Comments on Magnum Dynalab MD-205 Signal Sleuth

Don't discount what a $3.00 dipole can possibly do also. With a little moving around, you might be surprised how effective they can be.

No. The Magnum Dynalab MD-208 Receiver is part of my 2nd system and it is NOT replacing my McIntosh MA6900 ampliifer. This system also includes the Meridian 508.24 CD player and ProAc 2.5 Speakers. The Magnum Dynalab MD-208 Receiver took about a week+ before it started to sound good. IThe unit is still breaking in but the sound has greatly improved and I like it. Thanks..

Is this receiver replacing your Mac? If so, share your thoughts.

As for antennas, another thought is to see about trying another antenna. The guy that installed my dish had a "bow-tie" shaped antenna that we were going to experiment with but we never got to it; this antenna was only $20.

I have an MD-205. It boosts the antenna signal in a narrowed frequency window. The user dials in the amount of boost applied. If you like to skip up and down the dial, this will magnify your work because you need to move the MD-205's boost window in tandem with your tuner. I find the boost is fairly helpful for difficult situations, although it isn't really magical.

I live halfway between two big cities, both fairly distant, and I like listening to stations from both cities. I am also close to a local station that is loud and tends to overwhelm weaker signals near its frequency. The MD-205 works well for me. It boosts the signals from the weaker stations to usable strengths. At the same time, it can be set so as not to boost the local station, effectively de-emphasizing its signal. (I also have Terk and Recoton antenna/boosters in other systems, and the MD-205 is better because it can boost in a narrow window.) It's not a be-all end-all solution, but it gives me just enough help so I can listen to what I want.

Sonically, I seem to hear a little "hardening" of the sound when it is on, i.e., perhaps a little loss of delicacy in the highs or less harmonic information. If a station is strong enough that I don't need it, I leave it off. If a station is weak, I don't mind the hardening of the sound if it can make an unlistenable station listenable.

I would follow the same path you are walking, if I were in your shoes. Best is to optimize the antenna first. If this works, it's the best way. After that, if you still need more, I would get a booster like the MD-205. This one comes with great credentials and better functionality than any other I could find. Good luck.