Radio Shack Auvio HD Tuner
174.16.247.240 |
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| Posted on April 25, 2011 at 17:08:02 | ||
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Posts: 16
Location: Colorado Joined: April 1, 2008 |
I too was curious about this cheap tuner... listen to this. First, the Auvio HD tuner is a close out. Some stores have them, some don't, you'll have to have the store check their network to see who has them, irregardless they are $39.99 and there is a coupon available for $10 off a purchase of $40 or more. Additionally there is also another $10 off with the completion of a survey. This offer is available on the bottom of all receipts. Now the price is $29.99, Now a truly great offer! OK, so I buy a few of the tuners and head home, hook it up and listen for a little while. Overall decent performance, acceptable reception, but the audio is a little lifeless, is it the nature of the broadcast, or is it the hard ware, I conclude both. Some stations HD sonics are better than others. It is not CD sound by any means, but interesting to listen to. I am intrigued by the additional programming (especially in the Classical, Jazz, NPR/public areas. Again very listenable! Next, as with any new gear, I have to take it apart to see the guts... nothing much to see here. A shielded power supply, and a small 3x4" circuit board. As with almost everything there is a simple improvement easily obtained. In the case of this simple tuner it is the op amp! With soldering iron in hand, I removed the stock op amp (a very noisy, 4558d op amp) I immediately dig into my stash of Burr Brown op amps and pick one... first I soldered an 8 pin socket to help the process. I chose a couple whose sonics are familiar to me. First I tried an OPA2227P. It was a big difference, the bass was tighter and more controlled, the highs were more brilliant. Overall, a crisper sound, with more definition. Next I tried a OPA2604AP, again, similar results, better low end, maybe not as tight, and much clearer highs... I decided to leave it in place. I buttoned everything back up, all screws accounted for, wiped off the smudges and returned it to the stack. Through my system there is a marked improvement, it just sounds nicer, crisper, and more like music. Overall impression.. for those listening through an older system, or not via the digital outputs, an op amp change can give much better results over the factory (accountant driven) op amp choice. I am not one to ever say "it was like a blanket was removed from the speakers", nothing is ever that dramatic in real life, however, these differences are real, certainly noticable. \For anyone with a little know how, and basic tools, this is an ultra affordable task, and can yield very nice results. With all that being said, this is a $30 piece of gear... very little engineering went into this piece, so it is what it is. This is no miracle piece of equipment! Nothing will make it a true piece of thoroughbred gear. I posted this simply to share the simplicity of this upgrade, and yes, I am fairly happy with this little black box... it was cheap, looks nice above a $5000 Magnum Dynalab tuner, and frankly, I listened to it all day, and I'm not tired of it yet! The additional free programming is nice. I think I spent $.50 on the change. I hope you can find one and enjoy yours too! I'd be glad to help anyone modify theirs too. Happy listening! Will
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| Glad to hear it! I have one (unmodded) and love it! n/t, posted on April 27, 2011 at 08:54:16 | |
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Posts: 458
Location: Chicago, IL Joined: January 3, 2005 |
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| RE: Radio Shack Auvio HD Tuner, posted on May 5, 2011 at 17:43:51 | |
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Posts: 5
Location: KC MO Joined: May 1, 2011 |
Got mine today, now just gotta order a chip.
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