[budyog]

It consist of,
A computer in my home with the music recorded at CD quality on my hard drive
A 150 foot cat five cable running from my computer underground into my garage
A OmniFi jukebox player system
A Marantz 2220B receiver
Regular 12 gauge speaker wire
Realistic Minimus 26, 2 way bookshelf speakers mounted up in the corner of the garage in the middle of the room on their side. I am pretty sure they are that model, to much trouble to take down. They were only to be temporary 4 years ago!
The space size is 24L x 18W x 9H.

This cheap system continues to amaze me and my friends. These speakers really put out some quality sound. Tight low bass, good midrange, a little lacking in the highs, could be because of where they are mounted, tight up to the ceiling and the ceiling is acoustical tile, but still impressive!

[BrianM]

Is there a beer fridge in the garage, and does it see much traffic.

[mcullinan]

Is there a beer fridge in the garage, and does it see much traffic.

lol..
Do you play with the garage door open? Maybe there are no reflections from surfaces to interfere with Realistic real sound imaging.

Or are you using a tablesaw and wearing protective ear plugs while to listening to the Realistics?
Mike

[budyog]

I should have known that was coming! Answer, Of course!  But sometimes, very few times, the fridge is empty! 

[budyog]

I know now this is perfect thread for the razzing to come pouring in, but some kidding aside!
Does eliminating the CD player from the equation really make that much difference? I only have an old Sony Walkman player I have tried and it does not sound as good as the computer/hardrive, but is very old.
Has anyone every heard these speakers before?
They seem to reproduce very well. Anyone know what they might have cost back in their day or the year they were made? Did Radio Shack have a speaker company or were they built by another company and sold under the Realistic name for Radio Shack?
Just curious!

It must be the quality of beer! 

[mjosef]

Or...lowered expectations?

[mcullinan]

Are you yanking our chain?
Whats your angle do you own Realistic stocks?
Mike

[TheChairGuy]

It's simple budyog...the fact is, your little thrown together system is simple.

No long signal traces in an all-in-one amp/preamp/tuner (even phono) receiver (and a nice sounding one at that - I owned and loved a Marantz 2216B long ago), a pair of speakers that is easy to drive and large enough gauge speaker cable to use without having single transmission losses due to length.

Nothing fancy - it sounds good because it's pretty basic.  Maybe you have a lot of absorbent stuff in the garage that is capturing and absorbing the minimal waves of those little speakers, too.

I often thing we all are striving too hard for good sound...and muck it up by adding too much in the chain.

Regards and enjoy - John

[PMAT]

I still have 2 different pairs of realistic speakers, both have the linaum tweeters, one pair had 4 of them (dipoles) and years ago I really like d the sound, one set is in my garage with a old Marantz amp like yours. One set is for my computer with a Harmon Kardon amp. The amazement you hear may come from the tweeters which are pleasant sounding and fill in well, even when they are far apart like in my garage. Both my sets sound terrible when pushed loud. The mid woofs are gasping with any power. Years later I put them in my real sound system and had to laugh. My audio addiction has turned my ears into snobs. Oh well.

[nathanm]

Maybe it sounds good because the garage is the birthplace of music.  By listening there you are going back to the roots and abandoning certain preconceived notions about sound.

[SET Man]

Hey!

   budyog, why?  I don't know. 

   But you know what I've heard some very expensive systems... true some of them are amazing but surprisingly some fail to keep me sitting in the sweet spot for more than a few minutes. Same with some inexpensive 

   So, why care about what others say. The bottom line is that if that little system could make you enjoy the music than just enjoy it!

Take care,
Buddy

[GDeering]

I'd say it's simple inglorious mid-fi bouncing around the room. I have a Marantz receiver 2230 (I think) and the compressed sound just might work in the situation.  I have fun with mine on occasion, but when you don't ask for much what you get can be very satisfying.  I'd say find a Thorens 166 (the 160s are getting collectable) and play with some records with the same low expectations.  Now that's fun.


Gregg