( 
)Sanyo JA-222 integrated amplifier and JT-222L parasitic radio tuner 
Sanyo is better known in North America today as a 'sleeper' when it comes to used Stereo FM radio tuners, particularly for rebuilding and upgrading of the delightfully 'cheap' components inside. In the late 1970s at their peak of quality, Sanyo pioneered Solid State 'tube sound' in domestic audiophile amplifiers, offering a switchable slew rate. This guide illustrates why the Sanyo JA 222 amplifier and its tuner (or in the USA the 240 and 20 rather than 222) were highly regarded in the UK, looking via its design features (73db S/N on phono) at what to look for in other Ebay amplifiers, when it comes to sound quality and perhaps getting a 'tube-like' sound from Solid State!
Sanyo is better known in North America today as a 'sleeper' when it comes to used Stereo FM radio tuners, particularly for rebuilding and upgrading of the delightfully 'cheap' components inside. In the late 1970s at their peak of quality, Sanyo pioneered Solid State 'tube sound' in domestic audiophile amplifiers, offering a switchable slew rate. This guide illustrates why the Sanyo JA 222 amplifier and its tuner (or in the USA the 240 and 20 rather than 222) were highly regarded in the UK, looking via its design features (73db S/N on phono) at what to look for in other Ebay amplifiers, when it comes to sound quality and perhaps getting a 'tube-like' sound from Solid State!
This is no joke, these sets have a good sound all things considered. They travel real well through compact light dimensions and with a sensitive loudspeaker they're better than a boombox or radio. Some folks think they're not going to buy stuff like this from Ebay. Black Fisher 'Studio Quality' series are these SANYO sets in a stylish wrap, even the cassette decks make a good sound - although the machines inside are lightweight and truly simple! Don't be surprised if you get zero bids on these, I mean if you want to sell, start the auction really low! But these are great with E.M.I. 319 or a rebuilt REALISTIC Minimus-7. E.M.I. 319 sound about 30 x better than rebuilt Minimus-7 with a Sanyo JA-222. The Rebuilt 7 will need Loudness on, but the 319 will need no Loudness or tone boost for superb N.F.M. studio monitor use! So the E.M.I. 319 is worth work if you need a fairly compact studio monitor box for your single-ended tube amplifier.
REQUIREMENTS OF SOLID STATE 'TUBE SOUND'
U.S. market Sanyo DCA 650 switchable slew rate stereo amplifierwCw!3M~$(KGrHqMH-EMEquj!V8QNBK)PtmEtYg~~_2.JPG)
A simple circuit with a minimum of components - possibly avoiding Integrated Circuits, although some Hitachi and Toshiba output chips are excellent. Simpler circuits always sound better and make the best 'cheap' bargains to upgrade. Although the Technics SU-Z2 is given as a good amplifier project to begin with, the Sanyo JA-222, in the U.S. Market is less flashy than some American Sanyo also more complex. The Sanyo JA-222 has no long speaker wire coils, these are present in the output stage of a great many amplifiers including the Technics SU-Z2 and needlessly degrade sound quality - unless you are running long wires to speakers far from the amplifier. The Sanyo JA-222 doesn't have any long wire coils, so for 'usual use' sound quality is improved - like ER no end! The American Market Sanyo switchable slew rate amplifier was a bit of a con because, at the time, Sanyo engineers knew fast slew rate amplifiers, so highly rated in magazine reviews, required complex circuits that degraded sound, tube amps had a slower slew rate!
The gray finish JA-222 with its basic useful functions
The poor man's British Q.U.A.D. 'Quality Unit Amplifier Domestic' looks of the Sanyo 222 system is no accident, for here is real retro amplifier design from the 1980s. Q.U.A.D. audio is responsible for the parasitic tuner idea and this ruined many QUAD II mains transformers, but in the Sanyo 222 we see the best of the old idea that noise from the power supply is best kept out of the tuner box. In the pic below the circular ceramic disc capacitors would be replaced with styrene types and the resistors with Metal Film types. The trouble with the FM tuner on this unit is station drift and very tight stations, narrow as to be like tuning the Short Wave!
REQUIREMENTS OF SOLID STATE 'TUBE SOUND'
U.S. market Sanyo DCA 650 switchable slew rate stereo amplifier
A simple circuit with a minimum of components - possibly avoiding Integrated Circuits, although some Hitachi and Toshiba output chips are excellent. Simpler circuits always sound better and make the best 'cheap' bargains to upgrade. Although the Technics SU-Z2 is given as a good amplifier project to begin with, the Sanyo JA-222, in the U.S. Market is less flashy than some American Sanyo also more complex. The Sanyo JA-222 has no long speaker wire coils, these are present in the output stage of a great many amplifiers including the Technics SU-Z2 and needlessly degrade sound quality - unless you are running long wires to speakers far from the amplifier. The Sanyo JA-222 doesn't have any long wire coils, so for 'usual use' sound quality is improved - like ER no end! The American Market Sanyo switchable slew rate amplifier was a bit of a con because, at the time, Sanyo engineers knew fast slew rate amplifiers, so highly rated in magazine reviews, required complex circuits that degraded sound, tube amps had a slower slew rate!
The gray finish JA-222 with its basic useful functions
The poor man's British Q.U.A.D. 'Quality Unit Amplifier Domestic' looks of the Sanyo 222 system is no accident, for here is real retro amplifier design from the 1980s. Q.U.A.D. audio is responsible for the parasitic tuner idea and this ruined many QUAD II mains transformers, but in the Sanyo 222 we see the best of the old idea that noise from the power supply is best kept out of the tuner box. In the pic below the circular ceramic disc capacitors would be replaced with styrene types and the resistors with Metal Film types. The trouble with the FM tuner on this unit is station drift and very tight stations, narrow as to be like tuning the Short Wave!
There are a group of tuner rebuilders that prefer sets with no Quartz lock, as the SANYO JT-222, has a valve-like tuner sound, quite remarkable for classical music and meant to be used with an outdoor 75-ohm aerial. But apart from such narrow FM station positions, the tuner is less good at the 'fake' stereo of the Quartz type sets. These Quartz and PLL sets have a nice stereo sound but one that cannot be called tube-like. With no knowledge of the SANYO, a Sansui T80 would probably sound very impressive on stereo with its noise canceller, and tuning with its digitron readout and accurate signal strength meter are a pleasure compared to the SANYO, but Sansui T80 totally lacks tube-like realism! The SANYO 222 is based on their early SANYO Music Centers with an almost unique sound, people ought to hear to believe! Though the brand later specialised in very low cost, poor quality goods, it was once cool and not very 'cheap'! The tube-like sound comes from simplicity. Station drift may improve with tighter lower noise resistors.
People would never guess how lucky they were with REALISTIC receivers keeping stations on center, even without Auto Magic, PLL or Quartz lock. They never know just how good the big Shack receiver tone is beside these basic sets, but for the after market rebuild project, sets like the JA-222 have a certain appeal, being easy to upgrade. A certain type of Boffin upgrades these simple amplifiers, in the belief that great things are possible. A manual for the JA 240 is available on Ebay.
All transistor pre-amplifier and power amplifier of the JA-222
This is what harman/kardon would call a discrete audio amplifier according to Mattia Otala who thought transitors used instead of Integrated Circuits offered the best sound quality, this isn't a harman/kardon and an integrated circuit can be found in the phono stage. The vinyl record collector is probably better to use a discrete phono stage but the integrated circuit has some advantages, it's compact and the solder doesn't fail in a chip the way it affects discrete circuits. But it cannot be improved by adding as many better quality parts. Old stereo harman/kardon usually have a discrete phono stage, supposed to enhance audio sound, but doesn't always! The idea that discrete amplifiers sound better than the integrated circuit is not borne out by listening panels. Technics have long used integrated circuits, Compact Disc Players and Home Cinema Theaters all rely heavily on the sound of the Integrated Circuit. So many people believe only the sound of phono vinyl records or FM radio tuners can be Hi-End!
Note symmetry of the amplifier layout in the ideal for stereo amplifier
One thing needed for good stereo sound is the layout of the power and pre-amplifiers, to look like each other when looking down from above. The above brown circuit is bakelite and not liked by Hi-End audiophiles as it is not rigid enough. Many better quality integrated amplifiers have glass fibre boards, Sony VFET have light green ones, others have blue ones. The layout of this Sanyo amplifier suggests this ought to be a good stereo amplifier. But you know what? It is not powerful having just 20 'honest' watts R.M.S. and 20Hz-20KHz, it is a quality amplifier as it has low distortion, (!) but it needs a high sensitivity speaker at least around 92dB SPL at 1 watt and 1 meter at 8-ohms to give of its best!
All transistor pre-amplifier and power amplifier of the JA-222
This is what harman/kardon would call a discrete audio amplifier according to Mattia Otala who thought transitors used instead of Integrated Circuits offered the best sound quality, this isn't a harman/kardon and an integrated circuit can be found in the phono stage. The vinyl record collector is probably better to use a discrete phono stage but the integrated circuit has some advantages, it's compact and the solder doesn't fail in a chip the way it affects discrete circuits. But it cannot be improved by adding as many better quality parts. Old stereo harman/kardon usually have a discrete phono stage, supposed to enhance audio sound, but doesn't always! The idea that discrete amplifiers sound better than the integrated circuit is not borne out by listening panels. Technics have long used integrated circuits, Compact Disc Players and Home Cinema Theaters all rely heavily on the sound of the Integrated Circuit. So many people believe only the sound of phono vinyl records or FM radio tuners can be Hi-End!
Note symmetry of the amplifier layout in the ideal for stereo amplifier
One thing needed for good stereo sound is the layout of the power and pre-amplifiers, to look like each other when looking down from above. The above brown circuit is bakelite and not liked by Hi-End audiophiles as it is not rigid enough. Many better quality integrated amplifiers have glass fibre boards, Sony VFET have light green ones, others have blue ones. The layout of this Sanyo amplifier suggests this ought to be a good stereo amplifier. But you know what? It is not powerful having just 20 'honest' watts R.M.S. and 20Hz-20KHz, it is a quality amplifier as it has low distortion, (!) but it needs a high sensitivity speaker at least around 92dB SPL at 1 watt and 1 meter at 8-ohms to give of its best!
Low distortion is not always a guide to a quality amplifier, tubes and MOSFETs - the semi-conductors thought most tube-like, have the worst distortion and this is improved by a method called Negative Feedback. It is thought that while this increases power and efficiency, it spoils sound. Some Ebay sellers claim tube or 'valve' power amplifiers are much more powerful than their power rating in watts suggests they are! They claim that 5 output tube watts is about equal to 40 Solid State watts. However this may appear so, the tube amplifier of yesteryear is lethal compared to Solid State, bulky and awkward to house, very heavy and the disadvantages of each amplifier must be taken into account. Some powerful tube amplifiers use negative feedback, guitar types to allow any tube brand batch for replacement! Audio amplifiers need a matched pair of output tubes for good audio fidelity. In rebuilding stereo amplifiers ensure the new stereo channels have as near as possible, the same values of resistor and capacitor upgrades. On Ebay it is often possible to buy ten or so of a component and within the quantity, a pair is often found.
The phono pre-amp bottom of picture with an Integrated Circuit
Besides the phono stage in the above pic see the two electrolytic capacitors opposite the middle of the fins of the heat-sink? The aluminum of the heat-sink is screening or hiding these and their potentially noisy electronics from pre and power amplifier stages on the smooth side of the heat-sink. These two capacitors are low capacity unlike harman/kardon, who since the late 1970s had 'high capacity' capacitors there instead, high capacity is much bigger and more expensive to house in an amplifier. In the harman/kardon PM635 or similar HK6100 the smoothing caps as they're called, are on the main board, it's a sign harman aren't what they used to be. Many car audio freaks know today, a huge 1 Farad capacity electrolytic is available for making the bass sub-woofer in cars disturb neighborhoods. High Capacity in these 'cans' of indoor amplifiers makes available a better quality of sound, in most cases, but isn't near 1 Farad. These 1 Farad cans are driven by a car battery and indoor amplifiers are driven by some diodes. The speed of charging of high capacity cans is so rapid it can explode diodes, so in upgrading you must not overload the 'speed' or safe current of your rectifier diodes, or they'll soon fail.
The phono pre-amp bottom of picture with an Integrated Circuit
Besides the phono stage in the above pic see the two electrolytic capacitors opposite the middle of the fins of the heat-sink? The aluminum of the heat-sink is screening or hiding these and their potentially noisy electronics from pre and power amplifier stages on the smooth side of the heat-sink. These two capacitors are low capacity unlike harman/kardon, who since the late 1970s had 'high capacity' capacitors there instead, high capacity is much bigger and more expensive to house in an amplifier. In the harman/kardon PM635 or similar HK6100 the smoothing caps as they're called, are on the main board, it's a sign harman aren't what they used to be. Many car audio freaks know today, a huge 1 Farad capacity electrolytic is available for making the bass sub-woofer in cars disturb neighborhoods. High Capacity in these 'cans' of indoor amplifiers makes available a better quality of sound, in most cases, but isn't near 1 Farad. These 1 Farad cans are driven by a car battery and indoor amplifiers are driven by some diodes. The speed of charging of high capacity cans is so rapid it can explode diodes, so in upgrading you must not overload the 'speed' or safe current of your rectifier diodes, or they'll soon fail.
The capacity of 35 volt cans may be improved in the Sanyo JA222 from 2200 to 6500MFD audio grade and located off the main board in the blank area near the transformer, where the smoothing components of rectifiers ought to be located and often aren't, spoiling sound quality! Capacity from 2200 to 15,000 is too much, unless using new high capacity rectifiers. Unfortunately this kind of change is not recommended and the simple amplifier ought not exceed double the original capacity, 4400 is what the famous NAD 3020 had! Capacity is increased by connecting these tiny cans in parallel, making up the value, reducing electrical series resistance giving you more power. Fitting ELNA cerafine gives you more power over the basic type of smoothing cap as it lowers ESR or the path of current from the diodes. Tiny cans used for smoothing in the Sanyo are usual in modern control amplifiers while power amplifer stages with large cans supply more current. Note Sanyo electrolytics used for the cans are often better quality than Rubycon, used by Carver as a Hi-End cap and standard for other circuit elements in quality Sanyo equipment! To upgrade on Rubycon, simply fit Sanyo from Ebay although there is a 1 year shelf life and on Ebay this is often ignored!
Basic Laminated Transformer and finned aluminum heat-sinkUQ~~_2.JPG)
Some modern amplifiers have a round toroidal transformer to limit power supply noise but there are a number of ways of constructing the laminated type to cut down its stray noise problem and one way is to keep the transformer out of the case the way NAIM has separate power supplies. The Ariston Cambridge amplifier has a glass fibre version of the Sanyo 222 circuit board but is not a better amplifier! The Ariston has the round toroidal but uses a Philips output chip - not a Hitachi one! The Sanyo JA-222 will respond to upgrades better than Ariston, as the Sanyo is way better than the Ariston as stock. The Sanyo though, must have the cooling space above it open for a chimney effect or sound quality will suffer. Where the green tape is seen in the above transformer, Technics have a copper plate meant to conduct away stray noise. harman/kardon use the 'fully shrouded' type 'Hi-End tube' transformer with stylish metal 'top' and 'base' sides, through which are seen the wires going down into the amplifier chassis. Technics, QUAD and a few others offer the 'potted' or Chicago type transformer as best but the most expensive means of limiting the stray field other than by the modern toroidal, 'round transformer'. The JA-222 does have speaker protection fuses but many minimalist amplifier designers omitted these as they spoiled sound quality. However these fuses are very useful as they prevent amplifier destruction!
E.M.I. 319 Tri-axial, a 13 x 8 elliptical studio monitor from the 1960s
The E.M.I. 319 is a tube speaker and owners or Ebay sellers often observe that it needs the tone controls turned up more than a modern speaker. But a tube amplifier shines with a different speaker from Solid State, not only far more sensitive, but 'colored' to enhance tube sound. The 319 is recommended for tube although it will sound very good with a Sanyo JA-222 and will not then need either Loudness or any tone boost to sound very good indeed. The Philips 723 CD player sound balance suits the stock Sanyo 222 but after upgrading it may suit another C.D. brand or model. 319 needs good speaker wire and screw post connections or banana plugs.
Basic Laminated Transformer and finned aluminum heat-sink
Some modern amplifiers have a round toroidal transformer to limit power supply noise but there are a number of ways of constructing the laminated type to cut down its stray noise problem and one way is to keep the transformer out of the case the way NAIM has separate power supplies. The Ariston Cambridge amplifier has a glass fibre version of the Sanyo 222 circuit board but is not a better amplifier! The Ariston has the round toroidal but uses a Philips output chip - not a Hitachi one! The Sanyo JA-222 will respond to upgrades better than Ariston, as the Sanyo is way better than the Ariston as stock. The Sanyo though, must have the cooling space above it open for a chimney effect or sound quality will suffer. Where the green tape is seen in the above transformer, Technics have a copper plate meant to conduct away stray noise. harman/kardon use the 'fully shrouded' type 'Hi-End tube' transformer with stylish metal 'top' and 'base' sides, through which are seen the wires going down into the amplifier chassis. Technics, QUAD and a few others offer the 'potted' or Chicago type transformer as best but the most expensive means of limiting the stray field other than by the modern toroidal, 'round transformer'. The JA-222 does have speaker protection fuses but many minimalist amplifier designers omitted these as they spoiled sound quality. However these fuses are very useful as they prevent amplifier destruction!
E.M.I. 319 Tri-axial, a 13 x 8 elliptical studio monitor from the 1960s
The E.M.I. 319 is a tube speaker and owners or Ebay sellers often observe that it needs the tone controls turned up more than a modern speaker. But a tube amplifier shines with a different speaker from Solid State, not only far more sensitive, but 'colored' to enhance tube sound. The 319 is recommended for tube although it will sound very good with a Sanyo JA-222 and will not then need either Loudness or any tone boost to sound very good indeed. The Philips 723 CD player sound balance suits the stock Sanyo 222 but after upgrading it may suit another C.D. brand or model. 319 needs good speaker wire and screw post connections or banana plugs.
Using a REALISTIC STA-2000 with a studio quality tube amplifier monitor, like the E.M.I. 319, will soon become vapid and connecting a Sanyo 222 would provide some relief. It may be that rebuilding the JA-222 would come closer to a tube sound. However the 'triples' in the QUAD 303 and the original GEC or M.O. tubes in a matched pair of QUAD II are the kind of studio amplifiers meant to be partnered with an E.M.I. 319. The QUAD II has no hum at all when working properly, since it uses a giant choke, looking like another transformer, not all tube amplifiers have the magical design of a QUAD II in original condition, but the old 1960s QUAD 303, has the best Solid State tube sound - it is quite different from the late model 303, with its blue LEDs telling you the circuits are working okay! The original 303, is the real masterpiece, for its tuner and 33 control amplifier. With the original 1960s 303 playing classical you are going to know what 'Made In England' used to mean - a magical sound all in itself! E.M.I. 13 x 8 would have been used with the Henry's Radio 10 watt amplifier seen on Google!
Early German Isophon co-axial tube design, E.M.I. 319 is a Tri-axial
On balance the REALISTIC STA-2000 is best partnered with its Optimus X-100 or Mach One speakers, this is all about getting a particular speaker to amplifier match. harman/kardon 'lifestyle' MIDI systems ought to be matched only with their North American market dedicated loudspeakers, in the UK these sets sell very cheaply on Ebay as their dedicated harman/JBL speakers were not allowed in the UK market. They were sold with European patterned and made harman/kardon speakers due to market control agreements. Although by themselves the USA harman/kardon speakers are not great, with the harman Lifestyle system they are superb. This point about matching equipment with brand is not widely appreciated by customers, as 'separates' have been sold through audition in stores. Such a 'fun' method of buying stereo is ill advised as it takes months not minutes to become used to any loudspeaker. The 'tube' monitor speakers do impart some 'tube' audio sound to Solid State and connecting their tube amplifier to your Solid State speaker will sound truly awful! But together the tube speaker and amplifier are quite remarkable and it certainly pays to try to match carefully the tonal qualities of each.
Solid silver strand speaker wire is not readily found nowadays, in consoles such short lengths of wire will be thought heavy, the wiring having an old 'blackened' look but the sound is awesome, compared to copper. Modern wires have silver-plated copper strands but may be found less impressive!
REALISTIC Ten Band I.M.X. Stereo Expander Equalizer
The compact REALISTIC equalizer above with Sci-Coustics I.M.X. dates around 1990 giving the best features of 1980s expander-receivers to other sets. Hiss on stereo FM is muted in mono FM when with the IMX feature, simulated stereo sound is available. The I.M.X. does not suit all amplifiers, even with its depth control, the deep note late 1970s Japanese amplifiers will not benefit from I.M.X. However it does suit the Sanyo 222. Maybe the 222 sounds like REALISTIC STA-2500 type receivers, before adding I.M.X. but this equipment is well regarded by owners, even though others suspect it's 'cheap', good value is on offer. In the above pic may be seen the Philips CD 723 player. Again this CD player only suits some amplifiers, it is particularly good at playing worn CDs though will play through to the end by skipping the worst areas.
EMI 319 are anti-social in the modern context as even with Sanyo JA-222 will be heard in other rooms particularly in the room below, even when the stand is on spikes. Modern speakers are much better at limiting the spread of unwanted sound through walls and along floor beams. People will ask if the Sanyo 222 and EMI 319 have as good a sound, or bass as a GLL IC 120 and harman/kardon A 402? The thing is that a GLL IC 120 and A 402 have an awesome all enveloping bass, that has to question such a pursuit of bass at 35Hz and below. The GLL IC 120 is also quite remarkable with images, its sound is hardly anti-social outside of the listening room, but in low power musicality EMI 319 do a better job.
Early German Isophon co-axial tube design, E.M.I. 319 is a Tri-axial
On balance the REALISTIC STA-2000 is best partnered with its Optimus X-100 or Mach One speakers, this is all about getting a particular speaker to amplifier match. harman/kardon 'lifestyle' MIDI systems ought to be matched only with their North American market dedicated loudspeakers, in the UK these sets sell very cheaply on Ebay as their dedicated harman/JBL speakers were not allowed in the UK market. They were sold with European patterned and made harman/kardon speakers due to market control agreements. Although by themselves the USA harman/kardon speakers are not great, with the harman Lifestyle system they are superb. This point about matching equipment with brand is not widely appreciated by customers, as 'separates' have been sold through audition in stores. Such a 'fun' method of buying stereo is ill advised as it takes months not minutes to become used to any loudspeaker. The 'tube' monitor speakers do impart some 'tube' audio sound to Solid State and connecting their tube amplifier to your Solid State speaker will sound truly awful! But together the tube speaker and amplifier are quite remarkable and it certainly pays to try to match carefully the tonal qualities of each.
Solid silver strand speaker wire is not readily found nowadays, in consoles such short lengths of wire will be thought heavy, the wiring having an old 'blackened' look but the sound is awesome, compared to copper. Modern wires have silver-plated copper strands but may be found less impressive!
REALISTIC Ten Band I.M.X. Stereo Expander Equalizer
The compact REALISTIC equalizer above with Sci-Coustics I.M.X. dates around 1990 giving the best features of 1980s expander-receivers to other sets. Hiss on stereo FM is muted in mono FM when with the IMX feature, simulated stereo sound is available. The I.M.X. does not suit all amplifiers, even with its depth control, the deep note late 1970s Japanese amplifiers will not benefit from I.M.X. However it does suit the Sanyo 222. Maybe the 222 sounds like REALISTIC STA-2500 type receivers, before adding I.M.X. but this equipment is well regarded by owners, even though others suspect it's 'cheap', good value is on offer. In the above pic may be seen the Philips CD 723 player. Again this CD player only suits some amplifiers, it is particularly good at playing worn CDs though will play through to the end by skipping the worst areas.
EMI 319 are anti-social in the modern context as even with Sanyo JA-222 will be heard in other rooms particularly in the room below, even when the stand is on spikes. Modern speakers are much better at limiting the spread of unwanted sound through walls and along floor beams. People will ask if the Sanyo 222 and EMI 319 have as good a sound, or bass as a GLL IC 120 and harman/kardon A 402? The thing is that a GLL IC 120 and A 402 have an awesome all enveloping bass, that has to question such a pursuit of bass at 35Hz and below. The GLL IC 120 is also quite remarkable with images, its sound is hardly anti-social outside of the listening room, but in low power musicality EMI 319 do a better job.
Guide created: 08/29/09 (updated 10/07/09)
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