2. analog
  3. 1392835690

Any good FM tuners around for less than $200?

There is not much discussion of tuners these days - who still listens to radio unless it is over the Internet?? lol I imagine there are still some folks that like the radio, and hopefully some of them are here on Audiogon.

I would like to add a decent - not top of the line, obviously, given my budget - FM tuner to my 2-channel system. I am rather overwhelmed by the info on the FM Tuner Information site - I don't understand a lot of it, and many of the tuners they review and like are seldom available for sale these days. I just want a good sounding, not too expensive tuner that will 'satisfy' my occasional radio listening needs! The stations I listen to - mostly via car radio - are local and primarily public (no ads) radio stations, though I do listen to some classic rock stations as well.

A tube tuner would be nice, but possibly more than I can spend, especially if it needs tube replacement, alignment and that sort of thing. Solid state will do, obviously. So, Fisher? Rotel? Marantz? Something totally different?

I do not currently have an outdoor antenna, but that is something I hope to get in the future - one that can be mounted on the exterior wall as opposed to the roof

What tuners would you recommend that I put on my short list?

Holly
oakiris
oakiris OP
206 posts
 
Thank you once again, Al. :-)

My Carissa power amp does have the optional volume control (and a remote.) I want a vintage tube tuner! lol Anyway, I am glad to hear that my amp will match well with tube tuners. Now to find one!

I will try to be patient - I have yet to find very many (OK, I have found almost none...) of the tuners recommended in this thread on eBay or similar sites, so I think I may be in for a long wait.

Speaking of which, what price/price range is considered acceptable for the FM-90X? (If anyone knows....)

Holly
oakiris OP
206 posts
 
I have decided to go with a modded Eico Classic 2200. This is not one of the tuners recommended in this thread and the brand doesn't even get a mention on FMTuner Info, but I have read some positive things about the tuner and trust the opinion of the person who will be selling it to me, so I am very hopeful.

I will be able to audition it in my system before paying for it, so I can't see a downside!

Thank you again to everyone who offered me help here. I didn't choose any of the tuners you recommended, but I learned a lot, enjoyed the research and much appreciate the time you all took to respond. :-)

Holly
lou_setriodes's avatar
lou_setriodes
673 posts
 
Ryan, you obviously know a lot more about tuners than I do in regard to how they work; however, I've owned a lot of good tuners in the past including several that are highly touted on the fmtunerinfo site, for whatever that is worth.

IMO, from what I've owned and have heard, I believe that analog tuners sound warmer and more realistic and I prefer them over digital tuners, YMMV. Thanks for educating me though.
wrayman's avatar
wrayman
54 posts
 
A hard to beat analog tuner under 200..consider a Yamaha CT-1010. Also previously mentioned Yamaha T-1 can offer great value when in good condition.
If you can find one the Sanyo Plus T-55 is a stone bargain at around 100.

Man, there are a lot to choose from !

Good luck..
Mike
lou_setriodes's avatar
lou_setriodes
673 posts
 
I agree with you Mike. There are a lot of tuners to choose from at this price point. I had the Yamaha CT-810 once upon a time and liked it very much. The height of the 1010 could be of consideration though as it was a very large, tall tuner.
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