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What is the difference between all the AIWA Compo Boxes?

Discussion in 'Chat Area' started by Mister X, Jan 25, 2018.

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  1. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    1982 Klangbild had an article about slim components, I guess AIWA never did a real slim model so they included this mini review.


    upload_2026-5-6_12-29-23.png upload_2026-5-6_12-29-37.png
     
    Mister X, May 6, 2026
    #361
  2. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    From 1980, the 50 Series!


    upload_2026-8-20_18-40-46.png
     
    Mister X, Aug 20, 2026
    #362
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  3. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    The heaviest boombox ever made? I think this clocks in around 48 lbs without the battery pack, 50+lbs with the pack
    This is 1981, big, big money back then but the Sony XF-5000 still beat it by several thousand yen.
    I don't know about these components but the 22 Series does great even with full size speakers. It looks like they only talk about 4 ohm speakers putting out a respectable 13 watts a channel on the battery but remember, this battery is like a motorcycle battery, it fits inside the bottom case.

    Maybe this is one of the reasons the M90 was reasonably priced, this was advertised (see ad thread) and is just a hair more than the M90, which would you get?

    upload_2026-9-10_22-6-6.png
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2026
    Mister X, Sep 10, 2026
    #363
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  4. T-ster

    T-ster Moderator Staff Member S2G Supporter

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    I have one of these above, I have been meaning to refurb it for so long, I will never get round to it so will shift it.

    I will weigh it if i remember!
     
    T-ster, Sep 11, 2026
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  5. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    I weighed one of mine, I think the CB-20 weighs more with the 22 series, they are slightly more complex on the inside.
     
    Mister X, Sep 11, 2026
    #365
  6. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    I think this is the AIWA 22, it looks a little different but the amp is most likely AIWA. Looking at the back, I can see how ribbon cables became more common.
    Stereo 1981


    upload_2026-10-19_13-53-17.png upload_2026-10-19_13-53-59.png
     
    Mister X, Oct 19, 2026 at 11:54 AM
    #366
  7. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Stereo 1981, the same issue also has the BASF Version. It looks like the receiver is missing the "Hi Blend" Button that's on the AIWA 22, anybody know what that does?


    upload_2026-10-19_13-56-28.png
     
    Mister X, Oct 19, 2026 at 11:57 AM
    #367
  8. Chestnut

    Chestnut Member

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    I understand that Aiwa licensed various companies to manufacture their systems under their own brands, BASF, UHER and WEGA all in
    Germany as I recall. All three produced system 22’s, and WEGA also produced what were effectively system 30, and system 50 components but in their own distinctive very dark bronze colour. Your image shows some of the equivalent Aiwa system 50 components. IMG_0669.jpeg IMG_0670.jpeg IMG_0671.jpeg
     
    Chestnut, Oct 19, 2026 at 1:14 PM
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  9. Chestnut

    Chestnut Member

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    Hi blend - see extract from the Aiwa R22 user manual IMG_0668.jpeg
     
    Chestnut, Oct 19, 2026 at 1:16 PM
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  10. lupogtiboy

    lupogtiboy Well-Known Member

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    I'm pretty sure Aiwa's parent company (well the one with a big stake in Aiwa at the time), SONY, also owns WEGA, so a rebrand of an Aiwa unit was probably always on the cards. I have a 22, a 30 and bits of the 50 as well, really need to get them set-up again!
     
    lupogtiboy, Oct 20, 2026 at 1:19 AM
    #370
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  11. Experious

    Experious Active Member

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    Yes, I am pretty sure (as the name suggests) it is just a blend of the (noisy) stereo track with the (less noisy) mono track, reducing some stereo separation to achieve less noise for stations that were not as easy to pickup (that would be all stations for me!) without switching completely to mono.
     
    Experious, Oct 20, 2026 at 2:58 AM
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  12. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Sony bought Wega in the 70's, I've never looked into the particulars, Autoreverser would know more. Digging through the German Magazines, they had some really nice "industrial design" going on, along with most of the other big German Brands. Sadly we never saw most German Audio over here, B&O had the "high-art" audio market cornered from what I remember.

    I've posted some manufacturing info in the archaeology thread, if I had to guess, Sony was looking for EU Factories to get around tariffs, just like they (AIWA) did in the UK with the mini-stereos.
     
    Mister X, Oct 20, 2026 at 12:16 PM
    #372
  13. Experious

    Experious Active Member

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    I have always noticed there seems to be a lot of Aiwa stuff in the UK, perhaps that was why. I sometimes see then badged as "UK sound" or "Tuned for the UK', whatever that means. It sounds suspiciously similar to the "Rainwater in use" signs that became popular to put in your garden here during the last drought!
     
    Experious, Oct 20, 2026 at 12:59 PM
    #373
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