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Sansui AU-555a / Adcom GFA-555 / AR-2ax

glenz66

glenz66

New Member
It all started with the AR-2ax Speakers.

I now own Sansui AU-555a (with matching TU-666) that I would like to use as a preamp. I have an Adcom GFA-555 power amp on the way and I would like to use that in order to get higher watts into the AR-2ax speakers

The Sansui AU-555a sounds great on its own as the integrated amplifier in my setup. I just feel that need more power for my AR-2ax speakers to get the most out of them. Love jazz and classical. I have a Thorens TD-160 with Linn Basik arm and Shure V15 type IV cart

Question - What makes the Sansui AU-555a sound so good? Is it the preamp or the power amp? Or is it the intergrated effect? Will the GFA-555 power amp mess this up?

Thank you in advance.
 
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Sorry to ask this in a different way. But would anyone use the Sansui AU-555a as a preamp? Or would this be considered sacrilegious act.
 

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Hi Glenz,

I got a friend who uses his 15w tube as Pre-amp and he uses the AU 555A for power amp and he likes the sound very much.Not sure how good it is as a Pre-amp.
 
glenz66 said:
Sorry to ask this in a different way. But would anyone use the Sansui AU-555a as a preamp? Or would this be considered sacrilegious act.
Click to expand...

I would, happily. And especially if I were in your shoes.

I would look into a power amp speaker protection circuit.
 
Thank you, rasenthiran.

This does help me understand what I am thinking about doing. I believe that the AU-555a gets its "tube like sound?" from the power-amp section. Not the pre-amp section. But I am still just guessing at this.

Thank you, DCinDC

It has been a long road and this is all experimental to me. I am just trying to justify using the AU-555a as a pre-amp only.

I just picked up a Adcom ACE-515 AC Enhancer. I hope this will work as a "power amp speaker protection circuit".

Best regards,
Greg
 
Welcome to the Sansui forum :) I had to smile at your user name... Its 9 digits behind mine! I've been lurking here since about 2001 (I think)! Enjoy your stay here. Cheers Glen:thmbsp:
 
It's impossible to say what the mating of those will sound like, the AU 555 will do just fine. Enjoy!
 
Hey guys. My first post here. I also have an Au-555a and want to try to boost its output to my speakers but keep that gorgeous tone. I have a Yamaha amp that I seem to see a couple ways to connect to. What would be the best to maintain the warmth. I would be connecting it through the Yammies ‘aux in’ , so would I use the tape out (rec) so it goes through both the pre and power amp (does that even go through the power amp side? I would assume no?), or I could pull the pin and just use the pre output?
 
I’m running my micro seiki did-40 through it and it sounds amazing. Just want to switch from my Paisley Reference One Speakers to my Phase Tech PC-60s that like more power.
 
Perfect. Thanks guys. I’ve only begun this journey and not sure what kind of voltage either sends out.
Not second guessing you, but for my general education, what is the difference between the tape out and pre out?
 
Tape out is fixed level and essentially the same as what you feed in via a line input or the output of the phono stage. Usually around 150mV to 2.0V if you had a CD player plugged in.

Pre-out is usually around 1.0V to 1.5V and variable via the volume control.
 
Sending much good karma your way guys. Thanks for helping a nervous soul. Love this thing and have a soft spot for Vintage anything and would hate to destroy something so sweet.
I see from the manual the pre out is 1v (max5v?) and the Rec out is 180mV. I’m thinking the pre out allows for tone control etc as well, assume the REC out will just be line level and have no control from the dials, just a straight out. Seem logical?
 
restorer-john said:
Correct.

You will most likely retain much of the 555a's sound, just not the bottom end hump. I ran some FR plots on the 555 preamp and power amp separately and the combination of the two is what gives it its 'magic'.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the peace of mind! Will give it a whirl and let you know.
 
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