Aiwa was so close to becoming an American establlishment, and a very unique one at that. They may not have focused on the audiophiles, or the high-end gear freaks, but for the average person, their product wasn't garbage either. Think of it as the Honda Accord of stereo systems. Aiwa. Remember them? They established their name manufacturing hi-fi components in the '70s and '80s. In the '90s they went mainstream. Boomboxes, portable CD players, headphones, speakers, mini-systems. In the '00s they faded away, became property of Sony and died.
By the time they really hit their stride in the '90s, they had a very distinctive design that let you know it was an Aiwa. Take their stereo mini-systems for example, one which I had. Platinum silver face detail. Black mesh over the speakers. Futuristic angles. A motorized multi-CD tray that had a transparent window on top and glowing red and green lights inside.