Top Ten Tuners of all Time??

I have or have had all of the tuners generally mentioned as being amoung the best, including the FM tuner group's top 10. My top 5, in terms of their sound (I am an audiophile, not a DX'er) are as follows: #1 a highly modified Sansui TU 719 (yes, thats right, this is the best sounding unit I have encountered), #2 Tandberg 3001A, #3 a modified Sansui TU 9900, #4 Phillips AH 673/6731 and #5, the Accuphase T-100, I also have a T-101 and put the T-100 a little ahead of it. To my ears I would put the Kenwood L02T at # 7, behind the Sansui TUX1. I have had both a Mac MR77 and a MR78 and put all of the above mention substantially ahead of the Mac's in terms of sound.

akai maaster reference 93L and a akai 52L are the best tuners ive heard since 1971.
I also have a kenwood 5020L and thats good as well.

Anyone know where the Sugden T48 ranks on the scale of tuners?

Any input on Nikko Gamma 400 or Scott T527; and Yamaha T720?

A modded tuner is definetelly better than a stock version. And many slippers will come in the first 10 if modded. Akai AT-V04 with a tube stage it is one, Sanyo T-55 with couple of easy mods on the audio section.

Kenwood KT-5020 modded by Mr. Joseph Chou from www.componentplus.us is definitelly in top 10 all time. After modifications it is creating vaccuum around it and is sounding better than any CD-player. Why? Because mr. Chou is knowing his profession: it is a tuner expert engineer, beeing part of the Japanese team that designed the famous KT-917. And is an audiophile. So, he knows very well what he is doing.

Please note that I have no affiliation of whatsoever with him, other than beeing a happy happy customer.

I'll throw in another vote for the Tandberg 3001A. The tuner sold for $2200 when new, and you can tell by the build and features. Another favorite is the Luxman T-117. Both are outstanding.

Top 10 is just too much, how about this, I will give you top 5

1.) REL Precedent
This is the best tuner I have ever had in my life. It's mono, you will need a Multiplex Adaptor; but the sound is very musical, the HI is transparent and the resolution is just great. I prefer this tuner over Marantz 10B. However, you will one very lucky man if you can bump into a chance to get one. Many people have the money for it but just couldn't find it.

2.) Marantz 10B
Of course, this one. Doesn't sound "the best" but hey, it is a legend and it is still considered "great sounding" Many for sale here and there.

3.) SCOTT 4310
The top of the line model of HH Scott back then. Better resolution then 10B but just not quite musical but this tuner is the most sensative one I have ever encountered! Details are everywhere ~! I still have one at home which I listen to seldomly.

4.) McIntosh MR-78
The best sounding McIntosh tuner I have heard. Better the MR-71 in sound quality, but harder to find. If you can name Marantz in one of the top 5, McIntosh will be right next to it =)

5.) Sequerra Model 1
Not too many sold, very hard to find. The only solid state tuner I think which is well worth collecting. This beauty doesn't sound as good as tube but hey it sounds the best among the same kind (solid state). I wanted to buy one but due to the low production of this model, the price is crazy. Last piece I saw was sold for $4750 USD ~! ~! ~! Marantz 10B x 2 =O

Of the dozen or two vintage tuners I own, I would have to say the Accuphase T100, the Kenwood 600T, and Sansui Tu919 provide the broadest soundstage and great sound from top to bottom. The Yamaha CT-7000 and McIntosh MR-80 are wonderful in their own right and beautiful to look at. Recently picked up a Sanyo Plus 35 recently that is a real sleeper, a great bargain for a very nice tuner. But for a real audiophile tuner I would choose the Accuphase T100 or T101 (FM only).

Marantz 10B, I wish I still had mine!

I'm still using a Marantz 20 which I bought new in 1970. I had it updated about 10 years ago with new caps and rca.
It was the transistor version of the 10b and was one of the last items designed by Saul Marantz team and built in USA before Marantz was sold to Superscope and made in Japan.
I took it to a Yamaha technical test years ago when they came out with the T1 & T2, and their technicians were amazed by its performance. Its probably not a "best" today, but they don't build them like that anymore.

The Mcintosh MR-80 is commonly mistaken as a digital tuner because of its digital readout. It is in fact an analog tuner. The MR-80 has a wonderfull full sound with great stereo separation. It has the classic McIntosh sexy look and cost $2500 when new in 1980-1985. To build this tuner now would cost an exorbitant amout of money. And McIntosh still provides full service on this tuner.

The Sansui 919 is everything they say it is on the tuner site mentioned above. Mine is not yet modified..but will be someday in the not too distant future.....it is amazing how something this old,,,can sound this good.

Some mentioned the German "Ballempfaenger," for instance made by Rhode and Schwarz in the 70s. I wonder what the modern equivalent is? FM radio is still alive, and relay receivers might still be needed. Considering the high audio quality of German FM broadcasting, what is used now and what could, in principle, be purchased for home usage?

Thanks, Robert

Not only is a decent FM rooftop antenna required, But should
be viewed as the other half of the equasion whenever one
discusses Top Ten Tuners. O-rod

It depends on the RF situation, For DXing the Yamaha T-85 or
T-80 as well as the Onkyo 9090 series 2 are up to the task.
For audio quality when a clean, un-compressed signal is available (A good rooftop is required as well). The Mac 77
0r 78, as well as the sansui TU-9900 come to mind.
O-rod

Rhode + Schwarz, handmade ugly looking bitches from Germany.
All handbuild to the highest possible degree.
Price new in the 70 at about 17.000USD. That says it all.
They did a version with tubes as well. It is so good that even my spectral CD Combination seams a joke against that staff.
Here in Germay you get it rearly and mostly in poor Conditions starting from 1.500 to 4000 USD depending on the state .
The second best i have heard is the Kenwood L-01T, or 03T
Very good very rare.

I must say, that the KT 9900 is the best tuner I have ever heard. I had a couple of highly regarded ones, but this one
stands out above all of them. I couldn't afford to keep it, and it was in such new like condition. I have a Luxman T 14 that Don Scott recommended, that is very vice sounding, that
I will have modded soon.

Don told me that TU-9900 is one of the best !
My personal experience points that it is better than the highly regarded TU-919.

From my experience practically anything that Don Scott modifies has the potential of being one of the top ten tuners. He has done two for me: the MDFT101A and the KENWOOD L-07T. In each of them he flushed out an unbeleiveable level of performance. He gave each their own unique character and presence in my system. I am an avid FM listener. It would be very hared to believe that a KT L-07T modified by Scott is not easily among the top five tuners.

Marantz 10b,bargain unit Pioneer tx9500

I think the Tandberg 3001/3001A are probably among the best (analog) tuners ever built, with stereo S/N ratio of 92db and capture ratio of 0.4. The Revox B760 is an excellent tuner as well, though it does not quite have the same level of performance as the Tandberg. While the latter has digital tuning, it is still an analog tuner since the signal is analog. I have both tuners and intend to keep them. Magnum Dynalab makes excellent tuners as well. However, we are finally at the dawn of digital FM broadcast and we are dealing with S/N ratio of 100 db and frequency response of 20-20kHz from these digital signals. Who needs to spend a few thousand dollars on analog tuners? To be sure, there can still be the argument that analog sound is warmer. The same debate like the proverbial CD vs vinyl or transistors vs. tubes. I am sold on the digtial FM broadcast. The perfectly clear, distortion free signals are something no analog tuners can ever deliver, not even the legendary Sequerra tuner.

Of course tuners by their very nature can only be judged within the confines of time and space, the here and now.

I work on brand new units right out of the box and notice these problems even more than on used units in for repair.

Having said that, i can align a brand new unit after the manufacturer's recommended period of warm up and when it comes back in after a few weeks or months of use, many of the parameters of operation have changed due to break-in. As such, i always recommend a "follow up visit" after an alignment to bring things back into spec once everything has fully settled in. This goes for new or used units as they all drift slightly after prolonged operation. As i've mentioned before, the effects of "component break-in" ARE measurable and this is not debatable as far as i'm concerned. Sean
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sean...Is it fair to say that the many PLL transcevers that you work on are all in the shop because they aren't working well? After you fix them, don't they all work great?

El: Even with "modern digital circuitry", there are still PLENTY of unit to unit variations that one has to deal with. I work on mass produced PLL based transceivers on a daily basis and see identical units that perform from one extreme to another.

Doug: I hear ya and agree. I've got a $15K signal generator at work and can do this myself but i've never gotten around to it. While part of the problem would be that i would like to have a service manual for each tuner that i have, the other part is that working on this stuff would be too much like work for me. The carpenter doesn't want to come home to a leaky roof and i don't want to have to take my tuners to work : )

As to the Sherwood, i've seen the info on the tuner website and even have an original review of it. I've talked to a few shops about these and their opinions are typically that they are VERY hard to keep running. I would imagine that this is like any other product though. That is, once you get it into the hands of someone that knows the in's and out's of it, it becomes a lot more manageable. Sean
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sean

yer comments about tuna wariabliity are spot-on - even for todays current "school" of digital tuna. that's why getting a highly-regarded species serviced and aligned, right from the get-go, is a great idea. i'd recommend ed hanlon of antenna performance specialties, bill ammons, from the fmtunerinfo.com site, or stephen sank, owner of talking dog transducers...

re: the sherwood micro cpu, there's a li'l info about this on the fmtunerinfo site, or ya can post a question to the yahoo tuna forum...

regards,

doug s.

sean...Your comment about unit-to-unit differences was very true in the days of analog tuners, where exact alignment of multiple stages of tuning circuits was as much art as science. With today's digital tuners and phase lock loop chips I had the impression that unit-to-unit differences were small, although I must admit that I never had a bunch of the same models on hand to compare. I did have a tuner where the biFet front end RF amplifier transistor was blown, (so the RF gain was 1) and the tuner still worked fairly well. I suppose that RF gain variations could occur and produce the effect you remark upon.

I've been able to compare just a couple of similar tuners, side by side. Denon TU-800's and Luxman T-117's. In these comparisons the differenmces, while there, were very subtle, and I could have lived with any of the units compared. Of course these are very small sampling rates and don't account for much. I think the point is well taken.

How many of you folks have ever compared identical models i.e. one Pioneer TX-9500 vs another Pioneer TX-9500 etc... against each other ? I've done this on many occasions with as many as a half dozen identical models at one time. My findings ? Every tuner is different due to mass production parts tolerance and alignment variations. As such, it is possible to get a "Super Duper FM 1000" that kicks ass while the next one off the production line was a complete lemon. As such, if you were the one that got the "lemon" and / or the one that "kicks ass", your results might be very different from

I currently have about 20 tuners ( several of them listed above ) with at least four of them that i've not had a chance to listen to / use as of yet. I've probably had close to 100 different tunes over the years, but that is nothing compared to folks like Franz and other "radio-heads" : )

One of them that i never had but always wanted to check out was the Sherwood / Draco Micro CPU 100 that Macrojack mentioned. These are supposedly hard to maintain nowadays and it has made me leary enough NOT to buy one. Anybody else ever have one / still use one of these "babies" ??? Sean
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McIntosh MR-71 with Richard Modefferi upgrade. The original MR-71 is very nice sounding. The reception, sound stage and frequency response go one step further after the mod. It sounds better than my $1000 CD player.
However, the broadcast station is also important too.
I've compared to MR-80 ( to warm and dark in my setup) Onkyo 9090 MK II, and Dynalab Etude and they don't even come close. It also looks very classy. Definitely work the collection and enjoyment. I would love to try the MD108 but I can't see myself spending $5000 for a tuner.

Luxman T-14. Audio quality is limited only by the quality of the broadcast signal. I think this is true of a number of tuners, but the slim (2") Luxman gets extra points for sheer beauty and layout of controls.

Without a doubt, hands down the vintage Scott 370 FM Tuner. Read the 89 TAS review.Must be tuned and aligned properly. This is a sleeper, Marantz 10B crusher. Live radio performances sound like your in the hall. Good luck finding one!

My favorite tuners currently in my system are the Harman Kardon Citation 18 and Philips AH 673. Both are very satisfying musically and for DX'ing in stock form. Who knows what kind of magic they could put out with a few modded tweaks.As always, a great tuner is only as good as the antenna that's hooked up to it in conjunction with a good clean,uncompressed signal. Check out www.fmtunerinfo.com if you love tuners.

Once again....Bravo on all of your opinions and thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. Well, I guess the proof ( for me ) is what tuner stays and what tuners do not. Also , and very important, is what tuners are in my home/store system and do not move for a long, long time. Well you all mention tons of good ones and I have over 100 in my collection. I try to use them all and do enjoy each one for what it is. At this time, I no longer own the MD 108, Marantz 10B, or the Sequerra. These are kind of concidered the "big three", but that does not mean you have to own one. A 10B holds a spot in my heart no other tuner could, but the tuners that have been most listened to and NEVER moved from my system are the Kenwood 917, Mac 67 ( well tuned ), and for dx-ing.........the Pioneer F91. The F91 is not as "trick" as the F93, but much more musical, in my very humble opinion. These 3 tuners account for 95% of my music listening/recording and looking back a year ago, the same 3 tuners were "on line" ( at home ) along with a reVox 260S. There are also some killer "budget" tuners out there and my Van Alstine Mod Dyna FM-5 and FM-3 kick butt as does a well tweaked tube Sherwood. You do NOT have to spend a ton of loot on a good tuner. If they are in good health, some of the classic "budget" tuners can simply satisfy your every FM need.
Bottom line.....If you are happy with your FM..........no need to search for another. If you listen to it for hours on end and never touch it ( don't touch that dial ).......leave it alone. If you fuss with it all the time...........it ain't workin :) But then, that kind of sums up all audio equipment for me. Good Listening Gang "the tuner guy"
franz

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Linn Kremlin. Expensive, yes. But VERY nice. I managed to get my hands on a latest spec 25th anniversary model and wouldn't give it up for the world.

Hallo ,
the best tuners of all are this one , who where build to serve other tuners , in German " Ballempfänger " . I have two Rohde und Schwarz EU 6201 and two Telefunken EBU with nuvistors and professional decoders like R+S MSDC . They are build in professional way and never sold to the public .At their time , in the 70s , a EU 6201 costed 5000 § . All what you hear here in Germany , passed a "Ballempfänger" in the transmitter towers and then comes to your antenna . There is no other way to hear good music from FM , you must use the same receivers the professionals use .
AlexK.

As an update to my posts above... Wanted to add another vote for the Classe Tuner-1 and any tuner modified by Don Scott.

A couple of people here have mentioned the one on my shelf; DENON TU-800. No one has mentioned the Luxman T-117. I heard them side by side, I prefered the Luxman. My friend had both, unfortunatley the Luxman died. Luxman no longer services the US market and parts are no longer available.

I am in the market for a new tuner and have really enjoyed reading this forum on the Top 10 Tuners. A lot of these posts are over 2 years old and I was wondering how the new Accuphase T-109V stacks up today (it has been recommended as the best by the dealer here in Denver who also carries McIntosh and Magnum Dynalab)? The Accuphase T-109V is mentioned in this forum a couple of times but I believe it was really too new to have been thoroughly understood and evaluated during a majority of this forum. Am I correct and what are everybody's thoughts on this tuner?

I'm using an Accuphase T-101 with great results. Replaced an MR-78 which was nice but did not convey the musicality or bandwidth of the T-101.
Has anybody out there ever tried a Eumig T-1000? It was an early digital from Austria. Years ago I owned a Draco CPU 100 tuner which was an all-time champ not mentioned here yet. It was the Sherwood digital tuner revived by Draco after Sherwood abandoned the project. Anyone know of it?

I HAVE A MARANTZ ST 7 OSCILLOSCOPE TUNER (VERY RARE)AND A TANDBERG 3011A THE MARANTZ IS VERY SELECTIVE IN NARROW POSITION BUT 3011A IS SUPERIOR IN DYNAMIQUE AT LOW FREQUENCY

Strange how no-one posted the cream of the crops from Kenwood, Oh I see a few KT models were posted, but why not the Trio-Kenwood L-01T L-02T L-03T. My guess is that they were just to rare and expensive for their day. I own the L-01T and it is one hell of tuner, I had the Magnum Etude's and the Accuphase T100 & T101 as well as a few others listed here. I have yet to own one of the Mac's, but thats my next step after the L-01T sales

Nakamichi 630 Tuner-Pre amp. I am still using it after 25 yrs and I haven`t heard anything better.

I believe that the Audiolab 8000T tuner should be on the list. Great tuner, excellent FM and AM. The only real negative is that the bulbs in the front display need to be replaced from time to time. Also the the Kenwood 600T tuner is excellent, very well built. Cheers.

i owned both the mac mr67 and the kenwood kt-8300. stock vs stock, the 8300 had better selectivity, better detail, but was analytical to a fault, whereas the 67 was warm but soft throughout...sold the 67, modded the 8300 and its about as good as my digital gear.

rc

Just discovered this website-FM tuners have been a passion with me since I am always searching for classical music stations.I own currently own an MR 78,MR 80, Onkyo 9090II,Kenwood KT 8300, Carver TX 11A,MR65B,Mr71,Scott310B,Scott4310,Fisher 200B, early Sherwoods, etc. The tube units have excellent sound, but the analog solid state tuners from early 70`s to late 80`s are the best for sensitivity and especially selectivity. I find adjacent channel selectivity increasingly important in this time of proliferating FM stations. The best tuner in my experience is the Mac MR 78-unbeatable adjacent channel selectivity,excellent sound and ease of use.RF performance of the Onkyo almost comparable.The Carver is a solid all round performer with a high fidelity AM section as well.

I have had over 70 top tuners and tried most quality tuners mentioned. This is no easy answer due to the many factors however here goes.
Best tube tuners, (of course tuned up) Marantz 10B, hands down, Mac MR67, Scott 310E, Scott 310D-mono.

Analog, Accuphase 100 and 101, MR78 is nice buy waaay overpriced, Sansui Tu-X1.

SS for Sen and sel, Pioneer Elite F-93, Onkyo 9090II.
SS overall for performance, value and sound, the Onkyo 4711.
Best performing tuner under $250 may be the Yamaha T-85, super performance, 4 bandwidths.
I could mention things I did not like about many of the tuners on the other list but will not.
Tuners must have good DXing to be on my lists, for if you cannot get the stations in very well all is lost.
I hate Fishers, sorry, never were right, tried many.
I use Cary Mono Single ended triode 2A3 amps with VV2a3 tubes, just so you get an idea.
Enjoy

nikko gamma 1, built like a tank, fm only with many features

alittle bit off the subject, but i am looking at buying a used Quad 4 Tuner. does anybody have any thoughts they would care to share with me about this tuner? i recently sold my MD FT11 and was looking at this tuner. i do use a tuner quite a bit so i want to find a good one. thanks

Magnum Dynalab "The Etude". For the money I don't believe there is better. The quality is more noticeable on the serious radio stations that don't compress their signals. Usually these are the classical and jazz stations. The Etude picks them up cleanly and sets up a beautiful soundstage, due to its great seperation. I think it is first rate.