Denon’s TU-1500AE had a problem: it was the long-awaited successor to one of the best and longest-running budget tuners in history. True, there were a few fantastic rivals from NAD and Creek, but the Denon TU-260L sold well for a long time because it sounded rich and silky in a way that was surprising for a £130 radio, and it also kept stations well and functioned quite convincingly from a piece of wet string. In other words, there was nothing better if you just wanted a decent sounding, inexpensive, and reliable radio. The TU-1500AE had a job on its hands as a result of all of these…
The new Denon ‘1500AE arrived in 2006 to a world that still took FM seriously, after fifteen years of the TU-260 soldiering on. Because DAB was still in its infancy, at least in the eyes of the general public, the new tuner’s objective was to deliver the finest possible FM experience. Despite having comparable dimensions, it appeared to be much more modern. The new two-line alphanumeric white-on-black fluorescent display was a huge improvement over the 260’s dull digits, with the top line displaying the station name and the bottom line displaying scrolling radio text if needed. There were LED tuning indicators that worked in tandem with the tapered tuning knob to make selecting stations a breeze. The TU-1500AE had a hundred preset stations, which was more than enough for any British user.
The new Denon was a pleasant surprise acoustically; it was even richer than its predecessor, which was already warm, and had a softer, more recessed treble. It sounded less lively than the TU-260, but it was still a great sounding device that was far more refined than it ought to be. While the acoustic improvement was questionable, it was unquestionably more responsive and usable in a world of more congested airwaves. Nowadays, you can get either the TU-260 or the TU-1500AE for about the same price — which isn’t much in either case. Around £30 should get you a good specimen, which is a bargain considering the sound quality – especially when contrasted to the mediocre sound of the generation of FM/DAB hybrids that followed the ‘1500AE shortly after…
