I also started with an AM radio - a "kit" that my parents bought me back in the mid ’60s. You had to tinker with it, piece it together, slap a battery in it and it was ready to go. I loved listening to it, and have been a fan of radio ever since. The last tuner I bought was a simple analog Rotel, purchased it new almost 30 years ago and it still works and sounds fine. Tuning with a tuning knob always appealed to me, and it was one of the reasons I picked this particular component. I can get a couple of decent college radio stations, a good classical station, a couple of good alternative, NPR and a smattering of the usual, unlistenable fare. I like having a tuner, and on stations with a good signal, the sound quality is impressive. The radio stations I listen to are not saturated with commercials, so that helps a lot. Radio used to rule the world, but most people don’t give a damn about that and are only attracted to what’s trendy. My tuner isn’t going anywhere as long as it’s serviceable and if it bites the dust, I’ll get another one. I’m old, just like my tuner but I’m also still cool.... just like my tuner.