[Tasty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trickywombat /img/forum/go_quote.gif orangem: You're only 7 hours away from Jaben in Singapore. Their "Try anything for as long as you like, sell everything at a competitive price with a smile" approach has paid dividends. They're expanding the store because there is a line to get in during peak hours. Everything from MylarOne to UE-11 to ED9, CMOY's to Rudistor/Yamamoto/RSA. I go there when I'm bored, and leave spending a lot of money.

ED9? They've got one of those in there now? Sure would like to give those a listen...

I don't frequent the place as you do I'm sure, but I would really like to pop by when Wilson's got the big guns in the store. He's got a mighty nifty collection, I'll give him that.

To the OP: I'll gladly be your tour guide as and when you come down to Singapore... seems we're both primarily based in Melbourne. I'd love to give your k701s and Opera a good listen one day.

 

[trickywombat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tasty /img/forum/go_quote.gif ED9? They've got one of those in there now? Sure would like to give those a listen... I don't frequent the place as you do I'm sure, but I would really like to pop by when Wilson's got the big guns in the store. He's got a mighty nifty collection, I'll give him that.

Jaben does have the ED9. Tried it out not too long ago with my iQube there. The ED9 and UE-11 customs seem to be the FOTM at Jaben (for the past few months - sometimes there's a wait to get ear impressions). Universal fit demos of the UE10/11 and Livewires are there as well.

Jaben also has a variety of Rudistor amps you can try the ED9 with. I just auditioned the Lisa III there, and it works great with Etys. The current rage among Jaben regulars this week is the Lisa III + Ety ER4 with APS cables. Some teenagers apparently managed to talk their parents into paying for Lisa IIIs and RSA Predators. Lisa IIIs are arriving soon, but they'll probably sell out quickly.

Other things worth auditioning at Jaben include: the complete Senn line, the complete Grado/Alessandro line (including GS1000, HP1), various AKG K1000s with different cables, comprehensive Audio Technica and Beyers, etc. Jaben has iMods as well.

Amps to audition all day (food and restrooms are nearby): Yamamoto, TTVJ Hybrid, Eddie Current, various Corda, RSA and Graham Slee, Lavry DAC (bring your laptop), HeadAmp amps and GoVibe. The Predator and Voyager are the current FOTM.

The other dealer in Singapore that has the ED9 is www.stereo.com.sg
You can also try the various Earmax, iQube and iBasso amps there. Stereo keeps a fully burned-in demo of each item, so even if it's not in stock, you can still audition it.

Both dealers have areas for you to sit down undisturbed, as long as someone else isn't waiting to audition the same thing, and are open till at least 9 p.m. They're also connected by the same subway line, so you could possibly do both in a day.

P.S. Forgot to mention this: There's a dealer in the building across the street from Jaben, Farle, that carries the complete Denon line, so you can try the D1001, D2000 an D5000 there, but bring your own player and amp. The D2000 and D5000 tends to sellout rather quickly, so you'll have to call ahead.

 

[Tasty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trickywombat /img/forum/go_quote.gif Jaben does have the ED9. Tried it out not too long ago with my iQube there. The ED9 and UE-11 customs seem to be the FOTM at Jaben (for the past few months - sometimes there's a wait to get ear impressions). Universal fit demos of the UE10/11 and Livewires are there as well. Jaben also has a variety of Rudistor amps you can try the ED9 with. I just auditioned the Lisa III there, and it works great with Etys. The current rage among Jaben regulars this week is the Lisa III + Ety ER4 with APS cables. Some teenagers apparently managed to talk their parents into paying for Lisa IIIs and RSA Predators. Lisa IIIs are arriving soon, but they'll probably sell out quickly. Other things worth auditioning at Jaben include: the complete Senn line, the complete Grado/Alessandro line (including GS1000, HP1), various AKG K1000s with different cables, comprehensive Audio Technica and Beyers, etc. Jaben has iMods as well. Amps to audition all day (food and restrooms are nearby): Yamamoto, TTVJ Hybrid, Eddie Current, various Corda, RSA and Graham Slee, Lavry DAC (bring your laptop), HeadAmp amps and GoVibe. The Predator and Voyager are the current FOTM. The other dealer in Singapore that has the ED9 is www.stereo.com.sg You can also try the various Earmax, iQube and iBasso amps there. Stereo keeps a fully burned-in demo of each item, so even if it's not in stock, you can still audition it. Both dealers have areas for you to sit down undisturbed, as long as someone else isn't waiting to audition the same thing, and are open till at least 9 p.m. They're also connected by the same subway line, so you could possibly do both in a day. P.S. Forgot to mention this: There's a dealer in the building across the street from Jaben, Farle, that carries the complete Denon line, so you can try the D1001, D2000 an D5000 there, but bring your own player and amp. The D2000 and D5000 tends to sellout rather quickly, so you'll have to call ahead.

Fantastic. Thanks very much for the very informative post... I started on my headphone thing about 4 years ago when there was just about no following in Singapore, and look how things have blossomed. I've been in Melbourne the majority of the past few years and had no idea.

I'll definitely be looking to have a listen to the GS1000, HP1, K1000, APS ER4S, Slee Voyager (I'm actually more curious about the Slee Solo), and perhaps if I'm very lucky, the grand daddy Orpheus.

Time to make a trip down to Adelphi some time.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trickywombat /img/forum/go_quote.gif Jaben does have the ED9. Tried it out not too long ago with my iQube there. The ED9 and UE-11 customs seem to be the FOTM at Jaben (for the past few months - sometimes there's a wait to get ear impressions). Universal fit demos of the UE10/11 and Livewires are there as well. Jaben also has a variety of Rudistor amps you can try the ED9 with. I just auditioned the Lisa III there, and it works great with Etys. The current rage among Jaben regulars this week is the Lisa III + Ety ER4 with APS cables. Some teenagers apparently managed to talk their parents into paying for Lisa IIIs and RSA Predators. Lisa IIIs are arriving soon, but they'll probably sell out quickly. Other things worth auditioning at Jaben include: the complete Senn line, the complete Grado/Alessandro line (including GS1000, HP1), various AKG K1000s with different cables, comprehensive Audio Technica and Beyers, etc. Jaben has iMods as well. Amps to audition all day (food and restrooms are nearby): Yamamoto, TTVJ Hybrid, Eddie Current, various Corda, RSA and Graham Slee, Lavry DAC (bring your laptop), HeadAmp amps and GoVibe. The Predator and Voyager are the current FOTM. The other dealer in Singapore that has the ED9 is www.stereo.com.sg You can also try the various Earmax, iQube and iBasso amps there. Stereo keeps a fully burned-in demo of each item, so even if it's not in stock, you can still audition it. Both dealers have areas for you to sit down undisturbed, as long as someone else isn't waiting to audition the same thing, and are open till at least 9 p.m. They're also connected by the same subway line, so you could possibly do both in a day. P.S. Forgot to mention this: There's a dealer in the building across the street from Jaben, Farle, that carries the complete Denon line, so you can try the D1001, D2000 an D5000 there, but bring your own player and amp. The D2000 and D5000 tends to sellout rather quickly, so you'll have to call ahead.

Sounds fantastic indeed!
A local dealer like that would be any Head-Fi'ers dream. Where they can audition both in-production and out-of-production headphones, with corresponding amplifiers.

We can always pray for more Jaben (like) stores.

 

[G-man]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sounds fantastic indeed! A local dealer like that would be any Head-Fi'ers dream. Where they can audition both in-production and out-of-production headphones, with corresponding amplifiers. We can always pray for more Jaben (like) stores.

indeed. i mean in the whole of london, there is nothing that is even 1% as good, and considering the size, money within, and population of london, that is surprising. its so annoying whenever people talk about first auditioning the equipment, hmph.
sorry for the rant, but i am just so damn jealous.

 

[Ernie II]

Having had a retail store myself with a reasonable range of headphones and amps, I don't think you guys realise just how much overhead is involved. I don't think greed is an issue. Survival is.

And with regards to Jaben, great, but I think there's some pretty significant drivers in the market that are helping to contribute to their success. 1. The need for privacy in such confined urban spaces. 2. An educated market that appreciates good gear. 3. Great service and prices.

The great prices are probably feasible now because of the number of sales now taking place. For dealers in smaller markets, this is not feasible. So when you have a listen to some gear in a shop, just remember you are buying the backup and assurance from someone you can return to. I think given the circumstances maybe some consumers are very greedy themselves...

 

[smeggy]

Also, not every dealer gets the same prices on the same gear. Low volume pays higher prices. Example: our old specialty PC store, the retail chain down the street was selling items retail for less than we could buy them from the supplier. Needless to say our shop went under and the chain is still there. It's how walmart and friends put so many small shops out of business, they can sell for less than other shops can buy. Retailer greed has little to do with it.

 

[krmathis]

It would be great with such stores like Jaben in every larger city.
But I understand the fact that such a store need a certainly sized market to survive. They need to sell quite some 'phone to stay alive, especially with competitive prices.