[3moons]

What is the best sounding [ transistor ] FM tuner you've ever heard?

[DVV]

What is the best sounding [ transistor ] FM tuner you've ever heard?

In absolute terms, Day Sequerra wins hands, er, transistors down. Incredible is the only word that comes to mind. My hat off to Dick Sequerra.

In terms of outstanding value for money, Marantz ST 6000. After owning it for just over a year, I still marvel at what I hear from it. My guess would be that for this kind of performance, just 10 years ago you would have paid ten times its price. Speaking of which, I bought it from a local dealer for about $240-250 brand new. It's available in black or champagne - I took the black version.

I wouldn't pass by Denon tuners if I was in the market for one for information sake, if nothing else.

Cheers,
DVV

[WilliamL]

As far as budjet tuners: Have you heard to Cambridge tuner? Its really a great value as well and you may want to check it out!

(Disclaimer: Our audio store is a dealer for Cambridge. Check for the appropriate dealer in your area)

Cheers,
Bill

[doug s.]

my current fave-sounding tuna is a stephen sank modded harmon-kardon citation-18.  it has eeked out my completely refurb'd tandberg 3001a, as well as my long-time fave onix bwd-1.  i was turned on to it by a tuna-freak, who had many tunas in his system, before settling on the h/k 18.  this included, but was not limited to, tandberg 3001a, sequerra fm reference, mcintosh mr78, marantz 10b.

go here for info about *many* relatively inexpensive vintage tuna that will smoke anything presently awailable new up to $2500, & will equal anything made at anytime, for any price:

http://fmtunerinfo.com/

for related discussion group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FMtuners/

and, ya will also find, like other things audio, personal taste comes into play.  for example, one of the tuna gurus of the list has been doing his own li'l "shootout".  he's up to having reviewed/compared 31 different "species", and the sequerra model 1 doesn't even make it into the top half...

for a cheap/good new tuna (i'd still go the vintage route, myself), i don't tink ya could do any better than getting a modded one from ed hanlon, of antenna performance specialties.  i haven't heard it, but i have experience w/his antennae, and folk who have used him for tuna work have had unanimous praise.  also, a good antenna is mandatory for true a'phile fm sound (as well as quality signal from stations, someting getting rarer & rarer these days.   )  ed has killer antennae; for less $$$, the winegard hd6065 is also killer...

http://antennaperformance.com/

regards,

doug s., tuna addict

[BWentler]

I have had three turners upgraded by Ed from Antenna Performance Specialties, APS, and would not think twice sending more to him.  I'm thinking of sending my mom's NAD 7130 receiver to him!

The first turner that I sent to Ed was my vintage Proton 440 that he just didn't replace the filters but also replaced the outpout IC and caps.  I'm now looking at improving the output IC with a better one for 4x the cost and the caps are from an old AR pre-amp.  Since he worked on my Proton 440, he now has one personaly and just loves it.  My last purchase turner was a Kenwood 600T directly from APS that he modified and that is just great.

Ed is a great resources to improve a low end turner to a giant killer one.  BTW I have a Kenwood KT7500 turner with a wood cabinet for sale on AudioGon that Ed worked on, cheap!!!  (bad taste to insert a sales pitch here, please accept my apologies if affends anyone!)

Bruce