I'll admit that I'm not a tuner kind of guy. The source material coming from the radio stations is usually grossly compressed and lacking any real fidelity. The classical stations usually offer the best sound, but that kind of music isn't normally my cup of tea. Having said that, why exactly did I buy a tuner? Well I do any number of hobbies that often require my undivided attention. Getting up to change the record or CD can break my concentration. Having a radio for the background takes care of this problem and also exposes me to some different music other than my MP3 collection.
So why did I pick this tuner in particular? It all started when I bought a Sansui integrated to fix up. I was searching on Ebay for its radio mate when I saw this particualar model: the TU-777. I was taken by the round tuning dial which reminded me of something from the era of classic 1930s radios.
The Sansui TU-777 is a solid-state tuner that saw its introduction to the market way back in 1968. There are no preset buttons here! But the dial action and signal strength meter both still work, giving a pleasant green glow to boot. Sound quality is surprising good, much more warm and natural than I expected for something with silicon bits and aged capacitors. It also pulls in stations reasonably well, though obviously not with the same strength as more exotic pieces. But really, what do you want for $75?
So highly recommended - just on looks alone - if you need a simple tuner.