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FM tuners - Are they OBSOLETE ?

As much as I a have liked tuners in the past - and probably kidded myself that older ''vintage'' tuners sound better (after owning quite a few), I really don't see much use for them except maybe a nostalgic bridge to days past, or bragging rights to pride of ownership with McIntosh gear or whatever.

With the newer technologies giving access to hundreds of stations around the globe, it just seems like THE proposition to discover new music.

I of course know that some high-end tuners sound very good - but let me tell you - a clean 128 digital feed into a DAC (from a digital transport like the Wadia or Cambridge Audio's new ID-100), is pretty impressive...

Sort of make kilo-buck tuners seem futile and very expensive by comparison.

What do you think ?
soniqmike
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
Soniqmike got it right.

The only problem with internet radio for most is the possibility of giving up looking for the gems because of too many choices and limited time, much like what many experience with 100s of cable or satellite TV channels today

"This weekend they have a 2-day music special in honor of Bob Dyland's 70th birthday."

Wow, gotta find that!

SOme of my favorite themed programs on teh internet I have heard have been on WWOZ New Orleans, which should be a cornerstone of any American music fan's channel set.

My Logitech Squeeze Radio has buttons for 6 presets. Mine include the local am news channel, RAdio Paradise, my custom pandora channel, WWOZ, and a couple of prgressive rock focused internet stations, including Stellar Attraction.
jat3
19 posts
 
go buy yourself a brand new sony xdr-f1hd for under $100, and have some fun.
unsound
6,115 posts
 
Mapman, that's not the only problem with internet radio. Some stations "broadcast" in low rez. There is a chance that the sound quality could possibly be better via FM.
soniqmike OP
132 posts
 
Unsound - completely missing the point again - who cares that some stations broadcast in low rez - there are a zillion out there that broadcast with great quality - and with those zillions of great stations compared with the relatively F-E-W fm stations (some of those have music content that you wouldn't listen to anyway) that come in clear, again, it's no contest and a no-brainer to go digital with the right gear, of course. On top of this if I remember doesn't FM have limited frequencies up to around 13,000 or 15,000hz? I am less sure about this latest thing, but one thing I'm convinced of after using both ''technologies'', there's no going back to FM tuner sound for me. But that doesn't mean FM tuners have no attributes - some like their sound and the way the gear looks - matter of personal taste of course. But for sheer performance and convenience - and the ''exploring the world'' factor, Web wins.
isochronism
1,447 posts
 
A contemporary philosopher (?) said "You can't always get what you want.. and if you try sometime you find you get what you need". Instant gratification is not something to be automatically relied upon, even given our high-tech age. When I move "soon" (fingers crossed), I plan on installing a roof-mount, rotating Channel Master antenna to further enjoy NYC's finest FM broadcasts. :)
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