Hey guys, A local shop has some Realistic Speakers that look to be in good shape.
Nova 7b $99.95
Nova 8b $129.95
Optimus T110 $149.95
I'm just starting to piece my system together and am speaker poor at the moment. Are any of these worth the money?
Thanks for your help,
Bob
Hi, Bob!
And welcome to AudioKarma. I think the price judgement is going to be based on where you live and what the speaker market is like there. Where I live, it's rare for practically
any RS speaker pair to go for more than $50, except for the Mach I, of course. Last year I picked up a perfect pair of real-walnut-veneered Optimus 21s for $10 out the door at ReStore. So in my neighborhood, those prices would be a no go.
As the others have pointed out, any of the three are fine performers. The woofers in the 8B appear to be the exact same as in my 21s and they
will deliver the bass and nice upper mids. I've been quite surprised how much I like them. Better sounding than my Small Advents. I'll bet the T110s are good performers, too. But, in the end, the choice is going to be made by
your own ears. Since the shop is local, you need to take in your favorite CD and give all three pairs a good extended listen. And try to play them a bit LOUD for at least a few seconds. That should reveal any woofer problems that may be lurking. (Ask the owner to raise the volume himself - don't do it yourself. Good manners.)
But, if you decide to buy one of the three, try your best to negotiate the price down. Maybe I'm wrong, but they are on the high side of the scale. Check the ebay "sold" listings in order to get a good grip on what they are selling for nationally.
Below are pics of your proposed choices for those who (like me) don't know the speakers in question. Random internet pics.
GeeDeeEmm
NOVA 7B:
NOVA 8B:
OPTIMUS T110: