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TUNERS..anyone?

Hey all,Im getting back into the FM thing since I was given a Adcom GFT-1A
The antenna is a $15 Radio Shack cat.# 15-1843 it is about 4"x4" and 1/2" thick.It seems to pull in stations really good and lights up the signal strength meter on the tuner to 5 out of 5.
I love the sound of this tuner and it's my first adventure with good FM.I can't believe how transparent,warm and smooth this thing sounds.My only complaint is the drums(rock music/metal) coming through with lack of slam.The drums seem like they are far away,distant like.If I crank the volume that helps some but they still just don't have the slam Im use to with vinyl and CD.
1) whats up with that?
2) WHY does FM sound so DAMN good??
3) Whats a KILLER tuner (used) for <$1K?
david99

Showing 3 responses by sugarbrie

sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
In my experience many mid priced tuners are better than most people think. The reason is cables. In most systems I've seen, including the AudiogoN virtual listings, a lot of folks don't take FM seriously, so they don't use a high end interconnect cable, just a budget one at best; or the tuner gets the left-overs and no effort is made to find a good match.

I find cables selection with tuners just as finicky as CD players. In one system I am using a classic digital tuner that had a MSRP of $420 in 1986 dollars (I paid $35). I have tried many cables, and with the (used) Siltech ST-18G3 I am now using, it comes close to CD quality. It is a 5 gang tuner, so it also brings in the stations as well as many costing much more.

So before you dish out $1K to $2K++ for a tuner as your upgrade path, try your current one with better cables. You might be surprised.

sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
Great Bob. I had the feeling I was the only one who took the time to tweek a tuner setup like others tweek the turntable.

The very rare Rotel RHT-10 is one the best in the bass department for a modern tuner.

sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
With Stereophile what I think happened; was when the Rotel RHT-10 came out; the RHT-10 was so good, and the Rotel RT-990BX almost as good, that they knocked some Class A tuners down to Class B when listened to in comparison. So what you read depends on how old the issue is.
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