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  #1  
Old 08-29-2022, 02:20 PM
cleeds cleeds is offline
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The component that's been in my system the longest is the McIntosh MR80 I bought brand new more than 40 years ago. Since then, every aspect of the system has been upgraded multiple times, but the Mac endures.

The MR80 has needed service about every 15 years or so. Most recently, it started looking really sad as the panel lights started blinking off one by one until it was just about dark. When a few of its switches starting acting funky, I brought it in to Steve Leung at VAS NY, and now it is working just tip-top.

I stream. I play CDs and LPs. I have tape. But I also still listen to FM, so I plan to keep the MR80 until something better comes along. Which hasn't happened yet.

(I realize it's cheating and a little cheesy to use a b&w image for the "before" photo but, honestly, that's how sad it looked to me at the time.)

[IMG]mac tuner before and after 2 sm by newsguy123, on Flickr[/IMG]
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  #2  
Old 08-29-2022, 03:27 PM
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Formerly YB-2 Formerly YB-2 is offline
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Great tuner and Steve is a great tech to work with. Glad you've got it 'singing sweetly' again. A most worthy tuner.
Steve is going to go thru my Sony TA-F6B once I get it up to him (he's about 100mi north of me).
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Last edited by Formerly YB-2; 08-29-2022 at 09:49 PM.
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Old 08-29-2022, 03:54 PM
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That's very cool. I have some vintage 60s and 70s gear I inherited, but nothing I've bought myself has lasted 40 years. Well done.
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Old 08-29-2022, 10:54 PM
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Looks great, enjoy the tunes!
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Old 08-29-2022, 11:10 PM
cleeds cleeds is offline
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Thanks, everyone!
The only thing that would improve this tuner for me would be if it could receive some of the stations and jocks it did when it was new. But I think the folks in Binghamton haven't conquered the time/space continuum yet.
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Primary sources: VPI TNT III/SDS turntable, SME-V arm; Bryston BDP-3 digital player; Bryston BDA-3 DAC; McIntosh MVP-881 disc player; McIntosh MR-80 tuner. Preamplifier Audio Research Ref 5SE; Audio Research Ref Phono 2SE; Moon 430 HA. Amplifiers Conrad Johnson Premier 1B; Audio Research D-300; Bryston 4B. Speakers Infinity IRS Beta. Recorders Tandberg TD20A; Crown SX-822; Nakamichi 670ZX; Alesis Masterlink ML-9600. Power Tice Power Block/Titan (x2); McIntosh MPC1500; API Ultra II-20; multiple 20A derated dedicated lines.
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Old 08-30-2022, 07:18 AM
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cleeds, that is the most unfortunate part about radio today. I'm a tuner fan (MR88 and Modaferri hot-rodded MR-74 owner), but there's just so few stations that are worth listening to. A lot of my listening is done on a public station at a nearby college and some of the shows are obviously recorded ahead of time, the sad thing is some of them are at such horribly low mp3 bitrates it makes XM radio sound great by comparison. I've read plenty of posts over the years from people who have absolutely nothing worth listening to in their market so I suppose I could be worse off than having maybe half a dozen that I enjoy.
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Old 08-30-2022, 08:29 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cleeds View Post
Thanks, everyone!
The only thing that would improve this tuner for me would be if it could receive some of the stations and jocks it did when it was new. But I think the folks in Binghamton haven't conquered the time/space continuum yet.
But Dennis Quaid has.......Frequency
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Old 08-30-2022, 08:42 AM
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The work Steve did looks terrific Doug. Congrats on getting the old girl back to tip top condition.
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  #9  
Old 08-30-2022, 11:09 AM
cleeds cleeds is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maks View Post
... that is the most unfortunate part about radio today. I'm a tuner fan (MR88 and Modaferri hot-rodded MR-74 owner), but there's just so few stations that are worth listening to. A lot of my listening is done on a public station at a nearby college ... I suppose I could be worse off than having maybe half a dozen that I enjoy.
I couldn't agree more! Since this tuner was new, deregulation and consolidation have changed the entire radio industry, and not for the better. Like you, I have found a few bright spots and while I don't listen to FM nearly as much as I did 40+ years ago, it's still worthwhile to me. A system without a decent tuner just seems incomplete to me. I'm olde skool.
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Primary sources: VPI TNT III/SDS turntable, SME-V arm; Bryston BDP-3 digital player; Bryston BDA-3 DAC; McIntosh MVP-881 disc player; McIntosh MR-80 tuner. Preamplifier Audio Research Ref 5SE; Audio Research Ref Phono 2SE; Moon 430 HA. Amplifiers Conrad Johnson Premier 1B; Audio Research D-300; Bryston 4B. Speakers Infinity IRS Beta. Recorders Tandberg TD20A; Crown SX-822; Nakamichi 670ZX; Alesis Masterlink ML-9600. Power Tice Power Block/Titan (x2); McIntosh MPC1500; API Ultra II-20; multiple 20A derated dedicated lines.
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  #10  
Old 08-31-2022, 08:51 PM
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Weirdcuba Weirdcuba is offline
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That is a beautiful tuner. I have a Magnum Dynalab 108T SE and love it. As stated, it's just sad that there aren't more great radio stations spinning live music from the studio, but I have a public station, a community station and a couple college stations that fill the bill. It's my least used source, but I still love it.
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