[ancientfire]

  I have followed this thread for some time. I recently just purchased a Sansui 9090 functioning but in need of some TLC. As this is my first foray into the vintage world I would appreciate any suggestions who I might consider to attempt to restore this to its past glory.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[micmacmo]

I'd head over to audiokarma.org. There are a lot of vintage amp restorers there. With a unit that old, I think you'll need to replace the capacitors and clean the pots and switches with some Deoxit. And congratulations on the score!

 

[Spareribs]

Keep in mind that it can get expensive. I paid about $300 a few years ago to get a vintage Marantz receiver cleaned up a little and inspected. However, these old receivers are nice units so it's worth it IMO.

 

[ancientfire]

Thanks, I will give audiokarma a try.

 

[ancientfire]

Yes I know it will cost as all things audio seem to, however I am already amazed at what I hear of the headphone output just as it is. Looking forward to having it returned to it's former glory.

 

[buson160man]

 
Yes I know it will cost as all things audio seem to, however I am already amazed at what I hear of the headphone output just as it is. Looking forward to having it returned to it's former glory.

 I like you have recently joined the brotherhood of vintage receiver owners. I was looking at old receivers about a month ago and saw a 9090 sansuii in one of the shops along with a pioneer 1050 at least I thought that was the model number. They both looked very nice but the shop was so crowded  with equipment that the proprietor was kind of iffy about letting me audition them with my lcd2s. He wanted me take his word that the receivers worked ok. One thing though when I inquired if the units had been recapped he questioned that process claiming it did not make a difference. After that statement I was pretty much gone from that shop. But the 9090 does look pretty nice.
  I myself came across a used but recently recapped concept 16.5 receiver which after reading about it was  a top of the line house brand receiver sold by pacific stereo back in the late seventies. I gave the unit a listen a couple of weeks ago and it really sounded promising. I decided after some internet research to break down and  buy it. After about two weeks I am getting a handle on the concepts performance and that performance is definitely turning out to be top shelf performance. I have never heard my lcd2 v2s sound this good before. I have heard some modern top shelf units and none of them can come close to the powerful presentation this receiver produces on the end of the lcd2 v2s.
   I am at this point very satisfied with my audeze phones. I am now hearing what my thousand dollars bought for the first time. And that is a huge amount of performance.
   I do not know what a recap costs these days fortunately my unit was already recapped I would definitely investigate the avenue of recapping your 9090. From reading other blurbs about recapping you might and probably should recap with the best caps you can afford.
Maybe some nichicon high grade caps. maybe some elna cerafine or simac caps. You might want to check out some mondorf high voltage caps in the power supply. I say go for it and happy listening I am sure you will not be disappointed.

 

[ancientfire]

Thanks for the feedback. I have located two shops in Central Calif. and another in Eugene, Oregon. The one in Oregon restores only Sansui. I am expecting a return call from them next week. Will likely go with them. Your information will be helpful, Thanks again 

 

[micmacmo]

Good luck, ancientfire!

 

[buson160man]

  Good luck, ancientfire!

Ditto from me.