McIntosh MR78 Analog Tuner - The Best from McIntosh

**Please click here to check out our newly launched SkyFi Audio website with additional items for sale**

Many believe this to be the best tuner EVER made. In our opinion it's definitely in the top five.

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: McIntosh MR 78 Tuner
"A young engineering genius used a computer to design a filter and the result was the greatest FM tuner ever built" 

That engineering genius was Richard Modafferi, and if you reverse his initials you get the model prefix for a host of McIntosh Tuners...

This example is a real survivor that's unmolested, super clean, and in its original wood cabinet!

We can attach the dial bezel if you'd like. We find it to looks better and is also a bit better match alongside other more modern Mc equipment without the bezel. Your choice. 

Fully tested, lubricated, and received new bulbs. Working as it should all around.

Please see our photo for full specifications or our manual linked below.

McIntosh MR78 Tuner Owner's Manual

From the IEEE Spectrum Website:

Richard Modafferi was a senior engineer at McIntosh Laboratory from 1968 to 1974. His first stab at a new tuner that could do better was the MR 77. That model, introduced in 1970, was acclaimed among audiophiles—and it was the subject of an article by Modafferi in the November 1970, issue of IEEE Transactions on Broadcast and Television Receivers. And then Modafferi outdid himself with the MR 78 tuner, which came out in 1972.

The MR 78’s distinction was a new intermediate frequency filter, the culmination of a design that Modafferi had begun working on [PDF] as a graduate student at the Newark College of Engineering (now part of the New Jersey Institute of Technology) in the mid-1960s. He dubbed it the Rimo filter (a concatenation of the first two letters of his first and last name). In a superheterodyne radio receiver, which all FM receivers are, the incoming signal is mixed with that of a local oscillator to produce an intermediate frequency (IF) that is lower than that of the carrier frequency of the received signal. There are several reasons for doing this. A really big one is that the lower value of this IF makes it easier to filter out nearby sources of interference. Basically, Modafferi’s Rimo took a leap beyond existing IF filters by applying a computer to fine-tune the filter’s frequency response, and also by minimizing “intermodulation distortion,” which plagued IF filters at the time.

The SkyFi Testing Process for Tuners:

We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure there are no signs of stress or aging. Capacitors are checked for telltale sings of bulging or leaking, resistors are checked for signs of overheating or cracking, and tubes are inspected for signs of stress overheating or cracking.

Then the tuner is thoroughly tested in our lab utilizing our professional Sencore SG80 FM Generator, which allows us to generate a reference FM signal of any frequency and amplitude, and then measure the resulting tuner output on our Sencore PR81 or oscilloscope.  

This unit passed with flying colors and produced a natural and warm sounding output. 

We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure there are no signs of stress or aging. Capacitors are checked for telltale sings of bulging or leaking, resistors are checked for signs of overheating or cracking, and tubes are inspected for signs of stress overheating or cracking.

Then the tuner is thoroughly tested in our lab utilizing our professional Sencore SG80 FM Generator, which allows us to generate a reference FM signal of any frequency and amplitude, and then measure the resulting tuner output on our Sencore PR81 or oscilloscope.  

This unit passed with flying colors and produced a natural and warm sounding output. 

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PURCHASING FROM SKYFI:

This item will be professionally packaged and insured for safe transit to your home unless you opt for local pickup from our shop. Please note that all local pickup items are only wrapped with industrial strength clear cling stretch wrap if the original manufacturer packaging is unavailable.

Local pickup is available in Glen Rock, NJ, just a half hour drive from Midtown Manhattan, with convenient parking near our building.

And if you’re looking to ship to Canada, simply follow this link to view and purchase this item. We ship to Canada via UPS Worldwide Expedited service and you’re responsible for any applicable import duties and taxes.

If we don’t have the original manufacture’s packaging, we use heavy duty double-ply corrugated boxes with custom made to your item Instapak expanding foam custom inserts. In many cases this has proven to be better than the original packaging! We also use high quality fiber reinforced tape to seal our packages. Lightweight items will be bubble wrapped and shipped in a high-quality box. 

Click here for specifics on our specialized packing process that separates us from the rest.

NJ Residents or anyone picking up without a resale certificate will need to pay NJ Sales Tax.

Thanks for looking and be sure to call us at 201-879-0000 with any questions. 

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WHO WE ARE:

SkyFi Audio is a small startup business specializing in the purchase, reconditioning, and reselling of select high-end audio equipment. We only buy equipment the we admire and are passionate about. No mid-fi, no gimmicks, no junk.

Each piece of equipment is cosmetically restored and fully tested in our well-equipped lab by an engineer with 30+ years of experience in the HiFi world. If it does not meet or exceed the original manufactures specifications, it will not be sold. We are very selective about the equipment we purchase, focusing on mostly analog, high-build quality, American, and European built units.

Through our sister company which is an authorized dealer for McIntosh, Audio Research, Sonus Faber, ClearAudio, Pro-Ject Audio Systems, and Sony ES, we have access to OEM parts, service, and support. If you’re local and looking for new equipment from the above-mentioned manufacturers, please drop us a line as we can arrange both sales and professional installation in the tri-state area.

PURCHASING GUIDELINES:

We do not accept or review any offers that do not go through the official Audiogon system. We have too many items for sale and it’s nearly impossible to keep track of offers outside of the official system. Please don’t message, email, or text any offers. 

PAYMENTS:

We prefer working through PayPal which allows you to use a credit card, bank transfer, and their special financing to spread out payments over six months. We do not charge extra for any PayPal fees if you purchase the item at the asking price. You can also send us a personal check (which will need to clear before shipping), certified check, money order, or bank wire transfer. International clients without access to PayPal should use a bank wire transfer. 

If you’re picking up an item, we do not accept PayPal. You must pay in person with a certified check, bank check, or wire transfer. If you make a PayPal payment and are picking up the item, your PayPal payment will be returned. 

TRADE IN POLICY:

We accept trade-ins of equal or lesser value under certain conditions. Simply click here to submit your gear for full consideration. We will only consider high-end equipment from mainstream manufacturers such as McIntosh, Mark Levinson, Audio Research, Krell, etc. and will typically pass on displays, projectors, receivers, dated surround processors, and mid-fi equipment of any type. We will offer a fair value for your equipment, but keep in mind we’re running a business and will need to be able to resell the equipment at a profit after investing a great deal of time and resources in testing, certifying, repairing, cleaning, and packaging the incoming equipment. If you’re looking for top dollar, we suggest selling direct on your own.

SELL US YOUR GEAR (Working or Broken):

We’ll also purchase your used or broken gear and arrange pickup if you’re in our local market. Simply click here to submit your gear for full consideration.

SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT:                                                                                                     

We are currently operating from our shop inside our dedicated building in Glen Rock, NJ. You’re welcome to make an appointment if there’s a piece of equipment you’d like to see in operation before or after purchase. We have several well-equipped and dedicated listening areas, plus a dedicated listening studio with tons of equipment of all makes and models. We’re not a store, so please don’t make an appointment if you’re just curious as to how a speaker or piece of equipment sounds. In essence - no tire kickers please.

You can call or text 201-879-0000 with any questions or to schedule an appointment. We can also arrange to install, calibrate, and tune your newly purchased gear in your listening room if you’re local to our area. This is super useful when purchasing large speakers or heavy amplifiers. It’s also great for ensuring your new turntable is setup correctly in its final resting place.

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