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#1
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Will my vintage Mcintosh tuner wind up being a paper weight
I keep reading in the near future F.m. Radio will be going away and I am wondering if I should sell my vintage tuner before it becomes a paper weight. I know people collect vintage Mcintosh gear. The question is will anyone want it when F.M. Radio disappears?
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#2
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It depends on where you live. In Europe, countries are slowly moving to a digital system that is not backward compatible with analog FM. I believe Norway will be the first to discontinue analog fm broadcasts sometime in 2017.
In the US, there are no plans to shut down the existing analog FM stations. The new "in band on channel" or IBOC systems could take over, however. These are sometimes called HD Radio, the HD standing for hybrid digital, not high definition. As the HD injection percentages increase the resulting interference to analog fm could make it unlistenable. This is already happening, so buying a vintage tube FM tuner like a Mcintosh MR 65 or Marantz 10B is a crapshoot depending on where you live and what you are listening to. These older tuners don't have post-detection filters that are needed to eliminate the HD radio self noise. So you get a lot of noise in stereo, even on strong signals. To eliminate this noise, you have to run these tuners in mono. The FM radio business in the US is not healthy right now due to massive debt loads taken on by companies like Clear Channel after the consolidation boom fueled by the telecommunications act of 1996. They have eliminated all the local talent and gone to country wide homogenous programming. They are not even investing in that. But the good news in this somewhat bleak scenario is that for about $50,000 in power cost per year you can reach millions of people. Receivers are cheap and plentiful. So I guess it all depends on your timeline - I am very comfortable buying and maintaining high end FM tuners for the next 10 to 20 years. I live in a market that has some of the best sounding public radio outlets in the country - Minnesota Public Radio alone has three carriers 89.3, 91.1, and 99.5 MHz that carry unique programming; alternative, news, and classical respectively.
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Main System: Amati Futura Mains Amati Homage VOX Center, Proac Response 1sc Rears, Three MC2301's for L,C,R MC 602 for the rears C 1100, MX 151, MCD 1100, MR 80 Nottingham Dais with Wave Mechanic Sumiko Palo Santos Presentation SurfacePro 3, RPi 4, ROON, WW Starlight Platinum USB, Schiit Yggdrasil, Benchmark DAC3 HGC MX 151, OppO BDP-95, JVC RS-500 DILA projector, 106" diagonal Stewart Luxus Screenwall Deluxe with Studiotek 130 G3 material. Lake House: Ohm F, MC 275V, C2300, MR 77, Rega P3 OnDeck: McIntosh MAC 4300v |
#3
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Tom... all good info, thanks!
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Ivan FLORIDA MX136, MC1.2KW(10) MC2KW(2), MCD1100, MS750(2) MVP881, C1000C/P/T, MPC1500, HT-2 SUBS(2) HT3F(2) WS350(2) XRT2K, XCS2K, XR27(2) XCS350(2) JL GOTHAM v2 SUBS(2) SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, LUMAGEN RADIANCE SCALER, SONY VPH-G90U 4K PROJECTOR, STEWART 120" MOTORIZED SCREEN, CINEMA-TECH SEATING, WW PLATINUM CABLES Reference System: ACCUPHASE A300 AMPS, C3900 PRE-AMP, DP1000 CD/SACD TRANSPORT, DC1000 DIGITAL PROCESSOR, DG-68 DIGITAL EQUALIZER, T1200 FM STEREO TUNER, PS1230 POWER SUPPLY, HRS-SXR CUSTOM RACK w/ M3X SHELVES, TAD REFERENCE ONE MK2 LOUDSPEAKERS, WW PLATINUM CABLES CAPE COD MX150, MC501(2) MC1.2KW(10) MC2301(2) MR88, MVP881, MCD1100, MDA1000, C1000C/P/T, MPC1500, ESOTERIC K-01X 30th ANNIVERSARY (BLACK) SACD/CD PLAYER, G02-X CLOCK, HT3F(2) XRT2K, XCS2K, XR27(2) JL GOTHAM v2 SUBS(2) JL FATHOM F113v2 SUBS(4) SOUND ANCHOR STANDS(2) KALEIDESCAPE STRATO & TERRA SERVERS 80-TB, LUMAGEN RADIANCE SCALER, SONY VPH-G90U 4K PROJECTOR, STEWART 120" SCREEN, SONUS FABER STRADIVARI, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, FORTRESS SEATING, WW PLATINUM CABLES Analog Rig: CLEARAUDIO INNOVATION WOOD, UNIVERSAL ARM w/ Da VINCI' CART, 2nd UNIVERSAL ARM w/ GOLDFINGER STATEMENT CART, HRS-MXR REFERENCE RACK-GLOSS BLACK w/ M3X SHELVES, AESTHETIX RHEA SIG PHONO-PRE, BRYSTON BHA-1 HEADPHONE AMP, WW PLATINUM CABLES Reference System: BURMESTER 911MK3 AMP(3), 088 PRE-AMP, 089 CD PLAYER, 100 PHONO PRE-AMP, 948 POWER CONDITIONER, ACCUPHASE DG-68 VOICING EQUALIZER, AVID ACUTUS REFERENCE SP TT, GRAHAM PHANTOM II SUPREME ARM, BENZ MICRO LP-S CART, GRANDIOSO P1X/D1X STACK, G1X RUBIDIUM MASTER CLOCK, N05 NETWORK PLAYER, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, HRS-SXR CUSTOM RACK w/ M3X SHELVES, SONUS FABER AIDA SPEAKERS, JL FATHOM F113v2 SUBS(2) SOUND ANCHOR STANDS(2) WW PLATINUM CABLES Library System: GRANDIOSO M1 MONOBLOCK AMPS, C1 LINESTAGE PRE-AMP, K1X CD/SACD PLAYER, G1 MASTER RUBIDIUM CLOCK, E02 PHONO-PRE, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, AERIAL ACOUSTICS 20T V2, AERIAL SW12 SUBS(2), CANTON REF K1’s, VPI HRX TT w/ SDS POWER SUPPLY, ORTOFON CADENZA BLACK CART, KLAUDIO RCM, SHUNYATA DENALI 6000/S v2, SHUNYATA OMEGA QR’s, WW PLATINUM CABLES Esoteric/Bryston System: ESOTERIC C02-X PRE-AMP, P-02X TRANSPORT, D02-X DAC, G02-X CLOCK, BRYSTON 28B3 CUBED MONOBLOCK AMPS(4), BRYSTON BHA-1 HEADPHONE AMP, SHUNYATA DENALI 6000/S v2(2) EVEREST 8000 POWER CONDITIONER(2) ALTAIRA CG & SG HUBS, AMR-DP777-SE DAC, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, TAD REFERENCE ONE MK2 LOUDSPEAKERS, QUADRASPIRE RACK, WW PLATINUM CABLES Accuphase/Canton System: ACCUPHASE E800 INTEGRATED, DP570 CD/SACD PLAYER, T1200 FM STEREO TUNER, DG-68 VOICING EQUALIZER, PS530 POWER SUPPLY, CANTON REF K3’s, CANTON REF K5’s, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, HRS MXR REFERENCE MAHOGHANY RACK w/ M3X2 SHELVES, WW GOLD CABLES |
#4
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W9TR's observations are pretty much spot on. I don't see iBiquity's IBOC ("HD Radio") technology holding much promise, and some stations have discontinued the service. It doesn't work at all in fringe areas - the IBOC signal is at greatly reduced power - and a tuner's tendency to switch between "HD" and standard FM in moving vehicles can be very annoying. (Many who cite improved quality with HD do so by comparing the signal to the FM signal in an HD tuner or receiver, and those units often have compromised standard FM sections.) Broadcasters haven't invested much in programming for HD, and listeners don't seem to be embracing the technology much, either ... as evidenced by ratings. So I think "HD" is pretty much a technology that will likely fade away.
As W9TR noted, there are no plans to discontinue FM service in the US. Its widely installed base of receivers, including in cars, means a transfer to digital is more complicated than it was for television. So I agree that FM will be around for a long, long time in the US. |
#5
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Tom,
Good info and very interesting. I live in an area where country music is king and shutting down the popular FM stations in Knoxville or Nashville would lead to all out anarchy. Tennessee is fortunate to be music oriented at its core so we have some good FM for any genre you enjoy. I listen to my MR88 daily and thoroughly enjoy it. I can't imagine FM going away anytime soon.
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McIntosh MX150, C2300, MC601 (5), MC207, MCD12000, MR88, MPC1500, LB100, MCLK12. Anthem AVM 90. Lumin U1. Bluesound Node. Oppo 205. Bowers & Wilkins 800 D3, CWM8.3D, CCM7.5 S2. SVS SB16-Ultra (4). Shunyata. Wireworld. Transparent. GIK. |
#6
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Didn't "they" say that about AM radio about thirty years ago?
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#7
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Quote:
At my CT house, too, there is only one classical station that I can receive (although I can get it from two different frequencies/outlets) but the sound quality is poor and the programming unexciting. As a result, I have not taken my FM tuner out of the closet in years and never bothered trying out the radio facilities of the many AVRs/prepros that I have auditioned here. So, fwiw, I have two nice tuners lying fallow. |
#8
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Tom
That is a nice write up. Thanks. I agree that it is unlikely that FM will disappear soon but I don't understand your position that it will be more difficult to transition from than going to digital TV. As for myself I don't listen to music stations in the car let alone at home. |
#9
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Despite some having no interest in terrestrial broadcasts on AM/FM radio waves, I find listening to radio enjoyable. Living in a rural area of north Florida isn't exactly the best place for a wide selection of stations but using high quality tuners and external outside antennas I am able to enjoy quality signals from stations that broadcast as far away as 60 miles on the FM band, and occasionally as far as 100 miles on the AM band. Most of my listening is done in the evening except when I am in the vehicle. I routinely find quality jazz programming and even alternative, pop, and oldies music that sounds very good. For me, a tuner is an essential source component and has always been included in every sound system I assembled. Long live FM.
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Dan STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113 VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A |
#10
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Quote:
In all honesty, I listen to FM far more often than I spin vinyl nowadays. |
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