Magnum Dynalab tuner

Clipdat
Clipdat Posts: 12,934
edited September 2020 in 2 Channel Audio
Someone talk me out of buying a Magnum Dynalab tuner exclusively to listen to the local Jazz station 91.1 KCSM.

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  • tratliff
    tratliff Posts: 1,701
    I would like to add one to my system. Have looked at them for years but then realize I wouldn’t use it all that often.
    2 Channel Rosso Fiorentino Volterra II, 2 REL Carbon Limited, Norma Revo IPA-140B, Lumin U2 Mini, VPI Prime w/SoundSmith Zephyr MIMC, Modwright PH 150, Denon DP-59l w/Denon DL-301MKII, WAY Silver 3 Ana+ Speaker Cables, WAY Silver 4+ Interconnect Cables, AudioQuest Niagara 7000 w/Dragon and Hurricane Power Cables
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  • maxward
    maxward Posts: 1,577
    Great tuners. However, the reason for buying one seems weak, except for the look and ability to do meter gazing. If you want to give FM a try, I have a vintage Hafler Iris that I’m looking to find a new home for. PM me if you have any interest. Otherwise, I will put it up for sale here soon. Nice station, by the way.
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  • msg
    msg Posts: 10,013
    I'm not going to try to talk you out of it, because there's something to be said for jazz and blues broadcast from a solid quality local radio station. I can't describe it any better than to say there's simply a life and body to the music that is unmatched by its streaming digital counterpart. It's not difficult to hear the difference, either - night and day.

    My frustration with FM is the hiss. My understanding is it's antenna and signal strength. Sometimes, I can manage it, others, with the older stuff, I just disable stereo and it cleans up perfectly, but then you lose stereo, so it depends on the source material. Just a heads up on what you might be getting into.

    The Crane FM Reflect is a nice upgrade from the basic dipole, and an outdoor omni-directional set up indoors works sometimes, too, but good luck with the WAF on that. Might be able to work that out in your attic somehow.

    @mhardy6647 any input?
    I disabled signatures.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,440
    APS 13 antenna if you can find one.
    A great antenna makes a huge difference.
    Thete are many great tuners out there. Kenwood, Yamaha, Sansui just to name a few.
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    That was going to be one of my follow up inquires, the influence of the antenna choice on overall signal quality. Sounds like there is more to consider than simply attaching a cheap wire antenna that will pick up the signal.

    Also, stupid question, does putting a tuner into one's system and attaching an FM antenna to it increase that "harmful EMF/interference" that we try so hard to mitigate with shielded interconnects, power conditioners, etc?
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  • Jazzhead
    Jazzhead Posts: 533
    Nice tuner.

    Years ago, because we live in a somewhat isolated area I put up a very large TV antenna high on the rooftop chimney (a Channel Master I think) pointed at the nearest city which is about 100 miles away. I still use it for grabbing university radio stations and sometimes OTA TV (we usually stream). I've not noticed any EMF problems with other gear.
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  • bikezappa
    bikezappa Posts: 2,463
    Go for it and get a directional antenna with rotor. Have a blast.
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    lol @bikezappa I'm in an apartment so that's a no-go for now :)
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,440
    Also, stupid question, does putting a tuner into one's system and attaching an FM antenna to it increase that "harmful EMF/interference" that we try so hard to mitigate with shielded interconnects, power conditioners, etc?

    No I used to have a huge deep fringe antenna on a tower and rotor, it didn't affect anything. The use of quad shielded quality coax is very important IMHO
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    Thanks for the tip, Ivan!
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  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,582
    You want me to pick this up for you???
    https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/ele/d/lake-oswego-knight-kn-137m-am-fm-tube/7204730438.html
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
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    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)

    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
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  • ZLTFUL
    ZLTFUL Posts: 5,648
    If he doesn't, I might...
    "Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."

    "Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    Go for it, Ryan.
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    Appreciate the thought @audioluvr - good looking out.
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  • marvda1
    marvda1 Posts: 4,901
    if i was just going to listen to one station i would go for a vintage kenwood or pioneer tuner.
    Amplifiers: Norma IPA 140, MasterSound Compact 845, Ayre v6xe, Consonance Cyber 800
    Preamp: deHavilland Ultraverve 3
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    Power Cables: Argento Organic Reference, Synergistic Research Foundation 10 and 12 ga.
    Digital cables: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2 bnc, Tellurium Q aes, Silnote Audio Poseidon Signature 2 bnc
    Puritan PSM156
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  • Mike Reeter
    Mike Reeter Posts: 4,315
    FM Jazz with Tubes, oh yeah B) I recall in my youth, laying in bed at night listening to the Underground FM Stations till the wee hours.
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  • bikezappa
    bikezappa Posts: 2,463
    If in an apartment try a set of rabbit ears for an antenna for FM
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  • maxward
    maxward Posts: 1,577
    And he said that it’s a local station. It may not be necessary to go with anything more than a dipole. I’d also go with some vintage tuner in this case. Yamaha, Onkyo and Sansui also had some good ones.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,440
    magnum dynalab actually used to make a long whip antenna for FM that worked well I had heard for apartmant folks...yep still looks like it's valuable.

    http://www.magnumdynalab.com/st-2-omnidirectional-fm-antenna/
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    When I use my Onkyo AVR with a simple bare wire style antenna attached to the FM antenna input, it picks the station up loud and clear with no issues. So I am not sure I need a super fancy antenna.
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    Yeah I probably don't need to spend too much for this little project, but then I feel like if I'm going to put something into the system I want something in near-mint condition with exceptional audio quality. I honestly think I am neurotic or OCD and should probably be in a padded cell.
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,148
    And if you get the 'super fancy' tuner, you might as well get the 'super fancy' antenna ;) Maybe they could mount it for you outside the window of your padded cell :D
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    How is @mhardy6647 absent from this thread? Shouldn't his spidey sense be tingling?

    Doc do we need to adjust your rabbit ears?
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  • maxward
    maxward Posts: 1,577
    The padded cell is at the bottom of every hobby’s rabbit hole, and it’s pretty crowded in there.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,440
    edited September 2020
    Clipdat wrote: »
    When I use my Onkyo AVR with a simple bare wire style antenna attached to the FM antenna input, it picks the station up loud and clear with no issues. So I am not sure I need a super fancy antenna.

    Onkyo had some darn nice tuners.... several of which are highly regarded on
    https://fmtunerinfo.com/

    A place I always go to when I'm looking at a tuner highly informational
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  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,582
    I want to recommend a Carver tuner but surely someone here will bash that
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)

    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,440
    edited September 2020
    I had two tx11b and tx12. My Sansui 719 stomps them both. I did like the tx11b, it needed work. Work was going to be 300+$, someone offered me 400 for it. They knew the issue and was ok so I sold it. I had 275 in it. They're pretty rare these days.
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,086
    Where's Mr Hardy with the Yamaha T-2 and TX-2000 gospel?
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • tonyp063
    tonyp063 Posts: 1,083
    I'm not mhardy, & I didn't stay at a Holiday in last night, but I've held a ham radio license for a goodly bit. So.

    The magnalab antenna above, being a coil loaded 1/2 wave vertical, has the same freespace gain as a dipole. To get more gain, you'll need to go directional.

    It, and that typical plastic T-shaped loop we all know, have the virtue of being, relatively, small when compare to a true 1/2 or full wave antenna.
    For fm radio, that's about 3 meters, give or take.

    I'd try it with a simple piece of wire. It's about how much signal the first stage gets. And "enough is enough"
    I've gotten OTA tv with a paper clip for an antenna.

    If it doesn't work, there then are options
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    An Arcam tuner popped up on TMR for $186 shipped: https://tmraudio.com/vintage/tuners/arcam-fmj-t31-digital-am-fm-rds-tuner-t-31-remote/

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