Tuner Component Questions

[wldrns1]

Starting to look. I understand in the house FM is said by some to be a thing of the past, or soon to be. Doesn't bother me. I'm not expecting stellar sound quality but might as well get something decent. You here know way more than me. Some guidance please:

FYI:  NOSVALVE is doing a complete recon of an acquired Scott 299 right now. That will be my amp. HSM's & sub my speakers. Satisfied with this setup.

 

Tuner: Tube? Modern? Tablet?

 

Local PBS has HD. Never heard HD but seems opinionated. The only HD capable tuner seems to be a Sangean HDT-1 which Sangean says discontinued due to lack of sales. Can find on Ebay.

 

Tablet can do internet including IHeart, TuneIn, PBS with HD, Sirius. Hook tablet to Scott via tablet headphone jack to amp Tape in.

 

Vintage tube...can't get answers if tubes are somehow better (sound quality or other reason) besides match the era of the amp and the 'vintage factor'.

 

Tabletop like Tivoli One. Nice looking. Modern with vintage styling.

 

There is some benefit to having a tuner that stays with the amp rather than get the Tablet to plug in each time.

 

Is it OK to keep RCA jacks plugged in to Amp and cover Pin Jack end with snug tubing?

 

I'm leaning toward finding a Sangean HDT-1 for local and using the Tablet for others if desired.

 

Paralysis of analysis here. Comments?

 

Thx much,

Joe

 

[Sancho Panza]

I like HD Radio; locally we have 3 stations, 2 are National Peoples Radio, but one plays Classical Music Most of the time. We also have a Jazz/Blues channel that is not reliable in HD.

I'd guess there is more choice in Central New York, than Central Mississippi.

It's convenient to have instant decent DVD Quality music instantly.

Came with my Denon 3312 & 3311 AVRs, so can't really advise on Tuner selection.

[Kent T]

HH Scott tuner to go with your HH Scott Amplifier. Still some of the best FM tuners ever made. And hard to beat by the standards of right now. 

[LarryC]

Local PBS has HD. Never heard HD but seems opinionated.

What is HD in FM radioland?  I have a Sony HD TV, but don't know how that term carries over to FM radio.

 

I have a Magnum Dynalab 102 which I upgraded to a "T", or tube output, some years ago.  Great sound, as it well should be.

 

MD says it's an all-analog tuner.  Does that mean it can't be "HD"?

Edited September 8, 2014 by LarryC

[Sancho Panza]

Google HD Radio...

CD Quality FM

FM Quality AM

[tromprof]

I had the Sangean tuner. It was a first rate tuner and had a digital out which I used to record some live orchestra broadcasts from my local PBS. That said the sound quality is more like streamed music from Pandora than CD quality. I just didn't use it much and orchestras are streaming concerts in true HD sound so I sold it (for about what it cost new). I use an old 1970s Yamaha tuner now, looks good even if not used.

[LarryC]

What is HD in FM radioland?  I have a Sony HD TV, but don't know how that term carries over to FM radio.   I have a Magnum Dynalab 102 which I upgraded to a "T", or tube output, some years ago.  Great sound, as it well should be.   MD says it's an all-analog tuner.  Does that mean it can't be "HD"?

To answer my own Q, the "HD" is appropriated without any meaning carried over from TV. The MD tube is an audio, not "output," stage. MD makes an internet radio tuner, but not one called "HD," probably because they are not digital tuners. Edited September 8, 2014 by LarryC

[russ69]

If you have good local FM channels that you like to listen to, just go out and buy a cheap tuner. Otherwise just stream off the internet. There are a bazillion stations out there. I don't have a tuner, I just use the TV cable stations or spin a disc.

Edited September 8, 2014 by russ69

[muel]

Get a Scott 350 tuner for the fun factor and it matches your 299.  It sounds good and pulls the stations in.  It is still FM radio though and you might have significant cash invested by the time you are done. 

 

What tablet?  Don't output from the headphone jack.  If you have an iPhone or iPad you can output using a FiiO adapter (there are others too) that will give you better results.

 

Get an adapter for your tablet and enjoy while you are keeping an eye out for a Scott tuner.  You might decide to not to get a tuner at all.  Personally, I really enjoy my Scott 350b!

[Sancho Panza]

OTA Radio gives you an extra source when the Internet & Cable go down.

[tigerwoodKhorns]

I had a heavily modified supertuner.  I was tested and did better than some of the best on fmtunerinfo. 

 

I sold it because our local FM stations have FM 2 and FM 3 which decreases bandwidth.  It was not worth keeping the FM tuner. 

 

I use a rotel and an Arcam tuner in different systems.  The newer Marantz 7000 (or soemthign liek that) are supposed to be very good and are cheap. 

 

Where you live it is flat, so maybe gettign distant channels will work with a good tuner.  We live in a valley so it just didn't work out.

[wldrns1]

Get a Scott 350 tuner for the fun factor and it matches your 299.  It sounds good and pulls the stations in.  It is still FM radio though and you might have significant cash invested by the time you are done. 

 

What tablet?  Don't output from the headphone jack.  If you have an iPhone or iPad you can output using a FiiO adapter (there are others too) that will give you better results.

 

Get an adapter for your tablet and enjoy while you are keeping an eye out for a Scott tuner.  You might decide to not to get a tuner at all.  Personally, I really enjoy my Scott 350b!

Nexus 7. I'll have to learn more about FiiO adapter. I'm learning the Sangean can be a problem somehow because the HD cannot be disabled or turned off.