+ Reply to Thread
Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 31

Thread: Sansui AU-517 and AU-719 restorations (lotsa pics!)

  1. #21
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    If you don't intend playing around with power leads, hard-wiring is always better, as IEC sockets are nasty things, sonically - even the 'fancy' ones!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  2. #22
    Join Date: Dec 2011

    Location: Sydney, Australia

    Posts: 142
    I'm Pete.

    Default

    Even though it has been a while since I've posted on AOS, I've still been lurking in the background on a regular basis. I thought I'd post a little update re: my beloved AU-719 long-term project.

    As mentioned earlier in the thread, this was a non-working unit which was brought back to life by Dad (skippy124 on various forums) after a lot of hard work and troubleshooting, including sourcing a NOS Sansui board from sansui-parts-shop.com. She has been fully recapped with Panasonic FCs, ECQVs and Elna Silmic IIs, and the power supply filter caps with Epcos screw terminal capactors. I have a few more potential tweaks here and there - possibly the installation of metal film or other fancy resistors in the preamp/signal path, and I also need to get around to fitting a pair of 22pf silver micas into the phono stage. The sound quality is very nice indeed.

    Cosmetically (and I would argue functionally ) I fitted CMC solid copper binding posts and a heavy duty Belden 19364 power cable and silver-plated Martin Kaiser AUS power plug. A resprayed top cover addressed the issue of the worn scratched original cover.








    Dad also managed to secure a NOS Sansui faceplate for the 719 (and also my 517) which means they both look as-new when viewed from the front. The current faceplates are quite clean, but there are a few minor nicks on the top and the sides. You just can't beat brand new - I reckon these would most likely be the last NOS 517 and 719 face plates in the world! I will fit the new face plate in future once I stop moving the amp around so much, as I'd hate to nick it.




    The last piece of the puzzle is the base plate. The cheap non-painted silver base plate looks cheap and nasty. Dad drew up the original AU-717 base plate in a CAD program and organised for a few new base plates to be made up and had them powdercoated (or painted... I forget which) in black.

    They look very nice indeed and very OEM apart from the lack of the warning sticker. Unfortunately there is a minor difference in a few screw holes vs the 717 base plate along the rear edge, but for the time being there are still six or seven screws holding the new base plate in position, so it is rock solid.

    I might even look at cleaning-up the original 719 base plate some day (there is light corrosion and surface rust) and painting it black. If it turns out nicely, I will refit it (due to the extra mounting holes) and the current black base plate can be used on a future Sansui project instead.

    Overall I'm ecstatic with the black base plate as it really completes the look and "de-cheapifies" the 719. The exterior of this amp is now closer to the better-built 517/717 in terms of its external appearance.

    A big thanks to Dad for taking the initiative to draw up the base plate for one of his own projects, and his generosity in having a spare base plate made up for me at the same time :thmbsp:














    The amp currently taking pride of place in my system is a restored Sansui AU-X701. Whilst the front panel is a departure from the earlier amps (this is a 1987 model) the X-balanced circuit design is a class above IMHO.

    She's been fully recapped with Nichicons, Panasonics and Elna Silmic IIs thoughout, as well as eight new Bourns trimpots and a pair of nice DNM slit-foil power supply filter capacitors (designed and manufactured in the UK of course). A heavy duty Belden 19364 power cord has also been fitted in place of the oringal figure 8 power cable.

    This amp sounds brilliant!





    ••• Logitech Squeezebox Touch > audio-gd NFB3(2014) w/ E9018 > fully recapped/restored Sansui AU-X701 and AU-719 > a healthy sprinkling of expectation bias > PMC GB1i speakers > Aurealis and Audio Principe cables •••

  3. #23
    MartinT Guest

    Default

    Nice work, Pete. Those NOS front panels do look good.

  4. #24
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Yorkshire

    Posts: 9,302
    I'm Andrew.

    Default

    Brilliant stuff.
    SS
    CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10

    VALVE
    PRE
    Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker



  5. #25
    Join Date: Dec 2011

    Location: South downs

    Posts: 3,477
    I'm James.

    Default

    Nice work, they dont make 'em like that anymore! I used to have an AU-3900 which always sounded nice.

  6. #26
    Join Date: Dec 2011

    Location: Sydney, Australia

    Posts: 142
    I'm Pete.

    Default

    Thanks for the kind words all, and I promise that I will make the time to post here more regularly. As mentioned earlier, I regularly lurk in the background as I always find valuable information and opinions on AOS, so I really should participate more often.
    ••• Logitech Squeezebox Touch > audio-gd NFB3(2014) w/ E9018 > fully recapped/restored Sansui AU-X701 and AU-719 > a healthy sprinkling of expectation bias > PMC GB1i speakers > Aurealis and Audio Principe cables •••

  7. #27
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: Wirral, UK.

    Posts: 674
    I'm fightingmywayoutofawetecho.

    Default

    http://www.sansui.us/Amplifiers.htm

    Here's some Sansui phoowee..

    Ian.
    Last edited by Ian Walker; 22-03-2013 at 07:27.
    My System:

    Linn Akurate DSM,Naim 32.5 pre amp Hicap,Naim Snaxo Hicap,3x Naim 250 power amps,Active Naim NBLs.
    Dave Hewitt MR PLANK 4 watt SE and Jm Lab Electra 905s.

  8. #28
    Join Date: Apr 2018

    Location: Athens, Greece

    Posts: 3
    I'm Panos.

    Default I wish I could see the pictures...

    Hey,
    I happen to be an AU-719 owner as well and I would really like it if I could see the pictures of your restoration.

  9. #29
    Join Date: Oct 2017

    Location: West Wales

    Posts: 86
    I'm Alan.

    Default

    Hi Panos, and welcome.

    If you use Chrome or Firefox browsers you can now add an extension to them that will show most old 'photobucket' pictures.
    Google ''photobucket hot link fix'' or ''photobucket embedded image fix'' and use the one you like best.

  10. #30
    Join Date: Apr 2018

    Location: Athens, Greece

    Posts: 3
    I'm Panos.

    Default

    Thank you Snowman! I can now see the images...

    Pete your pictures are great really! I would like to ask you about the main volume pot - mine shows signs of wear (scratchy). I managed to disassemble it and clean/lubricate it but I cannot stop thinking about replacing it if I could. Have you or anyone here got any suggestions about where to look for it?

+ Reply to Thread
Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •