Best fm tuner ?

[Michael loves music]

im looking for a Fm tuner with good sound on Radio 1 and 2 and classical will go up to £100 on eBay and advice most welcome

[Spectral Morn]

im looking for a Fm tuner with good sound on Radio 1 and 2 and classical will go up to £100 on eBay and advice most welcome

Kenwood 3050, 5020 or 7020. No valves, no bling, no metres etc but stunning sound for least amount of money. I have done the comparisons and unless you are a collector these are the best for sound, compared to some other really good tuners.

http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/kenwood.html


Regards Neil

[Michael loves music]

Is the Quad FM 4 a good tuner ?

[datdad]

Hi there Michael, the Quad FM4 we have had for 30 years, sounds fine for us. Its been serviced twice by Quad. Last December Quad updated it a bit (new set up for station memories & battery from memory). Works a treat IMO. We had an FM aerial installed with the TV aerial 30 years ago and with that the FM4 works well.
The FM4 can be had at a bargain cost, but suggest test any example since the batteries are failing now if not before. Quad will 'service' for a good price I feel given that the kit is at least 30 years old.
At times I do look towards the Audiolab FM with DAB as a more modern piece of kit, though such a new toy in our set up would disturb the 'better half ' upsetting the Quad 44, 306 and FM4 neatness.

[mikmas]

Is the Quad FM 4 a good tuner ?

Quad tuners get a panning on the fmtuner info site. Haven't had an FM4 but wasn't too impressed with my FM3 and sold it a few years back.
I'm currently using a Creek 3040 which is great value at about £40 from eBay. Super quality reception, certainly for Beeb stations, and holds tuning well. I record a lot from Radio 3 and am very pleased with the results.

I spent some time looking for many of the fmtunerinfo 'hot favourites' on eBay, gumtree and such for a reasonable price but to no avail so was glad when I discovered the Creek.

there are a couple on eBay at the moment:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Creek-CAS-3040-FM-Tuner-Radio-SUPERB-/301663719215?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item463c8f0f2f

[Spectral Morn]

Is the Quad FM 4 a good tuner ?

It is a fine tuner but compared to the one's I mentioned its not as good re sound. This boils down to whether you want best sound for least money or want to collect. I have about 26 tuners and compared most of them and the Kenwoods are stunning. I have the top vintage Sony's, Pioneers, Sansui, Leak, Audiolab, Revox, Accuphase and older Kenwoods (8300 etc) all highly rated and the more modern Kenwoods come very close to the very best I have such as the Audiolab and Revox B760 and for very little money.

The 3050 is easy to get, the 5020 a little harder and the 7020 very hard to get. I would keep an eye out for the 3050. Yes its plain, no VU metres etc but sounds wonderful and works well off almost no aerial.

The Tuner info net views are pretty much on the money, I diasgree a wee bit in places but soundquality interests me more than DXing which seems to interest them more.


Regards Neil

[Barry]

I would also second the Quad FM4. It's perfect for my needs and location. I don't need high sensitivity, as I have an external roof mounted 3-element Yagi aerial (I live 35 miles from london yet can easily pick up LBC, only intended to received within London). Nor do I need high selectivity, as I'm only interested in receiving BBC Radio 2, 3 and 4 as well as Jazz FM.

None of the Quad tuners were designed to be used in countries with a large number of closely packed but low power radio stations; which is why they get indifferent reviews on the tuner review site.

As to sound quality - well I go by the fidelity of human speech. Of the four Quad tuners, the FM2 and FM4 are the better, and are much better than the (IMO) over-lauded Leak Troughline Stereo. Other tuners that have passed my ears are the Cambridge T55 and B&O 1700; both are fine tuners and can be found cheaply on eBay for well under £100.

[Michael loves music]

Many thanks for the replies my Nad 4225 tuner I got on eBay for £6 last year use it with a rabbit aerial on wall full strength FM sounds fine but just think I can do better I love Radio 2 I see Denon tuners can be had for £10 on eBay and lie the display with station name etc

[Kvaal]

There is a lot of used good tuners to buy for small money these days.
You have one of the good ones imo. If you want a better equipped tuner you can try to find a Kenwood or a Denon. The Quad is also good but not that equipped. Anyway, the transmission will have a big effect on the reciewed sound, so I don't think you will get a substancial bettered sound. The transmitters use compression and other kinds of "make-up" to "better" the sound.

[IHP]

Forgive me, not what you asked but if you have a Tivo box and a DAC you can connect the 2 with an optical cable. The sound (into my Quad CD-P2 DAC) is just wonderful. And of course you can record the radio, which is a real bonus for me. Anyhoo, just something for consideration.

[petrat]

Totally agree with Johan ... Nad tuners are pretty good IME, particularly for £6 :eek:

[Michael loves music]

thankyou for the replies yes I agree depends on the transmission and cannot afford a naim !

[Firebottle]

Low cost tuners on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NAD-402-AM-FM-Tuner-/181776930461?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a52bfd69d

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Technics-ST-X302L-Stereo-Synthesizer-AM-FM-Radio-Tuner-/400942448319?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5d5a083ebf

:)

[sumday]

If you have SKY you could try hooking the box into your sound system either direct or as I do through a cheap dac.

no..i mean no background noise and not bad selection of stations.

my vintage pioneer tuner is sadly never used now.....apart from a "late night light show"!!

NIGE.

[Spectral Morn]

Was a time I would have just bought something like this on seeing it but I don't have the room. This is the big brother replacement for the 7020 which I have.

Tuner info net say this

'Kenwood KT-6040 search eBay
We think the very rare KT-6040 was sold only in Europe and Asia. Finding one on eBay-U.S. will be tough, because we've only seen a couple for sale in many years (one sold for $265 in 6/09). Our contributor Jeroen reports: "The KT-6040 was the successor of the KT-7020, which was the higher model of the KT-5020. The 6040 is an excellent tuner and, as mentioned by someone else, a sleeper. It is, IMHO, superior to both the 5020 and the 7020, with the 7020 being superior to the 5020. I've checked the schematics of the KT-5020 and the KT-6040, and I see many differences. The 6040 has 5 gangs (I think), 8 ceramic filters and 3 IC filters, and the distortion cancelling circuit is much more complicated. Also the MPX chip is better in the 6040 (LA3450) then in the 5020 (LA3401). The 5020 has a combined AM/FM IF IC (LA1266), while the 6040 uses seperate IC's (LA1235 and LA1245). The KT-6040 is a new design, stepping away from both the KT-5020 and the KT-7020/KT-990D."

Our contributor János says that the KT-6040 "was my first serious tuner. Afterwards I bought a KT-9900, Onkyo T-4650 and T-4711, Revox A76, Creek T40, Hitachi FT-5500 MKII, Sony ST-J60, Denon TU-580RD, and Yamaha TX-900. None of the above is too bad, but if I would be forced to have only one tuner, I would choose the KT-6040, based on RF performance (none of the above is better), convenience and sound. A remote would be missed - others have better ergonomics." Our contributor Rudy adds, "I also recently owned the KT-6040 and it's a definite sleeper. In stock form, it's already excellent for both sonic and DX performance. This should be a top-rated digital tuner, on par with the Yamaha T-85." And our contributor Sinan says, "I never heard a tuner with a better S/N ratio! Also extremely low distortion with an amazingly quiet background, but the Sony ST-S555ES has the edge in detail and stage width/depth."

One for sale here, its more than you want to spend but its a shit hot tuner at a good price.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kenwood-Kt-6040-Tuner-the-dxmashine-with-25-KHZ-Steps-special-narrow-filters-/321784016007?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4aebd26c87


Regards Neil

[Spectral Morn]

Nice tuner here Pioneer 9800 but its a collectible so will end up being well over £100 but you never know

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-TX-9800-Tuner-/331585387356?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4d34077b5c

Not been tuner hunting in awhile and there isn't much on EBay at the minute that's any good, lot of average and below average stuff.

[Michael loves music]

yes that Pioneer 9800 looks lovely

[Audio Advent]

There was a Hitachi tuner in the 80s or late 80s which became a kind of giant killer by accident, 5550 or something. Looks very plane but got great reviews.

Anyone remember what I'm talking about?

OK, just googled it : Hitatchi FT-5500 . There are Mk1 and Mk2 versions and not sure which is best. Seem to go for about £15 - £40

[high.spirits]

The Technics ST-S31 is excellent and when found can be had very cheaply.

It has a narrow IF band facility, which effectively gets rid of "birdies" (the interference created by so many stations close together).

In my location we have so many main and local stations, even with a 6 element aerial I get problems. So the narrow IF works wonders.

[Reffc]

For £30 or so used, the multi-award winning Denon TU260L K2 is a cracking good tuner with RDS/EON etc.

Also, for sound quality, providing you have a decent aerial, the higher end Rotel RT series are excellent and cheaper to buy than the usual suspects.

[Michael loves music]

Yes I've read reviews on the Denon with many features can be had for £10 on ebay

[ff1d1l]

I landed an Onkyo T-9090ii on gumtree a few months back for £80. Comes out pretty good in the tunerinfo shootout. No complaints, its the best tuner I've ever owned both for sound quality, selectivity and receiving weak stations. Has a very useful facility where it can be switched to automatically select the optimum hi blend, selectivity width and preferred ariel (two may be connected) for a station as it is tuned in. The high blend is variable and has a very light touch, surprisingly unobtrusive in use.

Very nice bit of kit, would be my desert island tuner out of the others I own (Technics, Yamaha, Leak, Denon, Marantz etc).

[Ronksley]

For £30 or so used, the multi-award winning Denon TU260L K2 is a cracking good tuner with RDS/EON etc.

Also, for sound quality, providing you have a decent aerial, the higher end Rotel RT series are excellent and cheaper to buy than the usual suspects.

I would recommend a Rotel
Really been impressed by the Rotel RT-930AX I picked up earlier in the year wonderful sound I think I paid £12.50 and have seen similiars knocking about even cheaper very simply no RDS Sounds really good on Radio3,4 and Classic FM I have a good strong signal form a roof top tv airiel not sure how good it would do in areas with reception issues been tempted to buy another for the bedroom even though I have a Denon reciever I really like already

[walpurgis]

I have an RT-830AL that I never use.

Rotel are one of the dependable makes, much like Denon. Who steadily turn out good value products that sound excellent. And don't think it's all budget gear either. Both companies have made prestige items in the past.

[BTH K10A]

Sansui TU-517 These sometimes pop up on ebay at reasonable prices.

Essentially a 717 but without the test tone facility


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js3m6KSKuWU

[Michael loves music]

to be honest I don't think that sounds any better than my old Nad ?

[Spectral Morn]

Sansui TU-517 These sometimes pop up on ebay at reasonable prices.

Essentially a 717 but without the test tone facility


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js3m6KSKuWU

I have both and I think they are over rated compared to others but I think that about Accuphase tuners too, well those I have heard that are supposed to be amazing.... Underwhelmed . Com


Regards Neil

[Michael loves music]

Neil do you think due to the radio 2 and classic Fm broadcast quality the actual sound doesn't sound that different on a lot of tuners ?

[Michael loves music]

I have an RT-830AL that I never use.

Rotel are one of the dependable makes, much like Denon. Who steadily turn out good value products that sound excellent. And don't think it's all budget gear either. Both companies have made prestige items in the past. Your tuner on eBay Geoff £10 at the moment

[walpurgis]

Your tuner on eBay Geoff £10 at the moment

It's a basic, budget tuner. Well made though. I must try it out one of these days. :)

[Michael loves music]

very good review on hifi choice Geoff they say was a bargain when new and very good sound quality

[walpurgis]

very good review on hifi choice Geoff they say was a bargain when new and very good sound quality

Didn't look for reviews. I only bought it 'cos it was cheap and it's black and there was a gap in the system for a tuner (all my gear is black apart from the phono stage). Looks good though.

I have to admit, I've not bothered to listen to radio for about ten years.

[Michael loves music]

Radio 2 with Ken Bruce and Steve Wright is worth the tuner price alone and classical FM lovely

[Spectral Morn]

Neil do you think due to the radio 2 and classic Fm broadcast quality the actual sound doesn't sound that different on a lot of tuners ?

No.

A good quality tuner will make the best of less than ideal conditions but it can't make a silk purse of a pigs ear if the broadcast quality isn't good, ie compressed etc but better tuners will do a better job with that sounding better, but when the quality is good then it becomes very obvious re how well individual tuners are at in revealing the nuances of the music, spoken voice, studio acoustic etc. Tuners require a good aerial to work well, most do, once that condition is provided then one can audition them the same way one would any other audio source, and differences exist between them which make some sound better than others even with quality broadcasting. So quality broadcasts don't level the playing field, differences are still there to be heard.

Tuner Info Network review on the basis of soundquality and reception ability, suitability for DXing etc but their rating are pretty accurate, so the top 5 or so tuners are the best they have tested so far. My advice is look for tuners in the top 10 and maybe if you are lucky one in the top 5 might pop up cheap but it will still be more than you want to spend.

As I said early on look for a Kenwood 5020 (number 10 in the TIN reviews) or 3050 you should be able to get one, if you are patient for your budget.


Regards Neil

[Michael loves music]

thank you for your advice the reviews on hifi choice are very interesting

[BTH K10A]

to be honest I don't think that sounds any better than my old Nad ?

Best stick with your NAD then as you won't get much better for under £100

[BTH K10A]

I have both and I think they are over rated compared to others but I think that about Accuphase tuners too, well those I have heard that are supposed to be amazing.... Underwhelmed . Com


Regards Neil

My 517 certainly sounds more natural when listening to classical music than my Trio L-01T which has long since been relegated to the loft.

[Michael loves music]

I think you are right thankyou all for the advice

[Spectral Morn]

My 517 certainly sounds more natural when listening to classical music than my Trio L-01T which has long since been relegated to the loft.

That Kenwood comes in at 68 with the Sansui's above it. I haven't heard any of the L series Kenwoods so no idea what they are like.

I have a 517 and 717 and I would rate other tuners as being better. Took me ages to get a 717 and it was somewhat of an anticlimax after I listened to it.


Regards Neil

[dowser]

I have a Hitachi FT-5500 mkII I'd be willing to sell if interested. Mint condition & great sound, but I already spent a huge amount of effort modifying a Cambridge T41 tuner...maybe doesn't sound quite as good...unless you have invested hours of manual effort modifying it :)

[Nick_G]

No.

A good quality tuner will make the best of less than ideal conditions but it can't make a silk purse of a pigs ear if the broadcast quality isn't good, ie compressed etc but better tuners will do a better job with that sounding better, but when the quality is good then it becomes very obvious re how well individual tuners are at in revealing the nuances of the music, spoken voice, studio acoustic etc. Tuners require a good aerial to work well, most do, once that condition is provided then one can audition them the same way one would any other audio source, and differences exist between them which make some sound better than others even with quality broadcasting. So quality broadcasts don't level the playing field, differences are still there to be heard.

Tuner Info Network review on the basis of soundquality and reception ability, suitability for DXing etc but their rating are pretty accurate, so the top 5 or so tuners are the best they have tested so far. My advice is look for tuners in the top 10 and maybe if you are lucky one in the top 5 might pop up cheap but it will still be more than you want to spend.

As I said early on look for a Kenwood 5020 (number 10 in the TIN reviews) or 3050 you should be able to get one, if you are patient for your budget.


Regards Neil

How did I miss this thread?

I bought a Kenwood L-1000T in October last year and got it for £101, probably because it had ventilation holes drilled into the top panel (they run hot apparently). It sounds bloody fantastic on a good broadcast and is an excellent DXer to boot. It does tune up & down the band very slowly though. I wonder how it would compare with the 7020s, 5020s, 6040 etc?

Another one that isn't common but is well worth getting is the Denon TU-800L, which is a much superior tuner to the ubiquitous TU-260/TU-260 MkII if you don't mind push-button tuning and no RDS.

Regards,
Nick

[Box13]

im looking for a Fm tuner with good sound on Radio 1 and 2 and classical will go up to £100 on eBay and advice most welcome

If you don't get DAB now, you will regret it later.
I got a Denon Tu-1800 on ebay for a song, have a look.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Denon-TU-1800DAB-Tuner-with-Remote-/191624545374?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2c9db6845e

[Spectral Morn]

How did I miss this thread?

I bought a Kenwood L-1000T in October last year and got it for £101, probably because it had ventilation holes drilled into the top panel (they run hot apparently). It sounds bloody fantastic on a good broadcast and is an excellent DXer to boot. It does tune up & down the band very slowly though. I wonder how it would compare with the 7020s, 5020s, 6040 etc?

Another one that isn't common but is well worth getting is the Denon TU-800L, which is a much superior tuner to the ubiquitous TU-260/TU-260 MkII if you don't mind push-button tuning and no RDS.

Regards,
Nick

Hi Nick

Tuner info put the 1000 at 14 and the 5020 at 10. I saw that 1000 last year but didn't bid on it as I have too many tuners.


Regards Neil

[Spectral Morn]

If you don't get DAB now, you will regret it later.
I got a Denon Tu-1800 on ebay for a song, have a look.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Denon-TU-1800DAB-Tuner-with-Remote-/191624545374?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2c9db6845e

'Get thee behind me Dab'. Somewhat of a dirty word among analogue tuner enthusiasts.


Regards Neil

[Gordon Steadman]

'Get thee behind me Dab'. Somewhat of a dirty word among analogue tuner enthusiasts.


Regards Neil
DAB...the MP3 of tuners:(

[Spectral Morn]

DAB...the MP3 of tuners:(

That pretty much sums it up.


Regards Neil

[Nick_G]

Hi Nick

Tuner info put the 1000 at 14 and the 5020 at 10. I saw that 1000 last year but didn't bid on it as I have too many tuners.


Regards Neil

Yes I saw that they placed the 5020 4 places higher but I think this is also taking into consideration value-for-money. I'd bet that the L-1000T's average selling price is quite a lot higher than the 5020.

Regards,
Nick

[mikmas]

DAB...the MP3 of tuners:(

A bit over harsh judgement - I can get as many shite 'MP3 quality' FM stations as there are shite DAB ones. Unfortunately there are some good DAB stations unavailable on FM so I have invested in a DAB/FM combo. Even without a dedicated DAB aerial, the comparison between stations that broadcast on both doesn't reveal an astronomical improvement with FM. It's also still up in the air whether the Beeb will continue with FM indefinitely - even more so with the latest shake up and choppy waters Aunty sails in.

[Box13]

'Get thee behind me Dab'. Somewhat of a dirty word among analogue tuner enthusiasts.


Regards Neil

The reason I got the DAB tuner is because I listen mainly to radio 7, radio 5L, Planet Rock, Absolute, Team Rock and The Arrow.
With FM, of these I would get, erm; none!

[Box13]

A bit over harsh judgement - I can get as many shite 'MP3 quality' FM stations as there are shite DAB ones. Unfortunately there are some good DAB stations unavailable on FM so I have invested in a DAB/FM combo. Even without a dedicated DAB aerial, the comparison between stations that broadcast on both doesn't reveal an astronomical improvement with FM. It's also still up in the air whether the Beeb will continue with FM indefinitely - even more so with the latest shake up and choppy waters Aunty sails in.

I'm not sure that this is right? The B.B.C. and other stations broadcast in mp3?
Why do they find the need to do that?
I'm on the radio 7 feedback board and will challenge them about this.....

[Spectral Morn]

Yes I saw that they placed the 5020 4 places higher but I think this is also taking into consideration value-for-money. I'd bet that the L-1000T's average selling price is quite a lot higher than the 5020.

Regards,
Nick

Hi Nick

They don't come up often and in and around 70 to 100ish or a bit over seems the norm. I don't watch tuners on eBay as much as I used to, I am pretty much done with collecting tuners, though there are a few I would love to own, but at sensible money only.


Regards Neil

[Spectral Morn]

A bit over harsh judgement - I can get as many shite 'MP3 quality' FM stations as there are shite DAB ones. Unfortunately there are some good DAB stations unavailable on FM so I have invested in a DAB/FM combo. Even without a dedicated DAB aerial, the comparison between stations that broadcast on both doesn't reveal an astronomical improvement with FM. It's also still up in the air whether the Beeb will continue with FM indefinitely - even more so with the latest shake up and choppy waters Aunty sails in.

For myself I prefer the sound of analogue, even compressed analogue, over the thin, veiled, detail lacking digital DAB. The best one can get re digital radio, is use a Free view box, or Sky and feed an external DAC and even having done that I prefer any of my better analogue tuners.


Regards Neil

[Spectral Morn]

The reason I got the DAB tuner is because I listen mainly to radio 7, radio 5L, Planet Rock, Absolute, Team Rock and The Arrow.
With FM, of these I would get, erm; none!

If listening is station, or genre specific then DAB may be the only option, though SKY and Free View plus the net offers many access radio stations. I surf these from time to time, but more often You Tube, looking for new music but I don't listen to these for pleasure just for new music, which I then buy as physical media. For pleasure I listen to FM.

Your recent post re the Dutch prog band I looked up on You Tube and liking what I heard I bought off Amazon.

Regards Neil

[Spectral Morn]

I'm not sure that this is right? The B.B.C. and other stations broadcast in mp3?
Why do they find the need to do that?
I'm on the radio 7 feedback board and will challenge them about this.....


My understanding is FM is safe as long as the ownership of DAB is not the majority listening vehicle for radio. It will be a very sad day when FM bites the dust.


Regards Neil

[Firebottle]

... because I listen mainly to radio 7, radio 5L, Planet Rock, Absolute, Team Rock and The Arrow.
With FM, of these I would get, erm; none!

Planet rock is on FM in the Midlands, 105.2MHz :yay::rock:

[walpurgis]

My understanding is FM is safe as long as the ownership of DAB is not the majority listening vehicle for radio. It will be a very sad day when FM bites the dust.


Regards Neil

Could be even the usually sheeplike and moronic 'masses' seem to be showing some discernment and are sticking to FM. Who knows, the 'powers that be' may give up trying to foist DAB on us.

[Box13]

Planet rock is on FM in the Midlands, 105.2MHz :yay::rock:

Thank you for your helpful information, however;
I deemed it more cost effective to buy a DAB tuner than move house.

[Box13]

Search results for 'mp3'
Search for a programme titleSearch
Available now & Coming soon
Podcasts
All Programmes
Sorry, there are no programmes with titles containing mp3 .

Straight from the horses mouth.

[hermit]

Search results for 'mp3'
Search for a programme titleSearch
Available now & Coming soon
Podcasts
All Programmes
Sorry, there are no programmes with titles containing mp3 .

Straight from the horses mouth.

I suspect you are taking the mp3 comment literally. I may be wrong but I think that whilst they may not actually be broadcasting mp3 files, the bitrate speed of dab is akin to mp3 bitrates.

Please correct me if I have jumped to the wrong conclusion.

[Spectral Morn]

Could be even the usually sheeplike and moronic 'masses' seem to be showing some discernment and are sticking to FM. Who knows, the 'powers that be' may give up trying to foist DAB on us.

I hope so.


Regards Neil

[Spectral Morn]

I suspect you are taking the mp3 comment literally. I may be wrong but I think that whilst they may not actually be broadcasting mp3 files, the bitrate speed of dab is akin to mp3 bitrates.

Please correct me if I have jumped to the wrong conclusion.

According to this - see below - 'its worse than that Jim', its actually in many cases 64 kbs which is MP2 not MP3 and its mono not even Stereo.

http://www.techradar.com/news/car-tech/why-dab-radio-in-the-uk-is-broken-and-how-to-fix-it-1217586


Regards Neil

[struth]

Best digital radio is internet stuff usually and the bbc usually put out the best bitrates .... tbh i used to listen on a small radio in kitchen so it mattered little but do listen ti it off the pc and now via the rpi

[Spectral Morn]

Best digital radio is internet stuff usually and the bbc usually put out the best bitrates .... tbh i used to listen on a small radio in kitchen so it mattered little but do listen ti it off the pc and now via the rpi

If you lived closer I would love you to hear a comparison between such, into a DAC and a good FM tuner, with quality aerial. I suspect you might feel differently afterwards.


Regards Neil

[Nick_G]

I have a Logitech Squeezebox Touch and with some help from a member of the forums I have got the newer high quality BBC stations playing on there via the iPlayer plugin. They are all 320 kb/s AAC and fed through the DAC of a JVC AX-Z1010TN amplifier the quality is fantastic on the best broadcasts. There was a lot of dissent about this because the BBC changed their method of streaming in February/March without warning which meant that most internet radios/streamers couldn't access the new streams and were restricted to MP3 back-ups. Thankfully the developers on the Squeezebox forums quickly came up with a solution. If you can access them, this is the best quality you can get from digital radio.

Having said that, the quality on the best broadcasts through the L-1000T or Yamaha T-2 tuners is also stunning! DAB can't compete with either of them.

Regards,
Nick

[Box13]

I suspect you are taking the mp3 comment literally. I may be wrong but I think that whilst they may not actually be broadcasting mp3 files, the bitrate speed of dab is akin to mp3 bitrates.

Please correct me if I have jumped to the wrong conclusion.

I see, you can understand why I thought the membership is obsessed with mp3 when in the 'What are you listening to now' section all anyone seems to do is 'watch' You Tube.
I never use the service, my personal preference is for 'music' not mp3.
To my ears though my Denon sounds very nice?!
There again I sometimes listen to F.L.A.C. so what do I know ha ha ha ha!!!

[BTH K10A]

A friend of mine has a fabulous collection of Ballempfängers. Probably the ultimate in FM receivers as they were designed for FM relay stations :)

Elit RMF35A [1964] Tube radio used as network relay receiver, 87-108 Mc 8xEF800,EF805S,E81CC,EF804S,E88CC,E182CC http://www.somerset.net/arm/radio_pictures/elit_rmf35a.jpg

Telefunken (FM) Ballempfänger EBU 3137/3 High performance FM relay receiver. Mix of solid state + nuvistors http://www.somerset.net/arm/radio_pictures/telefunken_ebu3137_3.jpg

Rohde & Schwartz Ballempfanger Tube radio used as network relay receiver, 87-100 Mc 7xEF800,2xEF802,4xEF804S,PL81,EZ80,85A2 http://www.somerset.net/arm/radio_pictures/rohde+schwartz_ballempfanger.jpg

To get stereo you also need one of these http://www.classicbroadcast.de/downloads/rohde_MSDC.pdf or an Elit decoder

[Spectral Morn]

I see, you can understand why I thought the membership is obsessed with mp3 when in the 'What are you listening to now' section all anyone seems to do is 'watch' You Tube.
I never use the service, my personal preference is for 'music' not mp3.
To my ears though my Denon sounds very nice?!
There again I sometimes listen to F.L.A.C. so what do I know ha ha ha ha!!!

The use of You Tube is to share the music but not the quality of the listening experience from full bandwidth physical media. I use You Tube to quickly access to see if I like the music but that doesn't tell me how well it sounds - until I buy a CD or vinyl of the music.


Regards Neil

[struth]

If you lived closer I would love you to hear a comparison between such, into a DAC and a good FM tuner, with quality aerial. I suspect you might feel differently afterwards.


Regards Neil

Used to have FM tuners but reception here is not superb unless you have a dedicated outside aerial. I cant use my little internet one now since I got fibre as it uses a different code which was a pity as I enjoyed listening to Aussie radio stations like outback radio when in kitchen. I know the sound is better but when you mostly listen on a trannie type it matters not tbh Neil. Never had a real quality unit like your ones though, but have heard some.
Not listening to music as much as I used to, but am assuming thats a phase that will change.:)

[mikmas]

For myself I prefer the sound of analogue, even compressed analogue, over the thin, veiled, detail lacking digital DAB. The best one can get re digital radio, is use a Free view box, or Sky and feed an external DAC and even having done that I prefer any of my better analogue tuners.


Regards Neil

I have radio via the internet, a freeview tuner linked to my Mac, a Tivo box in the living room, 6 or more FM/DAB portables, 2 analogue FM tuners and one DAB/FM combo tuner ...

All have their own particular advantages and disadvantages in terms of sonic quality and ease of use and all get used according to what my needs are at any given moment - I have also been listening to radio for over 60 years so I do have some experience ;)

[Gordon Steadman]

My listening is influenced by my wife's ears. Ronnie can't stand compressed audio of any kind. She complains that the treble is whispy and unreal and that the bass sounds plummy. MP3s are out for her no matter what the bit rate. DAB radio sounds the same to her. I admit to being less sensitive to it but then my ears are not what they used to be.

However, we like listening to music together so I am happy to listen to full size files or preferably analogue of course.

We just have to admit that people have different sensitivities. There is no right or wrong when it comes to musical enjoyment.

[mikmas]

We just have to admit that people have different sensitivities. There is no right or wrong when it comes to musical enjoyment.

Not just sensitivities Gordon - also possibilities....

In an ideal world with a very capable tuner, the best reception conditions and a well placed aerial there is no doubt FM offers a sonically superior listening experience. Unfortunately those circumstances are not always possible for a whole raft of reasons and there are times when listening to music is infinitely more desirable than worrying about the bitrate or waiting for the 'best case' scenario - radio is by its nature fleeting and often that moment (or piece of music) will not come again ;)

[Box13]

The use of You Tube is to share the music Regards Neil

There is no music on You Tube, just flashing images a muffled process third attempt (mp3).

[Arkless Electronics]

It should be remembered that with tuners most of the important parts are made by just a very few companies and so it is usual to find pretty much the same IC's and quadrature coils etc in the majority of tuners. Hence so many of them sound similar.

[Marco]

There is no music on You Tube, just flashing images a muffled process third attempt (mp3).

<Snigger>.... Are you for real? It acts simply as a visual representation of the music folk have been listening to, which is more interesting to read than just plain text, as in: 'This evening I've mostly been listening to Mantovani'. Instead, you post a YouTube clip of such! Simples :)

Marco.

[Joe]

My listening is influenced by my wife's ears. Ronnie can't stand compressed audio of any kind. She complains that the treble is whispy and unreal and that the bass sounds plummy. MP3s are out for her no matter what the bit rate. DAB radio sounds the same to her. I admit to being less sensitive to it but then my ears are not what they used to be.

However, we like listening to music together so I am happy to listen to full size files or preferably analogue of course.

We just have to admit that people have different sensitivities. There is no right or wrong when it comes to musical enjoyment.

I'm unfussy. Some of my earliest and fondest musical memories are listening to songs on a crappy old Japanese transistor radio, where the signal would drift in and out of audibility, and of listening to scratchy old records on a secondhand Dansette with a halfpenny coin sellotaped to the tonearm to keep the needle in the groove. DAB and mp3s are hifi compared to those (not that I listen to much in either format)!

[Joe]

<Snigger>.... Are you for real? It acts simply as a visual representation of the music folk have been listening to, which is more interesting to read than just plain text, as in: 'This evening I've mostly been listening to Mantovani'. Instead, you post a YouTube clip of such! Simples :)

Marco.

What is amusing is someone, whether individual or company, posting a YouTube video of their £££££s equipment, the sound of which will then be reproduced through built-in computer speakers costing less than a tenner, thus losing any superior sound quality and defeating the whole object.

[Arkless Electronics]

What is amusing is someone, whether individual or company, posting a YouTube video of their £££££s equipment, the sound of which will then be reproduced through built-in computer speakers costing less than a tenner, thus losing any superior sound quality and defeating the whole object.

It makes me laugh both that anyone would want to post it and that anyone would want to watch it! Same with photos of hifi....

[Marco]

What is amusing is someone, whether individual or company, posting a YouTube video of their £££££s equipment, the sound of which will then be reproduced through built-in computer speakers costing less than a tenner, thus losing any superior sound quality and defeating the whole object.

Lol - you're missing the point, Joe, the same as 'Box' did! It's got hee-haw to do with sound quality; it's simply about providing a visual representation of the music you're listening to, just like folk do when posting pictures of album covers in the 'Spinning Today' thread, rather than simply typing: 'Rubber Soul, by The Beatles', or whatever :)

Marco.

[Gordon Steadman]

<Snigger>.... Are you for real? It acts simply as a visual representation of the music folk have been listening to, which is more interesting to read than just plain text, as in: 'This evening I've mostly been listening to Mantovani'. Instead, you post a YouTube clip of such! Simples :)

Marco.

The joy of YouTube for me is that access to loads of music and old concerts for free. I have found some great gems on there. Whilst admitting the quality is not that great, never the less, like Joe, I can ignore the medium and concentrate on the message, knowing that it may well be the only way to see and hear it. It really is better to have poor sound quality than none at all. Quite a lot of it is probably as good as the original sound anyway.

[kirstysdad]

<Snigger>.... Are you for real? It acts simply as a visual representation of the music folk have been listening to, which is more interesting to read than just plain text, as in: 'This evening I've mostly been listening to Mantovani'. Instead, you post a YouTube clip of such! Simples :)

Marco.

Mantovanti is popular tonight... he appeared in another part of the forum as a fanny!


https://youtu.be/0n6hx2pkeok

[Spectral Morn]

The joy of YouTube for me is that access to loads of music and old concerts for free. I have found some great gems on there. Whilst admitting the quality is not that great, never the less, like Joe, I can ignore the medium and concentrate on the message, knowing that it may well be the only way to see and hear it. It really is better to have poor sound quality than none at all. Quite a lot of it is probably as good as the original sound anyway.

+ 1


Regards Neil

[Joe]

Lol - you're missing the point, Joe, the same as 'Box' did! It's got hee-haw to do with sound quality; it's simply about providing a visual representation of the music you're listening to, just like folk do when posting pictures of album covers in the 'Spinning Today' thread, rather than simply typing: 'Rubber Soul, by The Beatles', or whatever :)

Marco.

I have no argument with the 'music video' aspect of You Tube.

YouTube has a use in a hifi context: demonstrating how to set up a turntable, for example, so you can freeze the video, rewind and replay the relevant bits; but the 'look at these fantastic £20,000 speakers and listen to how rubbish they sound through your laptop' thing amuses and bemuses me.

[Michael loves music]

You tube is only good for Susanna Reid clips if you ask me ?

[Gordon Steadman]

You tube is only good for Susanna Reid clips if you ask me ?

Who?

[Marco]

Presenter on ITV breakfast show, Good Morning Britain. She's considered by some as 'totty'.

Marco.

[Michael loves music]

very nice indeed bit up market ! How is that black merc from AD cars near me going Marco ???

[struth]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/14/d5360a71385811f68997ba5f0e0166b1.jpg

i googled her undies[emoji12]

[Marco]

very nice indeed bit up market ! How is that black merc from AD cars near me going Marco ???

Lol...It is indeed near you. The car's going great, mate. Thanks for asking :)

Here she is parked outside our house:


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/909/fosA3a.jpg


Marco.

[Marco]

i googled her undies

Which is sexier - her or the Merc? :eyebrows:

Marco.

[Gordon Steadman]

Presenter on ITV breakfast show, Good Morning Britain. She's considered by some as 'totty'.

Marco.

Ah, that would account for my ignorance.

[struth]

Which is sexier - her or the Merc? :eyebrows:

Marco.

well you can ride both but the Merc will take you further and in more comfort

[walpurgis]

Presenter on ITV breakfast show, Good Morning Britain. She's considered by some as 'totty'.

Marco.

Amelia Warner is prettier if you like dark haired girls.

[Michael loves music]

Marco your Merc is gorgeous looks amazing in black by the way that Susanna Reid picture is fake the Internet is full of fake nude and undies pictures of her and Carol kirkwood the very busty bbc breakfast weather lady ! I have a brand new Golf tsi dsg love it but who cannot be attracted to Susanna on that sofa showing her legs and firm thighs and tight dress straining her ample breasts amazing ! By the way I know this is a hifi forum and I'm sorry for going off topic

[Marco]

well you can ride both but the Merc will take you further and in more comfort

:lolsign:

Marco.

[Joe]

who cannot be attracted to Susanna on that sofa showing her legs and firm thighs and tight dress straining her ample breasts amazing ! By the way I know this is a hifi forum and I'm sorry for going off topic

<passes tissue> Calm down, dear.

[Michael loves music]

Just to confirm yes Susanna has showed her knickers on air a few times with her dress riding up on the sofa one hopes it happens again soon !

[Spectral Morn]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/14/d5360a71385811f68997ba5f0e0166b1.jpg

i googled her undies[emoji12]

Photo shopped head transfer there Grant, not the genuine article

[Spectral Morn]

Marco your Merc is gorgeous looks amazing in black by the way that Susanna Reid picture is fake the Internet is full of fake nude and undies pictures of her and Carol kirkwood the very busty bbc breakfast weather lady ! I have a brand new Golf tsi dsg love it but who cannot be attracted to Susanna on that sofa showing her legs and firm thighs and tight dress straining her ample breasts amazing ! By the way I know this is a hifi forum and I'm sorry for going off topic

Babes of Britain fan here me thinks ;)


Regards Neil

[Michael loves music]

I am indeed Neil lol

[Beobloke]

Lol...It is indeed near you. The car's going great, mate. Thanks for asking :)

Here she is parked outside our house:


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/909/fosA3a.jpg


Marco.

That's just wrong! An elegant and classic house like that should have a Jag or a Morgan parked outside, not a flippin' blinged-up boy-racermobile! :D :ner:

[Michael loves music]

That's just wrong! An elegant and classic house like that should have a Jag or a Morgan parked outside, not a flippin' blinged-up boy-racermobile! :D :ner: The Merc is better made and won't break down

[Gordon Steadman]

The Merc is better made and won't break down

Ha. You obviously don't understand the joys of classic motoring:eyebrows:

[Desmo]

The Merc is better made and won't break down

I always smile when I see broken down modern cars by the roadside when I drive past in one of my classics. There are a lot of things that can go wrong with modern cars...:eyebrows:

[Michael loves music]

I agree there are a lot of things to go wrong with new cars but my last 3 brand new VW golfs have never broken down and I honestly cannot
see my new 3 month old one going wrong either so well made so quiet so economical finish suburb just don't mention the war ! Classic cars are lovely I'm car mad but alas I'm not mechanical minded etc so love new cars with latest engines etc ! But happy motoring to you all ps the dab radio in the golf sounds very nice as does the cd but not on par with my mordaunt short pageant 2 speakers !! Still love them Geoff cheers mike

[Marco]

That's just wrong! An elegant and classic house like that should have a Jag or a Morgan parked outside, not a flippin' blinged-up boy-racermobile! :D :ner:

Ha - your Range Rover would work, but oi loikes fun! :eyebrows:

A better view of the "elegant and classic house":


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/910/cjdjKQ.jpg


That only shows about a quarter of the garden. You could easily put very large marquee in it - in fact we were thinking of offering it as a venue for the North East Wales New Sinfonia musicians to play in Wrexham (during their lunchtime concerts), whom we go to watch regularly: http://newsinfonia.org.uk/en/

Marco.

[Michael loves music]

Looks very nice indeed me and Susanna Reid would be happy there !

[tapid]

Very nice Marco but wheres yer main house mate!

[struth]

Ha - your Range Rover would work, but oi loikes fun! :eyebrows:

A better view of the "elegant and classic house":


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/910/cjdjKQ.jpg


That only shows about a quarter of the garden. You could easily put very large marquee in it - in fact we were thinking of offering it as a venue for the North East Wales New Sinfonia musicians to play in Wrexham (during their lunchtime concerts), whom we go to watch regularly: http://newsinfonia.org.uk/en/

Marco.

Very nice mate. Just my cup of tea actually. love that style, and the small outhouse is devine ;)

[Marco]

Very nice Marco but wheres yer main house mate!

Lol - that is the 'main house'. We own another two (in the UK) and rent them out, plus we have our family home in Tuscany. We should avoid homelessness for a while anyway! :eyebrows:

Marco.

[Marco]

Very nice mate. Just my cup of tea actually. love that style, and the small outhouse is devine...

Churz! That's where unspeakable acts of terror take place, and my enemies are buried.... ;)

Marco.

[tapid]

Very nice Marco, no doubt you've worked hard for that so good luck to you !

[struth]

Churz! That's where unspeakable acts of terror take place, and my enemies are buried.... ;)

Marco.

especially after a Vindaloo:eyebrows:

[tapid]

Put that house in london and you be putting a few noughts on. Chappie next door has just sold his 3 bedroom flat for 1.5 mill ( Hampstead) !Anyone spotted any good tuners on ebay this week ?

[Barry]

Churz! That's where unspeakable acts of terror take place, and my enemies are buried.... ;)

Marco.

I thought that took place behind 'the little white door'. :D

[Marco]

Yesh, but there's the stock room that supplies the 'tools' needed for Tabatha to do her stuff! :eyebrows:

Marco.

[Light Dependant Resistor]

The best audio I have heard from a tuner is a Pioneer TX 900, a tuner which I use every day
A study of the schematics for the TX 900 shows why this is so, using common base transistor stages
and very clever use of feedback. My aerial is a discone and connected via a BNC at the tuners rear panel
establishing a 50- 75 ohm match.

[Firebottle]

Ah the Discone, a very clever design of wideband antenna.

Also very good as a wideband transmitting antenna :)

[Audio Advent]

Lol - that is the 'main house'. We own another two (in the UK) and rent them out, plus we have our family home in Tuscany. We should avoid homelessness for a while anyway! :eyebrows:

Marco.

And boredom of staying in one place!

A real shame though that of your neighbours house.. that horrible 70s red-brick house in the background right. I hope you refuse to speak to them.

[Light Dependant Resistor]

Ah the Discone, a very clever design of wideband antenna.

Also very good as a wideband transmitting antenna :)

Hi Alan
Yes they are a very good antenna for RX and TX http://www.antentop.org/016/files/kandoian_016.pdf

I also use one for TX with good filtering and achieves 1.2 to 1 SWR

The 10 to 1 bandwidth and low SWR relative to 50 ohm, as far as I know is unmatched by any other antenna type.

Cheers / Chris

[stevied]

Just obtained a Accuphase T101 sublime tuner for its age
I'm one happy chappie.