selfaddict
24-09-2011, 19:23
I just needed :) to write my first impressions of this lovely piece of vintage hifi, which I received by post yesterday. It is Sansui 250 and has more valves than I have fingers in both hands :eyebrows:.
http://www.thevintageknob.org/sansui-Model_250.html
For some reason since I was introduced to valves, I always have wanted to see what ECL82 can do in push-pull design and when this amp came to the market I had to have it. For my surprise it came with its original box, packing and user manual. Previous owner had had the amplifier since new, that is more than 40 years. He had received it from Singapore when his relative had been working there in the 1960's.
I opened the box and was pleased to find out that Royal Mail hasn't damaged anything during its way to this tiny island in the Irish sea. Then opened the box and saw a few decades worth of dust and some rusting on the amp's chassis plate. This must have been due damp or condensation at the sellers residence, but managed to clean the dust and get rid of worst of the rust without taking anything apart. I was too exited to test the valves and just plugged the amp to the mains and waited to see what happened. All valves started gradually glowing and slight hum from the speakers, so everything seems to be OK. Then I turned the volume up and was rewarded with just lovely soft, cuddly warm tone that I was hoping to have. The left speaker was slightly quieter that the right but within few minutes sound was equal between the speakers. It was perfect match with my 16ohm Bastanis Atlas speakers, when used amps 16ohm speaker tabs, this is great I was thinking. Listened most of the evening and was really pleased for my purchase.
Then this morning started to listen again and same quieter left speaker was there to start with, but this time it seem to last longer and there was more hum from left speaker so decided to swap ECL82 output valves around. No change, so decided to test all four of them with my vintage valve tester. All tested OK but weak, so tried a pair of Telefunken ECL82, still the same problem. Then tested rest of the valves and two of them tested bad/needs replacing. So then to the trusty ebay and I was pleased to see that the replacement valves I need are not expensive and easily available. It looks that I can indulge with NOS Telefunken valves and see what the fuss is all about. At least the pair of Telefunken ECL82 I tried, sounded very very promising, so when I get another pair of them and the other valves which needs replacing, I should be very happy bunny :lol:
http://www.thevintageknob.org/sansui-Model_250.html
For some reason since I was introduced to valves, I always have wanted to see what ECL82 can do in push-pull design and when this amp came to the market I had to have it. For my surprise it came with its original box, packing and user manual. Previous owner had had the amplifier since new, that is more than 40 years. He had received it from Singapore when his relative had been working there in the 1960's.
I opened the box and was pleased to find out that Royal Mail hasn't damaged anything during its way to this tiny island in the Irish sea. Then opened the box and saw a few decades worth of dust and some rusting on the amp's chassis plate. This must have been due damp or condensation at the sellers residence, but managed to clean the dust and get rid of worst of the rust without taking anything apart. I was too exited to test the valves and just plugged the amp to the mains and waited to see what happened. All valves started gradually glowing and slight hum from the speakers, so everything seems to be OK. Then I turned the volume up and was rewarded with just lovely soft, cuddly warm tone that I was hoping to have. The left speaker was slightly quieter that the right but within few minutes sound was equal between the speakers. It was perfect match with my 16ohm Bastanis Atlas speakers, when used amps 16ohm speaker tabs, this is great I was thinking. Listened most of the evening and was really pleased for my purchase.
Then this morning started to listen again and same quieter left speaker was there to start with, but this time it seem to last longer and there was more hum from left speaker so decided to swap ECL82 output valves around. No change, so decided to test all four of them with my vintage valve tester. All tested OK but weak, so tried a pair of Telefunken ECL82, still the same problem. Then tested rest of the valves and two of them tested bad/needs replacing. So then to the trusty ebay and I was pleased to see that the replacement valves I need are not expensive and easily available. It looks that I can indulge with NOS Telefunken valves and see what the fuss is all about. At least the pair of Telefunken ECL82 I tried, sounded very very promising, so when I get another pair of them and the other valves which needs replacing, I should be very happy bunny :lol: