monoclepop Posted September 22, 2009 Posted September 22, 2009 I've had this lying around in my lounge now for too long and it's time for this beautiful amp to go to a new home. Without checking my PDF of the brochure; it's 13 odd kilograms of black-fronted aluminium from the heyday of the japanese audio industry. 40-something watts @ 8ohm if I recall. Switchable a/b/a+b speaker outputs. 6.5mm headphone out. Two tape inputs/outputs; two aux inputs; tuner input; and dual phono inputs - one which has a switchable load. Defeatable tone control; loudness; high-pass/low-pass filters etc It can also run as a pre or power. I purchsed it off a tech who gave it a thorough overhaul just over four years ago. I think the serial number dates it to the very late seventies. The AU x900 range started to come out around '74 or something, and was the best stuff the company made - cosmetically tidy pieces from the top of the series are priced pretty similarly to McIntosh gear of the same age. The 5900 is mid range - the top integrated au9900 had about 100W and is worth about $1000NZD last I looked. Works very well - never missed a beat for me. The pots were entirely noiseless when I bought it - now a little bit of scratchyness which means it needs its half-decade dose of de-oxit but nothing more. The power stage is dead silent, the pre has a tiny amount of noise. Never bothered me enough to get it looked at - as I need my ear to the tweeter to notice it. I'd call the sound warm, sweet and quite lovely, though not the biggest sound stage. I've since replaced it with some Plinius seperates. Just a note though - the photo's don't really show some of the odd scrapes and blemishes. But as you're a local lad I'm only too happy to drop it around for you to have a look at and plug it in and see how it goes with your gear. I need to pick up an entry-level phono stage for my new-to-me plinius - which should give you some idea of what I'm wanting for it. Cheers Note the infamous Sansui spring clip terminals on the back.
monoclepop Posted September 22, 2009 Author Posted September 22, 2009 Oh, I forget the random amp trivia factoid. For extra culture-vulture street cred this model of amp has a starring roll in the movie 'Hi Fidelity'. When John Cusack mopes around in his apartment rearranging records it's a Sansui AU 5900 that plays the soundtrack. Though I couldn't for the life of me endorse the decision of Cusack's character to listen to Lisa Bonet...
otisredding Posted September 22, 2009 Posted September 22, 2009 Looks like a real beauty, mate! I woulda gone there too . . . I'm sure it would've sounded lovely with my DM4s. :cool:
Declannz Posted September 22, 2009 Posted September 22, 2009 Do want! can't have though :-(. Too many amps at the moment. doing some culling and will still have too manyonce thats done. This 'being resbonsible with money' malarkey ain't all it's cracked up to be.
monoclepop Posted September 24, 2009 Author Posted September 24, 2009 You must have a bit of spare room now Declan! Somebody make me an offer! Or a tardme it will go. I just want a good home for this wonderful baby...
Declannz Posted September 24, 2009 Posted September 24, 2009 ok, i'm a sucker, if Darren (wonderful man that he is) doesn't buy it, how much are you looking for?
otisredding Posted September 24, 2009 Posted September 24, 2009 Declannz;104019 wrote: ok, i'm a sucker, if Darren (wonderful man that he is) doesn't buy it, how much are you looking for? I'm buying it for sure, bro. :cool:
Declannz Posted September 24, 2009 Posted September 24, 2009 damn you kids and your rock and/or roll music *shakes fist* well, you'll be wanting speakers now. i know where there are some good ones... P.S.: The sansui will probably need servicing and re-capping. I can do that for you if you want it done.
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