I've got FM covered. What about AM?

@yogiboy It's not bad on the eyes, but I hope to find a good tube AM Tuner.  I've got this tube/analog theme going on and I'd like to stay in that lane for now.   I'm not resistant to new tech, I don't think in this case that the performance is there relative to good analog tuners.

Here's THE GOOD, BAD, and UGLY that I read about the Sangean's AM performance:  

(GOOD) Price = no more than $325

(MORE GOOD) HD AM (IBOC) Performance

This is where the HDT‑20 shines.

• When a station broadcasts AM HD, the HDT‑20 locks quickly and cleanly.
• HD AM sounds dramatically better than analog AM—closer to FM quality.
• The tuner is stable and doesn’t drop in/out as easily as older HD tuners.

(BAD) 
AM HD is dying. Many stations have shut it off.
So this benefit depends entirely on your local stations

(UGLY) Analog AM Sound Quality

This is the weakest part of the tuner.

• The analog AM audio is clean but a bit thin.
• Noise reduction is aggressive, which reduces hiss but also trims some high‑frequency content.
• It’s not as warm or full as a good vintage AM tuner.

@oddiofyl - that looks interesting and it has balanced outputs which are on my nice-to-have list (again, I have no RCA inputs on my line stage).  I only listen to one local AM channel, KFYI, in Phoenix which broadcasts only in standard mono AM.  

AM radio was never meant to be used with a HIFI system. The ones that were included with the tuners from the past were just an afterthought. AM radio is a noisy medium that is popular for cars and desktop radios used mainly for sports, news and talk radio.  

 

 

 

 

AM radio is often noisy because its amplitude modulation technology is highly susceptible to static, electrical interference, and atmospheric conditions, causing crackling, hiss, and distorted audio compared to FM or digital radio.

Technical Limitations of AM

AM radio encodes audio by varying the amplitude of the carrier wave, which inherently makes it vulnerable to interference from electrical devices and atmospheric noise

 

 

 . The bandwidth of AM signals is also narrow (around 10 kHz), limiting its audio frequency range and contributing to a muffled or tinny sound. In contrast, FM signals use frequency modulation with wider bandwidth, allowing for higher-fidelity audio 

 

 

. Most AM broadcasts are mono rather than stereo, which further diminishes the richness of the sound 

 

 

.

Environmental and Propagation Factors

AM signals travel via ground waves during the day and skywaves at night. Nighttime conditions can cause signals to reflect off the ionosphere, leading to interference from distant stations (skywave interference), signal fading, and ghosting effects 

 

 

. Urban environments amplify these problems due to dense electronic devices and buildings introducing further electromagnetic interference 

 

 

. Atmospheric events like thunderstorms also generate static and crackle that affect AM reception 

 

 

.

Why? What's on AM?

Consider moving on from the MAGNUM DYNALAB and get one with both FM and AM  …. I did ..  I listen to AM band on it for local news, weather reports, 60’s Oldies stations, and easy FM-AM band switch access all in one unit ( no need for separate AM radio);

COMPARED BAKEOFF 

Magnum Dynalab FT101a (Etude upgrade) vs. Magnum Dynalab MD90t (tube) vs. Philips AH673

The following CAM forum post is exactly my actual owned two bespoke units in this direct units direct bakeoff -off. I was physically in attendance for the bake-off at the CAM poster’s house.

I bought two units  sequentially from this forum poster (… first the ML ETUDE and then the PHILIPS about 6 months later  .., ).

Go make your own assessment….but in my opinion,I sold  the upgraded  Magnum Dynalab FT101a (Etude upgrade) and I currently keep the PHILIPS AH 673 thst was fully rebuilt professionally by a qualified pro tech in advance of the bakeoff (I may put it up for sale later this winter.)

CAM BAKEOFF 

https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=55629

PHILIPS SPECS

https://www.fmtunerinfo.com/AH673brochure.pdf
 

Like streaming music from everywhere, I would think streaming AM from anywhere would give you what you are aware of now and content otherwise unobtainable. There’s something to be said about a favorite station.

I have a dedicated antenna and a great sounding FM Tuner, but it is for only 1 station, 88.3 WBGO Jazz, the antenna is aimed at Columbus Circle, NYC where someone here told me their broadcast antenna is located.