[dmgerman]

In this trip to Japan I have discovered that buying second hand headphones is a good option, specially in the age of the Internet.
 
E-earphone is a very good shop, and if you ever visit Japan, it is one of the required stop for any head-fi-er. I was surprised to find a lot of second hand options. Not all of them were great deals, but some are. For example, you can buy SE846 for approximately 67k yen (~560 USD depending on exchange rate) or the IE800 for 50k (~420 USD) after the tax is discounted--if you are a tourist. They accept credit cards.
 
E-earphone has an online store: http://www.e-earphone.jp/shopbrand/045/X/?head
 
You can browse it using google translate and get an idea of prices. Another thing I noticed is that they have some "single" iems, in case you have one damage. The staff I dealt with had perfect English. They would let you try it for as long as you want (they have nice tables for you to sit down). The warranty is 3 months (replacement for similar product).
 
While I was at the store I would use their website to find the specific item, and then translate it (using google translate) to see the full description of the state of the headphones. At the Akihabara store they had lots of different headphones and other stuff. Given the current exchange rate, it is a very good option to check the prices there too (in case you visit japan in the short future). Just keep in mind: there are several branches, so make sure you check the location of the item. Also, not all items are listed online.
 
--dmg

 

[Jnjy]

Thanks for saying they do tax rebates. Heading to Tokyo on vacation as well. Surely one place ill visit.

 

[eug]

I was just there three weeks ago. It's a fantastic shop. Definitely a must-visit.

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
The entrance isn't very obvious. The only signage is that lit sign. You have to enter the building and take the lift up.
 

 
This is the Google Maps location:
https://goo.gl/2eeHwG

 

[ACheah]

hey guys, just a quick question. does anyone know they do CIEM and ship it over seas?

 

[eug]

Don't know if they ship overseas, sorry. But they have one entire (smaller) store dedicated to custom IEMs. You can get impressions taken in the basement of that store.
This isn't much use to you, but for anyone else who's interested, the custom IEM store is round the corner from their main store.
https://goo.gl/FbvgmT

 

[dlayman]

I wish something like this was around in the US.  Even high end audio stores only treat headphones as an afterthought, and the big box stores just carry a small selection of mainly overpriced junk.  I could spend days in a place like this.