Hi all,

I hope this isn't an issue that's been beaten to death. I'm about to purchase a 1050; however, the specs on the FM tuner section look at little lackluster. The only equipment that I've compared them to are dedicated tuner 'separates' that are really expensive. While I would like good reception, there's no need comparing specs with high-end tuners.

Could anyone offer advice as to how this tuner compares to the tuner in comparable receivers? As long as it holds its on with the fairly low-class equip. I'm used to - no problem. It would be a real bummer if I couldn't hear the Alabama football broadcast in the fall. (no flack on this one please )

Thankyou for any help and advise,

-David

Don't want to be negative about an otherwise great 5.1 that I own but ... the FM section is dismal and doesn't compare to "cheap" JVC or Sony receivers. I absolutely require good FM and have kept an old JVC around for that purpose. The 1050 is inadequate for all but giant commercial stations and even there it's a challenge to receive good stereo broadcasts. Hope this helps. -Rich

I have to agree. At first the FM tuner was a real dissapointment to me because I still listen to the radio. But.. I finally installed an outside antenna and things really took off then. The tuner sounds great and Im getting distant stations fairly well too.

Thanks to both of you for the reply. Yeah, I'm not quite sure what to do here. It seems like every time you come across a product that's a super value, does everything great, etc., there's always one small flaw. Maybe the next iteration of the 1050 will have a different tuner in it. It can't be that difficult/expensive to stick in a competent tuner whose performance falls in the ballpark of the mass-market crap that's being sold.

One option would be to keep the old el-crapo tuner around. I can already hear the comments from my buddies ("why didn't you just get a SonyYamahaTechnicsPioneer MXXX? I can pick up stations a jillion miles away!"). I live in an apt. so an outside ant. will not be possible, although I do live in the city. Perhaps being inside the city will get me by along with some sort of Terk amplified ant.

I guess that's what the 30 day policy is all about! If the FM performance is really that bad I'll send it back. If it's tolerable but not good I'll keep it. Thanks again for your help,

-David

Hello,
I live in a hilly area, and have terrible reception. I tried one of the passive Terk antennaes with poor results. I returned it and got a Terk with an amplifier with adjustable gain. It works very well. Good luck.
Mix

I may be one of the few, but FWIW I don't have any problem at all with FM reception on my 1050. Works just fine picking up the small locals as well as the major players here in Seattle.

Cool! Well at least one person can vouch that the 1050 can provide adaquate reception. I going to go ahead and order on the assumption that a $40 Terk ant. will pull me through.

Thanks all,

-David

I am not having any problems with reception here in Sacramento. I am only using the antenna wire that Outlaw sent with my 1050.
I do not listen to the radio very much though. So maybe it was just a good day for me.
Mike

Why is it so hard to put a good tuner in equipment today? My NAD 7175 has an outstanding tuner on its own, and with an attic mounted $15 radio shack directional high gain antenna I cleanly pull in stations 100 miles away. This receiver is 16 yrs old! If the heads of Outlaw were affiliated with the old NAD classics (and the old Proton line) with the Schotz tuners, why can't they create something at least as good, if not better, than those old pieces? It would be better if Outlaw offered an integrated amp instead of the 1050 or a pre/pro without the tuner. Then we could all go to ebay and pick up one of these great old NAD or Proton seperate tuners for about $50 and have a great FM system. Just my own thought, but look these lines up on ebay. The Schotz tuners were incredibly clean and sensitive.

From what I understand about the 1050's tuner is that it has excellent sound quality but requires a high signal to pull in. I think this is deliberate. Cheaper tuners will often pull in weaker signals (though not sound nearly as good) because they aren't as selective. I had the 1050 for a while and it sounded great on the stations it would receive. I'm only about 10 miles from Philadelphia, though, so I get a lot of good, strong stations.

The 950's tuner is kind of the same way. It really does sound CD quality.

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net