Our contributor Paul Baptista compiled a list of "vintage receivers with decent tuners inside," and we've been gradually adding to it. Here's Paul:
"Why a receiver? Because it is only one unit instead of a two-, three- or four-box solution. [A two-box solution is an integrated amp and standalone tuner, a three-box solution is a preamp (or source selector with volume) with amplifier and stand-alone tuner, and a four-box solution is using two mono amps.] There are no interconnect cables with their associated cost and signal degradation; signal paths are shorter; there is only one AC plug, another cost saving; and finally, a receiver takes up less space on furniture or shelves. The reality is that a receiver has plenty of compromises and rarely includes a good amp AND a good preamp AND a good tuner, but there are some exceptions. Some receivers have decent tuners inside, and they are the focus of this list. Some receivers listed here even have better tuners than many stand-alone tuners. There are several manufacturers that probably have good tuner sections in their receivers but are not listed here only because I didn't have any information on them.
In determining the criteria to use to identify whether a given receiver had a good tuner inside, I decided on the following list, in no particular order. Of course, these criteria are all questionable as true indications of a good tuner, but they should be a good starting point.
1) Four or more FM gangs
2) Three or more ceramic filters (4 or more is better)
3) Good FM-related specs if I could find them (let's assume that the manufacturer didn't fudge the numbers)
4) Decent FM chipset
5) Wide/Narrow IF bandwidth selection (DX mode)
So here is a list that will grow with factual input from others. Please post your suggested additions to this list in the FMtuners group. If anyone knows which tube receivers have good tuners inside, please let us know."
Thanks Paul. We've already made some additions to your original list.
Kenwood
Kenwood KR-5200. This model has 4 FM gangs according to the user manual .
Kenwood KR-5600. This model has 4 FM gangs, according to our contributor Ray.
Kenwood KR-6200. The user manual claims 4 gangs.
Kenwood KR-6400. This model has 4 FM gangs according to the user manual.
Kenwood KR-7600. This model has 4 gangs.
Kenwood KR-9600. This receiver has 5 FM gangs, which is commendable in a standalone tuner and rather exceptional for a receiver. Some of its quoted specs, particularly for sensitivity, surpass Kenwood's specs for stand-alone tuners like the KT-7500.
Kenwood KR-6050, KR-7050, and KR-8050 have wide/narrow IF selection. The KR-7050 has 5 ceramic filters, two of which have a 180 kHz bandwidth and are used in Narrow mode.
Kenwood KR-6160. I have been told that this model has 4 gangs.
Luxman
Luxman R-115 and R-117. According to a contributor, these remote-controlled receivers have identical 4-gang tuners, with tuning specs generally within 5% of the same-generation T-117 tuner. Built in the mid-1980s, the R-115 and R-117 feature wide/narrow bandwidth settings and switchable .025 MHz fine-tuning (their normal tuning increment is .1 MHz).
Luxman R-1050 (1977). A knowledgable source reports that the rosewood-veneered R-1050 was the most popular of the 1000 series receivers. It is essentially an amalgamation of the L-80 amplifier and a simplified version of their Reference series 5T10 tuner. It has a 4-gang variable capacitor for FM and 3 gangs for AM, followed by careful IF processing using a combination of ceramic and regular passive LC filters. A Dolby-FM upgrade module was also available. There is a built-in ferrite rod antenna for AM, plus an extra AM antenna input, as well as 75- and 300-Ohm FM antenna inputs. There are separate controls for stereo/mono switching and muting, and signal strength and center-tuning meters. There is also an internal control for 50 uS/75 uS FM de-emphasis.
Our source adds: "The amp section, rated at 50 WPC into 8 Ohms, includes a then very novel feature: an LED peak meter, calibrated in dB, with two ranges. The receiver includes a well-appointed preamp section with 5 inputs: phono 1 and 2, aux and tape 1 and 2. The standard bass and treble controls are included, as well as a high and low cut filter, loudness and mono mode switch (which is also used for the tuner mode). Tape monitoring and dubbing are handled by separate controls. The balance control is hiding in the top row of buttons. The R-1050 inherits a huge transformer and 20000uF worth of filter caps from the L-80, as well as 95% of the power amp circuit, including the massive inboard heatsink. The amp features full overcurrent, DC and temperature protection, as well as a delayed speaker turn-on, with a front panel indicator next to the power button, that flashes during the delay and goes on permanently if there is a fault condition. The preamp is somewhat simplified compared to the L-80, but still very well appointed. The phono preamp is situated right on the input terminals, for best noise rejection."
Luxman R-1070. This model has wide and narrow IF bandwidth settings.
Luxman R-1120. This model was Luxman's top-of-the-line receiver from 1976 to 1979 and retailed for $995. It has discrete power transistors, unlike the R-1120A. Power output is 120 watts RMS per channel with very low distortion. We're looking for more information on it.
Marantz
Marantz 2265B. Our contributor Brian B. says: "I kept wondering why my Marantz 2265B with four 230 kHz filters works so well. In many situations it acts as if it had at least two 150s in the IF strip. I can receive stations wihtout noise or interference that I have to switch to narrow to receive well with some other tuners. I think I now know why. I remember seeing an outboard LC filter module on a little board underneath. The black module looks just like the pair in the audio path of the Kenwood KT-7500. It is cabled to the main tuner board, clearly an afterthought. I'll bet this filter is between the detector and the stereo decoder and that it accounts for the excellent, low-spurious-noise IF performance."
Marantz 2275. The 2275, believed to be very similar to the 2325, has a 5-gang tuner similar to that in Marantz's 120 tuner.
Marantz 2285B. The specs for this receiver are published here. The claim is 35 uV for 50 dB quieting in stereo.
Marantz 2325. The 2325 has a 5-gang tuner similar to that in Marantz's 120 tuner. The service manual for this receiver includes the following statement: "The IF amplifier unit consists of seven IF amplifier stages and one AGC amplifier stage. Eight pieces of ceramic filter are also used to obtain high selectivity, and four symmetrical diode limiter stages are also employed for the best limiting characteristics, improved capture ratio and good AM suppression." More details here: http://www.classic-audio.com/marantz/2325.html. Our contributor Tim, who worked for an audio dealer, says: "We sold Harman/Kardon, Kenwood, Setton, Sony and Technics receivers along with Marantz. The other receiver brands generally had better-performing FM sections, out-of-the-box. But once our tech had spent 1/2 hour or so with a Marantz that was really poor out-of-the-box, the aligned Marantz receiver's FM section would almost always eat any other receiver's FM section for lunch. We just could not afford to do this for every Marantz receiver we sold. We are certain that every unit Marantz sent out for review by audio magazines during this time was carefully gone through before it was shipped. So we think their products were, for the most part, extremely well engineered, but manufactured much too quickly. We chose not to stock the legendary Marantz 2325 uber-receiver after our tech manager popped the hood on one and declared its design a 'dog's breakfast' and that it would be a servicing nightmare. His words were prophetic: The dial lights would melt the inside plastic bezel that was supposed to contain them. And there was no workaround, other than to fashion a bezel out of metal, or just discard it. We got to see several of these units as we were a Marantz warranty repair facility and we were REALLY glad we chose not to stock this unit. When customers came in inquiring about the Marantz 2325, we showed them the Mitsubishi DA-C20 tuner/preamp coupled to either the Mitsubishi 70 wpc or 100 wpc amp. These two units would actually 'dock' together and it was a much better performing and sounding unit than the 2325. And we never had any come back for service."
Marantz 2330. The specs for this receiver are published here. The claim is 35 uV for 50 dB quieting in stereo.
Marantz 4300. A contributor tells us it has 5 gangs and 8 filters.
Marantz 4400 (top, front, inside, back). We don't know much about this receiver except that it appears to have 5 gangs and sure looks sweet.
Onkyo
Onkyo TX-7000 and TX-8500 MkII. Our contributor Pete nominates these receivers for our list. Pete says they have exceptional tuner sections, but we're looking for some factual information to confirm his opinion.
Pioneer SX-626, SX-727, SX-828, SX-939, SX-1010. I've been told that these receivers all have the same or a similar tuner circuit as the TX-9100, but could not confirm this.
Pioneer SX-3900. Our contributor Ryan reports, "The SX-3900 has an analog dial and a digital readout. The dial is just like that on a vintage Pioneer, but a few inches longer. It also has a quartz lock, but Pioneer grew a brain since the TX-9800, and you can disable it on the front panel. The tuner has a 4-gang analog cap, and a single gang varactor for the oscillator, so the thing has a 5-gang tuner stuffed inside it. Nice. Stereo sensitivity is great at 36 dBf. The S/N ratio is 78 dB in stereo, which is pretty impressive in any vintage beast from 1980 or so, especially in a receiver. The only pitfall is the single IF bandwidth, which uses 3 GDT filters and two HA1201 IF amps. Even so, distortion is only .2% at 6 kHz and you get 80 dB alternate channel selectivity to go with it. Anyhow, the spurious responce is 100dB, which is pretty decent. The rest of the package is rounded out by a nice toroidal transformer, two 15000 uF caps, and a good 120 WPC output. THD is .005%, but the damping factor is surprisingly only 60 from 20 to 20, which suggests that there might not be all that much negative feedback to pull off the low THD, but good design instead. A 115 dB A-weighted hum and noise suggest pretty good design. Pioneer also developed some updated tuner ICs which are in this thing instead of the old PA1002, etc. which were in their older tuners and receivers. As a transition product (from analog to digital), this thing was probably at the leading edge of analog Pioneer receiver technology."
Pioneer SX-5590. This $1,250 receiver is reputed to have a good tuner section, but we're trying to confirm this.
Realistic
We asked Ed Hanlon, perhaps the world's foremost authority on Radio Shack tuners and receivers, to tell us about all the 4-gang Realistic receivers, and he counts them down for us in reverse chronological order. No one should assume that all of Realistic's receivers are better than everyone else's just because we're giving them so much space (we'd love to get this kind of input from fans of other manufacturers), but anyone considering a Shack receiver would be wise to heed Ed's recommendations.
1989
STA-2380 - This "New for '89" one-year wonder followed the vaunted STA-2280. It has a 4-stage front end and 3 filters, with a 100 watt per channel amplifier. The tuner is pretty good, though not as sensitive as the 2280. Responds well to alignment and mods, like adding a second bandwidth.
STA-2700 - Basically the STA-2380 with a remote. This receiver has a following among Shackaholics because of the remote feature.
1987
STA-2600 - "New for '87," boasting 100 watts per channel RMS. The most sensitive FM tuner of any Radio Shack receiver ever sold, typically 1 uV after alignment. Four-stage front end with 3 280 kHz ceramic filters; not very selective. Adding a second bandwidth and some 150 kHz ceramic filters makes this a DXing machine. WARNING: These receivers are notorious for having several bad/intermittent solder connections, so get that soldering pencil warmed up, you could be resoldering these connections for a while. Worth it, though.
STA-2280 - Same as above, with a 60 watt per channel amplifier. For some reason, the 2280 is more well known in DX circles, and often commands more $ than the 2600.
STA-116 - Same fine front end as the two receivers above, with just two ceramic filters. Can be just as sensitive as its bigger brothers after alignment. 30 watt per channel RMS amplifier. Is smaller in size than the 2600/2280.
1986
STA-2500 - Very similar to the STA-2600, and is also 100 watts per channel. Four-stage front end, 3 ceramic filters.
STA-2270 - Very similar to the STA-2280: 4-stage front end and 3 ceramic filters.
STA-114 - Nice slim-line receiver, rated at 30 watts per channel RMS. Supposedly has a nice tuning section. The ones we've seen haven't been as good as the larger receivers.
1985
STA-112 - Nice slim-line receiver that is 35 watts per channel RMS. Has a decent tuner; I don't have much experience with this one.
STA-2290 - Well-built, large and powerful (100 watts per channel RMS) receiver. Has a 4-stage front end and 3 280 ceramic filters. A good performer, but not as sensitive as the digital receivers that followed it.
1982
STA-2300 - The very last of the 120 watt per channel analog receivers sold by Radio Shack. The analog meters were replaced by LEDs, a sure sign we're in the early 1980s. Utilizes a 4-gang front end and 3 280 kHz ceramic filters. Not very selective stock, but can be aligned to get a sensitivity spec of at least 2 uV. Has that tubby sound many Realistic receivers were known for.
STA-2080 - This 80 watt per channel analog receiver is a Shackaholic favorite, and for good reason. Has 4 large analog meters running across the top, and just flat-out looks fabulous. It also performs well. The tuner has 4 gangs and 3 ceramic filters. Used as a standalone tuner via its line-out jacks, it sounds surprisingly good, better than many standalone tuners. This is probably due to the MOSFETs used in the preamp section. It mods very well, and is more than respectable after adding a second bandwidth. Not as tubby-sounding as earlier Realistic analog receivers. Despite its protection circuitry, it is prone to some channel failure. Definitely worth repairing, though.
STA-2250 - This problematic receiver garners a lot of praise; I'm not sure why. It is NOT similar to the STA-2280. It does have a 4-stage front end and 3 ceramic filters, and responds well to alignment and even mods. Sensitivity won't approach the STA-2280/2600, but it's okay. Warning: This model sometimes has an issue with the microprocessor. Unless you're very handy, don't buy this receiver unless it WORKS.
1981
STA-2100D - The STA-2300 with analog meters.
STA-2200 - The "first ever digital receiver," this one is a beauty in every regard. Sounds gorgeous with its MOSFET output transistors; this may be the best-sounding receiver Radio Shack has ever sold. In stock form the tuner is, well, bad. However, after an alignment it really comes to life. Could it be that they didn't know how to properly align a digital receiver on the assembly line back then? Even the atrocious AM comes to life after alignment. 60 watts per channel RMS with a 4-stage front end and 3 280-kHz ceramic filters. Poor selectivity in stock form is remedied with mods. A Realistic product an audiophile can love.
1980
STA-240 - Similar to the STA-2200 in build quality and parts, though it doesn't use MOSFET output transitors. Rated at 60 watts per channel RMS with a 4-gang front end and 3 ceramic filters. Has "Auto-Magic" tuning, a sort of AFC that can be switched off - something Sansui didn't see fit to do on even an expensive tuner like the TU-919. The 240 has an analog dial AND digital frequency readout. The analog dial is different in that it reads 88-89-90-91 etc., whereas most analog dials only display the even numbers (88-90-92-94 etc.). This receiver can be modified into a killer. It was a one-year wonder, and there don't seem to be that many out there. A must for the Realistic collector's stash.
STA-2000D - Replaced in 1981 by the superior STA-2080, the 2000D is rated at 75 watts per channel RMS and has a 4-gang front end with 3 280-kHz ceramic filters. Poor selectivity in stock form. Very round and tubby sound - and that's before engaging the loudness button! Extremely well built. Responds well to basic mods and alignment, as well as adding a second bandwidth.
1979
STA-235B - 55 watts per channel RMS, 4 gangs with 3 filters. Sensitivity is poor, though a little better than the STA-235 because of the removal of a ceramic filter in the RF path. Great AM section. Sound is rather obtuse. No reason to buy this thing.
STA-2100 - Perhaps the most sought-after analog Realistic receiver due to its use of a toriodal power transformer. Radio Shack ran into a patent problem with Pioneer and removed this transformer from the STA-2100D. The STA-2100 was manufactured by Foster Electronics and was very well built. 120 watts per channel RMS with a 4 gang/3 filters FM tuner. If you must have one of the 120 watts per channel Realistic receivers, this is the one to grab. But while it can be made very selective by swapping out the ceramic filters and perhaps inserting a filter adder board, sensitivity will never be much to brag about: 2-3 uV. If you use the 2100 as a stand-alone tuner via the tape output jacks, you'll avoid some of the boominess built into these receivers.
1978
STA-235 - Replacement for the STA-225. 55 watts per channel RMS, 4 gangs. Dull sounding and very poor FM tuner sensitivity. Avoid this piece of crap.
STA-2000 - The first top-quality high-powered receiver ever sold by Radio Shack. Very tubby sound; hook this up to a pair of Mach Ones and be swallowed in the mire. Four-gang FM tuner with 3 ceramic filters. Needs an alignment to perform at its best, responds well to mods, though don't expect sensitivity much better than 1.5 - 2 uV. Better than the STA-2000D that replaced it.
1976
STA-225 - The flagship receiver from 1975 and 1976, this is a really nice-sounding and looking receiver rated at 50 watts per channel RMS. Loaded with features, including (defeatable) Auto-Magic tuning. Has a 4-gang front end with 3 ceramic filters. Can be modified into a very nice FM receiving machine. Not as tubby-sounding as the STA-2000. A Shack collectors item for sure.
Sansui
Sansui 7 (1974). This model has 4 FM gangs and 6 filters, a dual-gate RF FET and 3 AM gangs. Our contributor Ray says, "Its lack of wide/narrow bandwidth selection should mean it's a compromise, but its 6 ceramic filters do give it good performance. It certainly outperforms my Kenwood KR-5600 and Marantz 24 in all respects. With 4 gangs, 6 filters and three stages of IF amplification, it ain't bad for 1974 technology." But Ray adds that it tends to overload easily with strong signals.
Sansui 8 and 8 Deluxe both have 4 gangs and 6 filters, plus 3 AM gangs.
Sansui 4000. This model has 4 FM gangs and 3 filters.
Sansui 7000. This model has 4 FM gangs, 6 filters and 3 AM gangs in a separate tuning capacitor.
Sansui G-8000. Our contributor Jovit reports that the G-8000 has a 4-gang FM front end and uses 4 280 kHz low loss+GDT IF filters.
Sansui 8080DB. Our panelist Bob has two of these and says they have the same tuner as the 9090DB. The 8080DB/9090DB has 4 FM gangs (and 2 AM gangs), 3 filters (two old-style 4-pin filters and one 3-pin filter), and 3 limiter stages. It does not use a "chip" limiter. The detector is a ratio detector, as in the TU-717. The MPX decoder is the HA1196, same as in the TU-717, and the audio is taken directly from the MPX chip's built-in op-amps. The TU-717 has 4 gangs and 4 filters total, with additional wide/narrow filter paths, and also has additional complexities in the detector/limiter audio stages, so the 8080DB/9090DB is not an exact copy but overall is somewhat similar.
Sansui G-9000. Sansui guru Dave Compton tells us that this receiver has a "wicked 5-gang tuner" in it.
Sansui 9090DB (left, right, back). Our panelist Bob says that the 9090DB includes the same tuner section as his 8080DB (see above). Our contributor Mike W. reports, "I've always been impressed with the FM reception on this unit. Reception with a simple dipole is competitive with my Yamaha CT 810 hooked to an external MD antenna." The 9090 has usable sensitivity of 9.8 dBf (1.7 uV), 50 dB quieting sensitivity of 35 dBf in stereo, THD of 0.3% in stereo, mono S/N ratio of 70 dB and decent image rejection.
Our contributor Glenn sums it up: "The vintage Sony receivers STR-6060/6120/6200/6045-6065/7045-65/V-5-7 (listed in chronological
order) all have excellent tuners. The 6060/6120 were fully shielded and the 6200 was almost as well shielded. Advances in design/components and cost reductions reduced shielding a bit in the later units, especially the last three V7/6/5 models. Even so, these were all 5-gang tuners. For an excellent sparrow feed tuner with preamp/power amp built in, find yourself one of these receivers and give the pots/switches a good DeOxit cleaning. The 6045/6055/7045/7055 models have a quite compact chassis size, and the STR-V7/6/5 have a large chassis size in order to hold the 150 WPC/120 WPC/85 WPC amps. My STR-6200F is probably my single favorite piece of gear."
Our contributor Al adds, "I also have a 6200F as well as a 6120. From what I remember the last time I laid them side-by-side, the tuning gangs are identical, except that the 6120's is in front and the 6200's is on the side of the chassis. Everything else is similar. The IF strips are spot-on
identical except that the 6200's has one of the lines coming in connected through a resistor hanging off the board. The biggest difference I can see (only have the schematic for the 6120) is in the power amps where the 6200 has much better heat sinking. Speaking of IFs, did you notice that the 6200 seems
to snap in and out of stations? I at first thought it must have AFC. I found that its IF filter slopes are the steepest I've tested (30% steeper than the ST-5000F). This IF strip is similar to the ST-5000F, except with a fourth filter module. The 6120 schematic shows these modules to contain 2 ceramic filters each. I believe these are the same as the Murata-labeled modules in the 5000F despite the 5000F manual calling them 4-element modules (noted by Mike Zuccaro)."
Sony STR-V7, STR-V6, STR-V5 all have 5 FM gangs, 4 filters and wide/narrow bandwidth.
Sony STR-6060FW. According to our contributor Brian L., this was the first Sony solid-state receiver sold in the U.S. It had a 5-gang front end and "8 IF stages using 6 piezoelectric filters." The service manual states: "The selectivity of this (IF amps) section is determined by four solid-state filters in the interstage coupling paths. These filters each have four-section solid-state filters that operate in "trapped-energy" modes and have sharp skirt selectivity and flat response inside the band pass." Brian adds, "The unit is all discrete components, no ICs, and a production work of art."
Sony STR-7045. Our contributor Chris reports that this 1974 receiver has good selectivity. It has 4 gangs and 6 filters, and "there is a switch on the chassis near the IF board where you can choose the level of selectivity."
Technics
SA-616, SA-700, SA-800, SA-818. The specs for these models are 36.2 dBf 50 dB quieting in stereo.
CR-450. According to our contributor Chris, the CR-450, a lower-end receiver, "has surprising tuner performance (observed, not measured). It's especially good on adjacent channel reception (pulls a weak signal from between two stronger adjacents). Sensitivity is not bad."
CR-820. According to our contributor Jovit, "the CR-820 has 4 FM gangs (1 RF amp + 2 IF amp + 1 LO) and 3 ceramic filters (2 filter + IF amp + 1 filter + IF amp). This is a good indication that the FM section is probably decent. The receiver has 10.3 dBf (0.9 uV @ 75 Ohms) usable sensitivity but the alternate channel selectivity is only 75 dB."
CR-840, R-1000, R-2000, R-700, and R-900. All of these models have 5 filters and a DX mode. Our contributor Jovit says that the CR-840 has 4 FM gangs, uses 3 filters in Wide mode and 5 in Narrow, and claims 9.3 dBf usable sensitivity.
