You should go to fmtunerinfo.com and read. There are many vintage tuners that will outperform many modern tuners at multiples of their price. Also modding a vintage tuner for a total of several hundred will get you sound quality equal to the best tuners made in the thousands range. This sounds like bs but it's true. There's a site on Yahoo: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FMtuners/
These guys know everything you could possibly want to know about tuners! I highly recommend a modded vintage tuner. cheers |
My $7 vintage Sansui tuner from eBay causes jaws to drop when people actually hear the thing. Get a good fidelity jazz broadcast from a public radio station or college (either can be found like below like 91.9Mhz FM or so on your dial). The trick is you need an relative uncompressed unscrewed up signal, and commercial FM isn't it. Some of those broadcasts rival my redbook front end for all of the audiophile critia, including musicality. Now that's scary. And remember, this is a used $7 solid state tuner from the '80s folks! I would seriously consider a respected used, vintage tuner before buying anything new. And like my $7 jobby, you might not need to spend all that much. The lucky part here is most people live in an FM waste land, so nobody needs or wants a tuner. And their loss is your gain. I would not buy a brand new, or current production model tuner. To me the value just isn't there. But maybe you listen to way more quality FM than I do?
I would purchase an analog vintage tuner if I were you. Also, you will need a decent roof-mounted aerial if sonics are important to you. |
Why not go for a hybrid? I know Sony makes a tuner able to receive both digital and analogue broadcasts. It may not be as good as the Magnum, but it sure is futureproof, and probably cheaper brandnew than a used Magnum....
It's the Sony ST-SDB900. |
The Magnum Dynalab tuners are nice and they are appealing visually, but in my opinion you can do as good and better by purchasing a vintage tuner. There were a lot of great tuners made in years past when there was a lot of emphasis on making good FM tuners and receivers. I suggest you spend some time at the FM Tuner Info site; by considering a vintage tuner you may be able to afford both types if desired. |
Here are links to two explanations that are consistent with what I've always understood: From the Galen Carol Audio web site discussing Magnum Dynalab tuners... Magnum-Dynlab believes that analog tuning circuits provide performance superior to digital or frequency synthesis tuning. In contrast with the frequency synthesis method of tuning, analog is not dependent on a digital microprocessor chip to establish the tuner's receive frequency. With analog, tuning is accomplished using specially-selected, discrete components in the tuner's critical "front end." In the Magnum Dynalab design, these components are selected and matched so that a unique balance of sensitivity, selectivity and sound can be maintained.
However, the most significant advantage in analog is that is delivers control into the hands of the user. Infinite tuning is available in order to establish maximum stereo separation or to detune slightly in order to minimize on-frequency noise. With frequency synthesis tuners, this capability is offered usually in fixed, 50KHz steps. While FM stations themselves are rarely found to be transmitting outside the +-2KHz standard, FM station signals that are rebroadcast over cable may not be quite so precise. And from the Magnum Dynalab web site... WHY ANALOG? The answer is very simple. The best SOUND can only be produced when the signal received by the tuner is tuned and maintained in the ANALOG domain.
By maintaining the signal in the ANALOG domain, the listener can infinitely tune across the FM band.
Desired tuning is selected by means of a tactile physical Tuning Knob instead of the typical
ÂPushbutton Step tuning method provided by the inherent limitations of a digital tuner.
Analog tuning, on the other hand, is accomplished using specially-selected discrete components in the tuner's critical Âfront end which ultimately allows the audiophile listener to physically interface with the technology and thereby directly participate in the sound that is accomplished.
By meticulously calibrating and aligning the IF amplifiers, we can deliberately effect and optimize
for SOUND, SENSITIVITY and SELECTIVITY.
Furthermore, with the frequency synthesis method of tuning, analog sound reproduction is not dependent on a single digital microprocessor chip to establish the tuner's reception accuracy.
This guarantees that all specifications are met throughout the entire sound replication process.
This is not possible in a digitally tuned tuner as they are dependent on the tolerances of the components. |
I havent heard of Humax, but the Magnum tuners use all analog circuitry, but have a numeric "digital" readout for the frequency. A Tuner with a numeric readout lets you know exactly what station you are tuned to. As far as broadcasting, all FM radio will be analog for the forseeable future. Several attempts have been made to broadcast in 'digital' have fallen by the wayside. An exception is XM and Sirius Sattelite Radio, which is a digital signal. |
