Aiwa PX377 - any good?

[VintageSteve]

I long ago got rid of my Sony Walkman.. way long ago. Now thinking of getting a portable "walkman" cassette player and may be able to get hold of an Aiwa PX377. Can't find any info so far. What are its features, quality, NR, etc. Is it a good unit to get?

[R.Daneel]

Hi!

Aiwa HS-PX377 is a younger brother of the PX477 model - meaning it has a multi sound processor with pop/reock/jazz/classical sound EQ, dolby B NR, tape selector feature, ear guard system that keeps the volume low, music search, blank skip and one song repeat feature, auto-reverse, remote control and a really nice layout on the top of all that. It has a metal cassette door but not the front fascia. It uses 2AAA batteries as a powersource and is approx 24mm thick - not as thin as some Panasonic machines but thin enough. Fr is 40-15k and the power output is around 2x5mW which is decent for a modern player.

If you can get it cheap, buy it! But beware, I have had these players and they are notorious for transport problems. Too much plasctic inside. on one of these, a pinch roller was damaged after 6 months and the player was bought new. I have no idea why they didn't use the Sony mechanism in this one. Sony walkmans of the WM-EX5xx and 6xx series are far superior in mechanics and sound a bit better. However, Aiwa beats them in design and an enormous feature list.

Regards!
RD

[VintageSteve]

RD,
Thanks! Excellent, detailed information. I'm new to portables so am trying to shop carefully. I don't want the plastic throw-aways but can't afford the super high-end units. Where did you learn all this detail? Are there resources online (other than TH) that can educate me on the specifics of "walkmans" from the days of quality construction?

[R.Daneel]

RD,
Thanks! Excellent, detailed information. I'm new to portables so am trying to shop carefully. I don't want the plastic throw-aways but can't afford the super high-end units. Where did you learn all this detail? Are there resources online (other than TH) that can educate me on the specifics of "walkmans" from the days of quality construction?

Hey VintageSteve!

No problem! I really don't consider myself an expert on these matters but glad I could help out. There are always internet resources like stereo2go forum and some others - often in Japanese and my GoogleTranslate has trouble with that. The best way to learn is to get the actual unit of course. From my experience, I can tell you it is a long and very expensive process and you get burned a lot as some of these units are just unrepairable. About the PX377 - I know it because I had several units of the series - PX177, 277, 477 but not the actual 377. From what I remember, it is identical to the 477 except that it doesn't come with rechargeable batteries which is no biggie since those AAAs are 270mAh Ni-Cd batteries and last for only 4 hours of playback.

If your heart is not set yet on this Aiwa, let me suggest something else. Try getting a Sony. Units like WM-EX670/672/674/678 or even earlier versions like EX618 are great. Not exactly high-end ones but these are mid to late 90s units and if you find a good example, it can last for years to come as most of these have good mechanisms which have been standardized since the beginning, are easy to repair and the electronics are fool-proof. They usually come with their gumstick battery but they are widely available and cheap and have remote controls and metal exterior. That is my recommendation.

Getting a high end unit is always tricky as there are many you can get but only few can actually be repaired. I have some Aiwas from 1989 - incredible stuff with dolby C and HX amorphous heads but they are extremely hard to fix. Everything dies - belts, head lose alignment, auto-reverse IC, servo IC, dolby IC and oh yes - all the capacitors in the amp and pre-amp section. These parts are no longer available so to get one fixed, you need at least 3 units. Sony is much better in that respeect and once you get a disc-drive walkman operational, it will work for years. I have several of Sony DD units including the WM-DC2 which has dolby C and laser-amorphous head. It is one amazing walkman but like all the other DD walkmans, has a center-gear that cracks. When you get that fixed, it's party-time for years to come! That is the reason why high-end Aiwas come cheap and high-end Sonys come very expensive.

How much money would you pay for a high-end unit if I may ask?

[VintageSteve]

Thanks for the tutoring. More great info! Having the general lay of the land is quite helpful. What I'm looking for: robust metal case aand controls, auto reverse without too much degradation of sound, robust and repairable transport, at least Dolby B if not C as well, general availability of belts, rollers, etc, and an output that can drive headphones instead of just ear buds. I want something to listen to in cars without a tape deck but with aux input on the radio/CD player. I don't really want to spend anywhere near what a regular tape deck would cost, nor what some WM-D6C's go for, for example. Maybe I'd be willing to spend around $100 for one - though I'd have to save for a while, or sell some of my tape stash! *headache*

Am I asking for too much for too little money?

[R.Daneel]

LOL!!

It depends my friend! It depends on what condition it is in. I would always go for a lesser model if nit was in a great condition than a high-end one that won't work for long.

From your description, Sony range from the 1987-1990 fits that perfectly. For 100$ it is possible to find such units. The only thing that I see as a want-too-much here is auto-reverse because that pretty much writes off the truly high-end models for the money. But, if you want auto-reverse, Sony WM-150 and WM-170 will be perfect. These are slim, metal designs with EX amorphous head and dolby B. No dolby C here sorry. But you do get a tape selectro, powerful output of 12mW per channel which is more than enough for any headphone up to 600 ohms even, solid mechanics which are not logic-controlled but are simple to work on and do the job perfectly. Get one of these and you will be happy.

The problem is, regardless of the unit you get, you will need a new belt and the simpler the mechanism, the better for you. These things can turn into a nightmare in a second.

[VintageSteve]

From your description, Sony range from the 1987-1990 fits that perfectly. For 100$ it is possible to find such units. The only thing that I see as a want-too-much here is auto-reverse because that pretty much writes off the truly high-end models for the money. ....

Thanks. I let the Aiwa go by the wayside and will begin my shopping for a Sony. What price budget would you think I'd need to get into these "high-end models" you speak of? $150? $175? more? *scratchchin* What models might I look for if I up my budget a bit?

[R.Daneel]

Hello!

Okay, now we're talking:)

Sony WM-550C - an extreme version of the WM-150/170 with everything: EX amorphous head, dolby B and C NR and super smooth metal design that will leave you breathless. This one is rare so it might eb expensive.

Sony WM-701C - one of the smallest ever made despite the fact it was made in 1989. It ius logic-controlled and has a remote conrol, same head as the 550C and dolby B and C as well. Thi one would cost you around 100-180$ probably.

Sony WM-DD9 - the venerable DD9 will probably be much more expensive and I can't say the price is justified. The amplifier puts out only 5mW per channel. The first two i mentioned are much better in terms of driving capabilities.

If you would be willing to omit auto-reverse, then I suggest these:

Sony WM-DC2 - laser-amorphous head, dolby B and C NR, quartz-locked direct drive motor and an insane amount of amplifier power that drives even my notorious power-hungry AKG k240s. This, imo is the best portable cassette player produced. It will set you back anywhere from 80$ for a broken one (but easily fixed) to over 1000$ for a boxed one (insane I know).

DD series in general is great as all are direct drive and have at least dolby B NR. All have sufficient power output and drive anything. I would suggest the WM-DD33 as it is the newest one and will probably still be in great condition. they also have adjustable head azimuth so that is always a good thing. They are generally built very sturdy nad the DD33 is definitely the best one of the lot.

There are some others but they will be hard to find andthe rest are recording walkmans. Please be aware that not all walkmans that sellers sell as a high-end is in fact a high-end machine. For me, a high-end machine is that kind of a unit that represented something back in the ndays - whether it be head design or mechanism.

Frankly, there is little justification in paying 200$ for a cassette player. I think you would get 90% or more of that quality with a far less expensive model such as the WM-150. If I found one, I wouldn't hesitate as have no doubt, that is one superbly buildt and sounding unit.

For me, the Aiwa HS-PX303 from 1989 is the best sounding unit ever. It is however, extremely rare and even more hard to fix. So Aiwas i definitely do not recommend to anyone.

I think 150$ is more than enough for you to get yourself a great unit.

[VintageSteve]

Thanks so very much! Now the hunt begins!
I am not in a great hurry so will go on the prowl and keep my eyes open....*eyepop*... for some nice portable tape tunes. *headtunes*

[R.Daneel]

Thanks so very much! Now the hunt begins!
I am not in a great hurry so will go on the prowl and keep my eyes open....*eyepop*... for some nice portable tape tunes. *headtunes*

Oh you are quite welcome! Any walkman enthusiast is a pal of mine:)

[R.Daneel]

Well this is interesting.

I found an Aiwa HS-PX477 on eBay. Same unit as my own except that it was made in japan. My was made in Malaysia. I find that very odd indeed. Everything appears to be the same except for that.

[Warped Bezel]

You have road noise, in-cabin acoustics, Delco|GM alone usually rolls off well enough and the 5 band EQ sets will be able to compensate just fine. Even high end Walkmen shouldn't be too hard to compensate for.

I had a powered table I used in my last 3 cars (1987 Chevy Celebrity CL, 1986 Pontiac 6000 and 1994 Grand Prix.

Delcos sound nice and usually are power enough to fade toward the back and make it rattle the back window. On top of that the 80s "GM 2000" series were somewhat parts interchangable as well as upgradable...modular.

In summary: No worries.


Thanks for the tutoring. More great info! Having the general lay of the land is quite helpful. What I'm looking for: robust metal case aand controls, auto reverse without too much degradation of sound, robust and repairable transport, at least Dolby B if not C as well, general availability of belts, rollers, etc, and an output that can drive headphones instead of just ear buds. I want something to listen to in cars without a tape deck but with aux input on the radio/CD player. I don't really want to spend anywhere near what a regular tape deck would cost, nor what some WM-D6C's go for, for example. Maybe I'd be willing to spend around $100 for one - though I'd have to save for a while, or sell some of my tape stash! *headache*

Am I asking for too much for too little money?

[VintageSteve]

I have several of Sony DD units including the WM-DC2 which has dolby C and laser-amorphous head. It is one amazing walkman but like all the other DD walkmans, has a center-gear that cracks. When you get that fixed, it's party-time for years to come!

R.Daneel,
Where or how would I get this center-gear repaired? Is there a source for replacements or would I have to just get a bunch of spare DD walkmans to cannibalize??
Steve

[R.Daneel]

R.Daneel,
Where or how would I get this center-gear repaired? Is there a source for replacements or would I have to just get a bunch of spare DD walkmans to cannibalize??
Steve

Hey Steve!

Repairing the center gear is not that complicated really. There are some people on the stereo2go forums that will be glad to help ypu out with that. No need to cannibalize anything or anyone:)

The center gear is a common problem in ALL DD designs apart from the D6C and DD9. It cracks with time regardless of the mileage and it happens because the material properties change over time and due to temperature variations. So in essence, the plastic gear cracks around the center metal core. What you (or anyone that will repair it) does is put a thin layer of extremely hard epoxy in the crack and then forms the teeth on the outer rim.

This way you got an extra one or two teeth depending on the size of the crack. It will have an impact on speed but it is marginal as there are many many teeth on the gear and it will probably make the tape longer a few seconds. The system is still under the control of the quartz so it is as stable as ever. After the gear is fixed, it will probably last much longer than an original brand new part would last as now the tension stress around the center core is greatly reduced.

How can you recognize a center gear problem? When you press play, as the reels rotate you will hear clicking sounds in the exact intervals. The sound is called "the click of death" on the forums LOL. But it is fixable. Still, I suggest you get a unit that still works even if it is clicking. And please take some time time to read the listings on eBay as many of the sellers say the click is due to the age or the item not been used for a long time. That isn't true and they either don't know or are simply not being honest. Also, avoid any sellers with less than 99% feedback and consider that any unit you might get might be faulty so don't pay too much!

Sony WM-DC2 is a great unit and by some it is the best cassette player ever made. I will tell you that it sounds great, way way better than any modern player. It needs no EQ because any headphones you connect to it will sound good and it will make the full use of good quality ones. The amplifier is very powerful and will drive anything. Pitch is rock solid and though it may not sound that extended in the highs, the mids are warm and the bass is very deep and tight and fast. Highs are gently and subtly detailed and will certainly not sound harsh in any way like on so many other players. Thta has a lot to do with the laser-amorphous head of the unit as the other DD units have a different signature.

Also, WM-DD9 is a great unit though pretty expensive. Unreasonably if you ask me. It has an advanced head design and auto-reverse which makes it the only DD unit to have that. Courtesy of twin motor design. It has a 20-20k response and in terms of extension will beat the DC2. However, it has a much lower output and if your headphones are not good and sensitive enough at low input, it will sound bright and fatiguing. DC2 is much better in that respect.

DC2 will have a broken center gear and the DD9 will almost certainly have a bad servo controller which will be hard to find.

But I think if you find a DC2, you'll be happy with it. Also, WM-DDIII DD30 and DD33 will be a fine choiuce for you. Maybe not quite high-end but pretty near. That is, if you are willing to forgo auto-reverse and go for the DD instead.

Cheers -- RD