Realistic Optimus 9

[Lavane]

That is why those funky Optimus 21s I have (and loaned you) with the twin tweets on top that you set for left or right, smoke the 7Bs for soundstage. There is a set of 7Bs for dirt cheap near me and I am temped but the Optimus' just sound better.

That is find of a funky design, but it works. They didn't have to build mirrored cabinets to get mirrored speakers. I haven't seen any other speaker built that way. But they do sound good!

 

[Bodyblue]

Thanks, Lavane. Appreciate the warning! Although I've been tempted over the years, I've limited myself to speakers I could physically pick up in the tristate area. I see what you mean, though. These Optimus 9s definitely feel "solid," but if nothing else I fear the decaying veneer would not have survived a UPS truck. (Little chips seem to fleck off every time I touch them.)

I ended up pulling the trigger on some OEM Optimus 9 domes on the auction site, but good to know about the P.E. option! We'll see how it goes. I do have some caps in the mail as well. This will be my first real recap project, and I'm sure I'll screw plenty of things up, but I'm grateful to you, @Bodyblue, @Stuart Pedaso, and Adam S. in the older AK thread for all the discussion and forensic work. (I was sad to read of Adam's passing after enjoying his adventure with these speakers.)

btw, @Bodyblue, sorry to hear about your 5b woes! I wanted those for ages, ended up finding the 8b locally, and I couldn't be happier. (Lucky me, the seller had already applied the VL mod.)

I got my money back for them and gave them to Lavane. About 4 years ago I found a nice pair of 8Bs. They had two dead tweets but I finally found the correct ones. One thing about them, they had the biggest improvement after fresh caps that I have ever heard. I have capped 30 or so pairs over the years and most have had small improvements, some more, some less.......but the 8Bs were like night and day. I love them and rotate them in and out of my bedroom systems all the time.

 

[colehager]

For anyone interested––we're all recapped now, and original Optimus 9 tweeters have been restored in place of the aftermarkets. (Turns out these were Realistic Super Tweeters, 40-1310.) This was actually my first ever recap––overall pretty smooth! Though I did have a hell of a time getting one of the woofers off, given the interior nuts had come loose from the cabinet.

I need to give it time, but so far my initial impressions hold. Honestly, to my ear, they sound pretty darn close to how they did when I first got them, minus the harsh tweeter. And they sound excellent! Quite a difference from the Nova 8Bs, which I'd characterize as extremely warm, lush, laidback, and impossibly non-fatiguing (if slightly lacking in detail). OTOH the 9s are (unsurprisingly) much more forward in the midrange, giving them an extremely visceral, detailed, "live" sound that is kind of addicting. They do seem a bit more shy with bass than the 8Bs, but cranking it on the receiver seems to put you right in the sweet spot.

I see what Adam S meant when he described the mids being too conspicuous in a way, appearing to float "above" at times, but to that I would say: (1) this seems to heavily depend on the music (Van Morrison, for example, sounds incredible on the 9s), and (2) after you get used to it, they do seem to blend much better. The midrange dial is fun, and one senses they could really dial these in perfectly given enough time and spatial rearrangement.

Overall I think the (modded) 8Bs are closer to the ideal for me. They're not fussy and do an all-around great job with everything. Granted, after listening to the 9s for a while the 8B mids sound almost veiled––but I think that's just by comparison. With the 9s, it's been harder to sit still (can't help fussing with the dials each time I change music).

BTW – thanks to all for the tip on Faderlube. This greatly improved (but did not completely cure) the issue with the tweeter/high-range dial. I can adjust this now, which is great, but it still occasionally cuts in and out during adjustment. Maybe I need to hit it again.

After a coat of Howards, I think they look pretty good! Wife has been very tolerant of this whole excursion.

 

[maxhifi]

Wife has been very tolerant of this whole excursion.

Pro tip: adding a third set of speakers may push your luck.

Thanks for the follow up, they look amazing and it sounds like it was also a fun project!

 

[bierbierbier]

I learned the hard way not to use contact cleaner on the pots RS used. They weren't the best quality to start with. I use Faderlube a lot now.

Those pots are wire wound and have no access holes to spray any Caig Callube in them. I have a pair of Optimus 9's and had pot issues. I took the pots apart and cleaned them. Purchased the speakers on Ebay back in 2012 for $25.00. Had my dad pick them up in Kenner Louisiana since he lived in Metairie. I drove over to visit and picked them up a year later. I remember when these speakers came out back in 1974. I went to a junior high school across the street and use to hang around the Radio Shack in Metairie, Louisiana after school. Loved the sound of them. All the drivers are original. Good luck and enjoy those classics!