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Show us your Realistic (Radio Shack) stuff

BruceRPA said:
Well you might give 'em a quick squirt of FaderLube now. The lube part of that stuff might be all you need to make them work nicely again,

By the way, damn, I do love that album cover avatar of yours! :D
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Stevie Nicks when she was about 17. I have had 3 copies of that album over the years.
 
I bought this sight unseen. My son picked up up a couple of weeks ago for $30. I don't like using the work mint, but this one is pretty close. Hardly a mark on it. Went to his place for Easter and brought it home today. Cleaned off the icky glue, I mean grease, and relubed her with #20 machine oil. Sounds great, the auto functions all work perfectly, even the cue. Running a smidge slow though so I better take a look at the idler. It had just rejected to shut off, I went to the bathroom, and when I came back the platter was still spinning. Now I know why some people really like these ELAC's. It will be a great match for the STA-180.
 

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I picked up a STA-2500 for free the other day, It's not the best looking receiver ever made and I almost passed it up because it's a little new, but it looked like Radio Shacks last attempt at making a classic style receiver. I didn't realize until later that it was 100 wpc @8 ohms, and the TOL for 1986. It sounds very nice and everything works but I'm not sure where to put it yet. Now I need pair of Mach one's to go with it.

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ggregg said:
I bought this sight unseen. My son picked up up a couple of weeks ago for $30. I don't like using the work mint, but this one is pretty close. Hardly a mark on it. Went to his place for Easter and brought it home today. Cleaned off the icky glue, I mean grease, and relubed her with #20 machine oil. Sounds great, the auto functions all work perfectly, even the cue. Running a smidge slow though so I better take a look at the idler. It had just rejected to shut off, I went to the bathroom, and when I came back the platter was still spinning. Now I know why some people really like these ELAC's. It will be a great match for the STA-180.
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Nice, my first turntable was a Realistic Miracord (40C as I recall). I gave it to my sister years ago.
 
Montycat said:
An entire Radio Shack system
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I like it! I once had that tuner and amp combo and they weren't half-bad. And I always liked the looks of those speakers -- kind of a mini-Mach One (never listened to them though).

Never seen or heard of that turntable, but it sure looks nice. Rock on with your Realistic self. :music:
 
aileenamegan said:
The LAB looks very nice - who did produce it for them?
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It's a BSR with an ADC headshell. It looks nicer than it is I must say. Super rare though.

The speakers are neat but seem to be prone to the woofers seizing. I've had 2 sets and both needed replacements. The tweeters are pretty nice but are not real horns.

The amp and tuner are great little units. :D
 
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No pictures but I have

A pair of Mach Ones currently connected a crappy mid 80's Kenwood. (I say that, it just needs some TLC)
Realistic Lab 400 turntable with Shure Hi Track cart connected to a Sherwood S5500II (7868 output) and Klipsch speakers.

And this little amp, which I have to say, is a nice little performer, and it's sounds a hell of a lot better than Pyle Pro amps, easily outperforming them and has unbelievable amount of reserve power.

There's some saying this amp, under the right conditions, can do 1000 watts peak.
 

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Montycat said:
It's a BSR with an ADC headshell. It looks nicer than it is I must say. Super rare though.

The speakers are neat but seem to be prone to the woofers seizing. I've had 2 sets and both needed replacements. The tweeters are pretty nice but are not real horns.

The amp and tuner are great little units. :D
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Sounds like you need a nice set of Optimus or Nova speakers.
Optimus-5B
Optimus-1

Nova-8B
 
I wish I had kept all my Realistic gear. As the OP stated, back in the day, I wouldn't want my Audiophile friends to know I even had RS gear. I'm shocked it's so collectable today.

I still have a pair of Optimus 10 speakers. Awesome. With the Super Tweeters.
These have 8" drivers and 10" Drones (Passive Radiators).

An STA-76 I bought with odd jobs money when I was a kid. Put it on layaway and paid over time. Glad I still have it. It was my first Stereo HiFi.

An SA-1001. Awesome Amp. Got it on a clearance table for under 100 bucks.

Minimus 7's (three sets). One set mated to a STA-21.

I probably forgot some items, but that's the main gear. I think. I'm losing track as I get older. ;)
 
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Artcurus said:
No pictures but I have

A pair of Mach Ones currently connected a crappy mid 80's Kenwood. (I say that, it just needs some TLC)
Realistic Lab 400 turntable with Shure Hi Track cart connected to a Sherwood S5500II (7868 output) and Klipsch speakers.

And this little amp, which I have to say, is a nice little performer, and it's sounds a hell of a lot better than Pyle Pro amps, easily outperforming them and has unbelievable amount of reserve power.

There's some saying this amp, under the right conditions, can do 1000 watts peak.
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Love those big meters - good looking piece of gear there! :thmbsp:
 
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peterfranks said:
Love those big meters - good looking piece of ear there! :thmbsp:
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Those amps are considered "sleepers", the reports on them are almost overwhelmingly positive. I'm not kidding about reserve power, they can easily fill gyms and then some with mid grade commercial speakers. (98db @1 watt or less)

However, it's the older ones with the meters, the newer ones, not so much.
 
Artcurus said:
Those amps are considered "sleepers", the reports on them are almost overwhelmingly positive. I'm not kidding about reserve power, they can easily fill gyms and then some with mid grade commercial speakers. (98db @1 watt or less)

However, it's the older ones with the meters, the newer ones, not so much.
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I have one that looks like it was run over with a Jeep and it still cranks.
 
Montycat said:
Got some! Optimus 5B in fact. :D
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Excellent, hook those up to your SA-150 and let us know how they sound.

My main system right now is a modern Yamaha RX-777 receiver driving a pair of Optimus-5B side-by-side a pair of Optimus-1. They sound real good coupled together like that.
 
My Realistic Obsession

STA-2100D Receiver
Lab-420 TT
SCT-30 Deck
Mach 1 4029 - Liquid Cooled - Tier 1 & 2 Mods
Optimus T200

I've been putting together my system for a few years now, remembering all the times I would go into RS as a kid and just look at the stuff I could only dream about. It's nice being an adult and finding these great components at tag sales and on ebay. Everything is c.1979-81. I'm looking to replace my turntable cart this summer with http://www.lptunes.com/Hyperelliptical-replacement-for-Realistic-R3X-p/rsr3xhe.htm or http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audio-Technica-Dual-Magnet-Phono-Cartridge-AT95E/310923457097 . I've just bought the tape deck that needs new belts. Anyone with experience, photos of the process or a manual on how to do this please drop me a note! It's my first go at tape deck repair. The MachOne's I did the entire VideoLady mods plus tier 2. Recapping is fun. I did the T200's and they sound incredible. Very different sounding speakers, they do compliment each other nicely. I'm keeping my eyes open for an EQ of the same era. I never really liked the EQ's I have had in the past, but it's one of those things that just has to be in the rack in order for it to look right.

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I love seeing everyone elses gear in this thread, keep it alive!
 
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