This Sansui 9090db is a beast of a receiver from circa 77-79. This unit is a very high quality receiver born from the height of the receiver power war in the late 70's. These are very well built heavy awesome vintage, and they don't make anything like this anymore. This is a monster of a receiver with great warm sound to it, can handle anything you throw at them with ease. I love the old school analog VU meters and the well lited faceplate. If you ever come across anything in good condition, jump on it as it's hard to find these in good condition due to their age.

Deep rich sound typical of high power 1970s receivers
Sound is full even at very low volume levels, something you don't get with new recievers.
Relatively inexpensive compared to modern big box recievers which are feature rich but sound poor
Made in Japan
Since this is the NON db version, there is no obsolete dolby circuitry that is prone to breakdown.

Minor Weakness:
Lack of a remote control. Fortunately, the Roku includes a remote, which does allow me to stay seated for longer periods of time - which in turn gives me more time to stuff down potato chips and swill beer.

Functionality limitation:
Vintage audio is not convenient to use with a 5 speaker home theatre set up. I have a coupe of other vintage amps hooked up to drive the rear and centre channels. The DVD player includes the DSP and offers 5 channel analogue outputs. Sound is great, but the inconvenience of adjusting the speaker volumes would be unacceptable for most users.

I own two of these receivers, both in perfect blemish free cosmetic and mechanical condition. #1, from Ebay in 2003, (U$275) #2 from Ebay during 2006 (C$500). One sits in the living room and is hooked up to a Roku (radioroku.com) which is linked to the mp3s on my office PC and to about 10,000 radio stations via the web. The second unit is part of my home theatre set up.

The sound quality is simply phenomenal. For that single reason, I strongly recommend these vintage receivers.

Similar Products Used:

Sansui 881, a smaller but phenomenal Sansui receiver, only $100

Crystal clear highs and mid-range. If you previously had a newer econo-box stereo, you'll hear things in your old cd's you didn't even know were there. Tight bass even on my cheap Mach Ones. They are known for having "muddy" bass already, the Sansui 9090 cleared that problem up. Despite what you were taught in the 80's, a hundred and ten watts of clean power is LOUD. Most newer stereos give you a maxium rating that just isn't true. Obvious excellent build quality. Everything looks and feels sturdy. Looks like it could actually drop a short distance and survive! Lots of buttons and knobs to tweak the sound if you wish.

Well geeze, I can't think of much besides the obvious. It's BIG and HEAVY. It's OLD, so it's going to be tough to get it repaired. It does have a "dated" look after all it is actually from the 70's. I prefer it by far to newer blackface models myself. Lots of "unecessary" dials and buttons might be confusing to some. Accidental volume increase could cause heart attacks for the elderly. :)

I'd bought my Sansui 9900Z in my early 20's but was never quite happy with it. I'd always though it was mostly the speakers (Realistic Mach Ones). Sounded muffled at low volumes with "muddy" bass. They didn't start sounding "good" 'til I put about 100 watts to 'em. Well it just died. ANOTHER output transformer, the last was $275 to fix. Time to look for something else....
I found it wasn't the brand, it was the year of it. I read th 70's era ones were supposed to be better. After arguing the wisdom of buying an OLDER receiver with my wife, I found a Sansui 9090 on craigslist for only $225. After hooking it up, I found how wise of a buy it really was. WOW (you'll heard this alot in the 9090 & 9090db reviews) it was a whole different stereo. The same ol' Mach Ones were suddenly crisp and bright sounding! Even at low volumes. The drums sounded like...well...drums, instead of the muffled thump it used to be. Although the newer 9900Z was rated at 160wpc I'd regularly would turn it up half volume. My "new" older 9090 (rated at a true 110wpc) was almost frightening at that level! I'm sold. I'll never buy a "new" stereo again.

Similar Products Used:

Sansui 9900Z 160wpc (1980-82 I believe). It was a Sansui - but not even close
Scott 120wpc (around same era). Crap. Had a major breakdown within 2 yrs of ownership.

Power, accuracy, balance, musicality...all for a price that's shockingly low!

The thing is HUGE and not too pretty. It won't impress your friends (until they listen), and will become an issue with your spouse. Perhaps *most critically*, these vintage units are easy to damage in shipping, and many are misrepresented by owners who just picked them up at a garage sale or who want to sweep sonic issues under the rug. So, the biggest problem is getting one in perfect working order into your hands. I would strongly suggest paying the extra bucks on ebay or wherever to buy from someone with the HIGHEST reputation. Don't ever buy "as-is". Always get a guarantee that it'll work as stated when you receive it. Or, buy one locally that you can test. Be willing to drive the distance for it...it'll be the last time you'll need to hassle with amplification!

This receiver just killed all my desire to join the audioholics upgrade ratrace. For the price of a cheapo NAD integrated, I've got sound that rocks anything under $1000, maybe more! I've been all over the audio map before. Starting with an NAD 304 after reading Stereophile, I went on to many other sources of amplification. I was into semi-vintage Marantz gear from the 80's, exotic European integrateds from Ensemble, Sugden, Exposure, Naim, high-powered American separates from Krell, Threshold, Spectral, Coda, Motif, some really lovely tube gear from Conrad Johnson and Audio Research, then back down to real-world components from Jolida, McCormack and Llano. OK, if you're like me and just want to find a nice comfortable place to settle down for the rest of your life, then the Sansui 9090 is just about the best place I have found so far. It has power and grace, dynamics and clarity, and musicality galore. It can be outdone in each category by one component or another, and it can be totally outclassed if you have a 2nd mortgage and the will to use it. But for $150, this brick from the 70's just blows 95% of the competition out of the water. I can't praise it enough. And on top of a killer amp, it has an amazing tuner section that no modern tuner section from a receiver can touch. This thing is built like a granite tabletop, and it should outlive every piece of plastic in your audio rack. Furthermore, I think the 9090 in particular is extra special. I'm going to rant and rave about other vintage receivers from the late 70's in other audioreview reviews. But at least right now, I think the 9090 edges out some stiff competition. I have the 9090db which has more power, but maybe the one I have is not quite as powerful-sounding in the punchy and accurate bass dynamics, matched with balanced mids and highs. I also have the legendary Marantz 2270, which is possibly smoother and more musical in the mids and highs. Also, the 2270 has unstoppable bass that booms and thumps and kicks you in the chest. But the 9090 seems significantly more accurate. Much as I *like* the 2270, the 9090 is the keeper if I had to make a choice. Lastly, I had a Pioneer SX-850 which I really enjoyed. It was good enough so that I want to get the SX-1250 beast to compare to the 9090. But if the sound is along the lines of the 850, I know I'll love the luscious highs and beefy lows of the 1250. It'll be everything I like about those old tube amps from CJ. But perhaps it'll be a bit too warm and fuzzy. I'm not sure. For now, the 9090 is the one for me.

Similar Products Used:

Sansui 9090db Marantz 2270 Sansui 7070 Sansui 7000 Philips 7851 Pioneer SX-850

looks cool in the dark and has power to spare....sound is crisp and clear...even FM sounds good....

well...I have to get up from my couch to adjust the volume....

helped a friend move crap out of his storage unit one weekend and found this old receiver sitting in there. He told me to take it cause it was old and outdated and he didn't think it still worked....took it home...cleaned several years of dirt and grime off the thing...plugged it in....stood back and turned it on.....well the room lights dimmed as this beast fired up...all I can say is holy crap....what an amp....however....I believe all controls and switches could use a serious cleaning because the left channel is there sometimes and then fades away....then comes back....nothing major..just a good cleaning should cure it up.....but oh my...the sound is incredible and the power...damn...I have an old pair of polk audio monitor 10's and I've never seen those woofers move like this ever.....deep bass and clear highs and midrange....makes the new stuff sound muddy.....

Similar Products Used:

denon...akai..kenwood

Keep it clean and it will NEVER let you down.

None

The 9090/9090DB are great receivers. My 9090DB has a "presence" unmatched by todays receiver offerings. It can sound live, rock'n roll with Ted Nugent,AC/DC. Led Zeppe;lin, etc., really "hum" with the sweet quitar of Earl Klugh in "Midnight in San Juan", cry with the guitar of Eddie Hazel in "Maggot Brain", give the "Big Texas Beat" with just the right amount of delay to sound live, stir your soul with Sade's "Is it a crime?", etc, etc. This receiver really has no equal. (I can equal it with my $10,000 rack, but that is another story). My east listening setup: 9090DB Self designed-built direct reflecting ducted/tuned ported corner horns (1975) (these have approx. 85-90% the presence of Klipschorns in 1/2 the space) each has 15" woofer, 6" midrange, 3"x7" midrange horn crossed @1650 HZ, 4" dome tweeter crossed @ ~ 3500HZ. (Full frequency response, loud volume @ 1 Watt RMS) These (2) items (9090DB, Horns) can handle any component I choose (Cd, tape, phono, etc.) BTW, the power rating of the components in each speaker totals approx. 350 Watt RMS. The poster who rambled about power minimum/maximum is full of it and needs to read "How To Build Speaker Enclosure" by Badmaieff/Davis, ISBN 0672205203 or some other manual that discusses the facts of power RMS ratings, efficiencies, and amplification.

RATED AT 110W PER CHANNEL BUT WITH A MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT OF 130W PER CHANNEL; CAN BE PLAYED FOR 24 HOURS CONTINUOUSLY WITHOUT BUCKLING UP PROVIDED YOU USE SPEAKERS MATCHING ITS TOTAL MUSIC POWER OUTPUT---THAT IS, A TOTAL OF 360W FOR BOTH SPEAKERS; CAN ALSO DRIVE SPEAKERS WITH HIGHER POWER RATING BUT USAGE WILL NOT LAST FOR 24 HOURS BASED ON OUR TEST OF THIS SYSTEM; THE SPEAKER TRULY MATCHING ITS POWER IS THE SANSUI SPX 9000 WITH A 15in WOOFER BUT WE'VE TESTED IT WITH THE CERWIN-VEGA 200W SPEAKER AND STILL IT'S CAPABLE OF DRIVING THESE SPEAKERS; WE ALSO FOUND OUT, IT'S NOT GOOD TO BUY SPEAKERS MATCHING ITS TOTAL MUSIC POWER OR THAT BEYOND IT; RATHER, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO GET A SLIGHTLY LOWER POWER RATED SPEAKER---E.G., AN 80W PER CHANNEL UNIT---SINCE THE RECEIVER CAN REPRODUCE THE FULL 80W WITHOUT DISTORTION; USING A SPEAKER SYSTEM HIGHER THAN THE 9090, SUCH AS THE JBL OLYMPUS, IS STILL OKAY BUT AS THE BASS SOUND GETS LOUDER, YOU NEED TO LOWER THE VOLUME DUE TO SOUND DISTORTION; THIS IS WHY, I'VE SAID THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO USE LOWER POWER-RATED SPEAKER, IF ONLY TO MINIMIZE DISTORTION IN SOUND REPRO. OVERALL, AFTER USING THE SANSUI 9090 WE'VE IMPORTED FROM JAPAN THROUGH A FRIEND (AN AVOWED AUDIOPHILE) IN DECEMBER 1976, I SAY THAT THIS IS ONE HELL OF AN OUTSTANDING PRODUCT; IN FACT, HE ADVISED US: NEVER, NEVER SELL THIS 9090 'CAUSE BASED ON HIS OWN ANALYSIS OF THIS PRODUCT AND EXPERIENCE WITH IT, IT'S ONE OF THE BEST RECEIVERS THAT SANSUI HAS EVER PRODUCED! IF I MAY MENTION, THIS FRIEND WAS ACTUALLY THE VERY FIRST ONE TO INTRODUCE IN THE PHILIPPINES HIGH-END STEREO EQUIPMENT---SUCH AS: SANSUI PRODUCTS, JBL SPEAKERS, ACOUSTIC RESEARCH SPEAKERS, BOSE SPEAKERS, SAE EQUALIZER, THE MAGNAPLANAR SPEAKER, AS WELL AS DIRECT DISC RECORDINGS, ETC. AND IT'S ACTUALLY FROM HIM THAT WE LEARNED MANY, MANY THINGS ABOUT GOOD, EFFICIENT STEREO PRODUCTS.

CANNOT BE USED FOR HIGH POWER-RATED SPEAKERS, MEANING YOU CANNOT USE IT FOR SPEAKER SYSTEMS RATED AT MORE THAN 150W PER CHANNEL, SINCE IT CANNOT PRODUCE SUFFICIENT POWER TO DRIVE THESE SPEAKERS; LIGHTS OF THE VU METER AND TUNER FIRST ONES TO CONKED OUT AFTER TEN YEARS OF CONTINUOUS USE, MEANING WHEN IT IS PLAYED EVERYDAY FOR ABOUT 8 HOURS.

WITH RESPECT TO POWER, THERE'S NO QUESTION THE SANSUI RECEIVER 9090 HAS IT FOR WE'VE GOT OURS IN DECEMBER 1976 AND STILL IT IS WORKING VERY, VERY WELL! DOESN'T MATTER IF IT IS PLAYED FOR 24 HOURS, SO LONG AS YOU DON'T USE IT IN DRIVING SPEAKERS HIGHER THAN ITS MAXIMUM POWER RATING---THAT IS: 110W ON PAPER BUT 130W IN ACTUALITY, THIS WE'VE LEARNED BY EXPERIENCE. ALSO, IT PERFORMS BEST IN WIDE, OPEN SPACES, MEANING IF YOU HAVE A BOSE SPEAKERS FOR OUTDOORS, HOOK IT UP TO THIS RECEIVER, AND IT'S ONLY THEN THAT YOU'LL TRULY APPRECIATE ITS TREMENDOUS MUSIC POWER. WE DID THIS WITH MY BROTHER'S BOSE 901 DURING HIS HOMECOMING PARTY IN OUR GARDEN BUT, AS I'VE SAID, WHEN THE BASS SOUND BECOMES TOO BOOMING, SOME DISTORTIONS ARE PRODUCED THAT'S WHY WE'VE LEARNED BY EXPERIENCE THAT IN DRIVING SUCH HIGH-POWER-RATED SPEAKERS, IT'S A LOT BETTER TO USE AN INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER, SO THERE'LL BE NO COMPETITION FOR POWER IN DRIVING THE HIGH POWER-RATED SPEAKERS. THIS RECEIVER THOUGH IS DESIGNED MORE FOR BIG, WIDE, OPEN SPACES. IN CRAMP APARTMENTS AND FLATS, THIS IS DEFINITELY A NO-NO! WHY? IF THE ROOM IS NOT PROPERLY TREATED ACCOUSTICALLY, THE VIBRATION IT PRODUCES MAKES WOOD PARTITIONS/WALLS VIBRATE TOO AS WELL AS THE WOOD FLOOR.

Similar Products Used:

TECHNICS RECEIVER, KENWOOD INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER AND LOWER POWER-RATED SANSUI RECEIVERS SUCH AS THE 400 SERIES AND 5000 ONES.

Great Unit.

Hey Salvador, when you make totally un-educated comments like "YOU CANNOT USE IT FOR SPEAKER SYSTEMS RATED AT MORE THAN 150W PER CHANNEL", it would be better to not post at all.

This receiver can be used very nicely with just about ANY speaker system out there.

Having 46 Sansui receivers, I have found that there is no comparing the 9090db.Heads and shoulders above the finest mid-priced Receivers ever made.
I ran the 9090 through four JBL 4411 Control Monitors, I put another 9090db on the other side of the room with 2 JBL 4310 Control Monitors and two BIC Venturi Formula 6 spec II Studio Monitors. I gradually turned each 9090 up until it was backing the screws out of the floor boards, the bass was able to fracture ribs in your chest. There was another life force in the center of the room. It totally polarized every cell in my body.
I then went out side got on my riding mower and cut the grass while listening to the best sound a poor man can by. Sansui 9090db is a legend, I will buy as many as I can afford. Thanks........ Woody Williams

I had this 9090DB from my brother-in-raw 2 years ago. When I get it first, it was very heavy. Also, I need to repair this receiver because it was very hot in the back when it played. Luckely, it was nicely fixed and made sound perfect. My two pair of speakers, old Electro Voice Leviton and little British KEF, make a clearn and warm sound from this receiver.