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Recapped my AU-999 tonight, nudies!

240sx4u

240sx4u

Lunatic Member
I don't think I have ever seen any AU-999 nudies posted up.

I just replaced every electrolytic except the big main caps.

I also replaced some of the film caps in the driver boards and in the preamp boards with sprague orange drops.

This thing sounds great, the recap cleaned up the sound. Highs were much improved as was the bass.

I did the whole amp in under 4 hours. The sansui AU-999 is nice because most of the boards unplug so they are super easy to work on.

I also cleaned all the plugs for the boards with a toothbrush and deoxit. Really shined up nice.

Here are a few photos

Evan


BTW, the front four boards that are lined up end to end have a cover that screws on to hold them on and shield from the rest of the amp.
 

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Good deal. :thmbsp: I'll catch up one of these days, I just let myself get distracted with other things too easy.
 
Great job Evan, can you give us your parts list with what you replaced originals with please. I've got 2 AU-999s hooked up bi-amped and am probably looking for a winter time project as my AU-D11 is in transit as I type. I might swap the 2 AU-999s out for the AU-D11 and bi-wire until I recap the 999s then into my listening room permant like.

Thanks in advance,

Bob Brown
 
Yes, I would appreciate seeing that list, too. I have not yet recapped either of my AU-999s, but will eventually. [Alas, right now they are just sitting there, looking beautiful but not currently in use. They both work as-is, though, but of course will benefit from recapping.]

Incidentally, NOT ALL Sansuis have those plug-in boards and are so easy to work on. Just try recapping the driver board on an AU-717. Over fifty hard-wired (soldered) connections, and many of them are in awkward, hard-to-get-at spots. I don't think I could have done mine without good magnification and illumination, and a professional re-working station with narrow tips. Although it was only my second re-cap project and I came through it okay, I would definitely not recommend it for beginners or the faint-of-heart.
 
Hmmm, yeah I can make a parts list off of the schematic. I don't have the original that I ordered from.

The recap made a huge difference in sound. Do the orange drops too, they are good quality caps and added less then $10 to the project cost too.

Ill try to make one up tonight.

Anyone who is thinking that this will be a big project.. don't fear. It was very easy IMO because I did 75% of it sitting on a table out of the unit. I edited the other post to not get the guys with the PITA sansui's all excited LOL.

Also, spend the $15 bucks at parts express and get the desoldering iron with the rubber bulb. Real time saver.

Evan
 
Great job, Evan. It looks beautiful. The fact that you can hear a difference makes me maybe kinda sorta wanna do the same thing... hmmm, AU-717. Uhhh, not for the faint of heart. I am good with my hands, but I'm not an electronics wizard. Plus, things sound fine gith now, so... I'll probably wait a bit before I start a project like that. Again, you have done a nice job. Nice pics, too.

JF
 
Awesome job. Looks great.

To Arkay's point, I think the most difficult Sansui I have worked on has probably been the AU-11000a, what a dog to work on!
 
My next project is a 12B4 line stage for my dad. Ill do a step by step on that one for everyone.

I am also going to rebuild a smoked Magnepan speaker.

Seriously, the au-999 sounded good before. Now it sounds great. I didn't really think it needed a recap at all. I did it because this poor amp deserves it. Doesn't yours?? lol

Thanks for the compliments on the photos. I have a desk lamp lighting the photos with no flash. I took them right where I was working.

If you are afraid to take apart your amp, do yourself a favor and take lots of pics and seperate screws into different ziplock bags so they don't pull a houdini on you.

Evan

BTW; this was enough to light a fire under my butt. This winter my Marantz 2226b is getting the treatment. I only hope it sounds as good as the sansui when I am done!
 
Every amp I've recapped has improved. Generally, if its over 20 years old, they will respond appropriately. This applies to tube and SS gear, too.

For 240SX4U, I'd also recommend you swap those 2 big filter caps while you're at it.

Cheers,

David
 
David, the amp is for a friend and I am out of cash to spend on the project. I am going to drop him a line and see if he wants me to swap them, ill do it if he covers the cost.

Just another FYI, the stock pots were so crapified that deoxit would not clean them up enough so I could get a nice steady reading..

Bourns 10 turn pots for the win, made adjustment about 100% easier. Got the specs all dialed in and the lid is back on.

Evan
 
Hi - I received my AU-999 very recently and opened it up for the first time today. I took the panel off to reveal those four plug-in circuit boards. With the front of the unit facing me, the 2nd board in from the right is put in backwards. The rest have their components facing the back of the unit.

Is this board symmetrical, such that it doesnt matter which way it goes in? I see from your photographs that the components on all four boards are facing towards the back.

I am trying to find a service manual, so I dont know if thats the way it should be or not. This unit has never been worked on though, so it appears it was put in backwards stock.

This is the 2nd time that I have found a board in a Sansui unit facing the opposite direction that I have seen it elsewhere. The other time was the little tuner add-on board in the 9090.

Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
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