Is the X701 an upgrade from AU-G77X?

[Jurgovic]

Hello everybody,

This is my first post after hours of reading many topics about my favourite amplifier brand Sansui.
But now the time has come to ask for your help. I am the proud owner of a AU-G77X which I recapped and serviced myself. I am pretty much content with it, but I can get a hold of a X701 in near mint condition. And the price is very reasonable.

Am I getting an upgrade for my G77, or is the difference to little?

thanks in advance for the answers!

 

[pete_mac]

What a nice decision to have to make! hehe

The AU-X701 was my very first alpha x-balanced Sansui amp which I acquired in around 2012 and it changed my outlook on Sansuis entirely. Ever since then, my listening tastes have gravitated towards the alpha sound.

I ended up selling the 701 a few year ago but in a lovely twist of fate, it has now returned home for good and is front-and-centre in my office audio system - having displaced a restored AU-317. As nice as the 317 was, the 701 is in a whole different echelon of performance (to my ears anyway).

Anyhow... I have never heard an AU-G77X in person so I cannot comment via personal experience. However, the schematics between the two amps are very similar overall, so it's fair to say that the 701 is an evolution of the x-balanced design found in the 77X and other earlier x-balanced Sansuis. I suspect that the 701 is likely to be a little cleaner and more resolving (dare I say, more 'insistent'?) in the upper mids and treble, but that's a guess only. It may be a somewhat unfair fight if the 701 hasn't been restored though - hard to say for sure. I recapped and overhauled my 701 many years ago and it certainly is an impressive machine.

Here she is after returning home only a few weeks ago, saying hello to her big brother the AU-alpha907i:

 

[GrisPato]

I have a AU-D77X (same as AU-G77X, Sansui was really lazy in this period).
I have listened to a AU-X701 I repaired for a Sansui friend and I would say it's a step better and not a small one. Especially the powersupplies are a step up.
But to be honest I think it's even better to look for a AU-X711 or an AU-X901 to make a big improvement.

 

[bluesky]

An AU-X701 in near-mint condition & the price is very reasonable!!

And you haven't bought it already??? Before it 'slips away'.

Buy It.



What's the reasonable price?

I have the AU-X901 and love it. Seriously nice amplifiers.

Good luck!

 

[Jurgovic]

An AU-X701 in near-mint condition & the price is very reasonable!!

And you haven't bought it already??? Before it 'slips away'.

Buy It.



What's the reasonable price?

I have the AU-X901 and love it. Seriously nice amplifiers.

Good luck!

thanks for the quick replies!

The reasonable price is 350€. Which is around the same in $ these days.
But I’ve just stumbled upon a X901. Recently serviced (glue removed and few other parts replaced ) and for the greater part recapped. Which is on sale for 600€.
So as you would suspect, I am now in serious doubt.!

 

[GrisPato]

I guess you are living in the Netherlands to.
I could see some scratches on the AU-X901 (which is reserved already, is that you?).
Interesting to see what you choose.
When you go for the X901 I would ask for more specific information about the ' servicing ' done. Seller says he had an experienced technician do it.
Good luck with deciding!

 

[Jurgovic]

What a nice decision to have to make! hehe

The AU-X701 was my very first alpha x-balanced Sansui amp which I acquired in around 2012 and it changed my outlook on Sansuis entirely. Ever since then, my listening tastes have gravitated towards the alpha sound.

I ended up selling the 701 a few year ago but in a lovely twist of fate, it has now returned home for good and is front-and-centre in my office audio system - having displaced a restored AU-317. As nice as the 317 was, the 701 is in a whole different echelon of performance (to my ears anyway).

Anyhow... I have never heard an AU-G77X in person so I cannot comment via personal experience. However, the schematics between the two amps are very similar overall, so it's fair to say that the 701 is an evolution of the x-balanced design found in the 77X and other earlier x-balanced Sansuis. I suspect that the 701 is likely to be a little cleaner and more resolving (dare I say, more 'insistent'?) in the upper mids and treble, but that's a guess only. It may be a somewhat unfair fight if the 701 hasn't been restored though - hard to say for sure. I recapped and overhauled my 701 many years ago and it certainly is an impressive machine.

Here she is after returning home only a few weeks ago, saying hello to her big brother the AU-alpha907i:

View attachment 2703516

Looks very nice!

 

[Jurgovic]

I guess you are living in the Netherlands to.
I could see some scratches on the AU-X901 (which is reserved already, is that you?).
Interesting to see what you choose.
When you go for the X901 I would ask for more specific information about the ' servicing ' done. Seller says he had an experienced technician do it.
Good luck with deciding!

Yeah, that’s me. I too live in Netherlands.
I decided to go for the big boy. I asked what was done, he replied; all the glue is removed, all the parts that where in contact with the glue are replaced. Several trim pots replaced, most electrolytics replaced.
I will ask him to open up the amp, because I’ve been told that before with a smaller sansui amp and when I came home and took a look inside the amp, it was 100% original. So that’s not going to happen to me twice.

too bad about the scratches on top of the amp. Perhaps I can try and polish it. Anybody experience with that?

 

[GrisPato]

I will ask him to open up the amp,

Smart!
But the description of the work done sounds good.

 

[Jurgovic]

So, I made a decision, and took an hour drive to pick up the X901.
When I arrived, I was very warmly welcomed by an older man. We started talking, and it turns out he is a retired electronics engineer, and audio enthousiast. We talked about music and audio and meanwhile listened to the X901.
It sounded amazing. He showed and explained to me what he had done, and I decided to buy the amp.

It does have a few scratches on top though, which I am pretty confident to get resolved.

When I got home I immediately hooked up the amp and was blown away by the sound of this amp. And that was the second time this day. The sheer, transparent and fragile, yet forward and present mids and high are amazingly beautiful. it has a sort of delicate rounded sound but with an openness that I really adore.
And I finally have an amp that is truly capable of pushing my B&W’s 603 to there potential! The sub drivers finally have something able to push them!

I can only recommend this amp if anybody is in doubt. You won’t regret.

 

[bluesky]

So, I made a decision, and took an hour drive to pick up the X901.
When I arrived, I was very warmly welcomed by an older man. We started talking, and it turns out he is a retired electronics engineer, and audio enthousiast. We talked about music and audio and meanwhile listened to the X901.
It sounded amazing. He showed and explained to me what he had done, and I decided to buy the amp.

It does have a few scratches on top though, which I am pretty confident to get resolved.

When I got home I immediately hooked up the amp and was blown away by the sound of this amp. And that was the second time this day. The sheer, transparent and fragile, yet forward and present mids and high are amazingly beautiful. it has a sort of delicate rounded sound but with an openness that I really adore.
And I finally have an amp that is truly capable of pushing my B&W’s 603 to there potential! The sub drivers finally have something able to push them!

I can only recommend this amp if anybody is in doubt. You won’t regret.

The X901 is an outstanding amp!

Scratched top -- no problem. Congrats!!

 

[bolero]

I love reading stuff like this....congratulations!!

Ps You can probably repaint the top easily enough, if necessary?