Akai AS-980
Little is documented about the Akai AS-980 beyond a series of magazine advertisements that ran from late 1973 into early 1974. The record shows Akai positioned it as their flagship four-channel receiver. It was the front piece of what they called their "4-Channel Challenge" component combination, paired with the GX-280D-SS four-channel tape deck.
Akai's own advertising in High Fidelity (December 1973, p.11) claimed the AS-980 delivered a continuous output of 120 watts (30 watts × 4 channels). It also claimed four separate quadraphonic decoding modes: Discrete, SQ, RM, and built-in CD-4 with individual separation controls. The same copy appeared in Audio (December 1973, p.25) and HiFI-Stereo (December 1973, p.47), which suggests a coordinated launch timed to the holiday season. A follow-up ad in High Fidelity (January 1974, p.125) repeated the same claims - no revised specs, no price.
No independent review or service manual has surfaced, so almost everything else about the AS-980 is unknown. Its exact dimensions, weight, input/output complement, FM tuner specifications, original retail price, and total production run are not recorded in the sources available to the Archive.
- Type: 4-channel (quadraphonic) receiver
- Power output (advertised): 120W continuous total (30W × 4 channels)
- Quadraphonic modes: Discrete, SQ, RM, built-in CD-4 (with individual separation controls)
- Period marketed: Late 1973 – early 1974
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