Tuner choices - McIntosh, Sony, or Yamaha?

FauxHall

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Got the tuner bug again. Going to sell my two Sonys - TA-SA5ES and TA-S3000ES. Both are "good enough" tuners but I can reach a little higher and match the other components a little better cosmetically.

Here's my thoughts:

1) McIntosh MR-74 - got a MA6200 to match and the MR74 is supposedly the best sounding solid state Mac.

2) Sony ST-5000FW - love the sound quality and the silver face will match my other Sony pieces.

3) Yamaha CT-7000 - a real physical beauty and sound quality is supposedly special.

RF signal is pretty good in my apartment and no adjacent or adjoining stations so RF performance not a big concern.

Opinions? Experiences?
 
I've owned several MR74s and I agree they do sound quite good. Currently, I have an MR75 which is a perfect match to the MA6200 and it sounds quite nice as well. MR77 is also a stellar performer. The MR78 & MR80 get all the press but you really can't go wrong with any of these.

Be sure and budget for a tune up and alignment with any vintage tuner.
 
I have a Sony ST-5000FW, and it's a great tuner. I don't listen to a ton of radio, but I really enjoy the sound and looks of it. I replaced the power supply caps in mine for longevity, but the thing is built like a tank.
 
I am not a big Mac fan in general -- but they made some fine tuners.
I use an MR-67 and I am very happy with it.
 
All those tuners would be good. The MR-74 would probably the most worry free. CT-7000 is prone to power supply issues due to heat and the Sony's MPX section and be difficult to source pesky coils that are prone to failure.

And of the McIntosh solid state tuners, the MR 74 is the best tuner they made for listening. It was designed by the McIntosh designers which did each stage best. It's very sensitive, has good selectivity, and maintainable. And worry free. Agree with Punker X here highly.
 
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Just plotted the schematic for the CT-7000 and was delighted to find an internal switch to change de-emphasis. That saves a trip to the tech if I buy from the US.
 
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I had mac mr77 and it sounded remarkable and musical. FM was a pleasure to listen to. My friend has one now and feels its close to sounding like a cd as a tuner can be.
Had a Mac 4280 receiver and again fell the tuner section was stellar...just so enjoyable to listen to fm.
I think mac tuners are great!
 
My vote would be McIntosh MR78, I like the sound of the MR80, but it is very temperamental and needs several updates to make it run reliably, hence my MR80 sits idle most of the time.
I bought my MR78 about 4 years ago, gets used daily, its great, very sensitive, great selectivity, very musical,I love the classic look.
The only problem with them is they are one of those legend products, so they can be a bit overpriced.

No De-emphisis switch though, you have to change out a couple of caps, I have the service information for that though, as I am in New Zealand where we are 50µS....

I liked the sound of the SX-1980 tuner I was working on the other day, what an awesome sound they pull in....
I think the tuner only is the TX9800....they are a very complex tuner and can have some issues if they have been fiddled with, but if its running right, brilliant!! I'd have one in a second!! Different sound than the MR78 though...

My 2 cents....
 
I'm chasing down a MR77 down. The shop in upstate NY thinks they can do the de-emphasis change before shipping to me in Abu Dhabi.

Deal is not sealed yet so fingers crossed!
 
So far no hope of finding a tech to change de-emphasis here in the UAE. The one tech recommended butchered my McIntosh MA6200 so no work for him.

The MR77 deal looks like it is a no-go. They are having qualms about shipping internationally.

There's a very clean Sony ST-5000FW from the UK I'm eyeing on eBay now. My ex-wife holds on to mine in California - boohoo. It would match the new Sony pieces I have - the HAPZ1ES and the TA-A1ES. Kinda nice to have Sony's first real statement ES piece and their absolutely latest and greatest in one system.
 
Just won a MR77

I'll have it shipped to PunkerX for a restoration then to me in Abu Dhabi.

My MA6200 is operational now too. They will make a pretty pair in my apartment.
 
I just enjoy one station: Abu Dhabi Classic. My favorite is a program called "Dinner Jazz" in the evenings. The DJ is live and has a lovely voice. Music sound quality is fine and she takes requests.

There are others which some of my visitors enjoy, like Virgin for contemporary pop.

Dinner Jazz snip (1).jpg
 
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My vote would be McIntosh MR78, I like the sound of the MR80, but it is very temperamental and needs several updates to make it run reliably, hence my MR80 sits idle most of the time.
I bought my MR78 about 4 years ago, gets used daily, its great, very sensitive, great selectivity, very musical,I love the classic look.
The only problem with them is they are one of those legend products, so they can be a bit overpriced.

No De-emphisis switch though, you have to change out a couple of caps, I have the service information for that though, as I am in New Zealand where we are 50µS....

I liked the sound of the SX-1980 tuner I was working on the other day, what an awesome sound they pull in....
I think the tuner only is the TX9800....they are a very complex tuner and can have some issues if they have been fiddled with, but if its running right, brilliant!! I'd have one in a second!! Different sound than the MR78 though...

My 2 cents....

Only thing MR 78 does better than MR 74 is selectivity. On Super Narrow in an overcrowded reception area, is where it excels. It's audio is nowhere near as fine as the MR 74 is for listening. As Richard Modafferi designed all of it, his RF designs are better than his audio design work of the time.
 
My big uncertainty was how much better sounding is the MR74 compared to the MR77. The circuits looked roughly similar except that the MR77 did not have an AM section. The lack of AM could explain the price difference when both were new at the same time.

Anyone with direct experience? In any case, Mike is going to make my MR77 sound sweeter than new.
 
Only thing MR 78 does better than MR 74 is selectivity. On Super Narrow in an overcrowded reception area, is where it excels. It's audio is nowhere near as fine as the MR 74 is for listening. As Richard Modafferi designed all of it, his RF designs are better than his audio design work of the time.

Yes agreed, in my new area of residence, I only have about three radios stations to contend with across the FM band, so I have selectivity on Normal, when I was in town, I had to use it on super narrow, super crowded bandwidth....
I'd like to hear a MR74....maybe one day, their performance keeps coming up in FM discussions...
 
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