FM Tuners

FM reception is VERY location dependant. The transmission/reception is "line-of-sight", therefore if the antenea can't see the brodcast tower, you won't get the station. Sean listed tunners esp. the NAD that will work in the rolling hills of electrostaticman's area. His other alternative would be to get a good antenea and mount it HIGH, as high as possible.
Tapashead, you being in NYC and have a lot of signals comming at you every way but loose, can get buy with a less involved rig. A good sounding tunner that can separate out multichannel and be narrowly selective is all you need. From My experience, the T'berg will be fine, esp if you like the sound that it presents.
Happy listening.

I found the Fanfare FT-1A to be the best-receiving FM tuner I have tried from my location near a major metropolitan area (Wash DC). It is not a flat area, there are some hills, but I don't know how "rolling" or comparable to your location in CA. This tuner was very sensitive and worked well for me w/just an indoor antenna.

The NAD above is a very nice tuner for the money. For great reception and very good sound, find an old Onkyo Integra T4017 or if not then the T4015. These are on eBay all the time and go for around $50 to $75. Reception is excellent even with one of those "T" wire antennas a lot of receivers come with. Sound is very close the the NAD. The T4017 has a variable output control, so I guess you could by-pass the preamp if you have separates.

As a former owner of an NAD 4155, I can tell you that both the reception and especially the sound are bettered by my current AudioLab 8000T (out of production, but I think this basic, "A"-rated unit is now being produced in an updated version by AL's successor TAG-McLaren, although I don't know if it's being imported). Of course the Magnum-Dynalabs are highly regarded, but I wanted AM and presets. But with any decent tuner, the issue of reception is most dependent on the antenna used, and particularly its location, with outdoor-mounted being preferred.

I will second the Fanfare FT-1A. I purchased this a year ago after researching through the 'net. I narrowed it down to the Fanfare because of the reviews I read and it's convenience of a remote, I have no regrets! By far my most used source, and I hadn't had a tuner in my system since the 1980's; it wasn't much of a system then.

At the same price range I would recommend an old McIntosh MR-78, not from experience, just from research.