About the Company
Aiwa Co., Ltd. was a Japanese electronics manufacturer founded on June 20, 1951 (originally AIKO Denki Sangyo, renamed Aiwa in 1959). The firm became well-known for audio products — portable stereos, boomboxes, cassette players and decks, and other hi-fi gear — before being acquired by Sony and eventually discontinued in the 2000s.
Aiwa produced reel-to-reel tape recorders from about 1962 to 1972. These were consumer-oriented machines manufactured in Japan and sold primarily in domestic and export markets.
Focus of Production
Aiwa’s reel-to-reel units were geared toward home recording and playback — not professional broadcast or studio decks — and represented the brand’s early engagement with magnetic recording before the compact cassette format dominated consumer audio.
A number of portable and desktop reel-to-reel tape recorders were produced in the 1960s. Common characteristics are solid-state or tube electronics, limited track formats, and modest performance typical of consumer-grade units of the era:
Early Standalone Models
TP-801 — Tube-based portable reel recorder from roughly 1965–1968 featuring full-track mono operation, two heads, and two speeds (3 3/4 & 7 1/2 ips).
TP-60R — Small solid-state portable model (~1964–1967) with mono full-track head and simple control set.
TP-704 — Two-speed mono portable (~1965–1968) with adjustable speed selection and modest audio output.
Later Stereo & Higher-Fidelity Units
TP-1012 — Quarter-track stereo machine (~1969–1972), solid-state, standard consumer format with up to three speeds.
TP-1001 — Stereo four-track portable unit from the mid-1960s appearing in technology collections (e.g., Australian War Memorial).
These models illustrate Aiwa’s shift over time from tube-based electronics into solid-state portable and semi-portable consumer machines with increasing capabilities such as stereo operation and multiple tape speeds.
Why Aiwa Stopped Reel-to-Reel Production
Shift to Compact Formats
By the mid-1960s and early 1970s, compact cassette technology was rapidly rising in popularity for consumer recording due to smaller size, convenience, and affordability. Aiwa itself introduced Japan’s first domestic cassette recorder in the 1960s, reflecting this transition.
Business Refocus
Aiwa increasingly concentrated on cassette decks, portable audio (including boom boxes), stereo systems, and later digital formats, which drove most of its revenue through the 1970s and beyond. By 1970–1990, a large majority of its sales came from such products rather than reel-to-reel tape recorders.
Consequently, reel-to-reel tape deck production was discontinued as consumer interest shifted and Aiwa invested in the then-modern cassette and other technologies.
Context Within Aiwa’s Corporate History
1951Company founded (AIKO Denki Sangyo)
1959Renamed Aiwa Co., Ltd.
~1962–1972Reel-to-reel tape recorders produced in Japan for consumer market.
1964Aiwa introduces Japan’s first cassette recorder
1968Aiwa markets one of Japan’s early boomboxes.
1969 onwardSony acquires controlling interest.
1970s–1990sFocus on cassette, stereo systems, other consumer audio.
2002–2006Brand absorbed into Sony, product development ceases.