Aiwa CS 250 V (1983)
A portable stereo cassette recorder with 4-band radio and Dynamic Super Loudness, built for rich sound in a compact form.
Overview
The Aiwa CS 250 V is a portable stereo cassette recorder with a multi-band radio receiver. Aiwa Co. Ltd. of Tokyo made it and introduced it in 1983. It receives FM, short wave, medium wave, and long wave, plays and records in stereo, and runs from the AC line or six D-cell batteries. It has a four-driver speaker system and an aux input, which was rare for the era. All of that sits in a plastic-bodied chassis. Owners call it a “great little unit” with “good sound” and a distinctive look, and they often mention how well the DSL (Dynamic Super Loudness) feature works.
Specifications
| Wave Bands | FM (UKW), Short Wave (KW), Medium Wave (MW), Long Wave (LW) |
| Frequency Ranges (Radio) | UKW: 87.5 – 108 MHz; KW: 5.9 – 18 MHz; MW: 530 – 1605 kHz; LW: 150 – 285 kHz |
| Power Output | 7 W |
| Loudspeakers | 4 speakers / Ø 12 cm (4.7 inch) |
| Speaker Drivers | 10 cm woofers and 2 cm tweeters |
| Tape Wow and Flutter | 0.08% |
| Tape Frequency Response | 40 Hz to 15 kHz (using Metal tape) |
| Power Source | Line / Batteries / 50–60 Hz, 110–120 V or 220–240 V; 6 × 1.5 V (D-cell) |
| Dimensions (W×H×D) | 478 × 159 × 139 mm (18.8 × 6.3 × 5.5 inch) |
| Weight | 3.2 kg (7 lb 0.8 oz) |
| Material | Plastics |
| Main Principle | Superheterodyne |
| Number of Semiconductors | 18 |
Design
The CS 250 V has Aiwa’s Dynamic Super Loudness (DSL), a bass and treble enhancement circuit that improves perceived sound quality at lower volumes. The speakers sit in a one-piece box with four drivers - two 10 cm woofers and two 2 cm tweeters - arranged in a two-way configuration. There is also an aux input, which was rare on portable audio devices of this era.
Market
One listing on Bazos Czechia priced a CS-250 at CZK 1,300 in February 2026. Forum users report the “tape deck not working” as a common issue. Restoring one will likely mean a new belt and a head cleaning.
eBay Listings
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