Sansui SR-222 MKII Stereo Turntable

The mark 2 version of Sansui's SR-222 budget belt drive was the most successful in the series (at least in the UK). It was extremely well received by the British Hi-Fi press of the day and became a very big seller. This success was entirely deserved as it combined stunning good looks with the kind of performance one had no right to expect for a paltry £70. The Sansui SR-222 MKII ranks alongside the Pioneer PL-12D and the Trio (Kenwood outside of the UK) KD-1033 as one of the best affordable vinyl spinners of the 1970's. UK, USA and Canadian market decks were supplied without pickup cartridges but in other countries it came with Sansui's SC-37 cartridge.

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Many buyers replaced the standard, flimsy Sansui aluminium headshell with the famous ADC magnesium headshell. This inexpensive tweak made a significant improvement to the sound, especially when used with the Ortofon VMS20E MKII cartridge. This combination worked particularly well with Sansui's excellent AU-217 amp and Acoustic Research AR18 or AR25 loudspeakers, creating a killer budget record playing system.

The SR-222 MKII was capable of very enjoyable sound reproduction with great dynamics and a fuller bass than most other budget decks. It was quite prone to acoustic feedback, however, so it must have a suitable rigid support and be cited well away from the loudspeakers. The arm could have been better engineered too - the bearings had too much play in them - but hey - who's going to complain at this price!!