The AK guys also said that these were worth a lot in Japan, but it was very difficult to sell into that market. I found a listing for a BA202 that had been for sale on a Canadian news group about 4 years ago. Several people replied, saying that there had not been any of those models for sale in the US for over 3 years. I went on Audiokarma (AK) and asked for advice. The owner wanted me to make him an offer. It’s most distinguishing characteristic, aside from the sound quality, is that it uses four 6RA8 output tubes, which seem to be the very definition of the word “unobtainium” More on that later. The BA 202 was the same idea, with s a slightly simpler and smaller design that put out 11 watts per channel, about 4.5 db less than it’s big brother. Because it is in Triode Mode, only 35 watts is available, instead of the usual 60 watts or so you can get out of a pair of KT88’s. ![]() This was a new design to me, not “single ended” but a regular push pull configuration, with only the cathode, grid, and plate utilized. It, and the BA 202, were “Triode” amplifiers, using the KT88’s in triode mode. The BA 303 was a 35 watt per channel amplifier, using KT88 tubes, with giant, oversize, power and output transformers. The CA303, a tube pre-amp, had a solid state electronic crossover on its output, and the idea was you would electronically cross over the sound spectrum into lows, mids, and highs and bypass the crossovers in the speakers using the three amps. It has been years since I heard one of these, or a McIntosh, but I would put the sound, in its warmth and “tubiness” somewhere between the two. The BA303 certainly resembles the Citation II and matches it almost exactly in layout, weight, and dimensions. Harmon Kardon designed their Citation II amp around the McIntosh patents. It would have been corrected on subsequent production runs. The 159c/s turnover frequency on the bass control leads me to think that. ![]() I imagine there was an original production run, and that was it, once they were sold. In any case, solid state amps were just coming into their own, and Sansui made the decision to not market these units world wide. I think it might be possible that the transformer design in these units might have impinged, or could be construed to impinge upon transformer patents held by McIntosh at the time. They generally only exist in Japan, as they were only sold in the home market. ![]() If you do any research on the internet, you will find the rarest Sansui gear ever made are these exact units. I’m not a tube guy, and I will explain that later, but this was indeed very intriguing. These were designed to be the mid and hi amp in a tri-amped system, built around the CA 303. Two BA 202 amps, the 11 WPC version of the BA 303. He said they were working when he put them away. I asked for pictures, and he sent me a bunch. That could be a disaster.” He said he could understand that and wouldn’t do it. I replied, “Whatever you do, please don’t plug them in and turn them on. Kind of cleaning house, or something like that. He said he had put them away in the closet 20-30 years ago, and he thought it would be a good idea to find them a new home with someone who really cared. I said, “Probably”, and he proceeded to tell me about the Sansui setup he had, consisting of a CA 303, a BA 303, and two BA202’s and all the accessory crossover boards. He said that he had some Sansui Tube gear that he had bought new while stationed in Asia, back in the 60’s, and would I maybe be interested in the gear? ![]() About 4 months ago I got a call from a nice gentleman in Chicago. Having a tiny little company that is just about the only place in the country restoring Sansui units, especially QRX’s, to their original glory, has its occasional perks.
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