Marantz PM 80

[miroflex]

Hi Miroflex

I have the Sansui AU D7 and the NAD 3020. I find the Phono in the Nad to be better then the Sansui AU D7, that said the phono in the sansui is not bad at all.
Reg the Pricing there is no market price as such for these Vintage. If you like the amp and the amplifier is in good condition then go for it. You will not get a well maintained Vintage amplifier for less price. 12.5k for a Sansui is nothing, Modern day amps starts from 20k and cant even be compared with the Sansui.

Regards

Hi Soundofmusic,

Thanks for your very informative post.

I have been reading an interesting thread on "Older Type Amps" on
Older Type Amps [Archive] - Stereo Net Australia

This has contrary views on the quality of older amps. Some quotes:

"The PM80 and PM80-II were very, very good amps. As incidentally was the matching CD player."

"I will have to disagree...I have owned a Marantz PM 80 SE. Terrible sounding amps-either run in Class A or A/B. Very coarse, dry and hazy sounding amps. I never compared it to a Pioneer A400 but would guess that it would not be nearly as good-especially in terms of quality and soundstaging.
"The vast majority of old integrated amps suffer from poor sounding preamp sections. Modern preamps are much better."


I find all this rather confusing as the Marantz and the Pioneer were highly regarded in their day by the British hifi magazines as "giant killers" and the ones to beat in their class.
I am looking for an integrated amp to partner my Sonodyne RP 4000 turntable with a Classic MM cartridge. Would a Marantz PM7003 yield better sound quality than an older PM80? Would it be better to go in for a Project preamp? (I am using a Philips preamp with a Sonodyne Uranus II amplifier and speakers. The set up has a warmish sound. I listen to Indian classical music and ghazals and film songs mostly. Also Western classical music and jazz.)

Thanks and regards.

 

[soundofmusic]

Any Sansui 717 or 919 available I am Interested.........

 

[soundofmusic]

Miro Flex. Marantz PM 80 Vs Marantz PM 7003

Build Quality : Pm 80 is built like a tank. Look at the interiors of PM 80...Ohh man ....the same amp if its manufactured today will cost over a lakh. The Build quality of PM 7003 is just OK.

Sound Quality : The PM 80 has got lot of authority and control over most of the speakers( 8 ohms ) .. The PM 7003 on the other hand is very Quite and can be a good match for a Bookshelf or medium Floorstands. But when you are connecting a TT, the PM 80 should beat the Pm 7003 by a big margin.

Aesthetics : A well maintained PM 80 looks Awesome ( To my eyes ) . The PM 7003 looks good too, but I am bored looking at that curved design.

If given a chance I will go for PM 80 anyday over the PM 7003.

regards

 

[anm]

can I buy it somewhere? I was getting it a few yrs back but then I let it slip.

 

[miroflex]

An AU-D7 owner wrote that "the AU-D5 is almost identical except slightly less power. The AU-D5 is 65 watts and the AU-D7 is 80 watts. The other two higher models in the line are the AU-D9 (95 watts) and the AU-D11 at 120 watts. This line came out for the 1981 model year.

The AU-D5 and AU-D7 use a different type of circuit design and biasing called "Linear A" by Sansui, the AU-D9 and AU-D11 use the design called "Super Feed Forward".

The top line AU-D11 was an exceptionally good amp by Sansui that blew away the reviewers in Stereo Review June 81 and Audio magazine February 82. The D7 and D5 aren't quite on that level but still very good".

Has anyone on this forum owned the D11? What would be a good price for buying one in working condition?

Regards.

 

[marantzcdfan]

maybe you should try Norge

 

[hemantwaghe]

An AU-D7 owner wrote that "the AU-D5 is almost identical except slightly less power. The AU-D5 is 65 watts and the AU-D7 is 80 watts. The other two higher models in the line are the AU-D9 (95 watts) and the AU-D11 at 120 watts. This line came out for the 1981 model year.

The AU-D5 and AU-D7 use a different type of circuit design and biasing called "Linear A" by Sansui, the AU-D9 and AU-D11 use the design called "Super Feed Forward".

The top line AU-D11 was an exceptionally good amp by Sansui that blew away the reviewers in Stereo Review June 81 and Audio magazine February 82. The D7 and D5 aren't quite on that level but still very good".

Has anyone on this forum owned the D11? What would be a good price for buying one in working condition?

Regards.

I have AU- D 11 Mark 1 ( with 2 Phono Input) Fantastic amp ,although upgrade bug has bitten me too!
Now pairing with Tannoy Mercury M3 or Diy Floorstands, Source is Philips 931 CDP or Valab Nos Dac....

 

[soundofmusic]

There was one Sansui AU 719 available in Mumbai for 11.5k. I just saw a advt in olx.in. My son spoke with the owner of the amp, but was sold the next day of advt:sad::sad::sad:

 

[miroflex]

I have AU- D 11 Mark 1 ( with 2 Phono Input) Fantastic amp ,although upgrade bug has bitten me too!
Now pairing with Tannoy Mercury M3 or Diy Floorstands, Source is Philips 931 CDP or Valab Nos Dac....

Thanks for your input Hemant.

What is your opinion about the sound quality of the phono pre amp section, compared to say that of the NAD 3020?

Regards.

 

[malvai]

^^
microflex: over the years I have had many vintage amps... And I feel that some of the best amps have been Sansui. Nothing comes close to the Sansui amps!

Especially the AU series. Right from the AU-117, 217, 317, 517, 717, 917 and then the AU - D11. This one is the KING!

if you get one in working condition, nothing beats it. The phono is a fully shielded section, made of high quality copper.

If one were to get this, just spend another 25k to bring all the caps and trannies upto current spec. It'll beat the living daylights outta amps upto the 2L mark.

i currently have a mint condition 217 - rated at 60watts (or thereabouts) but it beats a 100 watter in terms of output! and the sound is clean and glorious!

none of the Nad's, CA's etc come close to it. And yeah neither do the new Marantz amps!

 

[prem]

Absolutely agree with you Malvai. I have grown up on the Sansui AU 717 amp. Glorious stuff.

 

[anm]

malvai, do u know a person in ncr who can do this without technical supervision?

 

[soundofmusic]

@ Manav and Hemant : Could you guys help me in getting a Sansui AU 517 , 717 or 719 in good working condition

Regards
Vijay

 

[malvai]

malvai, do u know a person in ncr who can do this without technical supervision?

anm, at the moment i am just about discovering the markets in delhi... so i don't have a contact here yet.

@ Manav and Hemant : Could you guys help me in getting a Sansui AU 517 , 717 or 719 in good working condition

Regards
Vijay

vijay, i will keep a look out for you... if anything comes up, will tell you. the thing is that when they do come up, one has to go for it asap, as they get snapped up double quick!

 

[soundofmusic]

anm, at the moment i am just about discovering the markets in delhi... so i don't have a contact here yet.


vijay, i will keep a look out for you... if anything comes up, will tell you. the thing is that when they do come up, one has to go for it asap, as they get snapped up double quick!

Yep , I know manav and I do make a quick decision on buying the stuffs. ( have got half a dozen of vintage amps with me know:yahoo: ) Ready for your whistle manav (I dont mind picking up your PM 80 hyeah

 

[malvai]

Yep , I know manav and I do make a quick decision on buying the stuffs. ( have got half a dozen of vintage amps with me know:yahoo: ) Ready for your whistle manav (I dont mind picking up your PM 80 hyeah

i sold it a while back bro.. . and bought the Sansui!

 

[strategy]

Hmm,
malvai can you forward me some contacts you have in NCR , i am also looking for vintage amps .
I have the AU-999, one awesome amp to behold, i cleaned thoroughly and configured it, now it runs like a charm.

but i need something more neutral. looking at pioneer sa-9xxx and sansui

And on the topic of best sansui amps ...yeah D11 and au717 are great
But AU-20000 and AU-X1/ X11 /X111 / X1111 are in another league.

i was all set on a deal with an Australian guy who was selling his serviced AU-X11 , sadly he backed out

 

[miroflex]

^^
microflex: over the years I have had many vintage amps... And I feel that some of the best amps have been Sansui. Nothing comes close to the Sansui amps!

Especially the AU series. Right from the AU-117, 217, 317, 517, 717, 917 and then the AU - D11. This one is the KING!

if you get one in working condition, nothing beats it. The phono is a fully shielded section, made of high quality copper.

If one were to get this, just spend another 25k to bring all the caps and trannies upto current spec. It'll beat the living daylights outta amps upto the 2L mark.

i currently have a mint condition 217 - rated at 60watts (or thereabouts) but it beats a 100 watter in terms of output! and the sound is clean and glorious!

none of the Nad's, CA's etc come close to it. And yeah neither do the new Marantz amps!

Wow Malvai!

You deal in superlatives when it comes to Sansuis. I had heard Sansui systems in the late 1970s and early 1980s at friends' places and never realized that they were that great, only good. Maybe because they were partnered with other Sansui equipment as part of one make, rack mounted separates.

I used to read mostly British hifi magazines in those days and came to believe that only British designed and hopefully British manufactured equipment was worth listening to, along with some esoteric American brands. Linn, Naim, Quad et al were names to conjure with. Most of the Japanese equipment was derided as junk, fit for the vast uneducated masses, seduced by bright LEDs, sound degrading tone controls and horror of horrors, graphic equalizers!

I had been seriously considering buying an Arcam from the Diva or FMJ series or a Cambridge Audio Azur 840A V2.0. Will a Sansui AU-D11 really beat them hollow in terms of sound quality and musicality? Will it also beat a McCormack DNA series pre and power combination? Is it difficult to partner in terms of loudspeaker matching?

Regards.

 

[jls001]

And one the topic of best sansui amps ...yeah D11 and au717 are great
But AU-20000 and AU-X1/ X11 /X111 / X1111 are in another league.

i was all set on a deal with an Australian guy who was selling his serviced AU-X11 , sadly he backed out

AU-X1 had a nasty reputation for blowing up its MOSFET transistors though it was top of the heaps from Sansui when it came out. Great amp, but best to stay away from it.

 

[strategy]

X11 was improved X1, utilized the same architecture . apparently the mosfet problem was fixed in the X11 /111/1111
x11 came 3 years later.