How can one review the legendary
SANSUI AU919 when there are so many superlative labels attached to it already
out there on the Web? My take on it: hear it through one’s favourite music. An
orchestra should combine power and grace – checked that box with the AU919! A
jazz combo should dominate and project an intimate stage – checked that box
with the AU919! Crooners and songstresses of the golden era of song should be
standing virtually a few feet away from your sweet spot in front of the Hi Fi
array – checked that box with the AU919 again! The AU919 brings out all these
features on every recording and retrieves – dare I say – the vinyl secrets out
of CD! I am not exaggerating. Those of you who are prepared to hear your entire
CD collection through Sansui amplifiers will realize that this format has yet
to reach the limits of refinement. CDs are not declining, period – thanks to
the ‘magical powers’ of vintage Sansui!
A Few Technical Highlights Before the Music
Some technical aspects of the
AU919 deserve a quick tour in, hopefully, accessible language. As the top model
of the AU117-819 series, the AU919 boasts what looks like two separate gigantic
transformers (see picture below), one each for the preamplifier, and the power
amplifier. That two-in-one-box solution literally generates the illusion that
this single amplifier is practically a two box set up intended for the very
high end audiophile. This largesse of
power certainly takes care of any load your recordings throw at it!
Next, the capacitors. The first
photo (left) was taken off a friend’s un-restored, ‘very original’ AU919 showing off
the famous Nichicon oval shaped black cap capacitors. Now look at the second
picture (below) : four pairs of (tall and short) cylindrical towers (like fuel tanks)
arrayed in a row beside the transformers in place of the oval Nichicons. These
are the Elna Silmic IIs from what I can see.
This is the version I am reviewing here, and which currently drives my
venerable PATHOS FRONTIERS PRIME speakers. Let me quote the original paragraph
from the eBay seller (estore.us) who sold it to me:
The unit has all new capacitors
on them. All the "Black Flag" troublesome caps were taken out and
replaced with a better non flammable high temp ceramic type. All the
transistors were checked and replaced where needed. The original output
transistors were checked and left in because of their high frequency design for
sound. Also, all the resistors were checked for value and were replaced if
needed along with all other components. A new speaker relay was installed. New
thermal pads were installed on all transistors needing them. All the
electrolytic capacitors and main filter caps on this entire unit were replaced
with Audio grade capacitors. New audio grade Elna Silmic II audio capacitors
filter the main amps the 4 main filter caps were replaced with new Nichicon KG
and Super Through Audio capacitors and in the secondary power supply with Elna
Silmic II and Nichicon FG audio capacitors. All the controls were cleaned
with Deoxit and work excellent. The bias has been set to the original factory
mV settings. (estore.us)
Some skeptics would say that
these upgrades might be put in to restore the amplifier BUT at the expense of
the sound. To me the truth is the complete reverse! The restored AU919 sounds better
than ever! My friend’s ‘original’ set required the ‘Tone Defeat’ to be put on
for 90% of the recordings. The bass and treble controls often ‘lowered’ the
volume when activated, and occasionally degraded the body of the music.
Moreover, the volume had to be turned up to somewhere between the 8 and 9
o’clock positions – this is would be rock concert ‘loud’ to say the least.
My upgraded and restored set
rarely required listening at 9 o’clock. The norm was between the 7 and 8
o’clock positions. When tone controls were engaged, there was very little
difference in quality from ‘tone defeat’, especially when you engage bass and
treble in the ‘+1’ and ‘+2’ regions. Beyond that the treble and bass really
kick in – but I don’t really need that since I am not a huge fan of rock music.
I’d like to engage the bass in the ‘-1’ and ‘-2’ positions since I am listening
in an apartment and do not wish to harass the neighbours in the night with
thumping bass up and down the block. But the Elna Silmics and Nichicon KG do
their work by adding that deft touch of grace with power.
What about the ‘Jump’ feature in place of the traditional
‘loudness’ button on the vast majority of Sansuis? According to the manual, its
simply allows the music to be reproduced from the shortest signal path as shown
in this diagram :
I suppose when listening to certain LPs, the Jump function
may prove useful in fetching the purity of the music – but unhelpful when
listening to Radio (both free to air and streaming) and CD.
Like many other models in this amplifier range, the AU919
offered a multi-voltage capability – some of which could be ‘wired’ accordingly
by a good engineer. See this diagram below:
The final technical detail I wish
to highlight is the so-called DD or Diamond Differential circuit touted on the
faceplate and in the operating manual. According to what I have read online
across various sites such as Audiokarma, this Sansui patented circuit delivers
moderate gain on the volume and improves signal clarity resulting in sharper
definition of every reproduced note. My ears confirm to me that this is true
when I compared the AU919 to its lower powered sibling, the AU717. The 717
grows massively loud the moment you turn the volume knob up just one notch
while the 919 adjusts gently notch by notch reflecting carefully the gradations
marked out on the volume dial. Unlike the AU717, the 919 came across as
demonstrating the inexpressible ‘x factor’ in refinement in every musical item.
So there you have it – my non-technical, not too scientific explanation of the
DD circuit as opposed to the rest of the AU117-919 range of Sansui amplifiers
produced in the 1970s.
Power output: 100 watts per channel into 8 Ohms
(stereo) BUT the manual states that if only one pair of speakers is connected
to the amplifier it can handle any speaker with impedance from 4 Ohms all the
way to 16 Ohms. That just about covers every modern Hi Fi speaker available on
the market!
Frequency response: 10Hz to 20kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.008%
Damping factor: 100
Input sensitivity: 0.1mV (MC), 2.5mV (MM), 150mV (line)
Signal to noise ratio: 74dB (MC), 90dB (MM), 100dB (line)
Channel separation: 75dB (MM), 70dB (MC), 80dB (line)
Output: 150mV (line), 1V (Pre out)
Speaker load impedance: 8 Ohms (minimum)
Dimensions: 430 x 168 x 428mm
Weight: 21.4kg
Year: 1978-9
The AU919 is being
partnered in my ‘test’ with my venerable valve-equipped PATHOS DIGIT CD player
and the ORACLE CD2500 CD ‘turntable’ player. Both players are fitted with
SILTECH SPX-800 cables which are extremely compatible with high end CD players
since they bring out the best dynamics and tightest bass. Interconnects are
CRYSTAL CABLE Diamond Standard. Finally, the AU919 is fitted with CRYSTAL CABLE
ULTRA DIAMOND for transparency. All the equipment were connected via a simple
QRT/Q-Base four outlet US-type mains filter.
Smooching Encounters of Vinyl Quality: the
AU919 interprets Readers Digest Analogue Remastered CDs
If
you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to ‘hear’ the sound of love sung from
the heart, or how a younger version of a favourite singer truly sounded at the
height of his or her recording career, you have found the right amplifier. The
AU919 ‘answers’ all these questions and more. Those of you who follow my blog
will realize by now I am a huge fan of Reader’s Digest music compilations. Tuck
into any box set and you will quickly realize that the engineers and compilers
behind them put in considerable effort to preserve the stereophonic
authenticity of the Vinyl originals in their digital remasters. For this
review, I sampled the following tracks from the 1993 British compilation A
LOVELY WAY TO SPEND AN EVENING (complete track list available here: http://rdboxsets.blogspot.sg/2014/03/a-lovely-way-to-spend-evening.html)
:
96 - Moonglow - Doris Day
97 - Dream - Dean Martin
98 - Bewitched - Jack Jones
99 - Stardust - Roger
Whittaker
100 - Quiet Nights Of Quiet
Stars - Doris Day
101 - Stranger In Paradise -
Johnny Mathis
102 - Stars Fell On Alabama -
Vera Lynn
103 - A Nightingale Sang In
Berkeley Square - Perry Como
104 - Stella By Starlight -
Tony Bennett
105 - Somewhere - Andy
Williams
106 - When You Wish Upon A
Star - Matt Monro
107 - Reach For The Stars -
Shirley Bassey
Doris Day’s sultriness epitomizes
the mood in ‘mood music’ after you’ve heard the above on the AU919. Her voicing
of the lyrics is sincere, teasing and sexy, all essential ingredients in making
a classic love song. Vera Lynn’s diction is delectable and worth putting on
repeat! Johnny Mathis’ vocals alone demonstrate a silky orchestral feat that
rivals his instrumental backing. Tony Bennett conveys his Italian panache in
singing extravagantly extended notes, while Matt Monro brings a new aura to
stereo with his nasally inflected style of rendering ballads. The biggest
surprise is perhaps Shirley Bassey who sounds like a totally different persona
in these ‘younger’ recordings. There is an audible silky edge to her tone that
one does not hear on her later recordings from the 1970s onward. It might be
due to her age, or the techniques of recording changing from decade to decade,
but certainly the original vinyl on which these tracks were first cut does not
lie – at least not to me. Switch to the American Reader’s Digest compilation
from 1996 titled SENTIMENTAL SONGS THAT WILL LIVE FOREVER and once again the
AU919 astounds you with its audio revelations of the quality of the vocals from
the 1950s and 1960s of the calibre of the Pete King Chorale, Helen Forrest, Vaughn
Monroe, Ed Ames, Margaret Whiting, Jo Stafford, Ken Barrie, the Roland Shaw
Orchestra and chorus and other stalwarts of ‘the golden age of song’. There is
something evergreen about these voices that make you want to listen to them
again and again – on the AU919. These fine performers command the lyrics and
convey them to you with sincerity on every word. For good measure, I added one
other favourite singer to the test queue: Rosemary Clooney’s BRAZIL recorded in
the early 2000s. I wouldn’t describe her voice as silky or velvety but it was
an indescribable poignancy that tugs at your sonic heartstrings. Every note
Rosemary sings seemed inspired through the window she was metaphorically gazing
out from high above the night lights of Rio de Janeiro. The AU919 evokes that
sort of ‘magic’.
I
dabbled with two more ‘stars’ from my blog of classic orchestras: Henry
Mancini’s MARTINIS WITH MANCINI, a BMG/RCA compilation from 1997 and Paul
Mauriat’s Japanese remasters of the LPs PREVAILING AIRS and LES TEMPS DES
FLEURS on the PHILIPS Japan label. The AU919 confirmed to my ears’ delight that
it was indeed the master interpreter of original analogue recordings. MARTINIS
WITH MANCINI was a compilation of 60s style Latin-infused lounge tracks for
formal dinner parties set up around syncopated percussive rhythms and prolonged
solos by saxaphones, pianos, trumpets, harpsichords and xylophones. It was
meant to be an intimate sort of party music. Through the AU919, one hears
everything in place – the insistent, tightly scripted congas, drums,
accordions, cymbals etc. – laid over with assorted soloists invited by Mancini
to perform the sonic equivalent of a cha cha, samba rock, the occasional rhumba
and twist and so forth. Music indeed to put you in the mood to take to the dance
floor or sip martinis while watching the crowd. Paul Mauriat came alive in the
virtual studio on both Japanese remasters. The bass on ‘L a Pioggia’, ‘Oh Happy
Day’, ‘Sweet Charity’ were spot on and redolent of the exuberance of pop styles
in the late 1960s. The only complaint – albeit a minor one – was that the track
‘Say a Little Prayer’ was over the top with the bass if left uncontrolled. For
this one, Tone ‘On’ was absolutely necessary with bass adjusted to ‘-1’ on any
setting on the bass knob. Other than that, Mauriat’s arrangements exhibited
their flamboyant movement and dynamics as they were expected to – track after
track. The theme from ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ showed off how Mauriat could
pull off a Philip Sousa-like March and make it his own ‘hit’. Other revelations
include the carefree ‘summery’ ambience of ‘Try to Remember’ with its
distinctive piano lead, and the sensitive ‘Valse D’Ete’ and
‘Irresistiblemente’. In short, the AU919 more than does credit to these
original stars of Vinyl EZ listening.
AU919
– the Classical Maestro? Airs and Living Presences Aplenty
Finally,
I put on music in the genre of the Classical/Opera as the ultimate test. The
vast majority of classical recordings available in the market were made ‘live’
or ‘unplugged’ from the 1980s onwards. Moreover, European music composed in the
period 1500s to 1800s were meant to be played in one’s physical presence.
Witness for instance, the opulent music rooms in preserved palaces in England,
Spain, France, Austria, Italy, Denmark and Germany etc. So logically, one’s
ears should be hearing an authentic replica of a live performance.
I
tried the gentle tones of Luigi Boccherini’s Guitar Quintets Volume One (Naxos
label) first. The result coming out from the PATHOS speakers was very
convincing: the intimate ambience of a Baroque performance was extremely
inviting. I was not committed to this composer’s works beforehand but I wanted
to hear every note just to indulge in the purity of sound reproduced in my
living room over and over again. I switched to a mixed instrumental and vocal
classical music compilation – A LOVE SO BEAUTIFUL 2 on a Sony-BMG-Universal
exclusive release to THAT CD shop in Singapore – and the results were equally
sublime. Peter Aronsky’s innovative reinterpretation of Mozart’s Piano Concerto
No.21 was uplifting and haunting by turns with its soprano-choir-piano
arrangements. Lesley Garrett’s ‘Greensleeves’ was filled with mirth and coyness
in equal measure. The Celtic Tenors piqued one’s sentimentality with ‘Love of
my Life’ with vocal catharsis going into overdrive! And this was not even a
‘standard’ operatic aria. I next tried Placido Domingo’s FROM MY LATIN SOUL
from 2004 and the sonic revelation was no less intense. In fact, I was half
expecting a blast from Domingo’s tenor on the scale of a Bocelli or Pavarotti,
but the AU919 conveyed his voice differently. Domingo was in his own vocal
limelight: his was a voice you’d like to hear emitting local colour in Buenos
Aires, Bogota, Puerto Rico or Mexico City. It was warm, with a slight touch of
warble to the tone, in a very good way. In fact, Domingo’s entire album was a
veritable tour of Latin America through one finely tuned voice.
The
AU919 as a Classic in its Own Right & Other Comparisons
Simply
put, the AU919 is the all rounded integrated amplifier that I (and perhaps you
the reader) have always been looking for. While this review may have been
enhanced with the use of CRYSTAL CABLE power cords and interconnects, and some
very high end CD players, it was worth it. This review was based on the
principle of musical transparency: the amplifier should reproduce what the best
sources can! Indeed it has convinced me this is an amplifier one should
consider keeping for life. It is also to the credit of PATHOS ACOUSTICS of
Italy that they have manufactured such a dynamic set of loudspeakers that match
the rich sound of the SANSUI. In case you are curious, this is the FRONTIERS
PRIME model that is capable of tri-wired cable connections.
An
additional question that some readers might ask is : how does the 919 compare
with the lower numbered AU717 boasting 85 Watts? If you have both, and have the
space for both, keep them! The AU717 was my first taste of the series.[Note the 717's double transformers in the picture below.] As I had
stated earlier, the 717 comes across as the ‘higher volume gain’ amplifier when
you adjust the volume upwards. The 919 is much more precise in its volume
rates. The loudness of its output does not jump significantly from one rating
to another, it is gentle and gradual. If you need the sound to rock the room,
or a fairly large hall, at slightly higher than normal volumes while still
enjoying tight bass, the 717 may appeal slightly more to your tastes. Comparing
the same vocals tested above, the 919 was much more refined after some
attentive listening. The 717 conveys room filling nostalgia with almost
immediate sensation, so you might not notice anything amiss with a blast of
volume, while the 919 requires tuning the volume carefully before you smile to
yourself and say ‘this is it’. For the majority of instrumentals, the 919 was
always slightly ahead in ‘scrubbing’ (if I may use such a term) the original
recording of any colouring due to age or other technical drawbacks. But both
the 717 and 919 sound equally warm and full bodied in reproducing music,
exactly as vinyl recordings should. They are like two different versions of a
fine wine from the same brand.
What
about the other two derivatives in between, i.e. the AU719 and AU819? Both are ‘descendants’
of the Diamond Differential (DD) circuitry premiered in the AU919 but boasting
slightly lower power i.e. less than 100 Watts. Additionally, both offer SANSUI’s
characteristic loudness switch perfect for enhancing bass at low listening
levels. The AU919 does not have this – and I feel it does not need this given
its finely crafted volume gain. I have not physically listened to the AU719,
but I have had a passing encounter with the AU819 in my usual second hand hi fi
shop in Singapore. The AU819 was demonstrated to a customer while being matched
to a pair of moderately easy to drive FOCUS AUDIO MT-1 loudspeakers. I noticed
that its volume knob needed to be turned
up to somewhere between the 10 and 11 o’clock position while I have hardly
turned the AU919 volume beyond the 8 o’clock position. Maybe it was a
difference in speaker qualities, but then the SANSUIs have never been known to
lack power in any set up. This sample of the AU819 was completely original and
boasted 90 watts. Then again, it could be the case that it did not have two transformers
– unlike the AU919 – but it was a hefty single transformer. The unit was also
unrestored and the capacitors – I am told by some very reliable engineers –
could indeed be showing their age.
All
in all, one can’t possibly go wrong in extracting jaw-dropping vinyl-like
sounds from CD with the AU717, AU719, AU819 or the AU919. In its heyday, SANSUI
never stopped experimenting with circuitry and kept perfecting different
versions of their most popular amplifiers. Even their oldest models have some
kind of ‘edge’ in their vintage which their later cousins will never quite
possess. If I have the time, and money, I would definitely like to sample
something from every one of their product lines….But, coming back to reality,
the best point to remember is to buy them restored in order to hear them in as
pristine and optimal a condition as possible. And they should last at least
30-40 years – this is true vintage.
ALAN
April 2016
