![]() Audio-Technica cartridge users should delight in that knowledge. It features a simulated wood plinth, with dark grey metal accents, and an S-shaped tonearm with removable headshell. Realistic LAB-400 Direct Drive Automatic Turntable There are moments when I laugh because it’s hard to believe RadioShack offered such an affordable turntable like this that actually sounds good. Turntable aficionados will stop reading, but I’m confident that they’ve never heard it. The Realistic LAB-400 is a direct drive fully automatic turntable and I’ll scare some of you by stating that it is almost as good as my Technics SL-1700. manufactured audio components for a significant number of audio companies including Marantz, Grundig, Sony, Sanyo, Toshiba, Alpine, Mitsubishi, Kenwood, and Teac. same company who made some of the most expensive audiophile CD players and transports. As I mentioned earlier, RadioShack had other OEMs manufacture their components. Not all of them were very good, but the LAB-400 proved to be the exception to the rule. Considering the time period when RadioShack sold a lot of audio equipment, it made sense for them to offer a lineup of turntables. I can hear the snickering from New Jersey all the way from here. The Realistic LAB-400 Turntable Realistic LAB-400 Turntable They’re not replacing my vintage tube Pilot or Fisher equipment, but I do own 2 of them and have access to the other two products I’m recommending. We’re going to look at 4 specific components that were sold and marketed under the Realistic brand that offer decent build quality and surprisingly good sound quality. One of the manufacturers is a brand that will perk up the ears of a lot of audiophiles.Įspecially those who purchased very expensive high-end CD players and transports when that market was quite big in the category. It was farmed out to OEM manufacturers in other countries, specifically Japan and Singapore. Realistic did not manufacture their own equipment. I’m sure many of you are wondering – “Is he really going to recommend Realistic as a vintage audio brand worth looking at?” The Realistic brand was changed to Optimus, which is going to be the subject of a future article about budget vintage loudspeakers. Tandy also consolidated the rather substantial catalog from 20,000 items to 2,500 items – focusing on the 20% that actually sold.Īround 500 RadioShack locations still exist (all independently owned) but the company that most of us grew up with is long gone (maybe…no, it’s gone). The Realistic brand benefitted from this level of exposure to hobbyists, computer nerds, and consumers who made RadioShack one of the leading retailers of consumer electronics. Tandy, along with Apple and Commodore revolutionized the personal home computer market which made their retail locations a major destination. The Tandy Corporation (which started as a leather goods manufacturer) acquired RadioShack and the rest is history. Realistic had some very successful products in the CB category, along with a few 8-track tape recorders from their TR series that made money for RadioShack and Tandy. ![]() Not very creative on their part but I suppose it was a way of describing the sound of their equipment if you listened hard enough. The initial plan was to sell their equipment under the “Realist” brand, but legal issues forced them to change it to “Realistic.” The company got into the catalog business in 1939 and entered the high-fidelity market in 1954. The “Radio Shack” was the official term for the room onboard ships where radio operators communicated with others ships and the various ports that they operated out of. RadioShack was started in Boston by two brothers in 1921 with the goal of supporting the growing number of people who were operating ham radios, and radio officers on ships. RadioShack’s infamous house brand that was sold next to the pulsating disco balls, wire strippers, and TV antenna. One brand that never crossed my radar was Realistic. When I got started a few years ago and began my vintage audio journey, I did a lot of reading and research about Marantz, Pioneer, Harmon Kardon, Sansui, Nakamichi, and high-end brands like McIntosh and Revox.
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