Vintage Audio Sighting: Aiwa CA-DW235 CD Carry Component System

In other words a boombox!

My wife came across this Aiwa boombox in a thrift store the other day and I took a good hard look at it. It's officially the Aiwa CA-DW235 CD Carry Component System, but I'll just call it a highly evolved boombox. According to a sticker on the back, it was manufactured in May 1999.

The Aiwa CA-DW235 CD Carry Component System

The CA-DW235 was listed as having 18 watt power consumption which certainly means it had more than enough power for a dorm room or apartment. It could also be powered by 8 D-Cell batteries. 

The CA-DW235 Back Panel

Features like a CD player, a dual tape deck for high speed dubbing, an AM/FM radio, and a microphone input would make the Aiwa CA-DW235 CD Carry Component System fairly complete by the standards of the day. I like the push button equalization settings. I never know how to set up an equalizer with sliders. 

The Aiwa CA-DW 235 Control Panel

Why not buy it? It was selling for about $20. But, there were some issues that would be showstoppers for me. First, there was no power cord. You'd have to find a replacement. A manual I found online suggests that using the wrong replacement could be a fire hazard. I'm not too keen on fire hazards. The absence of power also prevented me from testing out the system.

Strike 1:  The Power Cord Is Missing

The CA-DW235 can also run on battery power. It takes 8 D cells. The battery compartment in this one is definitely showing corrosion from old batteries. While clean up is possible, it's another project.

Strike 2:  The Battery Compartment is corroded

Finally, the volume switch was drooping a bit towards the down position. This made me wonder if the boom box would automatically mute itself during operation.  It's definitely something to test out.

Strike 3: The Volume Button is drooping

Ultimately, I passed on this old boombox.  But, you can find operating and service manuals for the Aiwa CA-DW235 CD Carry Component System here at Manualslib.com. If I was handier and new a few things about electronics, it might have been an interesting projects.

If you like the idea of a vintage Aiwa boombox, but find the prospect of restoring aging electronic devices a bit daunting. Aiwa makes a very cool retro boombox with 40-watt speakers, bluetooth, AM/FM radio, and cassette capabilities. I was surprised to run across it here on Amazon.

Aiwa Retro Boombox (Amazon Photo)

You can check the Aiwa Retro Boombox out here on Amazon!

 

Audio Encounter: Sony Micro Hi Fi Component System CMT-HPZ9

I recently had a brief encounter with the Sony Micro Hi Fi Component System CMT-HPZ9. It was a compact unit sitting on a thrift store shelf in the Atlanta, Georgia, suburbs. It had an AM/FM Tuner, 5 disc CD changer, and a tape cassette player. The asking price was $35.99. It also had an input jack around back that would allow you to manually plug in another device like a record player or MP3 player via an input jack.

Sony Micro Hi Fi Component System CMT-HPZ9

It appeared to be a nice little unit, but there was no antenna so it couldn't bring in a signal on the tuner. It also had a busted tape deck. Although the speakers looked great, I didn't investigate further.

The Sony Micro Hi Component System Name Plate

If you have one, I did find that a compatible remote is available here on Amazon.com. I also found the manual here on the Sony website. The 3-way bass reflex speakers are rated for 85 watts per channel at 6 ohms resistance.

Broken Cassette Deck Hinge

This little unit would have been worth investigating further, but the broken cassette deck door looked like more trouble than the unit would be worth.

A Modern Mini Stereo Alternative

If you are looking for a modern Mini Stereo System, check out this Philips Bluetooth Stereo system with CD Player, FM Tuner, USB, Audio Input, and 60 watt bass reflex speakers. You can get it here at my affiliate link on Amazon.

Victor Talking Machine Company - Victrola VV-260 Antique Audio Console

Back in 2024, I stumbled across an interesting audio artifact in a local thriftshop. It's a Victor Talking Machine Company Victrola VV-260 Antique Console System. It was made from 1922 through 1924. It's not designed for modern records. It's designed for 78rpm Shellac records that were made specifically for this type of machine. These sorts of records are available on ebay and other auction sites for reasonable prices, but the titles are often random and conditions vary widely.

An Antique Victrola VV-260 Console Record Player

The best source for information on this Victrola model is The Victor-Victrola Page and particularly the page dedicated to the VV-260. It's an interesting bit of audio history for sure.

A close up for the Victor Talking Machine Logo

This sort of console is far different from the console stereos that were popular in the 1970s. I remember my grandfather buying one of those new console stereos back in the late 70s. He was very proud of it. I only remember him playing music on it on the night it arrived. It quickly became a resting spot for magazines and porcelain bird figurines.

 

A look at the Record Player Itself - Note you'll probably need an older Shellac record

If you are interested in a console look that you can pack with your own stereo components, you might check out this Crosley Media Center Console. It can house a record player, stereo components, and hold up to 75 records.

Crosley Media Console (Amazon Photo)

There's no need to wreck an antique and beautiful historic artifact with a poorly executed interior refit. You can just get a dedicated modern piece of furniture for your modern stereo components. You can get this one here from my affiliate link on Amazon!