Small job on AU999, BIG job on AU-X1

kevzep

Its all about the Music
Well, I've been on a Sansui hiatus for a while, but what better way to get back into it than do a small job on the most immaculate AU999 I have ever seen.......but then dive right into this X1, it wont be quite as thorough as the likes of Kale, but the unit will be perfectly functional and all high risk components will be replaced....

AU999, simply fitting some main filter caps and removing the Sub-Sonic filters, then checking DC offset and Bias, taking it home for a quick test on the JBL L7's and have the owner pick it up, if I let him take it home....

The X1 will be on the bench for a while though, its a mammoth job which I have to fit in between everything else I'm doing.....
 

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That AU-999 does look extremely clean Kev, and about the AU-X1, there have been a couple of threads recently ;)
 
That AU-999 does look extremely clean Kev, and about the AU-X1, there have been a couple of threads recently ;)

The 999 still has the pouch with the Schematic in it stuck on the bottom of the amp, I should have taken a picture of that....

Ive been studying the X1 threads, I'll have to check with the owner about what his budget is, getting one these amps stable and reliable is not going to be cheap.
They aren't exactly service friendly either.....
I've already identified faults in the driver boards, the amp has also been dropped.....its not too bad but there are issues....

We'll see how we go...

I also have yet another AU999 there too, all original flying saucers, sub sonic filters, etc etc, and pretty dirty and some corrosion, but I think it will come up okay...
 
Well, you are definitely 'the man' when it comes to the AU-999, and the AU-X1 won't give someone of your calibre too many problems, just the volume of work required is the issue with them really.
 
Good to see you posting in the Sansui forum sir :)
-Lee

Thanks Lee, its been a while.....

Well, you are definitely 'the man' when it comes to the AU-999, and the AU-X1 won't give someone of your calibre too many problems, just the volume of work required is the issue with them really.

Thanks John, some things that are apparent are that this X1 is a late model, NO GLUE!! Earthing suggests late model....
Its a JDM (Japanese Domestic model).....So I will just simply be sourcing a nice step down transformer for the owner, not going to try any Heroics with sourcing an export transformer...
It all has to fit into a budget....
 
Kevin, nice AU999 there. I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away from one for long. :)

That thing is immaculate.

George.
 
When did you add the Thorens 125 to your stable of goodies? What a stellar turntable/arm combination.
 
When did you add the Thorens 125 to your stable of goodies? What a stellar turntable/arm combination.

Ive had the TD125 for a long time, maybe 6 years? Had a TD160 before that....I've had a listen to some more modern tables in the hunt for a better sound, and nothing has really impressed me as much as the 125...
They are a pretty sweet table.....Although I have been thinking I would like a Sota Sapphire lately....
 
Hi kevzep, thats a nice clean looking au-999 you are working on, and all the best with your big job on the au-x1. Out of curiosity l was wondering why you needed to remove the sub-sonic filters? l only ask because l have been having trouble with the sub-sonic filter on one of my amps.
 
Kevin, I think you had mentioned a while back how nice the phono boards are in the AU999, and they are.

I have both my TT hooked up the AU999 for listening.

Glad you got your eye out on one for you to get.

George.
 
Hi kevzep, thats a nice clean looking au-999 you are working on, and all the best with your big job on the au-x1. Out of curiosity l was wondering why you needed to remove the sub-sonic filters? l only ask because l have been having trouble with the sub-sonic filter on one of my amps.

Thanks, yes the sub-sonic filter is a 12db/oct filter on the low end starting at 70hz, it takes away quite a lot of the bass.
I guess they must have thought in those days that since there wasn't much down in that area that it wasn't important.
However, things have changed over the years, and when one takes the sub-sonic filter out, it opens up a whole new world...

I did a whole thread on it showing the frequency response on my analyzer, can't seem to find it, but its in this forum somewhere.

Kevin, I think you had mentioned a while back how nice the phono boards are in the AU999, and they are.

I have both my TT hooked up the AU999 for listening.

Glad you got your eye out on one for you to get.

George.

Yes, when I sold my 999 I regretted it immediately, even though it was to a very good friend of mine who also loves it...
But how things change, and now it looks like I might be able to get hold of possible that 999 or another one which the owner has found which is in the same sort of condition.......although it will need all the mods and updating...
 
Nice - I used those same powersupply caps in my 999 - really great condition that one.

How weird is this (another coincidence) I bumped into a guy selling some super expensive amps on trademe and it turns out he has a Pioneer M22 amplifier - I thought I was the only one in NZ with one! And he is around the corner in Wellington!
 
I must say the 999 has grown on me. It wasn't until I upgraded my source to the TOTL oppo bd-105d with its Sabre 32 bit reference Dac that I could really appreciate how resolving it was. Here some of my other amps just couldn't fill the shoes of the dac.

Two of my friends are Genelec monitor freaks and has spent serious dollars on the 8 and 12 woofer models that used to be standard fare in European sound studios up throughout the 90'ties. To me they sound analytical as heck, but very very precise, just not very musical. When both guys heard the 999 / Oppo combo on my consumer grade wharfedsle 8.4 that has been tweaked a bit, they were floored !

Iam in Copenhagen now hanging out and they are still talking about the 999, one wants to sell his Genelecs and the other is struggling to rearrange his set and upgrade his source trying to achieve the same spatial fat analog sound he heard from 999. Both guys have worked extensively with professional sound.
 
I must say the 999 has grown on me. It wasn't until I upgraded my source to the TOTL oppo bd-105d with its Sabre 32 bit reference Dac that I could really appreciate how resolving it was. Here some of my other amps just couldn't fill the shoes of the dac.

Two of my friends are Genelec monitor freaks and has spent serious dollars on the 8 and 12 woofer models that used to be standard fare in European sound studios up throughout the 90'ties. To me they sound analytical as heck, but very very precise, just not very musical. When both guys heard the 999 / Oppo combo on my consumer grade wharfedsle 8.4 that has been tweaked a bit, they were floored !

Iam in Copenhagen now hanging out and they are still talking about the 999, one wants to sell his Genelecs and the other is struggling to rearrange his set and upgrade his source trying to achieve the same spatial fat analog sound he heard from 999. Both guys have worked extensively with professional sound.

Nice.

Any chance for a pic or two of your set-up?
 
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