r/nostalgiai • u/CarrotMuch1399 Nostalgia Trip Leader • May 19 '26

Vintage Tech ☎️📻📠📟📷 Did your house also have this exact Aiwa system blasting music in the living room?

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3.1k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

169 comments sorted by

8

u/NorthWishbone7543 May 19 '26 edited May 22 '26

Had this exact one.. Set the alarm to go off at 1pm as we were going on holiday.

Needless to say, alarm didn't go off.

Returned from holiday with the hifi pelting out full whack.

Yeah 1am......oops

7 days

5

u/justletmedoomscroll May 19 '26

Duuuude, that just solved a 20 year old mystery for me .... Dad was always busting into my room round 3 am screamin at me to stop blasting the stereo in the living room... I just thought he was nuts or the house was haunted. Had no idea till today that it had a friggin timer, cause my teenage ass always slept through it.

7

u/NorthWishbone7543 May 19 '26

Yup. It was one of the many functions.. It had some kick I know that much.

Those old machines were loud, very loud. Built in amp and speakers to match the output.

They don't make them like they used to I know that much.

The quality of sound was amazing too .

1

u/CaucSaucer May 23 '26

There are plenty of incredible sound systems today. So while the aiwa systems were great, let’s not get lost in the nostalgia.

I just got a JBL partybox 720 at work, and in addition to being loud and versatile it’s also portable and battery powered.

1

u/Positron14 May 19 '26

I had this same one too.

1

u/bentheredoneart May 19 '26

Circuit City Baby!!

1

u/ThePsycHOTicNurse May 21 '26

Not to flex, but I used to work there so I got a discount lol

1

u/Due_Student_9822 May 23 '26

Best bass too…

4

u/th33_th33 May 19 '26

Those systems had so much bass.

3

u/LowEffort2 May 19 '26

And then you push the bass boost button.

1

u/NorthWishbone7543 May 20 '26

They you go on holiday with the timer set for the neighbours are rocking for 7 days until you get back.

Those were the day

3

u/falianaridua May 19 '26

Very nostalgic, I remember spending hours playing cds on this system. I can't believe it was 30 years ago 🥺

2

u/Disastrous_ms_mom May 19 '26

Me either, I don’t feel as old as I am now ….until I add up the years 😭 sometimes math can be very depressing

4

u/Breadstix009 May 19 '26

You kids and your modern day gadgets.

3

u/DoookieMaxx May 19 '26

I sat next to this machine for so many hours …listening to the radio, trying to record my favorite song. Or banging out mixtapes.

3

u/bongweezy May 19 '26

Bought this with my first pay check early 2000s

1

u/Positron14 May 19 '26

I believe I did also. Very late 90s, though.

2

u/Slight-Table875 May 19 '26

Peak dorm room cool.

2

u/WealthMassive1788 May 19 '26

Had this in college senior year off campus house. We had grouchy elderly neighbors next door. We'd retaliate by blasting music while sitting on the porch. Sure enuff the cops would swing by and we'd turn it down or off by tge remote on the porch. Cops would apologize for disturbing us. Looking back it wasn't a nice thing to do but those neighbors I feel like harassed us way more than we bothered them. This thing finally stopped working and 21 year-old me thought it would be a bright idea to smash it with a baseball bat. Later I was disappointed I forgot to remove my Pearl Jam CD. I was cool.

2

u/ShatteredDragon6 May 19 '26

Living room? This was in my bedroom lol

2

u/MegatonsSon May 19 '26

Well now I definitely feel old, representative of my audio system as a teenager from the early 1980's 💀

1

u/blazorfire May 19 '26

With love,

1

u/young-elderberry May 19 '26

Nah, we had this growing up. I started gaming on PS2

1

u/blazorfire May 19 '26

I started gaming on a ps1 and had a snes in the house, but I rathered the ps1.

1

u/MegatonsSon May 19 '26

I started gaming on a Radio Shack knockoff of the original Pong console in 1978, then my Dad bought an Atari 2600 for Christmas that year and announced:

"The future is finally here!" 😅

2

u/musicman3006 May 19 '26

No. I had a real Pioneer system.

2

u/EscapeGlittering787 May 19 '26

I still have them.

2

u/KeyNefariousness6848 May 19 '26

We had this monster, or rather one like it with 8 track and cassette.

2

u/BasicCrew3926 May 21 '26

Damn ssssssoooooonnnnnn! A fuckin AIWA!? hell yeah, boy!

1

u/cakepanpancake May 19 '26

What a truly strange use of the word “literally.” “Specifically” would make sense here, but “literally” is practically nonsensical.

1

u/NoDeedUnpunished May 19 '26

I hear people say "literally" and "ironically" quite often. Rarely are the words used appropriately.

1

u/sexruinedeverything May 19 '26

Whitney Houston- Bodyguard… every Saturday morning man 🗣️And I iii will always love you oh oh. It was this same boom box my momma played the same cd every Saturday while she cleaned.

1

u/NsupCportR May 19 '26

Damn, this was hightech stuff

1

u/Dubin0908 May 19 '26

Still have mine and looking at it right now. Still works too!

1

u/loathelord May 19 '26

Bedroom stereo

1

u/RogersMrB May 19 '26

I have a JVC I got at Costco in 1990. Still works. Mounted high in the living room with a chrome audio attached. It's awesome 😎

1

u/AdhesiveSeaMonkey May 19 '26

This was also my first hifi tv sound system!!

1

u/Apprehensive_Use3641 May 19 '26

Still have it at my parents, I keep meaning to drag it over to my house, but haven't managed it yet, one of these decades, though that looks like a shinier version of the one I have.

1

u/twilightmoons May 19 '26

Dad still has the 5-disc version connected to the TV at my parents' house. 

1

u/WickedJeep May 19 '26

I’m pre-cd but this is great

1

u/Kalfbalf May 19 '26

I had a Panasonic with a six disc cartridge that somehow managed to shuffle better than the nearly 8000 songs I have on Spotify

1

u/RealityOk9823 May 19 '26

I still have my blue and white 3 disc changer.

1

u/OrneryLetterhead8609 May 19 '26

Yep. My second stereo system for my bedroom.

1

u/crackedtooth163 May 19 '26

AIWA I HEAR YA

1

u/viperfangs92 May 19 '26

I feel targeted! 😂😂

1

u/Sufficient_Two_5753 May 19 '26

I still have one of those! And it still works!

1

u/Hoth_Wampa_1980 May 19 '26

No, I had a Philips.

1

u/Few-Cow9329 May 19 '26

This and the grey or silver Panasonic

1

u/HotParticular1768 May 19 '26

I def had one of these, and I am just old enough that this was an upgrade for me. I got my first boombox with a CD player when I was a 16, then got one of these a few years later. I had dual tape deck prior, making mix tapes and recording songs from radio. Memories man!

1

u/elstrecho May 19 '26

no you peasant, mine had the 5 cd changer

1

u/YorkiesandSneakers May 19 '26

Yep. I lost my remote then I stole my friends remote. Then he was over at my place and found the one i had lost and he was sitting there looking at two remotes. Dude was pissed. Lmao.

1

u/Irritated_Zit-444 May 19 '26

I used to work at Incredible Universe and sold these by the dozen.

1

u/SirGumbeaux May 19 '26

Look at you. So advanced. My house had an 8-track player and we liked it that way!

1

u/ElectricMilk426 May 19 '26

Really? Literally? I’m from this era too. The ‘literally’ is very unnecessary

1

u/VoodooZephyr May 19 '26

With the little speakers

1

u/Mr_Waffles123 May 19 '26

I had that one or a similar model. Got it in the 90’s, used it as my pc amp/speakers into mid 2010’s.

1

u/Own_Profit4838 May 19 '26

I bout this in 2002 at tech school for Air Force. I held on to it for about 5 years.

1

u/freespirit_tck May 19 '26

I had this speaker dock thingy for my ipod and iPhone. Was really cool at the time. Now it’s sitting someplace collecting dust

1

u/Fast-Bird-4677 May 19 '26

I had one with the bottom having a 5 disk cd changer tray that would come out. And I was also the type who spliced in like 6 to 8 speakers on it lol

1

u/BroccoliLiving9277 May 19 '26

I had this machine exactly the only difference mine had was mine had a pair of boom box speakers on either side and I loved it

1

u/Obvious-Computer-614 May 19 '26

Close enough... Akai was what my dad had. But I've seen a Aiwa system in every household I've been in back in my day 😆

1

u/wtb1000 May 19 '26

Was that one the three disc changer? I had that. That was a marvel back in the day.

1

u/Affectionate_Pool_37 May 19 '26

I think i had this one with out what looks like Vinyl player on top

1

u/knoxcumlvr May 19 '26

Still got one ☝️

1

u/ElectricalUmpire2882 May 19 '26

I love aiwa sound system .they got a beautifull sound and loud.

1

u/dro0009 May 19 '26

I use to think you were rich if you had one of these.

They were truly the Bees Knees 🐝 🦵

1

u/SixandNoQuarter May 19 '26

Sanyo but same same

1

u/misi13382 May 19 '26

Do you understand how fly you had to be to own a 5 disc changer..... Shiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!! I used to charge for making tape playlists. 😂😂😂

https://giphy.com/gifs/l0MYHoGpt9AfXEbYY

1

u/Timely_Ad9136 May 19 '26

I literally have this same setup in my garage

1

u/Perpetual_Doormat May 19 '26

That was the best dang stereo!

1

u/Defiant_Network_3069 May 19 '26

Still have mine and use it too. It's hooked to my 200 disc CD changer.

1

u/DocBobs May 19 '26

I wanted that Aiwa but it was too expensive I settled for a very similar Philips unit for around £180 in 1987.

1

u/Snoo_75138 May 19 '26

We literally STILL use almost this exact model in my house...

1

u/throwaway04182023 May 19 '26 edited May 19 '26

No. But it was similar and in my bedroom.

1

u/GooseCheeze1234 May 19 '26

Eiffel 65, peal jam, mercy playground. I think I still owe Columbia records some money.

1

u/Ok-Anybody607 May 19 '26

Think i may have had the model up from this.

Great little system.

1

u/Cocklover1987 May 19 '26

And we were ballin if we had this

1

u/Particular_Ad_644 May 19 '26

A friend had one in the dorms in the early 80s.

1

u/Jfonzer May 19 '26

Had a panny and loved that thing

1

u/Mrpotatohead1990 May 19 '26

I can hear this image *boom boom boom boom, i want you in my room

1

u/LightenUp04 May 19 '26

Them dayz....💯💯💯

1

u/shady2318 May 19 '26

Damn those Aiwa stereos were scattered around the world.

1

u/Disastrous_ms_mom May 19 '26

Omg! Core memory unlocked! I had one in my room. No tv. It had two speakers same size as the main part. I would shut my door and blast Shania Twain and Travis tritt. All while singing into my hair brush. I was a “super star” 💫 in that moment. Thanks for such a nostalgic memory.

2

u/avatarquelsen May 19 '26

Has the speakers for over 20 years

1

u/fuck_peeps_not_sheep May 19 '26

I always got confused on how to play the second tape or how to eject any of the 5 CDs you could put in that were not the first one - my Aerosmith CD was still in it when i sold it as i could never convince it to give me that one back

1

u/Long_Tilly_Ben May 19 '26

I loved the surround sound and karaoke modes

1

u/SeaworthinessOk2966 May 19 '26

I had this model in my bedroom. I always thought that eq looked super cool. 😎

1

u/Expensive-Camp-1320 May 19 '26

Holy crap! Yes. Even better I have the updated version with the 3 disc carousel back in GA.

1

u/spielferderber May 19 '26

I still have a very similar system from Philips.

1

u/Silly_Cover_2788 May 19 '26

And the volume button sucked!! Try to turn it down and it went full blast 💥

1

u/geminilius May 19 '26

Our breadwinner sold these for a living, but never got one for the household.

1

u/SlipDifferent8534 May 19 '26

Couldn’t get ready for school without turning this on 😎

1

u/No-Quality7947 May 19 '26

My era, although these speakers are a bit smaller than the ones I had.

1

u/Daydreamerwv May 19 '26

I still have that system!

1

u/Any_Medicine8374 May 19 '26

I had to run my Xbox sound through this because my parents got sick and tired of hearing GTA police sirens.

1

u/j-mac563 May 19 '26

I am most irked that I can no longer buy one of these.

https://giphy.com/gifs/xs5lKCIKlFuy4

1

u/Cooter77 May 19 '26

That was my favorite brand back in the day and I had that one was a good system.

1

u/makojedi2k2 May 19 '26

The one piece unit that looked like a full component set-up. I was curious how all my friends were getting nice stereos.

1

u/bagwellbuff May 19 '26

Still have mine.

1

u/BisonIllustrious9449 May 19 '26

I still have mine, it still works.

1

u/Disastrous-Hunter830 May 19 '26

Mine was much older.

1

u/ant1667nyc May 19 '26

iPod made this all go away.

1

u/No_Lead_6511 May 19 '26

Had that same one

1

u/Unique_Investigator5 May 19 '26

Sanyo for me , bought with my first paycheck from a full time job.

1

u/sneekeruk May 19 '26

The CD changers only ever lasted 2 years. My parents had a more expensive one with a 5 disc changer.. broke after 2 years, I bought one when I was at uni with a 3 disc changer.. broke after 2 years as well.

1

u/HKGPhooey May 19 '26

I have a 200 disc changer. Still works.

1

u/Gloomy_Support_7779 May 19 '26

Yes at some point. Can’t remember if it was my dad or uncle

1

u/ManyConscious1551 May 19 '26

I think I literally had that machine…..

1

u/therightmale May 19 '26

Had the exact same one

1

u/AMJN90 May 19 '26

Mine was almost identical but had a record player on top

1

u/MikeWazowski1221 May 19 '26

Ours played 8track and records with am/fm. It was a decade later that we got cassette and cd players

1

u/HKGPhooey May 19 '26

Almost exactly like mine.

1

u/Successful-Door4656 May 20 '26

The. Exact. One.

1

u/thedavid069 May 20 '26

Mine was SONY.

1

u/Live-Ice7323 May 20 '26

CD Players didn't last one year.

1

u/TLD18379 May 20 '26

This made the Zep-a-thon possible

1

u/popecliff May 20 '26

I had one with a 60 disc changer. Took it to Sears Repair twice to get it fixed.

1

u/Nobody-Z12 May 20 '26

I think my family use to have one.

1

u/craycray7754 May 20 '26

First stereo that I purchased for myself when I got a job. I loved that damn stereo! ❤️

1

u/Agreeable_Ad7265 May 20 '26

Yup had thos exact model too. It roared! Lol then got stolen when our flat got emptied out by low likes. Still.miss it...😢

1

u/Any-Champion3424 May 21 '26

Got it when I was 16. Still my garage radio. Nothing works except rca inputs and radio.

1

u/JE5573R May 21 '26

The era I'm from had turntables! OMG! Am I even too old for this group?

1

u/Emergency-Big-1503 May 21 '26

That's my garage stereo now.

1

u/ducads803 May 21 '26

Had one in my college dorm room in the mid nineties. Still have it!

1

u/ThePsycHOTicNurse May 21 '26

That’s a nice system lol! I remember catching my favorite songs on the radio and recording them on tape. Those were good days

1

u/Justin4Miami May 21 '26

Still have it. Still flashing 12:00. :)

1

u/Le0ntopodium May 21 '26

Same Sony with vinyl

1

u/True_Watercress_2548 May 21 '26

From that era, too poor to afford it though.

1

u/CareRevolutionary521 May 21 '26

That green equalizer display was peak audio design. Thing probably shook the whole block on full volume.

1

u/Willing-Skill-5740 May 22 '26

I remember them

1

u/shadowsofthelegacy May 22 '26

Story time: I deployed to Incirlik AB in Turkey. Day two I got one of these from the BX. Fully intended on returning it before I left. Free entertainment! Last day of deployment I wimped out and left it for the next crew in my billeting room.

1

u/G_Distilling_Co May 22 '26

I still have it and use it in the shop !!

1

u/Curious_Present7217 May 22 '26

I did 😍 loved it

1

u/Adventurous_Pick_927 May 22 '26

I only just got rid of mine last year, after rocking out to it for almost 30. The three CD changer was cutting edge for the time

1

u/Horror-Journalist737 May 23 '26

Had one loved it

1

u/rememberpogs3 May 23 '26

Man I have such a vivid memory of my buddy and I playing Mario Kart 64 in his wood paneled basement with this baby playing 2pac. California Love is the real soundtrack to the Calamari Desert.

1

u/deanallen79 May 23 '26

Thats a sweet looking stezza

1

u/sioux709OG May 23 '26

Mine had a 5 disc CD below the dual tape decks

1

u/inspctrshabangabang May 23 '26

Of course not, my sister had it in her room.

1

u/ScarecrowZombie1 May 23 '26

Had this and then I turned super cool when I got a 51 cd changer from rent-a-center

1

u/Eddy_Edwards02144 May 23 '26

I'm technically not but I grew up with a VCR and a gamecube on a tube tv. Σ:3

1

u/PromptJazzlike5452 May 23 '26

I did but not this brand. Mine was Pioneer.

1

u/HitBoXXX May 23 '26

Mine had that dolby prologic 5.1 surround. I felt like I was living in the future.

1

u/timetokillx May 24 '26

All three of my siblings got one of these for Christmas but did I....NO I didn't...

1

u/gtogds May 24 '26

Holy crap I actually have that very unit in my garage....

1

u/rdnkgrrl18 May 25 '26

Woke up to it’s alarm every morning … and recorded the countdown every weekend

1

u/9incherwithaoddity May 25 '26

No my dad had an even older Sony that had a record player on top

1

u/HomeMedium1659 May 25 '26

I still use mine. The FF button keeps falling off though.

1

u/12ADPS Jun 24 '26

I’m also that plus Colombia house