Old school separate FM tuners and the lack of integrated circuits

[fmw]

Are you guys familiar with this:

http://www.daysequerra.com/default.aspx

They make some outstanding tuners.

They made tuners that were about as good as the best made by other manufacturers and then priced them in the stratosphere. That's why they finally went belly up while Magnum Dynalab continues to succeed in the analog tuner business. Apparently someone has bought the Day Sequerra name and used it in a startup operation for digital radio. Hopefully they will do a better job with it than Sequerra did. But it doesn't look like it. It looks like the same old thing. Good equipment way, way overpriced.

 

[Halon451]

I listen to some shows on public radio (like Car Talk) but no music. I don't like constant commercials and repeatedly played songs.

Unfortunately, even Sirius seems to be falling into the trap of constantly repeating songs these days. I don't know about XM, I've had Sirius near since satellite radio first hit the market. Still, it does offer a much wider range of channels for those of every taste, creed and call, and I still consider it worth the subscription alone to not have to listen to cheesy commercials.

I would consider it a waste of my money to purchase a seperate FM tuner with so many other viable media options available with far better offerings.

 

[B3Nut]

Wisconsin Public Radio has excellent classical programming and superb audio...stark contrast to the squashed obnoxious dreck on the commercial pop stations. Also there's a cool indie station and the college station from UW-Madison on the air here too, so there's some potential for interesting music in this area. It all depends on where you live whether the FM is worth a damn or not. I'd rather listen to well-done FM (such as public radio) than lossy-compressed streaming downloads.

 

[fmw]

I'd rather listen to well-done FM (such as public radio) than lossy-compressed streaming downloads.

Analog FM is also compressed but I agree with you. We have two local university stations and a great public radio station here that make FM listening a pleasure. I can see how FM wouldn't do much for rock listeners but we classical and jazz listeners can get a lot great content from FM. As I type I'm listening to the University of Notre Dame's 13th annual Good Friday broadcast - A potpourri of religious music from all genres. We've had everything from the New York Philharmonic to Gordon McRea to Black spirituals so far this evening. What I can't stand to listen to is digital radio - like XM. The sound is downright offensive to me.

 

[TLS Guy]

Analog FM is also compressed but I agree with you. We have two local university stations and a great public radio station here that make FM listening a pleasure. I can see how FM wouldn't do much for rock listeners but we classical and jazz listeners can get a lot great content from FM. As I type I'm listening to the University of Notre Dame's 13th annual Good Friday broadcast - A potpourri of religious music from all genres. We've had everything from the New York Philharmonic to Gordon McRea to Black spirituals so far this evening. What I can't stand to listen to is digital radio - like XM. The sound is downright offensive to me.

Nice to know I have company. I could not agree more with today's posts.

The Minnesota Orchestra is up is up live in my studio right now!

 

[Rickster71]

Here is a link to a site I found some years ago. It has tons of tuner reviews and shootouts.
http://web.archive.org/web/20060616191022/www.fmtunerinfo.com/shootouts.html
It's a little slow to load.
If you scroll to the bottom they have all the tuners ranked in order of performance.
A lot of good info.

 

[fmw]

Nice to know I have company. I could not agree more with today's posts.

The Minnesota Orchestra is up is up live in my studio right now!

Fine orchestra. Who is Music Director these days?

 

[TLS Guy]

Fine orchestra. Who is Music Director these days?

Osmo Vanska, and he's fantastic. I recommend his Beethoven cycle on BIS SACD with the Minnesota Orchestra. On my rig it sounds so close to Orchestra Hall it's uncanny.

 

[fmw]

Ah. It's been a while for me. Last time I bought one of the orchestra's recordings, Blomstedt was the man. He used to do a lot of Scandanavian Romantic era compositions. What a surprise. Nice stuff.

 

[saganco]

Unfortunately, even Sirius seems to be falling into the trap of constantly repeating songs these days.

Ain't it the truth!! I listen to Sirius on Dish Network. At first it was ok - very little repeating, but now... geesh, I hear a new song, then next thing you know they've played it several times every day!

On a different note, perhaps some of you smart folks can tell my why we just can't get AM (and some of the FM as well) worth a crap in our house or garage!? We have an ICF home (insulated concrete foundation) home - styrofoam walls with concrete and rebar inbetween the two sides of styro. But perhaps it's the mountains all around us...? But the car picks it up wonderfully. I'm lost. There's just certain programs at certain times of the day that we want to hear on the "old fashioned radio". Not to threadjack, but if someone knows what we can do to improve it, I'm all ears and would appreciate it!

 

[TLS Guy]

Ain't it the truth!! I listen to Sirius on Dish Network. At first it was ok - very little repeating, but now... geesh, I hear a new song, then next thing you know they've played it several times every day!

On a different note, perhaps some of you smart folks can tell my why we just can't get AM (and some of the FM as well) worth a crap in our house or garage!? We have an ICF home (insulated concrete foundation) home - styrofoam walls with concrete and rebar inbetween the two sides of styro. But perhaps it's the mountains all around us...? But the car picks it up wonderfully. I'm lost. There's just certain programs at certain times of the day that we want to hear on the "old fashioned radio". Not to threadjack, but if someone knows what we can do to improve it, I'm all ears and would appreciate it!

If you look at the first page of this thread, I have given you the answer. Good FM reception starts with a quality roof antenna. Please go to page 1!

 

[saganco]

Yeah - I get the FM part = an antennae. I'm pretty much asking about the AM part in case I didn't say it well. But I shouldn't HAVE to have an antennae anyway, that should just be to make it better (at least that's what has always been the case in other places I've lived). So, mystery/problem still exists.

 

[TLS Guy]

Yeah - I get the FM part = an antennae. I'm pretty much asking about the AM part in case I didn't say it well. But I shouldn't HAVE to have an antennae anyway, that should just be to make it better (at least that's what has always been the case in other places I've lived). So, mystery/problem still exists.

You are obviously in a difficult reception area. You also have rebar will also short a lot of your signal to ground. The mountains don't help either. You might need an AM roof antenna also.

You could have an outfit in you area who handles radio antenna installations check signal strengths and recommend a solution. You won't solve the situation unless you increase signal at the antenna input.

 

[mtrycrafts]

... I'm pretty much asking about the AM part in case I didn't say it well. But I shouldn't HAVE to have an antennae anyway, that should just be to make it better (at least that's what has always been the case in other places I've lived). So, mystery/problem still exists.

Your car picks up AM because it has an antenna. Try to disconnect it and see how much it picks up
Does your in home AM radio has any antenna at all? It needs something.
And as TLSguy indicated, your location is poor so the better the antenna the better the reception.
Perhaps in other locations you had a higher signal strength reaching your radio, so it worked.

 

[Hi Ho]

Receivers typically come with an AM loop antenna (plastic loop with wire wrapped around. If you don't have the plugged in then you're not likely to pick up anything. I find AM radio to be difficult to lock in indoors no matter what. The position of the antenna is critical as it picks up EMI very easily.

Rather than mess with that, I listen to the online stream of the one AM station I listen to. It sounds better than good AM reception anyway.

 

[saganco]

Wow, that's a lot of info. Now I have to have TWO antennaes on my roof in addition to my wireless internet and Dish network. What a joy this will be for poor hubby

 

[fmw]

The AM sections of modern HiFi tuners are hopeless. I don't know why. I can attach the supplied antenna to my Pioneer VSX92 receiver and get absolutely nothing on AM except for noise. Nothing. Zero. So I have a $25 clock radio on the HT credenza that I use whenever I want to hear AM. It picks up all the local AM stations with no problem and with only some little interior antenna. It is embarrassing that the manufacturer of 4 figure A/V receiver can't provide an AM capability at least as good as the cheap clock radio. There is no excuse for it and it has been that way for decades.

 

[Midcow2]

Tuners are an after thought

Why?

Because of digital streaming Interent music and because of Sirius and XM radio through satellite.

I have an old, old Fisher Studio Standard AM/FM tuner that still provides outstanding AM/FM and it is over 35 years old. I bought it because it was one of the first digital tuners. At the time, AM/FM were big, no CDs, no video switching VHS, Betamax or blu Ray DVDs. You either listened to 78 or 45 RPM records or reel-to-rell tape. Therefore tuner specs were critical and competiton produced some great AM/FM receivers and tuners. Yes, today, AM/FM is mostly an after thought!

The separation idea does make some sense only because a separate tuner is focussed on good specs and iIagree in many cases the AVR tuner is an after thought. The HD tuner in my 8002 is pretty good and even the AM comes in good with an external TERK AM -1000 Advantage Antenna.

The Cambridge 340 is an excellent tuner for $329, but does not yet incorporate the HD technology.

If you are really concenred about good FM then look for HD and a good dipole antenna. If you are really really a fanatic install an external FM antenna.

You can get some great HD FM tuners . The Sangrean HDT-1X tuner is an example that also has XM.

Music to my ears,

 

[TLS Guy]

Why?

Because of digital streaming Interent music and because of Sirius and XM radio through satellite.

I have an old, old Fisher Studio Standard AM/FM tuner that still provides outstanding AM/FM and it is over 35 years old. I bought it because it was one of the first digital tuners. At the time, AM/FM were big, no CDs, no video switching VHS, Betamax or blu Ray DVDs. You either listened to 78 or 45 RPM records or reel-to-rell tape. Therefore tuner specs were critical and competiton produced some great AM/FM receivers and tuners. Yes, today, AM/FM is mostly an after thought!

The separation idea does make some sense only because a separate tuner is focussed on good specs and iIagree in many cases the AVR tuner is an after thought. The HD tuner in my 8002 is pretty good and even the AM comes in good with an external TERK AM -1000 Advantage Antenna.

The Cambridge 340 is an excellent tuner for $329, but does not yet incorporate the HD technology.

If you are really concenred about good FM then look for HD and a good dipole antenna. If you are really really a fanatic install an external FM antenna.

You can get some great HD FM tuners . The Sangrean HDT-1X tuner is an example that also has XM.

Music to my ears,

I don't have any experience of the tuner sections of receivers, but I have heard from many they have joined the race to the bottom.

I do not listen to AM. I have only owned three types of Tuner in my life. An old EMI tube one, when I was a kid, the Quad FM3 and the Quad FM 4. I use an FM 3 in our GF town home and in the first level system here and an FM 4 in the studio. I get excellent FM listening.

Now I did do an installation recently for a guy in the Twin Cities. I used a Sandjean FM/HD. We were pretty close to the MPR St. Paul transmitter. I thought the digital HD, which by the way does not stand for high definition, because it isn't, had a brittle quality to it, especially on a choral selection that played during evaluation. I preferred the FM.

The equipment was Thor TL speakers with brand new NAD electronics.

In England they have DAB. I have been able to do quick A/B comparisons between BBC Radio 3, which has the highest streaming bit rate, and FM. There is a strong preference for FM from all listeners.

The max bit rate supported by these systems is too low. If analog broadcasting goes the way of analog TV broadcasting, it will be a very raw deal.

 

[mtrycrafts]

... What a joy this will be for poor hubby

Does this mean that you are female? If so, you are rare around here

If you have access to the attic, that might be a place to hang the antennas; a consideration.