depenable great sound

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I had used this product hard for 23 years with large 3-way speakers (15") and the .007 THD is the real deal for top grade CD listing. Ive been a pro-sound man for 15 years of that time and my Crown DC-300 can't touch it. The base is solid and the treble perfect. I hope I can get parts if that day ever come. It is worth $500 if you ever can get one.

Solid unit with flawless performance for 20+ years. Excellent phono section and great tape dubbing capabilities. Nice looking unit.

None to date.

This Amp has ample power to rock, with excellent dynamic range thanks to dual DC direct power supply. It's sonic qualities are very pleasing for all types of music. I have used the unit 1 to 2 hours per day, 5 to 7 days per week since purchase and it has never needed a repair. I suspect it is hard to find that level of build quality today unless you spend major $$$. The matching TU 717 tuner is also excellent, especially for pulling in week stations. That unit has also provided me with the same trouble free service. Both are a can't miss if you find them on EBay. The AU 717 originally retailed for $550, but was purchased through a mail order firm for about $400 in 1979.

Similar Products Used:

None.

The most Impressive 85 Watts ive ever heard. Crisp Clear highs, deep acurate lows. id have to say this is the best deal for the buck ive ever had on an amp. today you would spend a small fortune to get comperable sound.

none to date

I bought this at a flea market for 40 buck and use it now to power 2 ev 12 inch woofers for a costum made sub cabinet and boy does this amp make them sing!! i am definately impressed. i had originaly used this amp for test on a pair of bose speakers and the sound was impressive. very clear and accurate highs...a steal at any price. if you come across one of these amps buy it.

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Still the same strengths as before. I submitted a review on 1/18/01 10:56:51 AM and I've not changed my opinion on iota. In fact, I am also using it in conjuction with my computer now. I have Sonic Foundry Vegas that I'm using to write a moivie soundtrack and I'm using this to monitor the recordings as well as play mp'3's on Winamp. This amp truly does it all.

None yet. Is eems stronger than ever.

I don't wanna gush to much about this [everyone will want one, and there aren't that many to go around Shhhhhhhh].


To all that have one of these I say keep it. It's not likely you'll fins another great sounding amp for the money. As an aside, I looked on eBay. Boy! Thay are getting pricey.

I just found a Sansui A700 at a flea market that had blown outputtransistors, but otherwise looked good cosmetically. Got it for 20$,
and it worked fine after replacing all 4 output transistors with matched
pair ECG36/37's (28$ for 2 pair).

As and engineer, I am impressed with the economy, elegance, and functionality
of this amplifier. For a 1970's amp with 80 watts per channel, it is quite
small. And its flexibility for input/output connections are great, I have
not seen anything to compare it with. Even a Microphone input with separate
gain adjust! (Could be used as a guitar amp even!). Plus the LED power meters
are great.

I agree with the others I've read here, that Sansui late 70's components must
have been some kind of high-water mark for Japanese electronics. They sure
broke the cookie-cutter mold and thought up some neat features. The speaker
connection scheme with turnable locking gizmos is real neat, I have never
seen anything better for easily attaching speaker wires.

Though, given that the output transistors were blown on my flea market unit,
it might mean the output stage is not short-circuit proof, perhaps.

But what a find for 20$!

Built like a tank, never repaired anything, knobs are as tight today as new, labels have not worn off.

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I bought this brand new in 1977 along with the TU-717 tuner. It is the strongest 85 watts I've ever heard. The volume knob has click increments and is nice and large. I've never run out of power on it. The Sansui was one of the cleanest sounding amps of the 70's, integrated or power. I still use the amp just about everyday and nothing has gone wrong. It's just like brand new. If you have the chance, buy one without second thought!

The subsonic 16hz button DOES protect your speakers. I had a cheap set of bookshelfs hooked up one day and had the volume at 11 o clock (very loud on the Sansui) to see how they sounded. I turned the subsonic filter off and the speaker immediatly blew. Other then that I've never had a problem after countless partys with the amp cranked on my regular speakers.

I used to run the Sansui with a Thorens 120 MKII turntable and an Akai GXC 517 tape deck. Now I use a Marantz 5 disc and the setup sounds as good as ever.

Built like a 1950s Buick,sound quality, Darth Vader like black finish,weight

Absolutely none

I had a Sansui AU317 int.amp that I bought new in 1978 and kept until I sold it in '88.
Since then, I've had all kinds of amps,receivers.etc.but was missing the clean sound of that Sansui until I found this AU 717 on ebay.This is one BAD S.O.B!!! Very clean and spacious sound that you can't get today without spending a ton of money.With proper care and cleaning, this thing should last forever.If you're like me, and don't care about home-theater movie aliens flying around the room and just want clean music reproduction, seek one of these classic amps out.You can find them on Ebay most of the time, but their prices are going up.I've considered myself very lucky for finding this one for so little money.Now if I can only find the matching tuner for it.

Similar Products Used:

Sansui AU317

Easily the loudest 85 watts I've ever heard! And I'm a guitar player! Superb when hooked up to my new CD player and just slays the speakers into submission. If there is one strength I would say it's longevity.

Can't find one! It does it all so well. I have newer amps and this just outperfroms them all. I got this for free and I would [in retrospect] pay current market value without hesitation

My uncle Steve bought this new in Germany when he was there in the Air Force. He had it till Dec 1999 when he gave it and a TU-717 tuner to me. The boxes were like new and the foam packing was there like it was a new piece of equiptment. I put them in the attic till I moved to Baltimore in 2000. I decided to try them out and took em out of the box and hooked them both up with my Technics CD player and a pair of Bose 901's. WOW!!!!! My "Newer" amp and tuner are still in the boxes! This has to be the best set-up I've ever had and it just sounds so clean and clear. I know little about these 2 components but I will be doing searches and finding out what I can on the NET. If you know about these 2 pieces please e-mail me with anything I should be aware of. I should add that both these pieces are like brand new. They even smell new and look perfect. Thanks Uncle Steve!

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I have no other components like it.

Heavy, powerful amplifier with separate pre outs and main ins and integrated phono stage

shortly one channel broke down, will fix it soon

I have the almost/if not identical AU-517 (with the corresponding, also superb tuner TU-717) and I like the healthy, saturated sound of this quite old (20 years) machine, not as thin and artificial as some newer amplifier designs - without being slow, off coarse. This Sansui has seen many other amps come and go. What a pity that mine broke down, but I am already going to fix it as far as I can get the parts needed. If you have the chance to get it for some bucks, take it!

Similar Products Used:

Sansui AU-X1, AU-D9

Great sound

The volume control pot is bad

This amplifier is probably the best built unit ever made by a Japanese company. I think it was built in 1978. Simply astounding. Sound is deep and rich. Use it with my Sony CD Jukebox and it sounds much better than with any of my other video/audio receivers. To bad that the volume control is scratchy. I wish I could get a spare.

Similar Products Used:

The AU717 Tuner