FM Tuners and Broadcast FM

TubeHiFiNut

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writethis writes fondly of his Citation tuner.

Most, if not all, of us started at some point with a stereo receiver.

My plans include setting up an antenna so I can use my recently acquired Marantz 10B to listen to NPR classical, opera and jazz.

With the advent of Internet Radio and the various streaming services, I started wondering how many of us still listen to broadcast FM as a primary source for either enjoyment or for exposure to new music?

Please post (pics are nice :) ) your current tuners, those you used to have or 'the one that got away'. :)

​I have to break out the real camera and get some good pics of my 10B. This one is from the Internet.

 

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I have but am not currently using:

Fisher FM-200b
Accuphase T-105
Luxman 5T-50

That's a lot of tuners for not a lot FM that I can find in this area (or any area). There's a few decent Classical stations. Not enough for me to bother digging through all of my boxes to find where the tuners are stashed.

Here's the Accuphase with it's matching integrated amp, E303x.

 

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I still need to pop this in upstairs for full-time use. It does sound a tad better (more neutral) than the Sherwoods, and it's got nicer midrange than the Kenwood (but comparable LF performance).

DSC_0247 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
(listening to VPR in mono when the photo wuz tooken)

glows in the dark inside, too...

DSC_0255 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
 
An old picture of my FM-200b all lit up sometime last decade . I really hated that apartment and don't miss the Systemdek but I listened to that tuner every morning.
 

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I wouldn't disagree (vis-a-vis the Scott cosmetics comment) :-)
The Fisher tuners are no slouches cosmetically, either.

I -- finally -- installed the Mac tonight; listening to it now in fact.
Pics anon (not tonight -- it's almost dark already).

I kind of hate to mothball that Kenwood -- it's a good sounding solid state tuner (and a good performing radio, as you'd expect from Kenwood).

DSC_9935 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr


 
Tuners are a love them/hate them thing for me because it's all about the source material. Over the coarse of the last few decades here near Toronto, we've gone through long stretches where I didn't like much of what was available on the airwaves and found tuners to be expensive wastes of time and money. The last few years though, there is one station in particular I love - CBC Radio 2 that makes a decent tuner a great thing to have around.

My daily-driver is an Accuphase T-101 - a very nice sounding, good performer which is kind of important as I'm in a 'fringe' area and only use a old FM-2 whip antenna. The piece I just can't let go of though, is this sweet old Scott 350-D tube unit lush, syrupy sweet sound that just oozes music in a not entirely 'hi-fi' way. I still remember hearing a live reel-to-reel recording via FM on this tuner of a Jazz show I attended the night it was recorded magic in this little guy.

 

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I have more radio to listen to here in the Phila area than anywhere I have lived with FM reception capabilities. Sure WUOT was great at times and I remember Kelvin and I actually named the next artist for each upcoming song for his 2 hour set one night. But here we have a Classical/Jazz station and WXPN the (singer songwriter) NPR station from U of Penn and David Dye's World Cafe makes it a nice station to listen to with some time off for odd diversions for full community appeal.

My first reception device was the Kenwood KT-7000
KT-7000.jpg


So good I bought a used one to replace the first one that was stolen.

Next up...can't recall but do remember I finally bought a new to me, slightly used Luxman T-100


I ended up with another one of these and then got lucky. I have wanted a NICE semi-auto or full auto turntable and someone on CL was selling a Hafler amp, blowed up, Dynaco SCA-50, not guaranteed to work (it did) a Yamaha TX-1000 and SL-1600 II for the price I'd think would be good for the turntable alone. Looked up the T-1000 (my mistake) and thought the price was fair and told the guy I would buy it all. He told me folks were just wanting the tuner. I noticed my mistake and well the TX-1000 took its place in the main rig. This a tuner that I noticed the sound quality was above normal. Never done that before. Picked up the decade earlier Yamaha T-7 recently and although the FM Tuner Info Ctr says the T-7 should sound like the TX, it is not close. The 7 probably needs a recap. I don't know, the T-110 and the TX-1000 might be plenty for me. The 1000 is playing as I type.



The TX-1000 is so full of it, you know functions, I had to read the owners manual twice. Fortunately, I do understand what it says having had a ham radio/audio salesman roommate back in the day.
 

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The 10/10B's iconic cosmetics were widely copied -- Phase Linear's was the most obvious homage (which, I believe, is French for rip-off).

Phase5000Ifront.jpg
 

Some gorgeous stuff here guys! bktheking should recognize this one...or at least he'll recognize the setting, as it's his bench. 8) Not a tuner per se, but this Sansui 2000X has a wonderful FM section and sounds fantastic.
 

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S'not really a tuner...although it can be used as one. I listen daily to NPR on my 1965 era KLH Model 21. :)

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Last edited:
Celt;n11036 said:
S'not really a tuner...although it can be used as one. I listen daily to NPR on my 1965 era KLH Model 21. :)

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Despite the tuners I listed above, a KLH21 is the only tuner I actually use right now. I love that little thing.
 
I have one of those (KLH 21) that I found at the dump -- it needs to have the (multisection, if memory serves) filter electrolytic(s) replaced --- it hums like a mo'fo.
It's also somewhat scroungy, and missing the small knobs. But... it was free! :-P

Truth be told, most of our NPR (VPR) listening is done on one of these. Listening to 'em now, in fact. VPR is terrific; tons of fun (no kidding).
www.vpr.net

516BC396BPL.jpg


It is a nice little radio with very good AM reception, which is a value add for us (we can listen to WBZ in Boston when circumstances dictate that we might want to).
 
JohnVF;n11038 said:
Despite the tuners I listed above, a KLH21 is the only tuner I actually use right now. I love that little thing.

Thanks guys. Just when I thought I was done needing stuff...
 
writethis;n11041 said:
Thanks guys. Just when I thought I was done needing stuff...
I don't think it's some amazing piece of audio gear...I just like it for what it is and it gets me listening without thinking about gear. It's just a table radio but it pulls in stations nicely. I use it for background listening while editing photos or whatever.
 
JohnVF;n11043 said:
I don't think it's some amazing piece of audio gear...I just like it for what it is and it gets me listening without thinking about gear. It's just a table radio but it pulls in stations nicely. I use it for background listening while editing photos or whatever.

Thanks John. Yeah, I get it. Just seems like something charming and cool.
 
I might try to find a KLH Model 8 tube table radio on ebay. My Model 21 is pretty rough looking.
 

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