FM tuner

[M Code]

We have (3) different systems, the 2600 and turntable are my 2-channel music system, then my 1st home theater system is an HK7550 and my 2nd home theater system is an Integra 80.3 driving some Crown amplifiers. We also have a Yamaha 3020 but I pulled it out and put the Integra back in.
Being in the biz we tend to accumulate alot of different hardware..

Just my $0.05...

 

[TLS Guy]

You have no sense of humor whatsoever when it comes to Quad. Lighten up. BTW, wasn't the Quad tuner known to be rather finicky about which pre-amp it was paired with? A low input impedance, like a lot of components have now, would roll off the bass. True, or review BS?

It's review BS. It does not care what preamp it loads to. It can connect to my Marantz pre/pro or my RME Fireface 800. It does not roll off the bass. I just listened to a recording of Friday might's Minnesota Orchestra concert, I made from it this afternoon. The big bass drum in the Stravinsky Firebird was thunderous.

 

[walter duque]

Come to think of it my Marantz 4400 had a great tuner section too, with O-scope (purchased 1975) BTW that's a Dual 701 TT which was very expensive for those days. The 4400 was the most powerfull receiver, 125 watts per channel. It was $1250.00. It was a quadraphonic receiver.

 

[markw]

So Allen, did you find the answer to your question yet?

 

[allen_in_texas]

Hi Adam,

I do have a decent antenna. I picked up one receiver from the thrift store for $5, and it never turned on. I exchanged it (with a $3 charge to upgrade to an $8 receiver), and when I brought it home the right channel didn't output anything. I tried to put my engineering degrees to use and fix both of the receivers, but both times I ended up with no working receiver and a few leftover screws.

It's been fun to watch this thread go from sub-ten-dollar solutions to the best of the best.

 

[allen_in_texas]

markw - There have definitely been some good ideas amongst the geeking out.

 

[Hobbit]

I really liked the Adcom GTP 500 (it may have been a II?) I used to have on my living room system. With just the cheezy wire antenna plugged into the back it would pull in stations, and cleanly, that my B&K ref 20, or my old Marantz AVR (don't remember the model) could hardly even find. It sounded good too. The Adcom can be found for very inexpensive on ebay.

 

[allen_in_texas]

So for a maximum of $100, shipping included, what FM (or AM/FM) tuner would you buy?

 

[markw]

So for a maximum of $100, shipping included, what FM (or AM/FM) tuner would you buy?

That's not a fair question. That implies used and that depends on what's available at the time.

What ones do you have in mind.

 

[Pyrrho]

So for a maximum of $100, shipping included, what FM (or AM/FM) tuner would you buy?

With that kind of budget, I would research at the site I already mentioned, and would bid on this:

Vintage Pioneer TX 9500 II Stereo Am FM Tuner | eBay

If I did not get it, I would look for more tuners and bid on them.

Sometimes with auctions, one can get a great deal, but other times, people bid too high for that. So I would be patient and bid on tuners until I got a really good deal on one. I would also look on Craigslist for my local area.

 

[Rickster71]

So for a maximum of $100, shipping included, what FM (or AM/FM) tuner would you buy?

FRYS.com*|*SONY
Nothing will beat this for $99.
Some info if interested: Sony XDR-F1HD
It was legendary when it came out and still is.
EDIT: Sorry It's no longer available at that price.

 

[allen_in_texas]

FRYS.com*|*SONY
Nothing will beat this for $99.
Some info if interested: Sony XDR-F1HD
It was legendary when it came out and still is.
EDIT: Sorry It's no longer available at that price.

That's exactly the kind of enthusiasm I was hoping for. I was hoping someone would say, "here get this thing, it's a good product." After reading up on the XDR-F1HD, indeed, it seems like a very good solution, or at least it was back when it was $99. Now it's discontinued and they are going for two or three times that much.

 

[TLS Guy]

That's exactly the kind of enthusiasm I was hoping for. I was hoping someone would say, "here get this thing, it's a good product." After reading up on the XDR-F1HD, indeed, it seems like a very good solution, or at least it was back when it was $99. Now it's discontinued and they are going for two or three times that much.

If you want one of those, I have one. It has hardly been used, I bought it to review the Ibiquity HD radio system. That goes to the hart of the problem with that unit. Ibiquity HD sounds awful as far as I'm concerned, it is worse than streamed radio at 120 kbs and that's saying something. There is no way to force analog if what you are listening to is available in HD and analog. There are mods to this unit on the Net, to force analog.

If you want this unit I won't gouge you. Its yours for $100 plus shipping.

 

[Alex2507]

If you want this unit I won't gouge you. Its yours for $100 plus shipping.

Sell it to me so I can gouge him.

 

[Irvrobinson]

If you want one of those, I have one. It has hardly been used, I bought it to review the Ibiquity HD radio system. That goes to the hart of the problem with that unit. Ibiquity HD sounds awful as far as I'm concerned, it is worse than streamed radio at 120 kbs and that's saying something. There is no way to force analog if what you are listening to is available in HD and analog. There are mods to this unit on the Net, to force analog.

+1

Sometimes we don't agree, but regarding this unit we strongly agree. The Ibiquity sounds horrendous on a good system. Almost any analog FM tuner sounds better, IMHO. A friend brought one over once, and by chance we played a song that I also had on CD. (Hotel California) I think he gave the unit away afterwards.

 

[TLS Guy]

Sell it to me so I can gouge him.

I always knew you were part of the Russian mob.

By the way, I haven't forgotten about that head shell. It has just been brutally cold here, and I don't spend a second in the cold I don't have to. I think we are now around 80 or more days below zero so far in the Northwoods. It's not just the cold either. The wind often howls and the windchill has been off the clock!

It was just brutal on the old JD model A Friday. We had 5 or so inches of snow, but the wind howled so loud it woke me up twice in the night. The wind drifted all my spoil piles from the grader into the road, packing the snow hard. The old girl did a mighty fine job and made gorgeous sounds doing it. She's been really on form this winter!

 

[Alex2507]

I always knew you were part of the Russian mob.

By the way, I haven't forgotten about that head shell. It has just been brutally cold here, and I don't spend a second in the cold I don't have to. I think we are now around 80 or more days below zero so far in the Northwoods. It's not just the cold either. The wind often howls and the windchill has been off the clock!

It was just brutal on the old JD model A Friday. We had 5 or so inches of snow, but the wind howled so loud it woke me up twice in the night. The wind drifted all my spoil piles from the grader into the road, packing the snow hard. The old girl did a mighty fine job and made gorgeous sounds doing it. She's been really on form this winter!

I'm going to send you a pair of long underwear. EDIT: Are you going to charge extra for cryogenics?

The head shell isn't a priority for me either. After all I'm still playing LP's just as often as I like. I'm just careful about picking up the tone arm when it's secured into the resting post.

For the OP: Over the last few years I've picked up 4 different different old school rec'rs from CL and eBay (local listings) for short money. They were for friends and they're all still working. I haven't seen any electronics worth buying at Goodwill or Salvation Army type stores.

My CL criteria is that I like to buy from people that list their phone number but I insist on picking up the stuff at their house. I only meet hookers and drug dealers in parking lots and alleys.

 

[allen_in_texas]

If you want one of those, I have one...

True to his word, TLS Guy sent the XDR-F1HD in short order. And as many have attested, HD radio sounds absolutely lousy! Installing an analog-only switch should be a fun project though. Thanks for your help, all.