GoodSoundClub - Romy the Cat's Audio Site

In the Forum: Off Air Audio
In the Thread: Where are our good Tuners?

Post Subject: Radio is no longer a good sounding SourcePosted by Stitch on: 9/2/2009

I think, it is useful to go back a little bit in time, when talking about Tuners. In the 50‘ and 60‘s records (and the their Equipment) was VERY expensive, it was a Hobby for the upperclass. For general public the Tuner was the main unit to listen to music. And it was no problem, Radio Stations everywhere and it was affordable.

Based on that, some tried to make more advanced Tuners, well known today, but even at their time they had really problems to sell them. Super expensive and the knowledge behind was the best at their time.

Most tuner development was in the ability to get Radiostation, Sound quality was never a priority (good Sound), the result today is, you can get a lot of Tuners which do a good job, but they are a dissapointment when you listen to those and you have good sounding Equipment.

And when talking with those „Tuner guys“ in forums etc. Even they have absolutely no idea when you ask for „Good Sounding Tuners“. Some years I made a few visits to such owners who are so „competent“ and listened to their units. Honestly, it was not only wasted time, it hurt my ears. Why?

The „Reference“Tuner is their Highlight in their below average sounding Stereo Systems. Only with that unit they (or the most) want to get a place in the Internet competence forums. And it works. One of the most competent ones (from technical side) listens with Pass electronics and when he tells me something about soundstage, I really wonder in which outer space he is at the moment.

Anyway, I think, technicians „see it with different Eyes“, they are fascinated from parts and layouts and that‘s it.

Nothing changed until today.

I had lots of tuners and I sold them all except a MD 108, the reason is, I can listen to it more than 2h without fear of getting Ear Cancer. But the next more serious problem today is, in combination with that, the Radio Stations have their own kind of Electronics to influence the outgoing signal (Limiters etc.) plus inferior and cheaply mastered CD‘s which are copied to computer storage units....

Now - 2009 - some try to get the best tuner (I heard, Rhode & Schwarz are the Ticket) but for what please?

For listening to the - general - inferior masterings & signals (and blah-blah advertisement and discussions) via air?

I think, that kind of chapter (good sound via Radio) can be closed.

Unfortunately, but it is the way it is.

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