Old school separate FM tuners and the lack of integrated circuits

[markw]

For the few times I listen to AM, I use a 1938 Sears Silvertone table radio. It beats the becheezus outta any other AM tuner in the house. ...and the tone is pretty good, too

 

[fmw]

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!

But that doesn't excuse the manufacturer's unwillingness to put a couple of dollars worth of parts that actually work into a receiver. And Sirius and XM (now merged) didn't exist 15 or 20 years ago and receiver tuners were bad way back then as well.

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.

I have a separate tuner in my upstairs stereo system - a Denon. It also has a worthless AM section. It might cost them less to leave it out. That would make more sense to me than including something that doesn't work.

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,

Our market has a total of one digital radio station. It plays pop and I don't listen to pop so there is no reason for me to get an "HD" tuner. I think the compressed bit rate for "HD" radio probably puts it below analog sonically anyway. I have XM through DirecTV and it is unlistenable for the most part.

End of rant.