Help connecting speakers to my Sansui 8000

[Jose F. Clark]

Maybe I'm missing something, but in Wayne's response that I was replying to, I was envisioning at least two amps involved (one of which could be the Sansui). I agree with what you are saying if he just wants to tap into the pre-out for his sub.

Hi Kurt, this is what I have

I never used, nor do I understand these connection's purpose and/or use. Might you elaborate? Both on using them to connect a subwoofer and/or another amp?

 

[KEW]

Hi Kurt, this is what I have
View attachment 15769 I never used, nor do I understand these connection's purpose and/or use. Might you elaborate? Both on using them to connect a subwoofer and/or another amp?

Jose,
I am out of my depth. I do not understand what capacitor coupled would mean, nor have I ever separated the amp and pre on my Sansui (which has the same switch).

This site offers a service manual for your receiver:
http://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/sansui/g-8000.shtm

It is free, but you have to register with them.
They do not have an owners manual for your model, but they do for my AU-717 which has the same setup as yours. I'm sure the instructions are the same. So you could download it (or maybe another Sansui receiver owners manual that is close to yours)
One thing is that the switch on mine is below the connections where it is above them on yours, so don't let that trip you up.

As I understand it, Direct allows DC signals and Capacitor protects your speakers from DC inputs. So if you used a Sansui pre-amp from the time, you would go with direct, but if you use a modern Pre which could have loose DC signals, you want to use the Capacitor setting.

Hopefully someone with more electronic background will confirm this as making sense, because I am uncertain.

 

[markw]

Not having the manual, I 'll say that the pre amp and power amp are internally joined so you may not need that M/M/F jumper I referenced earlier.

I'll also venture a guess that the "pre Amp" output is live at all times. You should be able to safely run an interconnect pair directly to the line level inputs of the subwoofer.

If it doesn't send a signal to the subwoofer, then you'll need to remove that metal link, move that switch to the 1 or 2 position, and use a pair of those aforementioned jumpers. I don't think direct or capacitor coupled will make much difference. In either case, you should be safe.

But, you might want to get the manual, just in case.

 

[KEW]

Hi Kurt, this is what I have
View attachment 15769 I never used, nor do I understand these connection's purpose and/or use. Might you elaborate? Both on using them to connect a subwoofer and/or another amp?

Below are the relevant pages from the manual for the AU-717. Note that the Switch is below the connections on the AU-717 and above on your unit (in your photo).
Using your G8000 as pre, I believe you would select Direct. Otherwise, you'd want to use Capacitor coupled (unless you were using a preamp designed as a DC component), but that is more guesswork than I like.

I have never used this feature and admit this is getting out of my depth. There are others with better electronic background (including Wayne and Mark).

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[WaynePflughaupt]

Now, I lost the amp's user manual a long time ago and through the years, I never had reason to use the Preamp - Power Amp options. I would like some info about those 2 connections: what's the differnce between the two - what's the max load and/or impedance they support?

There is no “load or impedance” issue with these jacks. That’s only related to speakers connected to amplifiers.

A bit of background, any receiver is comprised of three sections: The tuner, the pre amp, and the amplifier. The tuner should be self explanatory. The amplifier, naturally, is the section that the speakers connect to, that amplifies the low-level signal from the various components.

The pre amp is the section where all the outboard components plug in, and it also has the tone and balance controls, loudness, subsonic filters, etc. If you look up “stereo pre amp” on the internet you’ll find pictures of pre amps, and you’ll notice that their front panels have all the familiar controls, and rear panels have all the input jacks. Also included is a pair of output jacks, typically labeled “pre out” or “main out,” where you would connect the pre amp to an outboard amplifier.

With most receivers, the pre amp and amplifier are connected internally. However, a few have jacks like your Sansui does, which allow separate access to the amp and pre-amp sections. The jacks on your Sansui labeled “Pre amp out” have the same function as the main-out jacks on a stand-alone pre-amp discussed above. The jacks labeled “Power amp in” have the same function as those you would find on a stand-alone amplifier.

Basically the jacks allow you to bypass the Sansui’s internal amplifier if you wanted to use an outboard amplifier. However, in your case you could use a pair of “y” splitters that would jump between the pre-out and main-in jacks. That would allow you to connect two pairs of speakers to the Sansui, as you have been, and at the same time provide a “tap” to feed an outboard amplifier(s) that you could connect all those extra speakers to. Make sense?

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Jose F. Clark]

There is no “load or impedance” issue with these jacks. That’s only related to speakers connected to amplifiers.

A bit of background, any receiver is comprised of three sections: The tuner, the pre amp, and the amplifier. The tuner should be self explanatory. The amplifier, naturally, is the section that the speakers connect to, that amplifies the low-level signal from the various components.

The pre amp is the section where all the outboard components plug in, and it also has the tone and balance controls, loudness, subsonic filters, etc. If you look up “stereo pre amp” on the internet you’ll find pictures of pre amps, and you’ll notice that their front panels have all the familiar controls, and rear panels have all the input jacks. Also included is a pair of output jacks, typically labeled “pre out” or “main out,” where you would connect the pre amp to an outboard amplifier.

With most receivers, the pre amp and amplifier are connected internally. However, a few have jacks like your Sansui does, which allow separate access to the amp and pre-amp sections. The jacks on your Sansui labeled “Pre amp out” have the same function as the main-out jacks on a stand-alone pre-amp discussed above. The jacks labeled “Power amp in” have the same function as those you would find on a stand-alone amplifier.

Basically the jacks allow you to bypass the Sansui’s internal amplifier if you wanted to use an outboard amplifier. However, in your case you could use a pair of “y” splitters that would jump between the pre-out and main-in jacks. That would allow you to connect two pairs of speakers to the Sansui, as you have been, and at the same time provide a “tap” to feed an outboard amplifier(s) that you could connect all those extra speakers to. Make sense?

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Thank you so much Wayne - I really appreciate your explanations. I'm attaching a better "schematic" of how my "sacrificial" setup is connected now, but I do have a question about your last entry: Supposedly, if I want to use the Pre Amp outlets, I have to disconnect them from the internal amplifier section? Might I assume the internal amplifier section remains internally connected to the pre amp, otherwise the internal amplifier circuits would not have a signal to process/amplify?