Can Anyone Identify These Mystery Speakers?

[Liebhaber]

The ad: http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/ele/2700600874.html

They look similar to KLHs, but I'm pretty sure that they're not. Any ideas?

 

[dnpainting]

Realistic Optimus-1

http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/catalogs/1970/
Pg 46

EBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Vinta...pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item1c20ee7a79

No Affiliation

 

[Liebhaber]

Awesome, thanks.

 

[mhardy6647]

They do look like Optimus 1s, but there are two funny things about the speakers in the OP. I've twice had pairs of Optimus 1s pass through here, and moved both pairs along PDQ as I thought they were at best bland sounding, but I think I remember their physical layout pretty well.

The switches and level controls on the back of these speakers don't look like what i remember on the ones that passed through here. Also, the two small cone drivers (which I believe are crossed over differentially in the Optimus 1) were both cosmetically identical on the speakers I've seen; the "middle" driver in the photos above appears to be different than the "top" driver.

Are these, then, Franken-Optimuses?

Here's one of the ones that I had; I don't remember the back panel configuration - maybe 1 or 2 toggle switches?

compare the speakers in the OP:

 

[audiojones]

Yep, they appear to be a pair of modded Realistic Optimus 1 speakers (plural would be Franken-Optimi?). Crossover is probably modded too judging by the addition of volume pots and switches in back.

Brown cloth grills dates them to 1974, the last year for the Optimus 1 (replaced by the Optimus 1b).