Pioneer F-449 Tuners
Pioneer F-449 Tuners
USER REVIEWS
[Sep 17, 1999]
gilly
an Audiophile
Had the European equivalent of this unit and have just purchased a mint used US version. US versions have more presets, but the European version had a very useful MPX filter (Hi-blend) for the noisier FM stations. Both units have selectable IF (normal/super narrow) control which is sometimes useful for reducing interference (at the expense of slightly increased distortion). I understand a better Capture Ratio or AM suppression ratio might help. That's the bad news. The good news however is the sound quality. On a good FM station, it blows away the Denon and Sony competition in this price range, and virtually every receiver I've compared it with. Bass is fine, while midrange and treble clarity are outstanding, if a bit "digital" (good transient response?). Don't know the mechanics of Pioneer's Digital Direct Decoder, but it sure works for me! I miss the MPX filter though. |