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Is the AU-X1 a must have Sansui?

jefferylhenr

jefferylhenr

AK Subscriber
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I am considering looking for an AU-X1. Wondering if it’s a must have. I already have the AU-919, Alpha 907, Alpha 607 MR and the definition / professional series AU / BA / CA’s …. 20000, 5000, 3000’s. Anyway any thoughts if it would add anything to the mix sound wise. Will there be a noticeably different sound vs the AU-a907 alpha? Or should I be looking for an NRA or MR 907 instead?
 
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jefferylhenr said:
I am considering looking for an AU-X1. Wondering if it’s a must have. I already have the AU-919, Alpha 907, Alpha 607 MR and the definition / professional series AU / BA / CA’s …. 20000, 5000, 3000’s. Anyway any thoughts if it would add anything to the mix sound wise. Will there be a noticeably different sound vs the AU-a907 alpha? Or should I be looking for an NRA or MR 907 instead?
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There is really no proven answer when it comes to these type of model comparisons.

All the models mentioned are excellent, but only your own ears can decide what appeals to you most.

Other people can tell you what They prefer, but that is no guarantee you will have the same result. After all, the amp itself is not producing the sound,
its coming from your speakers, and how they are setup in the space and acoustics of your own listening room. Sure, you can ask and gather opinions,
but you will only know if you were to audition an AU-X1 for yourself- and of course, the condition of the actual amp at over 45 years of age will be a factor in terms of any restoration that was done or needs to be done, especially with the unstable oscillations its known for that causes damage to the original Sanken power output transistors- so when looking to buy one- make sure if those Sankens are still in there, and some knucklehead in the past did not play games and swap them out for inferior substitutes that compromise its original performance specs and try to sell it as if all original and whatnot.

Having owned many Sansui amps over the years, including the X1, I cant say I miss it that much, as if I would ever want to give up my BA-5000 for it, especially when it comes to the muscle-power that a mighty BA-5k can provide, along with its super smooth performance to a pair of my low impedance large floorstanding Infinity speakers, that might stress out an X1 and the last thing I need is another POOF!, unstable oscillation incident to happen.

Its really where you are in your own audio journey, so to speak. If you have the time and the space to keep accumulating more amps and just want to explore, and its not a financial strain, then fine, consider seeking out an X1, or perhaps a Japanese X11 followup, but your choice of speakers will still play a big role- no matter what amp you choose- they all connect to speakers in your room. I would say its very logical to assume that excellent amp + mediocre speakers = mediocre sound. Thus, X1, alpha this, alpha that... wont be a dramatic difference with ordinary speakers, such as most speakers made by Sansui itself.

You can also consider 80's models as well, such as the D11 II, has very impressive X1- like specs, especially in the slew rate dept'.
 
I have one - they are extremely good - noticeably better than an AU-919 for example. But then, I have done an absolute boatload of upgrades to mine - so it should sound pretty darn good. :)

"Super Integrated Amplifier - Ultra High Speed DD/DC"

Nuff said...
 
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If you are planning to have one from Japan at 100VAC then you might consider as well the AU-X11 and with the approach you are taking at your restorations you are up for a surprise in sound quality !!!
Any Sansui I have , had, or heard , plus any new design I have heard in audio shows , they simply can’t cope with the beast ,period.
 
I’ve owned and listened to quite a few Sansui’s. In my main listening space I have a rack setup with what I consider to be (some of) the most interesting and significant integrated amps from Sansui. These four have permanent residency -

AU-a907 NRA (the last big Sansui)
AU-a907Limited (the sweetest)
AU-D11ii (WICKED FAST!)
AU-X1 (the iconic powerhouse)
 
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Bright_Star said:
Its really where you are in your own audio journey, so to speak. If you have the time and the space to keep accumulating more amps and just want to explore, and its not a financial strain, then fine, consider seeking out an X1, or perhaps a Japanese X11 followup, but your choice of speakers will still play a big role- no matter what amp you choose- they all connect to speakers in your room. I would say its very logical to assume that excellent amp + mediocre speakers = mediocre sound. Thus, X1, alpha this, alpha that... wont be a dramatic difference with ordinary speakers, such as most speakers made by Sansui .
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100% agree!!!

I had 3 units, 2 damaged and one almost mint, at the time it was the best amp I owned, I enjoyed it for a few months, I was just scared to listen to it, I got a very good deal and the chance to make money to buy my first Sansui Aloha, the AU 907 MR. I don't regret selling the 3 AU-X1's, it's a great amp, maybe one of the best ever made but every time I turned it on I had the feeling that it might be the last time. I may give it another chance in the future!
 
EMenendez said:
100% agree!!!

I had 3 units, 2 damaged and one almost mint, at the time it was the best amp I owned, I enjoyed it for a few months, I was just scared to listen to it, I got a very good deal and the chance to make money to buy my first Sansui Aloha, the AU 907 MR. I don't regret selling the 3 AU-X1's, it's a great amp, maybe one of the best ever made but every time I turned it on I had the feeling that it might be the last time. I may give it another chance in the future!
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Properly restored = 100% zero problems.
 
The AU-X1 is a pain in the tuchus to work on. It's a solution to a non existent problem.
Look, you want to amplify audio signals in the range of 20Hz to 20KHz. Nobody can hear anything outside of that band width.
So they used output transistors with a 60MHz bandwidth. Overkill.
Oops, the amp has a unity gain bandwidth of 60MHz. Now it can amplify radio signals. Can't have that, so we have to bandwidth limit it at the input to 70KHz or 100Khz. Now it seems really silly to use those 60MHz transistors, doesn't it?
Plus, you have to stabilize the amp so that it doesn't oscillate. So in trying to solve a non existent problem (since there is no audio signal that requires that kind of rise time or bandwidth) they created problems.
I can make an AU-X1 not oscillate and it does sound great when I'm done, but not any better than an AU-919 or AU-11000, so what's the point?
 
DB-7 said:
Properly restored = 100% zero problems.
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The big problem is finding a good technician close to home.
Another point to consider is when you have a nearly mint unit sometimes you can sell it better if it is 100% original and working,
You have to take into account that they are 45 years old and the other point was if it works well and I send it to be restored and then it gives me problems, those are risks I didn't want to take and there was the opportunity to get my first Alpha. looking back it was the best decision for me, I don't regret it to this day.

Good luck to everyone who wants to get an AU X1, it's a beast, one of the best but I still think it's audio russian roulette!!!
 
EMenendez said:
100% agree!!!

I had 3 units, 2 damaged and one almost mint, at the time it was the best amp I owned, I enjoyed it for a few months, I was just scared to listen to it, I got a very good deal and the chance to make money to buy my first Sansui Aloha, the AU 907 MR. I don't regret selling the 3 AU-X1's, it's a great amp, maybe one of the best ever made but every time I turned it on I had the feeling that it might be the last time. I may give it another chance in the future!
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dr*audio said:
so what's the point?
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I'm not sure; but I think in that day and age Sansui and Pioneer were looking to reduce TIM distortion using LAPT ''fast" transistors. Gimmick? Probably, Yet their owners swear by those, still is a lovely unit that collectors seems to enjoy.
I should get one just see what's all the fuzz about it, even when I don't use turntables at all.
 
Considering that the AU-X1 was Sansui's "super" integrated amp, I find it odd that this model was not given alot of publicity
in the monthly hi fi magazines or buyer's guides. I have a good-sized collection of both and I dont know of any reviews or even
ads by Sansui, whom you think would be proud to boast of their achievement if this was such an exceptional amplifier.

The only review I have is one that was sent to me many years ago from someone I knew online, and I think it was in a UK-based
audio magazine (which also surprised me, as the UK did not seem to go too overboard with Sansui products, as opposed to NAD and
so forth...)

The same could be said of the G-33K/22K- though I suppose given the brief duration of their manufacture, by the time they might have been noticed
the 1978 'Receiver War' came & went in the blink of an eye in those non social media days to generate significant publicity in the various hi fi publications.
However, the AU-X1 had a two year run, enough time for reviews, test reports etc...

Lots of attention on the AU-717, or even some on the 919, but not much on the "super" X1, go figure. And another tidbit, no rack handles for the X1,
wonder why... all I can think of is its extra weight might exceed the load capacity of a GX-5.

In terms of what was originally asked in this discussion, if the gentleman wants to take a chance and see if acquiring one will add anything
beneficial to the many fine amps he already has, he will hopefully decide whats best for Him, as it should be, not what We think is best for him.
After all, I would not want to be the guy who over-eagerly encouraged him and then be told later the amp did not meet his expectations due to all
the hype that persuaded him to make the purchase. If oscillation is still a concern, then maybe an X11 would be a better choice if Sansui resolved the issue by then, plus the faux wood cover gives a little more visual elegance. Compared to 20 years ago, there are alot more sellers from Japan on Ebay, so its important to establish good communication with them so that the item you might purchase is accurately described, not "junk"- a common phrase they use
on amps that have been neglected and not well maintained.

But overall, in this whole discussion, the fixation by everyone is on amps, as if that itself is the pathway to magical audio nirvana.

I am satisfied with the Sansui amps that have stayed in my collection, and I am past the 'accumulate more' phase, as its a challenge to switch between a large collection of amps, and its not good for any of them to sit inactive for long periods - which is something that everyone should take into account when making a purchasing decision.

But as much as I appreciate my Sansui amps, its my speakers, the Infinity Renaissance 90 that are the shining stars that greatly contribute to the awesome sound quality. Contrast that to say, changing from a 919 to an X1 thru some pair of mediocre speakers, or lets say most Sansui speakers, is the X1 really going to make any significant difference- put your thinking caps on folks and use common sense.

I think its great if some folks really enjoy their X1, its certainly an amp with its impressive specs for its time, but I get the same enjoyment from my 160 watt G-901 and G-9000 "receivers" that I would be reluctant to ever part with, and it can function quite well as a standalone power amp too, so it would be a mistake to adopt the mentality its merely a "receiver" and cant match the performance of separates- which I have observed when my BA-F1 (dedicated power amp) has shut off into protect mode at times, whereas the G-901/9000 is a powerhouse that never does that, as I never need to push the volume knob past '40' as its quite loud enough.
 
As good as the AU-X1 is, I've not felt a need to own one. I have AU-919's and BA-F1's, which get close enough (for me) to the performance of the X1. Besides that, the X1 was quickly enough bettered by the X balanced and early Alpha amps, of which I have the AU-G99X, B-2101 and the B-2301. I guess my point is that there isn't enough (in my opinion) to set the X1 apart from that field to bother adding one to my collection. And as @dr*audio rightly pointed out, the X1 is no fun to work on. Further, some examples have been known to self destruct..That latter tendency has been one of the key things that kept me from going after one.

That said, if you don't already have other Sansui amps of the era as I do, I won't argue against getting the AU-X1. It's a very good amp for it's time, I just don't think of it as an indispensable model, when the ongoing evolution of Sansui's amp design surpassed it within a few years. I guess I don't think it's sound is different enough from the 919, or those that came right after it, to make it a real standout worthy of the premium it usually commands.

To put it another way, the jump from the 717 to the 919 was bigger than that of the 919 to the X1. And the jump from the X1 to the alphas was similarly significant. Which puts the X1 in an odd evolutionary spot, just a little above the 919, and one might say the end of the line for that design philosophy. Sansui sort of started a new era with their brief foray into super feedforward, then on to X-balanced, and finally Alpha, which they rode out until they were forced to shut down.
 
@jefferylhenr if you are still interested (and even if not) in finding out for yourself what the AU-X1 experience is all about, check out this great restoration series from xraytonyb -

(you'll need to click through to YouTube to watch it)

 
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