General Asylum: REVIEW: Yamaha TX-950 Tuner by Belgarchi

Model:	TX-950
Category:	Tuner
Suggested Retail Price:	$450
Description:	Digital AM / FM Tuner
Manufacturer URL:	Yamaha

Review by Belgarchi on March 14, 2010 at 19:48:40
IP Address: 216.80.143.3 Add Your Review
for the TX-950

This tuner, manufactured from 1991, is great and can be found used for a low price. It has two antenna inputs, looks great, and has plenty of features, including 40 presets, Mono/Blend/Stereo switch, Narrow/Wide band, Auto/Manual tuning, etc.
As for the sound, at first, it is ok but nothing special.
After a while, though, it becomes addictive: very refined, detailed AND soft treble, very clear, undistordet sound, and if the mid-bass are not boosted, they are there, as well as deeper bass.
Inside, the power supply looks small, but I don't know if it is important for a tuner?
Comparisons are difficult for tuners, too many variables, such as the radio station, its program, the antenna, the time of the day, etc.
I would say that the Yamaha TX-950 is in the same league than other excellent tuners I owned - Quad FM4, Yamaha T-85, NAD 4300 - but it is a tough call to choose a winner.

Product Weakness:	Age (reliability?)
Product Strengths:	Look, Features, Sound, Price used

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Musical Fidelity, Conrad-Johnson
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Marantz, Arcam
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Sony SCD-XA5400ES
Speakers: Many
Cables/Interconnects: Audioquest Diamondback
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Many
Room Size (LxWxH): 30 x 15 x
Room Comments/Treatments: Neutral to lively
Time Period/Length of Audition: Years
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): PS Audio Quintessence
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Musical Fidelity, Conrad-Johnson
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Marantz, Arcam
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Sony SCD-XA5400ES
Speakers:	Many
Cables/Interconnects:	Audioquest Diamondback
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Many
Room Size (LxWxH):	30 x 15 x
Room Comments/Treatments:	Neutral to lively
Time Period/Length of Audition:	Years
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	PS Audio Quintessence
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner