space_cowboy Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 I'm looking for a dedicated FM Tuner for my modest 2 channel rig. What I want (or think I want) new is WAY outta range, any opinions on used in the $300 max price range? For that matter I've seen new for about the same smack. Thanks, Space Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_Shomaker Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 a used yamaha T-80 or T-85 on ebay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsmyforte Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Adcom makes some of the best tuners out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dflip Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 You can pick up a used Scott tube tuner for under $200 that has been refurbished and had the tuning checked. Not really a match for the black ASL look, but good value for the money. Putting a yagi antenna on the roof will pull in stations from a long distance away. You run RB-6 coax cable from the antenna to the amp. You need a converter at each end to change 75 ohms into 300 ohms. Well worth looking into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivendell61 Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 I would second the Scott suggestion. They come up on e-Bay a lot. The 350/350B are generally in your price range. They seem to be universally held in high regard for sonics. And they do not need the re-build work like a vintage amp--usually just an alignment. Only question: ask someone who knows more than me if it would have any impedence incompatability with your more modern amp. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 www.fmtunerinfo.com I have used 3 digital tuners in the past 15 years. My 1974 Yamaha SS analog is so much more full and detailed in the mids it is amazing, I have a Sansui also. If you can get a "FMTUNERINFO" top 50 list tuner for $ 50-120 off e bay they are sure to be a sound purchase with good resale value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whell Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 The tuner info site posted above is mandatory reading for anyone shopping for tuners. Another spot I would suggest looking at is: www.antennaperformance.com. These guys take classic tuners, align them, tweak them, and sell them for a fair price for what you end up getting: a classic, well built analog tuner with improved performance that has been serviced and aligned by pros. The challenge with Ebay is that you're really not always sure what your getting. That may not matter if you're comfortable poking around inside of the unit and can do an alignment yourself If not, at least the Antenna Perforamnce guys guarantee their work. You'll sometimes find tuners pop up in the "For Sale" section of this site that have been serviced prior to sale: http://www.classicaudio.com/ There is another guy who collects vintage Fisher tube tuners and rebuilds them, and sells them for slightly above your stated price range. The results of the rebuild are supposed to be wonderful. If I can find his site again, I'll post it here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hardy Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 The Sherwoood tube tuners are real sleepers IMO. I have an S-3000 (mono) for which I paid $30 in near-mint condition in its original box. Before you decide you have to have stereo, listen to a good-sounding mono tuner. The S/N is better and the distortion is lower. If you really want to go stereo, you could get one of the later, stereo tuners or add an outboard MPX decoder (the S-3000, e.g., has a pre-deemphasis output for an MPX decoder). The S-3000 is the best sounding tuner in my house, besting my Yamaha CA-610, CR-1020 receiver, and Sansui TU717 -- not to mention the other, lesser, tuners and receivers hanging about :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 If you decide on the Tube Tuner route check out Foster Blair for the alignment he is listed on wwww.fmtunerinfo.com first page about half way down or so. Great guy and reasonable prices. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisK Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 I have 2 Sony ST-5000FW's and would be willing to sell one of them for $100.00 plus shipping. The 5000FW is considered a real sleeper by the tuner crowd. It was way overbuilt by Sony to compete with the megabuck tuners coming out of Japan and the US. I also have an Accuphase T-101, Sansui TU-919, Scott 300, and Kenwood 8300 along with Sony's. I know that's a little overkill, but I get them cheap from a guy that cruises estate sales and knows of my interest in tuners. Anyway, the 5000FW sounds better than all my tuners except for the Accuphase. It's been my experience that tube tuners (while VERY cool looking) do not always sound as good as the better solid state units available. BTW, tuner performance can be an extremely location subjective concept. A Marantz 10B (probably the most sought after tuner and usually costing over $2,000 on eBay) may not sound it's best if you have location issues that it cannot handle (sub-carriers, etc.). Here is the Tuner Info link for the 5000FW - http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/reviewsO-Z.html#sony Good Luck, Chris PS Almost all of the tuners listed above will work fine, but the most important thing often is what type of antenna you will be using and what issues your exact location may have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audio_kid Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 ChrisK... you have mail! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
space_cowboy Posted January 22, 2004 Author Share Posted January 22, 2004 Thanks for all the replies! Lots of info to check out; I halfway bid (and lost) on a Magnum Dynalab earlier today, will keep looking. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dflip Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 If you decide on the Tube Tuner route check out Foster Blair for the alignment he is listed on wwww.fmtunerinfo.com first page about half way down or so. Great guy and reasonable prices. ------------ My Scott tuner was bought from Foster Blair and he was more than willing to talk and answer questions. The tuner arrived as advertised and works well. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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