Sansui 9090DB

[icarian]

Hello all,
my dad has a sansui 9090DB that has a faulty channel, cuts out randomly, i am under the impression that this is a pretty good reciever. anyways i was wondering if this would be worth fixing/upgrading and if so where should i be looking to get this done. i live in southern california if anyone knows of a place around here. any help would be appreciated, thanks

[Mr Peabody]

If the problem comes and goes, it could be just a bad solder joint. That unit is 125 wpc into 8 ohms and people wrote good things about it in the reviews here, so I'd say it's worth getting fixed. I also have a vintage Sansui integrated that amazed me with it's sound, I have no doubt that they have other good stuff out there.

[icarian]

thanks for the response, i was talking to my dad and i think we are going to open it up and see if we can find the problem

[stuwee20]

Hello, nice rig there, audiokarma.com has a lot of very well recomended techs, not sure where the Sansui guys live, that is one heavy piece to ship, it is worth saving and when one of the recomended guys fixes it you or your Dad will be jammin' to a very nice monster receiver, good luck and save that beast!!

Peace Craig

[ELBRAVO]

Hello: I own a SANSUI G-9000 DB and it cranks! I suggest you read the UPS and FEDEX guidelines on shipping, especially when it is very heavy like the G 9000 DB. Take your time in the packaging and Engineer the Packaging like the guidelines recommend, you may want to incorporate the recommended Double Box system before you consider shipping. This is the way I was taught by an old timer. You can use it if you like, or you can take it to the shipping company that has a packaging service. Some of the people in the shipping companies can’t even lift one of my receivers, so often it starts getting banged up before it gets in the truck. First, make sure you insure your package.
Read the guidelines on shipping and then make your choice on materials etc.
I custom engineer my packages and most of the time I try to use the one inch thick Home Styrofoam Insulation. I can keep the weight down by gluing strips wide strips of the one inch thick Home Styrofoam Insulation in between two pieces of Card Board cut to fit the exact measurements, thus creating a sandwich type barrier between the inner box and the outer box. You will find that the two materials are often used this way in packaging fine furniture, electronic components etc. If you can find some one that just bought a new refrigerator you will find that it has hard formed hollow angles of cardboard you can use on the edges. A hack saw is needed to cut through this stuff. This will protect the inside corners of the outer box. I often use this system in-between the inner box and the outer box on all sides including the top & bottom. The inner box can use a similar sandwich type system without the refrigerator material reinforcement, but I always wrap the unit in bubble wrap creating a good cushion type effect. By following the shipping guidelines, if something were to God Forbid happen, an Claims Inspector may come by the location you shipped it to, because of course you will have this insured and take pictures of your packaging. Once they see you followed their guidelines, it will make it easier on cashing in on a claim. I hope this helps. Always take extra caution with Vintage equipment; too many good units have been ruined by poor packaging and bad handling by the shipping companies. You must protect your investment and our Vintage Audio History so that our grandchildren will be able to listen to great sound. And remember, Enjoy the Music!
Rocky

[JDaniel]

I have a 9090db, and it's the centerpiece of my 2-channel system. It is a beast of the receivers, and is a pleasure to listen to. I had mine refurbed by a very good tech last year.

On any vintage amp/receiver, many things can happen. Most can benefit from having the caps replaced, as they leak over time (and a 9090 is pushing 30+ years). Also, most of the pots/switched become dirty, and can benefit from a cleaning and lubing with DeOxit.

A good tech can do all that and more (check solder joints, align the tuner, adjust the dc offset etc.).

It is definitely one of the 70s receivers worth repairing.

JD

[Billybob1]

I had the same problem with mine. I got some good electronic contact cleaner and took the cover off the bottom and doused the volume control and all other contacts I could see, even partially see, with the nozzle tip on the sprayer. Gotta get into the small holes to clean the contacts. I had to clean those in the "DB" section too. They were causin me trouble too.....
Good Luck! Great amp. Super clean low bass.

[Lasminit]

As you are hearing, the 9090DB is a great receiver. People might debate which receiver was the greatest of the Seventies, but the 9090DB should always make the Top Ten List. Cleaning the pots is always the first step, and really could solve your problem. These receivers generally benefit from recapping the power supply board at this point (mine was built in 1977) because there is more heat related stress there.
Cutting out could also be symptomatic of carbon buildup on the protection relay. Bottom line: these receivers sound great and are well worth keeping alive. If you need a Tech in Southern Cal, I would suggest Fred Longworth in San Diego (his shop is Classic Audio Repair). They have a website: repairaudio.com.

I hope that helps!

[squidboyw]

I have also heard good things concerning Fred Longworth. Who ever you decide to send it to, I would contact them as soon as possible. I have had several pieces done, and the wait queue, for the good techs, is often at least a year.