[rdsreference]

 

 Is it just me or has anybody ever wondered where Aiwa has disappeared to. I remember being a kid in the 80s  and my friends brother who arrived home from Germany circa 1987 had a personal cassette player which I was truly blown away by. A tiny silver masterpiece. Sporting an aluminium finish will a graphic eq On the front it was quite simply a stunning piece of kit in its day. Ever before lossless formats or specialised brands like  I Basso ,Astell & Kern, Hifiman, Aiwa was the audiophiles brand of choice. I can recall lots of different models including a gold anniversary edition that retailed at well over £300. I finally received one in 1990. I remember it cost over £250 pounds serious money for its day and not bad for a 13 year old either when other posh kids had Sony sportsmans I was clutching a top spec Aiwa, most didn't know what it was. I knew it was owned by Sony who still have the name under their umbrella but I think its now a non entity. 
 
So if someone from Sony reads this you need to get the finger out. All you old audiophile's who shake if they hear  words like BBE, DSL and  Amorphous Head  will be queuing up for a portable resurrection. 
 
 Aiwa should come back to challenge the big guns from I river, Hifiman ,I Basso..

 

[bcarr112281]

Ah, yes--those were the days!
 
I fondly remember my Aiwa HS-J707 portable cassette player from about 20 years ago. It was a high-end device from a time when high-end was truly high-quality.
 
I'm sorry to say that Aiwa is completely defunct. Aiwa went bankrupt around 2002, with Sony acquiring them shortly thereafter. Sony tried to refashion the brand, but by the mid-2000s both the property and the brand were retired.
 
Regards,
Brian

 

[faichiu]

nice collection.

 

[nick n]

what's that exact setup model # in the picture there?

 

[IceClass]

I just loaned out a 22 series Aiwa mini-system I've hung onto for years. A friend moved to town to start work and is still waiting for his effects to show up. It still works and sounds great.