Sansui

Kosaku Kikuchi started making transformers in Tokyo in 1944 and founded Sansui Electric in 1947. Amplifier kits and finished amplifiers followed from 1954, tube receivers from 1956, and the AU-111 tube integrated amplifier in 1965.

The golden age. Solid-state amplifiers such as the AU-555 arrived in the late 1960s. In the 1970s Sansui made QS four-channel receivers and big stereo receivers such as the 9090DB, and from 1978 DC amplifiers such as the AU-717 and AU-919 and the G-series receivers.

New owners. In 1989 Polly Peck of London took control of Sansui. In the 1990s a controlling interest passed to the Semi-Tech group of James Ting, a Canadian businessman whose electronics company was based in Markham, Ontario, and Grande Holdings of Hong Kong took over in 1999.

After the original company. Production wound down in the early 2000s, and Sansui filed for court rehabilitation in 2012 and went bankrupt in 2014. Products sold under the Sansui name since then are made by licensees in different countries, not by the original company.

Tube era (1950s to 1960s): kits and amplifiers such as the AU-111 of 1965.

1970s receivers: such as the 8080 and 9090DB, the 1976 “No. 1 Line” from the 221 to the 881, and the QRX four-channel receivers.

Integrated amplifiers: the AU-555 of the late 1960s, the AU-x07 and AU-x17 families from 1978 such as the AU-717, the AU-919, budget A-series models, and the AU-α907i of 1987.

G-series receivers (1978 to 1980): from the G-2000 to the G-33000, with quartz-locked digital tuning on the later G-x700 models.

Tuners and equalizers: such as the TU-9900 and T-510 tuners, the SE-9 and SE-1000 equalizers, and the RG-700 and RG-707.

Cassette decks: SC, D and D-X series decks.

Fuse resistors. A technician who restored a 9090DB for Sound & Vision called replacing the fusible resistors on the driver board the number one job, and restorers find fuse resistors gone high in value on other models.

Capacitors and glue. TONE Audio says AU-717s will probably need most of their capacitors replaced, and that the glue used at the factory has become corrosive and should be removed. Ask for proof of any recap.

No relay click. If the protection relay doesn’t click in, an output may have DC on it, which often means failed output transistors.

Controls and lamps. Scratchy volume and balance controls need cleaning, and dial lamps are often converted to LED.

Later products. Goods sold as Sansui since the early 2000s were made by licensees, so don’t expect vintage Sansui engineering in them.

Everything we list is inspected, tested and serviced as required here, and comes with our warranty.