Sansui AU555a and Polk monitors Salvation Army find

What’s better Au555a or 8080?


  • Total voters
    4
  • Poll closed .

Dan887217

Member
Hello everyone
In the last two days I have found these at my local thrift store paid 35.00 in all. I think it was a good deal despite condition both items.
The amp well I have one good channel it seems. I have only cleaned pots as I thought it was the problem of being dirty. Inside the unit was quite clean. I have not gone deep to investigate more and I have been looking on some threads to figure out what’s going on. Paid 29.99.
The speakers need two new foams sounded good for what I could hear out of them. Paid 5.00 instead of 29.99.
Now these speakers from asking around on fb I have been told are Polk monitors v.2.


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Very nice finds.

If it were me - I'd shotgun all those weird little war of the worlds flying saucer ceramic transistors in there. You may be able to fix your problem - and you will definitely improve the sound by doing this too.

Are there any blown fuses in the unit - that could be an easy fix for a channel down.
 
Very nice finds.

If it were me - I'd shotgun all those weird little war of the worlds flying saucer ceramic transistors in there. You may be able to fix your problem - and you will definitely improve the sound by doing this too.

Are there any blown fuses in the unit - that could be an easy fix for a channel down.
Haven’t done that yet. Now flying saucer resistors are they the plates vertical. I don’t know I am still green.
 
The speakers need two new foams sounded good for what I could hear out of them. Paid 5.00 instead of 29.99.
Now these speakers from asking around on fb I have been told are Polk monitors v.2.

I like to consider myself a Polk Audio enthusiast, having owned many different pairs and while I'm not 100% sure I'm pretty confident those are not Polk cabinets nor and there is no model called v.2. The tweeter looks like a Peerless but other then that it looks like a Frankenspeaker.

Congrats! on the Sansui it's a nice little amp
 
I like to consider myself a Polk Audio enthusiast, having owned many different pairs and while I'm not 100% sure I'm pretty confident those are not Polk cabinets nor and there is no model called v.2. The tweeter looks like a Peerless but other then that it looks like a Frankenspeaker.

Congrats! on the Sansui it's a nice little amp
Thank you. I like the amp it needs work.
The speakers I have not opened up yet and are heavy little speakers. I agree it is a weird shape. The lay out of the speaker is different than other photos I have seen. Someone on fb mention they could have been used commercially or institutionally.
 
So I tested how long it plays music after being turned off. Is about 13-15 seconds. So this means the capacitors are good still.
So with reading other threads and reviews people refer to this as audiophile grade device, hi-end, very rare, sought after with recommendations to grab one if seen even if you pay over 500.00 even if it needs work.
Are all these true?
Can someone debunk myth or legend?

I plan on changing fuses in the future and go from there.
It has one channel working so it set up in my basement with a Yamaha tuner I paid 10.00 for and a infinity Qe single I got for 10.00. I wish I could get a another.

I enjoy the sound from the Au555a with just a tuner it’s very pleasing like my 881.
 
So with reading other threads and reviews people refer to this as audiophile grade device, hi-end, very rare, sought after with recommendations to grab one if seen even if you pay over 500.00 even if it needs work.
Like you note - these comments are subjective. I wouldnt call the 555a "very rare" at all - even in NZ they pop up often.

It sounds better after its reconditioned - at the least with a recap - then the next step is changing out those weird little transistors as to me they only detract from the sound/potential of this great little amp.

However in terms of "audiophile grade device" - my 2c is that this is meaningless. If you sit a reconditioned 555a next to a 888 or 999 (as I have done), the 999 is streets ahead in terms of resolution and detail however the 555a has tons of character, warmth and bottom end slam.

Leestereo recently posted a thread of some pretty extensive work he did on a 555a - which shows the potential of how far you can go in modding this amp:

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....ade-of-a-sansui-au-555a.816754/#post-11495731
 
Wow that’s a nice job he did. A lot of work.
Makes me wish my chosen profession was different but I love to eat and bake so. Music and food make me happy.
 
I picked up new fuses today as a start to see if it wakes up.

I have four Sansui stereo receivers / amps.
I want to keep all if possible.
What’s to many is my question?

Listed in order of acquired
Sansui 881
Sansui 8080
Sansui 6600
Sansui AU-555A

The other receiver I have is a Pioneer Sx 650.
I must say in the state the Au555a is in it sounds better than the Pioneer.
 
I have great news replaced the fuses have all four channels some fuzz on one channel I believe it’s the not so good quality wire as the speakers I am using have no issues. And wow what a sound out of some bose 201’s.
 
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