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Vintage Audio Classic never goes out of Style |
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#1
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Sharing the Joy of the MR-78 tuner
I am in my home office tonight. Why am I still here when I could be in the other room watching football? Because before the game I turned on the vintage system listening to the local college radio station playing jazz night. Right now listening to a smooth and easy Jimmy Smith and before that to the guitar groove of George Benson. I believe very few equipment sounds better than the McIntosh MR-78 Tuner from 1976. I am enjoying this through the McIntosh C-28 preamp (1976), the McIntosh MC275 VI amps (two of them at mono each) and vintage Klipsch Cornwall ones (1982). The MR-78 Tuner has one of the most analog sounds I have heard which is similar to vinyl but cleaner. I love it even more than my main 2 channel system McIntosh MR-88 Tuner. Just seems so much more cleaner and more life like. Just wanting to share my joy listening to 40 year old equipment that still brings so much pleasure.
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Two Channel: McIntosh C2300 preamp, MC601 amps x2, MR88 tuner, MEN220; Esoteric K-03X; Aurender N100C 4TB; B&W 802D2 Diamonds, JL Audio F113V2 x 2 on Sound Anchor Sub Stands; VPI Classic Signature Piano Black, Ortofon Cadenza Black, VPI SDS, periphery ring, StillPoints center weight, Gingko Audio ClaraVu Dust Cover CT, KAB SpeedStrobe, Dr. Feickert Analogue Protractor; Sonos with W4S digital modification to W4S Remedy to Esoteric; W4S PS1 Linear Power unit for the 2x Remedy and Recovery w/ W4S PS1 Power Cord; Torus RM20; Wireworld Silver Series 7 Electra/Starlight/Eclipse cables and WW Platinum Power Cord for Amps and Platinum USB for Aurender; KLAUDIO RCM; Steve Blinn Designs extra wide three shelf rack; GIK Acoustics panels and bass traps, StillPoints Ultra Minis under all gear and Stillpoint Ultra SS under amps and speakers. Home Theater 7.2: McIntosh MX150, MC452, MC207; B&W 803D2 Diamonds, HTM2 center, CWM7.3 surrounds; JLAudio F112 x2 subs; Panasonic TC-P65ZT60 65" Studio Master Plasma; Oppo 205; Crown FM Two Tuner; Sonos with W4S Remedy; Apple TV; Furman Elite 20 amp PFi x2; WW and AQ Cables/Cords; Salamander Synergy Four Bay Cabinet Office 2ch with McIntosh vintage refurbished gear: McIntosh MC275V6 x2 tube amps; Klipsch Cornwall I vintage speakers (1982); AQ Dragonfly Red DAC/Jitterbug/cables; PS Audio Dectet Power Center; Mcintosh C28, MC2105, MR78 (with mod), MQ101, each with original walnut cabinet and panloc (1976), MCD7008 (1996), ML1C speakers (1976); Bang & Olufsen Beogram 4002 turntable (1976) with new SoundSmith SMMC20CL cartridge (2015); Salamander double rack Last edited by jameslrock; 11-27-2015 at 01:11 AM. |
#2
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Jim.......I know exactly what you mean. The McIntosh analog tuners are remarkable in their ability to capture and reproduce the essence of music, especially from a station broadcasting a quality signal with low compression.
Reading your comments about your MR78 makes me nostalgic and miss the MR74 I just sold to Vintage Pete a couple weeks ago. That's a sweet tuner, too. A quality tuner is an essential source component in a sound system as far as I am concerned. I have never had a two channel sound system that did not include a good tuner.
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Dan STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113 VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A |
#3
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Quote:
Of course, the quality of FM radio itself has declined a lot over the years. There's a lot of heavily processed audio, and most of the stations have very limited playlists. Still, there are some stations that break the mold - often the non-comms - and FM still has the potential to be hi-fi, especially on live broadcasts. |
#4
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Back in 1970 when quadrophonic recordings were trying to gain a foothold with audio enthusiasts, there was a special FM broadcast of Austin City Limits, a weekly live broadcast on radio affiliates across the US. I lived in San Francisco at the time and on this particular Friday night Austin City Limits was broadcasting a special show in discreet four channel quadrophonic sound using two FM radio stations, one broadcasting the front left and right channels and the second station broadcasting the rear left and right channels. I remember carrying my whole sound system and tuner to a friend's home and setting it up for the rear channels of that broadcast. We each tuned in the respective FM station affiliates that were participating in the history making broadcast and listened to a remarkable radio show in four channel sound. I can't remember who the artists were but I do remember how excited we were to get the four channel broadcast working on two separate sound systems in one room. It was exciting.
Today we think nothing of 5.1 channel surround sound. The advent of digital technology has brought about many incredible audio improvements, but enjoying a quadrophonic broadcast back in 1970 that involved two separate FM radio stations contributing to the four channel presentation was a huge deal. It was a pioneering event and we were thrilled.
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Dan STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113 VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A Last edited by jdandy; 11-29-2015 at 03:19 PM. |
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