Denon TU-660L
The Denon TU-660L is a three-band AM/FM/LW stereo tuner, made in Japan. It appears to have been positioned as a step up from Denon’s well-regarded budget TU-260L. One period seller noted that the TU-260L was “one of the most successful budget tuners around,” and that the TU-660L “doubtless hopes to build on its strengths.” Beyond that, the paper trail is thin. No production years, original price, or detailed circuit information are firmly documented. One source lists the TU-660 as spanning 1990-1993 while another suggests 1978. Without corroboration, treat the dates as unconfirmed.
What is known about the TU-660L’s performance comes largely from a single period observation. It praised the tuner’s “ability to extract a clean signal from real live, multipath-infested RF without squashing the music flat in the process - a common failing of cheap and mid-price tuners.” That same source called the design “fairly conventional, occupying a rather cramped circuit board,” with switchable IF bandwidth among its niceties. The tuner offers 30 presets and an 82dB signal-to-noise ratio, though that figure is attributed to the TU-660 and may or may not carry over to the L variant. A service manual exists, roughly 28-32 pages and available in German, for anyone attempting repairs.
On the used market, the TU-660L is not a high-demand collector’s piece. One Russian listing asked 10,000 ₽ for a unit described as having good cosmetics for its age, serial number 1082402354. A UK seller offered one in “full working order and very nice physical condition,” and noted that the photo was taken with a length of speaker wire as an improvised aerial. The TU-660L connects through standard stereo RCA outputs.
Known Specs
- Type: 3-band AM/FM/LW stereo tuner (TU-660L) / 2-band AM/FM (TU-660)
- FM frequency range: 87.5–108.0 MHz
- Signal-to-noise ratio: 82dB (listed for TU-660)
- Presets: 30
- Output: Stereo L/R RCA
- Country of manufacture: Japan
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