Realistic "Optimus" T-200

B

b_sdaddy

Well-Known Member
I've got a pair of these, and would like to know the date of manufacture.

I found an ad. on google that shows them being sold at $350ea.

So they were $700 for the pair, but I don't know when this was. The ad. states "Top of the Range".

If we're talking 80's, then I can imagine these to have been quite expensive in the day.

Any help appreciated.
 
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They sound awesome. I believe I liked them the best of ALL the RS speakers. I had the fortune of listening to many, not only as an avid shopper, but former employee. Couple years ago I acquired a STA-2100D. Still have many RS products, including the elusive SA-2001 and TM-1001. I've owned many pairs of Mach One and Mach Two speakers. I have a close friend who still has a pair of T-200.
 
Just finished recapping these, as well as striping down the cabinets and refoaming the woofers. the mids were (financially) beyond repair, so I had to replace. Luckily the spec. of the originals was not so impressive! (kept them just in case the next owner wants to return them to stock and invest in a professional repair)

Sound really good, but have recently started on a new pair; KLH 5's. Me thinks these will out shine the T200's??realistic optimus.JPG

And there's a date! 1979 at the top of the page. So that's $600+/- for a set. Google says that's equivalent to $2000 in todays money.

Well that's above my budget, and my wifes!! Gives me an idea of their standing.

Cheers.
 
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Joe6805 said:
Was going to say, I don’t remember *any* RS speakers selling for $350 each. My Mach Threes were among the most expensive I’ve seen at $299 ea, same price for the STS-1500s that I bought new in the late ‘90s.

Either way, the T-200 looks like a great speaker. :)

Joe
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They were just a bit more then mach 1s in the 1980 catalog. Own both and like both.
 
I've got a pair of towers that were constructed to mimic T200s. They started life as Olson SP400 towers, but fragged themselves in fairly short order.
At first, I even started out with T200 woofers. The woofers have been replaced twice. The first set had the foam to deteriorate. The second set - from Audiolab - was eaten by my dog. (Hah!) I'm using Dayton "subs" now. Peerless mids and Dynaco tweeters. Still going strong after 40 years.
IMG_0964.JPG
 
The Optimus T-200 were the top of the line Radio Shack speakers starting in 1979 until they were replaced by the T-300 speakers in 1983 that were similar tower speakers, but with one 10" woofer and a 10" passive radiator instead of a second woofer, and also with a dome tweeter instead of the cone tweeter of the T-200. The T-300 has a claimed deeper bass response, though no tolerances are specified in their catalogs.

I remember hearing the Optimus T-200 at Radio Shack and comparing them with the Mach One speakers back then, and I agreed with Radio Shack that they are superior to the Mach One (which was their second most expensive speaker at the time). However, the Mach One could put out more bass. So people who valued quantity of bass often selected the Mach One instead. But the T-200 has a more refined sound.

In the early 1980's, I owned a pair of Optimus T-200 speakers (which I bought used), which were the best speakers I had owned up to that point. But I did not keep them long. In the early 1980's, I replaced them with Heybrook HB2 speakers (the originals with black bextrene woofers, not the completely different model that came out later with the yellow woofers). I sold the Optimus T-200 soon after getting the Heybrook speakers. I still have the Heybrook speakers, which were my main speakers for a decade or so. The T-200 were capable of playing louder than the Heybrook HB2, but the Heybrook HB2 has a more refined sound.

The T-200 retailed for $259.95 each for all of the years they were available. You can verify this at:

www.radioshackcatalogs.com

An archive of RadioShack Catalogs (1939-2011)

Flip-through every RadioShack electronics & computer catalog. These catalogs include vintage electronics, stereos, speakers, CB radios, tube radios, computers, communication equipment, electronic test equipment, gadgets, technology & more!
www.radioshackcatalogs.com

They were priced at approximately the level of quality that they were. Or, in other words, they were approximately the level of quality one would expect in a pair of speakers that retailed for about $520 in 1980.
 
Would I lustered over these as a teen, Geez, would I.
Great catch and they look original all the way !

Let's disco tonight bud !
 
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