Thrift Store Speaker Unboxing: Realistic Optimus 1

I found a pair of Realistic Optimus 1 speakers at a local thrift store! These vintage speakers were supposedly copies of the KLH Model Six, "$134 speakers for $70" in the Radio Shack ads. The classic line of speakers by Acoustic Research had a similar design.

[@TheAgeOfAnalog]

Nice. I just picked up a pair of Optimus 1B today for just $20. The grills are mint, all the drivers and controls look and work properly and the cabinets only need a light sanding and some Watco oil.

[@bd764]

I enjoyed your video. Radio Shack used some good woofers here and there. The inverted surround is unique. The Nova 6's had that too. And apparently they last forever. Those same tweeters showed up in alot of their systems for many years. Great find and thanks for sharing.

[@peacearchwa5103]

Realistic's Optimus-1 "Acoustic Suspension 3-Element 2-Way Loudspeaker" was "New" in Radio Shack's 1968 catalog, priced at $79.95 each. This model was still available in Radio Shack's 1974 catalog. The following year, it was replaced by the Optimus-1b which the 1975 catalog claimed had some refinements. Thanks for your video review!

[@Lancaster_Hi-Fi]

Cool info! Thanks!

[@MichaelLivingston-me]

The woofers in these were quite good. They give reasonable deep bass, however they do boom a bit rather than a tight definition like a KLH. The woofer is supposed to be doped for good air seal. The tweeters are open back with a rounded back plastic cup. The cups don't seal well and there's a hole drilled through to allow the wire for each tweeter. I suggest you take the side of a cardboard box or a flat large sheet of cardboard. Cut a 2" or 3" round hole somewhere in the middle. You can take that cardboard and hold it over the speaker baffle. Allow one tweeter or midrange to be seen through the hole. You can hold your ear near the cutout and the large piece of cardboard will at least muffle or reduce the sound level to your close ear. When you hold the hole over one tweeter at a time, assuming there's highs in the source music, you will hear output through that opening.

[@christophermeyer3980]

I bought a pair of Realistic Optimus 3's on sale for 2 for $300, reg price was $300 apiece a long time ago. These were the best speakers I ever owned, 15" woofers..Horn mid, and horn tweeter. Had them for over 20 years and I kick myself for selling them.

[@skelecaster]

I just cover the drivers with my hand and remove a few times, pretty easy to hear if they are working or not usually.

[@malcolmbliss777]

Without a doubt the best near field monitors you can buy, when found in mint condition (check), though I am going to recap them. Incredible crisp highs. Love these!

[@Lancaster_Hi-Fi]

I re-doped the surrounds, fixed the cabinets, restored the finish, and replaced the grille cloth. Just sold them, along with a 70's JVC turntable to someone who planned to use them with a Pioneer SX-850.

[@malcolmbliss777]

@@Lancaster_Hi-Fi I use mine with a vintage JBL Urei amp (60 watts @ 8 ohms channel) and a Mackie board to mix down multi tracks done in Cubase. Incredible range on these. BTW; is the woofer full range? The crossover looks like it only does a high pass on the tweeters.

[@Lancaster_Hi-Fi]

You may be right about that. I'm not sure I looked at a schematic for these; if I did, I don't recall.

[@waddg6998]

I do believe some of the sansui surrounds have that rubber coating too. I have a pair of sansui PL 2000. I'm not sure they were tacky in spots hmmm ✌️

[@joecartwright9221]

High frequencies are rolled off . My fraternity brother had a pair. Probably 1977-78 and they sounded good with a cassette deck. Not worth fixing btw. Brings back old memories 😎

[@johntaylor-jp3jy]

Agree with the time period: the Tandy corporation, Radio Shack’s parent company, didn’t rebrand as Realistic until the mid 70’s

[@kensolar69]

To hear individual speakers I use a paper towel cardboard roll I didn't throw away, TP roll will also work.

[@Lancaster_Hi-Fi]

Good suggestion!

[@jimmy635]

Is there any way to connect these speakers to a phone or laptop via an AUX ?

[@Lancaster_Hi-Fi]

Not directly. These are passive speakers, as are all my speakers. Basic computer speakers are powered, which means they have a built-in power amp. To use your phone or laptop as a source with passive speakers, you need a power amp. That's my bedroom setup: Phone to dongle to AUX cord with headphone jack on one end and RCA plugs on the other end to amp (integrated preamp and power amp) to speakers. The preamp section gives me volume control with some potential amplification, but I could go straight to a power amp and use my phone for volume control. I just wouldn't be able to listen as loudly because that power amp requires a 1-volt signal for full power, and phones typically only provide a 1/2-volt signal at max volume. To use a computer as my source in my work office, I use an external DAC/preamp plus a power amp connected to passive speakers.

[@rodericde876]

Realistic products were all low end and priced to match. Not vintage just old.