Sansui AU 9500 opinions

[oznob]

I have an opportunity to buy a nice conditon Sansui AU 9500 integrated amp. I am looking for a good vintage integrated or receiver for a second system, probably with L100's and/or L19's. I have read some positive things about this amp. Anyone here have experience with it that can provide some opinions?

Thanks,

Mark

[Doctor_Electron]

Have not listened to that model, but I have an AU-7700. Used with a pair of 4410's, this is one of, if not the best sounding amp I've heard. (Out of many, many amps... all with "high pedigrees").
The AU-7700 has about 55 RMS W/CH, 20-20,000 Hz.
I don't quite understand this one, but I also have a Sansui 3300 receiver, 22 WPC, which with my 4310's makes older recordings on CD, such as the first generation Beatles CD's sound better than they did with other amps. (?) And it sounds great on newer jazz CD's as well.
If you haven't looked here yet for Sansui info, try:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=39
(AudioKarma, "Strictly Sansui" Forum)
BTW, if the price is reasonable and everything works I would jump on that amp, based on my experience with the 3300 + 7700.
If not, please PM me with info on buying that Sansui?

[oznob]

Thanks for the information, I appreciate it! I also have a Sansui 9090DB receiver that is well regarded by many. Problem is, only the left channel works. It does make a great mono amp. I really didn't want to spend the money to get it fixed at this time. I found this other amp by accident, a friend of a friend. I am going to check it out this evening. The seller said he used to have the matching tuner but doesn't remember what he did with it. Oh well, I don't listen to local radio much anyway. It would be nice to have a matching set though.

Oh, I just picked up an old Technics receiver, model SA-404. It was made in 1980, 50 watts a side and in pretty good condition. I haven't fired it up yet but the seller said it worked great when he last used it a couple of years ago. Hey, for $10, what the heck. Just more toys!

[Regis]

Oz, with a pair of L-100's or L-19's, you can't go wrong with a vintage Sansui. .

[SUPERBEE]

I am not a fan of ANYTHING Sansui. It always seems to break or have "issues"

[Regis]

I am not a fan of ANYTHING Sansui. It always seems to break or have "issues"

I've had my share of troubles as well, but there's a secret to owning the vintage Sansui gear. You have to cycle all the buttons, knobs and switches on a regular basis. The biggest problem is that corrosion from non-use of a switch, knob or button causes a great deal of the problems on these units. The signal runs through every single one of them!

My son's Sansui G-9000 and my little brother's G-22000 have been running long healthy lives, because they do the 'cycling' maintenance on them monthly. I'll cycle each knob, button or switch a dozen times lightly and then, it's good to go!

[oznob]

That's a great tip Regis, you can't put them away for ten years and expect them to work correctly. I did buy the amp after a very brief audition. He had them hooked up to a pair of Klipsch Forte's and I was very impressed with what I heard. Amazing low end response with a warm, laid back upper mid-range and treble. I hate using the term "tube like" but in this case it fits except for the low end slam. I hooked them up to the old garage sale L100's and they have never sounded better. There may be something about an amp and speakers of the same vintage. They seem to be made for each other. I have one killer shop system now! If the Sansui had remote control, it would be in the living room driving the SVA2100's. The performance of this amp has motivated me to get the 9090DB fixed.

[Regis]

Happy to help out! When I tried a Sansui 5000A on my L-300's a while back, I too was very surprised at how good it sounded! This is 50 wpc. Very warm, very musical. I'm looking to biamp my 4315's and am considering a tube-amp for the top end, but after this thread I might just go with a vintage Sansui instead!

The Perreaux is very dynamic and has tight control of the bass, but it sounds somewhat 'dry' on the 4315's....

[oznob]

I couldn't resist, I had to open the hood and look inside. WOW, this thing has one of the biggest power transformers I have ever seen in a home amplifier! No wonder it has a ton of reserve power! The heat sinks are massive as is everything else inside! I hosed down the pots and switches, the high frequency attenuator was a little scratchy. It's now runnin' like a well tuned 440! This beast is a keeper!

[Royster]

I am not sure if it had already been mentioned elsewhere in the forum but Sansui was JBL's distributor in Japan from the early 70s until the mid 80s. All the amps during Sansui's "golden age" were voiced to pair with JBL speakers.

I recall that many Japanese retailers paired the Sansui AU-x07 (607, 707, 907) with the 434x series in the early 80s.

[oznob]

I am not sure if it had already been mentioned elsewhere in the forum but Sansui was JBL's distributor in Japan from the early 70s until the mid 80s. All the amps during Sansui's "golden age" were voiced to pair with JBL speakers.

I recall that many Japanese retailers paired the Sansui AU-x07 (607, 707, 907) with the 434x series in the early 80s.

No wonder this amp actually makes my L100's sound pretty darn good! Most other amps I've tried were pretty harsh on the top end, not so much with the Sansui.

[Doctor_Electron]

Quote: "You have to cycle all the buttons, knobs and switches on a regular basis. The biggest problem is that corrosion from non-use of a switch, knob or button causes a great deal of the problems on these units. The signal runs through every single one of them!"

After reading this, I decided to pull the old AU-7700 out of my "mothball fleet" and give it a good working over with DeOxit and lots of "cycling".

It still has some problems, but I was able to get it to work perfectly in stereo by (problem in "AUX" input path) using the tuner inputs instead, and (problem in speaker selector circuitry) selecting "SPKR A+B" and using the left "A" output and the right "B" output.

A former and quite noticable problem of its sound changing when switching from "Stereo" to "Stereo Reverse" is now fixed. This is very good, as before correction this could have indicated component-related problems in one channel.

After trying it out on the JBL 4310's, however, it is obvious that they sound better with the Sansui 3300. And for sure the 4410's sound better with the AU-7700. An interesting sonic result of equipment interaction.

[scott fitlin]

I am not a fan of ANYTHING Sansui. It always seems to break or have "issues"

I liked sansui, The Model EIGHT was my very first reciever, 50wpc, but it kicked.

Around 1979 it blew up, got it repaired, same thing happened.

Couldn't fix and keep stable.

Of course, my unit was from 1970, and NOT TOTL, but they can be a bitch to have fixed in the event of......

None the less, Sansui was my favorite Japanese brand and tone.

[greyhound]

I have an opportunity to buy a nice conditon Sansui AU 9500 integrated amp. I am looking for a good vintage integrated or receiver for a second system, probably with L100's and/or L19's. I have read some positive things about this amp. Anyone here have experience with it that can provide some opinions?

Thanks,

Mark

its beautifull and great sounding.
if its technicly allright , buy it.

great vintage sound.

[Doctor_Electron]

Thanks again, Regis. After the DeOxit treatment and continued cycling of all controls, the 7700 has regained all functions.
And sounds great, too.