Dear All,
I have just received my Sansui AU-101 today in really good cosmetic condition (well chuffed), and fired it up with Wharfedale Denton 80th Anniversary addition speakers (6 ohm suitable for 20w - 100w amps per manufacturers recommendation).
However, with loudness turned on, if I turn the bass dial beyond 0 or turn the volume up beyond level 4, it creates that high-pitched sound as if when your mic is too closed to your speakers, like a loud boom in the room. Could someone help me out what could be the case, is it the speakers being too heavy or are we talking something wrong with the amp?
With loudness on, it produces sweet warm sound till up to volume level 4, and with loudness off, I can turn it up more. With loudness on, if I turn the bass all the way to + same boom / high-pitched noise starts again.
Many thanks in advance for your help.
I have just received my Sansui AU-101 today in really good cosmetic condition (well chuffed), and fired it up with Wharfedale Denton 80th Anniversary addition speakers (6 ohm suitable for 20w - 100w amps per manufacturers recommendation).
However, with loudness turned on, if I turn the bass dial beyond 0 or turn the volume up beyond level 4, it creates that high-pitched sound as if when your mic is too closed to your speakers, like a loud boom in the room. Could someone help me out what could be the case, is it the speakers being too heavy or are we talking something wrong with the amp?
With loudness on, it produces sweet warm sound till up to volume level 4, and with loudness off, I can turn it up more. With loudness on, if I turn the bass all the way to + same boom / high-pitched noise starts again.
Many thanks in advance for your help.
Hi, thanks - the source is turntable ( I tried directly into phono input) and also through external phono stage plugged into aux / tape.
I need to double check if that sound was on all different input types, but that only seem to happen when the loudness is on and I either increase the volume or crank the bass up.
Hi, the source was a turntable, but the feedback is when I turn the volume up higher than 5 or turn the bass all the way up with loudness turned on.
I need to double check if that sound was on all different input types, but that only seem to happen when the loudness is on and I either increase the volume or crank the bass up.
Hi, the source was a turntable, but the feedback is when I turn the volume up higher than 5 or turn the bass all the way up with loudness turned on.
That's great - thanks mate, I shall give it a go. Only received it tomorrow so will test it out before having a word with the seller.
For arguments sake, if it is the high LF gain, what usually is the fix, and is that expensive?
oh ok, thanks - I wouldn't have thought that so will definitely have to look into it. Getting my 3.5 mm to RCA tomorrow and will try a digital source.
AU101 was truly an entry level amp. Here it was often made a gift for young people leaving home or part of a hi-fi beginner's first stereo system. It has the usual volume, balance, bass and treble controls plus an old style, separate loudness control and the usual selector for the MM phono preamp, tape and auxiliary (line level) inputs. The loudness control actually adds up to a further 8 dB of bass + 3dB treble boost. In other words, it's a convenience feature, only intended use when listening at low levels. If you add bass boost to that, it increases the boost up to a total 21dB which is a silly amount and almost certainly will result in acoustic feedback from the turntable, so don't use the controls together, whatever speakers you use and levels you listen at.
Goof-proofing audio systems is everywhere now but wasn't yet part of the scheme in the 1970's. It's more a 80's onward thing which has increased to the point now, of giving us little more than a volume control setting to screw up anyway. It's all too easy to think we can hammer the old gear the same way with impunity - push the settings as far as they go etc. but that wasn't so. You could easily wreck your precious gear then because a mains fuse and maybe speaker fuses were all the protection you had.
The AU101 circuitry is remarkably simple, early textbook style by comparison with up-market and 1980s onwards models but that doesn't mean Sansui's gear can't sound as good as it does. Sound quality is entirely subjective and plenty of people prefer their old gear because of its different, often warm and sweet character. I have one somewhere about and enjoyed using it until diyAudio gave me so much more to think about
Goof-proofing audio systems is everywhere now but wasn't yet part of the scheme in the 1970's. It's more a 80's onward thing which has increased to the point now, of giving us little more than a volume control setting to screw up anyway. It's all too easy to think we can hammer the old gear the same way with impunity - push the settings as far as they go etc. but that wasn't so. You could easily wreck your precious gear then because a mains fuse and maybe speaker fuses were all the protection you had.
The AU101 circuitry is remarkably simple, early textbook style by comparison with up-market and 1980s onwards models but that doesn't mean Sansui's gear can't sound as good as it does. Sound quality is entirely subjective and plenty of people prefer their old gear because of its different, often warm and sweet character. I have one somewhere about and enjoyed using it until diyAudio gave me so much more to think about
Audio equipment was designed AND meant to be used responsibly by the customer.
This includes "reasonable" adjustments of tone controls and volume levels.
Using the equipment with extreme settings is not smart nor is it recommeded.
Damage to the equipment and/or speaker systems could result from foolish operation.
But I guess in these times, BASS BASS BASS is in the younger people's blood, as it is in their boomer cars.
In that case, annoy your neighbors, ruin your hearing, equipment, and enjoy the noise.
This includes "reasonable" adjustments of tone controls and volume levels.
Using the equipment with extreme settings is not smart nor is it recommeded.
Damage to the equipment and/or speaker systems could result from foolish operation.
But I guess in these times, BASS BASS BASS is in the younger people's blood, as it is in their boomer cars.
In that case, annoy your neighbors, ruin your hearing, equipment, and enjoy the noise.
Thanks all.
Ian, Wiseoldtech - I have tested the system in a different room, with a digital source as an input instead of turntable - didn't encounter the issue at all so a little relieved that it was me being a novice!
Your comments are spot on and although I love a bit of a bass (a border line millennial!) but I am increasingly starting to appreciate quality over just loudness and bass. I had just received the receiver yesterday and was testing it out.
It does produce a rather impressive warm sound, that I am starting to appreciate - different and perhaps less crisp to what my AV receiver would produce but I am assuming that's just because its old and the sound isn't digitally enhanced / filtered.
My set up today was simply, 3.5mm to RCA into aux and then CD inputs to test it out.
@jhjove - cheers mate, I'll have to try it out more and see if the problem persists with the turntable, but it was fairly decent without loudness - I shall feedback.
Ian, Wiseoldtech - I have tested the system in a different room, with a digital source as an input instead of turntable - didn't encounter the issue at all so a little relieved that it was me being a novice!
Your comments are spot on and although I love a bit of a bass (a border line millennial!) but I am increasingly starting to appreciate quality over just loudness and bass. I had just received the receiver yesterday and was testing it out.
It does produce a rather impressive warm sound, that I am starting to appreciate - different and perhaps less crisp to what my AV receiver would produce but I am assuming that's just because its old and the sound isn't digitally enhanced / filtered.
My set up today was simply, 3.5mm to RCA into aux and then CD inputs to test it out.
@jhjove - cheers mate, I'll have to try it out more and see if the problem persists with the turntable, but it was fairly decent without loudness - I shall feedback.
List your model turntable and cartridge, and/or post a picture, as that might give some clues. Turntables can normally be made immune to feedback when properly setup and placed on a suitably stable surface. A simple base is a 400-500mm square slate or stone tile 30mm or so thick (or even heavy timber), on squash balls cut in half, on top of a table or cabinet that cannot rock or move.
Hiya - my turntable is Pro Ject Debut Carbon Esprit with an Ortofon red cartridge. I am going to try different placement, once I have a proper turntable stand sorted.
Someone on another forum mentioned that sometime if the speakers are placed behind the turntable it may cause that - which was the case, so that could be one of many reasons as well. my speakers were like 1 metre behind the turntable, which then was in between the speakers and the amp - impromptu set up as I was only trying it out.
Someone on another forum mentioned that sometime if the speakers are placed behind the turntable it may cause that - which was the case, so that could be one of many reasons as well. my speakers were like 1 metre behind the turntable, which then was in between the speakers and the amp - impromptu set up as I was only trying it out.
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The Project turntable will work well on a solid sub-plinth like I described above. Moving your turntable well away from the speakers will help a lot. Turntable stability isn't helped if you have timber floorboards over joists, as they can move and vibrate a bit.
I have a concrete floor, a very solid wooden cupboard full of heavy records, with a 20kg slate paver on sorbothane hemispheres on top, and a Rega Planar 3 on top of that. Even though the turntable is less than 1.5m from my 15" Tannoy Ardens I can play records earsplittingly loud with no feedback, ringing or coloration at all, as long as the lid is down.
I have a concrete floor, a very solid wooden cupboard full of heavy records, with a 20kg slate paver on sorbothane hemispheres on top, and a Rega Planar 3 on top of that. Even though the turntable is less than 1.5m from my 15" Tannoy Ardens I can play records earsplittingly loud with no feedback, ringing or coloration at all, as long as the lid is down.
Finding a suitable sturdy table/cabinet for the components, the speakers can be placed on either side, at least a few feet away, or in or near each corner of the room, and the closer to the corner that the speaker is, the more noticable will be the bass response without having to crank up the bass control.
This has always been the case of course.
Additionally, if the room has two narrow walls and two long ones, placing the setup along one of the narrow walls and sitting at the other end provides nice separation and soundfield.
Room treatment also is considered - carpeting, soft furniture, draperies, softens and damps reflections and echos, while bare floors and sparse furniture gives a bright sound, some call "lively".
I prefer the intimate softer type of room, it make me focus more on the speakers/music, but everybody has their preferences.
1m behind the turntable? You sure know how to tempt fate. Because vinyl reproduction is inherently prone to acoustic noise and vibration, you certainly will need to optimise your system placements to avoid or at least minimise any possible coupling/feedback interference including environmental noise and vibration, back to the program source. i.e. the spinning disc, arm, cartridge and their suspension, case, cover etc.
Modern turntable suspension systems can still be quite good at the budget level but you may have noticed the extremely high prices of the best. Take a look at the features of these marvels of engineering and think about what they purport to do. You may be initially satisfied with your system but knowing the reasons behind the high prices can be very informative and useful for optimising at the budget level too. Do some objective research on turntables and using vinyl for your own benefit.
Modern turntable suspension systems can still be quite good at the budget level but you may have noticed the extremely high prices of the best. Take a look at the features of these marvels of engineering and think about what they purport to do. You may be initially satisfied with your system but knowing the reasons behind the high prices can be very informative and useful for optimising at the budget level too. Do some objective research on turntables and using vinyl for your own benefit.