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Post by creimes on Jul 1, 2014 13:00:21 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. No idea what my Akai AT-2600 tuner has but I preferred my UMC-1 in terms of SQ |
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Post by knucklehead on Jul 1, 2014 14:12:35 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. No idea what my Akai AT-2600 tuner has but I preferred my UMC-1 in terms of SQ Your Akai might not be performing at it's best.
From fmtunerinfo.com:
Akai AT-2600 (1977, $300, silver, black, with amp, black with amp, back, back with amp, gangs, schematic left, schematic right, board layout) search eBay
The AT-2600 is a scarce, underrated AM-FM tuner with 5 FM gangs, 3 AM gangs, and 3 ceramic filters for FM. Its features include high blend, a variable muting level control and variable output, and it's also one of the few tuners with a deviation meter. Most AT-2600s have a silver face but it was also available in black. Our panelist Bob says, "The AT-2600 has unbelievable sensitivity. With narrower filters installed, it would likely be a killer cheap DX machine. I think it may be the separate AM and FM tuning gangs (only on the AT-2600, not on the AT-2650) that helps. That was *not* cheaper for Akai to do. They are not built like a KT-8300, but what else is? The AT-2600 beats the pants off a Magnum Dynalab. One other point, reception sensitivity benefits greatly by removing the internal connection to the balun (snip the lead from the 75 ohm input to the balun which is also connected to the 300 ohm inputs). I would also install a coax 75 ohm connector in place of the old-fashioned one." Our contributor Don N., the Chief of the TIC Copyright Police, adds: "I have two AT-2600s, one of which was modded. It comes in very close behind my KT-7300 for sound and knocks the pants off it for tuning capabilities. Pegs the signal-strength needle on almost every station across the board in my area (Seattle)." The AT-2600 usually sells for $70-125 on eBay, with a recent low and high of $50 in 10/08 and $200 in 12/07, respectively. [BF] |
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Post by creimes on Jul 1, 2014 14:49:24 GMT -5
No idea what my Akai AT-2600 tuner has but I preferred my UMC-1 in terms of SQ Your Akai might not be performing at it's best.
From fmtunerinfo.com:
Akai AT-2600 (1977, $300, silver, black, with amp, black with amp, back, back with amp, gangs, schematic left, schematic right, board layout) search eBay
The AT-2600 is a scarce, underrated AM-FM tuner with 5 FM gangs, 3 AM gangs, and 3 ceramic filters for FM. Its features include high blend, a variable muting level control and variable output, and it's also one of the few tuners with a deviation meter. Most AT-2600s have a silver face but it was also available in black. Our panelist Bob says, "The AT-2600 has unbelievable sensitivity. With narrower filters installed, it would likely be a killer cheap DX machine. I think it may be the separate AM and FM tuning gangs (only on the AT-2600, not on the AT-2650) that helps. That was *not* cheaper for Akai to do. They are not built like a KT-8300, but what else is? The AT-2600 beats the pants off a Magnum Dynalab. One other point, reception sensitivity benefits greatly by removing the internal connection to the balun (snip the lead from the 75 ohm input to the balun which is also connected to the 300 ohm inputs). I would also install a coax 75 ohm connector in place of the old-fashioned one." Our contributor Don N., the Chief of the TIC Copyright Police, adds: "I have two AT-2600s, one of which was modded. It comes in very close behind my KT-7300 for sound and knocks the pants off it for tuning capabilities. Pegs the signal-strength needle on almost every station across the board in my area (Seattle)." The AT-2600 usually sells for $70-125 on eBay, with a recent low and high of $50 in 10/08 and $200 in 12/07, respectively. [BF]You never know it is 37 years old now lol, same age as me, I'm really unsure of how to correctly hook it up at the back haha, from what you have pasted above it seems the 300 ohm hookup is the best |
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Post by knucklehead on Jul 1, 2014 15:45:11 GMT -5
The old analog tuners often get out of alignment - it makes it difficult to pull in distant stations that you might have been able to get years ago. It takes someone with the knowledge to realign them. Thats the nice thing about the later electronic tuners. No alignment problems.
I doubt you'll see any new separate tuners come to market - there isn't much interest in them any longer. Back when tuners were in demand it was because lots of people listened to radio. FM is slowly dying out - and AM might not be far behind. I like the satellite radio in my car much more than FM. There isn't too many stations around here worth listening to.
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Post by roadrunner on Jul 1, 2014 21:53:01 GMT -5
Emotiva addressed why they have no AM/FM tuner in their product line a few years ago. I think it was Lonnie who pointed out that they felt there was very little demand for a separate tuner. He also said that they would continue to monitor the demand and if demand for a tuner is sufficient they will look at offering one. Personally, I have not used the tuner in any of my audio equipment more than once in the past 20 years.
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Post by GreenKiwi on Jul 1, 2014 22:35:56 GMT -5
^^^ what he said.
Just not enough demand to justify the various costs
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Post by frenchyfranky on Jul 4, 2014 8:16:54 GMT -5
Personally, I have not used the tuner in any of my audio equipment more than once in the past 20 years. +1 I also did not use the tuner at home for over 20 years |
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Post by frenchyfranky on Jul 4, 2014 8:30:54 GMT -5
Actually, instead of using tuner I'm using streaming from Songza or Google play music via the Google Chromecast HDMI adapter plugged in my UMC-1 and I think that it's better than FM radio in SQ but my memory of FM radio is very far away... Anyway on streaming service's, no adds, no sterile bla bla and no more brain washing compared to commercial radio stations.
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Post by williaty on Jul 5, 2014 10:21:19 GMT -5
The problem with the streaming radio services (the ones that provide feeds of real radio stations) is that the sound quality is TERRIBLE even compared to FM radio with a weak signal!
They're not a viable alternative to broadcast radio.
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Post by ossif on Jul 5, 2014 10:55:48 GMT -5
Emotiva addressed why they have no AM/FM tuner in their product line a few years ago. I think it was Lonnie who pointed out that they felt there was very little demand for a separate tuner. He also said that they would continue to monitor the demand and if demand for a tuner is sufficient they will look at offering one. Personally, I have not used the tuner in any of my audio equipment more than once in the past 20 years. I can follow this argument but then why make turntables? I am missing the logic in here? I am pretty surean FM/Internet tuner would run very well. |
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Post by novisnick on Jul 5, 2014 10:58:59 GMT -5
Emotiva addressed why they have no AM/FM tuner in their product line a few years ago. I think it was Lonnie who pointed out that they felt there was very little demand for a separate tuner. He also said that they would continue to monitor the demand and if demand for a tuner is sufficient they will look at offering one. Personally, I have not used the tuner in any of my audio equipment more than once in the past 20 years. I can follow this argument but then why make turntables? I am missing the logic in here? I am pretty surean FM/Internet tuner would run very well. TT sell! Nuff said.  |
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Post by ossif on Jul 5, 2014 11:03:12 GMT -5
I can follow this argument but then why make turntables? I am missing the logic in here? I am pretty surean FM/Internet tuner would run very well. TT sell! Nuff said. I strongly doubt that. |
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Post by audiobill on Jul 5, 2014 11:26:42 GMT -5
FM is so last decade!
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Post by jlafrenz on Jul 5, 2014 11:41:57 GMT -5
Emotiva addressed why they have no AM/FM tuner in their product line a few years ago. I think it was Lonnie who pointed out that they felt there was very little demand for a separate tuner. He also said that they would continue to monitor the demand and if demand for a tuner is sufficient they will look at offering one. Personally, I have not used the tuner in any of my audio equipment more than once in the past 20 years. I can follow this argument but then why make turntables? I am missing the logic in here? I am pretty surean FM/Internet tuner would run very well. Because there is a higher demand for turntables than FM turners. Streaming devices that provide internet radio stations and other music services is a different story. This would be more in line with the media player that they were developing. |
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Post by novisnick on Jul 5, 2014 11:51:50 GMT -5
TT sell! Nuff said. I strongly doubt that. I witness this every weekend in my little town. Entry level TT with about 5-6 vinyl at the cash register. I have no doubt. |
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Post by AudioHTIT on Jul 5, 2014 12:29:56 GMT -5
The problem with the streaming radio services (the ones that provide feeds of real radio stations) is that the sound quality is TERRIBLE even compared to FM radio with a weak signal! They're not a viable alternative to broadcast radio. Not for everyone, but for some it is. It's clear that some still want an AM/FM tuner and some want to stream, I'd add HD, satellite and USB for drive streaming - then you might have a large enough features to justify a separate. Then give it a nice display for tuning, RDS, (maybe with cover art), and you'd have a cool unit - most car radios these days do most of this so the basics can't be that expensive - just do it better. Probably the question might be whether to make it as cheap as possible in a U series, or a bit nicer build in an X-G2 device. |
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Post by teaman on Jul 5, 2014 16:05:30 GMT -5
I find that using my ipod plugged into an iPure 20 dock ($99) with digital output and the "tune in radio" app that the local FM stations come in crisp and clear. More so that the high priced Technics tuner I still have hooked up in the garage.
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