Plimpington2
Super Member
Did you use a chemical to remove the glue?
Restoring the AU-D907G Extra
- Thread starter wmac
- Start date
Yes, I used a little debonder, but it did not work as expected, so I used plastic, wood stick, tweezers, and a lot of time and patience.
Wonderful job. And what a treat to see a lesser known mighty integrated getting the attention it deserves. I love that over engineered heatsink system too. Really looking forward to your listening impressions. As that gentleman previously mentioned this is a rare hybrid. And the feedforward system was very highly regarded. And mostly lost out to ground free due to build costs I believe. Not sound quality. So this machine with a fusion of those topologies is really unique and special. I would love to own one. There are handful of renowned members here who credit their feed forward amps as being their favorite Sansui.
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Thanks! I really appreciate that. This one definitely surprised me. The more I worked on it, the more I could see how much Sansui put into the design. The heatsink setup is crazy overbuilt, and after the restoration it sounds really good — especially the bass, very tight and controlled. I’m still doing some listening and burn-in, but so far I’m very impressed with it.
M-D-Z
Member
Thank you for this effort!, I am really loving this restoration thread!
It’s gratifying to finally see this AU model get the attention and praise it clearly deserves.
I’ve had mine for about 15 years. It’s my main daily source for music, I’m listening to it now.
I started out in 1972 with a Seven, and have enjoyed the following pieces since then, and still own all except one, the 9090db.
Seven (x2)
Eight Deluxe
771 & 881
7000
AU & TU-9500
9090db (gone)
G-9000 & G-801
BA & CA 2000 & TU9900
AU-X619R & TU-D99X
S-X1200
AU-G99X (x2)
AU-X711 (S/N-619073018)
TU-X711
AU-919 (x2) TU-919 (x2)
TU-217
AU-X911DG (S/N-609059412)
Most, actually all of these units will be difficult to pull out from their “installations” to record their serial numbers, but I do promise to eventually get all my serial numbers logged into our AK Sansui data base.
This list above only covers Sansui amp/preamp and tuner functions, so doesn’t include many other Sansui pieces I have: cassette decks, TTs, EQs, processors etc., none have been restored recently, but all are still functioning.
In its current original condition, my AU-X911DG still sounds excellent and serves my needs best despite sometimes annoying static operating the switches.
I also have modern ARC and McIntosh based systems, but still enjoy my lovely AU-X911DG.
I’ve long hoped to find a technician patient and skilled enough to “make it like new”, as I can’t do this work myself, I guess I’ll keep on blindly hoping.
When Jim Showker was around we spoke often, and I’d asked him to take on this restoration for me and he said he was very much interested, but a few months later he had sadly left us, and the QRX crew remaining were not responsive to the idea of restoring this model.
Thank you, I really appreciate the comments. That is an impressive Sansui collection you have there! And 15 years using the AU-X911DG as your main amp says a lot about how good that series is.
I completely understand what you mean about finding someone willing to take on one of these. They are not simple amplifiers to work on, and once you get deep into them, there is a lot more involved than just replacing capacitors.
I really enjoyed doing this AU-D907G Extra, even though it was a lot of work. The more time I spent with it, the more respect I had for the design. After the restoration and calibration, it has been sounding excellent, especially the bass — very tight and controlled.
This AU-D907G Extra is actually for sale now, so hopefully it will go to somebody who will appreciate it and use it the way it was meant to be used.
Your X911DG sounds like a very interesting project, especially since you have owned it for so long and know the amplifier well. Hopefully you can eventually get it restored properly while keeping as much of the original Sansui character as possible.
And please keep adding those serial numbers when you get the chance — that is quite a Sansui collection!
After about 10 hours of playing music, the temperature has not changed, and both channels are still running at the same temperature. That gives me a lot of confidence that the amplifier is thermally stable after the restoration.
I’m posting pictures of the thermometer readings from both sides of the amplifier so you can see the temperature balance between the two channels.
I’m posting pictures of the thermometer readings from both sides of the amplifier so you can see the temperature balance between the two channels.
Here is a short video of the Sansui AU-D907G Extra playing after the full restoration.
Please keep in mind that it was recorded with a smartphone and played through a pair of inexpensive $20 speakers, so the video cannot really show the true sound quality of the amplifier.
Please keep in mind that it was recorded with a smartphone and played through a pair of inexpensive $20 speakers, so the video cannot really show the true sound quality of the amplifier.
I know what you mean about the bass. There is a real sonic sweet spot in this period for Sansui. Hefty well mannered bass combined with a fresh sparkle and crispness everywhere else, This period had the refinement of the future combined with the aggression of the past. I’m a fan.
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Yes, that is exactly what I hear on the 907G Extra. The bass has a lot of weight but is still very controlled, and the highs have that nice sparkle without getting harsh. I also like what you said about refinement of the future and aggression of the past. I think that describes this period of Sansui very well.
Today I should receive an original Technics SL-1200 MK1. I’m going to use it to test the AU-D907G Extra phono stage with a real turntable and cartridge, not only by measurement.
So far, the amp has been performing very well, but this will give me a good real-world check of the phono section. I’ll post the results after I have some time to listen to it.
So far, the amp has been performing very well, but this will give me a good real-world check of the phono section. I’ll post the results after I have some time to listen to it.