AIWA's very best walkmans!! (with pictures)

[R.Daneel]

Hi guys! Merry Christmas and all the best wishes for the coming New Year!

I thought I'd share some pictures of the arguably best cassette players from AIWA and one of the very best in general.

The Aiwa HS-EX3000

This is the extremely rare 1992 model that was originally sold in Japan only. It was based on the worldwide available HS-JX707 model. The -707 is considered to be one of the most complex and feature packed cassette players in existance. These are some of the features of the -707:

- full-logic feather touch transport controls
- auto-reverse playback and recording
- automatic tape selector with metal capability
- Dolby B and C noise reduction
- amorphous alloy R/P head
- digital synthesizer tuner with AM and FM stereo band
- 10 station preset for each tuning band with direct access buttons
- digital clock with sleep/playback/recording timer
- recording from tuner or microphone input
- completely separate controls for the cassette deck and tuner
- voice navigation (rather than beep, a female voice is telling you what function has just been activated)
- BBE System sound maximizer chip
- DSL loudness circuitry
- remote controller with record button
- fully metallic chassis in black colour

The digital tuner is extremely powerful. It locks onto available radio frequencies instantly and as far as auto-search goes, it is as fast as the Pioneer's super-tuner in their best car decks. Sensitivity of this tuner is remarkable and it can easily pick up stations you'd never expect it to. The sound of the tuner is hiss-free with an expansive immersive stereo image. Without any doubt I can say it is the best tuner on a portable player, be it analogue or a modern digital player, I have ever had the pleasure of using and owning.

You thought that was it? You were wrong! Aiwa also introduced the limited edition of the HS-JX707 called the HS-JX3000 which was available in gold colour rather than black. Like that wasn't enough, Aiwa introduced one other iteration of the -707, the HS-EX3000. Visually identical to it's JX cousin, it also sported a worldwide clock with 4 preset time-zones and one programmable, a worldwide radio tuner offering a wider available range of frequencies and an audio-only TV tuner. All of this can be programmed as desired and stored in the memory which is backed up by a lithium battery. The entire tuner section is located in the cassette lid making it heavy and giving the entire machine a sense of unnecessary complexity.

Enough chatter, here are the pics!

http://i40.tinypic.com/2qv5f83.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/og47p.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/1znrep2.jpg

The Aiwa HS-PX303

This is my favourite cassette player and just by Aiwa. Everything that Aiwa aspired towards in the 1980s was present in the HS-PX303 and as history has shown us, never to be repeated again. Based on the already excellent 1987 HS-PX101, the -303 was a showcase of what was possible. These are it's features:

- full-logic feather touch transport controls
- ultimate iteration of the "alpha" transport
- auto-reverse playback
- metal tape capability
- Dolby B and C noise reduction
- bi-directional head azimuth alignment system
- narrow gap amorphous alloy HX-contoured head
- remote controller
- fully metallic chassis

This machine is capable of smashing most portable audio players out there and frankly, only the best Sony CD players can beat it. Courtesy of substantial amplifier design with four 470uF/2.5V capacitors and an excellent transport/head system. Measured wow and flutter on a properly set up machine is 0.1% w.rms which is something only a Sony WM-DD series mechanism can achieve. The mechanism is basically a miniaturized version of their full size decks. The bi-directional alignment system makes it possible to set the head azimuth for each side of playback independently. In practice, this has proved to be one of the killer features of the -303. Azimuth tracking errors are a common case in similar systems but not here. The mechanism is very precise with head realignment every time the transport is engaged. In addition, the ridged head design minimizes the contact surface with the tape and provides for less low level distortion. The head itself is one of the main reasons for a superior frequency response. With a maximum tolerance of -3dB it was measured all the way down to 23Hz and in excess of 18kHz. The head is visually identical to the one in the Sony WM-DD9 which is stated in some manuals to have a 20-20k response. In some cases it is stated to have a 20-18k response so it would be interesting to compare the PX303 and DD9 heads.

Sadly, the HS-PX303 is one of the 3 players in Aiwa history to have the bi-azimuth system, the other two being the HS-PL303, a smaller sister to the PX303, and only the early production examples of the HS-JX505. The -303's successor named HS-PX505 featured the same basic alpha, and therefore still excellent, transport but lacked the bi-azimuth feature completely. In late 1991 Aiwa gave up on the costly and bigger alpha design in favour of the new 0ZM which was a completely different design and nowhere near as good. This 0ZM transport was present in all 1992 models, including the EX3000. For this reason, though the EX3000 and PX303 have identical features when it comes to cassette player, PX303 is sonically much superior.

Okay, I got carried away again. Here come the pics!

http://i41.tinypic.com/fmubds.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/lz05i.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2n1fbef.jpg

[Scorpion8]

Love that PX303!!! It's a beauty!

[Mr_rye89]

*drool*

These are so awesome, No one will make portables as cool as these EVER again*fit*

Do they all function? this era of Aiwa units are notorious for bad capacitors that leak goo and can ruin the pc boards. How is the wow and flutter compared to the Sony DD Walkmans? (WM-DD33 being my reference)

I've got a Sony WM-DD33 with an amorphous head out of a WM-D3 and its great but I think these top Aiwas would sound a lot cleaner. I'm kinda picky when it comes to w&f because of the quartz locked DD walkmans.

I've got a newer nice-ish Aiwa coming my way that I will enjoy. These are some damn fine tape players you got there*Hi5* now find yourself some pipephones ftw

[R.Daneel]

The DD33 has a quoted 0.07% w&f w.rms like the rest of the DD range. Apart from the DD9 that is. The PX303 has 0.1% w&f. This is when the units are laying on a flat surface, not when they are in motion. Sony DD is certainly more stable when the units are carried around but there is no difference that I can hear when they are placed on a table for example.

As for the sound quality, I have the DC2 and had the DD33 and D3. DC2 is better than either. Installing a D3 amorphous head in the DD33 would certainly improve things but it wouldn't make it equal to DC2. Apart from the fact DC2 has a hyperbolic head, it's also somewhat different electronics-wise and not just in terms of the addition of Dolby C. Aiwa EX3000 is not as good as the DC2 in terms of cassette playback - it lacks dynamics and it lacks the separation and imaging of the DC2. However, PX303 is another kettle of fish altogether and has much wider frequency range, especially in the top end. The dnymics are simply excellent and it generally sounds very transparent with minimum of colouration.

The capacitors are a problem yes but I am taking care of it. I was planning on starting another thread just for that so it will be up some time next month. I have some others that need attention too.

[Pacific Stereo]

I wish my CS-J1 still worked (I hate fixing Walkman-style machines).

[stereorob]

wtf? those things are absolutly amazingly beautiful! awia, was never known for anything really special, hell they were like the soundesign or electrophonic of the 1990s *grin* with there all in one bpc systems with the clear top cd changer that they were so famous for. -remember those? but WOW those are some top notch decks man! wish they coulda built some home stereo gear that nice!

[Warped Bezel]

wtf? those things are absolutly amazingly beautiful! awia, was never known for anything really special, hell they were like the soundesign or electrophonic of the 1990s *grin* with there all in one bpc systems with the clear top cd changer that they were so famous for. -remember those? but WOW those are some top notch decks man! wish they coulda built some home stereo gear that nice!

They did. It was while you were blowing up Pampers not speakers though *flame*

[Nakdoc]

Aiwa was very generous with stainless steel and brass bearing sleeves, which contributed to their longevity and performance. W/F was low thanks to dual solid brass flywheels. In some models the flat motor was encased in copper to prevent spike noise.
If anyone has an old Aiwa portable with issues, I still have all the service manuals and would be glad to service the deck. I would say that 100% of the Aiwa cosmetic parts are gone.

[trott3r]

I had one of those 303 aiwas it was beautiful.

Sadly the head phone socket died so i got it fixed and it died again in 3 months time. :(

It ended up in the bin since this was pre-ebay for me :(

Such a shame, the pics make me want to hunt down another one :)

thanks

[R.Daneel]

If anyone has an old Aiwa portable with issues, I still have all the service manuals and would be glad to service the deck. I would say that 100% of the Aiwa cosmetic parts are gone.

Hi Tom! Are you serious? If you are, I'll be very happy to send you one for a complete restoration!

[R.Daneel]

I had one of those 303 aiwas it was beautiful.

Sadly the head phone socket died so i got it fixed and it died again in 3 months time. :(

It ended up in the bin since this was pre-ebay for me :(

Such a shame, the pics make me want to hunt down another one :)

thanks

You're welcome mate!

As far as getting one on eBay, it can be very difficult. They don't show up very often and it is usually only once or twice a year and when they do appear, people step over each other to get them which raises the price to the ceiling. But you might get lucky!

What was the price of the PX303 in 1989/1990? In Germany it was sold for 500DM which was around 250$.

[390FE]

Did those walkmans have an auto sensor for CrO2/Metal tapes? I ask because I did not see an external switch for you to set like on some other walkmans that had CrO2/Metal selection switches for those tapes.

[trott3r]

Difficult to say as it was a present.

I think it cost £150 normally and my dad back then bought it at dixons for £130

I do know it cost less than the equivalent sony as my dad wouldnt stretch to that price *fit*

[R.Daneel]

I do know it cost less than the equivalent sony as my dad wouldnt stretch to that price *fit*

Well, pound was worth much more back then so I guess it really did cost 250$. Still less than an equivalent Sony, that is true. The equivalent was actually a silver-cased Sony WM-EX808 designed by Tiffany. Technically and sound-wise, it was identical to the ordinary EX808 and therefore a far cry from the PX303.

Did those walkmans have an auto sensor for CrO2/Metal tapes? I ask because I did not see an external switch for you to set like on some other walkmans that had CrO2/Metal selection switches for those tapes.

The EX3000 has an auto tape selector while the PX303 has a manual tape selector switch.

[390FE]

Well, pound was worth much more back then so I guess it really did cost 250$. Still less than an equivalent Sony, that is true. The equivalent was actually a silver-cased Sony WM-EX808 designed by Tiffany. Technically and sound-wise, it was identical to the ordinary EX808 and therefore a far cry from the PX303.



The EX3000 has an auto tape selector while the PX303 has a manual tape selector switch.

Thank you. Did the EX3000 & the other also allow you to record on CrO2 or Metal tapes & correctly set the record EQ at 70us for them?

I saw printed on the back that Dolby was only good/used for Playback. That is why I asked abt the recording for CrO2 & Metal tapes? I know some small portables allowed for proper CrO2 recording.

[Nakdoc]

Hi Tom! Are you serious? If you are, I'll be very happy to send you one for a complete restoration!

Serious! As long as I can use a magnifier. I have an HS-J300 or J400 here somehwhere. Those were nice decks too.

[R.Daneel]

Thank you. Did the EX3000 & the other also allow you to record on CrO2 or Metal tapes & correctly set the record EQ at 70us for them? I saw printed on the back that Dolby was only good/used for Playback. That is why I asked abt the recording for CrO2 & Metal tapes? I know some small portables allowed for proper CrO2 recording.

You are welcome! But sadly no, EX3000 can record only on type-I tapes and it is also true that Dolby is used for playback only. In fact, the only walkman-sized recorders that can record on type-II tapes with Dolby encoding are Sony's own WM-D6/D6C and D3. However, I do not see this as a major flaw because the purpose of these machines is not strictly recordings but music enjoyment whenever, wherever. Besides, incorporating the necessary bias circuitry and Dolby encoder would make the machine much bigger and more power hungry.

[Dazen1]

Very nice Antun.

Personally, I think Aiwa made some excellent stuff and were the only serious competitor to Sony when it came to really good personal tape players.

How would you rate overall reliabilty? I think the Sony Walkmans are liable to failure quite quickly when subject to prolonged use.

[R.Daneel]

How would you rate overall reliabilty? I think the Sony Walkmans are liable to failure quite quickly when subject to prolonged use.

Hi Daren!

The reliability really depends. For instance, Aiwa used electrolytic capacitors which leak over time causing damage to the PC board. Also, the 0ZM mechanism players are not really reliable when it comes to mechanics and even careless maintenance can cause damage to the mechanism. For instance, you can break the tape guides on the pinch roller assemblies without even noticing it. Alpha mechanism is far more substantial and like Tom said, it uses many brass and stainless steel parts inside and I have yet to see an Aiwa with this mechanism that failed.

Sony machines of the late 1980s and early 1990s are generally less reliable and that especially goes for the mechanical components. I have several high-end pieves (dolby B and C with EX amorphous heads) that simply cannot be repaired because the entire auto-reverse operation depends on one paper-thin teflon ring and one tiny spring which holds it in place. The parts are no longer manufactured and they cannot be salvaged either because once removed from the gear shaft, they are unusable. It's a complete catastrophe! Some other models are much better but not to the point of being comparable with best Aiwa design.

So basically, to conclude, while Aiwa did have it's fair share of misses, their best models had the best of mechanics and electronics and had nothing in common with the cheaper models. On the other hand, Sony had no moral dilemmas whether they should use a low-grade mechanism in their top models. With their top models, they just added some things like Dolby C and EX heads and used fancier packaging and nicer design. Aiwa didn't do that. Maybe that's why they went south... If not for the Sony's top DD units, Aiwa would take the crown easily.

[R.Daneel]

Serious! As long as I can use a magnifier. I have an HS-J300 or J400 here somehwhere. Those were nice decks too.

Tom, when you get the chance, please check your PM. Thanks!

[Dazen1]

Thanks for that Antun.

I never got around to buying one of the top range Aiwa portables at the time as I was more interested in the DC2 and D6C. With hindsight, I wish I had tried one of them.

[R.Daneel]

Thanks for that Antun.

I never got around to buying one of the top range Aiwa portables at the time as I was more interested in the DC2 and D6C. With hindsight, I wish I had tried one of them.

My pelasure Daren! You may still try one! The DC2 is still an excellent machine and can be considered Sony's best attempt at portable audio nirvana.

[Mr_rye89]

So they really went all out mechanically too? thats good to hear, some of the later Sony "high end" walkmans were god-awful mechanically, and that bi azimuth head adjustment is great! thats my biggest gripe about auto reverse players.

I love these thin players but if I'm jogging or hiking, the DD walkmans win here.

I am also eager to see the restoration thread. I may get one of these high end Aiwas myself once I improve my SMD soldering skills

[Marc Hugo]

Superb report and analysis Antun!! The pics are great too.

I am always in awe of the insane level of miniaturisation. A "paper-thin teflon ring".....the guys at Aiwa must have hired a team from Seiko and given them free rein to "bonzai" everything in sight. A spring that is so small and delicate that, once out, is never to return (if you can find it). This is practically designed to confound, nay, scotch the errant handyman.

MH

[R.Daneel]

Hi Marc!

well, actually the paper thin teflon stuff was usually used by Sony and Panasonic, not really Aiwa though I cannot really say much about the late 1990s Aiwa machines.

In the mid-1990s Panasonic introduced the SX range of cassette players and though technically good, they were simply incredibly miniature. All the components were small footprint surface mounted and there was not a single wire inside. Theyx were made on automated assembly lines. Unfortunately, the mechanics are incredibly fragile once the unit is taken apart. Once wrong step and you can throw it in the bin. The PC boards are directly soldered on top of the transport chassis at 13 points. What makes it difficult is proximity of different circuitry that can be damaged by heat. Not to mention the 0.4mm thick belts (there are two) that cannot be obtained anywhere. Some of the features these players had included super fast tape winding. My SX75 has a winding speed that's 45 times faster than normal playback. It even works in playback so skipping tracks is done within a few seconds. The reels are marked with some kind of photosensitive plate so the number of revolutions is actually measured by a small sensor under the flywheel. This allows for automatic slowing the winding speed down once the tape reaches it's end. It also reduces strain on the belts and motor. The battery life was incredible too.

But like I said, all of that is worth less when you know it has a limited service life and once gone, it cannot be repaired. I have a bunch of these high-tech players that I cannot repair because parts don't exist. They cannot be salvaged because the entire mechanical block is machined from one metal board and the general concept is to have a tiny machine (often thinner than 18mm) with great style and ease of use and what's more important, with minimum of parts and labor involved.

[Elite-ist]

Thanks for the wonderful read, Antun. My favourite gift to my wife, was a new Walkman to replace the one she had before. In the 24 years we had been together (she passed away in 2006), I bought her three portables. Two were Panasonics, and one was a Pioneer. She loved to listen to a portable cassette player, while she was busy doing mundane stuff, but loved to relax while listening to tapes. The best use of the walkman was zoning out during labour while giving birth to three of our children. She didn't have a walkman for the birth of our first child, and, unfortunately, that was the most gruelling one of all. Her brother created a mix tape of his own music he created on his synthesizer. It's a great relaxation tape. I think, I have the cassette still around and maybe one , if not two, of the Panasonics. The Pioneer, according to her brother, sounded the best of all. I don't recall any of the model #s, only that they were priced around $250 in the 80's -90's.

With the portables you've shown, I'm very impressed with all the features offered in these units, and rather good specs.


Nando.

[R.Daneel]

Thanks for the wonderful read, Antun. My favourite gift to my wife, was a new Walkman to replace the one she had before. In the 24 years we had been together (she passed away in 2006), I bought her three portables. Two were Panasonics, and one was a Pioneer. She loved to listen to a portable cassette player, while she was busy doing mundane stuff, but loved to relax while listening to tapes. The best use of the walkman was zoning out during labour while giving birth to three of our children. She didn't have a walkman for the birth of our first child, and, unfortunately, that was the most gruelling one of all. Her brother created a mix tape of his own music he created on his synthesizer. It's a great relaxation tape. I think, I have the cassette still around and maybe one , if not two, of the Panasonics. The Pioneer, according to her brother, sounded the best of all. I don't recall any of the model #s, only that they were priced around $250 in the 80's -90's.

With the portables you've shown, I'm very impressed with all the features offered in these units, and rather good specs.

Nando.

Hi Nando!

I am very sorry to hear that my friend, I didn't know. That is so sad and tragic. I am sorry for your loss.

But thank you for reading and for the kind words I've come to expect from you:)

[alxwz]

Hi Antun,

does the PX101 also have the Alpha mechanism you mentioned?
I have two PX101, and I'd love to get at least one fully restored.

I also have a DC2 and two DD33, but all of them suffer from cracked gear syndrome (and AFAIK, there's no real cure for that).

Alex

[R.Daneel]

Hi Antun,

does the PX101 also have the Alpha mechanism you mentioned?
I have two PX101, and I'd love to get at least one fully restored.

I also have a DC2 and two DD33, but all of them suffer from cracked gear syndrome (and AFAIK, there's no real cure for that).

Alex

Hi Alex!

I had to check with someone else about your HS-PX101 as I never owned one myself. The transport is completely different from the one in the PX303. However, it is still an excellent transport with heavy-duty (for a portable cassette player) brass flywheels and bearings and a powerful motor to ensure a stable tape transport. It is regarded as one of the best sounding players since the electronics are simllar to 303. The head is a permalloy type, not amorphous like in the 303 and it lacks bi-azimuth feature. However, azimuth can still be adjusted. Also, Dolby C NR on the 101 sounds a bit heavy-handed though I'd take this with a dish of salt since it would heavily depend on the recorder used. I noticed no such thing with the 303.

In any case, the PX101 is well worth restoring and so is the DC2 and DD33. I can probably find someone to do it for you. I am still waiting for Tom (NakDoc) to reply to my PM. Tom!!!

[Paspie]

I have done plenty of searches and it does seem like Aiwa did make some pretty good-looking portables, even on the low-end models like the PS241 (though it is a pain to find specifications on whether they support multiple tape types or not). I'm really quite tempted at snapping one up. Sony's a just a little too matt black, boxy and featureless to me.

[R.Daneel]

I have done plenty of searches and it does seem like Aiwa did make some pretty good-looking portables, even on the low-end models like the PS241 (though it is a pain to find specifications on whether they support multiple tape types or not). I'm really quite tempted at snapping one up. Sony's a just a little too matt black, boxy and featureless to me.

Aiwa HS-PS141 was the first walkman I ever got. I got it in a supermarket in Germany just before the concert we had there. I'll always remember that player that cost me a whole 25 Deutsch Mark (around 13$). Though it was an entry level model it still had a proper tape equalization switch as well as a loudness circuit. One of the funniest scenes I remember is that one of the cello players in the orchestra got himself a Philips player in that very store and making fun of the Aiwa name because "he had never heard of it". I was laughing in the end because that particular Philips didn't even have a rewind button, just the fast forward one. Also, his left headphone died after two hours and he was unable to return it because we were on a tight schedule. Good times!!

If you can find a new Sony WM-EX5xx series player, you might want to take the plunge and get that. I'd recommend the 526 version because it is the newest and therefore least chance of it needing new belts. You could probably find it new for under 50$. Cheaper Sony players of the final production years are terrible in every measurable way.

[R.Daneel]

Hilarious, but one of the members here (mfdgame) told me the Aiwa HS-PX303 looks like something that came from Darth Vader's pocket!! Quite right!! Once you're turned to the dark side, there's no coming back.

[R.Daneel]

The Aiwa HS-PX505

Last of the true high end unit from Aiwa. It was released in 1991 and came as a successor to the already excellent PX303. The PX505 can be seen as the final step in development of portable cassette technology. Technological advancement of PX505 put aside, reason for that is the now obvious company's decline after which nothing would be the same again. No unit to come from Aiwa reached that level of quality, performance and timeless design. With PX505, Aiwa's glorious history of portable cassette players did really end. Some of the features are:

- full-logic feather touch transport controls
- ultimate iteration of the "alpha" transport
- auto-reverse playback
- metal tape capability
- Dolby B and C noise reduction
- narrow gap amorphous alloy HX-contoured head
- BBE System sonic maximizer chip with a continuous sliding control
- remote controller
- fully metallic chassis

Transport mechanism in the PX505 is virtually identical to the one found in PX303. Obvious difference is the lack of bi-directional head azimuth alignment system in PX505. There are different opinions on why Aiwa chose not to include this system in what should be their last best cassette player. The fact remains that this system created additional complexity within an already small chassis. An average music lover wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway. Also, in my encounters with these machines I never ran across a bi-azimuth unit that worked properly. Obviously, since this system is constantly in motion, after years of use it can go out of alignment and nullify every benefit it has to offer, at least on paper. So it is likely that Aiwa decided to abandon the concept altogether. Instead, PX505 has an adjustable azimuth mechanism that works like on most cassette decks. Unlike the PX303 where adjustment can be done for each side of playback independently, every adjustment done on the PX505 affects both sides simultaneously which limits the effect of azimuth adjustment. A properly set up bi-azimuth system will result in better high frequency extension. The heads however are identical and of excellent quality.

Electronics-wise, both PX505 and PX303 feature the same power amplifier even though the preamplifier sections are different and in my opinion, better in the PX303. PX303 had a Parametric DSL (dynamic super loudness) circuit that was actually a lot more complex than it seemed to be, offering microprocessor control and memory function for the last selected EQ parameter. Instead, PX505 had a simpler two-stage mechanical DSL switch. Still, those were the days of emerging digital technologies so PX505 was equipped with a dedicated digital signal processor to process the integrated phase-correction algorithm licensed from BBE. Albeit for a short era, Aiwa was the only company to use their technology in it's portable audio range. Only the more expensive units featured this system and only high end ones had a continuous sliding control switch to add the perfect amount of processing for your needs. The effects of this system range from subtle to dramatic depending on the music quality, quality of the tape recorder used and the tape itself. At lower settings, the system can compensate for the loss of clarity and high frequencies quite well.

here are some of the pictures took today.

http://i45.tinypic.com/2u545cx.jpghttp://i48.tinypic.com/2wfrf9z.jpg
http://i45.tinypic.com/21r9j.jpg

[trott3r]

Oooooh gorgeous

[R.Daneel]

Oooooh gorgeous

Yes indeed, gorgeous!

[Ghitulescu]

Last of the true high end unit from Aiwa. It was released in 1991 and came as a successor to the already excellent PX303. The PX505 can be seen as the final step in development of portable cassette technology. Technological advancement of PX505 put aside, reason for that is the now obvious company's decline after which nothing would be the same again. No unit to come from Aiwa reached that level of quality, performance and timeless design.
Well, considering that the management has been replaced by then with Sony affiliates, and considering that Sony considered the walkman a proprietary invention, the conclusions are not very hard to be drawn ... 10 years later Aiwa was entirely swallowed by Sony.

[R.Daneel]

Well unless Aiwa wasn't completely owned by Sony in 1991, I think it was a strategic mistake to derail the brand by manufacturing cheap stereo. Aiwa was responsible for many revolutionary products and despite what some thought, there were many that considered Aiwa the walkman brand.