Price Paid:  $24.00 from Dixons, York, Englan

Summary:
I'm a musician. I make freely-improvised musique concrete using dictaphones. I have found this particular model to be the most reliable and flexible. It has many useful (and probably accidental, from Aiwa's point of view) features including: 1) If you half press-down the play button, it fast-forwards and plays at the same time, meaning that very high frequencies can be achieved. 2) If you press play and then half-press down the record button, it makes a very high-pitched screaming sound. If you then relax the pressing on the record button further, it makes a very useful low vibrating sound. These make it indispensible to the improvisor. I have occassional problems with it; the cue/ffw switch is not working at the moment. Also, it's not as loud as some of the Sonys, but for sheer flexibility of sound and new possibilities of technique, this is the one. Peace. T.H.F. Drenching.

Strengths:
Flexible, clear quality (by my standards anyway)

Weaknesses:
Could do with being a touch louder, wish the ffwd/cue button worked. Mind you, it's a pretty old machine now.

Similar Products Used:
Various dubious Sonys, although I like the Sony TCM-400DV.