Tiny But Mighty

Love at first sight ~ The square and compact body, along with the neatly organized layout, gives the F3 the distinctive flagship style of a renowned device.

The compact body hides a sophisticated interior. In an era where most other manufacturers lack backlighting, Aiwa exclusively equips the screen with gorgeous backlighting, enhancing the overall quality and technology. Even the commonly used buttons on the front are illuminated when plugged in.

The impressive large backlight display simultaneously shows text, track, and time information, with independent REC Level for left and right channels, providing powerful display capabilities. In contrast to other products at the time with only bass settings, the F3 features innovative 5 DSP sound modes (Rock, Pop, Jazz, Bass, Live), bringing a new audio experience. Additionally, Aiwa surprises with a three-stage battery display, a highlight in portable cassette players.

Breaking from the conventional design of using built-in batteries or an external battery box, the F3 comes with two types of battery compartments for rechargeable batteries and AA batteries, allowing users to choose based on their needs.

The compact remote control, as small as the body, not only has basic functions but also uncommonly includes recording and editing capabilities.

Equipped with x2 playback speed, it efficiently allows users to listen to recorded content based on their preferences. The SLSS (Sound Level Sensor System) automatically senses the volume during recording.

The combination of a small size and rich performance establishes Aiwa's iconic status. It continues to maintain an extremely high level of popularity in the second-hand market. In November '20, an unused item even fetched an astonishing auction price of ¥146,111. Truly a classic in the realm of Aiwa.