It is if one is after ultimate music fidelity, as indeed UK BBC FM is quite compromised, but there is no doubting certain FM tuners can sound appealing… it’s not always about maximum sound quality/accuracy.
Yes I tried the Magnum Dynalab ST2 needle antenna as a first course of action. That seemed like a logical choice and good that it works for you!
We have a large apartment and the Magnum needed to be on the south side windows because that’s were the broadcast mast is line of sight a few kms away. Not much reception on the north side windows where the stereo sits in the living room, unfortunately. And a 20+ meter cable across the apartment was obviously voted down.
After living with some budget solutions the problem is now fixed as we have the ND5 XS2 for (also) internet radio. Finally back on FM tuner level, should have done that right away but those were darker days with less creativity and budget than now.
I see then you have bad reception ,if internet radio sounds close to a analogue FM tuner.
Well, not quite no, that’s why I’m now adding nDAC & DC1 to the ND5 XS2 to close the gap to the memory of FM and also to the LP12. Not easy to beat analogue.
And there is a big difference between a 192kbit stream from our national broadcaster (what a disgrace) or some of the FLAC streams that are increasingly available, very nice.
But it’s a lot closer than with what came after the NAT05 (some DAB+ attempts and cheap internet radio streaming)!
I see
Here in the US, some stations are dumbing down. I’ve even written to them but not heard back. Even KEXP, our fabulous alt music station, which was formerly uncompressed, has audibly worsened…perhaps the MP3 generation(s)…
The question I have is what is gained in reducing quality - are they able to increase range for same output?
Oh yes…and…a certain someone will be enjoying an NAT01 soon!!!
Sad that they are going for lesser quality.
Enjoy the NAT 01 !
True FM analogue can be very very good, it’s a shame it has always been relatively compromised digital in the UK (less than CD resolution), apart from the very early days. It could be upgraded to sound better… and be compatible with current FM tuners, but I suspect the budgets will never exist for that now.
OK, I’d hoped to not do this on the interwebz…but a bit stymied…
I am buying the Cymbiosis NAT01 but trying to get someone to replace the apparent two caps it takes to change to the US deemphasis is proving difficult…(Cymbiosis can do voltage conversion)…
Naim UK will not do it…
Class A does not work on tuners…
Isn’t this a 15 minute job?
A bit frustrated…I guess Naim isn’t doing the full monty support anymore…
Working on US options but seems odd I can’t get it fixed in the Naim motherland?
Ideas?
AV Options in the US is probably the best bet here if you can’t get it sorted UK side.
Out of interest although the deemphasis standard in the US is different from Europe for broadcast FM… does it make such a huge difference other than brightness of sound., but given the general processing and EQ applied to FM these days is it really that noticeable?... Or are you finding the presentational difference too unenjoyable?
I think your first post on this thread appears after one from Neil at Naim, which you may not have seen, which responded to an earlier post.
I have quoted part of his comment below. My hunch is that, since no NAT01 has been built in 20+ years, the view is doing anything more than a service is a potential issue, if spares are no longer available. Working on fragile component(s) when no spare exist, might preclude the realign ideal for a different market.
Good luck with your possible acquisition.
Late to this thread. For the first time Simon - politely - I am going to ignore your comment and put my head in the (sand?) music. I think many of us will be disappointed when that day arrives - not to soon hopefully.
Since the thread is on NAT01, mine was serviced seven years ago when I was fortunate to find a mint condition unit. Fed by a G17 which the late RS rigged personally for me, too long ago now, pointing at SColdfield, it was the third rig I’d had elsewhere. (RS lived near my pa, who discovered he was a keen Puccini fan).
Sold my NAT02 - only to regret doing so. Just acquired a replacement in excellent condition, to feed my NSC222 in the kitchen diner. Streamed radio is up to the mark imgo, these days, just the delay I would rather do without - wind up clock strikes way ahead of the chimes otherwise!
This is true, but certainly in the U.K. there is a small cottage industry in vintage radio service and repair often necessitating work arounds to obsolete components … so sure it might not be sonically aligned to Naim standards, but at the RF level it possibly is… so if totally stuck there are options. I’d be surprised if the same is not the case in the US.
BTW servicing a tuner with analogue tuned circuits, tuneable inductors (typically ferrite cores) re aligning is as important as replacing capacitors… component values drift in time and need resetting and/or replacing.
I’ve caught some of the Norwich radio repair shop on tv. Great to see old kit still being cherished.
I have only owned four different tuners in half a century of listening, Sugden T48, Quad FM4 (regretted not to afford a full Quad II + valve tuner when offered privately), beside two NATs. Quad serviced the FM4 earlier this year, I’m relatively nearby and I am considering having the T48 reinstated, although I’m not sure if they will do so at Sugden. Any suggestions that you have come across Simon?
For domestic FM tuners… no, but I’d ring around… google UK vintage radio repair and restoration… and you will some small specialist businesses … and give them a ring.
Funnily enough I am visiting a specialist RF repair business tomorrow to get my transmitter linear power amp repaired… the HT self protect trigger has activated… i suspect the HT transformer (several kV) has had an insulation breakdown… I don’t have the expertise or equipment to repair… and being careless here tends to be end game (for me that is)
Indeed. Apparently, if FM Radio 4 goes off air it means ww3 has broken out and our nuclear subs will let fly. Or so the story went while I worked there.
Yes are you sure that was not Radio 4 LW than can be heard many hundreds of miles away in certain conditions… not sure relying on receiving FM from any distance would be reliable…I think a mobile phone might serve the function better
I thought subs used ultra low frequency waves via buried cables rather than any kind of above ground array? Well they used to.
Well they do, but that is for ultra low bandwidth submissions… they also can use an antenna buoy … so the antenna floats up to the surface for more conventional radio…