Sansui Electric
 |
|
| Corporation : | |
| Industry | Electronics |
| Founded | June 3, 1947 Tokyo, Japan |
| Headquarters | Tokyo, Japan |
|
Key people
|
Takeshi Nakamichi, President |
| Products | Audio-Visual and communication equipments, Home appliances, Information equipment, |
| Parent | Grande Holdings (1999–present) |
| Website | Sansui Japan Website |
Sansui Electric Co., Ltd. (山水電気株式会社 Sansui Denki Kabushiki-gaisha?) is a Japanese manufacturer of audio and video equipment. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, it is part of Grande Holdings, a Chinese Hong Kong-based conglomerate, which also owns Japanese brands Akai and Nakamichi.
Founded in Tokyo in 1947, Sansui initially manufactured transformers, but by the 1960s had developed a reputation for making serious audio components. They were sold in foreign markets through that and the next decade. Sansui's amplifiers and tuners from the 1960s and 1970s remain in demand by audio enthusiasts.
In 1971, Sansui introduced the Quadphonic Synthesizer QS-1, which could make simulated four channel stereo from two channel sources. Sansui developed the QS Regular Matrix system, which made it possible to transmit four channel Quadraphonic sound from a standard LP. The channel separation was only 3 dB, but because of the human way of hearing it sounded relatively good. In 1973, Sansui introduced the more advanced QS Vario Matrix decoder with 20 dB separation. Unfortunately the SQ system developed by Columbia/CBS was the most popular so called matrix system. But later QS decoders could also play SQ records. Some Sansui receivers could also play the most advanced four channel system - CD-4/Quadradisc by Japanese JVC and American RCA. Most big record companies used either SQ or CD-4, but Decca used the Sansui QS system.
During the late 1970s, the iconic matte-black-faced AU-series amplifiers were released. The first-generation '07' models included the dual-mono power supply AU-517 and AU-717, and the second generation featured the updated AU-719, 819 and 919. The separate pre-amp/power-amp CA-F1/BA-F1 topped the model range along with the AU-X1 integrated amplifier.
...
Wikipedia