[BC] AMAX

[Kevin Tekel]

Bob Orban wrote:
 > I think there was a Denon AMAX tuner that was fully compliant. Delco was
 > building AM stereo  radios that were almost to the AMAX standard except
 > for a slightly lower audio bandwidth (around 6 kHz or so, IIRC). There
 > may have been others, but I don't recall them.

At the time AMAX was launched, available AMAX receivers included the
Denon TU-680NAB, the GE Superadio III, the Sony SRF-42 Walkman, and
various Delco car radios.  Those were the radios that were marketed as
being "AMAX-certified" or "AMAX-compliant".  Numerous other receivers
duplicated or came close to the AMAX receiver specs, but were not
advertised as such, including the Carver TX-11b tuner, various OEM car
radios with AM Stereo (Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota, etc.), and a few
aftermarket car radios.  Motorola also introduced a new C-Quam decoder
chipset specifically designed to meet the AMAX specs.

Today, Fanfare is still carrying the torch for AMAX and C-Quam AM Stereo,
with their FTA-100 tuner:

http://www.fanfare.com/fta-100-sht.html

Unfortunately, it is painfully ironic that although they sound the best on
analog AM, "AMAX" receivers sound the worst when tuned to an IBOC signal,
due to the wide bandwidth.  Even the factory radio in my dad's 2002 VW
Golf (DSP-based) is wide enough on AM that tuning in an IBOC signal will
produce a constant and annoying hiss.

Anyway, I do have a Denon TU-680NAB tuner, and next to the "AMAX Stereo"
logo on its front panel, it also has the NAB logo.  Meanwhile, I have yet
to see them put their logo on any IBOC receiver!