Magnum or Fanfare Tuner. Which Sounds the Best?

you should try the Creek t43 some time. It's easily as good as the above, and retails for a paultry $700...used around $400 or less. Best tuner I ever heard for under several $K. Good luck

One thing you do want to keep in mind that no matter how good the tuner may be, the antenna can make or break it. If memory servers, its been awhile, there are $20,000 bows to go with the 6 figur priced violins or bass'. In fact, a lesser tuner with the better antenna may outperform the better tuner with a lesser antena. Its a generalization, but.... I own the Fanfare ft-1a and it is a nice tuner. But nobody in the area broadcasts well and I'm just using the whip fm-2g since I'm in an apartment, so I don't know its maximum potential. But my instincts sent me towards it instead of the magnums.

Having heard both the MD90 and MD100, I purchased the Fanfare. They all sounded very similar. The Fanfare had a better low end than the Magnums. The tuning quality seemed all the same.

Ultimately, it was the appearance and remote that got my business. I didn't have to pay extra to have a silver face on or silver cabling in the Fanfare FT-1A. It was an extra $100 for a silver faceplate on the Magnum. And you can put any color acetate you'd like to color the display. In the Fanfare manual, it says they are considering manufacturing different faceplates to match the most popular hi end mftr's equipment. I have no idea how this is going. The silver faceplate with black screws matches the Pass equipment wonderfully.

The price was also more "right" on the Fanfare. Either brands should make any FM person happy. I think that either piece is going to surpass the quality that is being broadcast over the airwaves.

BTW, if anyone needs blue acetate for a Fanfare to make it match the Pass X series preamps, let me know. I have plenty of extra. Best Regards, Aaron

I'm leaning toward the Fanfare FT-1A for a couple reasons. I listened to the Magnum FT-101A and it sounds very good but I was a bit annoyed by the 100% analog tuning because I channel hop between commercials. I like the fact that the Fanfare has memory presets and a remote. If the Fanfare sounds at least as good as the Magnum, I'll probably get it. From what I gather, both tuners sound great and its more a matter of features, style, and convenience.

I agree completely with Ezmeralda11 (comments above) about the importance of a good antenna. My Fanfare vertical whip antenna in the back yard is sufficient since all of my favorite stations are fairly local. More signal could do more harm than good. Thanks everyone!

Abe: Dynalab has a remote also - in fact two or three of them as options. Their original remote is a small 6-preset pushbutton box connected via unbilical cord to the tuner; I have two of them. Then they came out with the outboard infrared receiver remote which also plugs into the tuner via an accessory cord. The latest design builds the infrared remote unit right into the tuner.