FM tuner in 3k range

[0verkilled]

Hello all, Im looking for a FM Tuner with RCA outs in 3k range to connect to my newly acquired amp.

I could not find much in olx which is usually the place for these things. I dont have any experience with tuners, but its frustrating to see Rotel Yamaha Tuners in US and UK in the range of 30-40$ and shipping cost is 100$. I dont know where all the tuners in India are, obviously we are very large in number compared to them :sad: Nevertheless, I have seen these few options and are double the budget.

Norge AM/FM 300 Tuner - New without remote - 5.5k
Denon TU 245 - Old with remote - 6.5k
There is a Pioneer F449 for 5k not sure if it comes with a remote. I guess not

Do you know any place in Bangalore where I can get used/new tuners in my price range.
If I had the extra money, which one of the above would be a decent buy?
I see few members owning multiple tuners, if you think any of your tuners are lying around doing nothing, I could use them.

Thanks

 

[Record Player]

Hello all, Im looking for a FM Tuner with RCA outs in 3k range to connect to my newly acquired amp.

I could not find much in olx which is usually the place for these things. I dont have any experience with tuners, but its frustrating to see Rotel Yamaha Tuners in US and UK in the range of 30-40$ and shipping cost is 100$. I dont know where all the tuners in India are, obviously we are very large in number compared to them :sad: Nevertheless, I have seen these few options and are double the budget.

Norge AM/FM 300 Tuner - New without remote - 5.5k
Denon TU 245 - Old with remote - 6.5k
There is a Pioneer F449 for 5k not sure if it comes with a remote. I guess not

Do you know any place in Bangalore where I can get used/new tuners in my price range.
If I had the extra money, which one of the above would be a decent buy?
I see few members owning multiple tuners, if you think any of your tuners are lying around doing nothing, I could use them.

Thanks

My first recommendation would obviously be a NAD Tuner. Either a 412 or the 402. However, these are extremely difficult and rare to find as these are most sought after and many are patiently waiting on this forum to grab one of these. This also falls outside your budget.

I remember seeing a few on Bangalore Olx which fall within your budget (Denon Etc). I would also suggest you put up your request on the Wanted thread on this forum.

Cheers...

 

[hemantwaghe]

I have one Akai and another one for sale .. can be worked out in your budget

https://plus.google.com/photos/108348212952892386276/albums/5868366834695539761?banner=pwa

Hemant

 

[0verkilled]

You are right RecordPlayer, there is no sign of those NAD tuners for sale on the web, there are few very good players in ebay.com but shipping is the problem.

@Hemant thanks for the offer, AKAI looks good and the aluminum front matches with my amp, I see a chord coming out for output not sure how the connection will be

PM me the details

I will also post in Wanted section and see if I get more options

 

[hifipal4all]

I see a chord coming out for output not sure how the connection will be

This cable is nothing but the built-in Left+Right RCA output cable (most of the turntables will have like this). You have to just connect this to any one of your line level inputs of your amplifier ... no need for an extra RCA cable.

 

[0verkilled]

Thanks for the info.

There is a video of the AKAI tuner in youtube, just shows the layout.
Do you know how it compares with the tuners that I mentioned above? Thanks.

 

[reubensm]

My first recommendation would obviously be a NAD Tuner. Either a 412 or the 402. However, these are extremely difficult and rare to find as these are most sought after and many are patiently waiting on this forum to grab one of these. This also falls outside your budget.

I remember seeing a few on Bangalore Olx which fall within your budget (Denon Etc). I would also suggest you put up your request on the Wanted thread on this forum.

Cheers...

+1 to RP's comments, that's experience speaking for you

I can also personally vouch for both these NAD models as they are perhaps the greatest tuners from NAD and perhaps, the best ever at that price point. If you have any friends in the UK, ebay.co.uk is a good place to search for NAD 402s. In the 1990s, these tuners were very popular in the UK. Yes, they are a bit over budget for you, but worth a buy. You've got to experience these to understand where I'm coming from.

Note: Both these models are from the mid to late 1990s and do not come with remotes.

 

[0verkilled]

There are 2 or 3 NADs avaialble in eBay.UK, but the cost of the shipping would be around 90-100GBP. that is if the seller is willing to ship it. How about Pioneer F449, it might not even come close to the NADs but at a different level, anyone knows about it?

 

[0verkilled]

I have an option to ask my friend to collect it, he is coming back on July 14th. Do you guys think its ok to buy it without checking? If something is wrong, can it be fixed easily?

 

[Shivam]

Two things that I have always told to tuner users -

An aligned inexpensive tuner is better than an 'out of alignment' expensive/high-end tuner.
An inexpensive tuner with a good antenna is better than an expensive tuner with a bad antenna.

Apart from searching for a tuner, find a trained person in your city who can align it (especially if opting for an old analogue model) and also make a budget for a good antenna.

 

[Arab]

Two things that I have always told to tuner users -

An aligned inexpensive tuner is better than an 'out of alignment' expensive/high-end tuner.
An inexpensive tuner with a good antenna is better than an expensive tuner with a bad antenna.

Apart from searching for a tuner, find a trained person in your city who can align it (especially if opting for an old analogue model) and also make a budget for a good antenna.

@Shivam,
Hopefully not going too offtopic, Can you suggest an antenna, which is not too long and does not need to be taken out of the home. I just acquired a CA SR10, the tuner is pathetic, my 18 year old sony music system tunes better and is less noisy.

 

[reubensm]

I have an option to ask my friend to collect it, he is coming back on July 14th. Do you guys think its ok to buy it without checking? If something is wrong, can it be fixed easily?

NAD 402s if maintained properly and not abused usually stays aligned. "Gurus" say that its display back light burns out fast but I guess that may have happened to some unfortunate "Guru" as mine shows no signs of burning out

The NAD 402 has high sensitivity with very low signal-noise ratios, hence, if you are within your FM transmitter's coverage limits you can get spot less stereophonic reception with a small 1 ft piece of wire connected to the Antenna socket.

I compared the 402 to many other models including those from Technics, Marantz, Hitachi, Sony, Harman, Norge and even Grundig and none of these could get even close to the NAD 402 when it came to reception and sound quality.

I was never a fan of the local FM stations but started listening in only after the 402 came my way.

 

[reubensm]

I have an option to ask my friend to collect it, he is coming back on July 14th. Do you guys think its ok to buy it without checking? If something is wrong, can it be fixed easily?

If properly maintained by the original owner, should work perfectly well. NAD products may look simple and straight forward, but they are well designed and well built. They usually last a very very long time if they are not abused or tampered with. People in the United Kingdom and Germany usually take good care of their equipment. Recently I purchased a Garrard 401 turntable from a senior citizen in the UK who owned the turntable from new. I was surprised to find that the turntable was almost in brand new condition when I received it.

 

[apk]

@reubensm
just for my knowledge in case a future opportunity comes up to purchase either one of these - which one between the NAD 402 and the NAD 412 do you consider a better tuner?

Best,
APK

 

[0verkilled]

@rebensm, from the pictures that guy posted, it looks fine. Nobody knows how good or bad it is when turned on. Also, the guy says his amp stopped working recently and the tuner is not being used, hence the Sale.

@Shivam, thanks for the caution. You are right, no matter how expensive or how hifi the thing is, if something is dead then it is dead.

I will check if I can find any such technician and if there is any way for my friend to check the working condition.

 

[Record Player]

@rebensm, from the pictures that guy posted, it looks fine. Nobody knows how good or bad it is when turned on. Also, the guy says his amp stopped working recently and the tuner is not being used, hence the Sale.

@Shivam, thanks for the caution. You are right, no matter how expensive or how hifi the thing is, if something is dead then it is dead.

I will check if I can find any such technician and if there is any way for my friend to check the working condition.

Like Reuben mentioned, people in UK usually keep their equipment in top condition.

I think it will be difficult for you to get a technician to have it checked. Just see if a friend can at least check if it powers up and plays. If you pick it, ensure it's packed well when brought here. Typically UK sellers are very transparent on what they sell.

I picked up my 401 from UK with hardly any checks and when I got it, it was exactly what the seller told me.

 

[reubensm]

@reubensm
just for my knowledge in case a future opportunity comes up to purchase either one of these - which one between the NAD 402 and the NAD 412 do you consider a better tuner?

Best,
APK

The 402 is the legendary Tuner from NAD. It was voted the best Tuner of 1994 by What-Hifi, beating everything else on the way. It was one of the most revolutionary products from NAD, during that period and it is considered a NAD master piece and without doubt, one of the best Tuners of all time. NAD upgraded the 402 and came out with the 412 which featured a more refined display unit and stronger cabinet. Gurus say that the 402 is a bit more sensitive than the 412 and hence, is better when used to receive distant FM stations but I would believe that this is the only difference. Both Tuners are fantastic value for money and the sound quality is absolutely stunning.

 

[reubensm]

@rebensm, from the pictures that guy posted, it looks fine. Nobody knows how good or bad it is when turned on. Also, the guy says his amp stopped working recently and the tuner is not being used, hence the Sale.

@Shivam, thanks for the caution. You are right, no matter how expensive or how hifi the thing is, if something is dead then it is dead.

I will check if I can find any such technician and if there is any way for my friend to check the working condition.

Its very simple to check the NAD tuner. Just power it up and tune it to an FM station. If the FM stereo indicator lights up, then the tuner is almost certainly receiving. Its easier to connect it to an amp and listen. These tuners do not have headphone sockets and remotes. But again, I would trust UK sellers a lot. They usually sell exactly what they describe and their equipment is usually very well maintained.

 

[reubensm]

some reviews on the 402 tuner

NAD 402 Tuners reviews - Audioreview.com

 

[Shivam]

@Shivam, thanks for the caution. You are right, no matter how expensive or how hifi the thing is, if something is dead then it is dead.

Unfortunately it is not so simple. Most of the tuners are somewhere in between the area of being completely alive and dead. Do double check before finalizing your purchase. There are a lot of senior experienced members here who can help.

Arab : The best antennas that I know of are Yagi type and are used outdoors. Single stretch of cable outdoors (think of clothes-line) also is useful depending on the wavelength you want to receive. Once again more experienced members can help you with the right antenna.