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FM Radio, anyone?

I was a kid in the 70s. I remember listening to Detroit Tiger baseball on WJR AM 760 on summer evenings - the voice was Ernie Harwell. And I remember listening to music on our local FM stations, and FM sounded so much better than AM (well, of course it did!). 
I remember the glow of the dial on higher end FM tuners, or on receivers. We had a Pioneer that was nice. But a neighbor had a beautiful Marantz with the heavy horizontal tuning dial. Today I own a Model 19 and a 2215b.

So, today I also own a McIntosh MR87 and I plan to showcase it in a whole house audio rack, with a rooftop antenna for the best possible reception. I also have a Magnum Dynalab MD-108 and I’m not sure where to put it, but it sure is pretty! 
Yeah, I know, the SQ is crap compared to just about anything else these days. And radio stations just aren’t as good as they used to be, or as I choose to remember them (the exception being WXRT in Chicago). But I cannot let go! Anyone else?

mattsca
pdspiegel
70 posts
 

Mattsca, I'm with you in that I love radio.  Fortunately, we have a lot of choices and many styles of music on air here in the Los Angeles area.

The tuner with my main system is a little Sony XDR-F1HD which is OK.  The additional HD channels offer some interesting programming which is often commercial free.

Other than in the car, I do most of my radio listening in my workshop with a Fisher Series 80 tube AM/FM tuner/preamp into a homebrew 6B4 SE DHT amp.  Speaker is a single vintage Klipsch Heresy.  Sounds lovely.  Most surprising is that in addition to FM, AM can sound quite good through an old tube tuner.  I guess it makes sense as radio was the hifi music medium for decades up until 1950 or so when microgroove vinyl records and tape began becoming popular in homes.

kennyc
2,935 posts
 

I purchased a Kenwood L-02T fm tuner based on fm tuner shootout here.

Otherwise, fm/am/sirius in cars.

mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
6,505 posts
 

My main FM listening is in the car, but I do have a really nice Sumo "Charlie The Tuner" in my main rig.

Jim tuned this up for me right before he passed away.  I also still have a Model Nine amp and an Electra preamp.

 

elliottbnewcombjr
7,776 posts
 

most people have never heard proper FM.

Richard Modiferri said there was nothing he could do to improve the FM in my My McIntosh mx110z. Nearly every positive review mentioned it needs a strong signal.

I have a separate TV antenna in the attic just above my main system, dedicated for FM, aimed at WBGO’s antenna at Columbus Circle, NYC. It sounds awesome.

After Superstorm Sandy, lost power for 8 days, I had a generator but no cable TV, I put a TV antenna back on my chimney, and use it for over the air digital TV which is as good or better than cable, and for my Yamaha CR1040 SS Receiver’s FM for my Garage/Shop system. That antenna is aimed for the best digital tv signals from a guide I found online.

I’m just about to hook up my Fisher 500C Tube Receiver in my main system, to demo for sale/local pickup. I had VAS align the FM Tuner after I cleaned/overhauled it. That FM tuner sounds great I remember.

hickamore
774 posts
 

I have both my MD 108 and DAC into each of two preamps which are switchable at the amp. With both streamer & tube tuner on same station, tuner sounds better. Have always had a tuner (or several) since starting in audio 50 years ago & can’t imagine being without one. Must be that analog feel.

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