Revox B760

An FM tuner that sold for $1,650 when a decent receiver cost a fraction of that - and the reception to justify it.

Overview

The Revox B760 is a quartz-locked, microprocessor-controlled FM tuner. It has no amplifier section and no preamp, just the front end and the tuning brains. Studer built it under the Revox brand in Switzerland, and the spec sheet makes the brief obvious: pull in signals other tuners couldn't hear at all. It carried a retail price of $1,650.00, which puts it in the "reference component" bracket rather than the "add a tuner to the stack" bracket.

The B760 combines a dual-gate MOSFET RF front end with a phase-locked loop FM demodulator, all managed by a quartz PLL synthesized tuning system with microprocessor control. The promise is simple. The station you dial in stays dialed in, and it sounds like the broadcast, not like the receiver. The tuning range covers 87 to 107.975 MHz, and the rated sensitivity is 2µV in mono. In practice that means distant and low-power stations come through with usable audio rather than a wall of hiss. The signal-to-noise ratio is rated at 75dB.

Period testing backed up the numbers. HiFi-Stereo (1980, p.56) measured pilot carrier rejection at -75 dB, with stereo channel separation of 45 dB. That keeps stereo imaging stable instead of letting it smear on marginal broadcasts. The service documentation gets more specific. Stereo sensitivity is quoted at 20 mV measured at the 75-ohm antenna input for a 46 dB signal-to-noise ratio relative to 40 kHz deviation, and image response is specified at 106 dB when the generator delivers 400 mV or higher. These are bench measurements, and they explain why the B760 earned a reputation as a reference tuner.

Owners report a sound that is neutral, transparent and highly detailed, with excellent stereo imaging, minimal phase distortion and a very low noise floor. The PLL demodulator keeps tight carrier locking, which reduces jitter and improves stereo stability. The lack of coloration makes it a natural front end for critical listening and archival work. It does not flatter a bad broadcast. It tells you what the broadcast sounds like.

Key Features

Quartz PLL Synthesized Tuning with Microprocessor Control

The tuning system is quartz-locked, so frequency stability comes from a crystal reference, not drift and luck. The microprocessor-controlled interface manages 16 fully programmable presets, with smooth tuning via an encoder knob. The manual describes the memory system this way: the stored information is the digitized number sequence of a selected frequency, so the electronic tuning process is identical to manual tuning. Memorized stations are tuned in with the same quartz accuracy as manual tuning. The storage positions can be used in any sequence, and if you don't have 15 stations to fill the slots, blanks can be programmed as well.

The memory is CMOS, so current drain is very low. When the tuner is switched off but still connected to the AC line, the memory stays powered. In case of a power failure or when transporting the unit, three dry batteries take over. Because the CMOS memory draws so little, one set of alkaline batteries lasts approximately one year.

Dual-Gate MOSFET RF Front End and PLL Demodulator

The front end uses a dual-gate MOSFET RF amplifier, and the demodulator is a phase-locked loop design. Together they form the signal path that determines what the tuner can actually receive. The manual is candid about the limits of any tuner: crossmodulation originates in the input stage of lower-quality tuners, where weak signals get masked by stronger signals on different frequencies. The B760 is designed to offer maximum safety against that kind of interference. The manual also notes that on a community antenna system, reception quality is governed by the system and the antenna amplifier in particular. Even the best tuner cannot eliminate crossmodulation interferences that originate in an antenna amplifier.

That's a limit of physics, not of the B760. The tuner's exceptionally high sensitivity means monophonic broadcasts barely above antenna noise are received with acceptable quality. Stereo requires an antenna input signal ten times as strong - 20 dB higher - to achieve the same noise-free result. That difference is inherent in the stereophonic broadcasting system itself, and Revox could not engineer around it. The SIGNAL meter on the front panel gives an approximate indication of signal voltage at the antenna input, and the TUNING meter centers when the receiving frequency is correctly set.

Balanced XLR and Unbalanced RCA Outputs

The B760 offers both balanced XLR outputs at 600 ohms and unbalanced RCA outputs at 50 ohms. The balanced outputs are the professional connection, the kind of thing you'd expect on a broadcast component, not a consumer tuner. They suit studio monitoring and high-end home systems where cable runs are long and ground loops are a real concern. Revox included both output types, which suggests the buyers were professionals who needed the flexibility and audiophiles who wanted the option.

RDS Compatibility

The B760 was one of the first high-end tuners to feature RDS compatibility. RDS, the Radio Data System, allows broadcasters to transmit station identification, program information and traffic alerts alongside the audio. In the early 1980s, that was genuinely revolutionary. The tuner could display what you were listening to, not just what frequency you were tuned to. RDS only works in regions where broadcasters actually transmit RDS data, so in some markets the feature sat dormant.

Headphone Output and Oscilloscope Socket

Revox included a headphone connection with adjustable output, plus an oscilloscope socket for multipath control. The scope socket tells you who this tuner was for: people who align antennas and chase multipath reflections the way other people chase tube bias. Multipath reception results from reflections of the VHF carrier signal along its path to the receiving antenna, similar to ghosting in a television picture. By carefully orienting the antenna, that interference can be effectively suppressed. The socket lets you see what's happening and adjust accordingly. It's a professional feature on a consumer component, and one of the reasons the B760 earned its reputation among broadcast engineers.

Historical Context

The Revox B760 was released during a golden era of high-fidelity analog audio, when digital audio was still in its infancy. It represented the pinnacle of analog tuner technology. The quartz-locked PLL tuning system, the microprocessor-controlled interface, the dual-gate MOSFET front end and the balanced XLR outputs were not features you found on typical consumer tuners in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were features you found on broadcast equipment.

The production year is disputed. Sources list 1977, 1979, and 1981. The most commonly cited figure is 1981, but listings have appeared with 1977 and 1979 dates as well. The B760 was succeeded by the B770, and it remains a benchmark for FM tuner performance. One European dealer described it as a former reference tuner with outstanding reception characteristics and great sound.

Collectibility & Value

The B760 earns an 8/10 on the vintage audio collectibility scale. Working units in good condition typically sell for $300 - $600 as of 2024, with fully serviced units - replaced capacitors, restored displays - commanding the higher end of that range. The market is wider than that. A unit listed as new-old-stock in Germany carried a price of €1,490. A defective unit, untested and missing side panels, sold for €280. A working synthesizer tuner listed at €290. Condition is everything, and the gap between a project unit and a serviced one is substantial.

Maintenance is straightforward but not optional. The electrolytic capacitors, especially in the power supply and audio output stage, should be inspected and replaced if necessary. Aging capacitors lead to hum, reduced performance, or outright failure. The VFD display backlight may dim or fail over time; replacement tubes and LED retrofit kits are available from specialist vendors. The rotary encoder used for tuning can wear out, causing erratic behavior or loss of control, and may need cleaning or replacement. The microprocessor can be reset if presets or tuning behave erratically, but full calibration requires specialized equipment and is best left to qualified technicians.

The B760 is sometimes found with a rare Dolby chip installed, and at least one owner has fitted a Bluetooth module to a refurbished unit. These modifications don't hurt the value if they're done well.

The service manual is available and includes detailed circuit descriptions and alignment instructions. It runs 119 pages for anyone who wants to understand the tuner at the component level.