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.
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.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.
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.
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.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.
Did you mean XDR-F1HD?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.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 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.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 am speechlessSad 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.
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.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 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.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.
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.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.