| Choosing a tuner for your system is of
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| | better it can pick up weak or distant
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| little difference from choosing other
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| | stations.
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| components. When auditioning other
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| | This aspect is more important in suburban
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| components, people are primarily concerned
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| | or rural areas that are far from radio
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| with their sound quality, not their
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| | transmitters.
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| technical performance.
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| | On the other hand, a tuner characteristic
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| For example, if a preamplifier under
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| | of greater importance to the city dweller
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| audition sounds good, you do not need to
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| | is adjacent-channel selectivity or the
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| worry much about its technical
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| | ability to pick up one station without
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| performance. Because .if it sounds good,
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| | interference from the station next to it
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| then it is working well.
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| | on the dial.
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| Tuners, on the other hand, exhibit great
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| | This specification defines a tuner?s
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| variability in their technical
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| | ability to reject a strong station two
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| performance. It will not only concern the
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| | channels away from the desired channel.
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| tuner?s sound; tonal balance, sound
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| | When stations are packed closely together,
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| staging, portrayal of timbre, etc., but
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| | as they are in cities, adjacent-channel
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| also basic characteristics such as the
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| | and alternate-channel selectivity are more
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| ability to pick up weak or distant
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| | important than sensitivity.
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| stations, reject adjacent stations,
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| | Equally important to all listeners is the
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| provide a noise-free audio signal, and
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| | tuner?s signal-to-noise ratio, a measure
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| stay tuned to a station without drifting.
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| | of the difference in dB between background
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| A tuner?s performance in these areas can
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| | noise and the maximum signal strength. A
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| be accurately characterized by
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| | tuner with a poor signal-to-noise ratio
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| measurement; this makes tuner
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| | will overlay the music with an annoying
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| specifications much more significant than
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| | background hiss.
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| those of other audio components.
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| | A poor tuner will have trouble receiving
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| There is a direct correlation between a
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| | weak stations, may lack the ability to
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| tuner?s specifications and its sonic
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| | select one station when that station is
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| performance. You still have to listen to
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| | adjacent to another station, have high
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| the tuner before you buy, but you can
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| | background noise, and be overloaded by
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| often separate poor performing models from
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| | nearby FM transmitters or other radio
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| better units by looking at the
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| | signal sources.
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| specification sheets.
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| | Many tuners have a high-blend circuit that
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| Unlike most audio products, the best
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| | automatically switches the signal to mono
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| high-end tuners have more features,
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| | when the signal strength falls below a
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| front-panel controls, and displays than
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| | certain level.
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| the lower-end products.
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| | The difference between high-blend and the
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| The price range for a good tuner from a
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| | mono/stereo switch just described is that
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| mass-market manufacturer is between $400
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| | the high-blend circuit puts only the
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| and $1000. Some of the higher-end models
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| | treble into mono, leaving the rest of the
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| from mass-market companies offer excellent
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| | spectrum in stereo. This gets rid of most
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| performance.
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| | of the noise, but maintains stereo
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| The price range from $750 to $1200 is very
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| | separation through most of the midrange
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| competitive, with many superb units to
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| | and bass.
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| choose from. The very best tuners cost as
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| | Lastly, all good tuners have a 75-ohm
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| much as $12,000.
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| | coaxial antenna input as well as the more
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| The differences between mediocre and
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| | commonly used 300-ohm flat-lead input. The
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| excellent tuners.
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| | coaxial input should be used for best
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| Good tuners are characterized by their
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| | signal transmission between the antenna
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| sensitivity or the ability to pull in weak
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| | and tuner.
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| stations. The greater its sensitivity, the
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