Anyone listen to Music on a FM tuner anymore?


I’m not referring to streaming, I mean an actual FM turner. I haven’t had a turner for at least 15, probably more like 20 years. I had a high-end one that went bad years ago and even then I hadn’t really used it in years. Just wondering if anyone still uses one and why?

Added info: back in my college days there were lots of reasons, some great DJ’s in the New York City area and sometimes a live concert broadcasts that were great, but those times are long gone, as is most of my hair and my 32 inch waistline.....I’m not trying to judge anyone for still listening to music on a FM tuner, just asking for the reason to do so.

Hope everyone had a good holiday season.

128x128deadhead1000

Listening to jazz on 89.3, WNUR, Northwestern University as I type this.  I like listening to the college stations here in Chicago; 88.7, WLUW, Loyola, 88.3, WBEZ North Eastern, 90.9, WDCB, College Of DuPage for new and interesting music I'm not familiar with.  Not to mention Public Radio, WBEZ, and for a city this size, one classical station in the middle of the dial, WFMT, 98.7 broadcasts an excellent signal and not bad programming.  We once had a better(I thought) classical station WNIB, 97.1.  The owners, a couple who ran it on a shoestring budget(had a dog running around the place and they drove an old Volvo wagon) and a pure love of music were getting old and nearing retirement when a major radio station corporation who wanted the license for the broadcast frequency to play rock offered them an amount I believe was north of one-hundred & fifty million dollars.  That's a $150,000,000 plus!  What timing I guess.

I still have and use my Onkyo T 9090 II tuner sometimes, but mainly to stay up to date on any upcoming concerts announced by a local classic rock radio station. 

The Onkyo T 9090II was considered one of the best tuners ever made, but other sources sound better, so I don't listen to it much.  I see it on the same level as a good old-fashioned newspaper.  Good for news!

 

 

IMO, even today no "streaming radio" can rival the sonic purity of late-night music programming from a good public radio station using a quality analog FM tuner into the line stage et seq. A better source for discovery of "new" recordings as well. So ditto and +1 to all fellow fossils.

@yyzsantabarbara The station that I love to listen to has an emphasis on high quality source material (when possible) The DJ’s bring in vinyl when they can because they say it sounds better.

 

Nice! Yep, and when it occurs, you can sense it - something more engaging about the sound and music - and it’s noticeable right away. I was sharing with a few friends how I still very much enjoy my MD FM tuner periodically, on late nights. They think Im silly. Hard to explain to anyone who’s never really heard it first hand. Sure helps to have a great tuner and good FM antenna to lock it in. 👍

Some times I’ll swap over to streaming the same track on 16/44 lossless, and while its more clear, it may not always have the "alive" vibe type of sound as it does with good FM sometimes. Like you said, the few Radio DJs that play vinyl periodically.

Another overlooked fact is the sense of community when you are listening to a DJ.