Sansui TU-719 Quartz Locked AM/FM Stereo Tuner

The Sansui TU-719 replaced the very popular TU-717 in early 1979. It was second from top of the range (behind the superb TU-919). It is an aesthetically pleasing design with a style that is uniquely classic Sansui. It was available only in matte black and came with detchable rack-mount handles like the TU-417/517/519/717/919, etc. It is similar in appearance to it's predecessor, but unlike the 717 sports a fluorescent (not LED!) digital display giving tuned fequency, center-tune indication and signal strength. It also features a quartz referenced servo lock system to prevent drift (but still uses a 4 gang variable capacitor for tuning). I personally prefer the moving coil meters of the TU-717 to the digital display of the 719. The Quartz lock works well but I am not convinced that it is necessary as the TU-717 never suffered from drift anyway. Remember, though, that this was 1979 and quartz-locked everything was all the rage :-).

The TU-719 is rarer than the TU-717 but used prices tend to be broadly similar. The TU-719 is a very good tuner but in my opinion it does not sound quite as good as the TU-517 or 717 (the 517 and 717 are essentially the same tuner). Technically, the TU-719 is more sophisticated than it's cheaper brother, the TU-519. Therefore the 519 is NOT a 719 on the cheap.