General Asylum: REVIEW: Sansui TU 7900 Tuner by Marc Bratton

Model:	TU 7900
Category:	Tuner
Suggested Retail Price:	$300.00 (when new, in '77-78)
Description:	Vintage analog FM/AM tuner
Manufacturer URL:	Not Available
Manufacturer URL:	Not Available

Review by Marc Bratton on December 31, 2001 at 22:07:54
IP Address: 65.234.96.219

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for the TU 7900

I owned one of these when they first came out, in 1977. Suffice it to say that I did not know what I had, as my other components were nowhere near as good. Fell on hard times, moved a lot, never had a situation wherein I could give it a proper Yagi antenna. Think I got $35.00 for it in trade. Ouch....what a fool!
Fast forward to 2001. Prowling Ebay one night, I espy a picture of my long lost lover. Gorgeous black finish, with big stainless silver knobs, and aquamarine lights, conventional needle and dial face...they just DONT make 'em like this anymore; not even the ultra high end tuners have this kind of charisma. Truly the audio world has lost its way. I entered into the fray, and $182.50 later, she's mine.
So how does a 70's era solid state Japanese tuner like this compare with some of today's offerings? This one has nothing to be ashamed of. 25 years later, she can still hold her own. I no longer own the Magnum DynaLab FT 101A, but the memory of that venerable component is still fresh.
The Sansui is not QUITE as quiet, not QUITE as sensitive, not QUITE as clean...but at her best, damn close.A true high end tuner, even in her current untweaked state. This tuner is SO quiet in stereo, that the only difference when you switch to mono is that the soundstage collapses to mono. It doesn't get a whole lot quieter. And that with just a little FM Reflect dipole antenna.No drift at all...leave it on all night, she'll still be locked dead onto the station next morning. Things will get exponentially better when I suspend an APS-9 Yagi antenna from my bedroom ceiling with fishing line, run the cable into the living room thru the bedroom wall.Just don't tell my wife...see how long it takes her to notice...hee, hee, hee. I may be sleeping in the toolshed.
This black beauty gets a lot less attention on the web that her big brother, the well hyped Sansui TU9900, which is now going for more than the cost of a mint used Magnum FT101A, or her WAY overpriced monster bigger brother, the X-1. As such, she is a relative sleeper in the vintage tuner world. If you find one in decent shape,and say under $200.00, you'll have gotten a good deal. Now...anyone got a clue where I can a schematic for this jewel? I'm keeping her this time!

Product Weakness: Availability obviously limited.
Product Strengths: Gorgeous looks and build quality. Obvious long term reliability.
Excellent sensitivity, quietness, tonal qualities make still a good tuner today.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Music Reference RM10
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	FT Audio LW-1
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Well Tempered Record Player/ClearAudio Virtuoso/EAR 834P
Speakers:	MMG's
Cables/Interconnects:	DH Labs Silver Sonics
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Classical station used to evaluate this tuner
Room Size (LxWxH):	24 x 16 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments:	RPG Foam behind & to sides of spearkers
Time Period/Length of Audition:	2 months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Brickwall/Monster HTS 2000
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	Availability obviously limited.
Product Strengths:	Gorgeous looks and build quality. Obvious long term reliability. Excellent sensitivity, quietness, tonal qualities make still a good tuner today.