Your thoughts/experience with very good, cheap tuners?

Luxman T110 is also excellent and cheap.

Having been a Radio Broadcast Engineer, I have listened to many tuners over the years. I’ve also had the opportunity to listen to Modulation Monitors. These are basically tuners which give you a visual indication of the transmitter’s modulation, and an audio sample; but since they sample the air signal right at the transmitter output, there is no multipath involved in the signal, giving the engineer the truest visual and audio sample possible. Many times I would place numerous tuners side by side by these modulation monitors, and A - B the audio, comparing the two. Using this A - B comparison method, still to this day, the best tuner I’ve ever heard was the (still very affordable) Yamaha T-85. The Technics ST-9030 was also always one of my favorites.

If you’re not familiar with the term exciter, it is the heart and soul of an FM (and AM) transmitter; and just like audio equipment, some exciters have better audio reproduction than others. One exciter that was noted for it’s very high quality analog audio performance was the BE (Broadcast Electronics) FX-50. An exciter generates the radio frequency (that you tune your tuner or radio to), and handles the audio portion too. The rest of a radio broadcast transmitter is just a big amplifier, which amplifies the exciter output.

If you’re into tuners, and you’re not already aware of it, this website will be very helpful:

FM tuner info.com

I have a McIntosh MR85 tuner which I paid $824.00 for at Audio Classics.  I see these selling used for $1500+ now.  I also have a McIntosh MR88 top line tuner which I bought from Audio Classics for $2200.00.  I use them both daily.

The Sony xdr-f1hd is tough to be in stock form yet also tough to keep cool. Get one modified by the XDR guy and you have an endgame unit. If one is available to purchase. He appears to be backlogged until retirement. These units are not exactly cheap, price wise, yet given the number of hours it will be used is a high value item. 

I have the Sony XDR-FI HD that was modded by the XDR guy. It has the best reception of all my tuners. I do not use this tuner much anymore. It sounds best with a really good RCA cable. I used Audience AU24SE. I may sell this unit.

I bought a refurbished Sanusi TU9900 about 2 years ago. It is a warm sounding unit and very enjoyable. I paid $750 and will be keeping this one.

Around the same time, I bought an Accuphase T-101, like this one,

Accuphase T-101 For Sale | Audiogon

but the unit I got was modded by someone who seemed like a tuner genius. I paid $1300 for my unit which I knew that was a lot, but I wanted to hear these mods. What I got is an incredible unit. If I had owned this modded unit before the next tuner I list, I would not have bought that one.

I ungraded my Magnum Dynalab MD102 to the MD 108T for $5000. I have a great local station I listen to, so I wanted to hear it on a great tuner. It is a slightly warmer sounding and better sounding tuner than the Accuphase T-101 but not 8X better. My modded Accuphase is not warm, more of a very clear sound. The MD 108T has the worst reception of my 4 tuners. I use the MD Signal Sleuth with the MD 108T and it improves the reception.