Expanded AIWA MP3 Line Offers MP3 Playback in Portable, Mobile and Home Products

Business Wire, Jan 4, 2001

Business Editors

MAHWAH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 4, 2001

In an aggressive expansion of its MP3 player lineup, AIWA AMERICA this spring will introduce a new product line that offers MP3 playback in portable, car audio and home products.

The new line, to be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show that opens in Las Vegas on January 6, will include dedicated portable MP3 players plus car audio, portable CD and home audio products that play MP3-encoded CDs.

"The popularity of the MP3 format continues to grow, and as MP3 libraries expand, consumers are eager to have the same playback options they enjoy with CDs," said Akio Imanishi, Senior Vice President, Marketing for AIWA AMERICA, INC. "We initially offered a car audio receiver and home DVD player with MP3 playback, and the positive response to those products led us to expand the line for 2001."

In flash memory portables, AIWA will field four players this year. The new MM-RX400 includes a built-in AM/FM tuner and offers 64MB of memory, USB interface, SDMI compliance and supports both the MP3 and WMA music formats. It will be available in April at a suggested retail price of $400.00. It joins the recently introduced MM-VX200, which continues in the line. It is an SDMI-compliant player with 32MB of memory and an included 32MB memory card. It has a suggested retail price of $299.00.

In the summer, AIWA will expand its line-up with two new multi-codec flash memory players, one with a built-in AM/FM tuner. Model numbers and pricing will be announced at that time.

Other options for listening to MP3 files on the go include the AIWA XP-MP3 portable CD player that plays audio CDs and MP3-encoded CD-R/RW discs. It displays ID3 tags, and offers a fixed/variable bit rate (32k-320kbps), E.A.S.S. Plus on audio CD playback, three-point LED battery indicator, multi-bit dual D/A converter, rechargeable battery compatibility, and comes with a car kit that includes DC and cassette adapters. It will be available in February and carry a suggested retail price of $240.00.

Boombox fans who want their MP3 can choose a new AIWA unit, the CSD-MP3, that plays both audio CDs and MP3-encoded CDs. The new boombox features four-speaker front surround, remote control, AM/FM digital synthesized tuner and QSound for surround sound effects. It will be available in June at a suggested retail price of $175.00.

In home audio products, AIWA is offering a system with a three-CD changer that will also play MP3-encoded CDs. The XS-V30 will be available in June at a suggested retail price of $350.00.

In car audio, AIWA is expanding its MP3 options, adding the new CDC-MP32 while continuing to offer the CDC-MP3, both of which offer playback of MP3-encoded CDs. The CDC-MP32 is a step-up model with an internal amplifier with a power output of 50 watts X 4. It offers a motorized hideaway control panel, CD changer control, wireless steering wheel remote controller and a front input jack for connecting an external source, such as a portable MP3 or cassette player. It will be available in April at a suggested retail price of $400.00.

Headquartered in Mahwah, New Jersey, 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.