Here is a cute little gem! I think I've have owned and heard the 221, 331, 441, 771 and I don't think I've ever written anything about them. Well, definitely not the 771 but, maybe I did on the 331 and 441.
But, the 551is really no different than the other lower powered siblings of this series. They have the same aesthetics and pretty much the same sound, and of course always needing new fuse lamps!
What can I say about this little unit? Well, for one it was in excellent condition and we were the first to break the sticker and open the unit up to service, clean and test the unit. Finding fuse lamps in Winnipeg can be tricky and finding the correct value was tough, we actually had to put a lower voltage fuse lamp in. Does it make a difference? Not really, it might be as bright but, it will run cooler!
It's a pretty nice receiver, I think it looks great. The silver face with the faux wood-metal case and the cool green lights makes it a definite looker. I won't bore you with the specs but, it a low wattage receiver pumping out 16wpc. But, it does have all the goodies one would want, phono, tape, FM/AM, 2 speaker outputs and auxiliary.
I guess everyone is wanting to know how it sounds. Well, it sounds like a receiver from the mid 1970s. It has decent low end response, the mids are nice and for the lack of better word the treble is a bit soft, rolls off more than I would like but, some may not care. The overall sound signature is towards the warmer side of the spectrum. I thought it paired quite well with the Mission 70mkii that we had. It's not as "warm" as per the older Sansui receivers and amplifiers from the early 1970s but, it's pleasant sounding, that's for sure. It made a great entry level receiver for some one looking for that retro sound.
Links!:
http://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/sansui/551.shtml
But, the 551is really no different than the other lower powered siblings of this series. They have the same aesthetics and pretty much the same sound, and of course always needing new fuse lamps!
What can I say about this little unit? Well, for one it was in excellent condition and we were the first to break the sticker and open the unit up to service, clean and test the unit. Finding fuse lamps in Winnipeg can be tricky and finding the correct value was tough, we actually had to put a lower voltage fuse lamp in. Does it make a difference? Not really, it might be as bright but, it will run cooler!
It's a pretty nice receiver, I think it looks great. The silver face with the faux wood-metal case and the cool green lights makes it a definite looker. I won't bore you with the specs but, it a low wattage receiver pumping out 16wpc. But, it does have all the goodies one would want, phono, tape, FM/AM, 2 speaker outputs and auxiliary.
I guess everyone is wanting to know how it sounds. Well, it sounds like a receiver from the mid 1970s. It has decent low end response, the mids are nice and for the lack of better word the treble is a bit soft, rolls off more than I would like but, some may not care. The overall sound signature is towards the warmer side of the spectrum. I thought it paired quite well with the Mission 70mkii that we had. It's not as "warm" as per the older Sansui receivers and amplifiers from the early 1970s but, it's pleasant sounding, that's for sure. It made a great entry level receiver for some one looking for that retro sound.
Links!:
http://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/sansui/551.shtml
