Many thanks to those who recommended e-earphones in Akihabara. Had a day off from my meetings and went down to Akihabara to snag a pair of L700s. Had a listen before buying and was quite pleased. Hopefully my Stax amps at home will drive them nicely. Now just have to wait a week until I am home...

I am still on target for a work trip to Japan next week. Thanks to all who previously provided suggestions on where to find Stax besides Yodobashi, Avic, and Audio Union where I have been many times before. Now it just comes down to what I want to get. For perspective, in my Stax collection I...

Yep. Did the Yodobashi "private can jam" many a time. Akihabara has really changed since my first trip way back in 2002, but still love getting to Japan. Been there some 30+ times and never gets old. Was thinking of heading to Super Potato. Haven't been in years. And will no doubt have to run...

I have a trip to Japan scheduled for the end of July and was hoping to pick up either new/used gear in Tokyo. It's been some 5 years since my last trip there and my usual haunts (I have purchased new/used from Audio Union and Yodobashi and have visited Fujuya Avic) look to have low/no stock of...

I have a last minute trip to Nagoya and figured I'd try to find some more Stax. I've been to Tokyo many times and am looking for a used shop similar to Audio Union. Any leads?

I was in Japan a few months ago and picked up a clearance SRS-005S set (already have one SRS-005 set for the office and a 006/404 setup for the home office).  Was originally going to sell the new one (got a smoking deal on it) but decided to keep it.  I'm not an electrical guru, so I don't know...

So I dropped my 404s, thankfully on the carpet, but I busted one of the small pegs on the "case holder".  I'm trying a little gluing op first, but in the worst case, is there a potentially better place for replacement parts than "Stax USA" as Yamas never gets high marks.  Wouldn't mind if it was...

I've got 404s, 003s, and HD580s, which would certainly compare well to the 600s. The 580s sound spectacular and I like all of them for what they deliver.

Quote: They are fantastic.  Have a pair along with a pair of 404s.  I use the 003s at work for 2-6 hours a day.  They can be uncomfortable at first after an hour or two, but eventually you get used to them.    

Quote: My favorite stop for used gear in Japan (Tokyo) is Audio Union.  Their website is http://www.audiounion.jp/index.html   If you want to check their used inventory, just type "stax" in the top search bar.  If you restrict your search to "中古" you will get used only.  The search...

Quote: While I bought my Stax 404 setup used on ebay, my 252 amp and SR-003 cans were bought on a trip to Japan (and a follow-up trip to get another SR-003).  The SR-003 is cheap enough to not get heartburn over the exchange rate.  I was tempted to get a 307, 407, or 507 when I was there...

If quality remains the same, I say build build build in China!  I've been wanting to get more Stax gear, but the very weak dollar against the yen keeps me from doing it.  Building in China where the currency is no longer pegged, but certainly not down as much as the yen/dollar rate, is a...

Anyone know where I can pick up some SR-003s (my pair at work are being a bit flaky) cheaper than Yodobashi in Tokyo?  Here in Japan for work for the week and went by one place (Akihabara Outlet) which ended up not having them in stock.  I will be back in Tokyo Friday night for my Saturday...

Quote: Ah, but words like "lots" and "dark" are subjective terms.  As an engineer, I try to avoid those warm fuzzies.  Now make a comparison of those various amps in terms of technical specs and also the power/voltage requirements of a chosen headphone, and can talk Fuji apples to Gala...

Quote: Or just one of those instances where ears aren't objective but subjective.  I will say that the nice thing of having listened to the 507s in Tokyo and judging for my own ears if they were worth the money, my subjective conclusion was that the "upgrade" wasn't worth the cost at this...

FYI, when I was in Tokyo a couple of weeks ago I listened to the 507s (and 007, 202, 303, and 404 - I also own a 404 and 003).  Difference wasn't enough to "upgrade".  They all sounded different, but different does not mean better.  You really just have to sit down and listen to each if you are...

Personally I like to buy in person in Japan.  Make a vacation of it, listen to some nice gear, and come home with something.   Quote:

I made it out of Japan without spending any $$$ on Stax gear.  No regrets not getting the 507s after listening to them in comparison to other gear (202, 404, and 007) and considering the strong yen.  Now with the rumored 207s I see the 507s as similar to the 202 to 404 gear - slightly different...

Quote: Which one? I was actually at the Shinjuku location since my wife wanted me to pick up some used opera CDs. When we were here on vacation in April, we found the classical disk union and she broke the bank.  I browsed around the Audio Union next door.  BTW, they have the 507s at that...

  Quote: This stuff is all subjective anyway.  Just like the cable debate.  Psychoacoustics and the dent these things make on the wallet go a long way towards making things sound spectacular.  When I first heard Stax last fall in Tokyo, I couldn't tell you whether the 202/252 or...

Quote: Never heard the LEs.

Flew into Japan today and my hotel is half a block from the Yodobashi in Akihabara.  Guess what they have in stock?  You guess it, 507s.  And they had them on display as well at their listening stations.  I was swapping between the 202s, 404s, 007s, and the new 507s.  The 202s were driven from a...

Quote: From where?  66150 yen is the lowest I find.  Not that I'll get a pair when I'm in Tokyo this weekend, but I will search them out for a listen.  The lousy exchange rate is keeping me from these at the moment.  I really hope the Japanese government's efforts to weaken the yen work. ...

Ditto living in Houston and having no issues with my 404s or SR-003s, but then again I do all my listening indoors where the humidity is a consistent 40-60%.  I can see how taking them from an air conditioned environment outdoors could introduce some short-term issues.  Condensation forms...

Go for the 2050 system.  The SR-202s sound great and the 252 amp gets the job done.  I've actually got a 252 at work and use either my 404s or my SR-003s on them.  For where to buy, the prices out of Japan can be a bit steep.  $550-600 for new from an overseas shipper.  I picked up my 252/SR-003...