Thinking about FM Tuner

[gadgie]

Hello,

I'e been thinking about getting a cheap tuner to hook up to my modest hi-fi. Won't be looking for anything fancy as I won;t be having an external aerial etc...just the old fashioned wire thing for inside the house.
Any pointers
Thanks
Brian

[steve-z]

Hello,

I'e been thinking about getting a cheap tuner to hook up to my modest hi-fi. Won't be looking for anything fancy as I won;t be having an external aerial etc...just the old fashioned wire thing for inside the house.
Any pointers
Thanks
Brian

If you have broadband get an Amazon Echo Dot, you’d have a tremendous spectrum of radio stations to listen to and no need for an aerial.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[gadgie]

If you have broadband get an Amazon Echo Dot, you’d have a tremendous spectrum of radio stations to listen to and no need for an aerial.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Ah okay. Can I play that through my hi-fi?

[steve-z]

Ah okay. Can I play that through my hi-fi?

You certainly can, all you need is a stereo minijack to to 2 RCA connecting cable, make sure the minijack plug on the cable is slim as the socket on the Echo Dot is recessed, I use an Echo Dot in my bedroom system it's a great source for streaming, I subscribe to Amazon Music Unlimited for £3.99 a months but you'll get access to radio stations for free. For £24.99 the Echo Dot is a very worthwhile addition to any hifi.
A cable like this is what you need.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/312577298114

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[gadgie]

You certainly can, all you need is a stereo minijack to to 2 RCA connecting cable, make sure the minijack plug on the cable is slim as the socket on the Echo Dot is recessed, I use an Echo Dot in my bedroom system it's a great source for streaming, I subscribe to Amazon Music Unlimited for £3.99 a months but you'll get access to radio stations for free. For £24.99 the Echo Dot is a very worthwhile addition to any hifi.
A cable like this is what you need.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/312577298114

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thank for the idea. However, there is slight issue with this. I should have maybe explained the whole situation. One of the radio stations I want to hear is a local community radio station with...
Hardly any signal power, and mostly only available in the town where I live.
My sister and a fiend have tried to get it on her dot, but the Dot doesn't recognise the dialect....a bit like this....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNuFcIRlwdc lol:)
I can find it on radio garden on my phone, but the streaming from the station has a tendency to drop out a lot. this may also be the case with the Dot

However, I'm tempted to try the dot as my sister has one and it works well for her on many other levels.
thanks for the idea.

[Ninanina]

Brian don't know if it helps but I purchased a Denon TU-260L II tuner ages ago which I use with an indoor ribbon aerial and it works a treat. They come up on eBay often for about £20 which is a bargain I reckon

I think there are others on here that also own them as it was recommended to me when I was looking

[guy]

As above - funnily enough I am listening to a TU-260L at the moment (kitchen/diner system), although I do use it with an external aerial.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Denon-TU-260L-manual/202953332347?hash=item2f40f6167b:g:-BYAAOSwz8tedqXg

looks good and seller has 100% feedback

[Oddball]

I hooked my other halfs Amazon Echo into my amp. The only gripe I have is ,it sounds a bit thin in places ,and I dont know the bit rate but suspect it is a bit poor though a Hi Fi?
In other words ,you dont notice it as much through the Dot speaker but it becomes more obvious through your hi fi !!


Am I right in thinking this??:scratch: Or is the inferiority of the inbuilt DAC ?

[Made in 1968]

I think Digital radios sound cack anyway..

So then, ive not been a radio fan in the past but can you still pick up FM Analogue stations? I thought not, maybe the reason tuners either dont sell or go for peanuts exception to collectors pieces

[dave2010]

Hello,

I'e been thinking about getting a cheap tuner to hook up to my modest hi-fi. Won't be looking for anything fancy as I won;t be having an external aerial etc...just the old fashioned wire thing for inside the house.
Any pointers
Thanks
BrianCheck the reception in your area. It may not be great. You might have to get a really good one, and proper aerials to get good results. It can be rather patchy in Scotland.

[spendorman]

Any windows computer with windows on and radiosure (free) installed.

http://www.radiosure.com/downloadz/downloadz-select/

[guy]

I think Digital radios sound cack anyway..

So then, ive not been a radio fan in the past but can you still pick up FM Analogue stations? I thought not, maybe the reason tuners either dont sell or go for peanuts exception to collectors pieces

There were plans to stop FM broadcasts in 2018 but that has ben cancelled - I think it was meant to happen once DAB listeners outnumbered FM, but the BBC/government hadn't taken in to account the number of car radios:lol:

[spendorman]

There were plans to stop FM broadcasts in 2018 but that has ben cancelled - I think it was meant to happen once DAB listeners outnumbered FM, but the BBC/government hadn't taken in to account the number of car radios:lol:

Just turned on a car radio in my Dad's Metro Vanden Plas, Dad passed away in 1991, amazing, radio worked, and even more amazing, with a bit of fresh petrol and a new battery, engine ran too.

[Made in 1968]

There were plans to stop FM broadcasts in 2018 but that has ben cancelled - I think it was meant to happen once DAB listeners outnumbered FM, but the BBC/government hadn't taken in to account the number of car radios:lol:

Apparently the say is they wont stop broadcasting Standard Definition TV Broadcast cos way too many OAP do not have HD TV's. Dunno where i heard that shite but more than likley it cost too much to broadcast everything in HD.

[Paul-H]

Mind you with all the Digital channels only using a fraction of the allowed bit rate so they can squeeze more and more poor quality channels in I am more than happy to stick with FM.

Obviously that probably does not affect the Internet Radio Stations but it has a big hit on the quality of DAB, many only manage around 50kbps and sneak in as mono as well, even Mp3 betters that sort of quality, and you know how we complain about mp3 at 360kbps.

I suppose we will see a resurgence in FM and the price of tuners will go through the roof like Cassette players did when they were rediscovered.

Glad I got my Yamaha Receiver when I did, £6 on FleaBay

[Made in 1968]

Cranks my case when they show things in 4:3 Ratio to make the crap Picture quality look better.

[Barry]

Cranks my case when they show things in 4:3 Ratio to make the crap Picture quality look better.

So you would rather have old films shot in Academy format stretched to fill the 16:9 format screens?

[Pharos]

My opinion of FM SQ has been revised today after listening to Johnny Walker and wife from 1500 to 1700 doing Sounds of the 70s.

They are doing it from home currently, but of course there must be some technical friggery to enable this, and that may be an issue in SQ.
However for the last two weeks the quality has been so good that I think, although unlikely, it may even better my CD replay quality, and certainly from the immense pleasure today I am now convinced that my expensive speakers are very good.

Their voices are better from their home than usually is the case from the studio, beautiful sibilants, no bass proximity - maybe JW is applying his better knowledge and experience at home than is usually applied by BBC staff.

The only concern I have is that it may have been a tweaked signal in some way, so that what I am listening to is not a fair comparison with a flat unprocessed signal.

[guy]

^^^ I listened to that while cooking - really enjoyable program:)

[gadgie]

Thanks for the replies. I ended up getting a NAD 4020A locally and seems to be doing the trick. Just using the OME wire type aerial. Good enough for my needs.:)
B

[Ninanina]

Well done Brian.. they were quite well thought of in their time I believe :)

[AJSki2fly]

Brian

Your PM box is full! Hence I cannot reply to you at present.