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70.71.15.234
Has anyone sent there FT101a back to MAGNUM DYNALAB for the upgrade
listed on the MAGNUM web site for $300 u.s.d .If so what do you think? I imgaine it turns it into a ETUDE.
Follow Ups:
That'll really annoy the nothing-beats-vintage crowd!
I have both a Kenwood KT-8300 and an Magnum Dynalab FT-101A and can safely say that the Kenwood is the better sounding tuner.
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Boo!
Actually, I don't have an FT101a. I have an FT-11. The basement model. A couple of years ago, it needed a tuner alignment. I sent it back to MD and Larry personally called me up and said for a bit more, he can do an upgrade. Another alternative was to trade my tuner in towards an upgrade to a current model. MD would give me credit for my FT-11. I won't say how much, but it was a very reasonable credit. However, I didn't have anything budgeted for a new tuner so I just went for the upgrade (which included a tuner alignment too). The upgrade only makes the sound marginally different. However, the jacks are of better quality and mounted much stronger. The wiring and some parts inside are of much better quality. Most FM over the air is compressed anyways so a very good tuner would make little difference for the price of the upgrade.
Now getting back to those "audiophiles" who claim MD tuners are crap and everybody should seek out vintage tuners. I have heard some very good vintage tuners and yes...some of them sound better than the MDs or for that matter, any new tuners currently on the market. But I have yet to find one in good condition for sale at a reasonable price. I've also heard some pretty terrible sounding Kenwoods and Akais. I used to own an Akai tuner too and it was BAD. Most people who buy tuners will probably be just window shopping at their local hifi shop and be wowed by the great music only to find it was a radio station. That's how I got introduced to good FM. Most of us simply do not have time to seek out tubes, and spend endless amounts of time and money tweaking tuners. Getting a currently available, well built and good sounding tuner is the only option we have if we want good FM radio. It's a credit to MD that they support ALL the tuner models they've ever made. They don't just discontinue their old models and leave you high and dry.So if you don't have the funds to buy a new tuner or time to seek out and tweek a good vintage tuner, then yes, my opinion is the upgrade service from MD is worthwhile.
Cheers!
I've been using an FT-11 since '97 and I'm wondering if you experienced the same problem I had...After several years of use I started having problems with signal drift, at least that's what it looked like. Looking at the problem closer, I found that wiggling the buttons on the ront panel caused exactly the same problem. Eventually the situation got so bad that it wasn't even practical to use the tuner.
So, instead of paying MD to fix it, I just removed the entire pushbutton mechanism. (I tried cleaning the contacts with DeoxIt first, but that didn't help.) In place of the pushbuttons, I installed a couple mini toggle switches and hardwired the features I didn't need to switch on/off (mute and the 3 presets). Tuning is entirely manual, but that's no big deal.
So I'm wondering... did you have the same problem with your FT-11, and do you know if MD addressed it when you had it upgraded?
-Anthony
. . . it's the young "audiophiles" who initially drool all over the MD tuners. They're good tuners. And they're easily available in the salons. But experience in the hobby brings perspective. They're not the best values or performers once the alternatives are discovered.Don't confuse an Akai with an FT-11 or 101a, or either genre with the best vintage-era models. It's lemons, apples and oranges.
Some of the best vintage models are even cheaper than a new FT-11.
But this gentleman is talking of a few years ago, when they were still available.Shall we change it to a DT-5 for sake of argument?
I think it takes us to the same place.
Hello 2channelman Ive also purchased the Magnum Dynalab 102 triode tuner with remote and gold faceplate [serial #10-06521] wired internally with Kimber Kable.Respecting all previous posts and opinions, when I purchased mine from audio consultants in Libertyville Illinois I was mainly looking at transparent cables as I was in the process of purchasing Plinius sa 102s [2] at quintessence audio in Morton Grove for my home theatre. Anyhow upon entering a room consisting of Eggleston Andras with Mark Levinson 435 amplifiers and I believe a 390s preamp.The source I noticed was a full stack of DCS gear,^30,000 yes and I had one of those audiophile 'WOWS" UPON HEARING THE SALESMAN TELL ME THAT THE GLORIOUS SOUND I WAS HEARING WAS THE M.D. 102 TUNER!!!Anyhow I hadn't then considered or entertained the thought of incorporating a tuner into my system-needless to say that's changed and its performed flawlessly but Ive now sent mine off for the new upgrade and Ill post my findings when its returned. I believe that its a sound investment as supposedly Ill be getting rid of the inherent "clicking" along with [20] presets and now having memory so I wont lose settings in case of power failures, money well spent imho.At the time I purchased mine the salesman claimed the 102 was at the point of diminishing returns as this model offers most of what theyre range gives you.It also looks very aesthetically attractive in my Lovan racks two channel side flanking my Pioneer 730HDMI in my home theatre setting. Anyhow 2channelman if you enjoy your FT101 don't worry what the naysayers say I actually demoed the M.D.90 until my 102 arrived and could have lived quite well with that model.One last thought Larry Z. actually remembered talking to me on the phone about his tuners and my system and that kind of customer CARE/service theres something to be said for; as most companies remember most customers the way I remember yesterdays trash!!!So-' a sincere company with integrity supporting a great product= win-win situation; who cares about best when you get "peace of mind". Regards sincerely Tim W...
Seems the gentleman was seeking a very narrow reply and didn't want to hear any discussion "off topic".A real pity, as these little frolics and detours are the foundation of boards such as this one. A lot of good advice was discussed and there is always something new to learn when that happens. Oh well.
Jimmy, you're getting slower on the draw with that magical Eico of yours . . . it took you two full days this time.
Hey to the last couple of you that posted . I'm not the kind that
scares easily I grew up in east Van.I'm not sure if you read all the
posts I left so far but lets recap (1) I asked if anyone had modded
their Magnum Dynalab Ft101a ? not what tuner do you have at home ? or
is a chicken like a dog just with two legs instead of four ? so
that's pretty specific (2) The gentleman who responded clearly states
he has no real knowledge of the Ft101a ie I have a friend and he
say's ......... doesn't really work for me in fact from where I see
it , it's a sure fire way to start a scrap !(3) Keep this in mind
I have owned a vintage Kenwood tuner model Kt9100 or Kt9300 if memory
serves me correct , one night it was powered down after being powered
up for a very long time and it took out the power supply upon power
up and no one in Vancouver seemed to know how to repair it, I have
also had a Denon Tu850 which was at best just good certainly not
great (4) There is a Hitachi Ft5500 sitting in a box in the basement
why? because the Dynalab eats it for breakfast ! period .(5) As I
also pointed out before I DO NOT GIVE OUT A OPINION ON A UNIT I
KNOW NOTHING ABOUT like buddie did. There is a store here in
Vancouver www.space-tech-lab.com Albert does get some neat stuff
now and then so I am not opposed to another tuner but I still LOVE
my Ft101a I'm listening to KPLU right now in fact oh by the way it
sounds just great thank you very much.
get an EICO Classic 2200 & perform the simple mods listed in the AA reviews section. Tube lineup in the tuner speaks for itself. Produces CD like sound quality on better FM stations, you will never look back.
Hello 2channel man.I do not own an FT101a.But I spent a weekend with
one a few years ago.I do currently own an dynalab md 102 and have
extensive experience with the md 102t(tubed upgrade).The Ft 101 has
only a three gang front end.That is it major shortcoming.I would
upgrade to something much higher in the magnum range if you really
want to get a significant improvement in sound.I can tell you without
a doubt that the md102t and the md 106t(with green eye and without)
do not sound like "FM".They sound like a real genuine source like
cd or good vinyl playback.They really are that good.There are reviews
out there comparing their performance as better than these old vintage
tuners sound wise and tuning wise.
My answer to you would be,that it depends on what performance level
you are looking for and how much you have to spend.The Ft 101a in todays magnum product range ranks as entry level with many more models
now available.The md 102t is keeper hands down.I am still amazed at
how good FM can sound.IT smokes many real good cd players regularly.
Hope that helps.Duane Upshaw
be to get a vintage tuner and have it modded. If you want sound quality that will easily rival tuners costing thousands you can have it for under 500. The only Ft101a I hear isn't really very good sounding. This is a friends and he agrees. His system is excellent and very revealing. My modded Kenwood Kt 7500 sounds so much better a fair comparison isn't worth trying. My friend agrees btw and was very disappointed when he bought it especially considering what it cost compared to the mid 80's Denon he'd been using. His words: It sounds no better than my Denon.
L.o.L !!! Have you actually ever sat down and listened to a FT101a?
it's a lovely sounding tuner I owned a vintage KENWOOD I think it was
a KT9100 if my memory serves me correct which I admit also sounded
very good problem was it simply died one day after being powered down
for the first time in a couple years and no one seemed to know how to
fix the damn thing. I also had a vintage DENON tu850 analog tuner
the DYNALAB ate that one for breakfast. My buddie owns a older HITACHI ft5500
once again my MAGNUM kicks the living SH1T out of it
I wish you could have given your advice having actually lived with a
DYNALAB tuner instead uh I hear from my JACK ASS friend that it's
not very good although I never have lived with one cause I'm too
cheap and or broke to get one.
p.s. I owned in the neighorhood of 135 pieces of gear in the last 20
years or so including some so called vintage pieces . The only thing
you seem to have right (I hope) is that analog tuners generally
sound better than most digital tuners
p.s.s I try NOT to give advice on this page unless I actually have
had some interaction with the equipment they ask for an opinion on
maybe you should do the same.
I listened to an ft101a in my system and it was not very good at all, I can assure you of that. At the time I owned alot of different gear and it was simply the least musical. It offered very little involvement. I would liken the sound to the use of too much negative feedback if your familar with what that sounds like. Clean and dead. I bought an old sansui from goodwill recently that sounded more musical for $10.00.
as I can get an FT 101a for. I was actually only trying to help. Not very many people have experienced near cd quality from their FM tuners. I didn't even know it was possible til I got this one. I've owned many good tuners but this thing sounds amazingly good. I think you're upset that you probably paid for yours the full retail price, I know George isn't too impressed with his. Btw, the tuner he had before and feels sounds the same was a Denon 747 which was nothing but a mid level tuner. His system is Classe gear with Vmps RM 30 speakers at present which replaced Kef 107.2's. We can easily hear the differences. You should grow up. People with more knowledge than you are only trying to help. In my opinion after my one experience with that Magnum I see no point in ever considering one of their tuners or any tuner other than a modded vintage tuner. The sound quality is what's important to me, not looking cool.
as he is still disappointed with it. I've heard it numerous times. Compared to a my modded KT 7500 it's not even close. I'm not trying to put down anything just telling you the truth. Better yet go here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FMtuners/Ask the same question. These people are tuner fanatics to the max and some have over 100 tuners, modded and otherwise. You should hear a good modded vintage tuner next to the Magnum yourself.
modded Kenwoods is vast. Ask over at the fm tuner board at yahoo. You'll have many people who have heard and owned your tuner, my tuner and numerous others. Everybody's tastes differ but when there's a large difference it's obvious to everyone.
I have indeed owned an FT101a. It's not a bad tuner at all. In fact, it's better than most, and certainly better than the current mass market standard and quite a few other entry level high end models. I do think the upgrades are not worth the extra $$$ for what you get, especially considering today's FM and its future. Better off to hunt down a used Etude if you really want the Kimber Kable and all that stuff. When I sold mine, I got top dollar for it, too.However, depending on what you're looking for in audio performance, there are other more vintage examples that will outperform it, sonically, for a little less money. I'm referring to tubed analog designs fully reconditioned and aligned. One was mentioned a few threads below. I'm not throwing a 10B or Mac in your face, or saying that these classics have better quieting and other measured reception performance. But I've heard a lot of FM and FM tuners over the years, and taken apart a few, too.
But bear in mind that most of the better tuners are far more than you're going to need for most signal content today. FM, much outside the college band, really is a wasteland from a content and quality perspective compared to the heydays of the '60s and '70s.
So, if you already own one, you should feel very comfortable that your 101a is likely all the tuner you'll ever need. I wouldn't invest any more money into it as the general signal quality doesn't merit it. You won't discern the difference, either between a 101a or an Etude, or even between either and the best vintage examples, on most signal content.
However, if you're sitting on the sidelines with no tuner and $500-$1000 burning a hole in your pocket, there are also cheaper alternatives that can sound a little better (on the rare, good quality signal) for less money. I think that was all the other gentleman was trying to say.
For less than the upgrade cost, you can purchase, recondition and align a KM-60, as the gentleman a few threads below is doing. And that is a tuner that will embarrass an Etude.There are some other Fishers, Sherwoods and Scotts that will do the same, for around the same cost. And Jimmy, I'm sure, will also throw in his Eico. Again, these are all old school ANALOG designs, the same as MD touts.
I cannot overstress this: in the current world of tuners and what is needed for maximum audio extraction with the present state of FM broadcasting, $300 is now too much money to spend on ANY tuner. Period.
Consider those economics before you dump that kind of money into a plain jane 101a.
Spend the money on a reconditioned vintage model, let your ears decide, and then dump the loser on Agon or Ebay. You'll probably wind up with a better sounding tuner AND money in your pocket.
Or, you can keep what you have and be happy knowing you didn't waste $300.
I guess Werner didn't give you an answer you wanted to hear.However, your shoddy response was uncalled for. If you don't like the suggestions (and that's all they are) offered - go somewhere else - we don't need your ilk.
Don Scott, who has reviewed tuners for years in Stereophile(and has great ears I may add) has worked on many FT's. He told me that their "stock" SOUND can be improved significantly by upgrading op amps and capacitors.
Regarding this ongoing debate between classic(tube?)/modern(digital?) tuners, their "superiority" depends on what you are looking (hearing?) for and where you live. If it's in an urban setting with many close spaced stations, most "classic" tuners have trouble cleanly receiving a desired station amongst(between?) the pileup.
I've found that many "modern" tuners do not sound good and attribute that to shoddy design or implementation of the amplifying sections following the multiplex decoder - the RF design/implementation may be fine. To demonstrate this I've substituted a "high quality", tube-based line stage as close to the output of the multiplex decoder as I can get on a number of tuners and the difference in sound is amazing - primarily in clarity and dynamics. Even then, when enjoying a tuner shootout at our local audio society, the differences in PERSONAL LISTENING TASTES or you could call them biases, becomes readily apparent.
Carles King
My main beef with the response was 2 fold firstly I asked if anyone
had done the mod offered by the folks at DYNALAB not what colour is
the sky or is tortelini the same as ravioli ! the gentleman in
question does NOT have to love DYNALAB that's fine with me secondly
look at his answer closely uh my friend says.... I mean give it a
rest the guy has zero exsposure the unit in question was I harsh
damn right I was I also point out that I try NOT to comment on units
I don't know ie what do I think of JADIS amps? I don't anything about
them so I don't say or pretend I do
Cheers
tacky and over the top. But, a quick review of 2 channel's system revealed he owns the tuner that was "put down" and was bettered by many vintage tuners so one would think some defensiveness would be expected.
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