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Post by williaty on Jun 30, 2014 0:29:11 GMT -5
The new XMC-1 supposedly includes an AM/FM tuner, so Emotiva obviously has heard of the concept of broadcast radio. Unfortunately, I'm confined to trolling eBay to try to find a decent used tuner (since the 2 non-luxury-car priced tuners still on the market aren't that good) that hopefully won't have all its electrolytic caps blown due to age.
So to ask a good question, why doesn't Emotiva offer an AM/FM tuner separate so I can just plug it in to my XSP-1?
Seems like it'd be right up their alley, deliver a good solid product at a reasonable pricepoint with decent engineering behind it. I didn't see an "Suggestions to Emotiva" forum, so I figured it'd be a source so it goes in the Sources forum.
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Post by Gary Cook on Jun 30, 2014 0:39:32 GMT -5
Feeding AM/FM radio to an XSP-1, would be rather insulting I think.  The UMC-1 had AM/FM radio inbuilt, but I can't recall the last time I used it, I think maybe once when I first got it to make sure it worked. I've had a UMC-200 for 18 months or so and I don't think I have used the inbuilt radio once. When I do listen to radio I stream from the ATV3 or via blue tooth from an iDevice. Cheers Gary |
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Post by creimes on Jun 30, 2014 1:44:00 GMT -5
I enjoy listening to my local college station as they play lots of Canadian artists, I use an older Akai AT-2600 Tuner, but I do miss the one in my UMC-1, I was real found of how good it sounded and I wish my PT-7030 had one built in so I would totally go for an External Emotiva Tuner or otherwise known as the EET-1  |
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Post by AudioHTIT on Jun 30, 2014 6:51:16 GMT -5
Sources, that says it, AM/FM isn't enough anymore for a single component. You'd want to add HD radio, and probably some streaming radio, at that point might as well stream other media. I don't see Emo doing much original engineering in an AM/FM tuner at this point, probably just repackage someone else's design with their look. A more complete media device maybe.
Edit: I forgot to mention I'd probably want Satellite radio in there too.
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Post by Topend on Jun 30, 2014 7:28:39 GMT -5
I would have been all over a tuner 2 years ago. I believe FM can sound good with the right tuner. These days when I'm in the mood to listen to the radio I choose either Pandora or iRadio.
Dave.
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Post by thrillcat on Jun 30, 2014 8:38:58 GMT -5
The tuner in the UMC-200 is one of the better I've owned. It picks up not only the stuff I was looking for, but stations I didn't even know existed. It's a shame, because I only use it to listen to the radio broadcast of our games while watching the tv broadcast.
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Post by Priapulus on Jun 30, 2014 9:03:57 GMT -5
Nowadays, a am/fm tuner probably consists of a single ic chip. A standalone tuner would make a very empty box. The sensible approach would be to stick that chip into another box, as done in the pre-pro: umc-1. It would be easy, and neglectable cost, to add to a preamplifier; I wonder why they didn't?
On the other hand, I never listen to my tuner. I listen to radio a lot, but over the internet with my AppleTV. Except for the smallest local stations, everything is available via the internet.
Sincerely
/b
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Post by aztecax on Jun 30, 2014 9:05:24 GMT -5
I bought a very nice tuner off of Craigslist early this year. The guys are right, it's hard to justify a separate, much less a $$$ one, especially when there are loads of quality tuners available on ebay, craigslist, etc. I have a few stations that I love, and they sound way better on FM than their super-compressed web streams, so I feel you. But ultimately the real limiting factor for most is how big of an antenna you have. I have an excellent tuner but live in a small apartment so throwing up a big ol yagi or dipole isn't really an option. If emotiva could make a good FM and HD tuner for $100-150 I'd probably buy it, though. I did some research here: www.fmtunerinfo.com/ |
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Post by jdskycaster on Jun 30, 2014 9:06:26 GMT -5
Just add a tuner to the Emo toaster - AM radio with your morning toast, doesn't get any better n' that.  |
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Post by ÈlTwo on Jun 30, 2014 10:01:37 GMT -5
A tube toaster-radio, doesn't get any tastier than that.
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Post by brubacca on Jun 30, 2014 10:35:07 GMT -5
Very simply because they don't feel like they could sell many of them.
Unfortunately for most a tuner is an afterthought.
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Post by Jim on Jun 30, 2014 11:03:35 GMT -5
Sources, that says it, AM/FM isn't enough anymore for a single component. You'd want to add HD radio, and probably some streaming radio, at that point might as well stream other media. I don't see Emo doing much original engineering in an AM/FM tuner at this point, probably just repackage someone else's design with their look. A more complete media device maybe. I bought a dedicated Am/FM digital tuner years ago.......... I never used it a single time, as much as I liked it. |
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Post by AudioHTIT on Jun 30, 2014 11:33:08 GMT -5
Sources, that says it, AM/FM isn't enough anymore for a single component. You'd want to add HD radio, and probably some streaming radio, at that point might as well stream other media. I don't see Emo doing much original engineering in an AM/FM tuner at this point, probably just repackage someone else's design with their look. A more complete media device maybe. I bought a dedicated Am/FM digital tuner years ago.......... I never used it a single time, as much as I liked it. Funny (Not!) - Because of the Dodger's new SportsNet channel, and the current Time Warner exclusive, many of us in LA are relegated to our AM radios to get any Dodger game coverage. It has to be OTA AM because streaming is also blocked locally. So our AM radios/tuners have another life here - and we get a few innings of Vin Scully doing the play by play which is as good as it gets! |
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Post by repeetavx on Jun 30, 2014 11:51:41 GMT -5
Count me in as one vote for.
Several of my local stations have grotesquely compressed audio streams. If Emotiva would make a tuner with RDS and HD Radio, I would buy it.
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Post by garbulky on Jun 30, 2014 13:22:06 GMT -5
I think it's a demand thing. The only time I listen to the radio is in the car.
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klinemj
Emo VIPs 
Honorary Emofest Scribe
Posts: 14,760
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Post by klinemj on Jun 30, 2014 21:29:56 GMT -5
These days when you can get something like Sonos that brings in every channel in the universe and more, I can't justify a tuner. I still have one...and old NAD if I recall what is sitting in storage. I should probably sell it.
Mark
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Post by creimes on Jul 1, 2014 1:25:32 GMT -5
These days when you can get something like Sonos that brings in every channel in the universe and more, I can't justify a tuner. I still have one...and old NAD if I recall what is sitting in storage. I should probably sell it. Mark I still like the oldskool hahaha FM listening of some local stations, Mark you should try out your UMC-1 sometime for kicks, for me I was surprised at how good it sounded. Chad |
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Post by thrillcat on Jul 1, 2014 7:20:45 GMT -5
FM listening of some local stations Chad "Local stations" is getting to be somewhat of an oxymoron, isn't it? We have the college station (which is fantastic) and a local community station (which is hit or miss) and everything else is Clear Channel or Saga. |
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Post by creimes on Jul 1, 2014 10:38:40 GMT -5
FM listening of some local stations Chad "Local stations" is getting to be somewhat of an oxymoron, isn't it? We have the college station (which is fantastic) and a local community station (which is hit or miss) and everything else is Clear Channel or Saga. Yeah, really the only local station I will listen to is the College station and while in my work van and if I'm out of range then I have to listen to the crappy top 40 station haha |
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Post by knucklehead on Jul 1, 2014 11:44:59 GMT -5
I've heard quite a few built in tuners - from the UMC-1 and the UMC-200 to the HK 3390 and the HDFM radio built into the Onkyo PR-SC885 I had for a while. None of them come close to the fidelity of the Kenwood KT-7500 tuner I have now. It has a 5 gang tuner with 5 filters. I have an Antenna Craft FM-6 antenna on a 360* rotor. It works very well. I doubt most new tuners tossed into a preamp processor or receiver are better than 3 gangs - maybe 4. Some times older is better.
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