Best FM tuner ever made?
Leak Troughline...Quad FM...yes, yes, yes they were and still are brilliant tuners, but their features leave alot to be desired, let alone their reliability. So, as an all-round product, what is the best tuner ever made?
I pose two possible answers:
Meridian 504 tuner, or
Pioneer TX-9800?
What about the TAG T32R?
Ah well I include that under the umbrella of the Audiolab 8000T, but I never felt the TAG version was quite as good as the original
Andrew Everard:Those two not even in it!
Without going into the very dim and very distant, I'd go for either a Naim NAT 01 or the Audiolab 8000T. One I have long coveted, the other I use every day.
Great choices - however, I've heard off the fmtunerinfo website that the 8000T had computer reliability problems and the Naim NAT 01 is actually overhyped and overpriced...how's your 8000T been?
Andrew Everard:Ah well I include that under the umbrella of the Audiolab 8000T, but I never felt the TAG version was quite as good as the original
Fair enough.
Another that springs to mind, although I've never had the pleasure, is the Densen B-800.
Hughes123:how's your 8000T been?
Still working fine since you were (even more of) a nipper! Only repair has been the replacement of the backlight lamps for the display, and it still sounds amazing.
You shouldn't believe all you read on websites - my good friend Malcolm Steward has a Naim NAT 01, and it's still the best tuner I have ever heard, though admittedly through a full-house Naim flagship preamp and active six-pack system with DBLs.
Mr_Orange:Fair enough.
Another that springs to mind, although I've never had the pleasure, is the Densen B-800.
How can it spring to mind if you've never heard it?
I will never claim my tuner is the best ever, but compared with the modern hybrid tuners the Marantz 2060ML easily outguns the sub-500 quid sector of the market. Sorry for keep banging on about my tuner - it really is striking. Although build quality and facilities are rubbish compared to newer efforts.
Andrew Everard:
Hughes123:how's your 8000T been?
Still working fine since you were (even more of) a nipper! Only repair has been the replacement of the backlight lamps for the display, and it still sounds amazing.
You shouldn't believe all you read on websites - my good friend Malcolm Steward has a Naim NAT 01, and it's still the best tuner I have ever heard, though admittedly through a full-house Naim flagship preamp and active six-pack system with DBLs.
My TU260LII probably sounds quite good through that though.......
Andrew Everard:
Hughes123:how's your 8000T been?
Still working fine since you were (even more of) a nipper! Only repair has been the replacement of the backlight lamps for the display, and it still sounds amazing.
You shouldn't believe all you read on websites - my good friend Malcolm Steward has a Naim NAT 01, and it's still the best tuner I have ever heard, though admittedly through a full-house Naim flagship preamp and active six-pack system with DBLs.
Last year I connected my Marantz through the Naim Nait 5I, and the RS6's sang like I'd never heard previously. Shame about the compatability of my CD player. . .
Andrew Everard:
Hughes123:how's your 8000T been?
Still working fine since you were (even more of) a nipper! Only repair has been the replacement of the backlight lamps for the display, and it still sounds amazing.
You shouldn't believe all you read on websites - my good friend Malcolm Steward has a Naim NAT 01, and it's still the best tuner I have ever heard, though admittedly through a full-house Naim flagship preamp and active six-pack system with DBLs.
Malcolm is still a Naim'er then - used to read his columns in the old days of HiFi Review!
Andrew Everard:Mr_Orange:Fair enough.
Another that springs to mind, although I've never had the pleasure, is the Densen B-800.How can it spring to mind if you've never heard it?
Fair point. I was just going on what I've read elsewhere, and Densen's reputation in general.
Have you heard it, Andrew?
Yes - very good, but not quite the cigar.
What sort of price do the Naims fetch? I can get a Pioneer TX-9800 for £249.99 but that sounds a bit pricey if it isn't that good - perhaps the Audiolab will fit the bill. Oh, and this is for a JVC A-X400 and Mission E30 system, not my reference Arcam/Wharfey one...
Hughes123:What sort of price do the Naims fetch?
According to a recent 'worldly' hi-fi mag article...
"The NAT 01 in 2001 cost £1,945 new and now sells for £800 to £1,400 second-hand, depending on vintage."
A quick search shows that a 1985 (chrome bumper) model sold on Ebay recently for £500.
Cheers,
Tony
- Login to post comments
Those two not even in it!
Without going into the very dim and very distant, I'd go for either a Naim NAT 01 or the Audiolab 8000T. One I have long coveted, the other I use every day.
Consulting Editor, What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision/whathifi.com Audio Editor, Gramophone