TUNERS..anyone?

Thanks for all the great responses.
I've read this thread over several times and I've spent alot of time on eBay getting to know some of the tuners mentioned here.
I really like the looks of the Mac tuners.Specifically the MR-74 and MR-75.They go for such high prices though its scary!
I like the looks of the Sansui TU-717 quite a bit also.
They go for MUCH less than the Macs do of course.
Now,question....What would I be getting in sound quality with a Mac compared to the Sansui? Am I paying for the build,fit and finish of the Mac with some nostalgia thrown in for good measure? Will the Sansui hold its own against a Mac?? Which one would have better reception?
Thanks all,this is really helping alot!

One more thing..a friend is pushing me towards a Accuphase T-100..comments??

David, I would suggest you join this Yahoo group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FMtuners/, as well as spend time on the afore mentioned Vintage Tuner site. This Yahoo group is dedicated to FM tuner users and there is a lot of experience there.

The vintage Mac's have a wonderful reputation and there are people that can steer you to which are better than others. From what little I have read, the Sansui may have the advantage at pulling in stations, but depending on the model, some Mac's will have an advantage in sound.

I own a Sansui, though I am not using it, and I can attest to it's ability to pull in stations.

Also, those that are really into FM listening fall into two groups, some like to find a happy medium, DX'ers and audiophiles. Audiophiles want the best sound possible from their tuners while DX'ers want to pull in as many stations as they can and from as far as they can.

This link, http://www.amfmdx.net/fmdx/tuners.html, ranks some tuners in "Top of the line", "Excellent", "Very good" and "Solid performers" in regards to DXing. The TU-717 falls under Very good, two Mac's are listed under Solid performers. Keep in mind, this is DX rating, not audiophile.

well,I came in my thread to dust the cob webs a bit.
as long as Im here I might as well tell ya all I bought a Mac MR-74.in fact,I just got it today and Im listening to it right now.
Its mint..MINT and it looks and SOUNDS AWESOME!!
my dealer hooked me up with it and gave me a price I couldnt resist.
I did bid on the accuphase T-100 but the price went a bit too high for my comfort level.
I'm very happy with the MR-74 and plan on keeping it around for a while.
It has a very clean and sweet midrange,nice deep bass and throws an impressive soundstage.
I still lacks good slam in the kick drum but it is better than my 1A
Im still using the rat shack antenna but the 74 pulls them in better than the 1A
on most stations the signal strength meter shows it gets it up to 8/10...wish I was as lucky!
does anyone know an interconnect that has a history of being a good match with a Mac tuner?
Im useing alpha-core micro purl silver right now.
also,I went to the 'wanted to buy' but I see thats on hold for now.I'm looking for a MR-74 owners manual.If anyone can sell me one,cool.
mario-thanks for finding me this beautiful tuner and the ALWAYS great price! info@tfta.com

David - Glad to hear you have become a proud owner of a
McIntosh tuner. I'm sure it will bring you many hours of
listening pleasure.
As the owner of a MR-73 myself, I would like to suggest
a possible interconnect to use. I'm not sure what sort of
electronics you have other than than the tuner. In my case,
I have a McIntosh Pre and Amp; and I'm using the Transparent
MusicLink Plus between my Tuner and Pre. It sounds very
open and detailed; and on local stations where they don't
process or compress the music, everything sounds very
natural. In fact, two people I know personally are hosts
on our local clasical station - and when they are on the
air their voices sound just like would if they were at my
home or office.
I might also mention that the slightly less expesive
Transparent MusicLink also has a very similar sound. In
fact, I was using the MusicLink for several months before
upgrading to the MusicLink Plus. If you check around here
on Audiogon, you will find both of these ICs turning up
used fairly often.
As for a manual for your tuner, you might want to call
McIntosh directly and see if they have one available. If
not, try Audio Classics - which is a great source for Mac
gear and literature.