Restored or not

dc1138

New Member
Restored or unrestored

I have the option of geting one completly restored 717 for $1000 (Australian Dollar)
or one 717 with one 719 for the same price ( I think they are un respored, sell says he is unsure if they have ever been restored).

All I know about the unrestored is that the seller said. Works as it should. Looks and sounds great.

The restored details.

Sansui AU-717 Amplifier Restored, New Electrolytic Capacitors, Rack Handles, Warranty And More. Please do not be fooled, there are a lot of units listed as serviced and professionally restored the case might of just been polished and maybe the potentiometers cleaned, electrolytic capacitors have a life of about 35 years any 70's or before and even 80's unit have capacitors that could go bad at any time if you are going to spend money on a older unit make sure all the electrolytic capacitors have been replaced and output transistors at least have been replaced or you could be wasting your money and make sure it has some sort of warranty!! The 2 power amps have been redesigned with 4 transistors and resistors moved to avoid over heating of the filter caps above the pictures of the main amp board shows the transistor moved.
The 2 main power amps have all new transistors, capacitors, and diodes in them also all the resistors were checked for value and several were replaced, the four 2 watt resistors that were moved were replaced with new 3 watt flame prof resistors along with the movement of the 4 transistors to the heat sink and the 4 resistor mounted on the back of the board to avoid heat to the capacitors above them new thermal paste and pads were installed on all transistors needing the including the 4 main output transistors that were also replaced with new "ON Semiconductor" brand the rest were replaced with Fairchild brand, all the electrolytic capacitors and main filter caps on this entire unit were replaced, new audio grade Elna SilmicII capacitors filter the main amps and preamp section the 4 main filter caps were replaced with Panasonic 15,000uf capacitors and 2 in the power supply with Nichicon KG audio grade capacitors, the power and relay board has new main amp power resistors and have been mounted on the back of the board to avoid heat damage to the new capacitors above them also new diodes and main power and input transistors have been replaced with new, binding posts were added in place of the speaker clips on the B speaker channel, all the controls were cleaned with Deoxit and work excellent, the bias has been set to the original factory mV settings.
The unit was manufactured in 1977 according to the serial number, with the adding of the new power transistors and recap this sounds absolutely incredible!!! and I am sure better than it originally sounded when it was new, this like most Sansui's is designed to run on multiple voltages for European use. The unit is in very good cosmetic condition and comes with the rack handles the faceplate is in very good condition the top and sides are very good it looks like the cover was painted but it looks very clean so I left it as is. Elna Silmic II capacitors have a 100 hour break in period I have run the unit for about 20 hours for testing so that means that every time you listen to this up to that 100 hour period it will keep sounding better so if you notice a difference in sound each time you turn it on that is why. This is very heavy about 50 pounds so the unit will be packed well You will have to be home to sign for this or the delivery service will not leave it!! also this unit has a 3 month warranty for repair. I rebuild Sansui amps

seller said he will also revived some new caps for the power supply and upgrade some of the caps on the unit to better ones.

What is the best buy ?

I could just get one unrestored reciever to save some cash.
 
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The question becomes can you do any repair work of this scale yourself..?

If NO get the restored one if YES get the pair and get ready to solder...
 
Hi,

That particuLr seller that you have quoted has done modifications that are not part of a typical 717 restoration. He also has replaced the output transistors without giving a reason, i.e. There iS no reason to replace output I transistors unless one or more have failed. The mods he has done on the driver boards are unwarranted, and along with the output transistors being replaced detract from the originality of the restored unit. Perhaps the internal changes are not perceived by some to be a big deal, but I beleive that a restoration should be done in keeping with the original design and physical arrangement as much as possible unless there is a compelling arguement to make such changes.

Just my 0.02c worth

Also, if you have the chance to get a 717/719 pair locally for the cost of the overseas restored unit, the I would go for the local units. They could both be restored locally for less that the asking price/shipping of the unit that you have linked the description, you could sell one restored unit locally and end up in front.

Cheers

John
 
Thanks for the answers.
Have never done any repair work myself.
not sure on the costs locally for the repair work

717/719 pair are overseas. no local. Probably harder to get here. none on ebay.

717/719 pair with shipping is the same price as the restored unit with shipping.

at this point I might give the restored one a miss if its not inline with a typical 717 restoration and its detract from the originality of the restored unit.

I could get the unrestored 717 or 719 or both and have them restored in the future. money is a bit tight at the moment.
 
+1 to comments by skippy124 - there is no need to have done the modifications as described - could this be from the UK ? (pleased to say NO affiliation).

I would avoid this and find another.
 
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+1 to comments by skippy124 - there is no need to have done the modifications as described - could this be from the UK ? (pleased to say NO affiliation).

I would avoid this and find another.

It is from the U.S. John. There is also a restoration service currently being offered on Ebay US - photos show glue/glue affected components not removed/replaced, VD1212 diodes and fuse resistors not replaced, transistors on the driver boards relocated on flying leads, bias pots left as original............
 
It is from the U.S. John. There is also a restoration service currently being offered on Ebay US - photos show glue/glue affected components not removed/replaced, VD1212 diodes and fuse resistors not replaced, transistors on the driver boards relocated on flying leads, bias pots left as original............

Thanks John - ah well, that's just a load of hogwash then - they've done some easy stuff and dressed it up a bit with bullshit and called it good :nono:
 
I sold a au717 REBUILT, tu717 REBUILT , sansui deck new with new belts and a sansui rack for $1000- that price is insane.
 
I prefer to buy vintage gear "as-is" or "unrestored" (even not necessarily working), especially if it is something that I really want and will likely keep. It is certainly easier/simpler to buy something that has already been "fixed" or "restored", but unless I know or at least know of the tech that did the work, I am reluctant to trust what has or has not been done to the unit and the quality of the work.

I do a lot of work on my own stuff, but if something is beyond the scope of my comfort zone, I will take it to a reputable tech and pay to have it done right. I'd rather start with an all-original unit and know what is done to it, than gamble on what has already been done. I just do a little research and factor in the cost of a full rebuild/restoration when considering purchase price (kind of a worst case scenario for my wallet). Basically, pray for the best, but prepare for the worst.
 
I think I will be patient with my purchase of my first sansui reciever/s.

I have ordered these speekers for them.

Celestion Ditton 66 -$1200
http://stereonomono.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/celestion-ditton-66.html


and

Ascension
SUMMONER 1293PSRTL (blackwood veneer) -$1650
http://www.adelaidespeakers.com/summoner-floorstanders.html

should be some fun listening to them.

In the mean time. I have bought a nice Sansui AU-6500 to play around with, its just for the desktop/nearfield bookshelves. Hasnt arrived yet. It looks to be in excellent condition, no restoration on it tho. should give me my first taste of sansui before I get something with more power.
 
I just restored an AU-717 for myself.
It is a bit of work. $1000 is steep but availability overseas seem to drive the price up.

I'd wait until you find one on shore and have it restored by someone local who knows how or talk to us, AK folks that do restorations.
 
Yikes 1k GBP = 1500 USD.
If you feel like learning how to rebuild one we can "text" you through it if you have basic soldering skills and such. The key for a beginner is buying a working unit that does not need to be troubleshot. Most of the issues in the AU-717 are related to the fuse-resistors and the glue Sansui used on the boards becoming acidic and eating the leads off the parts. Remove the capacitors, scrape the glue off the board. Replace any other components it touched and if you see black oxidation on the small signal transistors those are good candidates for a quick swap also. You likely can redo the entire unit for 150.00 USD in parts. Plenty of good people here to assist who have done it before, aside from myself. I have 2 of them I am about to start on. All my own toys of course.
 
Posted the same thread on an Australian forum. here are some of the highlights

"Pretty much any modern amplifier would be a significant step up over the Sansui."

"A lot (in fact most) of these audio/hifi sites are infested with plebians who simply have no idea what they're talking about. "

" You're paying a thousand dollars for a near-on forty year old 2-channel amp. Any AVR on the market will blow it out of the water in just about any way you could think of. "

"several AVRs available from Yamaha and Denon, that would easily outperform the Sansui."

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2362967
 
If this was a couple hundred bucks I would argue these quotes, but if we are getting into 4 figures, that does open up a lot of choices of modern gear
 
The quotes were saying that ANY modern gear would be a step up over Sansui. and ANY AVR on the market would blow a restored 717 out of the water.
I have a marantz 5007 that I payed over $1000 a year ago and I dont think it does music that good. I am running paridigm 60s and they are ok but sound brittel and harsh at a higher volumn.
Just recieved a Sansui 6500 and hooked it up to the paridigms and the harshness was gone. it sounded alot better. Going to do some better testing soon and compare if there a differnce and if I like the sansui more
 
Oh boy... I just read that forum and well... there are people that can tell and can hear a difference and then there are people who just want the stereo to play and to them that is great. To each their own. Its like trying to show a person with cataracts how great 1080p looks vs old tube 480i. The shows on and they see what they see = happy. Now for the rest of us......

I have 3 of those high end Yamaha AVR's. The RX-V1 has good power for a modern receiver but will not hold a candle to any of my equivalent "40" old Sansui gear. For example the restored and updated 5000x I have flat destroys the Yamaha in every area. Tuning, FM, Sensitivity and overall sound quality. The Yamaha is "voiced" for brilliant highs and very thunderous lows. Perfect for movies etc which is what it was designed for and does a stellar job at decoding DTS/Dolby. But for true 2 channel stereo or FM there has not been a single person who has stopped by the house who picked any of my Yamaha gear as the winner when it comes to 2 channel. Granted I ran my Yamaha gear for years and it did the job it was designed to do quite well.

The next reason would be the phono section in the older high end gear typically rivals most the modern stuff if they even have a phono section built into them anymore. My Yamaha does but I promise you it does not sound as nice as say my Sansui CA-3000.

I love the one guys comment about not needing beefy power supplies to listen to music..hahahhah priceless. True we may listen to 20w nominal but spikes will easily eclipse 4x that which is where large power supplies and reserve capacity come in handy. ugh...
 
For $1k you open the door to better restored vintage gear. If you want to start comparing $1k vintage vs modern you are opening the floodgates.

Someone saying modern will blow away vintage, I'd bet $1k has never heard a restored vintage unit and is making a poorly thought out blanket statement.

The restored 717 seems to me the seller is prideful in the amount of work he did to the unit whether complete or not. Maybe it had shorted outputs so he replaced? It is a lot of work but there is a reality to the value. Many times restorations are a labor of love since if you calculate what you actually make fixing them it's not good at all. Lots of guys trying to make big money doing this and its just not that type of business. Just my opinion and $.02.
 
Posted the same thread on an Australian forum. here are some of the highlights

"Pretty much any modern amplifier would be a significant step up over the Sansui."

"A lot (in fact most) of these audio/hifi sites are infested with plebians who simply have no idea what they're talking about. "

" You're paying a thousand dollars for a near-on forty year old 2-channel amp. Any AVR on the market will blow it out of the water in just about any way you could think of. "

"several AVRs available from Yamaha and Denon, that would easily outperform the Sansui."

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2362967

How tall is that guilded throne that they pontificate from?

IMHO, complete BS!!!

Thrift stores and garage sales are littered with 2-5 year old AVR's for $20 that cost $1K new and can't give them away. Meanwhile, prices on the 30-40+ year old equipment continues to skyrocket, often approaching or exceeding the original MSRP. Hmmm... what am I missing?
 
Get an untouched 717 and get it restored yourself.

(AK Sansui) echowars can do the job most nicely! :)

Shipping is extra cost, I know.

Rock on.

Or... get an alpha (or AU-X901). But they don't exactly like an AU-717 which is a war machine.

What's a guy to do?
 
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Reminds me of an old Starfish brand commercial --- Sorry Charlie, we want tune that tastes good not tuna with good taste. Combine testimonials about sound quality with honest no holds barred reviews and aesthetics to boot and it is hard to justify passing up high end restored vintage compared to the latest all on a board modern equivalent unless you want to play in the big boy $5000 and up per separate market where the good modern gear lurks. Added bonus, if something breaks it still can be repaired not replaced. Case in point, my recently restored AU-9900A displaced my restored Pioneer 1280, my Sansui G8000 and about 7 other high end late '70's pieces as my daily driver. Yes, Sansui vintage when done right is a real eye opener. As a side note, the 717 other than persnickety issues getting at the power supply board is in typical Sansui fashion both easy to work on and extremely well documented and supported here at AK and has a crazy number of AK owners. Yes, when done up it's that good.
 
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