The Sansui G-3000 receiver was introduced in 1977 and was on the market until about 1979. It retailed for around $280 and while it was at the lower end of the Sansui lineup it was by no means a cut-rate receiver. It is full featured, produces 26 watts per channel, and is known for its clean, detailed sound.
The G-3000 was part of a Sansui receiver line that included the G-2000, G-5000, G-6000, G-7000, G-8000, G-9000, G-22000 and the monster G-33000. Quite a lineup! The aesthetic of the G-X000 series is a little different than other receiver lines at that time due to their gold dial face and warm yellow lighting. Sansui marketed it as:
Strikingly attractive new styling.
Front Panel
The Sansui G-3000 certainly doesn’t look like a budget stereo. The simulated woodgrain cabinet has a more finished look than the typical black painted metal, and the brushed aluminum faceplate with gold dial adds visual appeal. Details like the oversized, flywheel-assisted, tuning knob and stepped volume control also give it a high-end feel.
The front panel touts an ultra wide frequency tuning dial, stereo indicator light, FM center channel and signal strength meters for AM and FM, plus a microphone input you can mix with other audio sources.
Controls let you adjust tuning, volume, balance, bass, treble, mic mixing level, input selection, power and speaker selection. Switches provide loudness boost, FM muting, stereo/mono mode, and tape monitoring. What it doesn’t have are high or low cut filters.
The bass and treble controls offer fairly symmetric cut/boost up to ±10dB or more at 50Hz and 10kHz, with turnover points at 360Hz and 2kHz. The loudness contour provides a moderate 6dB bass/treble boost.
Overall, the G-3000 has the look and feel of a more expensive receiver, packing useful features into an attractive package.
The cabinet is simulated wood grain and some units have three plastic vents on the top while others only have two.
Specifications
Here are the specifications for the Sansui G-3000:
- Power output: 26 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo)
- Frequency response: 10Hz to 50kHz
- Total harmonic distortion: 0.15%
- Damping factor: 30
- Input sensitivity: 8mV (mic), 2.5mV (MM), 150mV (DIN), 150mV (line)
- Signal to noise ratio: 75dB (MM), 95dB (line)
- Channel separation: 50dB (MM), 50dB (line)
- Output: 150mV (line), 43mV (DIN)
- Speaker load impedance: 4Ω to 8Ω
- Year of manufacture: 1977 – 1979
- Made in: Japan
- Dimensions: 17 1/16 W x 6 1/16 H x 13 7/8 D (433 x 153 x 352 mm)
- Weight: 17.6 lbs (8 kg)
Reviews
Here’s what owners of the Sansui G-3000 have said about it:
It sounds very good. At 26 watts per channel it can really crank.
Sounds better than my pioneer SX-750.
I know its one of the lower models, but there is so much detail, clarity and bass present, that I haven’t felt the need to go past 2. Well worth the wait to find this gem and its a keeper.
Mine has a slightly “clearer” sound, perhaps with more treble, than my older Pioneer receivers, which are “warmer.” FM is very hot, like the Pioneers, very sensitive.
I bought the Sansui G-3000. It is amazing! Deep bass and clean treble. I’m very happy!
Tuner
The FM tuner in the G-3000 is good. It has high sensitivity but was found in tests to have some difficulty picking up weaker stations when a strong station was nearby. One audio magazine that tested the tuner had this to say:
The FM tuner section exhibits the high sensitivity. On relatively strong, clear channel stations, the tuner of the G-3000 works very well. And a quick check of the AM section shows it to be better than those of some expensive receivers we’ve used.
Amplifier
While the amplifier in the G-3000 is adequate it is not the same design used in the higher numbered Pure Power DC G-series receivers. With the G-5000 and up Sansui heavily marketed the Pure Power DC aspect of the receivers while with the G-3000 and the G-2000 they did not mention it. That’s not to say that the amp in the G-3000 is bad. It’s not. It just isn’t the same as the higher end models, which can be expected given its price point at the time. It does well with 26 watts per channel and a respectable 0.15% total harmonic distortion. In fact, a magazine at the time measured THD at only 0.05%.
One audio tester said this about the G-3000:
Within its power capability, the amplifier section rates high marks. The phono preamp is the sonic equivalent of those we’ve found in substantially more expensive products. The star of this receiver certainly is the amplifier, with the preamp section not far behind. Both run far ahead of minimum standards for a receiver with so modest a price. The tuner section, too, is ahead of minimum standards, if not by nearly so wide a margin.
Rear Panel
All audio connections on the rear panel are made through jacks (pin jacks and a DIN tape in/out socket) conveniently mounted on a horizontal “shelf” at the rear of the chassis. This means you don’t have to leave extra space behind the unit to accommodate plugs. The rear panel is made of plastic which is unique.
There are stereo inputs for magnetic phono, an auxiliary device, and tape, plus outputs for two pairs of speakers and a tape deck.
Speakers connect via color-coded binding posts, spaced a bit closely, so take care not to short the terminals if using stranded wire. Similar binding posts accept 300 ohm and 75 ohm FM antennas, and an AM antenna if needed. There is also an interior ferrite rod antenna.
Switched and un-switched AC outlets on the back let you power up associated components.
While the “shelf” design keeps wiring tidy, the compact nature of the panel can make it challenging to get the speaker connectors tight.
The Sansui G-3000 is a good entry level receiver. It is full featured, has adequate power and performs well. It does not have the superior engineering of the higher numbered receivers in the same lineup, but what is does do, it does well. It also has an appealing style that will look good in any audio setup.
