scored a Sansui TU-X1 tuner

[Lefty]

well kind of. I won an auction for the service manual for $16. From my research, arguably the best tuner ever made in.
Not that I'm willing to shell out for what one is worth, at least now I'm ready in case I find one at goodwill for $30. :D

Lefty

[BeatleFred]

Ah yes, the TU-X1. Wouldnt mind having one to go with my AU-X1's :)

http://www.amfmdx.net/fmdx/TUX1.html

Regards, B/F.

[bully]

hmmmm ... have you been following the shootouts over at tunerinfo?

[BeatleFred]

Just checked there now (the Shootouts) I'll be very interetsed when they test the next model, the TU-717. Thats a beauty also. (I have a TU-719). I wouldnt expect expect those to be on the level of the TU-X1, but then again, the TU-X1 is waaay more expensive. For $150-200 or so, the TU-717, 719, etc.. is more than adequate I feel. And besides, they both have the gorgeous Ivory display background which gives a nice contrast to the black.

[Lefty]

When I first started collecting vintage stuff and still learning the brands and models, I passed on a Sansui TU-717 for $30 at a surplus place. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb....:mad: Of course after I went home and researched it, I went back the next day and it was Gone, Gone, Gone....:(

Oh well, I've learned a lot sense then and have found some great buys, so I really can't complain. The rule on tuners found at thrifts & flea markets is if it has a wide/narrow IF filter switch on the front panel it is probably worth at least $100 resale on E-bay and probably more.

Still would like to play with a TU-X1 as it seems to be the most over designed tuner I have researched. Even the AM has features I haven't seen on any other hi end tuner. I may comment more on this after getting the service manual and have a chance to go over the circuits.

I'm suprised that BeatleFred has not scored a TU-X1 yet. NY city must have a zillion stations and you are the #1 Sansui fan around these parts. What's holding you up? Trade some of your duplicate stuff, sell your car, just get one so you can loan it to me someday :p:

Lefty

[bully]

So would I! There were a few no-holds-barred TOTL tuners made in the late 70s!
The Kenwood's were superfine, though, and really were known as the tuner company.

pete

[BeatleFred]

Hi Lefty:

Well, the simple fact of the matter is that not many TU-X1's are seen for sale in abundance. I can count on the fingers of my hands how few I recall seeing in the past 3 years or so. And those that were available and those that might be in the future are going to cost some major $$. Considering that, I think having a TU-719 that cost only $135- I can be quite content with that:)
As much as I love high quality Sansui models, I wouldnt sell my '87 Accord as that car just runs too reliably for me to wanna part with it. 205K on the odometer ( I found out the odom was turned back when I bought the car 'in '95- thats another long story) and still looking good/running strong. I've always particularly liked those '86-'89 style Accords, certainly built to last.

[Lefty]

I just received the Sansui TU-X1 service manual today and I thought I would give you my first impression on the circuitry for this famous, highest priced Sansui TOTL tuner.

First off, I can say that the quality of the service manual is typical of what I've seen from other Sansui service manuals and that is very terse, hard to read, pretty poor english tranlation. I would truly hate to have to do major troubleshooting or alignment using just the information provided in the service manual. Clearly Sansui quality didn't make to it's service manual department. Sorry, but I've purchased manuals from most all the major Japanese vintage manufactures and Sansui ranks amoung the worst in my opinion. This does not reflect on the quality of the actual equipment they made which I have found compeitive and desirable as any of the others.

Now back to the tuner itself. The FM section is TOTL by all means, but does not seem to have anything over that most which other TOTL tuners had. It uses a SAW IF filter for it's narrow range like Kenwood did on some of their hi end models. It has a 6 gang tuning capacitor, again the same or less then other TOTL tuners. I counted 46 transistors and 15 ICs. The audio output is via IC and electrolic capacitors which is less advance then some others. So I would rate the circuitry of the FM section as on par with other TOTL tuners but nothing more.

Now to the AM section. Here we see a major suprize. I have never run across such an advance AM section in any other audio market tuner. I counted 45 transistors and 5 ICs. What makes this AM section so advance is it's use of a synchronous detector. This is a type of AM detector that fights the tendency for AM signals to fade in and out due to skip properties. While this type of detection is not really needed for local station reception, if one wishes to dabble in nightime AM skip reception (DX), it is quite the advancement. This kind of detector is usually only seen in hi end shortwave and communications receivers and as far as I know unique in the audio hi-fi market. Let me know if you know of another hi-fi tuner that uses synchronous AM detection. The published specifications for this AM section are very very good and it's easy to say that this is probably the best AM section I have ever come across for a hi-fi tuner.

So how do I feel about the TU-X1? Well I think it's very cool styling, advance AM section and competent FM section makes it one of a few very most desirable tuners to own. Worth the $2,000+ I've seen a few go for? probably not, but certainly anything at or under a grand is probably justified for it's rarity and advanced AM section alone.

Too bad Sanui didn't think of marketing a AM only tuner using the TU-X1 AM section so that more might have been able to afford their advance design.

Well I'm off for some last min shopping chores.

enjoy
Lefty

[BeatleFred]

Hi Lefty:

Thanks for providing your thoughts on the TU-X1. When I have a chance, hopefully in the near future, and if youre interested, I can gather up what I have for the TU-X1 in terms of reviews from my collection of hi fi mags and send some copies your way. I also have the brochure for it as well. As I mentioned not too long ago on this Site, I want to go thru ALL my hi fi mags and coordinate a whole database of reviews, ads, etc.. for ALL Sansui models. A daunting task to be sure, but B/F here is up for it:) I do have one very comprehensive 1980 review of the the TU-X1 that comes to mind, the only thing is its written in German, being from a German audio mag. I know some German, but reading the technical words is a bit difficult for me.

Happy Holidays, B/F.

[Susurus]

:lurk:

[mech986]

Uh, check the date of the posts above. You've resurrected a very old post and one of the poster is no longer here.

Bart

[Arkay]

:lmao:

A thread from 2002 resurrected for a post consisting of only a popcorn (lurk) emoticon?!?!?! I love it!

:lmao:


That said, I'm glad it was revived, because that TX-X1 sure is a nice tuner! I've seen the AU-X1 in shops here, but never yet seen a TU-X1 "in the flesh". Something to add to the dream list, research, save up for, and keep the old eyeballs peeled for, for sure!

[Susurus]

I like resurrecting old things...:D

[Robisme]

I was kinda hoping to see those two get back into it.:yes:

Rob

[NeilT]

Here's one they've been trying to sell for a couple of years now:

http://www.audioscope.net/sansui-tux1-p-976.html?currency=USD

Maybe the price has something to do with it?......:yikes:

- Neil

[nosirrah]

That's my holy grail of tuners....someday when I am rich and famous?

More likely when I am really lucky...
Casey

[Susurus]

Moved from "It's Dead Jim" thread...

Sorry that all the help I can offer is to say GOOD LUCK with repairing the AU-X1. {Meant sincerely, not satirically! Never owned or worked on one, beyond vicariously from reading posts here.}

But I want to add CONGRATULATIONS on getting that X1 combo. Your working TU-X1 is on my "five most wanted" components list , after reading many online comments from owners. One of the greatest tuners that can be found, by most accounts. Would you agree with that assessment?

It actually was on my 3 most-wanted list (along with RtR DR-1 electrostatics). I've been amp-heavy, tuner poor.

Sometimes you find your Holy Grail, and it's like Monty Python, not exactly what you imagined. :worried:

My TU-X1 is not like that. It's simply the best sounding FM I've ever heard in my life.

FM is my primary source material, so this isn't gonna just sit there looking pretty. Well it is gonna sit there and look pretty...but not just sit...

There are 2 (or 3?) low compression/low signal processed FM stations here, a Classical and KMHD Jazz that often plays live music and vinyl, and it sounds = or better than CDs. :yes:

No reciever tuner I've heard touches it sonically, and I've had big Onkyos, Kenwoods, Pioneer. Concept's tuner, after I futzed with it a lot, has a sonic similarity--but a touch less bass. (Maybe it also has a high slew rate in the tuner section?) To be fair my SX-1250 is still burning-in from its total recap/refurb/re-everything. :D

Seems some FMTunerInfo folks are way out in the boonies in Texas and need the highest sensitivity? Don't get me wrong when I die I'll go back to Texas--but for now I'm in an excellent reception area: slightly raised, relatively flat and line-of-sight to many big city antennas--so audiophile-sound-quality weighted, not DXing, is my thing. (There may be an inverse relationship between selectivity and sound quality, all else being equal.)

I rarely go to AM, so I can't compare it to a nice Fisher or 650 pound E H Scott. But its specs on paper are better than any AM I've ever seen although the Fisher gets close on frequency resp.