MR-78 Are Modiffari upgrades worth the addl prices on auction sites

jlovda

Things I loved from the 60's and 70's
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Has anyone compared the performance between a Modiffari update and a update from a recognized expert? (alignment and recap). Notice any audible differences? I mean real world differences, not improvements of a 13th harmonic.
 
Really, Richard Modafferi BUILT and designed RIMO and the MR77 and MR78. The guys attention to detail is amazing and he puts more work in than he charges for. I can tell you he is a perfectionist and a genius and so is Terry.

To have someone like Mr. Modafferi around to do work is a gift in itself. And you can't expect genius to come cheaply or inexpensively. The work is now $1k but seriously the shade-tree mechanic down the road charges anyone $800 for the water pump in any car nowadays so there you go.

I have had a MR77 done by Terry which was sweet. I am going to hear a Mx110 that Richard did. Either way, they are worth the premium. I should have bought that RM modified Mr78 that some guy offered me for $500 last year. It would have been worth it.

At the end of the day any 30-50 year-old-tuner does need a serious tune-up, replacement parts, etc. McIntosh tuner work is seriously a Dark Art. Have you ever even tried to replace the tuning cord? I had a Mx112 aligned by some so-called Mc expert (my first pre) and it was a joke.

Seriously guys, there are probably only 4-5 guys left in the USA who know how to do these right.

I say they are worth the premium, but never compared a Terry VS. RM in a side-by-side comparo.
 
Really, Richard Modafferi BUILT and designed RIMO and the MR77 and MR78. The guys attention to detail is amazing and he puts more work in than he charges for. I can tell you he is a perfectionist and a genius and so is Terry.

To have someone like Mr. Modafferi around to do work is a gift in itself. And you can't expect genius to come cheaply or inexpensively. The work is now $1k but seriously the shade-tree mechanic down the road charges anyone $800 for the water pump in any car nowadays so there you go.

I have had a MR77 done by Terry which was sweet. I am going to hear a Mx110 that Richard did. Either way, they are worth the premium. I should have bought that RM modified Mr78 that some guy offered me for $500 last year. It would have been worth it.

At the end of the day any 30-50 year-old-tuner does need a serious tune-up, replacement parts, etc. McIntosh tuner work is seriously a Dark Art. Have you ever even tried to replace the tuning cord? I had a Mx112 aligned by some so-called Mc expert (my first pre) and it was a joke.

Seriously guys, there are probably only 4-5 guys left in the USA who know how to do these right.

I say they are worth the premium, but never compared a Terry VS. RM in a side-by-side comparo.

You didn't have an answer to the question. Can someone easily hear improvements without having super hearing like picking up more stations with the same antenna? Also, if someone says Terry or Richard aligned their tuner seven years ago (etc.), does that mean anything today?
 
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Not to sound cynical but it would be a lot less expensive to pick up an MR 80 if you want to pick up more stations - that are listenable in stereo.

I have compared the MR 80 and 78 literally side-by-side; the latter just having been gone through by Terry and can tell say - with all sincerity & honesty - there is no comparison. At least not in stereo. I live in a fringe reception area with lots of multipath present and the MR 78 simply cannot deal with reception problems as well as the MR80. The specs bear this out too and Electronics Laboratories reported in its review of the MR 80, they reported it had the lowest stereo signal input for 35 dB quieting they had measured to date. If I'm not mistaken, I think it may even be half the input sensitivity required of the MR 78 (for 35 dB quieting in stereo).

The MR80 also has a superior filter as well that further quiets noise by blending the L & R channels as needed. The MR78 does not do this instead using a more conventional filter which suppresses high frequencies.

In mono however, I think the MR78 has a very slight S/N advantage.

I doubt the mods can improve MR 78's sensitivity to that extent but I'd be interested to find out all the same.

I also felt the MR 80 slightly better sounding than the 78, which was not my expectation.

As to the economic part of your question, the answer is YES - RM mods do greatly enhance the value of an MR 78 in the marketplace. Whether those modifications are "worth" it is up to the individual in question.
 
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Answer to your question: Yes, you can hear the difference.

The MR77 and MR73 I had done by Terry with no-expense spared = YES
The pieces I have heard the RM have done = YES
 
Not to sound cynical but it would be a lot less expensive to pick up an MR 80 if you want to pick up more stations - that are listenable in stereo.

I have compared the MR 80 and 78 literally side-by-side; the latter just having been gone through by Terry and can tell say - with all sincerity & honesty - there is no comparison. At least not in stereo. I live in a fringe reception area with lots of multipath present and the MR 78 simply cannot deal with reception problems as well as the MR80. The specs bear this out too and Electronics Laboratories reported in its review of the MR 80, they reported it had the lowest stereo signal input for 35 dB quieting they had measured to date. If I'm not mistaken, I think it may even be half the input sensitivity required of the MR 78 (for 35 dB quieting in stereo).

The MR80 also has a superior filter as well that further quiets noise by blending the L & R channels as needed. The MR78 does not do this instead using a more conventional filter which suppresses high frequencies.

In mono however, I think the MR78 has a very slight S/N advantage.

I doubt the mods can improve MR 78's sensitivity to that extent but I'd be interested to find out all the same.

I also felt the MR 80 slightly better sounding than the 78, which was not my expectation.

As to the economic part of your question, the answer is YES - RM mods do greatly enhance the value of an MR 78 in the marketplace. Whether those modifications are "worth" it is up to the individual in question.
Thanks. I may have to look at an MR80. I live about 50 miles from both Cleveland and Youngstown and have a big multipath problem with my MR78 even though there are no tall buildings around here. I swear a moving freight train a half mile from here starts my meters jumping and stereo light flashing (I can hear the whistle when it passes). My 78 was gone through by TD when I bought it about five years ago. Never been moved since it arrived BUT I only have an indoor half-wave dipole.
 
Before taking any drastic steps, I would strongly recommend upgrading the antenna before the tuner.

Dipoles are fine in the same place a paper clip would do :D; a good RS rabbit ears did a far better job for me than dipoles. Wound up getting an outdoor mounted Magnum Dynalab ST - 120(?) from A/C which works pretty well.

A directional antenna with rotator is necessary for the very finest reception but you're talking a bit of commitment there.
 
Mcintosh said mine couldn't be repaired, after Richard was finished with it the sound was absolutely holographic. Now living in the FM wasteland of the Fl Treasure Coast it would be a waste of a good tuner. The quality of the over compressed signal is so bad anything more than a transistor pocket radio is over kill, I kid you not. The only thing I miss about Ca. is the radio station in Berkley KPFA and it's sister station in Fresno KFCF, wow is all I can say about the sound when the signal it's fed is so pristine.
 
Before taking any drastic steps, I would strongly recommend upgrading the antenna before the tuner. (...)

A directional antenna with rotator is necessary for the very finest reception but you're talking a bit of commitment there.

Big +1 on this. Seriously, a quality tuner without a quality antenna is like buying a BMW or a Mercedes and putting alcohol in the gas tank.

OK, maybe not that bad, but... :D

One often overlooked advantage of directional antennas is in dealing with multipath issues, where they can cut down on this problem substantially.
 
Any audible differences? Absolutely.
I wouldn't describe it as a night & day difference, but certainly more so than subtle.

I guess I would describe the Modaferri unit as being slightly more dynamic. The lows were a little punchier, the highs a little brighter. Enough of a positive (to my ears) difference that I kept that unit, and sold the stock 78. Also, I'd like to point out that both
units had been through Terry's complete process when comparisons were made. (I had owned an MR 78 and came across a modded unit locally).

Regarding reception related performance, I really can't say. I live in residential, city environment with no real issues to overcome. I use a 1/2 wave dipole mounted in a 3rd floor attic. I do agree with the previous comment that you should be using the best possible antenna that is practical. One thing you may do (if not already done) is mount that antenna as high as you can.
That may help with your freight train interference.
 
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Really, Richard Modafferi BUILT and designed RIMO and the MR77 and MR78. The guys attention to detail is amazing and he puts more work in than he charges for. I can tell you he is a perfectionist and a genius and so is Terry.

To have someone like Mr. Modafferi around to do work is a gift in itself. And you can't expect genius to come cheaply or inexpensively. The work is now $1k but seriously the shade-tree mechanic down the road charges anyone $800 for the water pump in any car nowadays so there you go.

I have had a MR77 done by Terry which was sweet. I am going to hear a Mx110 that Richard did. Either way, they are worth the premium. I should have bought that RM modified Mr78 that some guy offered me for $500 last year. It would have been worth it.

At the end of the day any 30-50 year-old-tuner does need a serious tune-up, replacement parts, etc. McIntosh tuner work is seriously a Dark Art. Have you ever even tried to replace the tuning cord? I had a Mx112 aligned by some so-called Mc expert (my first pre) and it was a joke.

Seriously guys, there are probably only 4-5 guys left in the USA who know how to do these right.

I say they are worth the premium, but never compared a Terry VS. RM in a side-by-side comparo.
My father Frank Dynda went to NCE (Newark College of Engineering...now NJIT) with Ritchie Modafferi. He says the guys a genius and knows his shit. Guy had a house built on top of a mountain in Jersey to have a direct line of sight with the Empire State Building for his antennas.
 
Sad to say, my Mc tuners are now in retirement after I discovered the little Sony XDR-1HD that RM first told me about twelve years ago. I now have one in each of my systems. I sincerely doubt even a Moderaffi upgraded Mc tuner would measure up.
 
Sad to say, my Mc tuners are now in retirement after I discovered the little Sony XDR-1HD that RM first told me about twelve years ago. I now have one in each of my systems. I sincerely doubt even a Moderaffi upgraded Mc tuner would measure up.
Did you mean XDR-F1HD?
The little Sony XDR-F1HD's SQ is great with HD radio with CD quality sound on FM. I like the LCD screen which shows station ID, artist name and song title from those stations which send this text info.
 
Sad to say, my Mc tuners are now in retirement after I discovered the little Sony XDR-1HD that RM first told me about twelve years ago. I now have one in each of my systems. I sincerely doubt even a Moderaffi upgraded Mc tuner would measure up.
My brother and I visited RM, at his invitation, for an afternoon just before Covid (Richard, earlier, had refurbished my brother’s MR71 and my MR78). When we drove in, his enormous professional antenna tower was lying on its side along his driveway. “Storm?” I asked. “No.” Just turns out Richard had taken it down himself. He decided FM was basically over and done.
 
My brother and I visited RM, at his invitation, for an afternoon just before Covid (Richard, earlier, had refurbished my brother’s MR71 and my MR78). When we drove in, his enormous professional antenna tower was lying on its side along his driveway. “Storm?” I asked. “No.” Just turns out Richard had taken it down himself. He decided FM was basically over and done.
I still use broadcast antennas for television when I can get away with it. Not that I don't have cable, can't stand the crap commercials they put on every 2 minutes over and over. Looks like a warzone in my father's apartment next door with the antennas he has pointed. I just bought a YAMAHA RX-V4A and Klipsch r-50m's I'll be using in terms of tuners. AM radio was my father's hobby.
 
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He updated both my MR-78 and MR-80 when they were sent to Audio Classics for repairs and up grades. The MR-80 got the biggest boost in sound improvement. Te MR -78 recieved difficult stations better than before but the sound quality stayed pretty much the same. I have issues with a lot of multipath distortion due to two mountain chains. So for me its more about the orientation of the antennae.
 
Sad to say, my Mc tuners are now in retirement after I discovered the little Sony XDR-1HD that RM first told me about twelve years ago. I now have one in each of my systems. I sincerely doubt even a Moderaffi upgraded Mc tuner would measure up.
I am speechless
 
My brother and I visited RM, at his invitation, for an afternoon just before Covid (Richard, earlier, had refurbished my brother’s MR71 and my MR78). When we drove in, his enormous professional antenna tower was lying on its side along his driveway. “Storm?” I asked. “No.” Just turns out Richard had taken it down himself. He decided FM was basically over and done.
Actually it was RM who told me about the Sony twelve years ago when he said it outperforms an MR78. I should’ve listened to him then.
 
Actually it was RM who told me about the Sony twelve years ago when he said it outperforms an MR78. I should’ve listened to him then.
I can appreciate that there is new technology that surpasses what had been our benchmark back in the 70’s and 80’s. The reality for me is due to the lack of compelling programing in this market, I’ve for the most part given up on FM listening as there is only one program that I listen to and that’s only on once a week. That said, I have no reason to upgrade an FM tuner simply based on SQ. I have an RM modded MR78 that still functions well and still makes for beautiful eye candy sitting side by side with all my other Mac pieces. I do appreciate that you are still raising the bar.
 
I can appreciate that there is new technology that surpasses what had been our benchmark back in the 70’s and 80’s. The reality for me is due to the lack of compelling programing in this market, I’ve for the most part given up on FM listening as there is only one program that I listen to and that’s only on once a week. That said, I have no reason to upgrade an FM tuner simply based on SQ. I have an RM modded MR78 that still functions well and still makes for beautiful eye candy sitting side by side with all my other Mac pieces. I do appreciate that you are still raising the bar.
A lot of FM listeners have been saying the same thing. I still remember an eBay listing for an MR78 where the seller said the only reason he used it was to listen to A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. When he was ousted and replaced with Chris Thele, he stopped listening to it so he didn’t need the tuner any longer. I remembered this because I stopped listening to it the same time myself. Now that program has been canceled altogether.

Fortunately we’re blessed to still have three great classical/jazz stations locally plus two additional ones made possible by HD. For that reason alone it was worth having HD capability. Right now I’m listening to Hearts of Space over the Sony and the sound quality is glorious. Far quieter than is possible with any FM tuner. All these years I had no idea what I was missing.
 
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