Captain
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[size=small]Just thought I would post some thoughts of comparison of a Leak Throughline 2 and a Dynaco FM-3, both of which have been modified and the Leak with decoder added. I will also comment on the Sansui TU-X1 as this is a bit of a benchmark tuner. I have one myself and have always used it as reference against other tuners I have purchased.
For those not familiar with any of these tuners I will give a bit of info first. Quite interesting in respects to having one from the US one from the UK and one from Japan[/size]
[size=medium]Leak Throughline 2
[/size]
[size=small]Leak Throughline 2 is a British-made legendary tuner. In production during the 50's and 60’s, it is a mono only FM tube tuner. Very sparse in its functionality with only ON/OFF, Narrow/wide and AFC switches (for locking on to station once tuned in) and obviously a tuning dial, there is also a magic eye which shows when the strongest signal is being received. With a bit of tweaking inside and a good decoder this can be one awesome tuner, but a strong signal is needed to get it firing on all cylinders. In the days when this tuner was being built there were only a few stations being broadcast, so the lack of sensitivity was not too much of an issue. I sold the one I had because of signal problems, in that I lived more then 200 miles from the nearest BBC antenna (a bit of an exaggeration, but if you are in a dip or in a bad signal/cross signal area, think before you buy). May be this is one reason that this tuner has not really caught on State-side, with its busy air waves. There just isn’t space enough on its not-so-sensitive band width to really shine to its full potential. Also de-emphasis and voltage need to be changed for the US systems - again another hassle. These tuners can be picked up still working in mono for as little as £50, but a service is recommended. A full service and renovation will cost in the £650 region and the best decoder will be around the £400 mark. [/size]
[size=medium]Leak Throughline 2[/size]
[size=medium]Tim de Paravicini tube Decoder[/size]
[size=medium]Dynaco FM-3 [/size]
[size=small]The Dynaco FM-3 was in production from 1964 into the early 1970's as both a kit and factory built model. Designed by Stewart Hegeman and Ed Laurent (multiplex circuitry by Sid Lidz), this was a tuner for the masses. Again tube FM only, but it has a stereo decoder fitted. Functionality is again very simple:- ON/OFF, Mono/Stereo, and a volume so it can be turned down to stop radio noise when tuning between stations. As with the Leak, you have a magic eye to indicate maximum signal and to show when stereo has been achieved. This is a very simply designed tuner, not seen much in Europe for pretty much the same reason as the Leak is not seen much in America, with de-emphasis and voltage requirements. A bit of a hassle to change if you are not a DIYer or you do not want to spend the amount of money to convert. This tuner has a big following in the US as they are relatively cheap and very easy to tweak. It is so easy to get to everything inside because of its layout and there is a lot of information available through groups and forums on how to do it. As a non-DIYer it cost me in the region of £1000 to get this tuner to a level I have yet to hear from any other tuner. Not cheap, but I feel it was money well spent. This Dynaco FM-3 first belonged to Amar at Croft, where it had a lot of work done on it by Glenn. I then sent it to another company for some more work, and I then changed all the tubes for NOS tubes, all of which are considered the best in that group for tuner use. I will list below in full the modifications and tubes from the information that has been passed to me with its history, well in as much as this is an oral ‘log book’! A lot of it always goes over my head, but I will give it a go.[/size]
[size=medium]Dynaco FM-3[/size]
[size=medium]Top[/size]
[size=medium]Bottom[/size]
[size=medium]Out put stage 1[/size]
[size=medium]Output stage 2[/size]
[size=medium]Sansui TU-X1
[/size]
[size=small]The Sansui TU-X1 is Japanese is an all-transistor AM/FM tuner. As mentioned above, this is considered a bit of a benchmark tuner - a bit strange, I know, to be included with these two others as they are from different sides of the tuner spectrum, but this was my tuner of preference for the last couple of years. I have listened to, and sold, a few top-end tuners in comparison to this one over the time I have had it, so it really is a point of reference for me. You can read my thoughts on this tuner here LINK which may be a helpful guide for what to expect by comparison when looking at tubes against resistors.[/size]
[size=medium]Sansui TU-X1[/size]
[size=medium]Some of the inners as much as I dare open it up [/size]
[size=small]As well as many others, I have also owned a Naim Nat-01 and a Linn Kremlin, considered especially by people in the UK to be the best resistor tuners ever built. I can say without a doubt they are not. I would say that of the two, I liked the Naim better as the mids were really nice, but overall it just sounds a bit dull in comparison to the Sansui. The Linn, although very detailed and fluid, seemed a bit dark and compressed and too artificially clean to be tonally convincing - a bit like comparing a turntable and a CD player, the Linn sounding more like the latter. Anyway the Sansui creamed them! It is in a totally different league. Us Brits need to get over it - they are not the best tuners ever made. Top of the First Division may be, but not in the Premier League.
I have to stress that a lot of broadcast material can be pretty diabolical. None of these tuners will make a bad broadcast sound like sweet journey in to musical heaven. But when it is good (Radio 3 & 4 and Radio 2 after 7pm) boy is it good, bettering a lot of other sources out there.
The Leak Throughline I had was a “One Thing Audio” renovated model with a Tim de Paravicini tube Decoder. In comparison, the Dynaco has a much more dynamic sound, which is more open and musical. It also has a lot more slam with bigger, deeper and better controlled bass. I lent the Dynaco for a listen to someone who also has a Leak Throughline 2 (with maybe a better decoder from GT audio, or so he tells me). He also thinks the Dynaco is better, but maybe has a touch more background noise, but he agrees to my thoughts on these tuners.
Compared to the Sansui TU-X1 the Dynaco fairs a lot better again, with better dynamic sound and musicality. It also has so much better control on the top end although both have similar top end extension. I thought the Sansui had sibilance really under control, but the Dynaco seems to have got an even better grip on it and seems to integrate the top end in to the whole of the sound a lot better. Although you still get sibilance, (unavoidable with any tuner), it just seems to take a bit more of a back seat, and is all the more remarkable for the fact that it is not in any way to the detriment of top end clarity and extension. The Sansui on the other hand, gives you the clarity and extension, but without the finesse – it makes sure you know it’s there, which can distract form the overall sound picture. The Leak does not have the top end extension of either the Dynaco or the Sansui, which combats a lot of the sibilance that would be there on a more detailed tuner.
Bass on the Dynaco is the biggest, deepest and more controlled of the three tuners. I thought the bass was an area in which the Sansui would better the Dynaco, but it just did not touch it. I’m not saying the Sansui’s bass is bad – in fact it is very good, but the Dynaco just makes your jaw drop! It is so taut and deep and you can really feel it in your bones. The Leak doesn’t really compare - it seems to roll off a lot earlier and is a touch flabby.
As for noise, the Sansui is definitely the quietest of the three tuners. The Leak I had was noisiest and was one reason I sold it, but this could have been down to having a tube decoder. As I mentioned above, the GT audio decoder is reported to be even quieter than the Dynaco, but any noise with the Dynaco is slight and again does not detract from the over all sound. I am feeding my Dynaco with a transformer from the mains, so this is probably lessening the amount of noise I am getting, as I feel it is no noisier than the Kremlin or Nat-01 that I had.
Left to right Sound staging on the Sansui is better than on the Dynaco, but this is an area lacking on the Leak. The sound seems to happened very much within the speakers with the Leak, whereas on the other two to it extends beyond the speakers sides. The back and front stereo imaging is better on the Dynaco, with presenter’s voices coming right in to the room. Also stereo separation and air around performers and instruments seems better on the Dynaco, although lacking a bit of width in comparison to the Sansui. The Dynaco seems to integrate better as a whole, giving better 3-D sound staging.
One area where both the Dynaco and Leak bettered the Sansui was tonal accuracy. The Dynaco and Leak pull out subtleties in tonal differences, making instruments and vocals sound much more real than the Sansui, which sounded thinner in comparison to the other two tuners. I also feel that they are so much more musical than the Sansui, which pasteurises its sound so that one sound fits all, but with both the Dynaco and Leak you got a more honest reproduction of the signal feed to it. The best way I can put it would be that a sad song on the Sansui would make you sad on the other two it would make you cry; on the Sansui, Punk would sound like rock, on the other two you would feel raw energy pulling you to the edge of your seat. The sound of the Dynaco and the Leak just seems to captivate you a lot more than the Sansui - they sort of get the foot tapping and demand you listen to them. I suppose what I am trying to say is that these two tube tuners have soul by the bucket-load; the Sansui has it, but let’s say he’s still on his spiritual journey. And if I am pushed to make one of the other two the High Priest, and the other the preacher the Dynaco gets the pulpit first, and what gives it the edge and makes it the most captivating of the two is the mid range.
Of course the mid range of the Dynaco is already known in stock condition as being one of it strong points, but I think adding a pair of Amperex Bugle Boys 1950's 12AX7 D getter long plate, a Telefunken E80CF on output stage, and also a Telefunken 6V4 regulator tube, it really has done something very special to the mids. It is non-fatiguing in any way, and on a long listing session I would pick the Dynaco over the other two without hesitation.
One thing that the Sansui does do better than the other two is pick up a lot more stations. I could probably pick up more stations with the Sansui without an aerial and my finger stuffed in the aerial in, than I could with either of the other two plugged into a six-element directional aerial. Drift was a problem with the Leak, and the Dynaco seems pretty stable after being tuned in for a few weeks but the Sansui is solid as a rock. So if you want to fiddle and want a lot of stations go for the Sansui with all its bling. It is the most flexible of the tuners with the ability to change de-emphasis with the flick of a switch, and also voltage by moving a couple of jumper switches. But if you are fortunate enough to live in the UK and have the BBC you will more than likely find the sensitivity of the Dynaco, and to a certain proportion of the population the Leak, to be more than adequate to cover all your musical needs. This is the fortunately the case for me. It just comes down to pure and simple sound and the Dynaco is the clear winner. I preferred the Sansui to the Leak, as the Leak was a hassle and its short comings out-balanced its advantages when compared to the Sansui.
A couple of things I would like to stress: I have a system, including the Dynaco, which has been through the hands of Croft, so I have a very integrated system with work still in progress. It may be the case with any well balanced and integrated system that a lesser tuner may sound better than a premium, but not-so-well-matched one, but as I said, this tuner has been through other systems and has still impressed with its sound quality, so personally I do put the sound down to being to a damned fine tuner. Also, as I mentioned, two of these tuners are quite heavily modified from their starting point and are not stock models like the Sansui, but they all come in at the same price point or thereabouts, so wallet value can be taken into consideration. I think the real test would be modifying the Sansui with the same budget as the Dynaco or Leak. Now that would be very interesting.
As far I can remember Dynaco Mods.
The whole power supply has been rebuilt.
Better wire used through out,
Mono/Volume switch and circuit removed,
New NOS matched tubes through out (mostly Telefunken) also includes a pair of Amperex Bugle Boys 1950's 12AX7 D getter long plate on the out put stage.
Matched resisters,
De-emphasis switched from US to UK
All capacitors on out put stage up graded, some circuit changes
Gold RCA plugs,
Van De Hul power cord,
Can capacitor change for modern equivalent
Totally realigned.
Some of the equipment used
Croft Elite well sort of heavily modified.
Croft Phantom power (a one off)
Art Stiletto speakers
Anticable through out
Audiophile Base rack
Trichord Powerblock 500
Various power cables[/size]
For those not familiar with any of these tuners I will give a bit of info first. Quite interesting in respects to having one from the US one from the UK and one from Japan[/size]
[size=medium]Leak Throughline 2
[/size]
[size=small]Leak Throughline 2 is a British-made legendary tuner. In production during the 50's and 60’s, it is a mono only FM tube tuner. Very sparse in its functionality with only ON/OFF, Narrow/wide and AFC switches (for locking on to station once tuned in) and obviously a tuning dial, there is also a magic eye which shows when the strongest signal is being received. With a bit of tweaking inside and a good decoder this can be one awesome tuner, but a strong signal is needed to get it firing on all cylinders. In the days when this tuner was being built there were only a few stations being broadcast, so the lack of sensitivity was not too much of an issue. I sold the one I had because of signal problems, in that I lived more then 200 miles from the nearest BBC antenna (a bit of an exaggeration, but if you are in a dip or in a bad signal/cross signal area, think before you buy). May be this is one reason that this tuner has not really caught on State-side, with its busy air waves. There just isn’t space enough on its not-so-sensitive band width to really shine to its full potential. Also de-emphasis and voltage need to be changed for the US systems - again another hassle. These tuners can be picked up still working in mono for as little as £50, but a service is recommended. A full service and renovation will cost in the £650 region and the best decoder will be around the £400 mark. [/size]
[size=medium]Leak Throughline 2[/size]
[size=medium]Tim de Paravicini tube Decoder[/size]
[size=medium]Dynaco FM-3 [/size]
[size=small]The Dynaco FM-3 was in production from 1964 into the early 1970's as both a kit and factory built model. Designed by Stewart Hegeman and Ed Laurent (multiplex circuitry by Sid Lidz), this was a tuner for the masses. Again tube FM only, but it has a stereo decoder fitted. Functionality is again very simple:- ON/OFF, Mono/Stereo, and a volume so it can be turned down to stop radio noise when tuning between stations. As with the Leak, you have a magic eye to indicate maximum signal and to show when stereo has been achieved. This is a very simply designed tuner, not seen much in Europe for pretty much the same reason as the Leak is not seen much in America, with de-emphasis and voltage requirements. A bit of a hassle to change if you are not a DIYer or you do not want to spend the amount of money to convert. This tuner has a big following in the US as they are relatively cheap and very easy to tweak. It is so easy to get to everything inside because of its layout and there is a lot of information available through groups and forums on how to do it. As a non-DIYer it cost me in the region of £1000 to get this tuner to a level I have yet to hear from any other tuner. Not cheap, but I feel it was money well spent. This Dynaco FM-3 first belonged to Amar at Croft, where it had a lot of work done on it by Glenn. I then sent it to another company for some more work, and I then changed all the tubes for NOS tubes, all of which are considered the best in that group for tuner use. I will list below in full the modifications and tubes from the information that has been passed to me with its history, well in as much as this is an oral ‘log book’! A lot of it always goes over my head, but I will give it a go.[/size]
[size=medium]Dynaco FM-3[/size]
[size=medium]Top[/size]
[size=medium]Bottom[/size]
[size=medium]Out put stage 1[/size]
[size=medium]Output stage 2[/size]
[size=medium]Sansui TU-X1
[/size]
[size=small]The Sansui TU-X1 is Japanese is an all-transistor AM/FM tuner. As mentioned above, this is considered a bit of a benchmark tuner - a bit strange, I know, to be included with these two others as they are from different sides of the tuner spectrum, but this was my tuner of preference for the last couple of years. I have listened to, and sold, a few top-end tuners in comparison to this one over the time I have had it, so it really is a point of reference for me. You can read my thoughts on this tuner here LINK which may be a helpful guide for what to expect by comparison when looking at tubes against resistors.[/size]
[size=medium]Sansui TU-X1[/size]
[size=medium]Some of the inners as much as I dare open it up [/size]
[size=small]As well as many others, I have also owned a Naim Nat-01 and a Linn Kremlin, considered especially by people in the UK to be the best resistor tuners ever built. I can say without a doubt they are not. I would say that of the two, I liked the Naim better as the mids were really nice, but overall it just sounds a bit dull in comparison to the Sansui. The Linn, although very detailed and fluid, seemed a bit dark and compressed and too artificially clean to be tonally convincing - a bit like comparing a turntable and a CD player, the Linn sounding more like the latter. Anyway the Sansui creamed them! It is in a totally different league. Us Brits need to get over it - they are not the best tuners ever made. Top of the First Division may be, but not in the Premier League.
I have to stress that a lot of broadcast material can be pretty diabolical. None of these tuners will make a bad broadcast sound like sweet journey in to musical heaven. But when it is good (Radio 3 & 4 and Radio 2 after 7pm) boy is it good, bettering a lot of other sources out there.
The Leak Throughline I had was a “One Thing Audio” renovated model with a Tim de Paravicini tube Decoder. In comparison, the Dynaco has a much more dynamic sound, which is more open and musical. It also has a lot more slam with bigger, deeper and better controlled bass. I lent the Dynaco for a listen to someone who also has a Leak Throughline 2 (with maybe a better decoder from GT audio, or so he tells me). He also thinks the Dynaco is better, but maybe has a touch more background noise, but he agrees to my thoughts on these tuners.
Compared to the Sansui TU-X1 the Dynaco fairs a lot better again, with better dynamic sound and musicality. It also has so much better control on the top end although both have similar top end extension. I thought the Sansui had sibilance really under control, but the Dynaco seems to have got an even better grip on it and seems to integrate the top end in to the whole of the sound a lot better. Although you still get sibilance, (unavoidable with any tuner), it just seems to take a bit more of a back seat, and is all the more remarkable for the fact that it is not in any way to the detriment of top end clarity and extension. The Sansui on the other hand, gives you the clarity and extension, but without the finesse – it makes sure you know it’s there, which can distract form the overall sound picture. The Leak does not have the top end extension of either the Dynaco or the Sansui, which combats a lot of the sibilance that would be there on a more detailed tuner.
Bass on the Dynaco is the biggest, deepest and more controlled of the three tuners. I thought the bass was an area in which the Sansui would better the Dynaco, but it just did not touch it. I’m not saying the Sansui’s bass is bad – in fact it is very good, but the Dynaco just makes your jaw drop! It is so taut and deep and you can really feel it in your bones. The Leak doesn’t really compare - it seems to roll off a lot earlier and is a touch flabby.
As for noise, the Sansui is definitely the quietest of the three tuners. The Leak I had was noisiest and was one reason I sold it, but this could have been down to having a tube decoder. As I mentioned above, the GT audio decoder is reported to be even quieter than the Dynaco, but any noise with the Dynaco is slight and again does not detract from the over all sound. I am feeding my Dynaco with a transformer from the mains, so this is probably lessening the amount of noise I am getting, as I feel it is no noisier than the Kremlin or Nat-01 that I had.
Left to right Sound staging on the Sansui is better than on the Dynaco, but this is an area lacking on the Leak. The sound seems to happened very much within the speakers with the Leak, whereas on the other two to it extends beyond the speakers sides. The back and front stereo imaging is better on the Dynaco, with presenter’s voices coming right in to the room. Also stereo separation and air around performers and instruments seems better on the Dynaco, although lacking a bit of width in comparison to the Sansui. The Dynaco seems to integrate better as a whole, giving better 3-D sound staging.
One area where both the Dynaco and Leak bettered the Sansui was tonal accuracy. The Dynaco and Leak pull out subtleties in tonal differences, making instruments and vocals sound much more real than the Sansui, which sounded thinner in comparison to the other two tuners. I also feel that they are so much more musical than the Sansui, which pasteurises its sound so that one sound fits all, but with both the Dynaco and Leak you got a more honest reproduction of the signal feed to it. The best way I can put it would be that a sad song on the Sansui would make you sad on the other two it would make you cry; on the Sansui, Punk would sound like rock, on the other two you would feel raw energy pulling you to the edge of your seat. The sound of the Dynaco and the Leak just seems to captivate you a lot more than the Sansui - they sort of get the foot tapping and demand you listen to them. I suppose what I am trying to say is that these two tube tuners have soul by the bucket-load; the Sansui has it, but let’s say he’s still on his spiritual journey. And if I am pushed to make one of the other two the High Priest, and the other the preacher the Dynaco gets the pulpit first, and what gives it the edge and makes it the most captivating of the two is the mid range.
Of course the mid range of the Dynaco is already known in stock condition as being one of it strong points, but I think adding a pair of Amperex Bugle Boys 1950's 12AX7 D getter long plate, a Telefunken E80CF on output stage, and also a Telefunken 6V4 regulator tube, it really has done something very special to the mids. It is non-fatiguing in any way, and on a long listing session I would pick the Dynaco over the other two without hesitation.
One thing that the Sansui does do better than the other two is pick up a lot more stations. I could probably pick up more stations with the Sansui without an aerial and my finger stuffed in the aerial in, than I could with either of the other two plugged into a six-element directional aerial. Drift was a problem with the Leak, and the Dynaco seems pretty stable after being tuned in for a few weeks but the Sansui is solid as a rock. So if you want to fiddle and want a lot of stations go for the Sansui with all its bling. It is the most flexible of the tuners with the ability to change de-emphasis with the flick of a switch, and also voltage by moving a couple of jumper switches. But if you are fortunate enough to live in the UK and have the BBC you will more than likely find the sensitivity of the Dynaco, and to a certain proportion of the population the Leak, to be more than adequate to cover all your musical needs. This is the fortunately the case for me. It just comes down to pure and simple sound and the Dynaco is the clear winner. I preferred the Sansui to the Leak, as the Leak was a hassle and its short comings out-balanced its advantages when compared to the Sansui.
A couple of things I would like to stress: I have a system, including the Dynaco, which has been through the hands of Croft, so I have a very integrated system with work still in progress. It may be the case with any well balanced and integrated system that a lesser tuner may sound better than a premium, but not-so-well-matched one, but as I said, this tuner has been through other systems and has still impressed with its sound quality, so personally I do put the sound down to being to a damned fine tuner. Also, as I mentioned, two of these tuners are quite heavily modified from their starting point and are not stock models like the Sansui, but they all come in at the same price point or thereabouts, so wallet value can be taken into consideration. I think the real test would be modifying the Sansui with the same budget as the Dynaco or Leak. Now that would be very interesting.
As far I can remember Dynaco Mods.
The whole power supply has been rebuilt.
Better wire used through out,
Mono/Volume switch and circuit removed,
New NOS matched tubes through out (mostly Telefunken) also includes a pair of Amperex Bugle Boys 1950's 12AX7 D getter long plate on the out put stage.
Matched resisters,
De-emphasis switched from US to UK
All capacitors on out put stage up graded, some circuit changes
Gold RCA plugs,
Van De Hul power cord,
Can capacitor change for modern equivalent
Totally realigned.
Some of the equipment used
Croft Elite well sort of heavily modified.
Croft Phantom power (a one off)
Art Stiletto speakers
Anticable through out
Audiophile Base rack
Trichord Powerblock 500
Various power cables[/size]
