[WGH]

I have been casually looking for a FM tuner replacement since my Sony XDR-F1HD tuner died, this was actually my second F1HD and it had already been repaired once. The XDR-F1HD is a digital tuner, the sound was clear, clean and crisp. I liked it but the tuner ran hot (they all did, it was designed that way) so parts eventually got cooked and failed.

I was using the FM tuner section in the Anthem AVM 60 Surround Processor, it worked but average sounding, the sound was meh. While trying to track down a reception problem I borrowed a Magnum Dynalab FT 101A from a friend. I liked it so much I bought it. The tuning dial was replaced with a heavy stainless steel flywheel that makes tuning a joy. No remote, no push buttons, pure analog. The meters barely work but it doesn't affect the sound. The tuner was made around 1993-95 and wonky meters are a common occurrence.




FM tuners are a strange source to buy. They can be cheap or insanely expensive. Used tuners are readily available but usually very old. Tuner fanatics are opinionated and the reviews at the Tuner Information Center are really no help at all (https://www.fmtunerinfo.com/) because any tuner you buy will be inferior to the top 5 or 10 tuners that the group loves. The top rated Kenwood L-02T was made in 1982/1983, I could see this tuner becoming a repair nightmare because of it's age. I'll admit there are some newer affordable tuners farther down the shootout list but buying a used tuner on eBay does not thrill me.


The Magnum Dynalab FT 101A has a stellar reputation among music lovers, although not necessarily the critics. The tone is on the warm side of neutral with excellent midrange, voices and instruments sound lifelike. Even though the tuner is on the warm side male announcers do not have an unnatural chestiness. Imaging is very good with a clear sense of space, very much like an analog record. Which shouldn't have surprised me, the FT 101A is an all analog tuner, only my 2nd analog tuner. My first was the Dynaco FM 3 I built, the darn thing would keep drifting off channel so I moved on. The FT 101A drifts only once as it warms up, then it stays locked on. Bass is good and works well with the midrange, it isn't punchy like digital bass which can overwhelm a recording. Highs are like a good moving magnet phono cartridge, not very airy or twinkly but pleasant and listenable. The Dynalab has a quiet background and music floats in space between the speakers.

KXCI, Tucson's local independent radio station, plays a lot of vinyl. I can guess broadcast radio doesn't get much better than this, all analog from the turntable to my speakers, just like the early days of free form FM radio we listened to when I lived in Denver in the very early 1970's.

Magnum Dynalab tuners are made by Bryston, every model can be factory repaired and updated, a feature not available for any other brand that I know of. Magnum Dynalab also has an trade-in upgrade path that appeals to me.

Highly recommended.

Magnum Dynalab website:
https://www.magnumdynalab.com/

 

[AllanS]

Great review. Thank you.  It’s not often that I read of such sonic characteristics associated with over the air broadcasts.
I’m curious if your attraction to FM tuners is the technology/nostalgia, the particular station(s) in your market, both and/or something else.
Now I’m also really interested to understand how the quality of the analog broadcast signal, weather, tower proximity/line of sight, etc affect what you hear.

[WGH]

Tucson is lucky to have KXCI, a non-commercial radio station that has been supported by the local community for 40 years. KXCI is an independent radio station not affiliated with NPR or any corporation. All the volunteer DJs can play whatever they want (within reason), each show reflects the personality of the DJ. The morning and afternoon Music Mix plays every genre of music from a curated list mixing new and old music, many DJ's bring in music from their personal collections. Some of the staff and DJ's have been with KXCI for 35 years, the station is very professionally run. The first 5 years was very wild and woolly as they found their footing.

I have been listening to KXCI for 40 years since the "Big Broadcast." The station started broadcasting with the beginning sounds of the Earth, which very slowly transitioned from sea creatures, to insects, to birds to finally the first music Man made. New broadcast stations need a month to fine tune all the equipment, all the while broadcasting something. Evolving Earth sounds in an infinite loop worked very well.

https://kxci.org/



Not everybody's brain is wired to listen to every genre of music, sometimes all in a 20 minute set. I don't like some new music at first but eventually I come around. I didn't like Yello at first. KXCI is always discovering and playing new artists like Billie Eilish. Many music lovers brains literally explode after listening to KXCI for an hour, their mind can't handle it.

KXCI is the reason I need a FM tuner, I listen to KXCI a lot more than my music collection, if the radio isn't on I feel like I'm missing some important new music. Tucson was rockin' to Lucinda Williams before anyone heard her music, I saw her in a small local club and Lucinda was the opening act. I tried Tidal streaming but their music selection was too tame and boring for me. Now, at 77 years old, I like everything but will take a pass at classical, rap and free form jazz if given the opportunity.


I am agnostic whether a tuner is analog or digital. The Dynalab is the second analog tuner I have owned, the first was a Dynaco FM 3 but the darn thing always drifted off the station so I let it go. The Dynalab drifts once as it warms up then stays locked in. In hindsight, all my previous tuner's soundstages were flat so that is what I thought FM sounded like. Tucson's broadcast towers are on Mt. Bigelow, about 17 miles away. I have a direct line of sight so reception is excellent with an outdoor antenna.

[genjamon]

Nice review, Wayne.  KXCI's over the air broadcast has always sounded special to me.  Not sure that it fully translates through their online streaming.  Makes me want a decent tuner again.

[WGH]

Streaming KXCI is better than it was. KXCI’s primary stream is now a 96 kbps AAC format, which is equivalent to a 160kpbs mp3 format. This is twice as good a quality as their previous stream.

Today's morning mix is better than most with music from 1985 to 2026, the Tidal computer was never this creative. Sometimes Jim Blackwood plays songs I never want to hear again. The "Featured Album of the Week" is always interesting, this week it's Tori Amos's 5/1/2026 release "In Times of Dragons." I wouldn't know Tori Amos has a new release if I didn't listen to KXCI. Kathleen Edwards new album "Billionaire" is one of the best albums of the year and heard first on KXCI, I saw her recently at Club Congress.

Fatboy Slim The Rockafeller Skank
The Greatest Hits: Why Try Harder Astralwerks 2006

Captain Planet Barco Velho N
DIG Bastard Jazz Recordings 2025

Dire Straits One World
Brothers In Arms Warner Records 1985

Sharon Van Etten Trouble
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory Jagjaguwar 2025

José González Losing Game (Sick) N
Against The Dying Of The Light City Slang 2026

Tori Amos Shush N
In Times Of Dragons Fontana 2026
THE FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Jon Cleary Sometimes I Wonder
Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen Basin Street 2002


I have a white-winged dove problem, or rather my outdoor antenna had a problem. I have a couple bird feeders and after breakfast the doves would gather on my antenna. After a few years they broke the elements, individually each bird is lightweight but a flock bent the aluminum tubes.

Antennas used to be cheap when every city had a couple of Radio Shack stores. I bought a new Pro-Model UHF/VHF TV Antenna from Channel Master in Phoenix, this one is built to last through monsoon storms and dove parties although no longer cheap at $149. I watch over-the-air TV so the antenna works for both broadcast TV and FM.

Channel Master
Pro-Model UHF/VHF TV Antenna

[AllanS]

Mt Bigelo is about 1800 miles as the crow flies so I’ll look forward to spending time being exposed to new to me stuff with the KXCI stream on Tune In.  Thank you!  A long time favorite new to me station has been Radio Paradise. It is also a listener supported “human curated” streaming only station but with several streams. I’m happy to have another option.

Central NC only has one FM music station that I’m interested in which was the reason for moving to streaming when it was time to replace the mid 90’s AVR/receiver about 8 years ago.  Classical WCPE (theclassicalstation.org) has a similar non NPR/commercial listener support model but programming isn’t freeform like KXCI.  It fills the vast majority of the background music in my daily routine but the stream occasionally drops. A tuner option would be nice to have.

I wouldn’t go all in but I do have an old Optimus STA 300 that served in my desktop system for ~30 years that needs recapping. I installed an antenna in the attic a few years ago (HOA rules) with the intent of cutting the cable.  We never got that far but I hadn’t ever considered that it might receive FM. If mine is also FM compatible I can easily tap into it if/whenever I get around to recapping the receiver.  Thanks for the idea.  Reception with the old dipole antenna wasn’t ever great.

[genjamon]

I'll be camping tomorrow night literally in the shadow of Mt Bigelow.  My brain probably won't even need an antenna at that range.  Looking forward to some interesting dreams.

[WGH]

... I’ll look forward to spending time being exposed to new to me stuff with the KXCI stream on Tune In.

Saturday programing starting at 6:00 am and ending at 9:00 pm with the Blues Review is beyond amazing. Only the best, most experienced DJ's get a Saturday show. I wake up at 6 on Saturday so I don't miss the Saturday Morning Music Mix, I'm really disappointed when DJ Zach isn't hosting, nobody eases me into the weekend like he does. Marty Kool has been hosting the Blues Review every Saturday night for 30 years, you have never heard blues music like this.

A lot more shows to explore, something for everyone. All shows can be streamed for 2 weeks after they air, the wild stuff is on at 2:00 am.
https://kxci.org/programs/#music

Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time (we are now the same time as California) so adjust your listening time accordingly.