2. vintage
  3. 176695-78095

Tuner choice

I know no one is interested in tuners given streaming etc and on and on, but I moved to a place with some excellent radio stations and I think having a tuner would work for me. I got one for free from my brother, a 70s vintage Dynaco kit and it seemed to warm up over time without any repairs etc. although the light is out and gauge doesn’t seem to work. Muting is not functioning but once on a station it brings in some pleasant sound.
On the other hand, I see old units on eBay that are low cost, some say tested, mint condition, etc. so would it be worth a couple hundred dollars to have a different tuner? Or is the Dynakit not a bad vintage tuner and if it’s working, I’d be smart to stick with it? Any suggestions for replacements worth the change?
 

thanks

lynnj
jasonbourne52's avatar
jasonbourne52
2,863 posts
 

Mitsubishi DA-F10 or DA-F20. About $200 on eBay. I have the DA-F10 in daily use here in the St.Pete, FL area. WUSF 89.7 FM has good NPR programming and All Night Jazz nightly!

ericsch
757 posts
 

Accuphase T101, excellent and affordable. 

 

audioguy85's avatar
audioguy85
2,018 posts
 

Just pick up a used Cambridge Audio t500...they are out there for a 100 bucks or less. It's a great tuner imo...modeled after the Creek t43....

noske
783 posts
 

eBay have a number of Magnum Dynalab tuners, of course.

I don’t pretend to know the specifics of each model (I covet a MD90T), but the FT-101’s seem to be priced at around USD700 or so. One I looked at is from a dealer so lab checked and good to go.

Yes, I’m sure that a 108T is quite good, too. The decimal point might be a bit in the wrong place in its price tag, though.

 

lynnj OP
17 posts
 

Yes, decimal point issues in price. It seems with any collectible there are the big names that rightly fetch top prices. By their reputation the prices seem to inflate from there. Meanwhile, I think there are some less touted names that are a close second but at half the price. I try to find that sweet spot, but tuners are an odd commodity. The most expensive back in the day might have had cutting edge tech for that time, but it became standard or later improved on. It’s tough to disentangle the specs and prices without being an electrical engineer. 
 

Even so, the hunt is fun. 

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