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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
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.

jasonbourne71's avatar
jasonbourne71
1,843 posts
 

Mitsubishi DA-F10 tuned to NPR on 89.7 FM WUSF Tampa. Sounds fine! This particular tuner had a positive test/review in the old  Audio magazine around 1977-78. I bought and used one at that time for decades. The present one was acquired from eBay eight years ago. It has been in use 24/7 since then!

jasonbourne71's avatar
jasonbourne71
1,843 posts
 

I have several more tuners in my collection, including a McIntosh MR77 and a Scott tube tuner.

kisawyer2's avatar
kisawyer2
2 posts
 

In the 1970s, Milwaukee had a great classical FM radio station - WFMR.  I use to listen to it with my Marantz 10B tuner and KLH Nines speakers.  The sound was holographic!  Better even than LPs.  Never experienced anything close to that sound since.

mapman's avatar
mapman
23,608 posts
 

FM….the original wireless hifi.  
 

Antennas don’t count. 

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