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Tuners?

mufster said:
My T-2 is good, but I don't think it is performing as it should. Hence the reason i'm getting it recapped and aligned.

Will be interesting to find how it compares after the recap.

Paul
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Oh well. It appears the next tune its going to play is the death march...

Techy said the caps and electrolytes have had it and it does need aligning but he's not skilled enough to fix it. Hinted it would costs hundreds to put right. So when I get it back it gets a full service, funeral service that is and its going to the great tuner graveyard in the sky. Well, the refuse tip to be blunt.

Paul
 
You can find plenty of Arcam tuners available, many good ones for under £100. I picked up an Arcam Alpha 5 FM tuner for about £35-40 and it has played without a problem for two years now.
 
mufster said:
Oh well. It appears the next tune its going to play is the death march...

Techy said the caps and electrolytes have had it and it does need aligning but he's not skilled enough to fix it. Hinted it would costs hundreds to put right. So when I get it back it gets a full service, funeral service that is and its going to the great tuner graveyard in the sky. Well, the refuse tip to be blunt.

Paul
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Don't do that. List it on eBay with the problems identified and someone will purchase it for spare parts or to go through themselves and then have aligned. Would be a shame to junk such a great tuner.
 
MX117.MC7150 said:
Don't do that. List it on eBay with the problems identified and someone will purchase it for spare parts or to go through themselves and then have aligned. Would be a shame to junk such a great tuner.
Click to expand...

+1.

Did it really sound that bad? If not then keep it. There must be a tech somewhere in the UK who could fix it and align it. The fact that you said it is good means it's worth keeping surely?

I've no idea what states the caps are like in mine but because it sounds so damn good and has excellent RF performance I'm leaving it as it is.

Regards,
Nick
 
Well there could be someone in the UK who could fix it, but at hundreds of pounds? I cost me £120 so I could buy up to 3 more at that price and may get a good one. The problem is that this has also got gouges and scratches on the top so is it worthwhile spending loads on something that internally will be great, but externally look like a dogs dinner!

I'll probably loft it. As in stick it in the loft for a future fix it or throw it. I really would prefer not to get rid and selling it will be a nightmare. It weighs a ton. It'd probably end up costing me to sell it.

At least he fixed my mates Sony ST-S730ES which had a faulty FM digital meter. Still 80 mile round trip to pick up my mates tuner and a zombie tuner(living dead). Bah!

Paul
 
How bad are the scratches mufster? It still works so I'd definitely keep it. Perhaps worth phoning around or asking on UK forums for recognised local tuner repair businesses? I'm no expert but several hundred pounds seems like a lot of money to replace some capacitors and align a tuner.

Regards,
Nick
 
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Nick_G said:
How bad are the scratches mufster? It still works so I'd definitely keep it. Perhaps worth phoning around or asking on UK forums for recognised local tuner repair businesses? I'm no expert but several hundred pounds seems like a lot of money to replace some capacitors and align a tuner.

Regards,
Nick
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Hi Nick,

I recall reading that these tuners are a b!tch to work on. The important stuff is on the opposite side of the boards from where it opens. That means it has to be taken apart totally to get at all the components. I suppose it's like disassembling a car engine just to change the cylinder head gasket. An experience I'm all too familiar with. My Renault Safrane was exactly that! All that disassembly work takes time, and in this business, time is money. I'll have to start looking around but the guy who looked at it has been in the business for 30+ years and said he didn't know anyone who could do it. I mean, come on. These guys should know someone, if that someone exists. Which makes it even more worrying.

I won't send it to Londonsound as that guy had my ST-5000FW for over a year and charged me £500. Not an experience I want to repeat.

Paul
 
I heard that the boards are assembled upside down so would it be easier to access the boards by opening the case upside down?

How well does it pick up stations and does it really sound that bad?

Regards,
Nick
 
Nick_G said:
I heard that the boards are assembled upside down so would it be easier to access the boards by opening the case upside down?

How well does it pick up stations and does it really sound that bad?

Regards,
Nick
Click to expand...

It doesn't sound terrible, but it is quite some way down the list in how good it is compared with my other tuners. I have no idea how it sounds compared to a 'good' one or recapped one.

Paul
 
mufster said:
It doesn't sound terrible, but it is quite some way down the list in how good it is compared with my other tuners. I have no idea how it sounds compared to a 'good' one or recapped one.

Paul
Click to expand...

I suppose that's the worn out capacitors then. I hope you can find someone to fix it for you as it would be a crying shame to junk such a superb tuner.

Regards,
Nick
 
mufster said:
It doesn't sound terrible, but it is quite some way down the list in how good it is compared with my other tuners. I have no idea how it sounds compared to a 'good' one or recapped one.

Paul
Click to expand...

have you tried leaving it on 24/7 for a couple weeks? of all the tuna on your list, if i could have only one, the t-2 would be it. (assuming proper function, of course.)

doug s.
 
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doug s. said:
have you tried leaving it on 24/7 for a couple weeks? of all the tuna on your list, if i could have only one, the t-2 would be it. (assuming proper function, of course.)
doug s.
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The T-2 was originally built with some very good caps (Nichicon & Black Gates). Just an alignment might work wonders for it, unless you know for sure that there are other problems.
 
Interesting thread.

I listen to tuners often. For example right now: http://thistleradio.com/
I have 3 areas going now as I work on the house: Sansui TU-D99X tuner main house, HK TU 9200 Tuner in the work shop, and a Rotel tuner RT1080 in the 'man cave' under construction.

The best one is a Rotel 990 tuner now in the bed room, as is a Tivoli radio 1. The new Rotel 1080 is also very good.

A Luxman 5T50 Tuner is the oldest. I believe it is the first Lux digital and their top one that year.

I think all these tuners are good. The HK is not at the top of the list in sound but it has the best reception.

The Cambridge Audio all in one cd/radio for a boom box, outside or remote jobs.
 
KevinCorr said:
Interesting thread.

I listen to tuners often. For example right now: http://thistleradio.com/
I have 3 areas going now as I work on the house: Sansui TU-D99X tuner main house, HK TU 9200 Tuner in the work shop, and a Rotel tuner RT1080 in the 'man cave' under construction.

The best one is a Rotel 990 tuner now in the bed room, as is a Tivoli radio 1. The new Rotel 1080 is also very good.

A Luxman 5T50 Tuner is the oldest. I believe it is the first Lux digital and their top one that year.

I think all these tuners are good. The HK is not at the top of the list in sound but it has the best reception.

The Cambridge Audio all in one cd/radio for a boom box, outside or remote jobs.
Click to expand...

get the rotel rt990bx aligned, and it will have the best reception...

doug s.
 
doug- Do you know of some good tuner techs?

I probably could stick with where I mail gear for repair, True Sound, SF Bay area.

The snow is melting and it is almost time to put up a good antenna or two.
 
Doug: That is a great website for tuners!

I agree with those who point out that fm is not the best sounding format.
I use it as a convenience and to discover new music without the effort of doing research online.
I play music while doing other things so fm can be a short cut. For dedicated listening I use cds and LPs.
 
KevinCorr said:
I agree with those who point out that fm is not the best sounding format.
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When done well (good, aligned tuner, recapped if needed with a proper antenna and a decent broadcast), FM is just as satisfying as LPs, and, especially, CDs.
There is a shop in San Jose that has a tech that is highly skilled and gets good reviews on tuner work. Ask member 'Faux Hall' for details. He has used him with good results. There are techs and there are tuner techs. Generally a different skill set.
 
^ Yes, what he said. Certainly my Yamaha T-2 and Denon TU-800L can provide superb audio quality on the right broadcast. There is very good realism and sense of space and depth. These are my favourite tuners out of the ones I have.

Regards,
Nick
 
KevinCorr said:
Doug: That is a great website for tuners!

I agree with those who point out that fm is not the best sounding format.
I use it as a convenience and to discover new music without the effort of doing research online.
I play music while doing other things so fm can be a short cut. For dedicated listening I use cds and LPs.
Click to expand...
as others have said, fm rivals lp and cd for sound quality if the station is broadcasting an uncompressed signal and if the tuna is up to snuff. to those who point out "that fm is not the best sounding format", i point out to them that they are mistaken. i am not saying it is better than other formats, but it is as good. :music:

yes, the fmtunerinfo site is nice, as is the associated yahoo tuna forum. many knowledgeable enthusiasts, hobbyists and rf professionals contributing...

doug s.
 
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