What is the difference between all the AIWA Compo Boxes?

I'd love the handles A O, if someone closer doesn't chime in PM me, I don't know if they only work on the 22 series or if they work on some of the other but I do have the 22 series. Your system is beautiful and a huge contrast to the 80's plastic fantastic stereos that followed.

My Japanese Friend stopped by the other day with a yahoo.jp auction shipment. If you have any experience with the auction service, they tend to screw things up a lot or bidders seem to disappear when the auction ends but in this case I had won a nice little AIWA 22 Stack with an oddball tuner. After patiently waiting for a few months to get my hand delivered box I was dismayed to find an AKAI Mini System Stack. This one includes the AKAI UC-U2 Amplifier, AKAI UC-K2 Tuner and the AKAI UC-F3 Cassette Deck, when I clean it up and check it out I'll post some photos. I can only find photos of the amp on the internet, it's nice but it seems like the 5 series is the high point for AKAI.

 

I was supposed to be posting some new additions to my AIWA Compo Stack. After being hand carried around the world, my new package showed up and I was hoping to complete some of my missing pieces. Something else showed up to my surprise, the seller must have accidentally shipped this system instead of the little AIWAs. It looks like I'm the proud owner of an AKAI UC Microsystem consisting of AKAI UC-U2 Integrated Amplifier, AKAI UC-K2 Tuner and AKAI UC-M2 Cassette Deck. There is very little information on the internet about this system, maybe 1980 build date? The 2 series seems to be followed by later models designated by "3" and then "5".

The unit is pretty dirty and I did a little cleaning, one of the cassette keys is bent but it looks like I can bend it back. I plugged in some Radio Shack Realistic Minimus 3.5's to test it and it sounds really good. It definitely needs Deoxit but with a little movement everything works. I can't get all of the lights to come on without movement of the buttons, so it's not all lit up in the photo. This has the small Japanese FM Band so I only get in a few stations and the deck will need belts but it's another glimpse into the micro-system wars.

 

I'll see what I can do, I have to clean and DeOxit first and bend back the piano key but I can tell you the tuner/amp look great when running. Too bad it didn't have an EQ to really make it sparkle.

 

That's a beautiful looking unit lupogtiboy, I really like the early 80's digital units although a lot of them were last gasps from the audio companies and some are junk. We need to start a mini system mega thread, there seems to be a lot of interest and they're a very close cousin to boomboxes so they should fit in. Most of the other audio sites don't really consider them discussion-worthy.

 

We didn't have many of these cool mini-systems, it seemed like Fisher (Sanyo) had cornered the market with their all-in-one component stacks of unbelievable plastic fantastic junk.

 

So I've been wondering about the British Version of the AIWA 22's. I found an article on the great American Radio History Website that explains it. This is dated February 1980, I feel like most of these systems were getting phased out at this time but maybe our UK Members were buying more of them than the rest of the world.

As a side note, I used to live near the Heath Factory, when Zenith bought them and it seemed like the beginning of the end. As a youngster we used to love to look at all the cool stuff you could build for a fraction of the cost of a store-bought item. I only have two Heath Kits now, the Signal Generator and the super cool A9B tube amp, both built like tanks (by somebody else).

https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Wireless-World/80s/Wireless-World-1980-02.pdf

 

The AIWA M-501 Micro System

 

AIWA Mini Component Micro System

 

Reli pointed out that I was missing the preamp/amp combination with my Compos so the search was on for those missing pieces. Pricing for these units is getting into silly money territory so I looked overseas for a full system hopefully with the cassette deck or other component. I found the perfect unit in really good condition and made the purchase, unfortunately the AKAI unit above showed up. The AKAI is really nice and a great, kind of rare, micro system but not the AIWA I wanted.

I let my guy know that they had shipped the wrong units and the seller was beyond remorseful. The Japanese do not like to make mistakes and he promptly sent out the correct system, did not want the AKAI returned and took care of shipping (to Japan). It's weird and refreshing to see this, if he's reading this, thank you for the awesome service.

After a long journey I finally powered it up and like all the other posters, I love it. All metal cases and faces, buttons, toggles and rotary dials that have a nice click and resistance. The side-mounted cast cooling fins on the amp are a nice touch, giving it a little respect when most USA Buyers probably looked past it for bigger equipment. AIWA was never afraid to have really small square buttons, it's one of the reasons I love their portable tape players, nickeccles knows what I'm talking about, his taste in boomboxes all feature nice silver buttons.

Here's the system, AIWA S-C22 Preamp, AIWA S-P22 Amplifier, and the more rare R35 Tuner with Japanese FM Band. The tuner is cool because I don't have one like this and it has some neat LEDs when the unit's powered up.

 

I just found this French Stereo Forum with a thread on the AIWA 22 Micro System. This post was cool, an unknown timer, the AIWA MT-22, these tend to be on the rare side and I like to have all of the oddball attachments, I'll have to track down one of these now.
https://www.audiovintage.fr/leforum/viewtopic.php?f=91&t=4348