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Sansui Au-101 vs Sansui 800

danixmen01

danixmen01

Active Member
Good afternoon everyone, let me introduce myself, my name is Dani and I write from Spain, delighted to participate in this great community.

I have several vintage amps, and I recently bought a recap Sansui AU-101 and I'm really happy with it, it sounds great, although I notice a bit of a lack of treble. I have read that the Sansui 800 has the best (bass) of the 101/505 and the best (mid/high) of the 555A. Do you think it will greatly improve the 800 to the Au-101?

I can't go to the prices of the 555A let alone the 777.

Thank you
 
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I cannot comment on the 101, but have made direct comparisons with it's big brother the 505 vs 800. The 505 imo does lack a bit of treble refinement, which the 555a can deliver. The 800 has great bass, expansive mids and pretty decent treble response. It is a bit higher pitched/voiced than the 505, and comes across as more "crystal clear" - that is sometimes great, and sometimes, I miss the deeper mid voicing of the 505.

The 800 arguable can drive bigger speakers. It does really punch well above it's weight.

If you love your 101 AND it delivers enough power, I'd probably stick with it. If it's anything like the 505, you will have a very nice balanced voicing, one of the best from that era's design.

If you are handy with a solder iron, you can possible tweak some capacitors for a more refined top. This could be the output caps, the input cap (use a poly film) and you can bypass the shunt-leg feedback cap with a poly ( this lifted my 505)

Greetings from Arizona.
 
As I have read, the sound of the 101 is quite similar to the 505, so your comparison 505 vs 800 would be totally extrapolated to the 101, thanks

Bass and midrange I am very satisfied with the 101, but I miss a little more treble. With the soldering iron I'm a mess, and I have no idea about electronics... I wish I knew :(

The person who sold it to me put this in the ad:
"All electrolytical capacitors replaced to best possible options. Electrolytical capacitors in the signal chain replaced to
polypropylene M-Cap Audiopile MKP series ones, and Audyn electrolytic for speaker output chain, which on it's own about half of price of the amplifier"

I don't know if some capacitor that he has put could be causing this lack of treble or do you see what is mounted on it?

In my country the prices of the AU-101 and the 800 are similar.

Another option could be the AU-222, which is somewhat more expensive than the previous ones but cheaper than an AU-555A

The AU-777A the price is through the roof

Thank you very much
 
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I can't make a direct comparison because I don't have an 800, but the AU-101 is a remarkable little amp. I picked it up in a package deal, and initially I didn't really want it, as it needed some minor repairs and I really didn't need another project amp. But once I got it sorted, I was impressed. For a ~10w class amp of very basic design, it just sounds so good.

While I thoroughly enjoy my large receivers and amps, I could probably be happy with nothing but the 101 to listen to, if I were forced to give up all the others. The 101 wouldn't be first choice to be the only amp I own, but it sounds sweet enough it could fill that role in a pinch.
 
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The truth is that it is an almost perfect amplifier, the highs even without being perfect are not bad at all.
The mids and bass for my taste are practically perfect.
I use it in a 26 m2 room and I can't raise the volume to more than 3-4 because it's already annoying. With the Celestion A1 (4ohm) they make a very good couple.
 
Looks like a very fine restoration you got there. I would just keep it, and enjoy the heck out of it. Maybe there are small tweaks you can do to other parts of your rig, let alone just add a punch if treble on the amp. Sometimes we find something not perfect on an already very good sounding amp.....then we focus more on that while conjuring up all manners of tweaks. Meanwhile we should have spend the time just enjoying what we have. (Big time guilty if that) ;-)
 
You have every reason in the world!....but we always want more and more and more :)
I suppose that the leap in sound from the AU-101 to another superior model is little compared to the difference in money that you have to pay. I wish I could afford an AU-777A, but for less than €800 (unrestored) it's hard to find.
I am also curious to know the improvement that the AU-222 supposes with respect to the AU-101 ..here the price difference is not so great.
Thank you!
 
I have experience of the Au-101,Au-505,2000,1000x,331

If your power requirements are meagre..i think you'd be hard pushed to better the 210
It just does everything right to my ears.A real joy to listen to.
 
Wow! These small wattage sansuis!
I have 1000x, 2000a and 800. The 800 has so much body to its sound that I bought a second one.
 
reggaenaut said:
Wow! These small wattage sansuis!
I have 1000x, 2000a and 800. The 800 has so much body to its sound that I bought a second one.
Click to expand...


I thought the same about my AU505, (body), till I listen to my 210. It really is the one SS piece that I could be completely happy with. Icing on the cake is I got it for FREEE in working condition. Gave it a complete freshen-up, and it’s a real joy to experience.

It’s my understanding the 800 shares the same power supply as the 505. Receiver vs integrated.
 
Trw said:
Tengo experiencia con Au-101,Au-505,2000,1000x,331

Si sus requisitos de energia son escasos... creo que seria dificil mejorar el 210
Simplemente hace todo bien para mis oídos. Es un verdadero placer escucharlo.
Click to expand...

Is the 210 better than the others you mention?
 
Better is subjective. All the units mentioned have their merits, and they are all ”good”, it’s just that the lowly 10watt 210 seems to have “it”. The 210 was my first intro to Cap-Coupled sound, that put me in the hunt for more. I then found the AU505/TU505 combo. Sounds very nice, but I feel the 210 has a more”rich” sound. Well-balanced top to bottom, @ least in my set-up. It’s a stereo one can listen to 24/7 and never tire of it. If you have a smaller room and or efficient speakers, you will be very pleased. I have had mine powering my K-Horns, and it was very nice. (They are 105db).

I guess I would put it this way, I have really never heard a “bad” Sansui, but I did move a few along because of preference over another model. Buy it, try it, and move it along if it doesn’t do “it” for you :) They do hold their re-sale fairly well, so there’s that as well when factoring in your decision. GL.


Just to add, I could/would have been completely content with having just the 210, without seeking out the 505. BUT I don’t need the power either;).
 
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yes, better is subjective, although I think that those of us who are looking for a Sansui from those years are looking for the same thing: a sweet, valvular, round sound.
I do not need power, in the 101 I do not go up to more than 3-4 the volume wheel.

So it seems that the 210 may be more on the way to the sound of the 800?
And the 101 has already been commented on in many threads that it is a 505 but with less power.
I already commented that my recapitulated AU-101 has practically perfect lows and mids, and what I miss is a little more highs. It also has a very good soundstage....but I have never heard of a 210, 800 or AU-777, maybe these 3 are "better" than the AU-101 in everything.
 
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Here’s a 12/6 curveball coming at ya!
If you enjoy that “valvular sound” pick yourself up a tube amp like I did. As much as I like my Sansui’s, they are more eye candy than performers in my set-up. That may be a game-changer for ya, or maybe not. Just a different approach.
 
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tube amps skyrocket in price, I prefer to go the way of Sansui cap coupled transistors from 1967-74 or so. Very happy with the AU-101...but I suspect that I could be happier with some other model...I have that hunch
 
I think you’d be surprised. A fella can pick up a very nice restored tube amp for the same price as a restored SS piece. Both will hold their value if done correctly. IMO.

EDIT; I see you r in Spain, might be a different scenario there.
 
reggaenaut said:
It would seem so. Moreover part of the lettering on the fascia of the 800 is impressed into the metal...very unusual for a low wattage unit.
Click to expand...

I like to hear that about the 800. I like the printed letters a lot.
Could you define a bit the sound of the 800 compared to the other units you had?...bass, midrange, treble... Thank you
 
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