damacman
Resident Psycho
I've eyeballed this tuner for a while as well as its a much better match to my C200 than my MR75. Glad to hear that you like it.
Tuners
- Thread starter 7.62
- Start date
I just chose the MR77 over the MR74 and others, partially on price. I had a MR71 I loved but the ex-wide got it. I have no local technicians so maintenance is a worry for tube gear.
I had it delivered to RadioX for a refurbishment. I doubt I'll be disappointed since most commenters rank the MR77 pretty close if not equal to the MR74 in sound quality. RFand AM are not problems here.
I have to admit, sexy looks are a big factor for me. I have a MA6200 next to it and both will be in wood cabinets.
I had it delivered to RadioX for a refurbishment. I doubt I'll be disappointed since most commenters rank the MR77 pretty close if not equal to the MR74 in sound quality. RFand AM are not problems here.
I have to admit, sexy looks are a big factor for me. I have a MA6200 next to it and both will be in wood cabinets.
7.62
Infinity nutcase.
I'll kinda spill the beans here, I grew up in the Radio Shack era so my idea of audio was Mach One's, Pioneer, Marantz...Etc. I didn't get serious about audio until hitting the 5.0 mark. I thought McIntosh was a computer..LOL. The C-26 I bought 5 years ago was my first McIntosh piece. I was impatient, experimenting still and because of a bad phono section I let it go.
I still consider it one of the worst decisions I've made in my audio journey.
I figure since I've finally settled on my speaker choice, it's time to drop some coin and get that sound back that McIntosh provides, it's etched in my brain and you guys know what I'm talking about. So the issue now is, they're all damn sexy but I only get one.....dammit.
I still consider it one of the worst decisions I've made in my audio journey.
I figure since I've finally settled on my speaker choice, it's time to drop some coin and get that sound back that McIntosh provides, it's etched in my brain and you guys know what I'm talking about. So the issue now is, they're all damn sexy but I only get one.....dammit.
kevzep
Its all about the Music
I just swapped my MR78 out of my main system and put the MR80 in, well, yeah I have to say the sound reproduction from the MR80 is excellent, its tighter, and has more clarity and well as a more open top end....best sounding tuner I have ever heard...
I'm going to look at the de-emphasis on the MR78, we in New Zealand here are 50µS, and I feel McIntosh haven't got it quite right, there probably aren't that many 50µS MR78's out there and was a small market, so might not have looked into it as much as the USA 75µS standard......
I was a Japanese Receiver junkie, and to be fair, some of the high end Pioneer and Sansui tuners i had, were/are very very good and cannot be underestimated!!
I'm going to look at the de-emphasis on the MR78, we in New Zealand here are 50µS, and I feel McIntosh haven't got it quite right, there probably aren't that many 50µS MR78's out there and was a small market, so might not have looked into it as much as the USA 75µS standard......
I was a Japanese Receiver junkie, and to be fair, some of the high end Pioneer and Sansui tuners i had, were/are very very good and cannot be underestimated!!
damacman
Resident Psycho
kev - this has been my experience as well. Bring back the tuner wars!
twiiii
Lunatic Member
I recently had my MR-80 up dated and it sounds great. But if you have stations stacked next to each other there is only one tuner to have and thats a MR-78. I have owned or installed every tuner Mac made from an MR55, to the MR-80 and all the tuner pre-amps from the 110 to the MX-117 including the slim lines. For a tube unit the 110 has a special sound, though I didn't like any of the tube units because I could hear the MPX sub carrier. Folks loved the 112 and 113, though I preferred the 77. Its problem was selectivity and separating the strong station from the weak ones. Other wise it was a great sounding tuner. MY next purchase was a MR-80 and it was fantastic, and still is. I got an opportunity to get a 78 for next to nothing. Its still purring along today and I imagine it could using some serving, but it does the job for back ground music and a little news on the hour. One of our stations broadcasts classical music using Dolby B noise reduction. For which I had an old decoder. But it quit so the 80 and 78 have to do without. Its still great listeing.
7.62
Infinity nutcase.
The tuner wars was definitely a cool time, our local guy here has a Fricking gold mine of vintage stuff from those days. By far the coolest piece I've seen there Tuner wise is his Sansui (don't hold me to the model number) but I think it's a 99000. It's Fricking huge with the Amplifier piece. Seriously Impressive piece. It's stacked with a bunch of other equipment and you Can't miss it. It's not for sale I've asked him what he'd take and it's a showpiece....period.
When he test stuff for you if your buying anything, it goes thru one of Pioneers big boys though I'm not sure of the model.
Again Thanks for the great info, I've narrowed it down to the 77 or the 74. Especially with that last post the 77 may be the winner.
When he test stuff for you if your buying anything, it goes thru one of Pioneers big boys though I'm not sure of the model.
Again Thanks for the great info, I've narrowed it down to the 77 or the 74. Especially with that last post the 77 may be the winner.
Oh i don't know about that
I have a mint extra Sansui TU-717 and MR 7082 just sitting around here doing nothing...
I don't listen to the radio at home
kevzep
Its all about the Music
Hello Kev, is that my former MR78? I'm surprised to read this... I thought you were an MR78 loyalist to the bitter end, LOL.
To be honest, I've never compared the 78 & 80 A/B. I still have my Modaferri modded MR78, which I'm still most satisfied with.
Many, many years ago, I had a C28, 2505, MR77 combination. A couple years after the C33 came out, I acquired one of those. At the time you could purchase the then newer style knobs and side rails from Mac.
I bought enough to outfit both my 77 & 2505. I must admit, the MR77 with the newer style knobs was stunning. It looked very much like an MR78 without a bezel. You may consider this same treatment for your 77.
I don't think that you'll be disappointed.
BTW, the 77 is a great tuner. That's a fine pair you've got there.
kevzep
Its all about the Music
Oh yes it is, I was very surprised at the difference, the MR80 is one seriously good tuner, I don't want to admit it, but I think it has the edge in sound quality. I do like the MR78, I love the look, the styling, but its just the top end which I think is not quite right, I will be putting on my analyzer and looking at the de-emphasis, I think I will be able to correct it.
Also, I am living in a different area now and I am 40 miles away from the tower where the transmitters are which I listen to, I am also a little ways down a valley, I have a seriously high gain outdoor antenna and the 78 has a bit of trouble pulling in some of the stations, and sadly the one I listen to the most, so the MR80 will have to stay as the main tuner because it's easily pulling in these stations.
I will be aligning the 78 too, I have noticed the tuning meter is a bit off, so it might be the discriminator is a little out....But I will check it.....
None of this was an issue if course when I was living 10 miles away and in the line of sight to the transmitters....
My experience corresponds with what Kevin reports. Not to disparage the MR78 which is an excellent tuner. But the MR80 had a very slight edge in sonics and noise rejection. For classic tuner looks, it's difficult to top the MR78 though.
DOB had an MR80 himself (upper right of photo).
DOB had an MR80 himself (upper right of photo).
kevzep
Its all about the Music
That is very true, it is indeed difficult to top the look and styling of the MR78.
It's 9:17am here and I am sitting right on front of my system listening to a radio show they call the Vault, 10 great songs from one great year, this morning its 1971, the MR80 is pulling it in nice and clear, the background is completely quiet, it doesn't sound like "radio".
Go the MR80!!
It's 9:17am here and I am sitting right on front of my system listening to a radio show they call the Vault, 10 great songs from one great year, this morning its 1971, the MR80 is pulling it in nice and clear, the background is completely quiet, it doesn't sound like "radio".
Go the MR80!!
damacman
Resident Psycho
Yeah but you're listening to even decimaled stations over there - those sound better than the odd decimaled stations we have here kev - duh!
kevzep
Its all about the Music
Oh actually yeah that's interesting, I know in USA they are all odd, BUT here, we have both!! The station I am listening to right now, is 104.9...but thats on my Sansui G7700 in the lab, I really need to sort that out....
damacman
Resident Psycho
Care to give us an update on the MR85?
It continues to improve as it settles in, very good easy listening.
I just sit there with no desire to play any other source. The only thing it lack is a remote, but I only have two nice jazz channels anyway, so not a big deal.
I just saw a nice one go on EBay this weekend for $995, a hundred less than I paid for mine, so I guess I didn't do too bad on the price.
damacman
Resident Psycho
It looks like Audio Classics has a special buy on NOS units ... Been eyeing one ...
I've got a Modafferi modified MR74 and an MR88. Both great in their own respects. The MR74 with the sensitivity and stereo filtering options is handy when pulling in those hard to reach stations. I went back and forth when I got an MR88 and ultimately kept the MR88 in the system, it does a better job of DXing and the HD sub-channels along with XM are nice. The MR74 is in storage awaiting use in a second system. Had I not got the MR88 for a great deal on the used market I would have zero complaints about the MR74.
