Re: Sansui vintage amplifiers - discussion thread

[azri]

between sansui 3 digits model like au 111 & 4 digits model like au 9500 which one do u reckon worth buying?
im still wondering whats the differents between those two era

[antaklugom]

AU-111 is the Ultimate Sansui Tube Amp that was produced between 1966 to the early 80's......It was their Flagship Tube Amp until today......
Remember that this is a RARE item now and if available, price are quite
high..........You may not believe me if I say, I came across one this year
advertised in echoloft Singapore (buy/sell) for SGD 6200 !!! and another
one for SGD 3000.....(depends on condition)
AU-9500 was the Flagship Solid state Integrated Amp when Sansui
Founder and Perfectionist (Audio Engineer) Kosaku Kikuchi retired in 1974.
This is what he said before his retirement " Let the product speaks themself "
This Amp also won Multiple Japan Audio Award during those times.
The Bass is low and Tubelike......and dynamic............but be warned
that Stringed Instrument does not excel much using this Amp.
As I said earlier in my thread, the AU-717 excelled in Stringed Instuments.
This AU-9500 is also a RARE item but cheaper than AU-111.
The normal Price in Singapore is around SGD 700 (if you can find one
at all......)
But bear in mind that it is advisable to replace all Capacitors to have
it running " as new "
If you are interested how it looks changing Capacitors, google search
amp88 (with google engine translation)

[antaklugom]

......correction.....the Japanese Vintage Amp repair web is : amp8.com
and please use google Image search........then click Translation. could not
remember what page it is but the photos should appear......

[azri]

thought of getting ready some budget to bid for au222 but x jadi lah

[azri]

bro theres one au719 for sale, bid starts at au350

[antaklugom]

I stated in my former thread that it is not economical for me to get from ebay
as the cost of Airfreight is more expensive than the Price of Amps itself........
I will only get locally (if any) or from the neighbouring Asian Countries.......AU-517 is around 19 Kgs so that should be the weight of AU-719 and also too concern about Improper packing as Amp is very heavy........
Anyway, thanks for your feedback......

[antaklugom]

.....FYI AU-719 is the Improved version of AU-717. When I brought back my AU-9500 from Singapore, I use Bubble wrappers, Foams and " cushion " for fear
of Damaging the Front FASCIA panel or Knobs.( these items were brought along from my home as, what do you expect when buying a 30 + years old Vintage Amp)
The original Box would have long been gone.......I have seen a Website where a Sansui Vintage enthusiast was infuriated when he received his AU-717
by post only packed with crumpled Newspapers which resulted in Dents at Dinks the very Front Fascia..........

[azri]

i'll just watch & see, if theres a chance i'll buy this

[antaklugom]

AU-717 and AU-719 are all good buys !!! But I doubt you can win the bid as I
know this Sansui Vintage Amp is always a " Hot Item " in ebay Australia......unless you keep watching until the last few minutes of the bid closing......and outbid the rest.... or you offer to buy outright....

[seanlee731107]

Guys, What do you think of Sansui AU-D9 or AU-D11?

[antaklugom]

I have listened to AU-D9 and sounds average. But I think AU-D11 will be much better as what was reviewed by those International Sansui's Khaki's.....

[seanlee731107]

I see. D11 of cos better than D9. me and my frens tried both.. D9 is better. Some of the people said D11 is very sensitive but I don't know why? Ther is one of the hi fi kaki who owned lots of amplifiers. Among the amplifiers he only has D9. He tested and compared the british amplifiers and the sansui d9. He felt that D9 still the best compare with the rest of the amps. I agreed.

[antaklugom]

seanlee, Sorry for the late reply........its been 2 days I did not surf this web.
Yes, sometime it is personal preferences. Your friend said D11 " sensitive " in what way ? Does he mean the Amp goes to " Protection Mode " when turning
the volume higher ? If that is the case, it is because the Speaker partnering
it is below 8 0hms impedance. The Amp will automatically shut off " temporarily " on its protection Circuit once it is driven with speakers below 8 0hms but will automatically come back to normal operation once the Volume has been turned lower.
Most Sansui Amps are not 4 or 6 ohms friendly. (Unless it is Power Amp) My friend once used a JBL LX 18 (the 4 ohms series) and once he pushes the volume higher, the Amp (even the AU-D9) will automatically goes " off " to Protection Mode activatation (Protection Light Blinking)
At first, we dont know the cause,( because there are also 8 ohms Series of LX 18) but when I look at the rear of the Speaker cabinet, there it stated, 4 ohms Impedance.........He doesn,t know that few Amps are 4 ohms friendly. The Amp will be " running out of breath " to drive the 4 ohms speakers as it need double the power compared to that of 8 ohms speakers.

[mugenfoo]

There's a vintage Sansui amp on display that recently opened Campbell Complex hifi shop. Not for sale though, just display only. Forgot what model, but it has only 2 numbers if i remember. AU-## or something. Valve based.

[antaklugom]

Thanks for the info bro.....the Display is normally for " old time sake ".
Like they use the old Chevrolet Pickup (very Mint condition ) to Display their
Car Audio in one of the Car /Audio Show many years ago.......

[skooi3]

can anybody who got a experience about au-555 and au-607f extra? tq.

[Keith]

The Sansui AU-7700 amplifier has provided 33 years of wonderful entertainment. It is used an average of 1 or 2 hours per month for the last 5 years and has never been serviced. The reason it is not used more: one channel drops out altogether (whether via speaker or headphone). If I crank the Volume up full, the sound is quickly restored (whoa!), I return the Volume control to "normal". However, the sound will drop again shortly after that. This process is repeated for, say, 20 minutes, until that channel finally cooperates. As you can tell, I'm no technician, but it sounds like this may be a dust issue. Can a moron safely clean the AU-7700, or should I drop it off at a reputable repairman? Would using the stereo for a long period, and more frequently correct the problem?

Thanks in advance!

Keith

[antaklugom]

Hi keith,
I am a Sansui Fan myself and have done research myself and through
the Internet web. The probable reason for your Channel Dropout is due to Oxidation of contact point inside the Volume Pot (Potentiometer)
I see that you are probably located in the USA, the Sansui fans there
normally use a Spray called De-Oxit (to De-oxide the dirty contact point as
mentioned above)
Remember that you are using a Vintage Amp of about 30+ years old,
it is also advisable to let a competent Audio Technician to Replace all the Capacitors (Power Capacitor not necessary to replace- you can if you want)
to have your Amp running " As new " again. Capacitors Dried Up over-time
and commonly the livespan of Capacitor is about 30 + years.
I do not know the type of Volume Pot used in your Amp but for Model AU-717, the Square Volume Pot has to be drilled carefully (using a small drill bit) to gain access to the Inside of the Pot for the Spray tube to be inserted in. You try that first and let see the result. The Caps replacement can be done later if you want.
As this is the Malaysian version of hifi4sale, it is an honour for us to
have a member from abroad joining us. You can also contact alex__kff, bite, unce vic or kowtim (they are all identities of Sansui Fans here) for any question

[Keith]

Hello antaklugom,

(I hope that I got your name right!).

Thank you for the friendly, comprehensive response. Based on your suggestions, I will drop the amp off at a reputable repairman. I am pleased with your explanation regarding a 30-year lifespan. The dropout has been a nuisance for at least 3 years--just haven't taken th initiative to fix it.
I think that we would agree that with a proper tune-up, the amp will happily provide another 33 years of hi-fidelity. The AU-7700 receives plaudits from audiophiles around the globe--for good reason!

Thank you again.

Regards,

Keith

[antaklugom]

Hi keith, Your are welcomed.....For more detail about all Sansui Amp, you can also surf Google : the best of sansui, and also Sansui us (USA) and please do
keep us informed about your AU-7700 after the Servicing / Repair as other Sansui Fans / enthusiast here are eager to know the result.

[Keith]

Hi antaklugom,
I have selected an independent technician and will send an update after the unit is returned--some time in March 2010, as I was told that it would take 3 months. I hope that I can provide positive feedback for fellow patient Sansui enthusiasts!
Cheers.

[antaklugom]

Hi Keith,
In the meantime, you can also consider buying AU-717 because I saw
on ebay USA, the almost Mint and in working condition normally being put up
for bidding or Buy Direct at around USD 250. (more expensive here in Malaysia)
This particular Model has a Tight Bass and clean Treble and is very
good for listening Stringed Instrument like Guitar or Violin (Classical Music).
Here in Malaysia, it is very hard to find one. I have the lower model of that
series ie : AU-417 and AU-517. And I am trying to get the AU-717 locally if
I ever come across a " Near Mint " condition to complete my collection of that
Series. The AU-717 would be nicely partnered with TU-717 (Tuner) for a perfect Match. The matching Tuner for your AU-7700 would definately be the
TU-7700 but I am not sure whether you can still find one in the US.

[Keith]

Hello antaklugom,
Thank you for that info. I will check out the AU-717. As for tuners, the TU-7700 is part of my stereo system! Also, I am still employing the speakers from the original stereo system: Infinity 1001. I might just have one of the oldest stereo systems in the world!
Your responses have sparked an enthusiam to finally restore the system to its full potential. Thank you!
Regards, Keith

[antaklugom]

Hi Keith,
Oh really ! what a perfect match it is !!! As for the Speakers, not a
problem because you can use Modern speakers too ! But if you can get hold
of any Vintage Speakers that matched Sansui Amp, so much the better !!!
Infinity is one of the best speakers around too.( it was matched with your system when new I think ?) I will soon be trying to audition my AU-9500 Partnered with my friend's Polk Audio (could not remember the model no.)
as he wanted to sell it to me.
I have read in the Sansui forum that the Sansui fans in your country
as well as in Canada normally like to partner it with the older JBL ( with the
Horn Type Tweeter) and also the Klipsch with the Horn Tweeter type.
cheers !

[Keith]

Hello antaklugom,
Yes, all components were purchased at the same time in 1976. The Infinity 1001 is an awesome speaker--probably around 40 pounds each! They don't make 'em like that any more. The JBL and Klipsch are certainly high-end performers as well. The store owner from which I made the purchases was a huge fan of Infinity, as was the sales staff. I replaced the paper using a speaker kit last winter, as it was totally wasted. Once the amp is repaired/tuned up, we're good to go for another 33!

[antaklugom]

Yes, it is common for Speaker's Surrounding Foam (or paper material) to disintegrate over many years and same thing happen to my JBL MR38 that I
bought in the 90's. Luckily nowadays Repair Kit are easily available.
Keith, FYI, your Sansui AU-7700 Capacitors are mostly Nichicon and
Elna brand. I suggest you you ask your Technician to use the Original Brand
or better alternatif (if the original is hard to find).
Nowaday, Nichicon manufacture a Better quality Audio grade Capacitor
ie : Nichicon " Fine Gold " and Nichicon Muse. I was told by a Sansui Fans
here that Nichicon fine gold Capacitor improved the sound quality by " leaps
and bound " compared to what was used from the Factory.
For original Sansui Parts, there is a web called SANSUI PART SHOP located
in the Netherland. They sell mostly NOS (New old stock) parts. For more photos
of Sansui Amp Restoration, you Google search by image on topic : amp8.com
and use google Translation as all the text is in Japanese.

[Keith]

That's excellent information! I will pose these suggestions to the techie now. I was about to mail the amp, but I will inquire before doing so. It is very surprising that original equipment is less suitable than a competitor's. I'll let you know what the response of the techie is. Thanks (again)!

[Keith]

Hello antaklugom,
Okay. Certainly, technological advances (over the last 30 years) would easily explain the vast improvement.
Thanks, Keith

[antaklugom]

keith,
Are you saying you are going to send the Amp to the Technician by Postal mail ? If that is so, it is better that you pack the Amp with lots and lots
of Foam Paddings and Bubble wraps.....The Front Fascia needs to be padded very well to avoid any damage to the faceplate and the Knobs.....
When I brought back my AU-9500 from Singapore (my neighbouring Country) I brought along Foam Padding and Bubble Wrap from my Home. Upon
reaching home (by Air) there is not a dent on the Amp. I have seen dissappointed Sansui Fan receiving his Amp throught the Mail with Dents and dinks on the Fascia and the side....just because the Shipper (seller) packed it
only with crumpled Newspapers !!! Vintage Items are quite rare now and when
it is gone....its gone.....

[Keith]

Hello antaklugom,
Great advice! Yes, it is packed extremely well with bubble wrap, styrofoam curls, and the plastic air pockets. It is prepared for the Samsonite gorilla!
However, I have not received a response from the techie regarding usage of the Nichicon "Fine Gold" capacitors. Given that he plans on taking 3 months to complete this task, it would be wise to research the local talent pool for such an undertaking. Lack of communication is not a good omen.
Cheers, Keith

[antaklugom]

hello Keith,
Oh, what a great Packing you did !!! Regarding the Nichicon " fine gold " capacitor, you can Pm uncle Vic, alex__kff or bite (All sansui Fans in this Forum) I could not remember who but one or all of them has used it for their Restoration. I also have seen the japanese web amp8.com also using it for their restoration. I am not sure what brand the Audio Technician in the US use for replacement but if it is the Sansui AU-111 Tube Amp, I heard that Audio Note Valve are used with stunning result......
I have seen many Technician advertising their services for restoration or upgrading Sansui Amp on ebay USA. They can upgrade the 85 watts per channel AU-717 to a whooping 100 watts plus per channel !!! But we understand labour charges in USA is expensive......
Please read also my reply to fellow Forummer here on the thread :
Vintage sansuis, Luxmans and Pioneers and see how expensive it is for us
to buy from ebay USA. (The price is still cheap to us, but the Airfreight is
more than the price of items itself and not counting Custom Tax yet)
Well, happy reading bro.......

[antaklugom]

Hello Keith,
Wishing you & Family a happy new year 2010........
Have you send your Sansui AU-7700 for the Caps replacement and Volume
Potentiometer servicing ? Hope for the best over there in Bloomfield, Connecticut USA.
Thanks,

[uncle_vic]

HI Antaklugom,

You are right the Nichicon "Fine Gold" capacitors are very good indeed. So far I had managed to lay my hands on some 15K uf 71V and 12k uf 63v electroyltic caps( those values and voltage for S.S amps only la).
And they are very difficult to come by.

[antaklugom]

Hi uncle vic,
Yes, that is what I recommended to our new member from USA
Mr Keith, but we are not sure whether they have the stock there or they
use a good equivalent US manufactured Caps......where did you buy yours
from ? I read in the Sansui forum that there are also fakes Sanken transistors
sold in ebay also.....But as we are in the Asian region, I think no one want to
manufacture fake Capacitor or transistor isnt it ?

[uncle_vic]

Hi Antakugom,

Some of the caps i got from leftovers of factory production runs. So just got lucky i guess. I have since used them all in my subwoofer project. I've done up a mutiple subwoofer system.


One of the forumer (Kow Tim) will call me to meet up whenever u are here to look him up. Hope to meet up with u over in Kay El.

cheers, and a happy new year.

[Keith]

Hi Antakugom,

Thank you and Happy 2010 to you!

I decided not to ship the amp to the tech because he did not respond to my question regarding using specific parts, as you had recommended. Instead, I dropped it off at a shop about 20 miles away. They've done work for me before, so I am very comfortable with them. Also, they promised that it would take 3 or 4 weeks (as opposed to 3+ months with the remote tech). So, it could be ready this week. I'll let you know.

Cheers,
Keith

[jazzfunksoulmusic]

Hi keith,
Are you selling your Sansui AU-7700?

[antaklugom]

Hi Keith,
I think thats better. You dont need to send to an Audio specialist if you can get a Technician who can do it locally..
Actually any competent DIYers who can read Circuit Diagram and having a
meter to test the Bias Current can do it for you....The AU-7700 Schematic
Diagram should be a big help if your friend have it.
If not, you can try to download the Schematic from Hifiengine website
but register as member first. Please let us know the outcome and what brand of Capacitors he use.

[Keith]

by jazzfunksoulmusic on Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:04 amHi keith,
Are you selling your Sansui AU-7700?


I am not selling the amp, unless the repair is unsuccessful.

[sonyman1]

There's a vintage Sansui amp on display that recently opened Campbell Complex hifi shop. Not for sale though, just display only. Forgot what model, but it has only 2 numbers if i remember. AU-## or something. Valve based.

hey mugen foo, did you see the one displayed on the rack and the amp is silver finishing and has the meter like thing in front of it,
Ya thats someones unit,
I have listen to that amp before, really cool , if it is the one you are talking about.

So i have eventually own myself a sansui amp. AU 317, it is nice, pairing with a jPW mini monitor, combinations great, not really vintage sound, but i like it a lot.

[mugenfoo]

yeah, i think so ... thats the one.


Is your JPW the "Sonata" with paper cone woofer?

Very musical speakers and it was one of the Brit HiFi Magazine's favourite in the early to mid 90s.

Don't worry about whether it sounds "vintage" or not as long as u enjoy it. There is no inherent advantage (or disadvantage) to having "vintage" sound or not when it comes to personal listening tastes.

But in terms of absolute accuracy and fidelity, vintage is as vintage does.

[sonyman1]

My jpw is the monitor series, my is the paper cone woofer. very goo pair,
Kl audio doctor actually modify an took the drivers to be made into mini magiko speakers.
although i only listen to his celestion cl6 that was great. imagine a high resolution setup. now i understand why kl audio doctor says the mini magiko is really dynamic, and im listening to its ancestor.

hi this is a different question, i have problems with my listening room, im listening it in a master room, but due to the furniture, which i cannot reposition, i have some problems with my staging, tend to lean on to the left , at the place im listening, which is on my bed.

if i turn the balance more to right, the vocal improves,

now this is the question, if i continue listening will it like cause the left side to work less, then by the time i listen balance there will be difference left and right

in my opinion this will happen, but any other way that i can deal with this situation.

[alex_kff]

So i have eventually own myself a sansui amp. AU 317, it is nice, pairing with a jPW mini monitor, combinations great,

sonyman1.
jpw mini monitor considered a very hungry speaker. AU-317 can do the work????
Kl audio doctor used a 90W dual mono amp if i am not wrong.... call him to check

[antaklugom]

Sonyman 1,
The man who mentioned about AU-317 as power hungry is a member of klaudiodoctor........our ' SANSUI " man. You cannot define a Vintage
Amp as having " Vintage " sound (IMO).The term Vintage means it, (item) was manufactured somewhere from the 50's to the 80's or even from the 40's. You can term the sound like any modern Amp . Warm, Transparent (Like Tube Amp) etc.....
I have the AU-417, AU-517, BUT AU-717 still " eluded " me.......
And Bro. Mugen, can you try to recall you did bought some part(s) or item from
some member of klaudiodoctor.......you might have forgotten. ..ha..ha..ha...Ya, thanks for your correct definition of the term " Fidelity "........for the sound.
That is why they call it " HI FI "......

[carz]

Can someone comment on the Sansui AU-D11 II ?

[azri]

i gave up hunting for sansui as it always lure its fanatics to bid to own, eventhough they've already have dozens of sansui back at home

theres one au 919 about to finish its bidding tempo, bet its gonna cost heaps & i can even get a nice 200w/ch rotel power amp with that amount.. shiattt!!

[ngheong]

Hi all, i am in penang. I got one Sansui A-555 need to be repair. Any idea who in penang can do the repair? Your info is really appreciate.

thanks

[skooi3]

hi ngheong, im from penang n i just repair my au-555a at my friend shop. but must q, bcs he still got alot of amp n turntable to repair.

[antaklugom]

Azri, Bidding for Sansui in ebay, USA is still cheap for the local resident.......
But I notice bidding in ebay Australia for a Sansui is Expensive...... Like I said
in my former thread, I dont favour buying anything that is HEAVY from ebay as the COST of transportation (AIRFREIGHT) is more than the cost of the Amp itself.......
Ofcourse, for a succesful Bidders who can pays that sum of money,
he can buy Modern AMP but Hobby is Hobby.......Kaki is kaki.......or in more
drastic term, Fanatic is fanatic.....for the Vintage items........
We live Once......so buy what we can afford......no prejudice......
Please go to klaudiodoctor forum.......these are the people who use Modern
and expensive Amps etc...etc....AND YET they also use the HUMBLE SANSUI....

[ngheong]

hello,skooi3,

good to hear the feed back from you. can you introduce me to your fr shop so i can repair mine? really appreciate your help.

thanks