Sansui S-X1130 receiver with multi-system AM Stereo

[@vwestlife]

Australia introduced AM Stereo in 1985, and some stations still transmit it today. Australia chose C-Quam as the single standard right from the start, although over in New Zealand there was at least one station which used the Harris system for a while.

[@elektroqtus]

Ironically Harris system used CQUAM decoder chips to receive theirs as well. Harris am stereo generators converted to 25Hz pilot still sounded better than the native CQUAM generator. There seemed to be problems keeping am stereo going for some reason. Perhaps lightning 🌩or something else.

[@shenghe9876]

4WK is the only station in Australia that's still broadcasting in AM stereo. 4BC and 2CA have stopped broadcasting in stereo a couple of years ago.

[@shenghe9876]

Some stations in Australia did use the Harris system, but it could have been modified to be compatible with the Motorola C-QUAM system.

[@mikeh497]

@@shenghe9876 Dab+ is also a big fail.

[@roberthansen2008]

That thing looks like it was well taken care of. I don't know if you still have it but I'm just now seeing your video.

[@Selrisitai]

"Is that bongo rock?" He asked aloud to himself. I grinned. It _did_ sound like rock with bongos. I clicked my music detector application which checked the audio for 8 seconds and then flashed on the screen above the name of the song: "Bongo Rock by Preston Epps" I frowned, disappointed. "Oh, he just knew the song. He wasn't making a whimsical suggestion at a new genre of music based upon an impression of an unknown song."

[@Halterung01]

Man, gotta love Sansui equipment

[@shkeni]

What a monster! Love that humongous volume knob.

[@bills5271]

A buddy had that receiver had two tape decks turntable and vcr hooked into it so he could play the audio over his big speakers. And it goes to 11 he would say. It would shake the windows .

[@g.d.1722]

Thanks for the detailed overview of this uncommon beast! I just might buy one.

[@LakeNipissing]

Very nice receiver. I have a Sony STR-AV570 which has the AM Stereo/Mono, IF Wide/Narrow AND FM Stereo/Mono, IF Wide/Narrow, FM Antenna A/B Switch... The features they packed into these 1980s receivers were excellent. Top power consumption I have seen so far is Hitachi SR-2004 at 1130 W.

[@Appleboy78165]

That thing is a beast! Also I have those exact same JBL speakers in my room. They sound pretty good for their size!

[@JoshuasRecordings]

I like that thing! The level meter, and the way the display is set out!

[@sosonic12000]

Awesome amp and contrary to 1970’s being best of Sansui this amp is exceptional quality.

[@joaoacast]

Hi! Thanks so much for such good reviews. Here in Rio de Janeiro, ;Brazil things like old still working audio are getting overpriced.

[@TheTacticalMess]

Had one of these handed down to me. Despite being a casual listener, my dad sure knew good quality equipment when he saw it. And let me tell ya, this thing is pure POWER.

[@rynecjohnston]

Thanks to you I just discovered a new favorite song: "The News from Spain" by Al Stewart.

[@macdonelldouglas]

One of my favorite reciever but I have its little brother same year 1984 sansui sxv1000 but I want this one also great sound powerful sansui beautiful engineering that era.

[@alexanderverbeek95]

That's one hell of an epic receiver!

[@frazzleface753]

That thing is the Boss of receivers

[@NJRoadfan]

My 1987 Pioneer VSX-2000 still uses the VDP label despite CED being long dead and Pioneer backing Laserdisc. A shame that the video inputs require a separate switch, the VSX-2000 treats them as another audio input unless you turn on the video side of the receiver. Sansui tuners and VFDs don't seem to be aging well. I have my fair share of display and tuning issues on the TU-D99AMX, but percussive maintenance from time to time seems to fix the problems!

[@vwestlife]

The FCC initially was going to choose Magnavox as the single standard for AM Stereo, but they discovered a flaw in the scoring of the tests. They reportedly were going to then choose Harris as the standard instead, but after many complaints (mostly from Leonard Kahn) the FCC decided to go with the disastrous "let the marketplace decide" approach. As of June 1985 there were only five stations in the USA transmitting Magnavox AM Stereo (including 1190 WOWO).

[@elektroqtus]

I've actually heard WOWO in am stereo!!! From Houston Texas!! Here we had 2 Harris, 2Kahn, and 2 local CQUAM. KLVI 560 used to play country music so they got a CQUAM. It was really taking off for a bit. Then the dx. WLS, KFAB, KVOO, (also Harris). Once heard a classical channel from New York with Kahn. KSL, WHAS, if I keep going as I remember them, probably gonna stumble on your home town, by radio of course. Lol. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@wilkes85]

WHOA! that is one high tech receiver! Very impressive. And even though it's got a TONNE of features, it looks like it would be very easy to figure out how to use without an owner's manual. It sounds incredible too, but I'm sure your camera doesn't do it justice...

[@elektroqtus]

They are more stunning in person.

[@vwestlife]

I'd need to hire an assistant just to haul the S-X1130 around for me -- it weighs over 50 pounds!

[@jefferyclark2340]

oh really? looks like it weighs 30 pounds.

[@elektroqtus]

That thing is 50lbs. One of the guys in my army unit had one. 1017 am in Germany with their phase modulation rtty would pop the stereo in and out randomly. Good strong amplifier as well. Carver tx11 was another great tuner.

[@vwestlife]

The S-X1130 has better AM performance than my TU-S77AMX -- the sensitivity is good even with just the loop antenna, and only the very weakest of signals are muted. It should also do well on FM once I either fix the muting or disable it entirely.

[@DrCassette]

This is a very cool receiver. The malfunctioning segment of the display, that might really be a bad soldering joint. Sure looks that way. The "VDP" term was still used after the end of the CED - my 1987 Fisher amplifier still uses it, and so does my 1992 Onkyo receiver. I guess producers simply wouldn't be allowed to use the "Laserdisc" term.

[@vwestlife]

There is no one perfect tuner, but the S-X1130 is a pretty good compromise. The JC Penney MCS-3050 has the best sensitivity and selectivity (an excellent DXing tuner!), while the Denon TU-680NAB has the best audio quality. If you want both, the Sansui and the Carver TX-11a/b come the closest to covering all the bases -- although the Carver tunes the Expanded Band while the Sansui does not (it only goes up to 1600 kHz -- not even 1610!).

[@elektroqtus]

The Sony srf-a100 isn't an expanded tuning radio by default. WD 40 can help with this issue. Spray on your tuning capacitor box, give it a month or so, am now tuning 500Khz to 1790Khz or so. Fm from 86Mhz to 110Mhz. And you don't need a pilot to unlock stereo mode. Just tune center of channel. Also can be used as stereo decoder from a decent stable car radio. I did tons of am stereo experiments. Even transmission to myself at 1 watt in shortwave band.

[@EastAngliaUK]

It looks really decent would have been so cool to own one back in the 80s but even today I would still hang on to it and not sell one.

[@vwestlife]

WCTC has been a talk station since the early '90s. They tried Oldies music from July 2008 to February 2011 but the ratings were not as good as they had hoped, so they went back to the talk format.

[@m134mr]

my goodness - this looks to be the best reciever i've seen - could anyone ask for more? so many features :)

[@PileOfEmptyTapes]

That's an extremely impressive unit and worthy of the Sansui brand for sure. An Onkyo TX-85 also offers both FM bandwidth selection and phono MM/MC, but it's "only" 80 wpc! (And a featherweight at a mere 33 lbs / 15 kg.) The 100 wpc TX-108 had a more basic FM receiver section with a fixed bandwidth - definitely built to a price. I wonder what the Sansui cost back in the day, must have been an arm and a leg...

[@PC4USE1]

In the 1980s that system would have been my audio/video dream. Still impressive in 2019.

[@sosonic12000]

Run mine on JBL lx66 towers and knocks you off the chair bass. Mids 6:42 are sweet and highs are amazing snare drums jazz rock reggae etc amazing 🤩❤

[@Lachlant1984]

I think AM Stereo was once available here in Australia, but I've certainly not used an AM Stereo receiver before, although I think a friend of mine had one of those 'music centres' with a dual tape deck and I think there was an AM Stereo light on the front panel. I don't know if AM Stereo still broadcasts here anymore, but I don't think so, and I don't know why.

[@LakeNipissing]

At 4:56 The STEREO indicator came on briefly. Maybe 1250 AM was not mono after all, just weak signal?

[@vwestlife]

No, that was just "falsing" (a false indication of stereo).

[@dattallaudiophile236]

Beautiful!

[@timramich]

I think I'm gonna pick up something like the S-X700.

[@vwestlife]

No, 1250 WMTR has not transmitted in AM Stereo since 1999.

[@WaybackTECH]

Do you still happen to have this receiver?

[@vwestlife]

Yes.

[@WaybackTECH]

+vwestlife I just got one of these myself. Mine has a couple issues that I am not sure if it is just the way these things were made, or if there is a problem in the circuit somewhere. So I wanted to ask you, does yours have an unbalance in the channels when the volume is below 1 and pretty much is gone by the time it gets up to 2 or 3? The left channel seems a bit stronger, and it is pre-amp, not the power amp or the jumper cables, I tested that before I did a tear down. I am thinking the volume pot is the source of the unbalance at low volume level, but even at 0 I can still hear a faint amount of audio coming through the left channel. Also when I first got this thing a couple days ago, I noticed all sources bled through to the VIDEO source. After tearing the receiver down and going through the really horrible service manual, the thought came to me the reason might be because of the video/audio fade, which turned out to be true, and also the mixer adjustment as well. With both in the middle as yours is show in the video, the most that would happen was the Tuner or other sources would not be completely muted, about half volume I would say, and there was mixing of the 2 audio sources. I am just wondering if you noticed these little things with yours or not. I also had to fiddle with the tuning coils and vr's to get the tuner on AM and FM working properly, and there is one vr in there that controls the muting sensitivity as well, if you haven't tried fixing that, it is pretty easy.

[@vwestlife]

I have not investigated mine that deeply. You have to remember, these receivers are 30+ years old, and components like resistors and capacitors do drift off value over time.

[@WaybackTECH]

vwestlife dried or aged caps and resistors, possibly a diode were my first thoughts as well. in my possibly futile attempt to track down the video source issue, as I think now there is no such problem, I checked all of the caps on the selector board inside of the receiver which all sources feed into, and they were all spot on to their rated uf. since it is all elna and nichicon caps in this receiver, I couldn't say I was completely surprised, but that of course doesn't mean that is the case with all of them. I feel like the audio mixer is working as it should be, but I would need a owners manual to be sure. You and one other person are the only 2 that did any kind of demo of this unit, so that is all I have to go on to compare with. I didn't notice these little things till I started testing everything and listening to the unit at very low volume. I know that volume pots are notorious for not being balanced very well, just the nature of the pot, and it shows up at low volume levels, but I did test the output side of the pot and both channels had equal resistance across the sweep. I am probably just nit picking right now about the volume imbalance. Anyway, thanks for your reply. I appreciate it!

[@RetroGamerVX]

Wow, the complexity of 80s stuff, I've just picked up and restored an 80s video camera and it's no less complex lol (video coming up in the next week or so) :o)

[@traxonwax]

Glad to see you're still. Does NGA the AM Stereo demos.

[@SebisRandomTech]

That right there is what I call a receiver! Looks like it cost an arm and a leg back in the day!

[@elektroqtus]

They did

[@1Soniccool]

@vwestlife this one does video cool and AM Stereo is like FM Stereo but AM is a low frequency and FM a high frequency Fm sounds better but AM sound a bit like an old TV. Theres HD Radio AM and FM but they run on a SAT just like Dish Network and DirectTV

[@jayrogers8255]

Nicholas, HD is not on satellite. It rides outside the analog bandwidth on both sidebands on A.M. & F.M.. I don't understand what you mean that A.M. sounds like an old T.V.

[@justaguy9224]

I think the guy just confused HD Radio with Sirius XM.

[@newtonbrito1072]

Gostei maravilhoso receiver sansui também gosto dessa marca gosto também da pioneer da yamaha da technics.

[@pianocrisante90]

It would be interesting to know how the 9KHz works on that receiver. You could have done a demonstration of it.

[@elektroqtus]

I got your back on the 9Khz setting. Guy in my army unit in Germany had one. It did 9 or 10. Ironically, 1017 am had rtty phase modulated channel. His radio would always try to stereo decode this. My Sony SRF-A100 had no problem hearing them. They didn't have any wideband anything for am radio in Europe at the time. My question is this. With 1017 being at a whopping 600KW, (!!!), who were they transmitting rtty to?!??? Was also the last year of the cold war.

[@SuperRbueno]

Is it good to listen in a PHONO mode ?

[@Selrisitai]

What's "Phono" mode, anyway? My receiver has one of those.

[@vwestlife]

Next to Australia.

[@lmull3]

my god, that thing is a powerhouse. i so want one :P

[@dalton6439]

I have this exact one I found at the dump 15 years ago and use it regularly, the display stopped working.. any suggestions where to start troubleshooting?

[@xxwimsleezyxx2161]

DrInduction power supply n check capacitors

[@sosonic12000]

May require lcd replacement

[@leostechnikkanal]

Can you use the video inputs as audio inputs only (will the audio come out of the record out as well )?

[@vwestlife]

Yes.

[@pianocrisante90]

I just can't believe it, every station begins with the letter "W."

[@vwestlife]

Omar Crisante Aside from a handful of exceptions, in the USA, every radio and TV station East of the Mississippi River has call letters beginning with W, and stations West of the Mississippi have call letters beginning with K.

[@pianocrisante90]

I wrote a comment to you last week about how you have mentioned the AM switch between 9 KHz and 10 KHz, You should have done a demostration on how the 9 KHz sounds on the AM tuner.

[@vwestlife]

Omar Crisante It wouldn't sound any different. Since this is an American model, the adjacent channel carrier whistle filter is set to 10 kHz, regardless if you have the tuning step set to 10 or 9 kHz. (Likewise if you had a European or Australian model, its filter would be set to 9 kHz regardless of which tuning step you have selected.)

[@fmbroadcast]

WoW, I want one !!!! I would love to have such nice reciver. Does it do also FM ?

[@sosonic12000]

Yes fm also

[@jrg121]

AWESOME RECEIVER

[@billybobjoe299]

hey! what model are those jbls. if there the flix II i have them. btw, nice sansui.

[@jefferyclark2340]

can you hook this up to a vcr? because i have a vcr from 1986 (not top loading).

[@vwestlife]

Yes, it is an A/V (Audio/Video) receiver.

[@jefferyclark2340]

@@vwestlife ok

[@KrisisVal]

Ah yes, this one goes to 20, it's like when you have it turned to 19 but you need a little more oopmh, so now you can turn it to 20!

[@billybonewhacker]

You mean they're still broadcasting in those formats even though most people don't have the proper receiver?

[@vwestlife]

No, since 1994, only C-Quam AM Stereo is allowed. Even though it is based on Kahn AM Stereo technology, Kahn Power-Side is not considered to be a stereo broadcasting method, because it only transmits mono audio, therefore it is allowed.

[@pianocrisante90]

If I was to buy it off you, how much would it cost?

[@pianocrisante90]

What is the AM frequency range on that receiver?

[@vwestlife]

Omar Crisante 530 to 1620 kHz, I believe.

[@pianocrisante90]

vwestlife Does that mean that if a radio station is broadcasting on a frequency that is not within the AM range, I won't be able to pick it up on that receiver. Because I recently bought a radio in which the frequency range on the AM band goes from AM 522 to 1710 kHz, so therefore I am also able to pick up the off-band stations. My car's AM radio goes from AM 522 to 1620 kHz. If I ever get a chance I will try to do a video of it.

[@vwestlife]

Omar Crisante The AM/MW band was expanded in the 1990s to include extra channels up to 1710 kHz. Older radios made before then usually do not tune in those extra channels.

[@caragroves7196]

Where do you put your stuff that you get you must have a very big house for all of your stuff

[@vwestlife]

I don't keep everything.

[@pianocrisante90]

What is the name of the station on AM 1280 kHz?

[@vwestlife]

Omar Crisante WADO

[@hughjanus6975]

I have one. It sounds great but makes LOUD pops almost every day and it only gets worse. It definitely needs to be serviced. Is anyone else is experiencing this issue?

[@traxonwax]

Am is still best for oldies when it's done right. My pioneer AV receiver sounds like crap on AM. If I could, I would patch my old GE clock radio into it to get a better AM sound.

[@SamuraiClinton]

YEAH! JUST AWESOME!!! But you can get far more features for less price on newer AV receiver hardware that is 1/10 the height, of which is the newer standard of home theatre experiences.

[@MrVinamp]

Bongo Rock!!! I love it ;-)

[@Zito057]

I have one. S-X1100.

[@fjockey1]

WMTR would be a great candidate for AM Stereo... If you could talk any sense into Beasley.

[@vwestlife]

They used to transmit in AM Stereo, back in the '80s and '90s.

[@steadfastcoward]

That was my most droolworthy want back then but I never had that kind of money Just bought an RZ-9500AV today though, that will be really nice once I get some midsize speakers rebuilt. Don't think you could get much better AM sound if you had a broadcast monitor, and the AMAX Walkman was a disappointment to me, made in Malaysia and the tuning knob was beyond flaky. Only time I took a Sony back for a full refund instead of a replacement. We only have ONE music AM around here now and it's a simulcast of their FM oldies signall.

[@lacrossewieas2411]

I need a am stereo

[@axlrose7668]

That's one big calculator

[@hughjanus6975]

Damn I wish mine never took a shit.

[@cnmathias5187]

I want one

[@sosonic12000]

Au 9500 is better if you wanna cut to the chase

[@compaqtest10kia7]

japan made japan product

[@IamFat32]

dammit, youtubes stupid new layout made me accidently unsubscribe, so I had to re-subscribe. they should make it so that the subscribed button doesn't turn into unsubscribe when you mouse over it.