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Malthus101
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Radio? Tuner? Receiver?? More confusion!

Hi

So, last time I was into HiFi was somewhere between the 80s and 00s.

At that time, it was normal to have a radio as a component in a hifi stack - used to call it a tuner I believe!

From what I can gather these are no longer popular or made by many manufacturers - why so? People don't listen to radio on their hifi anymore sometimes? Why not?

So, if I did want to buy one, wo0uld I need to look vintage? But what about DAB? Are there any decent tuners still in production?

Thanks!

manunkind
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Despite the fact that FM

Despite the fact that FM radio is becoming a thing of the past, yielding way to digital (Norway, for example, discontinued all non-digital radio support), a surprising number of HiFi manufacturers still make tuners. My Cambridge Audio integrated amp came with one, and I just saw a McIntosh MR87- brand new, and on sale (if one can call spending $4600 for such an obsolete piece of equipment "a deal"). Not sure why would one want it, but there are plenty to choose from. Magnum Dynalab MB102T is what my friend has, but he listens to classical music only, and there are FM channels nearly DJ-free that play classical music 24/7.

Old Audiophile
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Food for Thought!

There are still folks out there who enjoy listening to FM radio. Read this as food for thought:

https://www.stereophile.com/content/mcintosh-mac7200-stereo-receiver

Depending upon which part of the planet you live on, I wouldn't necessarily consider FM broadcasting obsolete. Unlike streaming services, it's something that is still free and, depending upon the quality of the tuner, broadcast source(s), etc., you can still achieve good quality sound. As soon as I get around to it, I'm planning on purchasing some relatively inexpensive bookshelf speakers for one of the old receivers I have and set that up in the master bedroom for background music when I'm folding laundry, working on the desktop or just relaxing as I doze off to sleep. I live in a rural area with lots of trees & mountains and I can still pull in a good number or FM radio stations with reasonably good sound quality.

manunkind
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I do listen to some radio

I do listen to some radio still (Jazz FM 91.1 can be accessed via Internet and has 24/7 jazz programmes)- but I find it more and more difficult to tolerate imbecile advertising and loud-mouthed radio DJs.
I have an old Grundig that receives SW, and sometimes I amuse myself my SW radio broadcasts by deranged evangelical preachers or South American marxist rebels.

hoytis
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I have several tuners around

I have several tuners around the house. Love them. Listen to the local jazz station when not spinning vinyl. I just find tuners sound warmer than the sterile streaming. Plus they look great! Just hit Craigslist or eBay. There are a ton of great ones out there. You could get an 80s-90s version like NAD 4300 or Rotel 940AX. Or vintage like Sansui TU-999, Kenwood KT-5000. These are the ones I own, and the Sansui is incredible sounding. Personally, I'd go vintage if I was looking. They were built in the day when radio ruled. Built with care and precision.

Old Audiophile
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HOLY CRAP!

HOLY CRAP! This is like a walk down memory lane!

When I was a kid, my parents had an old Grundig stereo console with built-in turntable, speaker(s), AM/FM and shortwave radio. It was/is a beautiful piece of furniture. My sister still has it as an antique piece. Still works. Looks like this:

view=detailV2&ccid=Hjly2r1l&id=DD2F57C65E0545DA0607CB52B11B8F0A5DE4E711&thid=OIP.Hjly2r1l5R8YzKgIHOoQuAHaHa&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2F736x%2F40%2F66%2F06%2F406606a73345ec840e00a4d7754be6df--short-waves-lafayette.jpg&cdnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FR.1e3972dabd65e51f18cca8081cea10b8%3Frik%3DEefkXQqPG7FSyw%26pid%3DImgRaw%26r%3D0&exph=736&expw=736&q=photos+of+antique+grundig+stereo+consoles&simid=608042497434716517&form=IRPRST&ck=E136CFA1A1B8569AE810686C8DC59998&selectedindex=36&qpvt=photos+of+antique+grundig+stereo+consoles&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0&vt=0&sim=11

My parents bought it, probably in the early 50's. I used to play my 45's on it and also passed many an hour amusing myself listening to shortwave broadcasts. I've often wondered how much that thing would be worth to an antiques collector.

I also still have my old Sansui 2000X receiver, purchased new in 1972. Haven't played it in decades but it was still working just fine when I retired it. Even in a rural area, where I live, its old fashion tuner was capable of strongly capturing and holding onto a goodly number of FM stations with its bare bones but judiciously placed dipole antenna.

Thanks for that walk down memory lane, folks!

hoytis
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2000x is a beauty. You should

2000x is a beauty. You should fire it back up! I have the AU-999 to match the tuner. Built like tanks!

Malthus101
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manunkind wrote:
manunkind wrote:

....or South American marxist rebels.

lol

Malthus101
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Yes, those old vintage tuners

Yes, those old vintage tuners are beautiful objects, maybe I could get one as much for it's aesthetic appeal as its function.

But... if FM is being killed off it's only a matter of time before it probably disappears everywhere. I don't even know which country I'll be living in, the way things are going.

How about this Arcam T32? Seems it does DAB as well as FM. Looks practical for a tuner unit.

But nothing beats the beauty of those old FM tuners....

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