AIWA CA-DW541 Operating Instructions

8A-CT6-914-01

CD CARR Y COMPONENT SYSTEM
CA-DW541

© 2003 Sony Corporation

Owner’s Record

The model number is located on the rear and the serial
number is located in the battery compartment.
Record the serial number in the space provided below. Refer
to these numbers whenever you call upon your Aiwa dealer
regarding this product.

Model No. Serial No.

WARNING

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC
SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO
RAIN OR MOISTURE.

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

“CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF

ELECTRIC SHOCK,

DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK).

NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.

REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED

SERVICE PERSONNEL.”

IMPORTANT SAFETY

Read the Operating Instructions carefully and
completely before operating the unit. Be sure to keep
the Operating Instructions for future reference. All
warnings and cautions in the Operating Instructions and
on the unit should be strictly followed, as well as the
safety suggestions below.

Warning

To prevent electric shock or injury, these safety
instructions should be followed in the installation, use
and servicing the unit.

Explanation of Graphical Symbols:

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol,
within an equilateral triangle, is intended
to alert the user to the presence of
uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the
product’s enclosure that may be of
sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of
electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point within an
equilateral triangle is intended to alert the
user to the presence of important
operating and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature accompanying
the appliance.

CAUTION

The use of optical instruments with this product will
increase eye hazard.

Installation

Attachments – Do not use attachments not

recommended by the unit manufacturer as they may
result in the risk of fire, electric shock or injury to
persons.
Water and Moisture – Do not use this unit near water

- for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink,
or laundry tub, in a wet basement, or near a swimming
pool, and the like.
Heat – Do not use this unit near sources of heat,
including heating vents, stoves, or other appliances that
generate heat. It also should not be placed in
temperatures less than 5˚C (41˚F) or greater than 35˚C
(95˚F).
Mounting surface – Place the unit on a flat, even
surface.
Accessories – Do not place this unit on an unstable
cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table. The unit may fall,
causing serious injury to a child or an adult, and serious
damage to the appliance. Use only with a cart, stand,
tripod, bracket, or table recommended by the
manufacturer, or sold with the unit. Any mounting of the
appliance should follow the manufacturer’s instructions,
and should use a mounting accessory recommended by
the manufacturer.
Portable cart – An appliance and cart
combination should be moved with
care. Quick stops, excessive force, and
uneven surfaces may cause the
appliance and cart combination to
overturn.
Ventilation – The unit should be situated with
adequate space around it so that proper heat ventilation
is assured. Allow 10 cm clearance from the rear and the
top of the unit, and 5 cm from the each side.
Slots and openings in the cabinet and the back or
bottom are provided for ventilation, and to ensure
reliable operation of the unit and to protect it from
overheating, these openings must not be blocked or
covered. The openings should never be blocked by
placing the unit on a bed, sofa, rug or other similar
surface. This unit should not be placed in a built-in
installation such as a bookcase unless proper
ventilation is provided.

2 ENGLISH

INSTRUCTIONS

Object and Liquid Entry – Never push objects of any

kind into this unit through the cabinet slots as they may
touch dangerous voltage points or short-circuit parts
that could result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill
liquid of any kind on the unit.

Electric Power

Power Sources – This unit should be operated only

from the type of power source indicated on the marking
label. If you are not sure of the type of power supply to
your home, consult your appliance dealer or local power
company. To operate unit on battery power, or other
sources, refer to the operating instructions.
Grounding or Polarization – This unit is provided
with a polarized alternating-current line plug (a plug
having one blade wider than the other). This plug will fit
into the power outlet only one way. This is a safety
feature. If you are unable to insert the plug fully into the
outlet, try reversing the plug. If the plug should still fail
to fit, contact your electrician to replace your obsolete
outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized
plug.
Power-Cord Protection – Power-supply cords should
be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or
pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying
particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience
receptacles, and the point where they exit from the
product.
Overloading – Do not overload wall outlets, extension
cords, integral convenience receptacles as this can
result in a risk of fire or electric shock.

Lightning

For added protection for this unit receiver during a
lightning storm, or when it is left unattended and
unused for long periods of time, unplug it from the wall
outlet. This will prevent damage to the unit due to
lightning and powerline surges.

Damage Requiring Service

Unplug this unit from the wall outlet and refer servicing
to qualified service personnel under the following
conditions:

1) When the power cord or plug is damaged.

2) If liquid has been spilled, or objects have fallen into
the unit.

3) If the unit has been exposed to rain or water.

4) If the unit does not operate normally by following the
operating instructions. Adjust only those controls
that are covered by the operating instructions as
improper adjustment of other controls may result in
damage and will often require extensive work by a
qualified technician to restore the unit to normal
operation.

5) If the unit has been dropped or the cabinet has been
damaged.

6) When the unit exhibits a distinct change in
performance - this indicates a need for service.

Do not attempt to service this unit yourself as opening
or removing covers may expose you to dangerous
voltage or other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified
service personnel.
Replacement Parts – When replacement parts are
required, be sure the service technician has used
replacement parts specified by the manufacturer or
having the same characteristics as the original part.
Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire, electric
shock or other hazards.
Safety Check – Upon the completion of any service or
repairs to this unit, ask the service technician to perform
safety checks to determine that the unit is in proper
operating condition.

Maintenance

Cleaning – Unplug this unit from the wall outlet before

cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol
cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.

Condensation – Moisture may form on the CD pickup
lens when:

- The unit is moved from a cold spot to a warm spot

- The heating system has just been turned on

- The unit is used in a very humid room

- The unit is cooled by an air conditioner
When this unit has condensation inside, it may not
function normally. Should this occur, leave the unit for a
few hours, then try to operate again.

ENGLISH 3

Power supply

OPE/BATT

The OPE/BATT indicator lights up while the power is
on.

Using on AC house current

Connect the AC cord as illustrated below.

to the AC inlet of the unit

Connections

IMPORTANT

• Make sure that the AC cord is disconnected and
batteries are removed before connecting speakers.

• Do not connect other than the supplied speakers.

Position the speakers.

1

To couple with the speakers, slide each speaker
down into the guide brackets on the center unit until
the height is level with the unit.
To separate the unit from the speakers, slide the
speakers up and off, while pressing the speaker
release knob.

supplied AC cord

CAUTION

Use only the supplied AC cord. Use with other cords
may result in the risk of fire.

to an AC outlet
(AC 120 V, 60 Hz)

Using on batteries

Open the lid of the battery compartment on the rear and
insert eight R20 (size D) batteries, not supplied, as
illustrated below. Then close the lid.

To switch from AC power supply to battery supply,

disconnect the AC cord from the AC inlet.

R20 (D)

When the OPE/BATT indicator becomes dim, the tape
speed slows down, volume decreases, or sound is
distorted during operation, replace the batteries.

Notes on batteries

To avoid damage from leakage or explosion, observe
the following:

• Insert the batteries with the 0 and 9 marks correctly
aligned.

• Do not mix different types of batteries or old batteries
with new ones.

• When the unit is not to be used for a long period,
remove the batteries.

• Never recharge the batteries, apply heat to them or
take them apart.

• Remove dead batteries.

If liquid leaks from the batteries, wipe thoroughly to
remove.

Release knob

Connect the speakers.

2

Connect the right speaker cord to the R terminals,
and the left speaker to the L terminals.
Connect the speaker cord with the white broken line
to 0 and the other cord to 9.

4 ENGLISH

Remote control

Insert two R6 (size AA) batteries.

R6 (AA)

When the reach of the remote control signal is less than
5 meters (16 feet), replace the batteries.

The remote control may not operate correctly
when:

- The unit is exposed to intense light, such as direct
sunlight

- Objects block the remote control signal to the unit

To use the buttons on the remote control

Buttons on the remote control and the main unit with
identical indications have the same functions.

To turn the power on

Press POWER to turn on the display.
When using the unit on the batteries, this button will not
turn the power on.

To turn the power off

Press POWER to turn off the display.
When one of the deck operation buttons is pressed, this
button will not turn the power off.

To use the FUNCTION button

Each time FUNCTION is pressed while the power is on,
the function is selected cyclically.

CD RADIO TAPE*

* applicable when one of the deck operation buttons is
pressed

Specifications

Radio section

Frequency range, antenna – FM: 87.5 - 108.0 MHz
Rod antenna, AM: 530/531 - 1,710/1,602 kHz (10/9 kHz
step) Ferrite bar antenna

Deck section

Track format – 4 tracks, 2 channels / Frequency range
– Normal tape: 50 - 12,000 Hz (JEITA) / Recording
system – AC bias / Erasing system – Magnet erase /
Heads – Deck 1: Recording/playback head (1), Erasure
head (1); Deck 2: Playback head (1)

CD player section

Disc – Compact disc / Scanning method – Non-contact
optical scanner (semiconductor laser) / Rotation speed
– Approx. 500 - 200 rpm/CLV / Error correction – Cross
interleave, Reed, Solomon code / Number of channels
– 2 channels / D/A conversion – 1 bit DAC /
Laser diode properties –
Material: GaAlAs
Wavelength: λ = 780 nm
Emission duration: Continuous
Laser output: Less than 44.6 µW (This output is the
value measured at a distance of 200 mm from the
objective lens surface on the optical pick-up block with
7 mm aperture.)

General

Power requirements – DC 12 V using eight size D (R20)
batteries, AC 120 V, 60 Hz / Dimensions (W × H × D) –
274 × 246 × 260 mm (10
– 3.4 kg (7 lbs. 8 oz.) (excluding batteries) / Power
output – 5 W + 5 W (JEITA, 2.7 ohms DC) / Power
consumption – 20 W / Accessories – AC cord (1),
Remote control (1)

Speaker

Type – 120 mm cone type / Dimensions (W × H × D) –
185 × 234 × 240 mm (73/8 × 91/4 × 91/2 in.) / Weight –
Approx. 1.3 kg (2 lbs. 14 oz.) × 2 / Impedance – 2.7
ohms / Allowable max. input – 7 W

Specifications and external appearance are subject to
change without notice.

COPYRIGHT

Please check the copyright laws relating to
recordings from disc, radio or external tape for the
country in which the machine is being used.

7

/8 × 93/4 × 101/4 in.) / Weight

If an erroneous display or malfunction occurs

Make sure that none of the deck operation buttons is
pressed.
Press s while pressing TAPE/POWER/6STANDBY.
If the unit cannot be reset in the way above, disconnect
the AC cord and remove all the batteries to turn off the
display.
Leave the unit for a while and turn the power back on.

ENGLISH

5

RADIO OPERATION

A

Press RADIO/BAND* repeatedly to select

1

the desired band.

FM AM

The power is turned on and the previously tuned
station is received.

* or BAND on the remote control (applicable

when the AC cord is connected)

Press r, t (TUNING -, +) to select

2

a station.

During FM stereo reception, is displayed.

After listening, press TAPE/POWER/6STANDBY to
turn the power off.

For better reception

AMFM

Extend the rod antenna
and orient it for the best
reception.

For quick tuning (Auto Search)

Keep r, t pressed until the tuner starts
searching for a station. When a station is tuned to, the
search stops.
If the broadcast signal is weak, it does not stop. To
stop the search manually, press r or t.

The antenna is inside the
unit. Position the unit for
the best reception.

REPEAT/FM MODE/OSC/SLEEP*

- If an FM stereo broadcast contains noise, press the
button so that is displayed.
Noise is reduced, although reception is monaural.
To restore stereo reception, press the button again.

- If a high-pitched sound is heard during AM recording,
press the button repeatedly until the noise is reduced.
Its position can be checked by “•” being on or off the
display.

* or MODE on the remote control

To change the AM tuning interval

The default setting of the AM tuning interval is 10 kHz/
step. If you use the unit in an area where the frequency
allocation system is 9 kHz/step, change the interval as
follows.

1 Press RADIO/BAND to display FM.
2 Press s while pressing RADIO/BAND to display the

AM frequency.
When the AM tuning interval is changed, the preset
stations are cleared.

NOTE

If the unit picks up noise from other electrical
appliances nearby, like a TV or fluorescent lights, move
the unit.

To listen with the headphones

Connect headphones with a stereo mini plug to the
PHONES jack.

6 ENGLISH

PRESETTING STATIONS

You can preset up to 15 stations in each band.

Select a station.

1

Press s STOP/MEMORY* once so that

2

“M” is displayed to store the station.

A station is assigned a preset number, beginning
from 1 in consecutive order for each band.

Preset number

Frequency

* or s STOP on the remote control

Repeat steps 1 and 2.

3

The next station will not be stored if a total of 15
preset stations have already been stored for a
band.

SOUND ADJUSTMENT

Volume or tone adjustment does not affect
recording.

VOLUME (VOL)

Press VOLUME N or M. The volume level is
displayed as a number from 0 to MAX (25).

• The volume level is automatically set to 14 if the
power is turned off when the volume level is set
to 15 or more. (except when turning the power
back on within 4 seconds)

• Pressing DISPLAY on the remote control
displays the adjusted volume level.

3-mode equalizer

Press one of the 3-mode equalizer buttons (ROCK,
POP, JAZZ). The selected mode R (Rock), P (Pop)
or J (Jazz) appears in the display for 4 seconds.
To cancel, press the selected mode button.
ROCK - Emphasizes the high and low range of
music.

POP - Emphasizes voice and midrange of music.
JAZZ - Emphasizes the low range of music.

When using the remote control, press EQ
repeatedly until the desired mode is selected.
The equalizer mode changes to ROCK, POP, JAZZ
or no equalization, cyclically.

T-BASS system

The T-BASS system enhances the realism of low­frequency sound.
Press T-BASS to turn it on or off.

To listen to preset stations

Select a band then press A PLAY/PAUSE
repeatedly.
c PLAY on the remote control is also available.

To select a preset number directly with the
remote control

Press the numbered buttons 0-9 and +10.
Example:
To select number 15, press +10 and 5.
To select number 10, press +10 and 0.

To clear a preset station

Select the preset number first. Within 4 seconds, keep
s pressed until “M” and the preset number disappear
in the display.
The higher numbers in the band are decreased by one.

ENGLISH 7

CD OPERATION

B

Press CD.

1

The power is turned on.

Press z PUSH OPEN/CLOSE to open the

2

disc compartment. Place a disc with the
printed side up and close the disc
compartment.

Total number of tracks and total playing time are
displayed. It will take about 15 seconds when
loading a CD-RW disc.

Press A PLAY/PAUSE* to start play.

3

The number of the track being played and elapsed
playing time are displayed.

* or c PLAY on the remote control

s STOP/MEMORY* – Stops play.

* or s STOP on the remote control
A PLAY/PAUSE* – Pauses play. To resume play,
press again.

* or a PAUSE on the remote control
r, t SKIP/SEARCH – Searches for a particular
point during playback. Keep r or t pressed and
then release it.

– Skips to the beginning of a track. Press r or t

repeatedly.
REPEAT/FM MODE/OSC/SLEEP* – Repeats a
single track or all tracks. Select as follows.

[

1 : A single track is played repeatedly.

Select a track with r or t.

[

: All tracks are played repeatedly.

* or REPEAT on the remote control

To start play when the power is off, press CD. The
power is turned on and play of the loaded disc begins
(Direct Play Function).
If you load a disc while the CD indicator flashes in step
2, play starts without pressing A.

To select a track directly with the remote control,

press the numbered buttons 0-9 and +10. CD play
starts from the selected track and continues to the last
track.
Example:
To select number 25, press +10, +10 and 5.
To select number 10, press +10 and 0.

After listening, press TAPE/POWER/6STANDBY to
turn the power off.

NOTE

• Do not use irregular shape CDs (example: heart­shaped, octagonal ones).
It may result in malfunctions.

• Do not place more than one disc in the disc
compartment.

• Do not try to open the disc compartment during play.

• Do not touch the lens. Doing so may cause
malfunctions.

• The unit may not play a CD-R/RW disc that is
recorded on personal computers or some kinds of
CD-R/RW recorders because of differences in
recording platforms.

• Do not attach any seal or label to either side (the
recordable side or the labeled side) of a CD-R/RW
disc. It may cause malfunction.

• Do not load an unrecorded CD-R/RW disc. It will take
over 30 seconds to read the disc. The disc may be
damaged if you try to open the disc compartment
while reading the disc.

8 ENGLISH

PROGRAMMED PLAY

Up to 30 tracks can be programmed from the disc.

In stop mode, keep s STOP/MEMORY*

1

pressed until “M” flashes in the display.

* or s STOP on the remote control

Press r or t to select a track, then

2

press s STOP/MEMORY to store it.

Track number

Program number

Pressing the numbered buttons 0-9 and +10 on the
remote control selects and stores the track at the
same time.

Repeat step 2 to program other tracks.

3

Keep s STOP/MEMORY pressed until

4

“M” stops flashing to finish the program.

“M” remains displayed and indicates the unit stores
the programmed tracks.

Press A to start play.

5

To check the program, press r or t in stop
mode.
To clear the program, press s once in stop mode so
that “M” disappears in the display.
To change the programmed tracks, clear the
program and repeat all the steps again.

SETTING THE SLEEP TIMER

The unit can be turned off automatically at a
specified time.

Keep REPEAT/FM MODE/OSC/SLEEP

1

pressed until “30” flashes in the
display.

Within 4 seconds, press r or t to

2

specify the time until the power is
turned off.

Each time it is pressed, the time changes
between 10 and 90 minutes in 10-minute steps.

Specified time

While the sleep
timer works, the
dot keeps flashing.

To check the time remaining until the power
is turned off

Repeat step 1 shown above. The remaining time is
displayed for 4 seconds.

To cancel the sleep timer

Display the remaining time and press r or t
repeatedly until OFF is displayed.

NOTE

If the unit is turned off during tape playback, c on
the deck will not be released. Press Z to
release c.

Music discs encoded with copyright protection
technologies

This product is designed to playback discs that conform
to the Compact Disc (CD) standard.
Recently, various music discs encoded with copyright
protection technologies are marketed by some record
companies. Please be aware that among those
discs, there are some that do not conform to the CD
standard and may not be playable by this product.

ENGLISH 9

TAPE OPERATION

C

• Use Type I (normal) tapes only.

• Note that recording is done on only one side of the
tape.

INSERTING A TAPE

Press Z to open the cassette holder and
insert a tape with the exposed side down and
the side to be played facing out.

Deck 1 Deck 2

Push the cassette holder to close.

PLAYING A TAPE

Press c while the power is off.

The power is turned on and play of the inserted tape
begins.
The volume level is displayed during tape operation.

Z – Stops play. The power will be automatically
turned off.

a – Pauses play. To resume play, press again.
f/g – Rewinds/ fast forwards. To stop the
winding, press Z.

Continuous play

After play on deck 2 finishes, play on deck 1 will start
without interruption.
During play on deck 2, press a then press c on
deck 1.
a on deck 1 will be released at the end of play on
deck 2.

RECORDING FROM A CD OR THE
TUNER

Insert a tape to be recorded on into deck 1

1

with the side to be recorded facing out.

Deck 1

Get ready to record from the source.

2

To record from a CD, press CD and load the disc.
To record from a radio broadcast, press RADIO/

BAND and tune to a station.

Press w on deck 1 to start recording.

3

c is pressed simultaneously.
When the selected function is CD, CD play and
recording starts simultaneously.

To record only the selected tracks of a CD

1 Follow steps 1 to 4 of PROGRAMMED PLAY on

page 9 to program tracks.

2 Press w.
To stop recording, press Z on deck 1. To stop CD

play, press s STOP/MEMORY.
To pause recording, press a. To resume recording,
press again.
To erase recording, press w on deck 1 while the
power is off.
After recording, press TAPE/POWER/6STANDBY to
turn the power off.

10 ENGLISH

MICROPHONE MIXING

Connect a microphone with a mini plug to
the MIC jack and play a source to be mixed.

To record the microphone mixing sound, insert a
tape in deck 1 and press w.

• During dubbing at high speed, the microphone
mixing sound is not recorded.

MIC VOL – Adjusts the microphone volume. If a
howling sound is produced, turn the volume down.

• To prevent howling, hold the microphone away
from the speakers. The use of unidirectional type
microphones is also recommended.

DUBBING A TAPE

Press TAPE/POWER/6STANDBY to turn

1

the power off.
Insert a tape to be recorded on into deck 1

2

with the side to be recorded facing out.
Insert a tape to be played into deck 2 with

3

the side to be played facing out.
Press a then press w on deck 1 to enter

4

recording pause mode.

The power is turned on.
c is pressed simultaneously.

Press DUB SPEED to select a dubbing

5

speed.

The HI-SPEED DUBBING indicator lights up: Dubs
at high speed.
The HI-SPEED DUBBING indicator goes off: Dubs
at normal speed.

Press c on deck 2.

6

a on deck 1 is released and recording starts.

To stop recording, press Z on deck 1 and deck 2.
The power will be automatically turned off.

NOTE

When recording near a television, noise may be
recorded. Move the unit away from the television.

Maintenance

To clean the cabinet

Use a soft cloth lightly moistened with mild
detergent solution. Do not use strong solvents
such as alcohol, benzine or thinner.

To clean the heads

When the tape heads are dirty;

- high frequency sound is not emitted

- the sound is not adequately high

- the sound is off-balance

- the tape cannot be erased

- the tape cannot be recorded on

After every 10 hours of use, clean the tape heads
with a head cleaning cassette.
Use separately sold dry-type or wet-type cleaning
cassette.
Refer to the instructions of the cleaning cassette
for details.

To clean the lens

Use a cotton swab
slightly moistened with
cleaning fluid. Wipe
gently from the center
to the edge.

Lens

To prevent accidental erasure

Break off the plastic tabs on the cassette tape with a
screwdriver or other pointed tool after recording.

To record on the tape again

Cover the tab openings with adhesive tape, etc.

Side A

Tab for side A

ENGLISH

11