FM Tuners


I would like to add a tuner to my system.

I am only beginning to research this, so anyone with experience that could help narrow my focus would be appreciated. I'm not looking for vintage receivers with built-in amps. I'd like a tuner to run into a Van Alstine SET 120, which is a control amp with a passive pre-amp section.

A tuner with a built-in pre-amp is not necessary, but I'm wondering if that might just be the ticket.

Thank you for sharing your experience!

imaninatural

Showing 2 responses by big_greg

A good FM signal can sound really good with a good tuner and antenna.  Pay attention to the last item.  Depending on your location, you may need to consider a roof mounted antenna.

The FM Tuner site previously mentioned is a great resource.  Yes, it can seem a little overwhelming, but a good place to start is the tuner shootout.  You can see what they subjectively think are the "best" tuners and there is also useful information about what they typically sell for.

I have a Magnum Dynalabs Etude and a roof mounted antenna and listen to jazz all day while I work from the local NPR station and it sounds fantastic. 

I'm all for streaming music from quality sources, but there are only a handful of high-quality "radio" streams.  Radio Paradise is fantastic.  Most of the FM stations are being streamed at low bit rates and sound quality is nowhere near the quality of a good FM over air broadcast.

Your need for an antenna will vary based on your proximity to the broadcast tower, strength of signal, hills, building, etc. between you and the tower.

Some tuners do a better job pulling in distant stations.  Some are better at separating out signals that are close on the tuner dial.  That kind of info is also on the fmtunerinfo site.

This site is helpful in seeing where you are in proximty to the broadcast tower:  Coverage Maps FAQ (radio-locator.com)

If you're close, a simple di-pole indoor antenna might be fine, but a roof antenna should give you a better signal, even if you're close.  I've tried some indoor antennas from Terk (not so great) and Magnum Dynalabs (decent).  They may or may not be better than the free or almost free dipole antenna, depending on the station and other variables mentioned.