SAE Mark Six (1971, $1,050, photo) search eBay
and
SAE Mark VIB (1974, $1,250, photo1, photo2) search eBay
The Mark VIB is similar to the original version of the SAE Mark VIII, but the VIB has an oscilloscope as does the Mark Six (which is also widely known as the Mark VI). The Mark Six and VIB both have analog tuning knobs and mechanical tuning capacitors but digital frequency readouts with Nixie tunes. The Mark Six has a Tape Out jack on the front panel, and fixed and variable outputs and a "4 channel MPX out" jack on the back. The Mark VIB is rare on eBay and usually sells for $600-1,000, but one with a nice cabinet fetched a stunning $1,537 in 10/03 when two guys ran it up from $815, and another went for $1,301 in 4/05. The record sale price for a Mark Six was $1,276 in 1/03, but one with a beautiful custom wood cabinet went for just $536 in 2/03 and others have sold for $600-800 over the years. See how one Mark Six sounded compared to other top tuners on our Shootouts page, and read our panelist David "A"'s Ricochet.

Here's our contributor Paul Bigelow's great review of the Mark VI: "The SAE Mark VI is an Ed Miller design and in the grouping of one of the most expensive tuners ever made. What did that kind of money buy? Scope tuning, nixie digital readout, touch sensitive tuning/audio scope display, and a fine-sounding, sensitive tuner to boot. Physical description: The cabinet is all-aluminum construction. While this makes for a light cabinet and good RF shielding, it makes for poor magnetic shielding. The front panel is a light brass color, not unlike the 60s Fisher units. The finish is nice and the cabinet corners are rounded -- unusual, but easy to carry. Screw terminals for the antenna are on back and there are RCA outputs for fixed and variable level as well as RCA scope inputs for audio. The interior is nicely laid out. The top half of the tuner interior contains the scope, the IF/detector board, the multiplex and audio output board, the digital readout board, and the front end/first IF assembly. The bottom half of the interior contains the scope board, the power supply circuit board, the touch tuning sensitive relay board, and the front-panel switch assemblies. The construction is neat and laid out well but due to the orientation of the boards, access to the bottom of the boards for repairs is time-consuming. Only the multiplex/AF board has easy access. Special note must be made of the RF/front end assembly; it is totally encased in a brushed metal box - quite impressive. The tuning knob weight is a gorgeous brass-colored cylinder and is nicely machined. The digital tuning board in encased with a cover. I have seen pictures of the Mark VI's interior without this cover. I do not know if the cover was added later or eliminated early, or if the example seen was tampered with. The tuning mechanism is well made and simple: a small belt from the tuning shaft to the capacitor pulley. The circuit boards appear to be of glass epoxy. The nixies are Amperex ZM1000. The scope display is D7-200GH and is made by Brimar. The scope tube has a square display. The phosphorous is green in color. Both the scope display and nixie tube readout are behind a dark brown plastic cover, invisible when turned off.

Circuit discription: The signal passes through a balun and directly into the front end. I do not have schematics of the front end but it is noted to be four gangs with two FETs. The front end was sourced outside of SAE. The signal is then routed to the first IF amp, a socketed CA3053 IC. Next is one of the various unique parts of the Mark VI: the 10.7 IF signal passes through the first IF filter, not just any filter but a metal-encased, potted, 9-pole toroid filter assembly from Filtec. I would think this filter is 'unalterable' and could not be repaired. This filter is attached to the RF front end box. I would leave it alone. Technically, it is 3-pin with an in, an out, and a ground. This filter assembly was a source of great debate at SAE as quality could vary wildly as supplied from Filtec. Many were rejected at the SAE factory. Next is the second IF, another CA3053 IC. This is followed by another 5-pole Filtec 10.7 IF toroid filter. It looks just like the 9-pole only smaller. Next come two IF amps and limiters MC1355PQ IC. The detector stage is next. In parallel to this circuitry are the scope display amp, and muting and stereo threshold adjuments. The multiplex section follows and it is totally discrete. It has SCA filtering. The audio section is next and that contains the 19kc filter and muting attenuators. High frequency blend is switchable. The output is either fixed or variable through a discrete switching arrangement. The power supply is regulated. My schematic contains the Mark VI for the RF circuits and the Mark VIB for the power supply and scope circuit. Based upon comparison of the schematics, info from James Bongiorno, and my own unit. I would say the Mark VI and VIB are very similar but not identical.

Differences between Mark VI and VIB:
1. Scope circuitry is somewhat different
2. Changes made to the side-muting funciton for VIB
3. VIB has pushbutton front-panel switches, VI has levers
4. VIB has two level settings for external input, VI has three

Impressions: The nixie tube readout is bright, clear, and unusual. It is also accurate. The scope is bright and sharp. The tuning knob feel is outstanding - extremely smooth and fluid with only a bit of backlash (this is due to the rubber belt between the tuning shaft and the capacitor pulley). The switching between the FM display and audio is very nice and automatic: Touch the knob, FM, release the knob a couple of seconds later and it's back to audio. A front-panel control can set the display for FM-only, if desired. This tuner is very sensitive, better than the Kenwood KT-7001 and maybe better than the Yamaha T-2. Selectivity, while not the best, is very adequate, not as good as the Marantz 10B or Yamaha T-2 but better than the KT-7001. Like other tuners, the Mark VI does suffer from IP3/mixing products but it probably meets its selectivity spec (100 dB, I believe). The external muting control works well and can be adjusted precisely. The sound of the SAE sets it apart from the pack. The stereo image is wide, detailed, and fairly quiet. Bass is tuneful but not overpowering. Distortion is no problem. This tuner sounds great. Conclusion: The SAE Mark VI is a fun, easy-to-use tuner with good DX capabilities and great sound. With the additon of its almost unique functions of nixie readout and scope display, it makes for a real eye-catcher."

SAE Mark VIII (1976, $650, black, silver, Audio review) search eBay
Also known as the MK8, the Mark VIII was an FM-only tuner from Scientific Audio Electronics with an analog tuning knob, mechanical tuning capacitor and large red digital frequency display. The original version of the Mark VIII had a gold anodized faceplate, but a later version had a black anodized rack-mount faceplate. This black version was later sold as the SAE 8000, and all of our contributors believe that the tuners sold under the two model numbers were identical, inside and out. The Mark VIII/MK8/8000 has 5 gangs and 5 filters, is solidly built, and is very sensitive and quiet. It is also very selective, even in stock form, and SAE claimed a remarkable 120 dB alternate channel rejection in its 8000 literature. The Mark VIII/8000 does not have a wide/narrow IF bandwidth selector, but our contributor Tuck found its selectivity to be an "excellent compromise" and its adjacent channel rejection to be "far above average." Our contributor Steve reports that it's quiet and well built, and is "very easy to work on with lots of room inside." The Mark VIII used less-expensive parts than the Mark VIB and LEDs for the readout instead of Nixie tubes. Mike Zuccaro says that the Mark VIII/8000 "are completely redesigned, "cost down" tuners (though still fine units) that have nothing at all in common with the MK6 tuners, either in circuitry or construction. The MK8/8000 is prone to display problems, but reliable otherwise." Mike points out that SAE put out a service bulletin to change the resistors feeding the LEDs to prevent them from burning out. Yet another contributor found the Mark VIII/8000 more sensitive and selective than a Kenwood KT-7500 in a side-by-side test. An unusual feature of the Mark VIII/8000 is a 1/4" phone plug output on the front panel, for taping or high-impedance headphones. The Mark VIII and 8000 usually sell for $160-300 or so on eBay, or $125-200 when (as is common) the display does not completely work. The recent high was $510 in 1/05, and a "new old stock" 8000 went for $350 in 3/06. See below for a photo of the SAE 8000.

SAE Two T3U (1976, $275) search eBay
The SAE Two T3U was SAE's only analog tuner. According to Jim's SAE Site, the T3U was designed and manufactured for SAE by Marubeni. Our panelist Ray reviewed one: "Pop the hood and you'll find a nice varicap with 5 FM and 2 AM gangs, but hold on! One of the FM gangs is a 'floater,' not at all electrically connected. The schematic is clear, though: it's a 4-gang tuner. It has a very basic, no-frills circuit and the board seems well laid out. There are only 2 ceramic filters in the IF string and per the schematic it's one 280 kHz filter followed by a 230, but it was built with the 230 followed by the 280. Does it matter? With only two in there RFM thinks, 'not much.' There is an LA-1231 IF amp and an LA-3350 MPX IC. That's followed by dual slugged lowpass filters, passive de-emphasis (YEA!) and discrete transistor outputs. The audio response from MPX in to output jacks has rather weak bass response measuring -2.25 dB @ 40 Hz and -7.9 dB @ 20 Hz. De-emphasis time constant measured 69.5 uS. The claimed specs are: IHF mono sens. 10.3 dBf, 50 dB quieting in stereo 37.3 dBf, S/N in mono 74 dB, THD in stereo 0.2%, selectivity - only given for adjacent channels - is >15 dB, capture ratio 1.5 dB, and stereo separation 45 dB. So, in a nutshell, it ain't much stock but ol' RFM's gonna mod it as it's easy to work on. Power supply cap and audio cap upgrades, corrected de-emphasis and some Ammons filter adders." Our panelist Bob adds, "That tuner sounds like it was set up for good sonics with nice GDT filters, but then they blew it with the tiny output cap." The T3U usually sells for under $50 on eBay but one went for $81 in 8/06 for no good reason. [RFM]

Mark Wilson of Absolute Sound Labs issues this warning: "Recently, I have noted that both the domestic and export versions of the SAE Two T3U have not been manufactured as the schematic indicated, and could present a hazard to their owners. According to the original blueprints, there is supposed to be a fuse in the AC mains primary circuit, located between the high side of the line cord and the power switch. The schematic in the published Service Manual does not show any fuse in the circuit. The three units I've received have had the connections to the fuse, on the power supply circuit board, jumpered with a piece of #22 wire. The fuse clips and associated fuse have been removed. This change does appear as it would from the factory and as such presents a significant safety issue. Non-protection of the equipment could result in a possible fire."

SAE Two T6 (1980) search eBay
We don't know much about the SAE Two T6, which was apparently the little brother of the underrated T14. The T6 usually sells for $30-75 on eBay, with a low of $10 in 8/05 and a high of $117 in 9/05.

SAE Two T7 (1976, $430) search eBay
For a tuner with an original $430 list price, the SAE Two T7 gets very little respect 30+ years after its manufacture. The T7 usually sells for just $20-60 on eBay, but one T7 went for $105 in 3/06 and one poor misguided eBayer paid $177 for a T7 with original box in 6/05 ($100 extra for a box?).

SAE Two T14 (1979, $599, schematic (large file)) search eBay
The SAE Two T14 is an attractive black digital synthesizer tuner with wood end caps and a very large blue fluorescent display. It has 5 FM and 5 AM presets and blue fluorescent signal-strength and multipath indicators. It has a variable muting control on the back panel and its most unusual feature is a clock that displays the time whenever the tuner is off or with the press of a button when on. Our contributor Bill Ammons informs us that the T14's "front end assembly looks (almost or exactly) like my Carver TX-11a. The T14 has 5 tuned RF stages with a single dual gate FET, and 4 low-GDT type Murata filters. It has great 400 kHz selectivity and fairly good 200 kHz selectivity. From a modification/service point of view, the layout makes it hard to work on." The T14 has wide and narrow IF bandwidth settings and is also very sensitive and has good quieting on weak signals. The T14 usually sells for $80-120 on eBay, with a high of $199 in 8/05 for a mint one, but as little as $30-50 is possible. [EF]

SAE 8000 (1976, $800, photo) search eBay
The 8000 is apparently the same tuner as the Mark VIII, with a different nameplate. See the Mark VIII writeup above. See how one 8000 sounded compared to many top tuners on our Shootouts page.

Sansui Tuners can be found on a separate page.

Sanyo Plus T35 (1979, see writeup regarding list price, photo, left closeup, right closeup) search eBay
Sanyo is not known for its tuners, but this one seems to be a sleeper. It has 4 gangs and 4 filters and an eBay seller listed the following features: adjustable output level with defeat circuit; three levels of muting; wide/narrow IF band selection; push button for manual lock (to override quartz circuitry?); 5-band signal-strength LED indicator; "traveling" frequency display ("LED numbers travel across the dial with the needle," whatever that means); and LED indicators for fine tuning. Read what our panelist Jim thought about the sound of one T35 in this Shootout. Our information sources indicate that the Plus T35 had a list price of $299.95 in 1979, which may have briefly increased to $349.95 in 1980. By 1981, however, Sanyo had dropped the list price to $199.95, presumably to unload unsold stock, and the company was out of the high-end tuner business for good by 1982. The T35 usually sells for $55-125 on eBay. [JR]

Sanyo Plus T55 (1979, see writeup regarding list price, photo, closeup) search eBay
The big brother of the T35, and a definite sleeper, is the T55, a low-profile rack-mount style black digital tuner. It is narrower than the T35, with a 1-3/4 inch front panel, but very heavy for its size. Our contributor Bobby says: "I think this tuner demands to be heard. I bought this tuner and Sanyo P-55 amplifier and P-55 preamp, also outstanding, on the recommendation in a back issue of The Sensible Sound magazine. They thought it outperformed the Mac MR-78, which is heady company. All I can say is this is one tuner on which I can really hear the differences in broadcasting stations. Also, this tuner's imaging, soundstaging, depth of soundfield and outstanding deep bass extension have to be heard to be believed! It also has excellent FM quieting, imaging rejection and capture ratio, etc. I know Sanyo is not a name that comes to mind for fine audio equipment, but their Plus Series of components are something special and are overachievers." Our contributor Howard lists the details: "All metal case with glass window. Excellent construction. Four-gang FM front end, 3 gang AM (varicaps), 4 ceramic filters FM IF with two switched out electronically for the Wide setting. Two ceramic filters for AM. Digital system fully shielded with a separate power supply for it. Analog system on its own board with a separate power supply. Shielded front end section. I am retired from the electronics industry and know good equipment when I see it." Some front-panel features are an output level knob, two levels of muting (which is also defeatable), a Wide/Narrow IF switch, and 6 memory presets. An unusual analog-style tuning knob that clicks in .1 MHz increments gives the feel of an analog tuner for spinning up and down the dial, rather than the "tuning up" and "tuning down" buttons found in most digitals. The "international" version of the T55 tunes in .05 MHz increments. Our contributor Ed B. says the T55 is "an interesting machine... Big sound!" Our contributor Tom B. compared the T55 to his Pioneer TX-9100 and found them similar, with the T55 "perhaps a little smoother in the midrange." And our panelist Eric found the T55 to be a little powerhouse, similar to the Nikko Gamma V or Technics ST-9038, with great bass and a smooth, non-fatiguing sound overall. Sensitivity is excellent and selectivity, while not up to Onkyo-Yamaha levels, is more than sufficient for non-DXers (a filter mod might be a worthwhile endeavor for a DXer). Our information sources indicate that the Plus T55 had a list price of $349.95 in 1979, which may have briefly increased to $399.95 in 1980. By 1981, however, Sanyo had dropped the list price to $249.95, presumably to unload unsold stock, and the company was out of the high-end tuner business for good by 1982. The T55 usually sells for $135-225 on eBay. [EF]

Scott - See the Tube Tuners page for info on several Scott tube tuners.

Scott LT-112B (1967, $199, photo, closeup) search eBay
The LT-112B Broadcast Monitor Tuner was made for several years but is still somewhat rare. It replaced the LT-112 and was sold as a kit until Scott changed its lineup and introduced the 433 digital tuner in 1970. Our contributor Tuck tells us that the LT-112B has "no MOSFETs (JFETs), no ICs and no ceramic IF filters, and has only a 3-gang front end. In spite of these 'shortcomings,' it is a remarkable performer which is as quiet or quieter than my supertuners, especially in the stereo mode, where good signal-to-noise ratios are really difficult to achieve. All its many functions are MANUALLY selected, much to my preference; it is stable without need of AFC; it delivers superb audio quality (in those increasingly rare instances where the stations broadcast it) - and all this from a kit! The only thing it lacks is high selectivity, though it is at least adequate in this respect. This could probably be addressed with realignment of the IF strip. I think this tuner represents what superior engineering can do with limited resources, as it puts most more recent designs to shame." Our panelist Bob agrees: "I bought one of these and, after an alignment, really like it. The LT-112B uses FETs instead of the nuvistor tubes that the LT-112 had in the RF front end, and has more features than the LT-112. The 112B has the look inside of a tube tuner but with solid state devices, with an IF stage using double-tuned IF transformers that look very much the same as the ones used in Scott tube tuners. The MPX and audio output stages are all discrete, and seem to be a bit more complex than the tube tuner versions of the same, with more filtering. All in all, the 112B gives up very little in the way of reception sensitivity and selectivity to much later more modern units, a testament to the Scott design team. The sound is very good, totally stock. I was able to coax the detector, a ratio detector type, into perfect alignment and came away with a reading of .07% distortion at 1 kHz, which I don't think you'll ever see in the data sheet specs for this unit. The stereo light was burned out as purchased, and it appeared to need 2.5v, so I used two green LEDs in series to replace it and it now works perfectly. This unit has a lot of nice features - muting, mono/stereo switching, stereo blend, and low-pass noise filter. One high-quality meter display is multitasked via a switch for signal strength, multipath, center tune, and 'align' (remember it was a kit). I have to admit the LT-112B is really a surprise, but these units are really the most neglected part of the tuner market it would seem." The LT-112B usually sells for $45-65 on eBay, but up to $100-125 is possible for a nice one. [BF]

Scott 590T (1979) search eBay
The 590T is an FM-AM tuner with a good 3-gang AM section and a 5-gang FM front end. Its claimed sensitivity is an excellent 9.3 dBf, and it performed well in the 1989 field test that the Sumo Charlie (see below) failed.

Sequerra search eBay
No one on our panel has ever owned any Sequerra tuner and we don't plan on spending thousands of dollars on a tuner that is not better, for most purposes, than a top (for example) Sansui, Kenwood or Accuphase. Sequerras are probably best considered as works of art for audiophiles and collectors. Note regarding dates and prices: Between 1973 and 1981, Sequerra sold several different tuners that were all called the Model 1. They had different specs and different list prices (ranging from $1,800 in 1973 to $3,750 in 1981), and were available with or without oscilloscopes and sometimes even in kit form. We're not sure which one Jim or Jay had. There was also a Model II circa 1976-77. In 1983-84, the Model One Broadcast Analyzer, apparently a different tuner, was sold at a list price of about $5,000. In subsequent years, a confusing series of other tuners, including the FM Broadcast Monitor, FM Reference, FM Reference Classic, FM Studio, FM Studio 2, and maybe others, were sold under the Day-Sequerra name for prices ranging from $3,000-5,500 (or $9,800-12,800 with Panalyzer). It's just not worth the time for us to try to figure it all out. Here's the FM Studio model: front, back. Sale prices for all Sequerras on eBay vary widely, but those who have to ask how much it's worth probably need not apply, anyway. An original Model 1 that had just had a $2,000 tuneup from Sequerra Associates sold for $5,600 on eBay in 10/03, while other Model Ones sale prices have ranged from $2,995 to $4,301 (with oscilloscope and Panalyzer). Two Broadcast Monitor Ones went for $3,359 in 2/03 and $4,029 in 3/04, and a Day-Sequerra FM Studio fetched $2,175 in 10/03. The most common Sequerra model appears to be the FM Reference, which usually sells for $2,900-3,300 (recent low $2,524 in 12/05; recent high $4,100 in 3/04). The highest sale price we've seen was $6,200 in 7/05 for a "Model 1 FM Broadcast Monitor" with scope (and no, we're still not sure which model is which).

Sequerra Model No. 1 Broadcast Monitor (photo1, photo2, closeup, magazine cover) search eBay
Our panelist Jim tested a Model 1 and has this to say: "I had the privilege and pleasure of being loaned this tuner by a serious audiophile in town. He has quite a collection of dream tuners, including a Mac MR 67, two Mac MR 71s, a Marantz 10B and more. The Sequerra is a beautiful piece of workmanship and I liked having it on my shelf. The tuner has a deep and rich bass and non-irritating highs. I enjoyed listening for several hours, then switched to my reference modified Kenwood KT-7500. At first, I thought the 7500 sounded bright, but there was no irritation and as I listened, I realized that the seductive sound of the Sequerra was the result of deep rich bass, more so than any stock transistor tuner I've listened to before, and rolled off high frequencies. It can be quite soothing and is definitely easier to listen to than most thin-sounding Kenwoods and Pioneers of the '70s. To sum up, it is a very nice-sounding tuner, definitely more listenable than most stock tuners of its day. However, it can be possibly be bested by mods to Kenwoods, Sansuis and Pioneers of that era. I, like most tuner fans, can't afford this Cadillac, especially when you realize you can hot rod a Chevy and have a better car." See how one Model 1 sounded compared to other top tuners on our Shootouts page. Our contributor Mike Barney has a great page on the Model 1, with lots of photos, reviews, etc. [JR]

We thought that all Sequerra tuners use mechanical tuning capacitors but have digital LED frequency displays, but our contributor Jay reports: "The original Sequerra Model 1 Broadcast Monitor (NOT the newer Day-Sequerra tuner) does NOT use mechanical tuning capacitors; instead it uses Hi-Q varactor diodes biased with an adjustable low-noise voltage source. If there ever was a mechanical tuning capacitor version, then this is new news to me. The IF stage of this tuner is highly unusual, consisting of an 18-pole filter (presumably lumped element)! It is unique as it has the phase shift/frequency response flatness properties of a Butterworth approximation, but has a faster rolloff rate, similar to a 0.1 dB Chebyshev. This type of filter needs to be aligned on a network analyzer since the goal is minimal phase shift while retaining bandpass flatness. Proper filter alignment is mandatory and contributes to the tuner's ultra-low distortion and wide dynamic range. Other FM tuners, some older, have mistuned or component value drifting due to aging (or some guy who tries to align his IF stage by ear) which can cause IF stages to have nasty phase shifts within their passband (I do not claim that this is necessarily always audible, but it is measurable on the bench). The Sequerra's IF stage has very steep skirts resulting in superb adjacent channel rejection, while maximizing bandwidth for low distortion. This is one area that makes the Sequerra's performance really stand out."

Jay continues, "I was able to purchase a very rare, one of only four, Sequerra Model 1 Tuner. These four units were modified for special purpose, high-performance measurement capability (I was told that the FCC owns one of these, and the other two are at radio stations in the US). They look just like the standard model, however they contain three additional switches on the front panel and a switch with BNC connector on the rear. This rear panel switch is for performing very low distortion baseband measurements via the BNC connector (this signal is tapped right off the broadcasted signal) by use of a special broadband (2 MHz wide) IF stage. The additional switches on the front panel allow for disabling the signal de-emphasis (again, when performing low-distortion measurements), another for activating a single frequency high-Q (low phase noise) quartz crystal local-oscillator (thus disabling the tuning knob and VFLO). The third switch disables the power to front panel display digital circuitry, which lowers the noise floor by several more dB's. Dick Sequerra had updated it to his current standards before I purchased this from him several years ago. I have recently installed a brand new CRT and recalibrated the display. This tuner is an excellent piece of test equipment as well. The spectrum analyzer has over 100 dB of useful dynamic range and the multipath display is very helpful. I had the opportunity to do a comparison with a Yamaha CT-7000 tuner. On weak signals, what was immediately noticeable was that the Sequerra had an approximate 3 dB noise level advantage at the low end of the band, and about 6.5 dB at the high end. It's quite audible to the listener. Is the Sequerra the 'best' tuner? I am not sure, but it measures well and has outperformed anything else to date."

Setton TUS600 search eBay
The very rare TUS600 is a large, beautifully designed tuner. According to our contributor Henry, it has 4 gangs and gets excellent reception. Henry adds, "The TUS600 may be the most beautiful piece of equipment I have ever owned. It has ovoid shapes apparent in all the knobs, buttons, switches, lights, and rack handles. It has two glass panels: The main one, for the tuning scale, and a secondary, smaller lower glass panel, where the meters and the stereo, mono, and mute indicators are. Behind the rose-tinted glass is a warm yellow background. It has an MPX filter and varible output and muting, and an input for a Dolby adaptor." The TUS600 is only seen once every couple of years on eBay and can sell for anywhere from $70-200.

Sherwood - See the Tube Tuners page for info on several Sherwood tube tuners.

Sherwood Micro/CPU 100 (1977, $2,000, photo1, photo2, closeup, Operation Manual) search eBay
The Micro/CPU 100 was designed by Larry Schotz of noise reduction circuit fame and manufactured for Sherwood by Draco Laboratories, which also apparently sold it for awhile under their own name after a falling-out with Sherwood. Under either name, "the world's first computer controlled tuner" is a unique, powerful 30-pound beast with excellent sensitivity and very good quieting on weak stereo signals. The Micro/CPU 100 has the equivalent of 6 gangs with an analog-style tuning knob and digital LED frequency readout, similar to the McIntosh MR 80, and 4 station presets. Hidden behind a front-panel door are switches for de-emphasis and the two IF bandwidth settings, among other things, and variable muting and output level knobs. The Micro/CPU 100 is programmable to automatically display station call letters in an alphanumeric readout for each frequency. The circuit board has slots for 5 ceramic filters, but in our contributor's unit one of the slots was empty (and soldered closed) and appeared to have never contained a filter. Because this unit was previously "repaired" in a questionable manner, however, we can't be sure whether its performance is typical of all Micro/CPUs. Alternate channel selectivity is good, and the overall sound of the tuner is well above average for a digital tuner, but adjacent channel selectivity is poor (perhaps that omitted filter would have come in handy). Stereo Review's breathless review of the tuner may have been the source of Sherwood's claim that this behemoth was "routinely viewed as the world's finest FM tuner." The Micro/CPU 100 is rare and only shows up on eBay a couple of times a year. It can sell for $450-575 in good condition, or as low as $250-350 (particularly when in fair or "as-is" condition). [EF]

Sony Tuners can be found on a separate page.

Soundcraftsmen ST6001 (1980, $470, photo) search eBay
The ST6001 is a very rare and unusual-looking FM-AM digital rack-mount style tuner. It has the electronic equivalent of 4 gangs and a typical array of front-panel controls, including 14 presets (7 for FM and 7 for AM), stereo/mono, high blend, muting, and preset scan tuning, and there are a couple of nice features: a button to switch the signal-strength display to a multipath display, and an output level knob on the back panel. The stereo/mono and muting buttons are separate, allowing one to choose to listen to weak stereo if desired. The AM section is above-average, with a good ferrite rod antenna that swings out from the back. The front-panel design, however, is not for everyone, with white-on-black block lettering and the Soundcraftsmen name in script in the center. The ST6001 can sell for as little as $65-75 on eBay, but $100-150 is more typical (and one sold for $167 in 5/06). A mint ST6001 with wood side panels sold for an astounding $430 on eBay in 9/04.

Soundstream T1 ($795/orig $595?) search eBay
The T1 was a Stereophile-recommended black digital tuner with good specs, particularly sensitivity. Please post in our FMtuners group if you have any information about it. We don't know anything about the real-world performance of the T1, but it seems odd that a tuner that had a list price of $795 usually sells for just $65-110 on eBay, with a high of $162 in 1/05.

Studer - See Revox.

Sumo Aurora (1987, $750, photo) search eBay
Beats us. The Charlie is the Sumo tuner that all the James Bongiorno groupies rave about, but one of our audiophile contributors liked the Aurora better. The Aurora only shows up a few times a year on eBay and usually sells for $110-215, with a high of $280 in 1/06.

Sumo Charlie (1982, $500, gold, black, closeup, schematic) search eBay
The Sumo Charlie ("Charlie the Tuna," get it? har, har) was a black or gold digital tuner that was also known as the Sumo Model 700. Some audiophiles praise the Charlie's sound, and its designer, James Bongiorno, proclaims its eminence above all other tuners except the Marantz 10B (but see our writeup) and Sequerra Model 1. While any 20+ year old tuner is likely to require alignment in order to perform up to its capabilities, the Charlies with rack handles (3,500 of the total 5,000 made) were personally aligned by Bongiorno before he left Sumo and may be better bets than the handle-less ones if you must buy a Charlie. We at TIC tested two Charlies with handles and found it to be an extremely quiet tuner on strong signals, and the electronic equivalent of 6 gangs gives it good overload rejection. However, its sensitivity is remarkably poor; it uses lots of filters, yet its adjacent channel selectivity is way below average (a narrower ceramic filter or two would probably help); its ergonomics are perplexing; and its build quality is somewhere between Kenwood's bottom-of-the-line KT-5300 and a typical NAD tuner. Our Ricochets panelist David "A" faults the Charlie's "Mitsumi front-end, lack of correct alignment and poor standard of construction." Former Stereophile reviewer Don Scott was not impressed with its weak-signal pulling ability: in 1989, he "did a test of 9 tuners at WFME's [94.7-NJ] site on South Mountain in the Oranges trying to receive sister-station WKDN (106.9), Camden, NJ. By far, the Charlie had the worst IF and RF rejection of the group." Our contributor David Rich notes that the Charlie has a double-tuned filter at the antenna and is double-tuned after the RF amp. Click here for a whole page on the Charlie, pro and con, and here to see how one Charlie sounded compared to many top tuners. When three Charlies sold for over $500 on eBay in 1-2/02 (one for $610), four of our panelists agreed that the Charlie was a contender for the title of "Worst Value in a Used Tuner," but over the past few years they've generally sold for just $165-255, with a recent high of $306 in 11/05 (but as low as $125-130 with minor cosmetic issues). [BF][EF][JR]

TAG McLaren search eBay
TAG McLaren Audio was formed in 1997 when the company acquired Cambridge Systems Technology, the designer and manufacturer of the superb Audiolab 8000T tuner. Our panelist Jim has access to a TAG McLaren tuner and may do a review eventually. In the meantime, please post in our FMtuners group if you have any information about it.

Tandberg 3001A (1983, $2,200, photo, 1983 Audio review, 1988 Audio review) search eBay
Some audiophiles think the black, 8-gang 3001A, sometimes called the TPT-3001A, is one of the best-sounding vintage tuners. Our contributor Brian H. raves about his: "I received my 3001A the other day and have not been able to tear myself away from it. It is absolutely fantastic sounding. Even bettering the 600T by a little bit, and that's saying something, isn't it? I think the 3001A even has more body than the 600T, more solid sounding. Very useful and adjustable IF bandwidth settings. The alignment must be dead on the money as it is very sensitive and pulls in stations right on the dial marks throughout the whole scale from 88.1 to 107.9. The build quality is absolutely superb in all areas. An incredible amount of precision went into building this tuner, and you can see with a peek inside why it carried its $2,200 price tag." Our panelist David "A" thinks the 3001A is, along with the Accuphase T-107, "the high-water mark for varactor-based tuners." Our contributor Ryan reports that the 3001A "is one of the quietest tuners I've ever measured (the quietest, in fact, if I recall correctly), with the highest channel separation too: over 70dB midband." Our panelist Bob feels that the 3001A deserves an unusually detailed report: "A very good tuner - incredible, actually, and once the presets are replaced (they all eventually go) it seems to be reliable. There are currently two service centers recommended to work on these - SoundSmith, which does a complete rebuild (only) for a pricey $625, and Approved Audio Service, which will work with a customer to do repairs as needed. [See the Repairs section for another possibility. - Editor] The 3001A has wide/normal/narrow IF bandwidths, servo lock, noise filter, stereo/mono, muting with front panel analog setting, all the right stuff a tuner fan wants. The 3001A is very quiet once tuned to a strong signal. The controls are very *sweet* - let's go over them:

Tuning, Muting, Servo, ANC, Mono
The 3001A can be tuned by presets or manually via the tuning knob. The feel of the knob is smooth and silky, with tuning precision provided by internal mechanical string/pulley ratios. When the knob is touched, the servo is deactivated, and if it was tuned using a preset, it defaults back to the station tuned via the linear dial. The muting switch is on/off, and when on, is set by an external analog continuously adjustable knob - a nice touch rarely seen on other tuners. The servo lock switch lets you turn the servo off. It is not an aggressive lock, as some later Sansuis have, but rather gives one complete control - another nice touch. ANC (automatic noise canceling circuit) is the MPX blend circuit, which works well for weak-signal stereo reception to reduce noise levels significantly while maintaining separation. The mono/stereo switch is independent of any other settings.

The wide and normal IF bandwidth settings are implemented via LC filters, and the number of LC poles here (20) exceeds the number we normally see in other tuners. The wide filter is in the RF gang section with 6 poles, followed by the normal section with 14 poles, spread over 3 LC filters (6/4/4). Narrow mode uses two dual element 3-pin ceramics. All the filter sections are in series when in narrow, for 24 poles of selectivity. The RF front end is 8 gangs, with two RF amps, both BF900 dual-gate MOSFETs. There are 6 gangs used for the RF signal path, and 2 gangs used in the local oscillator. The mixer is also a BF900 dual-gate MOSFET. There are 8 presets that are displayed on single-digit LEDs. The 3001A has fixed and variable output jacks, and the variable output level is controlled by a front-panel knob under the preset buttons. For scope fans, there are horizontal and vertical scope outputs. Sensitivity is very good. In normal, I have no problem separating 94.3 and 94.5, the two stations here that always give lesser tuner headaches. The sound is very good, with extremely low noise levels and deep, solid bass. Highs are extended and natural, without a trace of harshness or sibilance. It is a very polite sound, which many like - I know I do, and it suits those interested in jazz and classical FM music programming. I would rate this tuner as one of the best tuners I have ever listened to, without any qualms, provided it is functioning properly." Our contributor doug s. offers a slightly dissenting view: "I know the Tandberg 3001/3001A has lots of supporters out there, both from users and from the audio press, and it has great specs. My opinions are just that - my own - based on the fact that I have listened to about 100 different tuners over the past 10 years, all in my system. I owned two 3001As (one completely refurbished, with upsized power supply caps installed), and at least 20 other tuners had better sonics, and reception at least equal. A few were in the same price range, two were more expensive, and the rest were a *lot* cheaper. In a couple cases I found tunas <$100 that, while not better than the Tandberg, were its equal. Don't get me wrong, I think the 3001A is a fine tuna, but you can do better. Especially when you consider that the 3001/3001A will definitely need an expensive service, if it hasn't already had one." The 3001A has world-class specs for sensitivity, selectivity (40 dB in narrow IF mode, stock), spurious signal rejection, etc. The 3001A usually sells for $850-1,100 on eBay, with a stunning high of $1,434 in 2/04 for a mint one. The gray, 8-gang 3001, or TPT-3001 (1980, $1,095, photo, search eBay), the 3001A's similar predecessor, is scarcer and usually sells for $700-920 on eBay (with amazing highs of $1,275 in 1/06 and $1,400 in 3/06). For a detailed comparison of the 3001 and 3001A, plus lots more information, read the discussion in our FMtuners group beginning here. [DA][BF]

Tandberg 3011A (1982, $695, photo) search eBay
The 3011A, sometimes called the TPT-3011A, is the little brother of the superb 3001/3001A. The 3011A is a 5-gang tuner that most report sounds great. At one time, we were told that it used all LC filters, but Ken Bernacky of Stereo Surgeons corrected us: "The 3011 A in front of me uses 4 red ceramic IF filters labeled CF201 thru CF204. Maybe there was a change in production runs and some did use LC IF filters, but not this one with a serial number of 04533." The 3011A usually sells for $240-400 on eBay, with a high of $450 in 6/05. See how one 3011A sounded compared to other top tuners on our Shootouts page. The 3011, or TPT-3011 (1981, $695, search eBay; usually $200-375 on eBay) was the 3011A's similar predecessor. The owner's manual and specs for the 3011 are available on Ron Stewart's site. [JR]

Technics Tuners can be found on a separate page.

Telefunken
A Telefunken review or two is on our lengthy to-do list. Please post in our FMtuners group if you have any information about any Telefunken tuner.

Toshiba ST-910 (1978, $1,800, photo) search eBay
The ST-910 is a unique, powerful and extremely rare digital synthesizer tuner, marketed under the Aurex name outside the U.S. We believe the hefty (20-pound) ST-910 was the first digital display/touch control stereo tuner. It uses capacitor touch areas embedded in the glass front panel for selecting functions and tuning stations (one can tune up or down by either 1 MHz or 0.1 MHz increments, or using 7 presets), and station frequencies are displayed in large red LED numbers. It also has 3 levels of muting. The ST-910 has audiophile-grade sound and its bass is exceptional, almost leading our panelist Bob to wonder if it has a built-in "boost" circuit. Bob adds, "It is built to a standard that is far beyond the common mid- and even high-priced mass-produced audio gear. It uses vertical plug-in card construction similar to that used in commercial test and military gear, and the sound quality follows as well. This tuner has one of the best sonic presentations I have heard, with a wide, natural sound stage, deep solid bass, and smooth highs." Also, "The build of the power supply is the most substantial I have ever seen in a tuner, with 2 large TO-3 type pass transistors mounted on massive heat sinks in the voltage regulator section" (photo). The ST-910 has a well-built 6-gang front end and is very sensitive, but it's more appropriate for an audiophile or someone looking for a great-sounding collector's piece than a DXer. Because the ST-910 uses linear phase LC IF filters that are encased in metal enclosures, similar to those in a Sansui TU-9900, a filter mod to improve its selectivity would not be practical. The last ST-910 offered on eBay was a $550 "Buy-it-Now" in 2/02, while another sold for $500 on Audiogon in 7/03. [BF][EF]

Trio: Most Kenwood tuners were sold in Japan under the Trio brand name. Listed below are some Trio tuners for which we do not know the Kenwood equivalent, or for which there may not be one. If you know anything about any of these tuners, please tell us about it in our FMtuners group.

Trio KT-8000 (photo)
We just discovered this mysterious tuner on a Japanese website. It appears to have an 8-gang variable capacitor, but the website author states that it has 7 gangs - perhaps two of the gangs are tied together and used for a local oscillator, as in the 600T? The KT-8000 tunes the Japanese FM band, 76 MHz to 90 MHz, and is said to have phase linear type ceramic filters and a pulse-count detector.

Trio KT-9700 (front, inside)
Apparently sold only in Japan, the KT-9700 tunes the Japanese FM band, 76 MHz to 90 MHz. It looks similar to the Trio KT-9900 on the outside and supposedly has an 8-gang tuning capacitor.

Trio KT-9900 (front, inside)
The Trio KT-9900, not to be confused with the Kenwood KT-9900 (the gun-metal colored European equivalent of the KT-8300), tunes the Japanese FM band, 76 MHz to 90 MHz. Its front panel looks like a Kenwood KT-917 but, although it has 9 gangs like a KT-917, its circuitry is slightly different.

Wega Lab Zero (1978, front 1, front 2, back, left closeup, right closeup, specs)
The Wega Lab Zero is an extremely rare German tuner that our contributor Thrassyvoulos says had ten gangs. Our contributor Norbert tells us, "This tuner was developed by the chief engineer of Wega, Manfred Schwarz, and his Japanese colleague Hideo Nakamura. The price was 3,900 German marks (against 3,500 marks for the Klein + Hummel FM 2002). It was developed against the FM 2002 - K+H and Wega were neighbors in the Stuttgart area, so it's a matter of competing Swabian engineering. In final the Wega could not really beat the FM 2002, according to tests in German hi-fi magazines. In a comparison test, the Wega reproduced 18 stations clearly, and the FM 2002 16 stations clearly and 2 with minimal noise. Probably the modifications for the FM 2002 that Wieschhoff made later put the FM 2002 in front again." The February 1999 issue of Stereoplay magazine said: "the TAG McLaren Audio tuner has . . . written itself into the list of all-time greats like Sequerra, Wieschoff [sic][Klein + Hummel] FM 2002 and Wega Lab Zero."

Wieschhoff
We asked for information on this German tuner designer and members of our Yahoo group responded (a big thanks to all). See the series of posts in our FMtuners group beginning here for lots of info about Wieschhoff and its predecessor, Klein + Hummel. Our contributor Norbert adds: "Reinhard Wieschhoff-van Rijn is an audio engineer called the 'Pope of tuners' in Germany. He worked with Klein + Hummel until 1981 when they stopped their 'consumer' audio line because of the hard competition with Japanese and the upcoming Korean industries. Mr. Wieschhoff moved to Blaupunkt-Bosch, well-known for their car hifi line. In the early '90s he designed the FM 3003 on a kind of freelance basis with Restek - this tuner has the name Wieschhoff and his logo on it. His 'handwriting' is also on the other Restek tuners. On the Restek site you should go to 'Archiv' then to 'Menue' and then to 'Tuners' to find all the tuners they built."

Yamaha Tuners can be found on a separate page.

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