| [ Quad FM 2 ] |
Technical specifications
The Quad FM 2 is a hybrid stereophonic tuner using 7 tubes an a transistor. It is basically the sum of the FM 1 tuner and the multiplex decoder unit in a single chassis. 8000 units were manufactired (according Rob Flain from Quad ) before moving to the all-transistors FM3. The model I own has the 33/303 faceplate, style and connectors but it can be used without many problems with the Quad 22 / Quad II combo (changing the DIN conector with RCA plugs). An important characteristic of the FM 2 is its low output voltage of only 110 mV. This low output was intended to work with Quad preamplifiers like the 22 and 33, but may cause some problems to modern units that need higher voltages. The FM scale is from 88 MHz to 108 Mhz the same than used today so you can hear all the actual radio stations without problems. This point must be considered before buying classic tuners because some units have scales only to 100Mhz. It is also important to consider the stereophonic availability. Some tuners are monophonic and can't be converted to stereo. Others are stereo but not as good as actual tuners. Other are stereo and can be improved with modern tube decoders, for example the Leak Troughline 3. Be sure to know all the tuner characteristics before buying classic tuners.
The unit I have bougth is in perfect condition. I have adquired some tubes to Colomor Electronics and I have replaced them in the tuner. The price of the tubes was really good compared to the tubes of an amplifier. For example one General Electric 6BH6 was 3 pounds.
About sound quality. As in every tuner it depends in many factors, a combination of a good and powerful radio station, a good tuner but what's most important ot me is a it's to have a good aerial. If you want a description of the sound obtained from the tuner it is sweet and warm in the most pure tube style. And now some images of the tuner.
