Fm radio- forgotten source?

[Arkless Electronics]

The circuit similarity between tuners is something many probably won't realise but there is a small selection only of IC's used as IF subsystems/quadrature detector and stereo decoder. A similarly small range of pilot tone suppression filters are used at the output and a few companies only produce most of the "front end" boxes....
So? you may be asking? So unless you are buying something really exotic the innards of most tuners are almost identical no matter what make or model!
Sure one can find things that break the mold on this but they are few and far between....

E.g throughout most of he 70's and 80's I'd guestimate that 90% of European and USA tuners used CA3089 (or the later improved CA3189) IF amp and quadrature IC followed by the MC1310P stereo decoder IC. There were (and are) Japanese equivalents which are pin for pin compatible. A later generation of such IC's then came into use but probably a range of say 3 of the former and same of the latter type of IC was/is used in most tuners. Quadrature coils made by Toko are almost universally used, single tuned type in cheaper models and double tuned in better ones. Toko or Murata made pilot tone filters are almost universally used as well. Little wonder then that so many tuners have a similar sound. The precise way these parts are used accounts for probably most of the differences we do hear...

[al b back]

still usind naim tuners 01,02 and 03 plain and simplealso have a yamaha 7000. well made vintage tuner if you have a good ariel mines a Galaxy 17 made by ron smith in luton


http://www.ronsmithaerials.com/catalogue/G17.php

http://www.ronsmithaerials.com/catal...os_install.php

[tapid]

Ron Smith thats one for the teenagers ! Always remember his adverts in the hi fi mags of the day. Wonder what happened to him
Hope he did nt slide of a roof somewhere ? Happy days.

[alphaGT]

I've got a Magnum Dynalab FT-101 that I paid $300 for, and I love FM! It has incredible sound, like you I'm amazed at the quality of the broadcasts. I too need a better aerial, but the stations I get sound quite good, and someone else can pick the songs for a while. And best of all it's still free. I don't think that FM will ever go away for that reason. Especially in the car, where most people listen, as long as FM is available I won't be spending a cent to subscribe to some digital broadcasts. Sure my CDs and vinyl records sound better, but not by a lot, FM sounds surprisingly good!


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[JohnMcC]

The only FM problem I have is with some live concerts on BBC Radio 3. The programmes where they play recorded music are usually fine, as are those with live music in the studio. But some of the evening concerts recently have been poor. The problem seems to be twofold: the miking of orchestras (usually too close, sometimes sounds as if a tuba, say, is a solo instrument when it should be part of the overall sound); and the over-enthusiastic use of limiters, reducing what should be stunning crescendos to what sounds subjectively as if it's quieter than what comes before and after. One wonders what the set-up process is for these concerts away from the studio. Sometimes it reduces what is probably stunning orchestral playing to the level of compression you get on Classic FM!

[twotone]

Ron Smith thats one for the teenagers ! Always remember his adverts in the hi fi mags of the day. Wonder what happened to him
Hope he did nt slide of a roof somewhere ? Happy days.

He's dead I believe but his son George who runs the business was Southern Spain, I bought one of his ariels a couple of years ago (2012) and he e-mailed me some advice on siting etc, seemed a really nice guy BTW.

[Barry]

The only FM problem I have is with some live concerts on BBC Radio 3. The programmes where they play recorded music are usually fine, as are those with live music in the studio. But some of the evening concerts recently have been poor. The problem seems to be twofold: the miking of orchestras (usually too close, sometimes sounds as if a tuba, say, is a solo instrument when it should be part of the overall sound); and the over-enthusiastic use of limiters, reducing what should be stunning crescendos to what sounds subjectively as if it's quieter than what comes before and after. One wonders what the set-up process is for these concerts away from the studio. Sometimes it reduces what is probably stunning orchestral playing to the level of compression you get on Classic FM!

Tend to agree, but the BBC Proms are always well relayed. I've heard that the Optimod system is not employed for the Proms broadcasts, but I'm not certain.

[eksiil]

I have a GTA Leak Trough-Line III & stations I know to broadcast at no more than 256 kbps, on a good day, can sound better than most CDs.

[Saber]

In the middle of moving house, Fm signal was non existant at old house, Just tested at the new place, only a Denon TU260 but finally I have Fm again!

[tapid]

He's dead I believe but his son George who runs the business was Southern Spain, I bought one of his ariels a couple of years ago (2012) and he e-mailed me some advice on siting etc, seemed a really nice guy BTW.

Thanks for that tony glad to see the Smith name still rules in ariel land.