Finding a Great Sounding FM Tuner

FM Tuner Summary

Best sound about $200: Hitachi FT-8000 is a Sleeper in Top 10 Tuners. One on eBay is listed for $120.

Weak Signal Area: Hitachi FT-5500MKII. Use an outdoor antenna. Wade makes 9dB 5 element directional antenna. Most are UK location and may be 220 Volt. Good sounding tuner.

Great Sound at low cost about $140: Rated in top 13 is Kenwood KT-5020 or KT-990D. Newer 1990s construction great for reliability.

Note: Top 10 tuners cost about $500 on up with Hitachi FT-8000 exception. Also avoid Mitsubishi DA-F20 due to  many failures. My max cost is $200- why pay more.

First off, just want to say, it’s late here where I live, so haven’t read the other comments in this thread.

Secondly, if you found a Meridian 504 for $140 consider yourself blessed and lucky.

Third, I’ve owned many many tuners over the years and the 504 was the only digital tuner that I truly loved.  Don’t bother with anything else, just keep it and enjoy it.  It’s a truly great tuner!  
 

Lastly, for a good 5-6 years, I was running 2 tuners and switching back and forth between them and the differences were negligible.  The NAD4300 is a superb tuner as was the Perreaux TU1 and super rare PS Audio ST1.  Those were some of the latest tuners that I’ve owned.  A modified Dyna FM3 is also a wonderful tuner as is a Pioneer TX9800.  

With so much cool used gear out there it’s sometimes very hard not to want to try everything you can but the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and you need to be happy with your lot.  Being happy with your lot in life (whatever that may be) is the key to happiness in life.

Enjoy the Meridian!  There’s not a lot out there that’s so much better.

Meridian 504. I did nor include this tuner on list as it is very rare for sale. It is a very good sounding tuner rated in top 13 on fmtunersinfo.com. I think it is better than top 13 as it replaced a Hitachi FT-8000 that is in top 10 and an audiophile used the FT-8000 to replace a top 5 tuner (Sansui). Both tuners sound about identical. The Meriden has better receiver sensitivity thus replaced the FT-8000. I live in a fridge FM reception area thus for most the FT-8000 is sensitive enough. I highly recommend this Meridian 504 tuner.

My FM tuner is an HH Scott 35 A. I put Telefunken Military Grade tubes in the Multiplex and it sounds better than my Magnum Dynalab did. I also use a multi band radio for am and shortwave broadcasts. Its a 1957 Zenith Trans-Oceanic. I had a solid state Kenwood R2000 shortwave receiver but I sold it. Now I'm looking at those Kenwood R2000's again on eBay. But I wouldn't want to pay a lot for a radio given what's now available in the digital domain. Even HAM/Shortwave is computer oriented. Kiwi SDR Public allows folks to access Kiwi shortwave receivers around the globe. They only ask that donations are made to keep the project going.

A Hitachi FT-8000 replaced my Meridian 504. The Hitachi has much stronger bass, a better midrange and equal treble .An audiophile replaced his top 5 rated Sansui on fmtunersinfo.com shootouts with the FT-8000. The 504 has better sensitivity but I am switching to an outdoor Yagi antenna.