What? They are just as relevant as they ever were with your choice of free classic rock, jazz, you remember jazz - the original American art form, classical, college station, PBS, live symphony or country, talk, etc. Open yourself to music beyond your library's borders, you may hear something you like. And yes, vintage tube tuners (and some solid state tuners-probably not the $15 ones) do get the harmonics right in exactly the same way most of us prefer tube amps/pre's. Live weekday evening symphonies from the Lincoln Center with a McIntosh or Scott tuner is pretty close to being there! PBS is a breath of "fresh aire" (pardon me) with Sat. AM "Car Talk" sure to crack you up and creative, "Prairie Home Companion's" Guy Noir and Lefty' characters on Live radio! Come on, it's fun! It's free!
FM tuners - Are they OBSOLETE ?
As much as I a have liked tuners in the past - and probably kidded myself that older ''vintage'' tuners sound better (after owning quite a few), I really don't see much use for them except maybe a nostalgic bridge to days past, or bragging rights to pride of ownership with McIntosh gear or whatever.
With the newer technologies giving access to hundreds of stations around the globe, it just seems like THE proposition to discover new music.
I of course know that some high-end tuners sound very good - but let me tell you - a clean 128 digital feed into a DAC (from a digital transport like the Wadia or Cambridge Audio's new ID-100), is pretty impressive...
Sort of make kilo-buck tuners seem futile and very expensive by comparison.
What do you think ?
With the newer technologies giving access to hundreds of stations around the globe, it just seems like THE proposition to discover new music.
I of course know that some high-end tuners sound very good - but let me tell you - a clean 128 digital feed into a DAC (from a digital transport like the Wadia or Cambridge Audio's new ID-100), is pretty impressive...
Sort of make kilo-buck tuners seem futile and very expensive by comparison.
What do you think ?