[RVD]

I have been looking for a new or used tuner, as I enjoy listening to the radio when I get bored with cd's, but have no clue where to begin. I am looking for a tuner with the following requirements:

1. $250 or less
2. At least 5 presets
3. Good sound quality
4. Remote control

Any recommendation is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Dan H]

Check out this place.....
http://www.geocities.com/tunerinfo/
Mostly vintage tuners but lots of good information.

 

[elrod-tom]

I would look for a good used NAD tuner on eBay (or some commercial source somewhere).

I just can't see spending $250 on a NEW tuner...they have basically no moving parts, so they will stand up to years of use. You will get a much better value on the used market.

If you're feeling nostalgic, you can still find the old NAD dial tuners. I'd opt for fewer moving parts, but the older tuners and receivers (think old Marantz or Sansui) sure looked cool!!

 

[RVD]

Dan H: Thanks for the link. I came across that website right before I posted this and it does have tons of info, and I have been slowly going through trying to find tuners that fit my requirements.

elrod-tom: Thanks for the recommendation. I have been thinking it would be best to go used instead of buying new. I have seen some of the Sansui tuners on ebay, and I have been very tempted to buy one of them, but the only problem is they are analogue.

 

[Number9]

Some of the SAE "vintage" tuners from the mid-80s to the early '90s sound pretty good, and have presets and digital readouts. They go for decent prices (sub-$250) on eBay and Audiogon. More info can be found at the tunerinfo site at Geocities. Pick one up for $100, and then allow for $150 for alignmnent, filter and cap upgrades. Well worth it.

I personally own an old Kenwood that I had upgraded by Don Scott formerly of Stereophile. He likes the SAE tuners a lot too. He may even have one in stock. Contact him via the tuner info site.

Interestingly, that site really pooh-poohs NAD tuners, saying NAD never made a good tuner.

I second the motion that a good, upgraded vintage tuner creams newer cheapie tuners (sub $500). I compared my Kenwood to barnd new Cambridge, NAD, Audio Advancements, and Creek. They were not only more expensive, but just did not sound as good.

 

[ian]

Tivoli (Henry Kloss) Model Two table radio would work - I know some people on the boards use them simply as a tuner because they're very good at it - that big 5:1 ratio tuner, the ability to pull in any station, and that neat tuning light. It's a solid choice at $159. You can get the Model One if you don't need/want stereo as well.
Tivoli Audio Homepage

 

[Dan H]

Quote:

I personally own an old Kenwood that I had upgraded by Don Scott formerly of Stereophile. He likes the SAE tuners a lot too. He may even have one in stock. Contact him via the tuner info site.

I agree 100% Don chats on Audiogon. Go to Learn then Tuners. he sells moded new and used tuners a very well respected and nice guy.

 

[Orpheus]

i'm using a Yamaha TX-950. it was recommended by a tuner-fanatic who seemed to have used every high-end tuner ever made in the past 30 years. crazy. anyway, he insists that for the money, it's very hard to beat... his other recommendation?--a Cambridge Audio T500.

the Yamaha TX-950 was discontinued in 2000, but is supposedly the best tuner Yamaha has ever made. for FM, it tunes in increments of 0.01 MHz!:

http://www.yamaha.com/cgi-win/webcgi...SEP00010TX-950

as for current models, the cambridge should be the best for your money.

i think you can get either for about $200-300 on ebay. (though the yamaha sometimes goes up to $400 if the right bidders found the same ad)

i once saw the Creek T-43 (which is basically the exact same design as the T500, except with audiophile-greade parts) for $200 on audiogon. it's normally $700. should have bought that and resold it... but i wasn't thinking.

anyway... those three are the best you can buy in your price range (under $300), if you're willing to buy used equipment. but i don't think any of these comes with a remote... though you can use a universal remote with the yamaha i think.

dean

 

[Number9]

I listened to the Cambridge and Creek mentioned above. The Cambridge in particular was very disappointing given all the hearsay of how "great" it is. Maybe I came upon a dud ... but ...

Believe it or not, my 30+ year old Kenwood (Don Scott mods) sounds better by a long shot (and cost less too).

No, I don't have a remote, presets, or a digital read-out.
But at least music does not sound flat, thin and compressed, which is what happens with a lower quality tuner.

Check out the geocities tuner info site, the opiniions there are quite accurate in my estimation of what is available in the market. The interest in vintage tuners comes from good reason. Unless you are looking at an Accuphase T109, or a Burmester, or an MD108 - they just don't make tuners today like they use to, because there is no money to be made. The low-end tuners are nothing more than "car radios".

Also, don't forget to factor in some money for a good antenna. More than anything, that makes the greatest difference in sound quality, because you can not only get a stronger signal, and most importantly lower multipath, by rotating it. Cable compresses the signal and introduces all kinds of distortions.

 

[H_man]

I picked up a used Cambridge Audio T500 for $150 and it blows away all the tuners I ever heard before it. I find it to be a very revealing tuner, but it's picky about wanting a strong clean signal. This tuner is the first one I've heard that has enabled me to enjoy listening to the radio with headphones.

 

[RVD]

Thanks for the all the responses they have been very helpful. From what I have gathered from the responses and a little research, it seems that the older Yamaha's fit my needs the best, and I think I will try to pursue one of these.

Some of the analogue tuners I have seen have sparked my interest, but the reason I want digital is I am constantly changing the station. Also it seems some of the best tuners are analogue. My question is, keeping in mind that I usually constantly change the station, would it be best to stick with a digital tuner, or should I pursue an analogue tuner?

 

[Orpheus]

well, if you're willing to spend more, you can get a Magnum Dynalab. it's true analog, with digital controls. but they're significantly more than your budget.