AIWA Micro Music Systems Offer Space-saving Elegance and Room-filling Sound; Diminutive Systems Fit Easily On a Bookshelf or Desktop.

Business/Technology Editors

MAHWAH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 11, 2000

For music lovers with a keen design sense AIWA offers a pair of micro-sized music systems that combine high style with high fidelity. Both systems are small enough to place on a desktop or a bookshelf, and include sonic enhancements that ensure that they sound as good as they look.

If space is truly precious, the AIWA XR-MS3 offers an elegant solution with a unique "mini tower" configuration that combines a CD player, AM/FM tuner and cassette deck in a unit no larger than a college dictionary. The key to the unit's slim design is a front panel vertical CD player into which a CD is loaded standing on-edge. As a consequence, the system's main unit stands just a few inches wide. What's more, the system includes a pair of sleek speakers virtually identical in size to the main unit. All three components feature a black lacquer finish and the main unit offers switchable blue, orange or purple control illumination to suit any dcor or just for an occasional change of pace.

As for performance and features, the AIWA XR-MS3 delivers big-time despite its diminutive proportions. There's a 12 watts-per-channel amplifier, top-loading cassette deck, digital synthesizer tuner, Q Surround for creating a surround sound effect, BBE circuitry for enhancing sound clarity, three-position Super T-Bass for tailoring bass performance, an electronic graphic equalizer with three pre-set tonal settings, Dolby B noise reduction, optical digital output for making digital recordings, and a full-function remote control. The XR-MS3 has a suggested retail price of $450.00.

Another option for those seeking a music system that provides a design statement in a small package is the AIWA XR-M200. This system's main unit features a silver satin finish with blue accents combined with a pair of speakers sporting wood cabinets for a rich, warm look. Faceplate clutter is minimized by the use of a front-loading CD player that's concealed behind a motorized control panel. Push a button and a panel containing the system's status display slides downward and the CD tray emerges.

For outstanding performance the XR-M200 offers AIWA's Multi-Amplifier technology, with a dedicated 30-watts-per-channel amplifier powering subwoofers built into the main speaker cabinets and a separate 10-watts-per-channel amplifier for the mid and high frequencies. The result is better sonic performance. Other features include a front-loading full logic auto reverse cassette deck, digital synthesizer tuner, three-position Super T-Bass, three-preset graphic equalizer, optical digital output, fluorescent display and a full-function remote. The XR-M200 has a suggested retail price of $250.00.

Headquartered in Mahwah, NJ, AIWA AMERICA, INC. is one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of audio, video, car stereo, and multimedia products. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of AIWA CO., LTD., based in Tokyo, a $3 billion manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional audio and video entertainment, computer, data storage, and communications products.