very very much and find them best sounding headphones till now for me
But have no experience with Stax... finding only them to be real competitors for them.

 

[rgu2002]

Very well said !!!
 
Will be on the look out for Sansui SS-100 ...
 
Right now I have found Toshiba HR-50 for 110 Euro's. Can anybody describe this phones? Looks very sexy, but what about sound? 

 

[takato14]

Very well said !!!

Will be on the look out for Sansui SS-100 ...

Right now I have found Toshiba HR-50 for 110 Euro's. Can anybody describe this phones? Looks very sexy, but what about sound? 

They're supposed to have some type of analog crossfeed filter built in... unsure about the sound, but personally I wouldn't take the chance at that price. But yes, they are quite pretty.

 

[takato14]

 

[MDR30]

Mighty fine, to quote Francis Vincent. How do you find the sound now after a couple a' weeks?

 

[takato14]

Mighty fine, to quote Francis Vincent. How do you find the sound now after a couple a' weeks?

Still not a single gripe from this customer. The more I use these, the more I feel like I'm done with headphones, and just need a nice DAC/amp to squeeze the best out of them. They have a way of breathing life into music; it's incredibly addictive and makes the hours melt away. I have never heard something so immersive.

 

[takato14]

Alright, now here comes the obligatory "end of honeymoon period" corrections.
 
The comfort and fit is ass. Keeping this thing on your head when doing anything but sit upright is almost impossible and my ears get sore after the 3 hour mark. The fit is far worse than the comfort, mind you, and the comfort is still better than most on ears (I usually wuss out after the 2 hour mark), but it's still by far the biggest flaw of this headphone. That being said, the looks almost make it worth the hassle. Almost.
 
There's a distinct lack of midbass weight, for some reason. A lot of songs can sound a bit thin and ethereal with these. I suspect this is due to the fact that there isn't sufficient subbass content to impart body. Technically, this would be considered accurate and one can view the mixing of the song as the one at fault, since subbass is what's supposed to carry weight and body in the first place. Nonetheless, it's still something that can sound a bit "off" at times for one reason or another. 
 
The soundstage is fantastic. Astoundingly deep and layered. Width is a bit restricted due to being a planar, but it's not bad by any means. Ridiculously airy and spacious sounding.
 
Clarity and resolution are astounding for a headphone of this age. It is only bested in speed/separation by my Toshiba HR-810 -- an electrostat. However, things can sound a little congested at high volumes -- these prefer low listening levels. This congestion is worse out of lesser source material, so it may improve with a better amp (I am still using them with an O2). They still remain listenable from pretty much everything I've plugged them into.
 
Treble and bass extension are absolutely phenomenal. Frequency balance is almost perfect; perhaps a slight "frown" effect like the one seen on the SR-009 and some other electrostats. One of the smoothest headphones I've ever heard. No noticeable peaks, resonances, or dips.
 
Distortion is very low. Definitely much lower than the T50/NAD RP18 I had. Smooth and absurdly clean. No etch whatsoever. Extremely natural and "organic" timbre.
 
Build is excellent. About the same level as the (M)DR-Z7, TH900/600, K812, HD800, etc. Much nicer than the T50/NAD in this respect as well.
 
So yeah, still not a lot to fault these on.
 
TL;DR: 
 

1. Fit sucks ass
2. Bass will not satiate bassheads and can sound thin with some source material
3. Very flat, smooth, and extended in frequency response
4. Airy and spacious
5. Extremely detailed
6. Amazing separation
7. No etch and superlow distortion
8. Beautifully built
9. Sound great out of everything but can scale with better equipment

 
Peace.