The Realistic MC-2000 Turntable/Receiver 45 Years Later

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mediatechnology
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The Realistic MC-2000 Turntable/Receiver 45 Years Later

Post by mediatechnology »

The TEAC LP-P1000 has a very cool retro yet modernistic look that reminded me of the Realistic MC-1000 and MC-2000 systems from the late '60s.

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Realistic by Radio Shack MC-2000 Integrated Turntable and Receiver Circa 1970

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TEAC LP-P1000 Integrated Turntable and Receiver Circa 2015

The TEAC design is stunning and I love the look of that charcoal-colored stack stone.

Another Realistic Design that I always favored was the 1972 "Stereo Mark III" (12-1480) which in the prior year was called the "Stereo Concertmaster" (12-694).

Image
Realistic by Radio Shack "Stereo Mark III" compact bookshelf vertical receiver and speakers Circa 1972
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Re: The Realistic MC-2000 Turntable/Receiver 45 Years Later

Post by JR. »

I bet if you look inside that modern TEAC there is a small PCB for the face plate, and other small one inside...Lots of empty space.

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Re: The Realistic MC-2000 Turntable/Receiver 45 Years Later

Post by mediatechnology »

H.H. Scott made the "2500" which was similar in form to the MC-2000.

I worked for Radio Shack in the early 1970s both in El Paso, when I stayed there with my brother who was a store manager, and later in Dallas in the Wynnewood location.
The MC-1000/MC-2000, the Concertmaster were all fun pieces to have in the store.
The MC-1000 speakers were pretty good.

I think I sold a Concertmaster or Mark III and hated to see it go.
I don't think we ever got very many and they weren't in the line long.
I "retired" from Radio Shack by age 17 or so.

I find anything now with a back-lit tuning dial in blue or green visually pleasing to look at.

Every record company exec in the world needs a TEAC LP-P1000 on their credenza.
I didn't notice but I hope they put a USB port on it.

The new Radio Shack would be very well-served by re-introducing some of the timeless classics like the Minimus 7s.
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Re: The Realistic MC-2000 Turntable/Receiver 45 Years Later

Post by JR. »

yup rat shack kind of lost their way when they tried to turn into a phone company (IMO)...while the market for selling parts to DIY hobby types may be shrinking, they could probably do an educational veer ala heathkit. They did have too many stores and didn't tighten their belt very well...

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Re: The Realistic MC-2000 Turntable/Receiver 45 Years Later

Post by mediatechnology »

yup rat shack kind of lost their way when they tried to turn into a phone company (IMO)...while the market for selling parts to DIY hobby types may be shrinking, they could probably do an educational veer ala heathkit. They did have too many stores and didn't tighten their belt very well...
A couple of days ago I heard an interview with a Radio Shack manager on the radio talking about pre-holiday selling.
There are still some stores - several near me - and from the website it looks like they are starting to get parts inventory back in.

One of the improvements he spoke of is that each store now has a dedicated Sprint sales rep just for phones.
He explained that the dedicated Sprint rep allowed him to focus on selling electronics because prior to that he would have to focus on a single customer for a long period having to explain phone plans, provide disclosure etc.
Buying a cell phone and provisioning it, even if you know exactly what you want, is a lengthy retail process.
It's a lot more complicated than writing a sales ticket for a battery or patch cord with a 50% gross profit margin.
Apparently Radio Shack neglected their core business by not being able to serve those store customers because they were tied up selling phone plans.

A recent trip to Best Buy was shocking at the shear lack of anything home audio related.
Some multi-channel A-V but no music systems and no mid-price or high-end speakers of any kind.
You can also see how Smart Phones have killed entire product categories: The only cameras they stocked were DSLRs.
There were tumbleweeds blowing through the aisles of Fry's on my last visit.

Amazon however seems to have just about anything you'd want.

Oh, and get this: Apparently the Tascam LP-P1000 doesn't exactly play at 33-1/3.
Lots of complaints about that problem and it being consistently fast.
How hard can it be to get that right?
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Re: The Realistic MC-2000 Turntable/Receiver 45 Years Later

Post by JR. »

mediatechnology wrote:
yup rat shack kind of lost their way when they tried to turn into a phone company (IMO)...while the market for selling parts to DIY hobby types may be shrinking, they could probably do an educational veer ala heathkit. They did have too many stores and didn't tighten their belt very well...
A couple of days ago I heard an interview with a Radio Shack manager on the radio talking about pre-holiday selling.
There are still some stores - several near me - and from the website it looks like they are starting to get parts inventory back in.
a good thing... It's nice to be able to buy parts over the counter... I just plan on a several day turn. My nearest RS was 25 miles away, don't know if they're still open.
One of the improvements he spoke of is that each store now has a dedicated Sprint sales rep just for phones.
That makes sense..they are two very different businesses. Parts are like groceries, keep milk and eggs in stock, and turn over the inventory. Phone (plans?)s OTOH are like selling life insurance,,, sell once collect every month. So this deserves a more intensive front end selling investment. Breaking it apart with a dedicated individual makes it easier to measure and maybe kill the phone part if it doesn't deliver without trashing the other business, while it is unclear which fraction is the money maker these days.
He explained that the dedicated Sprint rep allowed him to focus on selling electronics because prior to that he would have to focus on a single customer for a long period having to explain phone plans, provide disclosure etc.
Buying a cell phone and provisioning it, even if you know exactly what you want, is a lengthy retail process.
It's a lot more complicated than writing a sales ticket for a battery or patch cord with a 50% gross profit margin.
Apparently Radio Shack neglected their core business by not being able to serve those store customers because they were tied up selling phone plans.
I suspect the core business moved away from radio shack. While it is still a decent niche.
A recent trip to Best Buy was shocking at the shear lack of anything home audio related.
because in the hierarchy of needs playing songs, is below playing movies, and these days kids watch movies on their phones.
Some multi-channel A-V but no music systems and no mid-price or high-end speakers of any kind.
High end speakers? why...
You can also see how Smart Phones have killed entire product categories: The only cameras they stocked were DSLRs.
There were tumbleweeds blowing through the aisles of Fry's on my last visit.
yup... it's a little ironic that more people snap pictures today (mostly selfies) but more images of less important stuff... What's a lens?
Amazon however seems to have just about anything you'd want.

Oh, and get this: Apparently the Tascam LP-P1000 doesn't exactly play at 33-1/3.
Lots of complaints about that problem and it being consistently fast.
How hard can it be to get that right?
That speaks more about their customers than them... Indeed it should be pretty important.

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Re: The Realistic MC-2000 Turntable/Receiver 45 Years Later

Post by mediatechnology »

I don't think I saw any Polk Audio or Martin Logan product in Best Buy.

They didn't have anything like this mid-range Polk Audio 5-1/4" System http://www.bestbuy.com/site/polk-audio- ... Id=9542426

In-store was very low-end soundbars, low-end 5.1, and outdoor/weather-proof.
All basic black Yamaha and Sony.

I don't think they had a single pair of speakers over $100 in the store.
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Re: The Realistic MC-2000 Turntable/Receiver 45 Years Later

Post by emrr »

I don't know many people who own speakers anymore, unless they are built into a boom box or similar. Lots of people seem to use their AV hub to get music through their TV speakers, and call it a day. Headphones headphones headphones earbuds earbuds earbuds.

That is a nice looking system. I disposed of a 1977 Hitachi FM/AM/Cassette my dad bought new recently. Looked amazing, still worked, but lots of hum. Just no need to have it taking up space. It came with some really crappy 3W pressboard speakers that disintegrated over 20 years ago.
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