Mac Tuners

RE: Mac Tuners, posted on June 15, 2015 at 10:59:36
Eli Duttman Audiophile Posts: 10455 Location: Monroe Township, NJ Joined: March 31, 2000	The separate power supply in a stand alone tuner is definitely a factor. As for the circuitry, check the schematics out for yourself. Eli D.

Mac Receivers no matching McIntosh tuners, posted on June 15, 2015 at 13:40:20

Mossback
Audiophile

Posts: 1871
Location: Washington, the State
Joined: November 17, 2001

From what I have read the Mac 1500 & 1700 are not the same as any of the stand alone McIntosh tuners. I have not owned or heard a Mac receiver so can't speak from experience.
Keep in mind Frank McIntosh never liked the idea of a receiver or the quality of sound from them. In fact he refused to put the McIntosh name on them.
If you want a nice tuner by all means get a McIntosh tuner.
Or you could buy a MX113. It is basicly a C26 and MR74 in one case. THey sound great to my ears. For more money an MX110Z is outstanding. I recently got one and love it. Mated with an MC2505 is a wonderful match.

RE: Mac Receivers no matching McIntosh tuners, posted on June 15, 2015 at 15:26:08
6bq5 Audiophile Posts: 4385 Location: SF Bay Joined: August 16, 2001	I would Echo what Mossback has Posted- There are not a lot of parallels with the early receivers and the stand-alone units - With the Tuner/Pre-amps - there is- IIRC the MX110Z is a MR-67 tuner circuit- and the MX113 is the MR-74- THe MR-74 is My favorite (I have 2!) with the 77 a close second for SS units- Happy Listening

RE: Mac Tuners, posted on June 15, 2015 at 17:34:14

openmind
Audiophile

Posts: 183
Location: Phoenix
Joined: November 8, 2008

A good place to start researching this is Roger Russell's excellent web page. I see that the 1500 and 1700 both have tube tuner sections. You can compare the production dates and specs of their tuner sections to those of the component tuners. The hybrid nature of the receivers (solid-state preamp, solid-state amplifier in the 1700) makes comparisons of sound quality more difficult. Ask the folks who owned them... Good luck!

McIntosh receivers

RE: Mac Tuners, posted on June 16, 2015 at 05:39:27

dgaapc7
Audiophile

Posts: 363
Joined: August 16, 2013

Thanks for the replies. I did look at the schematics of the stand alone tuners vs. the tuner section of the receivers, but all I could tell was they all used a lot of tubes. I don't understand much about circuitry, hence my inquiry. I had an MR 71 with Audioclassic mods, but sold it since the marginal signals I get couldn't justify tying up that much money any more. I would hope he tuner section of the receiver would be a reasonable substitute, for a lot less money.
Thanks again.
LowIQ

RE: Mac Tuners, posted on June 16, 2015 at 10:20:10

6bq5
Audiophile

Posts: 4385
Location: SF Bay
Joined: August 16, 2001

Low signal strength is more a function of antenna design/positioning/efficiency than the tuner - assuming that the tuner is a good unit -
An Audio Classics Modded MR-71 would be an Excellent Tuner - see the FAQ section of the asylum for comments on the Rhombic antenna -
and excellent solution.

Again receivers - while they appear to be an elegant solution, are not always - the early McIntosh units were not great performers - and as has been said before Frank did not like them-

If you want FM in your system - a separate tuner is the best solution-
Look at Tunerinfo.com for an incredible amount of info on Tuners - Tube & SS...
Happy Listening

sooo, do you have a decent antenna that points at desired stations? , posted on June 20, 2015 at 03:00:52
Timbo in Oz Audiophile Posts: 23221 Location: Canberra - in the ACT - SE Australia Joined: January 30, 2002	Or not? :-)! Warmest Tim Bailey Skeptical Measurer & Audio Scrounger

RE: sooo, do you have a decent antenna that points at desired stations? , posted on June 23, 2015 at 06:03:59

dgaapc7
Audiophile

Posts: 363
Joined: August 16, 2013

As to antennae, no, nor really a great location. I live near the Blue Ridge Pkwy and face north, cut off from many central VA stations, except a gazillion NPR stations. (They come from all directions.) The former owner (starting 1980) had a huge attic antenna for local TV and radio stations, then added a 3 meter dish when available to get satellite sigs, then, of course, Directv's small dish made that obsolete..
So, I bought another MR 71, and will upgrade like the one I had before, then try the signal with a powerhouse antenna. If the sigs are not good enough, I'll sell the MR 71. I'm sure I'll get my money back.
In the meantime, I set up a bedroom system with a Marantz 2220b receiver, internet and CD sound sources, and Pioneer F552 floor-standers. The Pioneers are awfully good, a steal for the price. Funny, I bought the pair Saturday night at Best Buy for 109 each. On Sunday, Father's day, my son wanted to go to Best Buy to get a TV. I showed him the speakers I had bought, but overnight, Best Buy had upped the price to 129 each/pair for bookshelf or floor-standers, respectively. I saved 40 by acting fast! A triumph for the little guy.
LowIQ

So, is the antenna still in the loft? , posted on June 23, 2015 at 15:07:15

Timbo in Oz
Audiophile

Posts: 23221
Location: Canberra - in the ACT - SE Australia
Joined: January 30, 2002

If it is connect it up.

'Powerhouse antenna' ? don't buy a powered (amplified) indoor antenna. They hardly ever work well. ? Search here.

Without a good antenna no tuner made can do a good job. Especially in a difficult area.

Find out which stations you really want and then find out where their transmitter/s is/are from FM Fool site. Then you'll have be able to 'inform' your choices with that information about an antenna / antennae.

I don't live in America, but I do recall 'the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, are the nearest thing to heaven that I know' from a girly song?

I've - been to the USA - at working group meetings of HL7 (part of ANSI) twice; SF CA, and Baltimore MD.

I own FM receivers because most Australians have access to a national public classical broadcaster. And I drive them hard - with a directional antenna - and thus a low multipath signal - because Canberra is set within the Great Dividing Range.

Give it a go.

Warmest

Tim Bailey

Skeptical Measurer & Audio Scrounger

ABC FM and click to listen on line - sq not wonderful but OK

RE: So, is the antenna still in the loft? , posted on June 24, 2015 at 07:00:50

dgaapc7
Audiophile

Posts: 363
Joined: August 16, 2013

I wish. Thanks for the advice. A powered little indoor ant. does okay for TV, I get all 4 networks in clear digital sigs, but it was no good for radio. A dipole was better.
My friend's attic setup was deluxe, with a motor-rotor, controlled downstairs, couch-side.
The views are very nice here. There is a Currier and Ives print called "Rockfish Gap" that shows the view the residents around here have, looking along the Eastern ridge of the Blue Ridge and the route of Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
LowIQ

RE: Mac Tuners, posted on July 2, 2015 at 09:09:50

Jeff Starr
Audiophile

Posts: 1574
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Joined: March 4, 2000

I'm kind of curious about where listening to radio, fits in to how you listen.
Do you use a tuner more for background music, or as a main source?

I use mine for both, so I bought the best I could afford. Always admired Mac tuners, but cost and number of tubes made it prohibitive.

The Macs are so pricey, have you considered a vintage tuner? These guys can recommend some very fine older tuners, and seeing as you are willing to have mods done, maybe a good option.

I have an untouched Yamaha CT 400, not in the class I am suggesting, but that thing pulls in stations, and is really quiet, no multipath issues. Maybe find something known to be good at pulling in stations and upgrade the audio stages.

On a side note, for background music, a used Polk XM tuner can be bought for under a $100, and has digital outputs. It is MP3 quality sound, and you do have to play games to get a good monthly rate [5 months for $24], but lots of good stations, and good for background listening. If some money comes through, I am thinking about a new dac, that would offer upsampling. Yes, I know you can't turn for example a CD into a SACD, but a review I read claimed it improved the guys listening experience with MP3 files. I'll believe it when I hear it. You may already have that option on your dac.

RE: Mac Tuners, posted on July 6, 2015 at 14:43:33
6bq5 Audiophile Posts: 4385 Location: SF Bay Joined: August 16, 2001	I use my tuners for both casual listening- morning news and serious listening- a lot depends on the time of day/program; however ther eis good stuff coming through the air- Yes the Tubed Tuners are a bit harder to keep up- but the MR-74 is SS and since an alignment- has been wonderful - great sound quality- great tuning capabilities and easy to use! Happy Listening

RE: Mac Tuners, posted on July 12, 2015 at 09:58:27

dgaapc7
Audiophile

Posts: 363
Joined: August 16, 2013

Thanks for all the replies. I got an MR 71 off e-bay, unmodified. The multiplex display did not work, the output jacks had a grounding hum, and the dial brightness switch was broken as well. I was unpleasantly surprised when this tuner, with no repairs, received several more listenable stations than the modafferi modded MR 71 that I bought from audio classics, using the same simple dipole antenna set-up and placement in the room as I had before.
I am now having the tuner upgraded with a new PS capacitor and other performance improvements, aligning the filters, better co-ax input, things like that. If the number of listenable stations is good enough to use as a permanent source, I will keep it, as I noted before.
If not, I will use the Marantz 2220B receiver in my bedroom system to listen to sports events not available otherwise, (AM mostly.)
By the by, the tubes in the tuner, mostly Amperex labeled McIntosh, would be worth a good deal in themselves.
A plug here: Bill Moritz of Pro Camera in Charlottesville does great work on hi fi electronics. He principally repairs electronic photo flood units and cameras for pro photographers, and restores new and vintage cameras (Leica, Contax, Hasselblad, etc.) He recently had two restored Leica M-3s in the shop (I've only seen one in my life before,) but when I went back a few weeks later, they were both gone. If you know cameras, you know M-3s are as highly prized as Marantz 10-Bs, hard to find just to look at, much less to find one for sale.
He also has a small machine shop in the back with a small mill, lathe, and drill press. A customer at the time had a real nice vintage receiver (Marantz, I think), missing a knob. Bill was fashioning a replacement from some round brass bar stock to match the others. When my ARC D52B blew up my Proac speakers some years past, he sold me a Mac MA 230, with new Blue Aero caps, that he modified via the hi-filter to bypass the (not very good) transistor preamp section in order to use the 7591a tube amp section as a stand-alone power amp. Cost: $300. I used this for several years with a CJ PV-8. I sold the 230 two years ago for $1200. He's doing the upgrades and repairs to the MR 71. Barring some strange problem, I really hope to keep it.
LowIQ

RE: Sounds like a solid plan. NT, posted on July 13, 2015 at 10:10:03
Jeff Starr Audiophile Posts: 1574 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Joined: March 4, 2000	;-)

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Mac Tuners

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