AIWA Hifi Catalog from 1977

Updated 8 March 2025

This is AudioPhil™ and I'm looking into the 1977 hifi advertising catalog from AIWA. The 1970s were a real turning point for modern Hifi equipment with the wide spread use of solid state electronics. Solid state electronics dramatically changed the sound of audio equipment, marked by more power and reliability. This catalog shows the range of AIWA Hifi components manufactured at the time.

This is the AIWA advertising catalog from 1977 showing the latest in component hifi units such as turntables, radio receivers and cassette tape recorders. The models shown in this catalog include the AIWA AF-5080 Music Center, AIWA AF-3060 Tuner Amplifier, AIWA AX-7500 Stereo Receiver, AIWA AD-6500 Dolby Cassette Deck, AIWA AD-1800 Cassette Deck, AIWA AD-1300 Stereo Cassette Deck, AIWA AD-1200 Stereo Cassette Deck, DM-2000 Condenser Microphone, DM-1016 Condenser Microphone, DM-51L Dynamic Microphone and DM-503 Dynamic Microphone.

My personal experience with AIWA equipment

Old hifi catalogs are a great repository of information for people collecting vintage hifi equipment. As AudioPhil™, I particularly like the brush aluminium front hifi equipment from the late 1970s. It is every child's dream to flick those collectable AIWA toggle switches and watch those backlit VU-meters bounce into the red. Who needs advertising catalogs when you have all that vintage bling to admire.

I have put my money where my mouth is. I own and AIWA AD-1800 and an AD-1600 creator series cassette decks. Both of these cassette decks require minor maintenance. Nothing serious. The cassette deck mechanisms are four decades old and need service to bring them back to full operation. I will also take the opportunity to acquire the metal-age equipment in this catalog as well. In my order of preference, I would like an integrated amplifier, a working turntable, electrostatic microphone, and finally another tape deck. There is always room in my vintage audio collection for more. To my eyes, the AIWA AD-6800 and AD-6550 tape decks are the most beutiful players. Much better than this modern rubbish.