Thanks for watching. If anyone knows how to get the volume to be more consistent in Adobe Premiere Pro, would you let me know? I’m getting to the point where I’m considering editing the audio on different software entirely then just putting it in the video at the end. Thanks.
not a video person but try throwing videos in logic pro, then use stock compressor plug in and automate volume on areas where you get quieter as it might be a mic distance thing if your head moves around a bit.
Listening to your review of Minimus 7 speakers on a pair of Minimus 7 speakers. Also, these are simply the best speakers for voice reproduction. I'm a Amateur Radio operator and use these exclusively on all of my radios. There is no comparison for how much better these sound than any of the speakers produced by Icom/Kenwood/Yaesu for their radios and they cost WAY less.
Got a pair of these on my desktop system ... Bought them brand new in 1979, still use them every day... 45 years and still good as new! BTW... the trick for these is not to max out the Bass ... cut the treble... it will sound better.
I used to use these in the 70s and 80s for low-end background music system installations. We'd also install 100 volt line transformers inside them so they could be used in public address system and regardless of which application they were used in, I was always impressed with their sound quality.
Hey A.T., great video on these Realistic Speakers! I can tell that you put in a lot of time and effort on this particular video. Great work! I hope that you can do another Realistic receiver review soon!
Heck yeah! I got a set of these for free from an old coworker a while back. I absolutely love em. Great garage speakers and have big sound for their size.
An extremely enjoyable and informative video - as per your usual high standard 👍 Your videos remind me of “TechMoan” - in the sense of explaining about the products history, taking them apart, and if required a quick fix here and there. Magnificent‼️
When I was a teenager, the Minimus 7 went on sale every summer for $50 a pair. I got a pair every year, one each in silver, black, and white, all of which are still in use. I have always (since I understood what imaging/soundstage was) been impressed with the really nice image they present, and theorized it was probably because they have a simple crossover. Thank you for confirming my theory, and for appreciating my very favorite inexpensive speaker. Full disclosure: my main listening speakers are the Magnepan MG-III (6 feet tall with the upgraded ribbon tweeter). So it's not like I don't know what good speakers are supposed to sound like.
I have a black Optimus pair. They've done time as pc and surround speakers. Probably the best part of these speakers is how hard it is to take the grill off, keeping them safe safe from little fingers poking the dust caps.
I've never owned a pair of these but knew of them for sure. I remember as a kid seeing them in the Radio Shack catalogs and in the stores. They also sold a compact receiver, the STA-7 which was sold alone or as a package deal with the speakers they called the "'System 7". To me that receiver was and still is gorgeous, all metal construction black and rounded corners like the speakers, with a green backlit dial and tuning meter. It was very striking at a time when most stuff was still sold in stainless! The receiver had a switch on the back that would apply EQ specifically for use with the Minimus 7 speakers, after seeing your video I would suspect it would increase the bass. I think a nice set of these and the receiver would make a nice desktop / computer sound setup and could be had without paying stupid money. I know they made later receivers that replaced the STA-7 but to me the later ones started looking cheaper and not as good looking as the original. I've never seen insides of the Minimus 7 until now, pretty impressive looking with nice drivers and I'd figured the crossover would just be a filter capacitor, wasn't' expecting a choke. Great video!
I had a pair of these for many years. I originally used them in my car and then they served time as rears in a home cinema. They never served as main speakers because the tweeters are very shrill - this may have been a worn out crossover. They lack bass of course, but for a garage or small room they are basically indestructable!
Have had many over the years. The earlier versions with the aluminum tweeter plate are the ones to get. When my mother-in-law passed a couple years ago I had a chance at the wood versions. I passed on them as I have also owned the Paradigm Atom. There is no comparison.
These actually carried on under the Optimus name brand and then later under the RCA name brand. I worked at RadioShack in High School and used to sell these. At the time the Shack was also selling a variety of speakers using a linaeum tweeter which were super popular at the time. Ironically, even with my discount I ended up going with another budget brand for my own rig: Cambridge Soundworks. In fact, even with its paper cone tweeter I would actually suggest the Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble 1s and 2s as a better sounding alternative to the Minimus (which matching passive subs to boot!). Though time has been a lot kinder to the Minimus’s metal cabinet than it has to the CSW’s. In either case, while I have some nostalgia for how these old speakers sound- you’re probably way better off just scoring some 2nd hand Micca MB42x.
Just picked up a pair of white speakers from a free pile at a yard sale. Didn’t know what they were but they felt solid and made in Japan. Can’t go wrong 🤓
I found a pair of Minimus 7W, which are the wooden ones, at a Goodwill for $7 for the pair. The grilles are pinned like any other wooden enclosure speaker from the era, and the hangers are intact. These have the other angled pinch-style connector and are nearly flawless in appearance. They're currently in my living room, paired with a subwoofer. They sound pretty good and can actually get loud with minimal distortion. They're nowhere near my Monsoon MM700 planar speakers in SQ, but they serve a purpose and work as intended.
Apparently, those speakers were so good, that Radio Shack were still selling them as far as the early 2000's. I have yet to hear anything bad about them for as long as they have been around.
Yeah, I knew nothing about them but I used to see them every few weeks at the various thrift stores around here. Then when I finally bothered to buy them. I was totally shocked. I can see why they're so popular! 😁
If you ever come across a pair of Canton GL 260 speakers, you should check them out. Same story as the minimus 7, somewhat small bookshelf speaker but bigger driver and blow the minimus away in my opinion. Excellent transparency, soundstage, detail, imaging, and a surprising amount of bass for their size. Made in West Germany back in 1981. A true gem for their size!
I've been a huge fan of these speakers since the 80's. I currently have 4 pair. 1 pair I use as near field monitors for my PC. 1 pair I use in my master bedroom with a olnice old Yamaha integrated Amp and Alexa.. 1 pair I use with a tiny 2 channel amp/integrated I got off Amazon for my outdoor movie night setup.. And 1 pair that are brand new/never used.. old stock I found on Marketplace.. Still in their original boxes.. Those are white. They really are a great little speaker
These speakers remind of if ADS that sold in the late 70s. They sounded much LARGER that they were (~ 5"x7"x4"). Very unusual! They had high-excursion woofers.
Minimus 22’s were best for the wall 2:5 Inches deep and a channel for the wires made in silver only and in 1983 only they sounded great but I love the 7’s great video
@@AudioThrift I worked for the shack in 82’ I set them up in a display they had awesome audio then go to Google and type in minimus 22 under images they were lighter like plastic and sounded better than the 7’s they should have made them in black as well the minus 7w wood came out in 83’ as well with a finished baffle 83 only the rest the baffles were painted black.
After watching a ton of RUclips video’s highlighting these speakers, I finally bit the bullet on not one, but two pairs of these within the past few months. The latest a made in Japan white pair like yours (which according to a fellow RUclipsr of yours, are somehow far more ‘superior’ to the made in Korea black pair I also own. Go figure.🤷🏼♂️) And so with that in mind, I hooked the white pair up to my ‘vintage,’ fully functional *JVC UX-1* micro system. And while to my ears they certainly do sound better than the original speakers that were made for said micro system, other than how damn solidly they were undeniably built, I personally think that there overall prowess is slightly overrated, as well. Then again, what the hell do I know. Enjoy!!! ✌🏼
Oh, they're definitely not on par with proper speaker systems. No denying that. But for the price, size, and age I'm impressed... but, also my hearing is shot. So what do I know either. lol
@@AudioThrift It creates a DiApolito array which gives you better bass with better horizontal dispersion. Doesn't work with every speaker but on these it tends to bring the bass more forward with a wider stereo image.
Over 20 years ago, I was lucky enough to find and buy a pair of metal Realistic Minimus 7 speakers for $9.99 from a local Salvation Army Thrift Store and they work perfectly. :)
I have 3 pairs I bought in the 70s, and they all still work perfectly, _including_ the pair that spent over 2 years in a plastic storage chest on my porch. 🤦♂
Now that you have your first pair, you will start seeing these everywhere. I currently have four pairs. A wood pair, a black pair, white pair and a black pair branded RCA when Radio Shack took on that branding. That said quite a few of these in addition to the one I have now many have passed through my hands over the years as I would buy them for next to nothing and would give then away if someone needed a good small pair of speakers. Funny enough I took the black grills and put them on the white pair and vice versa which I think looks pretty cool. Ironically I had a set hooked up to a Sansui 221 like yours in my office at work at one point.
Thanks for the good entertainment. Heard of these before. At one point bought a set of the Realistic Optimus Pro LX5 on ebay which I refurbished. A really exciting speaker that has remained in my collection. Of American speakers I have Zu Audio Cube mkii and Magnepen LRSplus.
OK buddy, you may have forgotten I mentioned these things to you before the other guy, but when you eventually get your hands on a set of B&W DM-110s or 220s or even 330s, I better get my shout out. Glad you found your set of Minimus speakers, and the sealed ones too, not the later ones vented out the back. The 90s version with the dipole ribbon tweeters and larger woofer are too small for that 5 1/2 woofer, and the darn driver uses foam for the surrounds, so even brand new in box offerings are still in need of repair when opened.
Oh snap. You're right, you did. You'll get the shoutout if I find those... which will now happen in the next month. All I have to do is mention something and somehow it shows up at the estate sales. lol It's wild how much of that foam has just deteriorated and needs replacing.
@@AudioThrift Recently saw a video where a guy found a pair of the newer ones with the 5 1/2 inch drivers with the dipole ribbon tweeters and a couple ports down the bottom. Literally from a sealed box the foam was done, immediately needed replacement. In any case that driver is too big for the enclosure, so your little ones there actually give better sound. The only real gripe I'd have about those Lineum branded tweeters is they use ferrofluid, you don't want to have to clean out and replace that when it dries, yikes.
@jameslaidler2152 Oh yeah, not a chance. The Bose speakers I did previously used ferrofluid and I didn't want anything to do with changing that stuff. lol
The Minimus 7w's were my first speakers back in the mid 80's. I still have them and the sub too. I hooked it all up about a year ago and everything still sounds fine which is a miracle considering how much AC/DC, Def Leppard, Ratt, Twisted Sister, Accept, Crue, Kiss, Dokken, and whatever else I punished them with as a 12-13 year old......
I have the pro X7 series made by Optimus! Very powerful speakers and they will handle 100 watts at no distortion at 8 Ohms! Oh by the way the woofers are made by Pioneer yup I couldn't believe at first!
Another thorough explanation, nice job..............Speakers look pretty Good, more than I can say about that cross-over. Did I see Robin Trower "Bridge of Sighs", very good in concert, seen in small club Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, 40 yrs ago.
Is till have several pair. The Minimus 77's are much the same with a smidge better bass response. Radio Shack used to half price them once a year and I'd buy a couple pair just on general principles. I used a pair in my recording studio as a "real world" reference and they worked pretty well.
Aside from buying a pair of silver Realistic Minimus 7 speakers (made in Japan), in that same year (over 20 years ago), I bought a pair of black Minimus 3.5 speakers (which are much smaller than the 7's), a pair of black Minimus 77 speakers, and a pair of silver Minimus 22 speakers (taller and thinner than either the Minimus 7's or 77's) and all pairs were $9.99 courtesy of my local Salvation Army Thrift Store. :)
Also, consider the Optimus Pro 7av, Optimus PRO-X44AV, and the RCA PRO-44AV. These are all “descendants” of the original MINIMUS-7. AND, these “descendants” were magnetically shield - which was crucially necessary in the days of the CRT (cathode ray tube) TVs. I’ve had all of them and they were great. I currently have the original MINIMUS-7s and the RCA PRO-44AV. I hope that some speaker maker picks up where Radio Shack left off. These are really good speakers.
Oh yeah, I forgot about the whole magnet CRT thing. I messed up my old TV when I was a kid that way. If/when I get to do a video on CRT television, I'll talk about that... that would be interesting.
Changed my mind. Metal it will be. Is it sacrilege to repaint them? I can have them off to a paintshop doing cars and have them painted i "color of the day".
Same here. I even considered replacing the surrounds, but that effort and cost would have far outweighed the value of some great, inexpensive vintage speakers for me. The dissolving foam surrounds were a poison pill for these as used speakers. For their first twenty years they were really great. Once the surrounds dissolve, they're paperweights as far as I'm concerned.
I have I thinknoptimus 5s. But my dad had these radio shack.speakers around 1978 maybe to 1984. Glass tips. 15 inch woofers. 3 way. I have neighbors 3 houses down that can tell.you about the speakers. Epic. And he had jbls as a 4 way system with a spring reverb and a technics turntable
Recapping seems like a distraction from the overwhelming problem that these had which is dissolving foam surrounds. I keep seeing these with the bass driver surrounds in pieces or missing. I loved the pair I bought myself in 1985, but the surrounds dissolved and every other pair I've seen since has the exact same problem.
i should get more small speakers :) nothing wrong w/ 1st order crossovers. in fact w/ drivers that match nicely, it's elegant and sounds great. don't just go by forums, listen, measure and get to know a speaker before modifying it. even good forums promote bad advice occasionally... (just a note, your mic sounds a bit muffled compared to other channels... if that's on purpose, great :) )
I have a pair just like yours. Just so you know if I'm not mistaken those connectors will accept the tips of most banana plugs. I'm going to get mine out and hook them up in my bedroom system just to confirm that so if I don't come back and edit my comment the connectors will accept banana plugs.
Thanks for watching. If anyone knows how to get the volume to be more consistent in Adobe Premiere Pro, would you let me know? I’m getting to the point where I’m considering editing the audio on different software entirely then just putting it in the video at the end. Thanks.
not a video person but try throwing videos in logic pro, then use stock compressor plug in and automate volume on areas where you get quieter as it might be a mic distance thing if your head moves around a bit.
Listening to your review of Minimus 7 speakers on a pair of Minimus 7 speakers. Also, these are simply the best speakers for voice reproduction. I'm a Amateur Radio operator and use these exclusively on all of my radios. There is no comparison for how much better these sound than any of the speakers produced by Icom/Kenwood/Yaesu for their radios and they cost WAY less.
Got a pair of these on my desktop system ... Bought them brand new in 1979, still use them every day... 45 years and still good as new!
BTW... the trick for these is not to max out the Bass ... cut the treble... it will sound better.
I used to use these in the 70s and 80s for low-end background music system installations. We'd also install 100 volt line transformers inside them so they could be used in public address system and regardless of which application they were used in, I was always impressed with their sound quality.
Hey A.T., great video on these Realistic Speakers! I can tell that you put in a lot of time and effort on this particular video. Great work! I hope that you can do another Realistic receiver review soon!
I appreciate that, thank you. I hope I find another one soon.
Heck yeah! I got a set of these for free from an old coworker a while back. I absolutely love em. Great garage speakers and have big sound for their size.
An extremely enjoyable and informative video - as per your usual high standard 👍
Your videos remind me of “TechMoan” - in the sense of explaining about the products history, taking them apart, and if required a quick fix here and there.
Magnificent‼️
Thank you! That's the highest of praise! TM was what got me into vintage hifi years ago!
When I was a teenager, the Minimus 7 went on sale every summer for $50 a pair. I got a pair every year, one each in silver, black, and white, all of which are still in use. I have always (since I understood what imaging/soundstage was) been impressed with the really nice image they present, and theorized it was probably because they have a simple crossover. Thank you for confirming my theory, and for appreciating my very favorite inexpensive speaker.
Full disclosure: my main listening speakers are the Magnepan MG-III (6 feet tall with the upgraded ribbon tweeter). So it's not like I don't know what good speakers are supposed to sound like.
I have a black Optimus pair. They've done time as pc and surround speakers. Probably the best part of these speakers is how hard it is to take the grill off, keeping them safe safe from little fingers poking the dust caps.
I've never owned a pair of these but knew of them for sure. I remember as a kid seeing them in the Radio Shack catalogs and in the stores. They also sold a compact receiver, the STA-7 which was sold alone or as a package deal with the speakers they called the "'System 7". To me that receiver was and still is gorgeous, all metal construction black and rounded corners like the speakers, with a green backlit dial and tuning meter. It was very striking at a time when most stuff was still sold in stainless! The receiver had a switch on the back that would apply EQ specifically for use with the Minimus 7 speakers, after seeing your video I would suspect it would increase the bass. I think a nice set of these and the receiver would make a nice desktop / computer sound setup and could be had without paying stupid money. I know they made later receivers that replaced the STA-7 but to me the later ones started looking cheaper and not as good looking as the original. I've never seen insides of the Minimus 7 until now, pretty impressive looking with nice drivers and I'd figured the crossover would just be a filter capacitor, wasn't' expecting a choke. Great video!
Thank you. Yeah, that would look great as a set of computer speakers.
I owned a few pairs still have 1 on the shelves for testing amplifiers, the best ones in black were the B revision
I had a pair of these for many years. I originally used them in my car and then they served time as rears in a home cinema. They never served as main speakers because the tweeters are very shrill - this may have been a worn out crossover. They lack bass of course, but for a garage or small room they are basically indestructable!
Neat! Boston Acoustics SubSat Six definitely got their inspiration from these!
Have had many over the years. The earlier versions with the aluminum tweeter plate are the ones to get. When my mother-in-law passed a couple years ago I had a chance at the wood versions. I passed on them as I have also owned the Paradigm Atom. There is no comparison.
These actually carried on under the Optimus name brand and then later under the RCA name brand. I worked at RadioShack in High School and used to sell these. At the time the Shack was also selling a variety of speakers using a linaeum tweeter which were super popular at the time. Ironically, even with my discount I ended up going with another budget brand for my own rig: Cambridge Soundworks. In fact, even with its paper cone tweeter I would actually suggest the Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble 1s and 2s as a better sounding alternative to the Minimus (which matching passive subs to boot!). Though time has been a lot kinder to the Minimus’s metal cabinet than it has to the CSW’s. In either case, while I have some nostalgia for how these old speakers sound- you’re probably way better off just scoring some 2nd hand Micca MB42x.
Hmmm... sounds like I have even more things to watch for at the thrift stores! 😁
Just picked up a pair of white speakers from a free pile at a yard sale. Didn’t know what they were but they felt solid and made in Japan. Can’t go wrong 🤓
I found a pair of Minimus 7W, which are the wooden ones, at a Goodwill for $7 for the pair. The grilles are pinned like any other wooden enclosure speaker from the era, and the hangers are intact. These have the other angled pinch-style connector and are nearly flawless in appearance.
They're currently in my living room, paired with a subwoofer. They sound pretty good and can actually get loud with minimal distortion. They're nowhere near my Monsoon MM700 planar speakers in SQ, but they serve a purpose and work as intended.
Apparently, those speakers were so good, that Radio Shack were still selling them as far as the early 2000's. I have yet to hear anything bad about them for as long as they have been around.
Yeah, I knew nothing about them but I used to see them every few weeks at the various thrift stores around here. Then when I finally bothered to buy them. I was totally shocked. I can see why they're so popular! 😁
If you ever come across a pair of Canton GL 260 speakers, you should check them out. Same story as the minimus 7, somewhat small bookshelf speaker but bigger driver and blow the minimus away in my opinion. Excellent transparency, soundstage, detail, imaging, and a surprising amount of bass for their size. Made in West Germany back in 1981. A true gem for their size!
I'll keep an eye out!
I've been a huge fan of these speakers since the 80's. I currently have 4 pair. 1 pair I use as near field monitors for my PC. 1 pair I use in my master bedroom with a olnice old Yamaha integrated Amp and Alexa.. 1 pair I use with a tiny 2 channel amp/integrated I got off Amazon for my outdoor movie night setup.. And 1 pair that are brand new/never used.. old stock I found on Marketplace.. Still in their original boxes.. Those are white. They really are a great little speaker
These speakers remind of if ADS that sold in the late 70s. They sounded much LARGER that they were (~ 5"x7"x4"). Very unusual! They had high-excursion woofers.
Minimus 22’s were best for the wall 2:5 Inches deep and a channel for the wires made in silver only and in 1983 only they sounded great but I love the 7’s great video
Thanks.
Guess I gotta try to find a pair of 22's. 😁
@@AudioThrift I worked for the shack in 82’ I set them up in a display they had awesome audio then go to Google and type in minimus 22 under images they were lighter like plastic and sounded better than the 7’s they should have made them in black as well the minus 7w wood came out in 83’ as well with a finished baffle 83 only the rest the baffles were painted black.
After watching a ton of RUclips video’s highlighting these speakers, I finally bit the bullet on not one, but two pairs of these within the past few months. The latest a made in Japan white pair like yours (which according to a fellow RUclipsr of yours, are somehow far more ‘superior’ to the made in Korea black pair I also own. Go figure.🤷🏼♂️) And so with that in mind, I hooked the white pair up to my ‘vintage,’ fully functional *JVC UX-1* micro system. And while to my ears they certainly do sound better than the original speakers that were made for said micro system, other than how damn solidly they were undeniably built, I personally think that there overall prowess is slightly overrated, as well. Then again, what the hell do I know. Enjoy!!! ✌🏼
Oh, they're definitely not on par with proper speaker systems. No denying that. But for the price, size, and age I'm impressed... but, also my hearing is shot. So what do I know either. lol
Okay ... you have two pairs ... Try stacking them one on top another tweeters together, wired in parallel. You can thank me later.
What does that do, sound wise?
@@AudioThrift
It creates a DiApolito array which gives you better bass with better horizontal dispersion. Doesn't work with every speaker but on these it tends to bring the bass more forward with a wider stereo image.
Those are in immaculate condition. You scored big time.
Found some of these at goodwill today for $12, saw them on another video like a year ago and instantly recognized them.
i found a set at a second hand store last week for pennies ,score they sound great...
Over 20 years ago, I was lucky enough to find and buy a pair of metal Realistic Minimus 7 speakers for $9.99 from a local Salvation Army Thrift Store and they work perfectly. :)
$9.99 is a very good deal! That's super cool!
I have 3 pairs I bought in the 70s, and they all still work perfectly, _including_ the pair that spent over 2 years in a plastic storage chest on my porch. 🤦♂
Now that you have your first pair, you will start seeing these everywhere. I currently have four pairs. A wood pair, a black pair, white pair and a black pair branded RCA when Radio Shack took on that branding. That said quite a few of these in addition to the one I have now many have passed through my hands over the years as I would buy them for next to nothing and would give then away if someone needed a good small pair of speakers. Funny enough I took the black grills and put them on the white pair and vice versa which I think looks pretty cool.
Ironically I had a set hooked up to a Sansui 221 like yours in my office at work at one point.
I LOVE them hooked to the Sansui. It's kind of wild how good that sounded for what they are.
Thanks for the good entertainment. Heard of these before. At one point bought a set of the Realistic Optimus Pro LX5 on ebay which I refurbished.
A really exciting speaker that has remained in my collection. Of American speakers I have Zu Audio Cube mkii and Magnepen LRSplus.
Thank you. I'll check those out.
OK buddy, you may have forgotten I mentioned these things to you before the other guy, but when you eventually get your hands on a set of B&W DM-110s or 220s or even 330s, I better get my shout out. Glad you found your set of Minimus speakers, and the sealed ones too, not the later ones vented out the back. The 90s version with the dipole ribbon tweeters and larger woofer are too small for that 5 1/2 woofer, and the darn driver uses foam for the surrounds, so even brand new in box offerings are still in need of repair when opened.
Oh snap. You're right, you did. You'll get the shoutout if I find those... which will now happen in the next month. All I have to do is mention something and somehow it shows up at the estate sales. lol
It's wild how much of that foam has just deteriorated and needs replacing.
@@AudioThrift Recently saw a video where a guy found a pair of the newer ones with the 5 1/2 inch drivers with the dipole ribbon tweeters and a couple ports down the bottom. Literally from a sealed box the foam was done, immediately needed replacement. In any case that driver is too big for the enclosure, so your little ones there actually give better sound. The only real gripe I'd have about those Lineum branded tweeters is they use ferrofluid, you don't want to have to clean out and replace that when it dries, yikes.
@jameslaidler2152 Oh yeah, not a chance. The Bose speakers I did previously used ferrofluid and I didn't want anything to do with changing that stuff. lol
Awesome Video!
Thank you.
the holy grail is the Realistic SOLO 103
Those look cool. I will watch for them!
I have an absolutely Flawless pair of solo 103's
The Minimus 7w's were my first speakers back in the mid 80's. I still have them and the sub too. I hooked it all up about a year ago and everything still sounds fine which is a miracle considering how much AC/DC, Def Leppard, Ratt, Twisted Sister, Accept, Crue, Kiss, Dokken, and whatever else I punished them with as a 12-13 year old......
Yes! Ratt!
I have the pro X7 series made by Optimus! Very powerful speakers and they will handle 100 watts at no distortion at 8 Ohms! Oh by the way the woofers are made by Pioneer yup I couldn't believe at first!
Ahh... Pioneer. That explains it. :)
Another thorough explanation, nice job..............Speakers look pretty Good, more than I can say about that cross-over. Did I see Robin Trower "Bridge of Sighs", very good in concert, seen in small club Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, 40 yrs ago.
You did indeed. That must have been awesome!
Is till have several pair. The Minimus 77's are much the same with a smidge better bass response. Radio Shack used to half price them once a year and I'd buy a couple pair just on general principles. I used a pair in my recording studio as a "real world" reference and they worked pretty well.
Aside from buying a pair of silver Realistic Minimus 7 speakers (made in Japan), in that same year (over 20 years ago), I bought a pair of black Minimus 3.5 speakers (which are much smaller than the 7's), a pair of black Minimus 77 speakers, and a pair of silver Minimus 22 speakers (taller and thinner than either the Minimus 7's or 77's) and all pairs were $9.99 courtesy of my local Salvation Army Thrift Store. :)
I really want a pair of those 3.5's!
I've had a pair of these for several years, don't recall where I got them. Might have to hook 'em up to see what they can do.
I just recently stumbled upon your channel. Very much appreciate it.
Thank you. :)
Also, consider the Optimus Pro 7av, Optimus PRO-X44AV, and the RCA PRO-44AV. These are all “descendants” of the original MINIMUS-7. AND, these “descendants” were magnetically shield - which was crucially necessary in the days of the CRT (cathode ray tube) TVs. I’ve had all of them and they were great. I currently have the original MINIMUS-7s and the RCA PRO-44AV. I hope that some speaker maker picks up where Radio Shack left off. These are really good speakers.
Oh yeah, I forgot about the whole magnet CRT thing. I messed up my old TV when I was a kid that way. If/when I get to do a video on CRT television, I'll talk about that... that would be interesting.
please do some equalisation on sound from the mic, sounds disturbing
I'm going to USA next month and consider bring a pair with me home (the wooden type). Thanks for the hint.
Changed my mind. Metal it will be. Is it sacrilege to repaint them? I can have them off to a paintshop doing cars and have them painted i "color of the day".
Had those
Cones shot
Considered replacing
Didn’t bother
Gave away to my local thrift shop
Same here. I even considered replacing the surrounds, but that effort and cost would have far outweighed the value of some great, inexpensive vintage speakers for me. The dissolving foam surrounds were a poison pill for these as used speakers. For their first twenty years they were really great. Once the surrounds dissolve, they're paperweights as far as I'm concerned.
I have I thinknoptimus 5s. But my dad had these radio shack.speakers around 1978 maybe to 1984. Glass tips. 15 inch woofers. 3 way. I have neighbors 3 houses down that can tell.you about the speakers. Epic. And he had jbls as a 4 way system with a spring reverb and a technics turntable
Spring reverb on a stereo system. Interesting. 🤔
Why anyone use a reverb device in a hi-fi?
Recapping seems like a distraction from the overwhelming problem that these had which is dissolving foam surrounds. I keep seeing these with the bass driver surrounds in pieces or missing. I loved the pair I bought myself in 1985, but the surrounds dissolved and every other pair I've seen since has the exact same problem.
That's fair... but it's not a difficult job to replace the surrounds. It just takes a little longer because you have to let the glue dry.
i should get more small speakers :)
nothing wrong w/ 1st order crossovers. in fact w/ drivers that match nicely, it's elegant and sounds great. don't just go by forums, listen, measure and get to know a speaker before modifying it. even good forums promote bad advice occasionally...
(just a note, your mic sounds a bit muffled compared to other channels... if that's on purpose, great :) )
I have a pair just like yours. Just so you know if I'm not mistaken those connectors will accept the tips of most banana plugs. I'm going to get mine out and hook them up in my bedroom system just to confirm that so if I don't come back and edit my comment the connectors will accept banana plugs.
Good Atmos speakers
Anybody knows where can I find a pair of woofers for this babies mine has been stored for ages thanks.
when new, I always thought that they were basically ADS's
Would a passive or active subs sounds better for Realistic minmus 7.
I use an active one. I haven't tried a passive sub with my own setup.
There are higher wattage/variations. RCA is criminally cheap 4.4 lbs each. Same company. Non Polarity caps next time minimum! Nice score!!
I was 100% positive I bought non-polarized caps... but now I'm gonna have to check.
@@AudioThrift they're good as there is not negative marking on either lead :) 6:53
these look exactly like old braun speakers
Looks like rebranded Canton speakers
I don't know who manufactured these come to think of it. Now I'm curious...
@@AudioThrift Fostex
Audiosourse had a version of these back in the early 80s.
Would pop them out of the Bronco and into the boat.
They are OK for computer speakers. You can't put more than about 20 watts into them, and forget about bass.
Yeah, like I said they definitely need a subwoofer to get the full range.
@@AudioThrift I would never use them for a stereo system. I have a pair. Like I said, nice little computer speakers for gaming.
I think the Optimus Lx-5 is more impressive.
I'll definitely have to look for a pair of those.
@@AudioThrift that ribbon tweeter is and has been underrated. Not sure why it wasn't passed along to other brands.