Powerful, clean, and impressive power. Can drive all speakers without getting hot or tired. Excellent components and build. A beautiful piece of equipment that is an eye catcher from when they made them great!

None at all to share! I originally bought a G-8700DB when I was on a Mediterranean deployment in the Navy back in 1979/1980. I loved it but ended up selling the unit along with a few other components I bought overseas after losing interest in the early 1980’s. I regretted parting with my Sansui monster receiver every day after I sold it thinking I would never have something like that again. About a year ago I found myself back into vintage hi-fi equipment and came across a mint G-8700DB on CL and had to purchase it and reunite myself with this work or art. Since being reunited then, I have been experimenting with various turntables and speakers to find the perfect match for this classic piece of equipment. I have tried various vintage and modern speakers connected to this gem such as Bose 901’s, DCM Timeframes, Sansui SP 5500X’s, B&W’s, Klipsch 8.5’s, just to name a few. They all sounded outstanding and the G-8700DB drove them flawlessly with little effort. I am still on the voyage of finding the perfect set of speakers to finalize the system. I am currently evaluating how well the Klipsch KG4’s and other vintage models of Klipsch speakers match with the G-8700DB. This is by far the best receiver I've ever owned, and I've had some vintage Kenwood and Pioneer units from the same era. This unit’s Pure Power design produces 160 Watts RMS into 8 Ohms, with a frequency response of 5 Hz to 80 kHz, and <0.025% THD. Plenty of clean power and awesome sound from this piece of equipment. Weighing over 50 pounds with a large footprint, and the silver face and rosewood cabinet, it becomes an immediate conversation piece whenever someone sees the unit in my home. With the exception of top end McIntosh units, I would put the Sansui G-8700DB up against any other vintage receiver of its time frame. I never go a day without listening to this masterpiece! If you ever come across one of these units in good shape, jump on it as the more time goes by, the fewer units there will be out there once the audiophile world grabs them up for keeping and listening to and not flipping for sale. Finding one of these will be few and far between in the near future which they are close to already.

My most prized possession other than my wife and my children is with out a doubt my Sansui G-8700 DB. The clean, crisp, clear sound it throws out is almost UN-describable. Don't even think of pushing the power button unless you have a set of speakers that can handle at least 210 watts. I purchased this unit in 1982 from a friend who's wife would not let him play it because of volume issues. It was perfect timing for me to buy it, as my now ex-wife put a plant on top of my Sansui G-6000 and overflowed water into the unit and fried it GRRRRRR.... I drive the G-8700 DB with a set of Pioneer D-SS7's which i just had re-coned in Tucson Arizona. Just 2 weeks ago i took the unit apart ever so carefully to access the pots and cleaned them all with contact cleaner, which is just normal maintenance for a unit of this age. It took care of all of the static and crakel i sometimes got on the balance, selector, and tape function knobs. Believe me, this baby will blow you out of your chair. I rarely turn it over 40. Just talking about it makes me want to go play it. LOL Rock On......

Vicious Reciever with top specs

Getting a little long in the tooth but repairable

As most of you who read about G series recievers already know, they are top shelf preformers. I fell into the Sansui pit about 3 years ago and ended up purchasing 2 broken G-8700's for about $150 each (one with no driver boards) then sending them both off to be made into one working unit. I ended up with $600 into the whole mess but after getting my less than perfect (cosmetically) unit back and hooking it up to a pair of SP-3500's and a Pair of Pioneer CS-99A's the music was instantly transformed into a thing of beauty. I had never heard it so good, nor have I heard it any better since. I was lucky upon purchasing 2 more workiing G-8700's since then and one is as near to perfect as you can get. Looks like it was kept under glass for it's whole life. Even the bottom is perfect. I consider these units works of art and that goes for all the G series units. They will never make amp/recievers with this kind of build quality again. So unless your rich and want to go get a Macintosh for $5,000 to hear it right, your best bet is to go vintage and go Sansui.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer

Vicious Reciever with top specs

Getting a little long in the tooth but repairable

As most of you who read about G series recievers already know, they are top shelf preformers. I fell into the Sansui pit about 3 years ago and ended up purchasing 2 broken G-8700's for about $150 each (one with no driver boards) then sending them both off to be made into one working unit. I ended up with $600 into the whole mess but after getting my less than perfect (cosmetically) unit back and hooking it up to a pair of SP-3500's and a Pair of Pioneer CS-99A's the music was instantly transformed into a thing of beauty. I had never heard it so good, nor have I heard it any better since. I was lucky upon purchasing 2 more workiing G-8700's since then and one is as near to perfect as you can get. Looks like it was kept under glass for it's whole life. Even the bottom is perfect. I consider these units works of art and that goes for all the G series units. They will never make amp/recievers with this kind of build quality again. So unless your rich and want to go get a Macintosh for $5,000 to hear it right, your best bet is to go vintage and go Sansui.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer

Build quality, looks, (current) price.

Parts can sometimes be difficult to find if you have a problem. Good thing these are built so well!

It's like owning a museum classic! I originally bought a G-8700db when I was stationed in Korea in the army in 1980. I was caught then by the tremendous build quality and handsome looks of this receiver. I think in the 1970s in general, the design teams really nailed the cosmetics on the receivers. You look at the Pioneers, Marantz, and Sansuis of the day and all of them look like works of art. Today, everything is all black boxes of plastic. Maybe I am just showing my age (44) but I'd rather collect 'vintage' gear for pennies on the dollar which were built like a tank and will last forever, than most of what they are putting out today. I've picked up a Marantz 2230, and a Pioneer SX-780 and both are almost new shape and sound great. Much better FM reception and plenty of clean power. I'm not a novice, either. I've owned (and own) plenty of "high end" gear, to include KEF reference, Thiels, NHTs, Magnepans, etc etc etc..and the same with amp, preamps (have several nice tube amps as well) but for pure fun and enjoyment there nothing like vintage audio. Aside from surround sound, not much has really changed the past 40 years and I still think stereo sounds better for music than the surround formats. Just my .02 cents...enjoy the music! Regards, Dave

Similar Products Used:

Too many to name....

Hefty power,Low noise and distortion,Clarity

none

I bought this monster at a local shop 2months ago. I was caught by a label attached on front panel..."160 wpc with 0.025% thd" and indication of "pure DC power". When I hooked up with KEF and AR and played cd titled "Hotel California", I realized what that means and I was so impressed by clean and silky high frequency backed up by solid and tight bass with hefty power. Not harsh at all! Sound was amazing in a word and I am now enjoying more time with it than any other equipments I own.

Similar Products Used:

Technics Receiver

Effortless depth and dynamics

Haven't found any!

I found one of these at an Audio shop a few years ago for 100$. Big, my God heavy!! Beautiful dark wood veneer cabinet. Did't get a manual with it, however the power meters top out at 160wpc. Nothing I have heard today compares with these units, when first hooked up, I thought my gosh, what happend?? The new depth and presence to my favorite recordings was amazing- I spent a week going through them all shaking my head. I have the unit driving Altec605A's, some older Advents, and JBL's. I am sold on this good old equipment. To think this was made when I was in Highschool..... those truely were the "good old days" Love to hear from anyone who has any of this good old equipment.

Similar Products Used:

Older Pioneer Elite

Massive power with no distortion gives stunning sound at all frequencies.

Top grade components and build quality.

Drop-dead gorgeous to look at.

None

This is the best receiver I've ever owned, and I've had some amazingly good ones (see list below), including modern, so-called "clean sound" pieces of tin.

First impressions are visual and tactile - this is a beautiful piece of equipment with its massive size, silver face and rosewood cabinet. All knobs and controls are solid, silky smooth, and give good tactile feedback. All lights and indicators are logical and intuitive.

The G-8700DB combines the massive power and build quality of the seventies with the beginning of eighty's technology in the quartz locked FM Tuner and LED Power Output Meters - the best of both worlds.

The Sansui Pure Power design just pumps out the sound. 160 Watts RMS continuous into 8 Ohms with 3/4 db headroom and no more than 0.025% distortion - much more into 4 ohms. This is what it takes to get all sound, all the time - bright highs, solid lows, and exceptionally clear mid to separate out vocals. Transient response is amazing - instantaneous with no lag or muddiness.

Every time I go a while without listening to it, it's like starting over again. It's so good that I rediscover all my CD's again. Rock, Clasical, Folk, Jazz (I know - eclectic) - everything sounds great on the G-8700DB.

I drive Bose 901's effortlessly, and they are known to suck up all the power you can throw at them. Nothing made today compares.

If you ever see one of these for sale or on ebay, grab it fast, and count yourself lucky.

Similar Products Used:

Sansui G-9700, Pioneer SX-1280 & SX-1980, Kenwood KR-9600

POWER, LOOKS, LONGEVITY, BUILD.

NONE still after 22 years in service.

Purchased this reciever new in 1979 while in the NAVY and she,s still belting out the tunes. They don,t build them like this anymore. Great sound still, deep bass and clear highs and midrange, pushing out thru a set of JBL L112's that were purchased in 1983. The JBL,s have been overhauled once but the reciever has not seen a shop yet. If you see one on sale run don't walk and get it, you will not be disappointed.

Similar Products Used:

PIONEER, KENWOOD.