Sansui AU-717
Bought my AU-717 integrated amp new in 1977. Have used it intermittently over the years and it works and sounds great, 45 years later. The cover has never been off and I still have the owners manual. Any reason to have it serviced? Caps, etc? If so, why? And can you recommend a knowledgeable service resource in the Atlanta area?
I generally live by the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy but suspect that may not apply here.
@chocaholic Any technician competent enough to service a Japanese receiver can do the work just fine. Just have him put in Nichicon or similar quality capacitors and you'll be fine. Bonus tip: ask him to use SN63 solder if he does not already. SN63 is a 'eutectic' solder which means its almost impossible to get a bad solderjoint with it since it goes from liquid to solid so quickly. |
@perkri It may seem to work but I guarantee its suffering and not performing to spec. When the filter capacitors in the power supply fail one way they can go is to start to run warm. When this happens they are drawing a bit more current. As the current inches up the power transformer runs warmer too. Eventually this can lead to power transformer failure which can be really painful- something that is cool and interesting has suddenly taken on a lot of the properties of a brick. The transformer can be really pricey if you actually fine one for sale! They don't always bulge- the plastic sheath around them will sometimes shrink but they might also just look fine. Don't be fooled- they are way too old to be any good. So if you plan to run this amp get the filter capacitors in the power supply replaced at the very least! Its overdue. Its also not a bad idea to replace electrolytic coupling caps wherever they might occur! |
