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Sansui AU-101 - mixed opinions.

beammeup

pfm Member
... I've come across an inordinate amount of vintage stuff recently but this is my last - a low powered Sansui AU-101 in pristine original condition.

On the net there a mixed opinions - anyone here with experience good or bad?

I did have a left channel problem when first switched on - but that was soon eliminated by the liberal application of a switch cleaning lubricant.

After that little squirty service the amplifier is running fine into a pair low-end tester speakers for now as I let it run in for a while.

What will I expect if used with higher end gear? Perhaps I can hook them to the KEF Concertos I have on another thread of mine.

So is the AU-101 a classic goodie? Here's a pic..

 
I repaired one about 6 weeks ago... very crude indeed! Similar to Leak Stereo 30+ and many other such early SS amps in circuitry. I didn't listen to it but wouldn't touch one with a barge pole for anything more than an el cheapo retro budget system.
 
OK thanks - good to know.

I'll give it a spin anyway when I feel ready, see how crude can sound.

That's 1 point for negative, 0 points for positive :)
 
They were sold by the ship load back in the day - early to mid 1970s. Always recommended by the mags in starter systems... until the Pioneer A400 came along and it was blown away.

Probably little more than a curio now - a serviceable antique.
 
The circuit diagram smacks of "what's the minimum amount of the cheapest components that will make an amplifier that actually works"...
 
Memories of the shared flat, second year at university, mid-seventies... with a Pioneer PL12DII and a pair of Goodmans Somethings - usually playing Todd, Dylan or the Dan, depending on who got back first.
 
I remember a friend had one back in the early 70's whilst I had a Pioneer SA-500A. I always thought my Pioneer seemed the better amp but that could have been 'pride of ownership' distorting my judgement.
 
They were sold by the ship load back in the day - early to mid 1970s. Always recommended by the mags in starter systems... until the Pioneer A400 came along and it was blown away.

Probably little more than a curio now - a serviceable antique.

OK that's now 2 points for negative, 0 points for positive
 
Never mind the naysayers, back in 1973-74, along with the other Japanese majors, Sansui began designing for and publishing to the then new IHF music output power ratings. With the lowly AU-101, Sansui claimed IHF music power of 44wpc into 8Ohms, and 50wpc into 4Ohms(!) from an amplifier that was rated 15wpc continuous into 8Ohms (18wpc continuous @ 4Ohms).

Keep in mind, this was some years before NAD came along with similar claims combined with comparatively shit build.

Throw it on your Concertos and prepare to be amazed!

P.S. If you are not amazed, then it obviously needs a recap.
 
Re. the minimalist innards ...wasnt that why the magz recomended it so much, Im sure i recall it being described as a sweet sounding thing at the time.

it looked refined comapared to many and to my Sinclair 2000 in 1972.
 
Hi Ian,

A lot of the entry level models were sweet sounding back then, IME.

I could be wrong, however, I used to put this down to them not having had their 2nd harmonic distortion totally squeezed out of them, via an over-abundance of negative feedback, at the expense of revealing higher order distortions that were yet to be conquered during the peak period of the long running distortion wars (there's a pun in there somewhere).

Craig
 
Never mind the naysayers, back in 1973-74, along with the other Japanese majors, Sansui began designing for and publishing to the then new IHF music output power ratings. With the lowly AU-101, Sansui claimed IHF music power of 44wpc into 8Ohms, and 50wpc into 4Ohms(!) from an amplifier that was rated 15wpc continuous into 8Ohms (18wpc continuous @ 4Ohms).

Keep in mind, this was some years before NAD came along with similar claims combined with comparatively shit build.

Throw it on your Concertos and prepare to be amazed!

P.S. If you are not amazed, then it obviously needs a recap.

I agree Craig, there is a lot to be said for careful, frugal design to get the job done.
One of my favourite amplifiers - and I currently have over 30 vintage units - is the tiny Pioneer SA500A which is similarly frugal in design from 1972. The schematic for the AU-101 and SA500A are very similar. Sounds excellent if the limited power is sufficient. Many 'advanced' Japanese amplifiers have over complex circuits to give ultra-low distortion figures when such figures bring no audible benefit.
 
Never mind the naysayers, back in 1973-74, along with the other Japanese majors, Sansui began designing for and publishing to the then new IHF music output power ratings.

Where would Amstrad have been if they couldn't have quoted their amps output in magic Music Power watts?
 
The AU 101 was the first amp I ever owned. Sounded pretty good to me back in the day, but then I didn't really have anything to compare against. An immaculately restored example came up for sale a couple of years ago, I was sorely tempted, but common sense overrode nostalgia.
 
Amstrad really were shockingly bad and shouldn’t ever be mentioned on an audio forum, let alone on a Sansui thread!

I've only owned one piece of Amstrad equipment - a tuner. But I confess, back when I had an SP25 I was tempted by the Amstrad turntable loosely modelled on the first Rega TT.
 
I've only owned one piece of Amstrad equipment - a tuner. But I confess, back when I had an SP25 I was tempted by the Amstrad turntable loosely modelled on the first Rega TT.

Possibly the only thing of merit they ever produced, but of course it was made by Rega not Amstrad.
 
Possibly the only thing of merit they ever produced, but of course it was made by Rega not Amstrad.

I never knew that. It was the three pronged platter and arm that made me think it was based on the Planet - I assumed it was Amstrad ripping them off.

Rega

cc9a24af0b3cb739efb4170263de54a6.jpg


Amstrad
14622501695_356af25625_b.jpg
 


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