Aiwa CS-550U (1981)

Name: Aiwa CS-550
Brand: Aiwa

Portable stereo radio cassette recorder with FM/AM/SW tuning, dual mic inputs, and remote control capability.

Overview

The Aiwa CS-550U is a portable stereo radio cassette recorder made by Aiwa Co. Ltd., Tokyo, in 1981. It has a "knob-top" design, with the main controls on the top panel, and a cassette deck with LED lights. There are four loudspeakers behind pseudo-circular grille slits. The radio covers AM, two shortwave bands, and stereo FM. It also has a detachable full remote control, Super Bass, a cassette lid lock, and a hearing protection function called Ear Guard.

Specifications

Dimensions (WHD)	468 x 271 x 149 mm / 18.4 x 10.7 x 5.9 inch
Net weight	4.7 kg / 10 lb 5.6 oz
Power type and voltage	Line / Batteries / 110-120; 220-240; 8 x 1.5 Volt
Battery requirement	8 x "D"-cell batteries
Loudspeaker	4 Loudspeakers
Number of Transistors	27
Main principle	Superheterodyne
Wave bands	Broadcast, 2 Short Wave plus FM or UHF
Power consumption	14 W
Features	LED level meter, LED music sensor, tape counter, metal tape bias, line in, line out, 2 built-in mics, 2 x mic in, ext. speaker jacks, headphones jack

Design

The CS-550U uses a "knob-top" layout, with all the primary controls on the upper surface. The speaker grilles and tweeters have pseudo-circular slit patterns. The body is plastic, and the cassette deck has LED indicators. A detachable remote handles external control. The unit also has a cassette lid lock and the Ear Guard hearing protection function.

Context

The Aiwa CS-550U competed with models such as the Panasonic RX5150. It is associated with the G-Metal X collection, but the original 1981 model is plastic, not metal.

Market

The CS-550U is not considered rare, and it shows up on eBay periodically. One mint, fully functional unit sold for $150.00 plus shipping in July 2016. Reports from similar Aiwa models suggest the tape deck mechanism may need more than a belt replacement.