Realistic STA-90, Vintage Stereo Receiver

Even people who aren’t into hifi know Radio Shack, and anyone who knows Radio Shack knows the Realistic brand. In the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, Radio Shack/Realistic/Optimus gear was competing head-to-head with the Pioneers and Sansuis of the world.  

The Realistic STA-90 receiver was released in 1978 and sported 45 watts per channel of solid state power and the same whiz-bang features offered by those mainstream brands for 2/3 the price.  Although not as heavily powered as some of  Realistic's monster models like the STA-2000, the STA-90 definitely has enough drive to handle most vintage speakers from the era. 

This piece looks and performs very admirably.  Power delivery is clean and consistent, and the tuner pulls in stations very well. The silver face and real walnut veneered casework have a wonderful old world charm that never seems to lose its cool. Aux, Tape 1 and 2, and MM phono inputs allow for excellent functionality, and output for to up to 2 pair of speakers. 

This unit has been fully serviced and cleaned. It sounds great!  All the lights give the listener a neat and clean display.  And the price is just right. If you’ve ever wanted  “silver face” on a budget, this is it!

$279 (plus applicable shipping and/or MA sales tax)