Cardiiiii Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 18 hours ago, Cardiiiii said: Does anyone know any one or place who can service Sansui amps in Melbourne? Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLAH BLAH Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 Dallas Clarke Audio Glen Waverly... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardiiiii Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 1 hour ago, BLAH BLAH said: Dallas Clarke Audio Glen Waverly... Thanks mate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLAH BLAH Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 No probs... What type of Sui Amps...?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardiiiii Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 21 minutes ago, BLAH BLAH said: No probs... What type of Sui Amps...?! AU-517 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMojo Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 Dallas Clarke Audio Glen Waverly... YMMV, but I personally wouldn't recommend. Unless you don't mind overpriced service and don't care about quality of repairs.Be careful because once it's been repaired poorly it's only going to cost you even more to get it right...Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cox11 Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 14 hours ago, BLAH BLAH said: Dallas Clarke Audio Glen Waverly... go for it, BUT go into it with your eyes open. here is my experience he did do a good job on my sansui receiver, however, it was the worst customer service experience i have ever had. i dropped it off in october, a week later he rang to say it was "only going to need some TLC, should only take a few weeks to have it ready". i left it a month then started calling him, not response. over the next few months i left countless messages on his land line, mobile, even email. In march i decided to try one more message. i left a phone message stating that i would take legal proceedings if he didn't get back to me by COB the next day. what a surprise, at 9am the next morning it was a jovial Dallas Clarke ringing to say he was meaning to call me and that i could come and pick it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLAH BLAH Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Can be hard to get hold of at times...no argument there... but i generally popped around to his place Saturday mornings for a quick chat and asked whether he was interested in fixing my Sansuis and if he was he would take them... Did a loverly job on my AU-222...will outlast me now...and for a reasonable price... Told me exactly what was wrong with it and how he could repair it...very happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMojo Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 11 minutes ago, BLAH BLAH said: Can be hard to get hold of at times...no argument there... but i generally popped around to his place Saturday mornings for a quick chat and asked whether he was interested in fixing my Sansuis and if he was he would take them... Did a loverly job on my AU-222...will outlast me now...and for a reasonable price... Told me exactly what was wrong with it and how he could repair it...very happy! I wish my experience was as good. Yes, he would eventually fix your amp but after wasting weeks of your time. I guess it depends on if one is ok with waiting indefinitely and how valuable one's time is. Though the thing that disappointed me most was that even after charging significant amount of money, he used the cheapest quality of components you could possibly buy. I do not wish to argue whether a 10c capacitor is as good or worse than a Nichicon FG or ELNA Silmic, but if I am paying good money I would expect a decent selection of components. In my amp, to my ears, it made a huge difference when I got it recapped again later with ELNA Silmics. I mention this just an example, its not only about caps. I do not normally criticize people publicly as its a matter between a service provider and customer. But in this instance, I do because I care about those fine vintage Sansui amps and also because I believe others should be warned about what to expect. Like I said, if one's objective is just to get the amp working, then sure he is the guy. But if you care about the end result and if your amp needs TLC, then please stay away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLAH BLAH Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Oh to find a Tech who has a large TLC in his/her manner...who cares for your vintage gear as much as you/I do...is cheap...takes no shortcuts....repairs and replaces components only with top quality gear...is available night or day...is Local and lives nearby....is quick with repairs...and follows instructions.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardiiiii Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Thank you gents for your reviews. I found this gentleman on Gumtree. Anyone have any experience? https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-view-details.html?adId=1144741887 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper() Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Thank you gents for your reviews. I found this gentleman on Gumtree. Anyone have any experience? https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-view-details.html?adId=1144741887 Yes using him currently to troubleshoot a weird grounding issue on my au-6600. He is thorough but has been out of the game for a while. I dont think he can take on a huge amount of work though and mine is the first sansui he has worked on.Nice guy. He was also fixing some turntables. For vintage stuff would be fine but havent got my item back yet.I have used truscotts electronic world in bayswater before. Troubleshoot a NAD 356bee dry joint issue $100.Repair sansui au 101 or 505 failed transistor and couple of caps $100Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sloper Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 On 8/3/2017 at 4:42 AM, Snapper() said: Yes using him currently to troubleshoot a weird grounding issue on my au-6600. He is thorough but has been out of the game for a while. I dont think he can take on a huge amount of work though and mine is the first sansui he has worked on. Nice guy. He was also fixing some turntables. For vintage stuff would be fine but havent got my item back yet. Will be intrested on your experience as l have a job that needs to be done and he's just down the road. And l have purchased another Sansui. regards Burce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 (edited) I probably should be holding off on creating this thread but I've been so slack lately that I haven't had anything to post about and the lack of anything to write has me breaking out in hives so I thought, what the heck. Maybe there is no time like the present. Deep breaths, deep breaths and here we go. OK so... this was bound to happen eventually. I’ve found I like a certain manufacturer so much I just couldn’t help myself and went and bought up several of their amps to see which one sounds the best to me. I would like to start at the beginning of this story but that would just be confusing since I didn’t buy them in order and they certainly didn’t arrive in order and I started buying them long before I made the decision to buy the rest of them and turn the whole ordeal into a massive comparison. So I’m going to start where I feel the beginning should have been and then I’ll try to move on towards where I think the middle should be, and then on to the logical conclusion. Things will be much less disjointed that way. A little history behind the decision, I bought the Sansui Alpha 907NRA back in December 2016 and liked it so much I hatched a plan. I would buy another Sansui Alpha, have a bit of a listen to that and then use this second amp as a trade/gift/incentive to get either Pete_mac or Skippy124 to give the NRA a full service. It seemed like a good idea at the time so I went for it. Unfortunately the second amp (an Alpha 907DR) had performance issues on arrival and has spent most of its time in Oz sitting with my nominated tech/repairer, so that plan didn’t really turn out as conceived. While I was waiting for the DR to arrive I found this thread on AudioKarma: http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/what-would-be-the-best-sansui-amplifier-for-sound-quality.450432/ And that started me down the track I would take that ends in this thread being created. I just wanted to know, and I wanted to know badly enough to decide to do something about it. I really shouldn’t have, it hasn’t been kind to my financial situation, but I decided to and I did and there’s no point in worrying about things that are now in the past (unless you regret the decision, and I most certainly do not, so it’s all good). The thread above is a long one but the thing which stood out to me was that the NRA was not a clear front runner. Of the Alpha series the general consensus, and it was fairly general, was that the MR was probably the best. Many people didn’t like the Alpha series at all and claimed that the 70’s gear was their favourite (likers of warmer sound I guess). Anyway, to my mind this thread didn’t answer the question it just served to make me even more curious to find out for myself. I decided to limit this thread to the Alpha series of Sansui Amps, because even my large amplifier appetite was not up to the task of taking on the entirety of Sansui’s back catalogue. I did toy with the idea of including the model prior to the Alphas, the 907X and/or the X Decade but these were a different design to the models that directly preceded them and those models (the G and G Extra) were different again to their predecessors. The 80’s was a decade of great change in the Sansui line up so it didn’t really matter where I started the question of “How does it sound compared to the model before it?” was always going to come up. So I decided to stick to the Alpha series, because lines have to be drawn somewhere. I have been taught a few things by conducting this importing exercise. The first is that freight from Japan is expensive. The second is that freight varies wildly depending on the company doing the sending even if the freight company is the same. Hifido for instance obviously has a sweet deal with Fedex as freight from them came to about 45% of freight from other senders in Japan. The third is that packing is extremely important and most people don’t do it well. Again kudos to Hifido as their packing is second to none. Other senders in Japan have varying levels of packing volume and quality, however if you ask for more serious packing they are usually quite helpful and the extra fees are quite small in the overall scheme of things. The fourth thing is that freight from Japan is expensive, this emphasis is important, in several cases the freight came to more than the auction price of the amp, should you even intend to import from Japan ensure you do not forget the fourth thing! My initial findings, long before I get into the nitty gritty of details are as follows. In most cases these are gleaned from just a few hours of listening so they should be treated as very preliminary. I plan to follow all of the reviews later in this thread with an update of this list of differences so that those who are curious will have a “Sansui Character Reference Chart” they can use. Sansui AU-α 907 The last to arrive and not yet listened to, sorry, you’ll just have to tune in later. Sansui AU-α 907i and AU-α 907L Extra I’ve only given these a brief listen to confirm they were operational, however from what I’ve heard they have a thicker sound texture to the later models with plenty of bass weight (probably a bit too much for my liking). They have a strange way of taking digital music and making it sound more like vinyl-ish. Sansui AU-α 907DR This amp needed attention but I can confirm that this is where Sansui really started getting serious with the top end capabilities of their amps. A decidedly better top end than the previous two models but still with a powerful bottom end and the beginnings of the spectacular mid-range that would come later. Sansui AU-α 907 KX A large improvement in both the top end and the mid range over the DR however it does this by sounding less smooth and more resolving so digital advocates are likely to like it over the DR but vinyl advocates may well prefer the DR. Less bass on display but far more articulate with it. Sansui AU-α 907 XR More bass punch than the KX and a bigger presence but very similar in other aspects. Sansui AU-α 907 MR Very much an XR with much more subtlety on display, more resolution, cleaner background and slightly clearer vocals. Unless you get them side by side it is pretty much impossible to tell the XR and MR apart, they are very, very similar. Sansui AU-α 907 NRA More polish present than the other Alphas, so clean in the mid-range it sparkles, so clean in the top end it shines. Has a mild bass boost effect that is not present on the other Alphas. There is also a ring in Sansui that I have yet to get to serious grips with, it also needs a little care and “technical attention” so I can’t really say much about it yet but I’m sure I will be able to later. In an effort to make this comparison more interesting I’m going to be using a Sansui cd player as the source. I have managed to obtain a Sansui AU-α917XR cd player in addition to all the amps. I haven’t listened to this cd player yet as it arrived needing new belts. I’m picking it up tomorrow and needless to say I have high hopes. Pictures will follow, and yes, there will be many. Edited August 5, 2017 by Cafad 10 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niss_man Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 I have a feeling you will get more amps very soon. I am psychic. Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 (edited) 30 minutes ago, niss_man said: I have a feeling you will get more amps very soon. I am psychic. You are, of course, correct. Although I don't think you need to be psychic to make a prediction like that. Edited August 5, 2017 by Cafad sentence structure 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 (edited) First up the very first Alpha. The 907 that is devoid of suffix or prefix. Damn that glossy black front. An awesome colour for an amp it is true, but so very hard to photograph. Much simpler. Almost forgot, with amps as old as Sansuis are there is often a little more to the story of each amp. The 907 came with a receipt that would seem to indicate it was recapped in 2013. If any Japanese literate SNA'ers could tell me if the brand names of the caps are mentioned I'd be grateful. Edited August 5, 2017 by Cafad added picture 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 Then the 907i. This fine amp was actually already in the country, it has spent the last few years living in Adelaide. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 The 907L EXTRA. There was no 907L model so I decided to skip that model series as I wouldn't be comparing like with like. A little less reflection there, I'm learning as I go. That will have to do for now. More pics to follow later. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemini07 Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 Mate, you've got it real bad. Is there any truth in the rumour that you're starting up Audiophile Ampifiers Anonymous?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMojo Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 Really enjoyed reading and eagerly looking forward to more reviews. Especially some comparison between regular Alpha's and MOS models e.g. 607 MOS Premium. The timing is just perfect too. I have been smitten by the Sansui alpha range lately and have just got myself a 607MR which I am enjoying a lot. So really a big thanks for putting the effort and sharing your experience with us Cheers mate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob181 Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 (edited) @ cafad...You are in need of the @Luc Sansui's Anonymous Society... For a small fee he will arrive...relieve you of your Sansui's then bury them for safe keeping... He has a swimming pool...it once had water in it... He very cleverly drained all the water...carefully wrapped all his Sansui's... Wrapped that in Geotech & Viscreen...and covered them with dirt... His cunning plan unfortunately has come unstuck when... DON"T touch that mouse...stay tuned for the next exciting episode of... Confessions of a Hot Sansui... Edited August 7, 2017 by Rob181 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob181 Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 His lovely wife (AKA "The Handbrake") donned a bikini in on a hot summers day... Declaring it is time to cool down...only to find no water in said pool...rather a dirt landscape... She sweetly asked "My darling husband...where has the pool water gone".... Quick as a wink @Luc declared "Its part of the landscaping you asked me to do...oh love of my life"... "Hmmm..." said his lovely wife (AKA "The Handbrake")..."please give me my pool back"... Oh dear...red wine spurted from @Luc lips as he realised the gig was up... DON"T touch that mouse...stay tuned for the next exciting episode of... Confessions of a Hot Sansui... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 (edited) 9 hours ago, gemini07 said: Mate, you've got it real bad. Is there any truth in the rumour that you're starting up Audiophile Ampifiers Anonymous?? I tried an anonymous group a while back, it didn't stick. Also the presenter only spoke in mono which completely ruined his sound stage, no imaging whatsoever. I like the abbreviation of the Sansui Anonymous Society, SAS, very cool. I'll have to tune in again this afternoon with some corn chips. Can't wait to see how Luc gets out of this one. Edited August 7, 2017 by Cafad 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted August 10, 2017 Share Posted August 10, 2017 @rantan requested a pic of the Sansui Alpha 917XR cd spinner and who am I to say no. OK, the first pic is terrible but it's an action shot from the listening position. I've got the 917 teamed up with Simon's Zeus Integrated and the strength of the presentation is phenomenal. And one from a bit closer (after I realized I had to actually get up to take a decent pic). 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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