Are Tuners - Audiophile quality

Hi, there, DCAudio. You ask a good question. There are certainly some audiophile-grade tuners that are still available, such as the Sequerra and Tandberg. However, the real problem in most places in the U.S. isn't the tuner, it's the broadcast signal. There are very few cities in the US where FM stations still send a clean, uncompressed signal, and even when they do, multipath distortion can be a huge problem (I'm told that NYC is one of the worst for multipath due to the skyscrapers). Maybe you live in an area that has one or more excellent FM stations, but my bet is that most compress their broadcast signals, which essentially negates the reason for having a top-quality tuner. Before you invest a lot of money in a classic tuner (the consensus is that the analog tuners, as a class, were better than the digital tuners), find out more about your local "source material". If you find that you have access to some high-quality broadcast signals, then the first thing you should do is a get a good external antenna and see how it works with your current tuner. If all goes well, then explore getting a better tuner.

The Magnum 108 is the finest source piece I have ever heard.
Actually beyond the sound of any high-end CD player or player/DAC I've owned.

If you are not sure you want to sink some major $$$ at first, and want a hint of audiophile quality. Find a used Onkyo "Integra". The mid 80s models sell on eBay from $50 to $100. (from low to high: T4017, T4057, T4087); the early 1990 models from $100 to $150 (T4500, T4700. T407). The newest is the T4711 has RDS $250 used. The best ever is the T9090-II which is going to be $350+ used. There is also a T9090 for about $250. Also get some decent interconnect cables.

i agree with SD... get an outside antenna. wow. i bought the outside magnum dynalab antenna audiogon sells. absolutely astonishing.

i'm using a marantz 20/20 i bought for around $60 on ebay. it rocks. it sounds sooo much like tubes. nice, deep, luscious. i know people will balk but what can i say? there's something beautiful and exciting about the smokey, deep sound it produces. i could spend a lot more but i wont. it's amazing.

anyone have experience with this one?

Thank you everyone. I do not feel as stupid as I did when I posted it. I have had my tuner connected to my big TV antenna, 30 feet above the roof. The TV antenna did not make any improvement. Sounds like rabbit ears. I live close to downtown Washington DC. Maybe the issue is bandwidth from the radio stations.