What are some of the better tuners out there? I am enjoying my Magnum Dynalab MD106T. I find myself at the mercy of reception and clean ac but when all is right the sound is quite nice. I’ve found good results with Amperage tubes but I find tubes too inconvenient in that they burn out too quickly.
I have a Carver AM/FM Tuner, terchnically amazing, it will pull in stations others will not. Sounds good, but not like my favorite tube tuner:
I have a McIntosh Tube Tuner/Preamp, mx110z. It is wonderful sounding (as is it's MM Phono). Richard Modafferi said something like 'there's nothing I can do to improve the mx110z tuner'.
I read it needs a strong signal. I had a TV antenna in the attic, hanging from strings stapled to the joists, dedicated to FM (all FM is between channel 6 and 7, something like that). Got everything I wanted to find, and then I only listen to WBGO Jazz. Zero drift, rich sound.
Then I had it overhauled by Audio Classics. They said the tuner will get more stations that it did.
They have gone up in price, and a lot if just for the tuner, but if you/anyone ever consider a tube preamp, if mine was stolen, I would replace it without even looking around.
If those tubes burn out to quickly there must be a problem with that tuner. Preamp tubes should last for years!
Small signal tubes like a 12AX7 or 6922 will work well on average for about 10,000 hours. If you leave your equipment on 24 hours a day, well you do the math: There are 8,760 hours in a year. So when does a tube go bad? It depends on how picky you are. Here is a shootout on the best vintage FM tuners! https://fmtunerinfo.com/shootouts.html
I won't part with my 65 Mac MR71 unless a 10B or REL fall from the sky into my living room. Depending who you ask, a Modfierri tweaked MR 71 can go head to head with the 10B.
I have a
Magnum Dynalab Etude and an Onkyo Integra T9090 II. Both are great, the Etude has a little more body.
Yes, there are radio stations available on streaming. While I'm a fan of high res streaming services like Qobuz, most radio station streams are very poor quality and don't come anywhere close to the sound quality of a good station played on a good tuner.
Solid State tuners- A Richard Modaferri modified MR78 is superb.I used to own a Magnum Dynalab MD105 and the '78 is clearly better. I also used to own an Onkyo 9090II. Solid reception, the audio was just OK. Another solid state tuner I have is a Marantz Model 20- the successor to the 10B. Doesn't quote sound like the '78, but the '20 has its charms and an oscilloscope which is the best damned way to tuner in a tuner and adjust an antenna. In its day when tested (in 1969) it was said to be the solid state equivalent of the 10B. Other superior tuners can be had from Accuphase, Sansui and Kenwood.
And I do concur that a properly modified MR71 goes toe to toe with a 10B. Unbelievably, over 20 years ago I passed up and opportunity to buy 2 10B's for $1200. For the pair.
I owned 3 Magnum Dynalab tuners and was happy with them until I got a Mac tuner. Better in every respect, especially the sound. Its what analog should sound like.
The Marantz st6000 was a great under rated tuner. I still got mine and the reception is fantastic with a winegard attic mounted antenna. Another great tuner was the Cambridge Audio t500, got 2 of those. I also own the Creek t43, which is essentially the same tuner as the t500, but with upgraded components. Lastly, I have an old school Kenwood 4007.
A pal swore by his Naim NAT01 with NAPST psu. Thing is, a tuner needs a good antenna otherwise you are wasting your time. I use a radio app on my phone now.
I find myself needing to replace my tubes every 4 months or so and I don’t use my tuner that much. I have sent in my tuner to Magnum Dynalab several times in the last 12 years for various maintenance repairs but the tuner has been fine for several years now just needing to have the tubes replaced from time to time. I like the sound of my tuner and I will keep my tuner as it is.
something is wrong, very wrong, with your equipment, tester, or ...
these tubes last avg. 10,000 hours.
Audio Classics just overhauled my 1962 tube tuner/preamp, 17 tubes, some appear to be original. They all tested good on my tester before I sent it. They all tested good there, none replaced. They said they most often find no bad tubes.
I have an old SAE tuner that I hooked up to use. It worked pulled in every station in the area. Then one day XRT was broadcasting a concert I wanted to listen to. It was a bad weather day and the signal was compromised. I logged into their web page snd clucked on the “listen to” tab. The sound was close to a 100% improvement over the tuner. The tuner does not have hd capability and that was the difference I heard. Tuner is back in box and I onlt stream radio stations now.
"I find myself needing to replace my tubes every 4 months or so and I don’t use my tuner that much."
Clearly that's not normal. You weren't doing that when it was new.
As mentioned in my original post-tuner tubes are not driven hard. They can last decades. Either you're using inferior tubes or it's an issue with the tuner.
audioguy85 mentions the Cambridge Audio 500T. I have the 550T as a backup. They are not the caliber you're looking for, but good functional inexpensive SS tuners.
Seek out a Pioneer Elite F-93. It slayed the Day-Sequerra and the Naim Tuner in its Stereopile review. The only reason it wasn't given the five star treatment was that it was Pacific Rim sourced and at that time and in that place, Pacific Rim Tuners weren't allowed to be "Five Stars" in their pages. If you read between the lines it's easy to see what's since become completely transparent "damning with faint praise" because (the old, '90s Pioneer Elite) wasn't funding their advertising revenue gravy train.
there was a log running tuner shootout on the internet. you can find it by google. they matched one tuner against the current champion. had about 75 when i quit reading. i think a sansuii was on top. i had a sansuii tu9900. it was very good at tuning in stations. most fun to listen to was a Scott 340b. but it had constant alignment problems.
I have the equipment and skills to do a complete alignment. Anyone that wants the best out of a vintage tuner should seek out an experienced tech to do the same for yours; well worth it.
With that said, of several tuners in my home, a completely refurbished, aligned and modified Sansui TU-919 is my favorite.
My Sherwood S3000 III tube tuner just had a power supply capacitor replaced and one tube replaced. All of the other 50 year old tubes were in great condition. As others have said tubes should last a long time in a tuner.
While I'm here, first post here BTW, can I better the Sherwood for less than $500? I don't need dx ability as I have one station that I listen too. Sound quality is my number one priority. Any other tuner ideas?
I recently had a Sansui TU-9900 in house that was nice but would have needed a rebuild to better the Sherwood, which has been re-capped in the past. I like the magic of tubes, but wonder how much I'm missing?
@ancient_tones Pay attention to the discrimination and selectivity circuits of the tuner, the old tube units don't have the good specs the newer SS units have. Regardless of how good the Sound Quality output is, if it can't handle bleeding in from other stations or distant ones, when you want to listen to one, then SQ becomes a minor issue.
As for sound level, I can't argue with a tube unit.
I just got my Magnum Dynalab md106t tuner back from repair and had the caps in the output section upgraded and I upgraded the tubes to Telefunken tubes and my tuner sounds good again. It should further improve with play time. My tuner is 12 years old but I will keep it.
Can anyone comment on what I think is an attached antenna on the Sansui TU-9900. I recently got a Magnum Dynalab 108T and love what I am hearing from my favorite station. I want to add a tuner to my living room system and was thinking of a vintage tuner or a lower cost Magnum Dynalab.
If the Sansui TU-9900 does have an attached antenna is it able to lock on moderate signals. It would make life easy if I do not need to attach an antenna in the living room area.
If it is a long round cylinder type, it’s an AM antenna. I had. Sansui tuner way back when and it did both FM and AM and had what I described. I remember the tuning knob on the right was right up against the tuning dial and the glass panel went around the knob. That was around 1979.
I have a Mac MR85 and an MR88 FM Tuners, they both are great but the much cheaper MR85 sounds a bit better. I owned a Magnum Dynalab Etude, MD 100, MD 102, later modded with the tube output and a MD106. Both my Mac tuners sound better than any of the the Magnums. The Sansui tuners from the mid 70’s through the 80’s and the Kenwood tuners from the same era are wonderful.
I sold audio from 1972 until 1986 and owned a lot of gear back then. The Kenwood KT8500 and KT9500 tuners give me very fond memories. Forgot to mention that the McIntosh MR 78 is their best sounding tuner. It is a tube tuner and they sell anywhere from 1600-2000.00. Audio Classics has one or two of them listed. They also have many other used Mac Tuners.
"McIntosh MR 78 is their best sounding tuner. It is a tube tuner..."
stereo5- I'm sure that was just an oversight, but the 78 is SS. It is indeed Mac's best SS unit. My daily driver is a 65 tubed MR 71, Mac's last tubed and best tubed unit-last year manufactured -1969
A Modaferri MR78 will give the best tubed or SS units a run for their money, but I'm sentimental and like a good tube unit.
IMO, both are fine units. Personally, I wouldn’t beat my brains and be audio OCD with the white paper specs. Just make certain to get the best antennae setup, roof if possible.
Depending what article you read, it will claim the so and so was considered the "best" ....
I’m not a fan of black finished components. I like the look of the Accuphase.
Edit-you would need to have side by side in your room to make the best choice. One will "sound better"
@tablejockey Thanks for the feedback. I actually have only been looking at buying a new tuner this afternoon. I realized last night that I wanted to listen to my favorite station while in bed with headphones (via a KRELL K-300i integrated).
A new tuner replaces the living room unit and my modded Sony
XDR-F1HD
goes to the bedroom. The Sony is good enough for the bedroom but a little lacking in the living room. Though the Sony has incredible reception.
I have a MD Signal Stealth + MD ST-2 antenna (on roof) + MD 108T in the office now and it is extremely enjoyable. I am back to FM listening in a big way now that I have the sound dialed in.
the Tandberg 3000 series tuners are wicked good, especially 50+ miles out… Having said that i recently let the MR85 go and retained only the Richard Modeferi rebuilt and modified 1965 MX-110Z….. easily bettered the newer SS mac w attic antenna, magnum whip, etc…
Some of the NAD Schotz tuners are superb for the money but i haven’t seen one in many moons….
@stereo5 Thanks for the info. I am checking out the Audio Classics web site now. I am also listening to the MD108T while I am doing this and this unit sounds so good. Much better than the MD102 that I traded in for it. I notice that the sound is a bit better in the evenings. I listen to only 1 station.
Yes, there must something wrong with your equipment. There is no way that you should be replacing tubes so often! I have a MD 106T and the tubes are probably going on ten years and the tuner still sounds fine. I play it on average about two hours a day, so you can do the math. The tuner has a slow turn on which contributes to a long tube life.
I also bought the Accuphase T-101 listed above today (local pickup). The owner is a an Accuphase technical expert and a former Accuphase dealer. So I had a feeling that this guy has some good gear. Turned out I was correct. The unit I picked up sounds closer to my MD108T than the MD102 tuner that I traded in for the MD108T. This really is a Super Tuner. Wow is what I keep telling myself as I listen to crystal clear tunes on the great KCRW radio station.
I am posting this because this guy is getting rid of most of his gear and said he had more gear he was going to list. I believe some more tuners will show up.
I am listening with the the MD ST-2 antenna located outside my office window on a second floor. I also have an MD Signal Sleuth in the chain. This is the same antenna I use for the MD108T. I am getting another ST-2 antenna and will move the Accuphase to my bedroom system which has the RAAL SR1a headphones.
My MD106T tuner is sounding better with play time on the new caps and tubes. I find that the tuner is settling down nicely and sounds good. I am hoping with the work done on the tuner that the tubes will last longer than before the repair.
I thought I would update this thread with my thoughts on the Accuphase T-101 compared to my brand new MD108T. I used the same antenna, located in the same spot, along with the MD Signal Sleuth on both and had the same perfect reception.
I was going crazy on the past with my MD102 that was not picking up the station I liked (likely needed an alignment). The station broadcasts from Santa Monica, 100 miles away, and re-transmits from Santa Barbara, with the transmitter likely 15 miles from where I am located. I do not seem to suffer from Multipath issues, likely because I am in a residential area near the ocean.
The Accuphase is SS but has a very tube like sound to it. A very relaxing sound, but the details seem to be there in the music. The soundstage is huge and imaging was great. These were all much better than the old MD102 which cost me $2500 in 2005ish. The MD102 did have sharper outline in the images. However, overall the much cheaper Accuphase is an easy winner since the music sounds more engaging. This is not a stock unit and has been optimized by the seller.
The MD108T uses tubes but it sound less tubey than the Accuphase T-101. The MD108T sounds less warm than the T-101. Compared to the MD102, it has a bigger soundstage, better imaging, and just better sound. The increased clarity on the MD108T over the Accuphase T-101 gives it top rung on the tuner hierarchy in my house but the T-101 is incredible for one 7th the cost. I can see how the folks on fmtunerinfo.com select gear like the Accuphase over the MD108T. The likely prefer the warmer tone of the vintage tuners.
In a few days the Sansui 9900 gets delivered to me. It was recently refurbished by these guys.
The reason I am getting all of these tuners is that the station I listen to has some of the best music I have ever heard and I am hearing them for the very first time. Music from all over the world, all years, and all genres. I want a tuner for each of my systems.
What are some of the best tuners out there? I now have the following 4 tuners.
1) Magnum Dynalab MD108T (just incredible)
2) Sansui TU9900 - this unit was recently recapped and cleaned up. It sounds so nice in my downstairs system. Way better than my Sony xdr-f1hd (modified by the XDR guy).
2) Accuphase T-101 - this unit was cleaned up by the guy who sold it to me and is an audio engineer. I posted a link above somewhere. This unit is also amazing.
4) Sony xdr-f1hd - not going to use this one now. I will keep it around since it is pretty good and very small.
I cannot believe how good these almost 50 year old (cleaned up) tuners sound. Incredible bargains for a person like me who now does most of my listening on the FM dial.
Seek out the semi-hostile fowards Pacific Rim tuners Stereophile review.
Disinformation B.S. is rampant in some of those responses, but seeking out the review would be a good FIRST step to separating the crap from actual FACTS.
The F-93 Elite isn’t (and never WAS) part of an $800.00 rack system. (Lie #1.)
From there, there is quite a bit of room for discussion about why the sending end of the equation (along with all manner of EM/RF/Solar activity influenced hijinks and last and most of all the "WETWARE" misaligned of participants/listeners or more accurately perhaps the hopelessly biased) about why subtle differences in tuners don’t really amount to much. I’m not in that camp, but it’s a justifiable assertion.
Yes, it absolutely DID smoke the Day-Sequerra in RF sensitivity, in both Stereo and Mono. Why do you think so many domestic tuner manufacturer’s reps lined up all the negatively biased reviews they could AGAINST it? (It was a coordinated effort. Connect the review dots.)
I absolutely advocate for giving away tube tuners. (If sarcasm/cynicism is going to be the coin of this realm...) They’re not stomp box preloaded, distorted guitar amps, where I believe tubes make a positive difference. They’re midrange bloated and dynamically compressed devices that everyone who loves them has every right to love, irrespective of how they sound. You should seek out the F-93 ELITE. Just don’t conflate it with other tuners with similar model numbers from much later-those WERE never sold as free-standing components. (Details should, but apparently don’t, matter for those who insist on being bereft of them.) Then have a truly GREAT day! That’d be a great way to start one.
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