Anyone heard a Sony ST-S3000(ES)?

[FauxHall]

I see a clean one on the German auction site that looks pretty nice if pricey. It has just about the same form factor and general styling as my HAP-S1 so they might make a tidy stack together.

I checked the Sony specs against my ST-SA5ES and they are pretty close, the major differences are a 10 dB better stereo S/N, 15 bD better stereo separation. and a smidgen lower distortion for the SA5ES. For manufacturer's specifications, a lot has to do with the tuning labor costs - the more expensive unit will have higher technician costs and tighter parts tolerances.

I have one decent FM station here and separation is not an issue nor is signal strength. I wouldn't say they put out an audiophile-quality signal but it is listenable.

Anyone with experience with the little Sony?

 

[rcs16]

10 dB S/N is a big deal.
It all has to do with circuit design and choice of parts.

 

[FauxHall]

I've heard a couple of very low noise (high S/N) tuners and they sounded stepped on and dull. My takeaway was that low noise designs could be too much of a good thing.

Ordered the little Sony so will report after a good listen.

 

[FauxHall]

Got the ST-3000ES installed and playing. Sounds great!

I have a decent signal strength with no multipath so RF performance is not an issue. The sound is classic Sony - clear, full, and strong. No noise problem noted with.

The only downside is the champagne finish doesn't closely match the silver of my new hi-res Sony components although the other design elements are fine. Another shortcoming is no remote control but that doesn't matter as I have only one station I listen to.

BTW, the tuner is clearly marked as "ES" and the marking looks like factory original.