Review: Magnum Dynalab MD 109 SE FM Tuner
 

https://positive-feedback.com/review...9-se-fm-tuner/

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Very nice!... and very expensive. Retail: $11,500

I bought a much older version of this tuner long ago. I soon realized that I only listen to FM in the car and its abilities were of no use to me at home so I sold it. In this day and age when FM is being replaced by HD glad to see that there are those who value and still care enough about the FM medium to spend over $11k on a tuner. Good for them!

Dave.......That was more of a fluff article than an actual review of the astonishing Magnum Dynalab MD-109 Signature Edition FM Tuner. There is some serious electrical engineering in this tuner, as well as the Magnum Dynalab MD-108T Signature Edition FM tuner, which I prefer for its more traditional look.


Magnum Dynalab MD 108T

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Those who may not have read my Magnum Dynalab MD108t vs: McIntosh MR88 review may find it interesting.

For that kind of money I'd probably look at an Accuphase tuner. I agree w/Dan on the looks of the 108 as well. Maybe it's not the "best" but I still can't see replacing my MR88 given all the bands it receives and I've got a Modaferri modded MR74 in storage that is no slouch either. Either way, I am happy to see companies like MD and Accuphase releasing new high quality tuners.

I love my McIntosh MR88 and play it daily. In fact, it's playing now. That said, Magnum Dynalab tuners are seriously good tuners and I've always been intrigued by them. I'm with Dan and Steve on this one though - the MD 108 is a great looking tuner. Glad to see that Magnum Dynalab is still serious about producing top quality tuners.

I love FM but I can't get it in London sadly, far too many houses.

With the right aerial you should be able to...

Your'e right, Dan.. Not a serious look. As fluffy as cotton candy at a county fair compared to your comprehensive examination!

I love my 108T SE. while FM is not what it used to be (and that’s an understatement), I listen to it 3 or 4 nights / week. I’m with Dan though on the looks of the 109 - doesn’t do it for me.

I can get certain stations, but I can't get rid of the hiss. How the world went backwards with DAB.

Ps to my own post - I saw one of these in person in Munich and it looks much better in person than in the photos. Still, to my eye and my eye only, I prefer the 108.

I really enjoy FM but I’ve got a lot of other $10k upgrades waiting in line that will make more of a sonic difference than this baby will.

The reviewer compares this new MD tuner favorably to his Day-Sequerra, which is also very good tuner.

When I was working as a design engineer for a leading broadcast equipment manufacturer we used a Sequerra Model 1, McIntosh MR 78, and Sansui TU-X1 as our reference tuners. The best sounding by a fair margin was surprisingly the Sansui TU-X1.

This was a closed loop test where we fed our FM exciter with audio from a Studer A80 and compared the output of the whole chain to the original.

I’d still like to get a TU-X1 but they are very hard to find.

Tom

Hello,

How are the newest products from Magnum Dynalab? I know they had some problems in the past but now I see they ressurect :)

Any info would help a lot!:music:

Tom - A few TU-X1 show up annually on eBay and Audiogon. Also, if you follow the conversations on https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FMtuners/info, the folks there will generally alert members when a TU-X1 or other scarce, but highly regarded tuner (HK Model 14, etc.) is listed.

The newer Magnum Dynalab tuners seem to be pretty good, judged on user feedback. The fact that they are still in business after all these years says a great deal.

Thanks! I'm a manner of the FM Tuner group - I guess I should pay more attention to it. I'm not that actively looking, but if the right piece comes up I'll definitely check it out. Our Wisconsin house is about 100 miles from Minneapolis/St. Paul so a good tuner is a necessity there.

The generally most highly regarded DX machine when you need to 'reach out and touch someone' is the Yamaha T-85 or TX-1000 (essentially the same as the T-85 with a few less bells & whistles, but with a tuning knob). My T-85 has been recapped & aligned and is a stellar performer.

Dan, wonderful review. I only listen to FM very occasionally although I feel there are a few decent stations in my area. My new MR87 pulled in a huge number of stations with my roof mounted antenna. I like being able to vary the sensitivity. I have mine set on moderate. Also I like very much the 87's ability to digitize the signal and output it to my D1100 which only accepts digital sources. I don't believe even the new Magnum tuner can do this. Since I don't do vinyl I have enjoyed immensely being able to bypass the traditional analog preamp with the full-fledged digital D1100. I know the 87 is not the best tuner out there but as you point out it is competitive with the best.
____________________
Charles
Amps: McIntosh 1.25KW’s (3)
Preamp and DAC: McIntosh D1100
Sources: McIntosh MCD1100 SACD player, MVP881 BR player, MVP851 DVD player, MR87 tuner, Marantz 510LV Laser Disc player, ASUS laptop USB (JRiver Media Center 23)
Speakers: Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx
Sub-woofer: Wilson Audio Specialties Thor’s Hammer (1) and Wilson Watch Controller
Cables main system: Audioquest Wel Signature speaker cables and IC’s; Dragon power cords (8)
Sub-woofer system: Audioquest Redwood speaker cable; Wolf IC and Hurricane power cords (2)
Power conditioners: Audioquest Niagara 7000 (1) and Niagara 5000 (2); (4) 20-amp lines

Charles.......Thank you for the compliment on my Magnum Dynalab MD108t vs: McIntosh MR88 review. It is a wonderful FM tuner that draws you to it with its performance and beauty. Turning the tuning dial, flipping the switches, and fine tuning with the magic eye tube are just a few of the features that set the MD108t apart from other FM tuners. It is a luxurious experience. I really enjoyed having it in my studio system for a period of time. I also am pleased to have discovered just how well the MR88 stands up to the MD108t performance, and like you said the MR87 and MR88 offer a digital output which is unavailable on the Magnum Dynalab tuner. I still lust for an MD108t. Maybe, just maybe, one will come my way some day.


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Owning a 108T SE is a beautiful thing. I enjoy it immensely 3 or 4 times a week. FM drops off every day, but still enough around here to make it quite enjoyable.

In the realm of the FM supertuners, which one wins the shoot-out, the Magnum Dynalab MD 109 SE or the Accuphase T1200?

I wonder the same thing every day.

Given that the rest of my system is virtually all accuphase, I’m quite interested in the answer to that question. As I recall though, accuphase still has a digital aspect to their tuners (about which I may be mistaken), and I have to say I love love love the all analog rendering of the MD.

Plus, while I love my tuner, taking the loss I would inevitably incur on the MD and then forking out big $$ for the accuphase is none too exciting.

This is a good website for FM info.
http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/
Many of the posters on their yahoo forum are broadcast and former FM/circuit design engineers. A great place to learn.
Am guessing it would be difficult to not find either of them being 'the best'.