SOUNDBOXES XV: SPOTLIGHTING PURE MUSICAL PERFORMANCE – THE SENSATIONAL SANSUI AU-2900 TO AU-20000 SERIES

 

The Sansui AU-XX00 line of integrated amplifiers are all about reproducing the depths of musical performance. Like its ‘ancestors’, the triple digit series from the late 1960s, the music is realistic, warm, and detailed. But the extra that this series offers is that intangible soul element. Voices were delivered from both heart and mind of the performers. Every instrument carries their players’ emotions and moods. I am not exaggerating. This musical authenticity belies the very plain looks of the series – no shiny polished aluminium fronts, except for the parallel budget AU-2200 to AU-7700 models – or multiple lighting points or gilt-edged knobs. Their chief characteristic look is just naturally shiny aluminium knobs set against the black front plate for the vast majority of the models. In fact, the AU-5900 to AU-7900, along with the parallel AU-5500 to AU-7700 all look nearly indistinguishable until you look at the model number and the specifications on paper. As is typical of 1970s stereo kit, the transformers are the C-core type sealed black boxes and are individually very heavy.

What follows here is a non-technical analysis delivered in short snippets of impressions. Moreover, one is never wealthy enough to have owned every single model in order to review them thoroughly! If you are planning to dig into this particular SANSUI line, do it for the music. The looks? Well, depending on your imagination, it looks ready made for accompanying ROCK and HEAVY METAL music. Or, if you place it near classic living room furniture, the machined steel knobs and switches evoke the 1970s vibe of living room stereo, and one you would expect set up near a first generation television set. In this review, I can only provide impressions of the 2900, 3900, 4900, 5500, 7900 and the 20000.

The 2900 is a race car version of the equally famous AU-101. All the trademark warmth and reasonable soundstage retained, but with a strong feel of power. According to HiFiengine.com ‘“The Sansui AU 2900 is an integrated stereo amplifier with ample power (17 watts, both channels into 8 ohms, at 1000Hz) and dramatically low-distortion, clean tone characterise the most moderately-priced of the AU Series. It's design is also based on the true complementary OCL power circuit, with dual-transistor differential amp in the initial stage. Dual plus/minus power supply for all major circuits gives you interference-free, stable tonal quality at all reproduction levels.’ Despite its conservative power rating, the AU-2900 is a daring example of exquisite Sansui engineering packed into a budget frame. Mind you, it can fill more than a small room the size of a high-end Hilton hotel executive suite. The AU-2900 is known to have driven Mission, Focus Audio and JBL speakers comfortably. I ran the 2900 hitched up to the massive 8 Ohms PATHOS Frontiers Prime and Emmespeakers Copernicus floor standing speakers and the sound was spacious without a hint of strain since I never needed to turn the volume beyond the nine o’clock position. Any higher in volume, one might start developing hearing problems after repeated listening! That said, when I compared the 2900 to the AU-7900, which is slightly over three times the power output, the 2900 revealed some limitations. The soundstage was much more detailed and richer, and the 7900 managed to elicit an emotional response from listening to soul and operatic vocals that the 2900 did not. This difference I suppose is reflected in the 7900 selling at more than twice the price of the 2900. Nonetheless, the AU-2900 exhibits the classic look of the Professional series with its unmistakable black fascia, punctuated by silver aluminium knobs and push buttons that convey the aura of 1970s Japanese Hi Fi glory.

What about the music? I have to rave a little since this is indeed quite an exceptional entry level model. Although not the best for classical strings and solo piano, it is stunning when vocals (rock, pop) and all manner of jazz are played through it. Vocals are usually recorded at loud volumes or intimate studio settings, and here is where the 2900 excels. With plenty of bass and treble, you will easily forget it is just rated at 17 Watts output at 8 ohms. Same experience with jazz, recorded again in compact settings and fortissimo styles. Vocals, saxophones and trumpets stretch out very noticeably many notes and passages, as a live performance will do. The 2900 picks up these nuances and other emphases as the performer intended it.

The next step up, the AU-3900 {picture above}, reveals a markedly improved body and refinement to the music. In fact, I was so impressed with the 3900 as to dub it a budget version of the 5900-7900 models. Just five watts more in power i.e. 22 Watts, plus perhaps more sophisticated coupling of capacitors produced a richer sonic experience. The soundstage and clarity improves upon the 2900 for sure. The X-factor for this one lies in showcasing the musicians and the music directly, as if they were standing or sitting in a spotlighted stage in front of you. And the music leaves you thinking affectionately about the lyrics, tones, and emotion long after the song has ended. It is truly that exceptional! I would dare say it is more than a concert experience in any genre of music. So if it comes down to choosing the 2900 or 3900, the latter should be the automatic choice, but not by a lot.

The AU-4900 looks remarkably similar in its façade to both the 2900 and 3900. The difference lies in a slightly larger transformer – the sonically beautiful C-Core type – that pumps out 38 Watts, or 35 Watts, depending on whether you believe hifiengine.com or classicaudio.com. The 4900 does seem a little louder than both its lower-level cousins at volume 2 and 3 settings and thrills just about the same as the entry-level 2900 for pop and rock vocals, as well as jazz. The key separation in quality lies with the reproduction of a large string orchestra. The 4900 outperforms the 2900 in the refined sound of adagios and pianissimos. Slowly played, and softly played music is brought to life in a very impressive way. What about a comparison with the 3900? Given the choice between the 4900 and the 3900, I would opt for the 3900 for a richer dynamism and its all rounded qualities. The 4900 impresses like the 2900, in addition to its specific mastery of reproducing classical music, but strangely, it does not leave you with a lasting ‘aftertaste’ of a great performance. Something seemed missing in the emotional department even after ‘living’ with the 4900 for six months. That said, the 4900 may be summed up – subjectively of course – as a technically excellent amplifier but not one that leaves you with an impression of greatness or the ‘wow’ factor.

    The next two I have owned and tested – the AU-5500 and AU-7900 – cover the mid-tier of this series in tremendous style. The 5500 comes out of a so-called ‘budget’ parallel line ranging from the AU-2200 to AU-7700, as far as I know. But the quality does not sound budget to me. The sound of the AU-5500 can be described as warm, realistic, almost 3D like and it can comfortably drive almost any speaker up to the 300 Watts ceiling. Do not be fooled by its officially stated 32W power output, it sounds more like 100 Watts since this is a classic 1970s Sansui engineering design. In addition to double TAPE deck RCA outputs, one Tuner RCA output, one PHONO RCA output, it also has two AUX outputs. All RCA outputs allow connections to CD players, Digital/Analogue tuners, MP3 players and Bluetooth adaptors so this is an all-compatible machine able to extract an analogue sound from even the most digital music sources! 

Power output: 32 watts per channel into 8 Ohms (stereo)

Frequency response: 10Hz to 35kHz

Total harmonic distortion: 0.15%

Damping factor: 30

Input sensitivity: 2.5mV (MM), 100mV (line)

Signal to noise ratio: 70dB (MM), 85dB (line)

Channel separation: 50dB (MM), 55dB (line)

Output: 100mV (line), 30mV (DIN), 0.8V (Pre out)

Speaker load impedance: 8 Ohms (minimum)

Dimensions: 434 x 130 x 315mm

Weight: 10.4kg

This amplifier is OUTSTANDING in reproducing vocals in big concert/recording venues and jazz of all kinds. For pop and rock, it offers the sonic punch and electric atmosphere of the original performance. It comes across as blending McIntosh and Audio Analogue Hi Fi technologies.

The AU-7900 continues where the AU-4900 and 3900 left off, by amplifying their good features. The 7900’s industrial glamour on its front and back belied its power and mastery of subtlety. Listen to vocals, and you’ll hear the wow factor in the singer’s expression. A vintage singer like Rosemary Squires, Peggy Lee or Tony Bennett will reveal new soul in their voicing. Established classical voices like Maria Callas, Kiri Te Kanawa, Renee Fleming and Andrea Bocelli will demonstrate rich variations in their timbres. An emotive voice like Barbra Streisand will tug very deeply into your heart strings. And orchestras and quartets will span a soundstage as broad as your listening space will allow. This is a music dreamer’s gift!

    I wish I had the opportunity to sample the AU-9900 and AU-11000, but I suppose that is another gap to be patched when funds allow. Finally, the AU-20000: a huge mammoth valve-sounding integrated amplifier without valves!

Power output: 170 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo)

Frequency response: 10Hz to 50kHz

Total harmonic distortion: 0.05%

Damping factor: 80

Input sensitivity: 3mV (MM), 130mV (DIN), 130mV (line)

Signal to noise ratio: 70dB (MM), 80dB (DIN), 80dB (line)

Channel separation: 55dB (MM), 60dB (line)

Output: 130mV (line), 30mV (DIN), 0.7V (Pre out)

Speaker load impedance: 4Ω to 16Ω

Dimensions: 460 x 178 x 400mm

Weight: 23.6kg

Year: 1976

The opinions out on audiophile sites across the Internet are split in their verdict. The negative views focus on its seemingly underpowered bass, requiring the boosting effect of the bass knob. Worse, some argue that the lower powered models in this series supply more dynamic bass than the one touted as top of the line. My initial impressions matching the 20000 to modern speakers such as my all-time favourites, the PATHOS Frontiers Prime and the Emmespeakers Da Vinci, confirmed some of these disappointments. I missed the power and grace of the AU-7900, and even of the later product, the equally massive AU-919. I found out that substituting the factory supplied power cable for the 20000 for thousand dollar power cords actually reduced the bass, and introduced excessive transparency to the point where the music – both vocals and instrumentals – sounded flat, two dimensional and nearly lifeless. Refitting the power cord with a factory standard normal copper cable restored much of the bass. But it still seemed less engaging than the 7900. I was about to consider selling it off, when someone suggested matching it with WESTERN ELECTRIC (WE) power cords. I got myself the first available pair which turned out to be unused ‘new old stock’ from around the 1942-5 period terminated with IEC socket at one end and hospital/UK plug at the other end.

         The WE cord turned out to be the ultimate fix. The bass now revealed refinement, spaciousness and even layers of subtlety unheard of before. This was not just the dynamic bass of the lower level models. It was more revealing. And one has to gradually let it grow its own unique endearment. Vocals, instruments now demonstrated concert quality three dimensionality, as far as the original recording permitted. In fact, one should re-listen to everything one has developed familiarity with. You will hear something new through the 20000. Try Nat King Cole, Sinatra, Peggy Lee, or the newer voices of Diana Krall, Nicki Parrott and Madeleine Peyroux, and you’ll hear a new poignancy to their song. Violins are uncannily ‘live’ especially if they are classical recordings. And this is not a tube production from SANSUI. Open up the hood, you will even notice that SANSUI fitted what looked like an enormous toroidal transformer instead of the usual C-core. And notice those mega-sized capacitors next to them.

         So there you have it – the AU-20000 has turned out after a slight tweak to be a massive valve-like amplifier, boasting unbelievable refinement and a machine quite unlike the rest of the range. Why did it have to be so? I suppose SANSUI wanted this series to be outstanding. The top of the line literally had to be different yet produce some sort of culmination from the tasting sensations with the already exceptional AU-2900 and AU-3900.       

ALAN

June 2024

JOHNNY MATHIS – THE SYMPHONIC VOICE OF EASY LISTENING

 

JOHNNY MATHIS – THE SYMPHONIC VOICE OF EASY LISTENING

One of the best remasters of vocal easy listening that were produced in spite of the global pandemic of 2020-1 is for me those of crooner Johnny Mathis’ early 1970s output on vinyl. I do not play vinyl records yet, but I am unsure if these lush and under-appreciated LPs will ever be reprinted for the 2000s. But on BGO Records’ quadruple LP remasters on CD (serial number BGO CD1455, https://www.bgo-records.com/), we have the pleasure of listening to the full glory of LOVE STORY (1971), YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND (1971), FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE (1972), and SONG SUNG BLUE (1972). According to the extremely detailed  biographical and inspirational liner notes by Charles Waring, all four LPs peaked mostly in the 20-plus rankings in the British pop album charts at the time. The same LPs fared only half as well on the comparable US charts. This set of high quality remasters should turn the page on these fleeting chart results. 

Although these four albums did not contain much material that was premiered exclusively by Mathis, what thrills old and new fans of the singer’s easy listening output is the pure instrumental beauty of his voicing of the familiar ballads of those years. Take ‘Love Story’, the Francis Lai classic, for instance, Mathis blends perfectly into composer-arranger Perry Botkin Jr.’s tender yet emotionally charged string formations. ‘Rose Garden’ is next transformed into a rose-tinted semi-symphony with Mathis drawing listeners into new dimensions of the song away from its jaunty country music association. I particularly like the less-popular Gerry Goffin-Carole King composition ‘I Was There’ with its slightly melancholic and bittersweet lyrics about missed romances treated ever so sympathetically by Mathis’ exceptional vocal prowess. ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’ gets a symphonic string-filled arrangement where Mathis’ voice stands out like an ethereal blend of oboe and alto sax to sing the lead notes. This is definitely not a Carpenters’ experience, not even comparable to it, but an altogether whole new rendition Johnny Mathis style.

YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND delivers more of Mathis’ uniquely ‘symphonic voice’ on soft rock and folk-rock classics such as Carole King’s composition that lends itself as the title track. On another King favourite, ‘It’s Too Late’, Mathis reinvents the song into a smooth sugar-coated ode to heartbreak that makes the actual emotional letdown go easier. Mathis’ arranger on the bulk of this album, D’Arneill Pershing, is nothing short of transformative of familiar lovesick tunes such as ‘How Can I Mend a Broken Heart’, ‘Help Me Make it Through the Night’, and the creatively ‘balladized’ reworking of the Beatles’ ‘We Can Work it Out’ with strings and horns.

     After these two vinyl remasters, one just had to sit down and daydream through ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’, the poignant violin solo introduction on ‘Speak Softly Love’, ‘Betcha by Golly Wow’, ‘Make it Easy on Yourself’ and ‘Run to Me’. I daresay, this is symphonic easy listening talent not to be missed on digital remaster circa 2021!

ALAN

January 2024

SENTIMENTAL 70s PART 2 : TRIBUTES TO THE CARPENTERS PLUS THE ORCHESTRAS OF ARTHUR FIEDLER, PAUL MAURIAT AND FRANCK POURCEL

SENTIMENTAL 70s PART 2 : TRIBUTES TO THE CARPENTERS PLUS THE ORCHESTRAS OF ARTHUR FIEDLER, PAUL MAURIAT AND FRANCK POURCEL

The 1970s was characterized by a huge amount of melodic and wistful songwriting that made huge careers for singers of popular song. More than that, a huge cache of the pop songs of that decade captured emotion and heartbreak unlike any other. This round of reviews tips the hat to The Carpenters while also acknowledging the genius of Paul Williams and Roger Nichols, Neil Diamond, Leon Russell, Linda Creed and Thom Bell, and the unusual pairing of Barbra Streisand and Paul Williams as well. To round off the sentimentality, we will also dip into two remasters of ‘semi-disco’ albums by Paul Mauriat and Franck Pourcel. As I was composing this, I could not help noticing that Manuel and the Music of the Mountains, and probably along with Mantovani and Bert Kaempfert, defiantly maintained their trademark 1960s style of lush instrumentation without electric guitars, organs and synthesizers. I start this review with a snapshot of 1991’s Compact Disc release of Manuel’s LATIN ROMANCE on the EMI Studio Two Label juxtaposed alongside Franck Pourcel’s radical artwork cover of 1978’s AMOUR DANSE ET VIOLIN NO.51 LP on CD featuring the themes from ‘Star Wars’, ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ and the evergreen love song from ‘Saturday Night Fever’ – ‘How Deep is Your Love’ by the Bee Gees. 1978 was a golden year for 70s era pop since it demonstrated a preview of the electronic instrumentation that was set to dominate the next decade’s pop parade. So between the lush strings and light Latin tempos of Manuel and the shiny new sounds of Franck Pourcel from the late 1970s, we begin a journey into the next set of ‘Sentimental 70s’ easy listening instrumentals.

Although the songs of the Carpenters have been covered by just about every instrumental act in the 1970s, I highlight a 2005 production by the Japanese guitar duo, SUPER NATURAL. The familiar Carpenters’ songs have their quiet sentimentality amplified in these arrangements. Not all Carpenters or easy listening fans will like this one though. It veers very close to the ‘New Age’ genre of instrumental music. But listen to how ‘Top of the World’ gets a Bluegrass soulful vibe, you will instinctively know Karen and Richard Carpenter would have approved of it. In their hit-making days, the duo were also experimenting with musical styles. Even ‘Close to You’ and ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’ become soundtrack worthy if used for any number of TV romantic dramas in the hands of SUPER NATURAL. The ambience of candlelight and an imaginary calm lake likewise takes one far away from the cares of the day on ‘I Need to be in Love’,  ‘I Won’t Last a Day’, ‘Hurting Each Other’ and of course ‘Close to You’.

Not to be forgotten, or better still, waiting to be rediscovered, is the CARPENTERS SONGBOOK LP released by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1975. Fiedler had a special relationship going with the brother and sister team of Richard and Karen. This culminated in the sensational 1974 concert in Boston where the duo performed live with the orchestra. This concert has been preserved visually by a number of Carpenters fans on YouTube. The sound quality however leaves much to be desired. Reviewed here is a Deutschgrammaphon exclusive release for the Japanese market.

This remastered LP on CD is anything but poor in sound quality given its Japanese-German technical collaboration on remastering. Richard Carpenter’s fondness for arranging for piano and strings is given a symphonic tribute by Fiedler, who arranged – as far as I can tell – the entire LP.  The contrast with guitar arrangements in the preceding album could not be greater. Trombones, flugelhorns, strings and harp substituted for Karen’s and Richard’s voices quite naturally. One does not feel their vocals missing at all. Listen to ‘Superstar’, ‘Top of the World’, ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’ and ‘For All We Know’ for sheer symphonic thrill. This album is nothing short of simulating a movie soundtrack for a Carpenters’ movie. Fiedler follows Richard Carpenter’s arrangements closely but adds in string passages and trombone flourishes where appropriate.

Fiedler has also made his mark on 1970s Easy Listening with two albums titled GREATEST HITS OF THE 70s VOLUMES 1 AND 2. These LPs have been meticulously remastered into hybrid SACD format by Dutton Vocalion. Delving deeper into the pop scene c.1970-5, Fiedler carefully curated a lineup of tunes that lent themselves to marching band and typical ‘pops arrangements’ with plenty of brass, strings and loud percussion. Think of songs that could be transformed into Parade ground favourites or closing music for the end of a film and you’ll appreciate Arthur Fiedler’s style. Paul Simon’s ‘Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard’, Neil Diamond’s ‘Play Me’, Barry White’s ‘Love’s Theme’, ‘Leave me Alone’, ‘Joy to the World’, ‘Song Sung Blue’, and ‘Popcorn’ were suitably dramatic in their brassy sound, loud passages, and percussion while ‘Rose Garden’, ‘Help Me Make it Through the Night’, ‘The Way We Were’, ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ and ‘One Less Bell to Answer’ softened the selections with subtle variety. Then again, because Fiedler was wielding the baton in a large symphony hall, the strings can occasionally sound way softer than necessary for listening at home. At this point, one wishes the recording engineers for Fiedler could have taken a leaf from the French masters of easy listening and amplified the strings where necessary on the final recording mix. That said, the two volumes of Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops still makes for a lavish tribute to the songwriting of the 1970s.

The French orchestras of Paul Mauriat and Franck Pourcel have in their own inimitable ways left creative marks on the 1970s hit parade – especially the disco numbers and big ballads, and more. 1978’s PAUL MAURIAT – PLAYS SUPER STARS featured the following line-up of instrumental pop:

A1	Nobody Does It Better
A2	When I Need You
A3	Knowing Me Knowing You
A4	Evergreen - Love Theme From 'A Star Is Born'
A5	Don't Go Breaking My Heart
A6	There's A Kind Of Hush
A7	Sunny
B1	C'est La Vie
B2	If You Leave Me Now
B3	I Feel Love
B4	Another Star
B5	Could It Be Magic
B6	We're All Alone
B7	Piano Star

Mauriat demonstrated his late 1970s genius on this one, with a funky introduction on the James Bond film theme ‘Nobody Does it Better’ and arraying trumpets to sing the main notes while the strings race to substitute for them in the midsections. Mauriat’s classic employment of harpsichord on tunes like ‘Evergreen’, ‘There’s a Kind of Hush’, ‘When I Need You’, ‘Don’t Go Breaking my Heart’, and ‘Knowing Me Knowing You’ evoke continuity with his late 1960s and early 1970s output. But this time, Mauriat does not let one instrument sing the main melody, he varies the lead from everything to trumpet, harpsichord, strings, oboe and synthesizer. The ABBA hit ‘Knowing Me…’ is memorably transformed into a fast-paced semi-disco ballad far away from the pop group’s original version. There are also familiar straightforward ballad terrain on numbers like ‘We’re All Alone’, ‘If You Leave Me Now’, ‘Could it be Magic’, and ‘C’est la Vie’ where the maestro showcases how his arrangements bring out a new dimension to musical romance by slowing down the tempos by just a little, adding solo oboe and trumpet, and short unforgettable female choruses. The more traditional disco-esque numbers like ‘I Feel Love’ and ‘Another Star’ are left mostly intact in their original arrangements. This was after all the bonanza years of 1977-8 pop memorabilia!

There was plenty to go around for exciting material to be transformed orchestrally in and around 1978. Franck Pourcel’s cover for the 1978 LP AMOUR DANSE ET VIOLIN NO.51 tried obviously to capture the exoticism and adventure inspired by the ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ sci-fi films. At the same time, he was experimenting with large choral accompaniment to some spectacular love themes in those years. His unnamed chorus of male and female voices hewed closer to the Geoff Love Singers than Ray Conniff’s edgier tones around this time. The ‘Star Wars’ signature theme was given an ethereal slow tempo bubble-sounding synthesizer introduction evocative of floating in outer space, instead of trying to recall the hyperspeed of X-Wing fighters and Tie Fighters battling it out in the black vastness of a galaxy far far away! This is ‘Star Wars’ brought down to earth’s schmaltzy fashion runway with Pourcel’s trumpets and strings. Similarly, the ‘Close Encounters’ theme was layered with Pourcel’s special touch of replacing the synthesized chords of the five-point scale signature chorus with trumpets and the addition of female voices imitating the effects of space age exotica in recurring parts of the melody.

The soft feminine touch threads itself through ‘How Deep is Your Love’ where Pourcel’s string arrangements, spiced lightly with synthesizer, draw you into comfy lounge territory rather than the disco hall or the seaside speedboat featured in the Bee Gees’ original video for the song. Pourcel’s dramatic transformation of the rest of the album feature the nifty use of the chorus alternately on the remaining tracks. The Latin standard ‘Amor Amor’ gets a complete disco remake with strings, a pulsating disco beat and the irresistible chorus duetting with the strings. I never liked Paul McCartney’s original ‘Mull of Kintyre’ but this version goes somewhere into Gospel and Broadway territory with the chorus singing the right verses in the middle of the song. ‘Tarentelle’ and ‘Ti Amo’ become unforgettable – and very classy – European love songs sung appropriately in French and Italian in their midsections. Pourcel closes this 1978 show piece with the piano ballade ‘Girl of Skade’ but not before giving his fans another helping of disco on ‘Easy Come, Easy Go’.  There is so much more of Pourcel’s captivating late 70s styling in the rest of the albums remastered in the 4CD mini LP set distributed in 2021 labelled COFFRET 2021 – do check them out!

ALAN

January 2024