Aiwa AV-D58

The AV-D58 (also known as AV-D58EZ) was a Stereo AV Receiver with Super T-Bass sound manufactured by the Aiwa Corporation in Malaysia and available during 2001/2002. In this 5.1-channel surround sound receiver, all of the five channels have a rating of 70-watts (with 8 Ω load, and 1 % THD). It has full remote control capability utilising the RC-AAR02 remote control unit. The main features of this unit include Dolby Digital, DTS Surround Sound for a home cinema system, and Radio Data System (RDS). This receiver is a full-size unit measuring 430 mm × 155 mm × 402 mm, and mass 8.7 kg.

Review

Aiwa electronic engineering is always a pleasure to work with, because their designs generally tend to be more thoughtful for the service industry. This wonderful amp even has a large hatch on the base chassis providing access to the main board; hence, I did not have to take it apart during servicing thereby saving time.

The audio power output stage consists of a complementary pair of transistors FN1016 and FP1016 by the Sanken Corporation. These are hardy transistors and have an 8 A collector current rating with MT-100 (TO3P) package. Discrete transistor class-b complementary symmetry power amplifiers are very common; however, the secret ingredient that makes this one sound better is in the digital signal processor (DSP). The T-Bass, which reintroduces a very subtle low-level bass into the music is outstanding. Consequently, the audio, including FM radio, has extremely good clarity and separation, and any kind of low frequency effects are immediately noticeable when they kick-in. I came across T-Bass many years ago when I bought an Aiwa micro hi-fi system and found out that the sound had this wonderful quality even at low volume levels, therefore I was quick to buy this amplifier in the pre-used market even though it was faulty and had no sound. In the following sections of this multi-page article, you can see some of the internal electronic engineering features, mods, and repairs, that I carried out.

The radio tuner has some useful built-in RDS features such as program type identification (PTY) that allows one to choose a station based on program type, instead of station name. It also has Enhanced Other Networks (EON) function, which gives the receiver a cross-reference to other stations, so it can automatically switch to another RDS station. There is also Traffic Program (TP) facility that lets the receiver know that the station also provides traffic information. Finally, there is Clock-time (CT) that provides an accurate clock signal that is also self-adjusting to time zones and seasonal time changes.

Other useful features of this unit are things like a clock, eco-mode, and over-level detector. If you are connecting an MP3 player to this amplifier, then it is worth knowing that this unit has over-level detection circuitry, where an indicator lights up when the analogue input signal level to the amplifier is too high. If you see this indicator come up, then reduce the output level of the device connected.

This unit has a huge plethora of sockets at the back, including coaxial and optical digital inputs to connect modern DVD players. However, vinyl enthusiasts will be glad to know that this amp has phono inputs for connecting a record player. If you have never experienced T-BASS sound with records, then you are in for a treat. I tested some of my favourite records and I started noticing sounds that I had never heard before!

Price/eBay

This is a highly desirable amplifier, and what makes it valuable is the T-Bass facility, which those who have experienced will understand straight away. This model has very complex electronic circuitry with surface-mount components, and therefore repairs can be costly. A faulty non-operational unit may not be worth much, however a unit in good working order, together with the remote control, can fetch around fifty pounds and more. A unit in mint condition in its original box and packaging can sell for over a hundred pounds (and possibly more) in the pre-used market.

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