matching classic receiver and speakers

T

trent77

Audiophyte
Hello, I need some help in selecting suitable speakers for the Sansui 881 and Sansui g9000. They were both fully serviced recently. Are the Focal Aria 936 flr speakers a good match. I've been told that 8ohm speakers would be ideal so not to put stress on 40 yr old components. The specs for the Aria are 8 ohms with a minimum low of 2.8. That figure, and a lack of understanding ohms, db and frequency ranges make it a little confusing. Briefly, would the Focal Aria 936 be a good match? I dont normally play music loud, very modestly, and I dont play for any great length of time so I dont think that would task either receiver. The room size is approx 15x14x8 if any of this helps in speaker selection. I appreciate any help, thank you.
 
L

Leemix

Audioholic General
Dont know how hard those are to drive but 2.8ohm at the lowest is very low. Those speakers should not be classified as anything above 4ohm.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
That older equipment will not like those speakers.
 
T

trent77

Audiophyte
thank you for your input. Are there any specific brands and models that you would recommend? Thank you
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
thank you for your input. Are there any specific brands and models that you would recommend? Thank you
It is not black and white. The fact is, 8 or 4 ohms don't matter as much as how loud you listen and how far you seat. Given that the specs are:

Sensitivity: 92dB. Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, 2.8 ohms minimum. Recommended amplification: 50–300W.
According to Stereophile, sensitivity is more like 89.5 dB/2.83V/m.

I would consider them to behave more like 4 ohms nominal, but again, it's the spl and distance that matter most. So if you don't listen loud, not sitting far, an amp rated 50 W into 4 ohms would be fine. On the other extreme, If you want to get the maximum spl out of those speakers, then a 300 to 500 W rated into 4 ohms amplifiers will be a good match. As for brands, the popular ones such as ATI, Anthem, Bryston, Monolith, Outlaw, Parasound, NAD, Hegel, all make good power amps. On the vintage side, there are also Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, Kenwood, and of course, Sansui. Just take a good look of the specs and bench measurements (if you can find them), and you will know if the amp is a good match for those speakers. Subjective reviews may be fun to read but in my opinion, not very useful.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
Hello, I need some help in selecting suitable speakers for the Sansui 881 and Sansui g9000. They were both fully serviced recently. Are the Focal Aria 936 flr speakers a good match. I've been told that 8ohm speakers would be ideal so not to put stress on 40 yr old components. The specs for the Aria are 8 ohms with a minimum low of 2.8. That figure, and a lack of understanding ohms, db and frequency ranges make it a little confusing. Briefly, would the Focal Aria 936 be a good match? I dont normally play music loud, very modestly, and I dont play for any great length of time so I dont think that would task either receiver. The room size is approx 15x14x8 if any of this helps in speaker selection. I appreciate any help, thank you.
Manufacturers quote 8 ohms to make sales. The best rule of thumb to the impedance of a speaker is minimum impedance + 10%. That makes those Focal speaker 3.1 ohm. They are not suitable for your receivers.

Impedance of speakers has dropped over the years. Older designs like those Sansui receivers do not tolerate low impedance loads well, and for that matter nor do a lot of recent designs. What is really required to judge speaker amp compatibility is the speaker impedance curve and the phase angle curve.

I fail to see the enthusiasm for those older receivers. Frankly, they were never anything special in their day, and certainly not now. This is rapidly becoming the new BS topic. Those receivers are nowhere near good enough to justify the prices people are now paying for them.

I'm and old guy and gave them a wide berth even back in the day.
 

Latest posts

newsletter

  • RBHsound.com
  • BlueJeansCable.com
  • SVS Sound Subwoofers
  • Experience the Martin Logan Montis
Top