New (Old) Tuner in MY System

[AudioNut]

I haven't used a tuner in my system for, probably 15 years.

At one point I bought a used McIntosh MR78 and sent it off to Audio Classics for Richard Modafferi's upgrades. It sounded great, but I probably only played it three or four times before I sold it in about 2005. Haven't turned on a tuner since.

Anyway, I've listened to so much FM and XM radio in my car that I've felt "why bother" when I was at home.

But, this morning, I was looking in a closet, full of old "HiFi" junk and found two old tuners. One was a Pioneer Elite F-91 Reference Tuner, that I probably bought in the early 90's, and the other a genuine, collectable Kenwood L-07 T-II tuner that I bought in about 1980.

I thought that the Kenwood looked more substantial, so I plugged it in . . .

Wonder of wonders, the darn thing started right-up and sounded AWESOME! (I know we all hate the word "AWESOME", but that is how it sounded.)

That was this morning at about 9:30 and I haven't stopped listening all day. It sounds great! Why have a turntable or CD player - the tuner sounds WONDERFUL!

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by AudioNut

I haven't used a tuner in my system for, probably 15 years.

At one point I bought a used McIntosh MR78 and sent it off to Audio Classics for Richard Modafferi's upgrades. It sounded great, but I probably only played it three or four times before I sold it in about 2005. Haven't turned on a tuner since.

Anyway, I've listened to so much FM and XM radio in my car that I've felt "why bother" when I was at home.

But, this morning, I was looking in a closet, full of old "HiFi" junk and found two old tuners. One was a Pioneer Elite F-91 Reference Tuner, that I probably bought in the early 90's, and the other a genuine, collectable Kenwood L-07 T-II tuner that I bought in about 1980.

I thought that the Kenwood looked more substantial, so I plugged it in . . .

Wonder of wonders, the darn thing started right-up and sounded AWESOME! (I know we all hate the word "AWESOME", but that is how it sounded.)

That was this morning at about 9:30 and I haven't stopped listening all day. It sounds great! Why have a turntable or CD player - the tuner sounds WONDERFUL!

Julian.......The Kenwood tuner looks.............wait for it............almost there............Awesome!

I am an enthusiast who thinks no sound system is truly complete without a decent tuner. As far back as the late 60's I have had a tuner in every single system I have ever assembled. I love twisting the tuning knob, searching up and down the dial for stations, especially late night programming. Believe it or not, there's still some great music being played on FM. Terrestrial radio is as enjoyable to listen to as streaming Internet radio, and occasionally you can find a station that doesn't destroy its signal in its quest for coverage and loudness. I have three separate systems, well five actually if you count my little NAD receiver in my shop and the McIntosh 4300V receiver that powers my deck speakers. All of them include a tuner, three component tuners, and two receivers. I like tuners, and it pleases me to see you resurrect the vintage Kenwood. Way to go.

[JSCC]

I fully agree that a system is NEVER complete without a TUNER! And as a student, money was limited, I did an all in one by having a RECEIVER (Tuner/Integrated Amplifier), the first being the Luxman R800, followed by the R1500.

The Tuners you have are the TOP tuners of the day for the brands you have! Keep them, classics! The Kenwood is so rare, dont even sees it during its hey day!

One word Julian .... WOW! Know what, I keep coming back to gaze at the picture for the past 30 mins as I have never seen it before! WOW! WOW! WOW!

[maxsmart]

Julian,

Interesting timing here. I just finished installing a roof FM antenna, including rotor, so my Mx135 tuner has been in the signal path more the past week than usual.

I too have always felt a tuner was/is essential. There are so many possible sources of music, news content, etc. that I would not want to be without this source for long.

I hope you find continued pleasure using a fine component from the past.

[Maks]

That's a great looking tuner, I don't believe I've seen that particular model before. I agree with the others, I find that a tuner is an integral part of any "serious" listening setup. Most of the fun is in the 88-92 band for me, but despite the naysayers, you'll still find plenty of content out there on the dial. Enjoy!

[mgard]

Julian,

That is a very cool looking tuner. I am with the rest of the guys on the tuner. It rounds out the audio system giving more options. Plus it is like a treasure hunt as one is turning the tuning
knob not knowing what tunes will be playing at the next station.

~Mike

[piolaxo]

Great tunner! Let us know how is the burn in... I still use the radio
from the receiver, but I always wanted a dedicated tunner. I don't have
the extra space, so it'll have to wait.

What else do you have in your closet...?

[nyycebro]

Hi,

Seem like alot of trouble to go through for the MR78 to then sell it off. Just wondering why didn't you put it in the closet too. Did you really forget you had those tuners in the closet?

[Washline]

Currently using a modified Pioneer 9800 II tuner. The vintage tuners are certainly the best. I would love to get a Sansui 9900.

[kappclark]

Originally Posted by maxsmart

Julian,

Interesting timing here. I just finished installing a roof FM antenna, including rotor, so my Mx135 tuner has been in the signal path more the past week than usual.

I too have always felt a tuner was/is essential. There are so many possible sources of music, news content, etc. that I would not want to be without this source for long.

I hope you find continued pleasure using a fine component from the past.

Good move with the outdoor antenna + rotator .. It has made a big difference for me .. I get stations 75 miles away with no plm ... many college stations, classical etc... helps me feel connected way up here in Windham, VT

FM = Free Music ! Internet radio stations to suck the very life out of the music (there are some good feeds, for sure), and it is so much more satisfying to hear an actual human discussing a piece of music and/or composer prior to playing it ..as opposed to a random stream .. Tried HD Radio (Sony) and the signal very quiet, but it was pretty compressed.