New Accuphase T-1200 Tuner Now Shipping

[Vinyl Rules!]

http://www.accuphase.com/cat/t-1200_e.pdf

It sure looks good, but it should for $9,500 MSRP.

Like all really good tuners, one can adjust the IF bandwidth. From their brochure:

“The IF BANDWIDTH selector of the T-1200 provides a choice of six settings (50, 75, 100, 150, 250, 500 kHz). Normally, a wider bandwidth setting is preferable in terms of performance characteristics, but by restricting the bandwidth, noise can be reduced in certain situations, making it easier to obtain a good quality signal from a station affected by interference from a strong adjacent station.

“The variable bandwidth IF filter is implemented using a FIR (Finite Impulse Response) type digital filter with perfectly linear phase characteristics, thereby eliminating the phase shift that can occur with conventional IF bandwidth filters.”

I would love to read a well-written review of this one.

 

[radioactive]

i want

 

[restorer-john]

I need a radio for the garage...

 

[arts]

Considering just how much ''high quality'' broadcasting still exists (and I am talking strictly sound here,not content) I would absolutely love to know how they came to the conclusion that this product was a viable marketing decision.

 

[the_nines]

Gorgeous piece.

Must sound amazing.

 

[39cross]

Wow, quite the tuner. It would be neat (though it would never happen) if there was an external MPX adapter based on this tuner.

Stereo separation
100 Hz- 65 dB
1 kHz - 65 dB
10 kHz - 50 dB

 

[rcs16]

At $9,500 MSRP, I am sure a good part of that $ is NRE.
Say, they sell a 100 of them to rich folks who like to brag about their new tuner = $950K- (mfg costs=100*500) = $900K, not too bad of an investment if my math is in the ball park.
A couple of good EE's at $100K/year = $200K+ investment.
I would bet that in parts/mfg costs maybe $250-500 on a good day.
I doubt that they even had to make a custom chip(s), use off the shelf parts.
Think about it, the RF FE(VCO/mixer) is cheap to build, a really good ADC,DSP(code), DAC, PS, enclosure.
Silicon Labs make chips that do essentially the same thing for $25 in 1pcs qty.

 

[39cross]

Looks like you have a business opportunity!

 

[rcs16]

Not me I am retired from this stuff.

 

[Max77]

Even at half that price I can't see giving up my MR-88 with all the different bands it offers. I'm sure it sounds nice and I'm a fan of FM, but outside of the 88-92 band, it's not really worth $9,500 to listen to mp3s over the air.

 

[Archguy]

Good God.

You know I think sometimes Accuphase does things just because they can.

 

[39cross]

We have a few quality stations in our area. It would be very interesting to hear what this can do with their signals.
Hmm...let's see...if this costs 10K and I live another 20 years, why that's $500 a year...although my heirs would be able to get something back on reselling it.

 

[rcs16]

What surprises me is that it has no display for RDS/RDBS information. Even my el cheapo Si4735 radio design does RDS/RDBS decoding and display. I wonder why they did not include this modern day feature?
Also no mention of IBOC decoding, another puzzler.
The RF FE uses a input attenuator vs bypassing the RF amp to reduce the gain/IM distortion in the mixer. I think the RF amp bypass method would be a better choice imo.
So the feature set is based on older technology. I think they missed out on important features in a modern day high end FM tuner.

 

[Nick_G]

I do wonder how the BW Broadcast RBRX Encore would compare to the latest Accuphase. The Accuphase might better in in audio quality but the Encore is so much more flexible.

 

[musichal]

Considering just how much ''high quality'' broadcasting still exists (and I am talking strictly sound here,not content) I would absolutely love to know how they came to the conclusion that this product was a viable marketing decision.

My first thought, too. Were I rich, I might consider buying one for its quality and appearance. However, that would have to be despite current, common broadcasting practices... and despite most station's content, too. A lot to overlook for the outlay, seems to me. I'd have to be very wealthy; even then I'd likely choose something else. OTOH, it is a beauty... and I've blown a lot more than that for beauty even as a po' boy. Wasn't audio beauty, though.

 

[USA Soccer]

Sweet piece; I would buy with the proper financial resources...

 

[jlovda]

The spec sheet looks a like my Technics ST-G7. Also, for that price it should have included a RF spectrum analyzer similar to the Sequerra. You need eye candy to help justify the price.

 

[USA Soccer]

Its pretty sexy...

 

[ap14608]

I purchased a used Accuphase t-1100 off of eBay last year, and that still cost me pretty penny. My goal at the time was to gracefully put my Tandberg 3001A into semi-retirement from daily use and replace it with something that would have similar longevity and quality.

I haven’t fully digested what is “new” in the t-1200 yet, be that as it may, I am pleased enough with the t-1100, and I have better places to spend $10k at the moment.

Look on the bright side, you may start seeing used t-1100’s for more reasonable prices

 

[Vinyl Rules!]

What surprises me is that it has no display for RDS/RDBS information. Even my el cheapo Si4735 radio design does RDS/RDBS decoding and display. I wonder why they did not include this modern day feature?
Also no mention of IBOC decoding, another puzzler.
The RF FE uses a input attenuator vs bypassing the RF amp to reduce the gain/IM distortion in the mixer. I think the RF amp bypass method would be a better choice imo.
So the feature set is based on older technology. I think they missed out on important features in a modern day high end FM tuner.

It does not surprise me the T-1200 Accuphase does not support RBDS(RDS)/IBOC as I don’t think any of the features are available in Japan’s domestic FM market. AFAIK, the US was the only country in the world stupid enough to approve the abomination known as IBOC (Idiots Broadcasting Over-hyped Crap!).

I think Accuphase is focused on their home market and see no need for such useless technologies like IBOC, DAB, and DAB+. The frequency modulation radio broadcast band in Japan is 76-95 MHz. The 90-108 MHz section was used for television for VHF channels1, 2 and 3 until the analog shutdown occurred on July 24, 2011. The narrowness of the Japanese band (19 MHz compared to slightly more than 20 MHz for the CCIR band) limits the number of FM stations that can be accommodated on the dial.

In late 2013, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications published a report proposing the expansion of the FM band to 95 MHz. Many stations that had been previously only available on the AM band were issued preliminary licenses to broadcast from 90-95 MHz. The first station to go on air in the expanded band was Nankai Broadcasting, which began test broadcasts on 91.7 FM on November 3, 2014.