Favorite vintage or new FM tuner?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Daedalus, Apr 3, 2015.

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  1. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    From the 1970's?
     
  2. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I doubt it. The quality of FM tuners has been on decline since the early 90's. Most receivers these days have lousy tuner IMO ...
     
  3. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Tube radio is hot ... :righton:
     
  4. Bubbamike

    Bubbamike Forum Resident

    How can you judge something you've never heard?
     
  5. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I am going by the published specs and some rare reviews since most reviewers don't bother much with tuners these days ...
     
  6. Bubbamike

    Bubbamike Forum Resident

    That doesn't mean there aren't any good tuners, only that the reviewers don't listen to radio. Part of that is that good radio doesn't exist in many places, and that most reviewers are in their '50s and '60 and not inclined to listen to what is being played.
     
    Benzion likes this.
  7. Fiddlefye

    Fiddlefye Forum Resident

    [​IMG]
    Not sure if I ever did report back on the Accuphase T-100, but it did arrive and has taken up permanent residence in our loft bedroom system with the E-202 integrated, a modded Denon DCD-3300 CDP, a rotation of turntables (currently a Harmon Kardon ST-6, previously Braun PS-500 and shortly to be a Garrard Zero 100S when I get it cleaned and relubed) and B&W DM-14 speakers. Love the T-100. It has fantastic sonics (amazing clean, deep bass) and also excellent sensitivity. I find it handles distant stations really well.
     
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  8. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    While there are still good standalone tuners, I doubt many of the present-day receivers have an outstanding tuner due to cost constraints ...
     
  9. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    There aren't that many decent tuners in the marketplace anymore. On the affordable side there's the NAD C347 and Yamaha T500 (NAD is better). There's also the Pro-Ject FM Box (FM only) - no idea how good it is, will not say bad things without hearing it first, but I also have my doubts. On the not-so-affordable side there's the full range of Magnum Dynalab and the beautifully made 47Labs 4730 Midnight Blue (FM only). I constantly keep an eye on the offerings of major audio purveyors on the net, and these are pretty much all I've found. And the 4730 I actually had to look hard for to find, it's only offered by some specialty dealers who don't publicize it much.

    6moons audio reviews: 47 Labs Midnight Blue Series »

    Oh yes, I forgot - there's also McIntosh for $4,500...
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2017
  10. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Good points and I am in complete agreement. Long gone are the days of 20 - 25 years ago when a modestly priced receiver actually came with a decent tuner. With relentless pricing pressure these days, audio manufacturers cannot afford to pack anything more than an average tuner into a receiver, particularly when most people don't even care about listening to radio broadcast ...
     
  11. rl1856

    rl1856 Forum Resident

    Location:
    SC
    What are your objectives ? Do you want to listen to every station available to you, or do you want to listen to just a few in your area, but with exquisite fidelity ?

    I ask because the answer may affect your choice(s). Most of the good SS tuners are extremely sensitive, and will pick up stations from long distances. However fidelity may be just -ok-. A vintage tube tuner may not be as sensitive, but will deliver a quality of sound that is beguiling. For tubes, I would look at Sherwood and Fisher. For SS, look for totl models dating from the mid 70's to mid 80's- before digital readouts and digital tuning, from Sony, Kenwood, Sansui. Mcintosh are excellent but expensive. Magna Dynalab are supposed to be among the best, but can also be expensive.

    In any event, I would investigate a good FM antenna.
     
  12. Scott in DC

    Scott in DC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Re: The KLH Model 21 FM radio

    ++++++++++++++++++++++

    The KLH Model 21 FM radio ran from 1967 to 1970. In 1970 it was replaced by the Model 21 II version which had black knobs and a black speaker grill. Most people like the first run Model 21 better than the post 1970 versions. The original Model 21 was designed by Henry Kloss.

    Scott
     
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  13. Daedalus

    Daedalus I haven't heard it all..... Thread Starter

    I like my Denon TU 604 CI
     
  14. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    I was talking about new units available for sale from retailers. I'm sure your Denon is great, but I see none of them in inventories.
     
  15. Daedalus

    Daedalus I haven't heard it all..... Thread Starter

    . Well it is a new unit and was available until discontinued about 1-2 years ago. But , yeah, not presently being manufactured.
     
  16. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Dig the Russian LP photo, we had a lot of them back home, mostly Classical, my mom collected.
     
    Daedalus likes this.
  17. misterdecibel

    misterdecibel Bulbous Also Tapered

    It's easy for them to include a rudimentary tuner since the whole thing is available on a chipset these days, so they don't have to engineer one from scratch.
     
  18. Daedalus

    Daedalus I haven't heard it all..... Thread Starter

    Thanks-I have a good collection of them.
     
  19. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Alas, we left ours with the neighbors back there :-( Schlepping a suitcase of vinyl over the Atlantic was not on Mom's list...
     
  20. Daedalus

    Daedalus I haven't heard it all..... Thread Starter

    Too bad. We are making plans to schlepp over there this year to do river cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow( with a few meanders in between).
     
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  21. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Must be the cruise of a lifetime, much better than a typical Caribbean cruise! :agree::righton:
     
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  22. Daedalus

    Daedalus I haven't heard it all..... Thread Starter

    We have been wanting to go to Russia for awhile and yes a trip to relish
     
  23. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Is a tour of the Kremlin included in the package? :D
     
  24. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    It may be easy for the likes of Sony, which has its own chip-design and fabrication units. But for many other audio manufacturers, they will have to turn to chip makers, which may not want to bother if the volume is not large ...
     
  25. Daedalus

    Daedalus I haven't heard it all..... Thread Starter

    I
    I am sworn to secrecy
     
    Fiddlefye likes this.
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