A Perfect First Stereo
Mar 15 '00 (Updated Mar 21 '00)
I recently purchased the Aiwa NSX-A111 mini stereo system with a 3 - CD changer as a birthday present for my son. He’s growing up – just turned thirteen a few days ago – and had asked for a boombox or small stereo of his own. This request brought back memories of my own youth, of becoming a teenager; acquiring an interest in pop music and listening to the late night DJ’s on WLS out of Chicago with my tiny Channel Master radio. I guess it’s a sort of right of passage event in a boy’s life.
So, while out shopping one day prior to his birthday, we stopped to look at what was available. I didn’t want to get anything too complex, but wanted a reasonable selection of features and decent sound quality. The store we were at had everything from inexpensive non-CD boomboxes to mini-component surround sound systems selling for several hundred dollars. I concentrated on the mid-priced mini stereo systems and was disappointed by their overall sound quality. They all had lots of eye-candy (most too much) and for the most part, horribly distorted audio output when pushed much beyond a normal listening level. All were tuned to the same FM station and no CD’s or cassettes were available to audition on them.
In the low-end section of the store’s display sat this Aiwa system. Its FM reception seemed to be just awful, making it impossible to judge its overall sound. I remember thinking how unfortunate this was, because Aiwa normally makes decent products and this one was priced reasonably at $110. I don’t really know why (it’s not my typical behavior), but I got curious and looked at the back of the main unit and discovered that the FM antenna wasn’t connected. I hooked it up, cranked up the volume and was pleasantly surprised by what I heard. Neither tinny nor boomy at nearly full volume, this stereo had a very nice sound! It actually sounded better than the $430 one that I had been considering! I was sold and so was my son! I wonder how many customers had passed it up and purchased another model or none at all.
When we got home that evening, he told me he wanted to unbox it and set it up himself (my little boy was gone; he was now a wonderful young man)! He cleared a space on his dresser and hooked it up without a hitch. Late into the night he listened and experimented with his first real “big boy toy”! The next day I noticed that the new stereo had a full-size headphone jack and I remembered that I had a nice set of old Koss headphones stored somewhere. After a little rummaging they were found and I presented them to him; thus welcoming him to the world of gadgets and accessories.
This isn’t an audiophile’s dream system, but for the money it does have a satisfying overall sound quality, good FM reception (if the supplied dipole antenna is used), a nice fit and finish, and a tasteful and simple design (see photo at: http://www.aiwa.com/Catalog99/photos/NSX-A111.asp). It makes pretty good cassette copies of CD’s. The changer drawer operates smoothly; you can open it and load new discs while one is playing. The only really noticeable distortion I’ve been able to find occurs when the volume is turned all the way up with the bass boost on. It goes away when the boost level is reduced or turned off.
Here are some of the NSX-A111’s main features:
* 30 Watts total power output (15 watts per channel)
* 3-disc auto CD changer with random and repeat functions
* Digital AM/FM tuner with 32 presets
* Graphic equalizer with 3 presets
* Dual cassette deck
* 2-way bass reflex ported speakers
* Auxiliary audio input (you can connect a TV or another component with audio out)
* Remote control
* Super-T bass boost (3 levels)
* Clock/alarm
Although some features like Dolby noise reduction, tape counters, high-speed dubbing, twin recording cassette decks and bass/treble/balance controls would have been nice to have; it’s pretty unrealistic at this price. However, the features it does have work, and work well.
Conclusion
The Aiwa NSX-A111 is a good buy, if not an outright bargain. It performs well and has a pleasing sound. It won’t fill a large room with music; but it’s ideal for casual listening in the bedroom, dorm room, den or other intimate areas where precise sound reproduction isn’t a concern. I think its strength lies in not trying to be something that it’s not. What it is, is a simple device for playing CD’s and cassette tapes and for listening to the radio. It doesn’t try to do too much or look too radical; it’s fairly unpretentious in both function and form. Aiwa (on some models) and the other mini system manufacturers could profit from this example. FM stereo, compact discs and cassette tapes are no longer high-tech spectacles, so don’t make these look like some sort of futuristic appliance; just make them sound good and function properly!
I have found that this stereo is perfect for my new teenager, and that I could have spent a whole lot more for less. I’ll never forget buying this for my son, and if he’s like I am, he’ll never forget his first stereo either.
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Epinions.com ID:
ryansridge
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Member: D. McCandless
Location: Rural Pennsyltucky
Reviews written: 51
Trusted by: 316 members
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To insure success, try to eliminate failure.
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