A/D/Slover
Well-Known Member
These things still pop up here n there....bought 3 pairs recently. Prob got 10 variants pair scattered. Also an interesting cousin of
Realistic Minimus 7 ID Thread
- Thread starter Grainger49
- Start date
These things still pop up here n there....bought 3 pairs recently. Prob got 10 variants pair scattered. Also an interesting cousin of
Those are the same drivers. What does it say on the grills?
Lafayette's Pip-Speak IS an interesting cousin. It shares with TDC Point 5 two cosmetic differences from Minimus-7: orange rings on the drivers and different backplate drillings and edge profile. Pip-Speak additionally has its unique grille, where Point 5 wears a Minimus-7 style grille.
Despite differences, similar enough to suppose it likely they were built at the same Japanese factory as Minimus-7. I believe Pip-Speak is contemporary to quite early Minimus-7, but having a shorter run. The tweeter might be a tarted up version of SD-13. You can verify, at least, whether the faceplate is aluminium or steel using a small magnet.
Spec sheet claims an impressive frequency response for Pip-Speak ...
... which I suspect benefits from a LOT of smoothing.
This is inserted for information purposes only. Not affiliated
Minimus 7 grille variation. The back looks very RSish.
I have a pair or two of Pips and will try to pull a tweeter today and get a look at the back.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ra...824W-Lafayette-Radio-Electronics/274476829309
Minimus 7 grille variation. The back looks very RSish.
I have a pair or two of Pips and will try to pull a tweeter today and get a look at the back.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ra...824W-Lafayette-Radio-Electronics/274476829309
And they look way too nasty for anywhere near $100.
Here’s a couple of pics of the tweeter back on the Pip Speak. An SD-14?
And the original grilles are a metal grid mounted in a plastic frame. One of mine has a repairable dent, but I can’t tell how they’re attached to the frames to be able to reattach them.
And the original grilles are a metal grid mounted in a plastic frame. One of mine has a repairable dent, but I can’t tell how they’re attached to the frames to be able to reattach them.
Seen many Pip-Speak images over the years -- never one with other than its unique grille. The plastic frames are often seen damaged. I'm wondering if those listed speakers had grilles replaced with a pair from M-7's, after gluing the Pip-Speak badges on?
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Tweeter is obviously from the same manufacture as Minimus-7. Part number change from SD-13 to SD-14 is probably just due to the orange beauty-ring feature. I would bet even money that Point 5 has this same SD-14 tweeter.
Interesting that the tweeter shows stock number "99-03824W" printed on its label.
Same as printed on both product label and spec sheet:
Any chance you got a look at the crossover? If the same as Minimus-7, that would suggest that Pip-Speak (and likely Point 5) is essentially a Minimus-7.
That could explain the skip from SD-13 to SD-15 in the Realistic lineup.
I’ll have to remove the woofer tomorrow. That does look like a typical Lafayette stock number.
I remember selling the plastic grille version, but don’t remember the Minimus type grille. You could be right about a switch.
I finally got a chance to pull the woofer. Lafayette part number. Not familiar with most Realistic woofer numbers.
A/D/Slover
Well-Known Member
Did some digging ......I know there’s a few more pairs around here.......I’ll be waking them up in the near future. I Have the selector switch wired and ready. 
Just a note, the red circles around the woofers and tweeters on the Pip Speaks are just paper stickers.
What’s the one in the middle with the oversized woofer cone?
A/D/Slover
Well-Known Member
Gnesen
Super Member
Cool. Or you could try this: https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/new-project-minimus-7-line-source-arrays.220541/
I did the line source array thing a few years ago but used ADS L300's. It was fun.
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/ads-l300-line-source-fun.666631/
John
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/ads-l300-line-source-fun.666631/
John
How do they compare to the others?
A/D/Slover
Well-Known Member
Have yet to do so.......to be continued
Lafayette printed more layers of identification on their internal parts than did Tandy.
Pip-Speak whole assembly stock number 99-03824W is on both drivers. Then their individual part numbers: 1370-36 (tweeter) and 1369-36 (woofer). And finally, in parenthesis, SD-14 and 1220, which resemble part numbers used by Tandy -- possibly OEM.
Minimus-7 woofers are 1218 (aluminium cabs) and 1234 (walnut cabs), with all tweeter variants using SD-XX format.
More evidence of very close kinship between these two brands' mini-speakers.
Brothers from other mothers.