Good FM tuner for around $1K

A no brainer: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis98f1h-yamaha-t2-audio-players

Very rare on the used market but if you can find a TAG McLaren T32R grab it. The original MSRP was $2500.00. The circuit is based on the famous Audiolab 8000T but tweaked to the max and updated to DAB standards with numerous convenience features as well. After years of searching I found one several months ago and it’s the one component I’ll never part with.

Sansui TU-9900

Out of all the best fm tuners made, that also look good, and can be found for under a grand ... that is my pick. I have one in stock form, that is fantastic. Had it for years. Never been opened up, but one of these days, I'll do the FMTunerInfo mods on it to give me a little more of it's natural goodness.

I'm in the radio industry, so clear reception and reliable performance are on the top of our list. 

 The Sangean HDT-20 (around $200) is amazing! Great reception, un-colored sound and has digital outs, so you can plug it into whatever DAC you want or use the regular RCA outputs.
 It's not a gorgeous piece, like I am sure the others here are mentioned, but this thing performs incredibly well.

http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/luxman.html

Several of the old Luxman tuners are great units

the rec above re: tuner shoot out site is a great resource

Lots of good advice has been given, personally I’ve had a McIntosh MR 71 for years.  A very nice sounding tuner, especially after I had it brought back to factory specs by Audio Classics.  The problem is I don’t use it any more.  Why?  All the radio stations I might listen to have horrible sound.  Most stations now are heavily compressed and many are just broadcasting syndicated programming which has been sent digitally (do you think it’s CD quality?  Nope.  Probably not even MP3 quality). There used to be some really good sounding stations, there may still be some low power college stations or NPR stations (though not many are music oriented anymore). Last time I checked I was very disappointed, steaming sounded better.  My advice would be to verify there are stations you want to listen to and will benefit from a good tuner.  I’m also surprised no one has asked specifically about how far away the stations might be or if you are in an urban area, both present challenges to a tuner and may be more important than the sound quality.  One other thing, you will probably need a good antenna.  A lot of interference can be eliminated with a good directional antenna. Good luck!

My last experience of seperates in tuners was a couple years ago with a McIntosh MR7082.

Maybe not up to the standards of say the 74,77, 78 et al but for the price you can buy them used is an excellent piece.
I was fortunate to have a few good local stations and only had to use an indoor antenna.

Thankfully I literally have no room or amp inputs left for a tuner any longer so I do not have to worry about one now.

If I remember correct I sold mine for just $400, looks like they fetch a little more now on eBay.

Magnum Dynalab- one of best tuners on market. Tube options available 

My Marantz model 20 is amazing. Plus it’s got the scope! 

I have a MD 102 and it is excellent and can be found resonably...  I sent my MD90 in for repair and rather than repair and upgrades I just traded it toward a MD102.  You should check out their certified used page on their site....   

Old kenwood tuners some of the best I’ve ever had. Sansui, accuphase, luxman and McIntosh awesome as well. You should do very well on your budget. 

I have a Pioneer TX-9100. Go find the best picture you can on-line, mine's better. I'm the original owner. $250 plus shipping. A solid +3dB on the Cool Factor Meter.

Having lived in good DXR locations I used many tuners.Depending on what you are listening and where you live would help you determine what you may like in a tuner. 

+1 on Accuphase. I have two T101's. The T 100 is even better. Great sound and locks on to stations.

Sansui TU717 and TU919 are about the best out there for reasonable money better then the Mag Dynalab lower tier entries by a good margin. find one recapped already, easy to find too. I wont get into a discussion here but a recapped 717-919 is a better sounding tuner then the 9900 IMO( recapped or not). I’m listening to a redone TU 717 now, I’m tuning in to KNKX out of Seattle I’m in Victoria BC Canada (over 80miles away as the crow fly’s) perfect signal sounding wonderful.


Google, Tuner information center shoot out. probably the biggest data base for vintage tuners. really they don’t make tuners like they used to. there is a reason High end vintage Sansui’s and Kenwood tuners get upwards of $3k

If you check FMtunerinfo.com, you'll that the experts there love the Sansui 9900, which you can buy used for $700 or $800 off eBay.  Some consider it to be the best or second  best tuner made.

I own a 9900 that was recently aligned, and I'm elated with it.

I've had a Parasound T3 with a remote for a long time; no reason to upgrade. Made in Taiwan, with both RCA and balanced outputs. Details are available at parasound.com/vintage. Appear to run around $400, used of course. Interesting question...haven't seen it before.

Vintage equipment CAN be a problem, but McIntosh tuners certainly aren't. Audio Classics are experts at repairing, restoring, and modifying them all. The designer of the MR74, 77, and 78 offers updates to those tuners (through Audio Classics), incorporating all he has learned in the years since he designed them. While the Magnum Dynalabs have good audio sound, their RF performance is only average, not anywhere near as good as the Macs. Look for Don Scott's evaluations of both lines (a Google search will lead you to them) for more info on them, and all other tuners.

I have a Sansui TU9900 that I don't use.  Was supposedly one of the best.

@tlong1958
I bought it used about 8 years ago. I’ve owned many vintage tuners including Accuphase, Sansui, Luxman, Kenwood, etc., etc.
I paid about $600 for it. Save yourself some cash and buy a used one. There is a dealer selling a silver one here for $600. You should make an offer on it.
Those vintage tuners are a headache if you have a problem. Magnum Dynalab is still in business.
Here is the owners manual!
http://www.magnumdynalab.com/pdfs/manuals/manual-MD90.pdf

@yogiboy 
very tempted to just take the simple route and buy a new MD like yours. Sounds like you’re happy with it, have you had it a long time?

There is a McIntosh MR78 right now over on Audio Asylum asking $900.00

FWIW, one of the finest vintage tuners made, was the Accuphase T100.  If you can find one that has been gone thru, i.e. new caps, lights, possibly RCA, etc, and aligned, for under $1000 you can not do better. I had and used one for many years it was vastly better than tuners I had from Magnum, Carver, Yamaha, and even a stable mate, the Accuphase T101 (no slouch). I gave up on FM some years ago as I live in a very remote area - the are very few interesting stations here any longer.

BTW, some one has a T100 listed on US Audio Mart.

  Get a MR-74 or MR-77. They all were Modaferri designed in whole or in part, and will give the MR-78 a real run in quality for less money. I have all three models and they sound substantially similar. 

You are going to find it hard to buy a good outdoor or attic mount directional type FM antenna. They just don’t make them anymore!

Used is fine. The McIntosh MR 78 looks awesome but a nice one from Audio Classics is a bit more than I want to spend. The new Magnum Dynalab is about as much as the used MR78. I should do some research on roof top antennas also to see how much this is all going to cost. 
I always end up going way over my original budget plan on this kind of stuff

For selectivity and sensitivity, the MR78. If your reception situation is difficult, that's THE tuner. For the sound quality of the amplification circuits, some prefer the MR77.

Some good suggestions here, thank you. 
Which used Mcintosh tuners are the most desirable ?

You should be able to pick up a really nice used tuner for $300-$500. 

The fmtunerinfo web site has (subjective) rankings of what the best tuners are and information about typical sale prices.

While the tuner itself is important, even more important is getting a good signal to it.  Use some of your budget on a good roof mounted antenna. 

I have an Onkyo T9090 II that I enjoy every day and with a good signal it comes close to CD in terms of sound quality.  I paid $200 for it.

You will have to buy used. Not many making tuners anymore. McIntosh and Magnum are the few that are still around, and their tuners go for a lot more than your budget!

There is a Magnum Dynalab MD-90 listed here for $600. I have that tuner and it is outstanding. The list price for that model is $1400. Here ya go!
https://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MDMD90

The Mac MR 73, 74, 77, and 78 are all available for under $1000 used. Their RF capabilities are unmatched. Audio Classics often has all of them in stock.

Magnum Dynalab makes several models of FM Analog Tuners that work very well. Personally, I have the MD-106T but there are several to choose from new or used. I believe they all use tubes, but I could be wrong.

McIntosh  MR78 should be right in your budget.