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Radio Shack Optimus 4 Speakers ...

C

Chip - HP

Super Member
This afternoon I picked up a pair of Realistic (Radio Shack) Optimus 4 speakers ... I wouldn't normally fool with Radio Shack speakers (I need another set of speakers like a ...) ... but these have really nice walnut veneer cabinets with unusual vertical slat panels on all 4 sides (2 of which are removable) ... the conections (single RCA or 2 screw posts) are on the bottom ... they are 19" tall and 14" sq ...

Behind one panel are a 10" woofer and a 3" tweeter (?) ... behind the adjoining panel (counter-clockwise) is a 3" tweeter (?) ... on the bottom is a label with 2 arrows ... one arrow points to the woofer panel and says ... Front For Use As Left Speaker System ... the other arrow points to the tweeter panel and says ... Front For Use As Right Speaker System ...

Also on the label is ... Realistic Optimus 4 ... 8 ohm ... and ... cat. no 40 - 1974 ... at the bottom of the label it says ... A Product of Radio Shack Division of Tandy Corporation Japan ...

Haven't had a chance to listen to them ... one of the speaker connection screws is missing ... otherwise they appear to be in very good shape ...

Anyone else have a pair of these? ...
 
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mhardy6647 said:
The "tweeter" looks like a Foster (Fostex) driver... maybe even a 3" fullrange like the modern FE-83.
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Yep...and probably have alnico horseshoe magnets to boot...like the original F-103's. (F = Alnico / FE = Ferrite)
 
I remember reading a lot of Radio Shack magazines when I was younger and do not remember seeing those at all. Nice find.
Let us know how they sound when you get them fired up.
 
Those look neat. If it's not like that for quad, then it must be some kind of reflecting type mantra, you know.

Kinda like bose.....:naughty:
 
I couldn't find them on Orion ... or eBay ... am assuming that they are from the early '70s ... probably 1974 ... based on the cat. no ... found some peripheral references in a couple of archive threads ... but nothing definitive ...
 
It's been a long time but I seem to remember that they sounded pretty good. I think that they were similar to the Optimus 1 speakers which were very popular at the time. The Optimus 4 speakers came with a black vinyl cushion so they could be used as a seat. I will try to find them in one of my old Radio Shack catalogs and scan the page at work tomorrow.
 
Wow, that is really interesting!

Never seen anything quite like it aside from the AR LST (sort of).
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Please do tell us how it performs...

That catalog scan is great, too.
 
Man, those AR's are beauties! I have never seen or heard of them before, but I sure would love to! Very nice!
 
worth the time?

not sure if anyone is still watching this thread. New user here who just came across this while looking for info on Optimus 4 speakers (this is the only thing on the web I can find anywhere)....came across an old pair and really like the old style wood enclosures....was wondering if Chip got them hooked up and running and if they were worth the effort.

Thanks
 
bda777 said:
not sure if anyone is still watching this thread. New user here who just came across this while looking for info on Optimus 4 speakers (this is the only thing on the web I can find anywhere)....came across an old pair and really like the old style wood enclosures....was wondering if Chip got them hooked up and running and if they were worth the effort.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum :) ... I haven't hooked them up (so many speakers ... so little time) ... I bought them for their unique styling ... I normally don't fool with Radio Shack speakers ... I picked 'em up at an estate sale on the last day for $25 (they had been priced at $60 ... most people thought that they were end tables) ...
 
Welcome to AK bda777! We are glad that you found us.:yes: I don't have much to add that has not been posted so far about the Optimus 4 speakers. I worked at Radio Shack back in the good old days of radio Shack when those speakers were being sold. They were an unusual design and they sounded pretty good as i recall. By now they no doubt could stand to have the crossover caps replaced. Nice find. They should be keepers! :music:

Once again, Welcome!:D
 
Whoever designed Ratshack speakers, or managed the design team, certainly had reasonably high standards. Many of their designs would have been held in higher esteem by the upper echelon if under a more expensive brand name. I'll have a drink to Radio-Shack ! (Its Beer'o'clock here in Australia now)
 
more questions

Thanks for the quick response from all. Was wondering if anyone knew what kind of wattage should be driving these things? I just saw the 8 ohms listed on the bottom, most of the rest was unreadable...but I saw that the catalog pic attached by Ultra Hog (thanks for that) listed 10 watts min....given their age I just wasn't sure? The amp I have hooked up now is 100x2 but I have an older Onkyo that I think is 25x2 down in the basement somewhere. From reading some of the posts, I'm the audiophile novice here, so was lookig for some advice.
 
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