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Are There Alternatives to the Marantz 10 B ?

Hi,

I've been sinking my money (what little I have) into a DAC DSD upgrade and to pay for it, I decided to sell my Magnum Dynalab tuner. I liked the MD fm tuner but I wasn't ecstatic about it. For one thing, I was constantly wrestling with the dipole antenna to bring in the signal and that got rather inundating. The sound was really very good at certain times but rarely when a program came on that I had been waiting to hear.

So what I've been wondering is whether or not stereo fm tube tuners exist that offer a great audiophile sound but that don't receive the same level of attention as the Marantz 10 B? I suppose the hope is to find that 'build your own tuner kit' or advice on purchasing a particular tuner and how to modify it and all of this for a reasonable sum of money. And when it's all said and done, if I've still fallen short of my aim, then I'll get a job in the diamond mines and save until I've got enough for the Marantz 10 B.

Thanks!
goofyfoot
tls49's avatar
tls49
1,351 posts
 

Glad to help, Al. Also, I have a Sams Photofact and copies of a Scott Service Bulletin and owners manual for the Scott 335 should anyone need them.

Goofyfoot, look here at the Berner's Site for MR 65 or MR 65A. This shows a MA 5 adapter that is mounted to the chassis of those tuners, and appears to work with them only. Also, the MR 65B is a stereo tuner. The MA 6 is shown on the MR 66 page, and appears that it only works with that tuner since it is powered through a 4 pin plug on the back of the tuner.

So, to answer your question, all multiplex adapters are not compatible, although it appears that the Mac tuners may work with the Scott and Fisher adapters.
goofyfoot OP
1,326 posts
 
Sorry to question the obvious. Yes, I later saw that the MR 65 accepts the multiplex adapter and thanks for the PDF link.

Can anyone comment on the sonic comparisons between the 310 D and the MR 65?

The reason I am mentioning the MR 65 is that they seem to appear on auction websites more readily than the 310 D and can at times be within the same price range as the 310 D.

Either way I can wait while looking periodically for a reasonable offer.

I wish my 1957 Zenith Trans-Oceanic had FM.
goofyfoot OP
1,326 posts
 
I'm working and looking at the links that are being sent my way so I apologize for delayed responses but everyone's been more than generous with their time and knowledge.
lak's avatar
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lak
4,544 posts
 
Have you thought about the Magnum Dynalab Signal Sleuth?
I have one that I use with my MD-106T Analog FM Tuner and it works well to lock in on distant stations.
almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Good inputs from Tony, all of which I agree with. Here is a link to the manual for the MR65 and MR65A. It confirms that those tuners provide a MPX out jack, so consistent with Tony's comment I suspect (although I can't say with 100% certainty) that if the onboard MA-5 adapter is not present a Scott or Fisher multiplex adapter would work with those tuners.

I have no specific knowledge of the sonics of those tuners, although assuming excellent condition (a big "if," of course) I'd be surprised if they were less than an excellent value in their price range.

Regards,
-- Al
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