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Fix the Sansui OR swap to NAD model 60?

alanl

alanl

Active Member
My tried and trusted Sansui AU217 has developed an annoying hum on one channel - but only when switched to turntable mode. Tested it with two different turntables with identical results so the problem has to be in the amp - probably a bad selector switch. CDs via the "Aux" setting are NOT affected - NO hum on either channel regardlless of volume.

Can anyone suggest how to test and fix the Sansui? I'm in the bush a long way from any repairer, so packaging and mail both ways would be involved.

The alternative is to swap to an NAD model 60 that was donated to me - haven't tested it yet. I already have an NAD 3140 in a separate setup in my office and love it.

Any suggestions please?
 
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Well if you have heard the NAD, and like it, id just go with that, as i had a NAD receiver back in the early 80,s and they made / make, top of the line units.
 
reddodge053 said:
Is it Grounded from tt to au217 i'd check there first. Sounds like ground issue to me.
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Yes - I have not yet done a thorough job of checking al the grounds - that is the next step thanks
R
lando said:
Well if you have heard the NAD, and like it, id just go with that, as i had a NAD receiver back in the early 80,s and they made / make, top of the line units.
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Remember they are very different models- the 3140 is a later one than the model 60. I have not heard the latter in action
 
cademan said:
Does the Sansui hum in phono mode without anything even being plugged into the phono jacks?
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Excellent suggestion. With the cables unplugged - no hum. Reconnected them at the amp but with the turntable end unplugged - no hum.
Reconnected cable at both end - still no hum, even on high gain. So - maybe it was magnetic resonance, fixed when I moved the cables, or dirty connectors. Have only given it a superficial test so far but will give it another go later

Another thing to do isto try out the NAD model 60 - will be an interesting comparison for the Sansui
 
Yes that comparison should reveal a lot about your personal preferences in sound, as I would imagine they are very different.

Troubleshooting the 217's phono section, if suggestions above haven't already nailed the issue, probably wouldn't be too difficult. Assuming you are good with a soldering iron you could fix whatever might need fixing. AU-217 is a relatively simple, and well known, model. Another alternative would be an external phono preamp run through the AUX inputs. Full disclosure: I am a Sansui fan
 
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Thanks for the update. Was busy with other stuff yesterday but will try the system again later
 
Patch cord issue? When you switched turntables, did you use a different pair of patch cords, or the same ones for both TTs? Seems fishy that the hum disappears after your disconnect/reconnect experiment. Look for simple stuff first. Good luck.
 
Thud3 said:
Patch cord issue? When you switched turntables, did you use a different pair of patch cords, or the same ones for both TTs? Seems fishy that the hum disappears after your disconnect/reconnect experiment. Look for simple stuff first. Good luck.
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You may well be right. A single pair of interconnect cables service both turntables. I wired in female sockets to each turntable so the cables could be moved from one to the other, while the other ends remain connected to the amp input The latter were unplugged, cleaned and replaced.
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That is why I suspect the problem was either the cable itself OR dirty connections. I'll monitor the situation for awhile and if it creates hum again, replacing the cables will be the next move
Thanks for your help.
 
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