- Revox B760, B160, and B260 - Bambi B 07:41:19 12/16/08
(2)
- In Reply to: RE: revox b760 vs Audiolab T-8000 repairs posted by Harold on December 11, 2008 at 07:50:19
PHOTO: Office system, 2005, trying out three tuners: McIntosh MR67, MR77 and lower right, Revox B160
Harold,
When I was settling on vintage tuners in 2004-5, the Revox B760 was among my first choices. I hadn't heard one for years, but remembered the sound as dynamic and open and liked the specs and controls. The build quality is Swiss and just fantastic. The reviews on the Tuner Info. Center place had it n the top 10 for sound. However, as these were expensive to buy, and appeared to be complex as well as 30 years old, I became concerned about repairs. It's details, but many of the ones I looked at had broken switches and cosmetic problems- the strange rubbery Nextel coating on the cabinets scratched, broken toggle switches, and the pushbuttons had lost the lettering. Still, if you're looking for a lifetime tuner purchase and willing to invest, have patience and find the very best one having recent service you can.
Liking the Revox approach to tuners, but a bit shied off the B760, I eventually bought a low use Revox B160 for under $300- which was $1,000 in 1988, has 7 power supplies, 30+ presets and just Swiss all the way through-beautifully made. All my friends who have heard it immediately preferred the B160 to my 1974 McIntosh MR77, which is still a very good sounding tuner. Today, I'd probably look for a Revox B260 (-Not 261) which is the B160 with more filters and controls- a better DX machine apparently. Both these can be made remote controlled with a Revox B208 and I see the RDS boards on German Ebay that display the station and program information.
Happy Hunting!
Cheers,
Bambi B
- RE: Revox B760, B160, and B260 - harold1 08:37:56 01/15/09
(0)
- In Reply to: RE: Revox B760, B160, and B260 posted by Bambi B on December 16, 2008 at 07:41:19
Does the B160 & 260 have a headphone jack?. I was considering getting one for my office.
thanks.
- RE: Revox B760, B160, and B260 - Steerpike 13:19:13 12/16/08
(0)
- In Reply to: RE: Revox B760, B160, and B260 posted by Bambi B on December 16, 2008 at 07:41:19
I've got a B260 - which I bought new when they came out - and will never part with. Too wonderful and so many features - even to excess. 60 station memories - each with its own individual audio level trim - borders on weird!
Speaking of totally excessive features - it talks serial data to the Revox amplifier, so you can get the name of the current station to show up on the amplifier's character display, if you happen to have them in different rooms! If the station isn't carrying an RDS name, the tuner displays your own custom name for that station.
Oh and you don't even have to turn it on, it turns itself on when you press "Tuner" on the amplifier.
- RE: Revox B760, B160, and B260 - harold1 08:37:56 01/15/09
(0)
- have you searched the web and the Tuner information centre! - Timbo in Oz 18:22:55 12/11/08
(3)
- In Reply to: RE: revox b760 vs Audiolab T-8000 repairs posted by Harold on December 11, 2008 at 07:50:19
http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/
IIRC the 8000 has some bits that are rare, and it's a complex beastie!
The 8000 is very good on AM, and this may not be important to you.
There are a lot of good (or moddable to GREAT) tuners for less than either, I ween.
Have you got any good stations to listen to, and a serious antenna? Otherwise the ROI from a good tuner will be quite low.
WarmestTimbo in Oz
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio ScroungerAnd gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!
'Still not saluting.'
http://www.theanalogdept.com/tim_bailey.htm
Edits: 12/11/08
- RE: have you searched the web and the Tuner information centre! - harold1 16:55:23 12/22/08
(2)
- In Reply to: RE: have you searched the web and the Tuner information centre! posted by Timbo in Oz on December 11, 2008 at 18:22:55
Thanks for the input. I went with the B760 (I received it today). I found one in great condition and reasonably priced. I liked the Audiolab but getting one repaired seemed iffy. I installed a fanfare fm-g antenna on roof. I live in the S.F.bay area.
I'm replacing my dynalab f-11 I bought in the early 90's. The dynalab has a tendency to randomly drift off the station, so I didn't listen to the radio much. I was using a radio shack indoor antenna, but switching to fanfare didn't make any difference.
- IF that fanfare antenna is a whip I'm not surprised it isn't any better - Timbo in Oz 20:56:28 12/22/08
(1)
- In Reply to: RE: have you searched the web and the Tuner information centre! posted by harold1 on December 22, 2008 at 16:55:23
than the Tandy indoor job.
I have an FM2-G, JBTW - it's on loan - but I will one day buy a mobile adaptor kit for the car radio - a Nakamichi TD35Z! The Camry's in-window wire antenna is not up to much.
I've visited SF, loved it, stayed in the Grand Hyatt on Union Square for a week! IT working session of HL7 (an IT company with-in of your ANSI - American National Standards Institute).
I had (still do) a HeadRoom Traveller Pack, plus a CDP, Walkman radio, AND PC type spkrs, AND a cheap wire antenna, a short-double rhombic* and some cork-board-pins to pin it to ceilings! :-) Sshhhh don't tell the GH!
SF is very hilly, just like Canberra, and soooo .......
A directional antenna - which you point to maximise reception from a particular transmitter in a particular spot - is the only way to improve your reception, and the drifting MD F-11 needs a service and an alignment, or sell it!
You'll also need to know how many stations - you REALLY care about there are - and then find their transmitters, on the map in relation to you.
You may find that all that you value are in one direction, So you can probably put a mast and a boom antenna where the whip is. Say Antennacraft's FM6 which is Fanfare's smaller directional - repackaged. If the arc is within 30 degrees / plus or minus 15 degrees, you may not a motor/rotator!
But, in this situation you also have an indoor option, a rhombic-wire type pinned to a ceiling - hidden from view!!!! - of the biggest suitable# room, or under a big rug or new carpet!
# Being rooms whose diagonals point in that direction, that also being the axis of the rhomboid ( <> ---> ) axis.
As each of the four equal lengths of wire can approach or exceed an FM wavelength this antenna has a good deal more gain than most practical external antennas. Good, no!?
You make them out of TV ribbon aka 300 ohm twin-lead, plus some loading resistors, add a balun and coax for the downlead, and you've got a high gain antenna that SWMBO will forget is there! And you can run two spread a bit, as well. Email me for the build - and thoughts - article. It is from the USA's own Audio Magazine, now defunct.
You will then be able to fully enjoy the 760!
Depends on how good the good stations are, doesn't it though!? ;-)!!!
WarmestTimbo in Oz
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio ScroungerAnd gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!
'Still not saluting.'
http://www.theanalogdept.com/tim_bailey.htm
- RE: IF that fanfare antenna is a whip I'm not surprised it isn't any better - harold1 21:25:52 12/22/08
(0)
- In Reply to: RE: IF that fanfare antenna is a whip I'm not surprised it isn't any better posted by Timbo in Oz on December 22, 2008 at 20:56:28
Thanks for the info. I figured it was the tuner and have up for sale. I live in Burlingame which is about 13 mi. south of S.F., or about 5 min. south of SFO. So relatively flat compared to S.F. The few stations I listen to seem to have a pretty good signal, but I plan to start checking out more stations.
- RE: IF that fanfare antenna is a whip I'm not surprised it isn't any better - harold1 21:25:52 12/22/08
(0)
- IF that fanfare antenna is a whip I'm not surprised it isn't any better - Timbo in Oz 20:56:28 12/22/08
(1)
- RE: have you searched the web and the Tuner information centre! - harold1 16:55:23 12/22/08
(2)
Post a Followup:
