McIntosh MR88 AM/FM/XM/HD Tuner Reviewed

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HTR Product Rating

Performance: 4 Stars
Value: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars

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While Internet radio and streaming services are growing in popularity there are still tens of millions of people who listen to good old fashioned terrestrial radio. McIntosh's MR88 is designed to allow you to listen to traditional radio in your system with audiophile quality. The new McIntosh MR88 tuner not only receives traditional AM and FM signals but also XM and HD radio signals as well. Unlike many of the tuners on the market, the MR88 is a serious audiophile piece and is built like the tank as you would expect with its $4,000 price tag.

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• Read more source component reviews from HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Find a receiver to pair with the MR88.

The MR88 is instantly recognizable as a McIntosh product from the first glance of either the front or the rear. The signature black glass panel bordered on the sides with metal end caps frames a traditional analog dial display which sits over a two line fluorescent display which provides further information such as station call sign, music genre and song title. The illuminated pointer is controlled by a traditional analog dial with McIntosh's 'Smooth Acting Weighted Tuning' mechanism. The controls allow access to up to sixty station presets. The beauty is not just skin deep. The MR88 features high end components on the inside including a linear power supply with a custom wound R-core transformer. The MR88's all digital topology is reputed to provide superior dynamic range with near CD quality for FM HD radio signals.

The back panel, which is also immediately recognizable to Mac enthusiasts because of its two tone design, has enough connections to allow easy integration with most systems. The panel features both single-ended and balanced audio outputs as well as digital outputs. The FM antenna connection is a traditional 75 ohms, "F" type connector; the AM antenna connection is proprietary and works with the supplied McIntosh RAA2 Remote AM antenna. In addition to the antenna and power connections I was pleased to see a RS-232 port for ease of system integration and control.

Read about the high points and the low points of the MR88 on Page 2.

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