[shigzeo]

My guess would be that FitEar aren't able to keep up with demand. They literally hand-make every one of these in Chiba/Ginza, so it takes time, effort, and more patience from potential buyers than other earphone brands. In some ways, I'm surprised FitEar have decided to have so many vendors outside Japan. Again, still looking for someone to buy my SM3 (not music) so that I can get a slice of the 111.
Quote:

Seems the TO GO! 111 may be out of stock, too --- it's not currently showing on the FUJIYA  AVIC online shop --the only online shop that seemed to carry the TG! 111s-- so, obviously, PriceJapan isn't showing them, either.

 

[maxcat]

The TG! 111 is FUJIYA AVIC monopoly.
And it has been renamed F111.
http://www.fujiya-avic.jp/products/detail13281.html

 

[MuppetFace]

Sigh.
 
FitEar makes exceptional products, but they really need to stop this distribution BS.

 

[music_4321]

Quote:

.. still looking for someone to buy my SM3 (not music) so that I can get a slice of the 111.

 
 
 
 
Quote:

Sigh.
 
FitEar makes exceptional products, but they really need to stop this distribution BS.

 
True, but it seems they're sloooowly working towards making it less of a hassle to get, at least, their universal IEMs. ALO are now selling the TO GO! 334. .

 

[ExpatinJapan]

hmm, I am interested. Trying to find that great combination - sweet sound and fit.

 

[shsh]

Quote:

The TG! 111 is FUJIYA AVIC monopoly.
And it has been renamed F111.
http://www.fujiya-avic.jp/products/detail13281.html

Thanks.
 
Anyone know what cable the F111 is using?

 

[music_4321]

^  The FitEar cable 003
 
  .

 

[shigzeo]

What is that? My dealings with Fujiya have been great, but I think they are business people and NOT audiophiles at all. As them about sound or headphones for you, and they have no idea. E-Earphones are much much more inclined to know everything about earphones and be excited to explain. Quite a difference. 
Quote:

The TG! 111 is FUJIYA AVIC monopoly.
And it has been renamed F111.
http://www.fujiya-avic.jp/products/detail13281.html

 

[music_4321]

Quote:

What is that? ...

 
Perhaps the best compromise so they wouldn't be re-named "Dr Dre 111". .

 

[gkanai]

Quote:

Sigh.
 
FitEar makes exceptional products, but they really need to stop this distribution BS.

 
From what we heard at the Fujiya AVIC Summer Portable Audio festival, where the 111 was released, FitEar themselves didn't know what the customer reception to the product would be. That's why there is no 111 page on the FitEar.jp website and that's probably also why there's limited production initially. They told us that the first batch of 111s was something of a test and if it was successful, that they would plan for more.

The point is that FitEar didn't go into the 111 thinking that it would be successful. They'd better be working hard to meet the demand now...

 

[maxcat]

From what we heard at the Fujiya AVIC Summer Portable Audio festival, where the 111 was released, FitEar themselves didn't know what the customer reception to the product would be. That's why there is no 111 page on the FitEar.jp website and that's probably also why there's limited production initially. They told us that the first batch of 111s was something of a test and if it was successful, that they would plan for more.


The point is that FitEar didn't go into the 111 thinking that it would be successful. They'd better be working hard to meet the demand now...

Yes, the first batch of 111s was offered to test the market. 
They decided to sell this earphones.
However, they did not make the 111 a formal model.

http://avic.livedoor.biz/archives/51677117.html

 

[bayac]

The original custom version of the 111 (the name was Fitear My Room 111 if I remember correctly) shares the same BA driver (Knowles ED29689) with the ER4 series.
So I wouldn't be surprised if the To Go 111 also uses the same driver. And if they do, then they should sound similar to the Etys.
 
Maybe I better ask Mr. Suyama about the driver.

 

[MuppetFace]

Quote:

 
From what we heard at the Fujiya AVIC Summer Portable Audio festival, where the 111 was released, FitEar themselves didn't know what the customer reception to the product would be. That's why there is no 111 page on the FitEar.jp website and that's probably also why there's limited production initially. They told us that the first batch of 111s was something of a test and if it was successful, that they would plan for more.

The point is that FitEar didn't go into the 111 thinking that it would be successful. They'd better be working hard to meet the demand now...

 
The removal of the entire product listing from PriceJapan isn't so much a matter of limited availability; if that were the case the listening would still be there and they'd put up a notice that it was temporarily unavailable. Instead I think this is an issue of distribution and export sales. Same thing happened when the TO GO! 334 was first released: it showed up on PriceJapan, but then there was some question as to whether they would have FitEar's blessing to export it, so it was removed from the site for a while. Really, no one outside of FitEar themselves seemed to know whether they'd "allow" export sales or not, so the few exporters willing to supply it to overseas customers anyway had to be pretty hush-hush about it. There were a lot of people PMing me asking where to find the TG 334 when it first came out, and it felt silly having to keep it to PMs only, not mentioning it publicly for fear of exporters getting in trouble.
 
It's FitEar's policy toward export sales specifically that I'm referring to when I say "distribution BS." It's great that they're starting to expand to other markets and now seem to be partnering with smaller overseas companies like ALO. It's a step in the right direction. However I'm seeing a repeat now with the TG 111 and the supposed exclusivity of Fujiya AVIC, a company which does not want to deal directly with overseas customers either.
 
Also I have to wonder just how much truth there is to the assertion that FitEar thought the TG 111 wouldn't be successful. The ER4 on which it draws so much of its inspiration is one of the most iconic and popular IEMs on the planet.

 

[gkanai]

Quote:

 
It's FitEar's policy toward export sales specifically that I'm referring to when I say "distribution BS." It's great that they're starting to expand to other markets and now seem to be partnering with smaller overseas companies like ALO. It's a step in the right direction. However I'm seeing a repeat now with the TG 111 and the supposed exclusivity of Fujiya AVIC, a company which does not want to deal directly with overseas customers either.

 
Very fair critique.
 
I can only say that I hope that FitEar staff are reading these threads.
 
If I had to guess, I think it's because FitEar has been a custom IEM company until recently and perhaps they didn't plan on the success that they've had with the universal IEMs they've recently released. I'd bet that FitEar has little clue about the size of their international market which was basically inaccessible due to their CIEM focus. Note that they don't have an English translation of their website. The ALO distribution agreement is still quite new too.
 
There are (unfortunately) many excellent Japanese companies who may have great products but struggle to sell overseas. FitEar seems to be an example where the demand from overseas is apparent but FitEar themselves don't have the capacity yet to properly address the demand from outside of Japan. This is why trading companies in Japan (Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, etc.) have traditionally filled a role as the middle-man between Japanese companies and non-Japanese markets. That's why these trading companies have become some of the largest firms in Japan.
 
From what shigzeo says about FitEar's production (hand-made in Japan) I think availability of the TO GO! 334 and TO GO! 111 is going to be limited for a while until the initial interest are cleared.

 

[music_4321]

MF -- It's actually on backorder on the Fujiya AVIC site, that may (also) explain why it's not currently showing on the PriceJapan site. Don't see why PJ should be selling the 334 and not the 111, TBH. .