Tuners ... are they all pretty much the same ?

[Arkless Electronics]

Then again if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Most of the time it is "broke" , as in nowhere near optimum, and people don't realise...

[Arkless Electronics]

Twas my meaning. Aerial similar to tv ?. Suppose an attenna is a dipole really?

It's an Americanism for aerial....

[struth]

Just they call insects thingies attennae to and they are dipoles so thought that was the name for em. I usually use aerial excludively but was having a senior moment and couldnt remember the damned spelling for some odd reason and couldnt be bothered looking it up. Old age creeping closer to brain death i guess.

[JimC]

Which magazine says government switching FM signal off in 2017

If this is in relation to my post on page 1 of this thread, the article in the magazine was giving details of URL's with decent quality streams of some of the BBC's Radio O/P. No mention was made (by the magazine or by me in the post) of FM being turned off in 2017.

As far as I know it has been 'put back' now to the 2020's. No definite dates set.

Jim.

[Spectral Morn]

If this is in relation to my post on page 1 of this thread, the article in the magazine was giving details of URL's with decent quality streams of some of the BBC's Radio O/P. No mention was made (by the magazine or by me in the post) of FM being turned off in 2017.

As far as I know it has been 'put back' now to the 2020's. No definite dates set.

Jim.

Good because DAB is very, very poor - in my opinion.

[Clifford.T Ward]

In my part of the world and excellent FM radio service is avaliable through cable and as such a good tuner is a good thing to have.The cable takes away the need for a good ariel .

[dave2010]

I would have thought that a tuner was as important as any other part of the system - if you listen to the radio!

Absolutely agree with this, if it matters. I do still listen to FM on cheapo radios - e.g in the bedroom, though now we mostly use iPads and stream, and actually for going to sleep the iPad speakers themselves are good enough.

I have a couple of FM tuners - one is an expensive first generation DAB with and FM section, and the other is a JVC TX55. With a good input both are good, though I've always preferred the sound of the JVC. I could never get rid of all the problems of FM though, but someone sent me some CDs he'd made from broadcasts - somewhere around Dundee I think. Whatever kit he was using to receive was amazing - I just could not believe the quality of the audio from his CDs. I asked him if he'd cheated in any way, or used digital, but I was assured the results were from his FM receiver.

Without a good signal though, which often means a decent roof or at least loft installed aerial, don't expect miracles from any FM tuner.

Re DAB - that is fundamentally limited now by the broadcasters, and the codecs used. I think some broadcasters may be using DAB variants - with different codecs - which may sound OK, but the BBC is still using plain DAB (not any form of updated DAB used by broadcasters in some other countries), and I think the max bit rate is still 192kbps for radio 3, which is not as good as some of the audio channels on digital TV. Some of the BBC's channels are still at 128 kbps, while some go even lower and are mono only I think.

However, if checking out tuners, it may be worth looking at some of the better DAB+FM models. DAB also benefits from having a good aerial - there will be "bubbling mud" noises or nothing at all if the signals are weak or variable.

[Arkless Electronics]

Indeed a good roof mounted aerial is essential to getting really good reception from FM for most people. It's not just signal strength but directionality that matters as it can help massively with rejection of multipath. Low loss high quality coax must be used as well as it is easy to lose half the signal in the coax... yes literally.
For the really keen a rotator is useful and a variable RF attenuator. Yes attenuator. Too much signal from a different station to the one you want can cause all sorts of problems due to a phenomenon called cross modulation...

[mikmas]

However, if checking out tuners, it may be worth looking at some of the better DAB+FM models. DAB also benefits from having a good aerial - there will be "bubbling mud" noises or nothing at all if the signals are weak or variable.

Would agree with this.
When I was looking out for a reasonably priced tuner 2nd hand, most of the ones listed on the 'fmtuner' site were either unobtanium or fetching daft prices on eBay (doubtless a victim of their reputations). In the end I found a Creek 3140 for £40 in good nick. This has a very good reception even when coupled with the Screwfix £10 aerial I use in the shed were it ended up.
Details here:
http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/index.ph...k-cas3140.html

Downside to the Creek is the lack of remote or presets which entails twiddling up and down the dial to change stations but as I mostly listen to late night Radio 3 this was not a big deal. The biggest issue was the lack of Radio 6 on FM which I do listen to during the day and for that I had to switch to my Mac/DAC combo.

Currently I'm using a Cambridge 640T DAB/FM combo in the house (cost £110 used) and I have to say the performance is outstanding and better than the Creek - in fact I use DAB over FM finding little real difference to speak of - despite all the negativity DAB attracts. Added bonus to this set up is the quick switch via remote from 3 to 6 plus the very useful set of digital and analogue outputs offered by the 640T (currently outputting to my DAC). I had a DAB/FM roof aerial fitted by a reputable local guy to replace the ageing FM one and this turned out to be possibly the best upgrade of all.

Good, and in my view accurate, review in this Tuner Shootout:
http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/index.ph...2.html?start=3

Edited to add that I disagree with their opinion of the display which I find perfectly readable - even from a few feet away.

[sq225917]

An aerial is one physical item, antenna are more than one physical items joined together via signal path. So tv/radio aerial, radio telescope antenna... Its more than just an over the pond thing.