[Tonto Yoder]

Stopped in the local shack and saw the RCA-branded speakers on sale (normally $99 each, but on sale for $29).  Just a four inch woofer, but paired to the Linaeum dipole tweeter. Haven't heard them, but they might make good rear speakers/ computer speakers/ bedroom speakers.  They're shielded so they could go next to a TV.


They're not exactly the speakers pictured--tweeter is similar or identical, but the grill and box are different.

[Woodsea]

That is a darn good price for these speakers.  I have a set still in my chalet.

[jqp]

what exactly is a Linaeum dipole tweeter?

What speakers use them?

[Tonto Yoder]

what exactly is a Linaeum dipole tweeter?
What speakers use them?

Linaeum is/was a speaker manufacturer (I'm not sure if they're still in business or not): their claim to fame was their tweeter. To my non-technical mind,  their history seems somewhat similar to ESS with their Heil AMT (air motion transformer). At some point Tandy convinced Linaeum to supply the tweeter for some Optimus models (LX-4, LX-5 and others)  The dipole versions generate high frequencies both forward and back (there's also a monopole version that's more conventional).

The speakers I mentioned are RCA brand---I'm not sure how they fit into the picture with Linaeum & Radio Shack.  There are a few articles on the 'net if you Google "linaeum" or "Optimus LX-5."

[Jon L]

$29 is very tempting price, but guys, these speakers sound pretty boring.  

This tweeter is not true Linaeum tweeter but a dumbed down, heavier diaphragm, cheaper version.  It lacks detail, dynamics, and power-handling.  If you use a cheap, bright receiver, these tweeters will sound more forgiving, in a bad way.

I know b/c I once bought a bunch of these tweeters to experiment.   I stacked 3 on one side, and even then, it wasn't very good, even going through an electronic x-over.

Oh, by the way, in that speaker, the x-over consists of one crappy, cheap electrolytic cap on the tweeter.  These tweeters need high-order slopes to avoid break-up.  The woofer is very cheaply made as well and sounds it.  

But then again, if you wanna get a few at $29 and use for surround speakers, why the hell not...

[ooheadsoo]

Here's an interesting project for a different shack model but it just doesn't seem too promising.

http://murphyblaster.com/content.php?f=rslx.html

[soundboy]

The LX-550 was the last version of the original Radio Shack LX-5.  The 550 is magnetically shielded and has a woven material for its woofer.  There was a model named LX-55 that came after the LX-5....it has five-way binding posts instead of the spring clips of the LX-5.  There have been quite a number of tweaks devised for the LX series speakers, including stuffing its port with straws.  I believe the original LX-5 is highly regarded as a satellite speaker when used with a powered sub.  All subsequent revisions of the LX-5 pale in comparison.

There was a monopole version of the LX-5, the LX-4, that came with a Kevlar woofer.  It was highly reviewed by Audio Critic magazine.  Or was that Positive Feedback?

Radio Shack had some speakers that are quite good....the Minimus 7 (still have a pair) and the giant Mach 1's.  Then, it changed the names of its speakers to Optimus.  A few years after that, RS and Thomson (parent company of RCA) signed an agreement to sell RCA-branded electronics at RS.  Boy, was that a major mistake.

However, for $29.95 each, the LX-550 will make great surround speakers, if not the main speakers in a secondary system.

[ooheadsoo]

Prices seem a bit off though.  Dennis Murphy said that the 550 went for $300 a pair.  In any case, those measurements look...uninspiring, even after he redid the xover.

[soundboy]

Oh yeah, they were $300.00/pair listed.  But who ever buy stuff from Radio Shack at regular prices?  I considered buying the LX-550 when it was being cleared out at $49.95/each, now it's a true bargain.

I urge you to try to find a pair and listen to them.  They are very good speakers.

[ooheadsoo]

You're probably right.  I was thrown off by the picture which doesn't appear to have a 5" kevlar woof.  Too bad I just finished building my own diy speakers.  They sure cost a lot more than $29 each

[Tonto Yoder]

You're probably right.  I was thrown off by the picture which doesn't appear to have a 5" kevlar woof.  Too bad I just finished building my own diy speakers.  They sure cost a lot more than $29 each

Yeah, sorry, but I couldn't find a picture of the actual speakers being sold, so I substituted some from an eBay ad just to give guys an idea of what a Linaeum tweeter looked like.  The ones I saw at RS were RCA-branded, retailing for $99ea but on sale for $29.

Couldn't find the speakers on the RS website,  so maybe they're being closed out???