General Asylum: REVIEW: Magnum Dynalab FT-101A Tuner by Barry

Model:	FT-101A
Category:	Tuner
Suggested Retail Price:	$975
Description:	FM Tuner
Manufacturer URL:	Magnum Dynalab

Review by Barry on November 09, 2007 at 17:56:03
IP Address: 71.225.3.30 Add Your Review
for the FT-101A

I too had a Magnum Dynalab Etude for many years. The sound is described very accurately on the Tuner Information Center website (read the entire site - everything its great.) In a nutshell -- dry, not much bass or particularly dynamic. Air around instruments and 3D soundstage? No way. It improved if left on 2 or 3 days but not by much. I never listened to it - did pull in stations pretty well though. I liked an old Dyna FM-5 by Frank Van Alstine much better

So i sold it & bought the Sansui TU-717. It was a noticeable step up and for a lot less. Some warmth much better high end and some semblence of real music.

But wait it gets better. With only 2 hours work replacing all the power supply parts with 2-4 xs larger (Black Gate) caps and taking out the old diodes in exchange for Schottky's the result is amazing and I haven't even got to the rest of the APS filter matching mods, F-connector etc.. Very real audiophile quality incredible bass + warm & wonderful realistic mid-range and acceptable though still not great highs - some soundstage and air. The FT101A Etude's not even close.

Product Weakness:	Many. See above
Product Strengths:	A very pretty face!

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: tri-amped Class A
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): pass labs X02
Sources (CDP/Turntable): tuner!!!!!!
Speakers: Maggies and huge subs
Cables/Interconnects: DH labs Revelations
Music Used (Genre/Selections): It's a tuner!!!!!
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): All
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	tri-amped Class A
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	pass labs X02
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	tuner!!!!!!
Speakers:	Maggies and huge subs
Cables/Interconnects:	DH labs Revelations
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	It's a tuner!!!!!
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	All
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner