Adcom tuner/preamps......

Yes...they will nicely do in a budget system. I own an Adcom GTP-400 tuner/preamp and within the past year purchased an Adcom GTP-602 tuner/preamp. They are great sounding units with decent tuners.

Used an Adcom GTP 500 II tuner/preamp for 13 years and it worked fine. Then one day I was moving equipment around and tried a vintage Marantz receiver as a preamp instead and the sound was significantly different ... in favor of the Marantz.

Why not just get a receiver? The Outlaw Audio RR2150 is an excellent two channel receiver for the money ($600). NAD also makes the C720BEE (C320BEE amplifier with a tuner) for about the same money. There is also the Denon DRA 395 ($350). The Yamaha 657 HT receiver (replaced by the 659) was well reviewed for its excellent amplifier section ($500).

Receivers will more than suffice for budget/bedroom/office purposes. By the way, who cares if the purists frown ... for the most part they wouldn't even bother to investigate what is available/possible at the budget points.

Monitors from companies like NHT (like the discontinued SB2 or SB3) or Wharfedale (Diamond 9 series) and CD players from Cambridge Audio work very well with these receivers.

Regards, Rich

P.SD from chaz
Forgot to mention one the one I have which is the poor mans Dynalan\b or or McIntosh.Yamagha made some VERY good tuner at a few price points.Mine is a cult classic the T2 which cost $750 15 years ago.Find one in good working order and you' be happyu as a clam but it will cost a few more bucks than th Adcom.Still think Adcom is a good a good bet for reasonabl money.
Chazz

Adcom.Used to sell them, and remebrr that one of the audio mag's (maygbe Steeophile) said that it was worthy of a class C rating and that tuners as a seperate component were becoming more difficult to find and that the tuner in the GTP350 (or replacement model) or 450 (w/remote) both had decent sensitive tuners in them.Look here on A'gon or enay and choose a 50 wat 5300,100 5400 etcZ(earlier variants were the 535 and 545 but look for a 545II as it sounds better).It will do the trcik.Other tuners I liked were the NADS or Nakamichi because the Nak St& and ealerly NAD had ciruts developed by LKarry Schotz ,Highlym slective if not the most sensitive they had a good hard lock on stations but at expense of farstations.In any cvase if you have a house and can mount a whip antenna on the eves or even pout in the attic get yourself a $100 fanfare FT-1 antenna (Think that's model number they only make one).It is incredible in term,s of what it can do.Also think about cable TV or XM satelite which is the mdern way.Yah it's another $10 but you can get the sublime (NPR) to the profane (Howard Sten) and somethings you might not get if you like alternative news the CBNC from canada or the BBC.If you were in hunt for spending some real dough on sperates there out there from mass market japan stuff to Jolida tube ($400?).Serious audiophile tuners include late model McIntosh tube tuners (some say the best ever made) the Broadcast model for $550 by Magnum Dynalab thtought they make and excellent $1500 model as id price for the fanfare (company that mnakes whip antenna) for same price.But a sperate Namichi,Nad can be had for smae price as the ASdcom and for second dytem your on right track.I know folks who like the Adcom enough to keep the preamp tuner even when they by a bter grade pre-amp -it's that good.But if yopur not a codo/Apt dweller get that Fanfar Antenna for $100 and mount it as high as you can.If you can't find it just get in touch with me (chazz@berkshire.net) and I'll set up deal to have you phone order oe and have itt sent in mail.
Cheers
Chazzbo