[JoetheArachnid]

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Why not use Kinokuniya since you're in Seattle?  Prices are actually fairly reasonable since their conversion table for DVD/CDs is different from books, and you get 10% off w/ their membership.  You can special order pretty much anything if you ask them.
 

 
I have searched and searched for ANY place vaguely like this in the UK, but I've come out blank. Even in Chinatown in London, nothing. There must be something somewhere, but if there is I haven't found it yet. The manga section in bookshops is getting noticably bigger, though

- pity it always seems to be situated near the 'Dark Romance' (Twilight+Twilight wannabe) section.

 

[Equus]

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Why not use Kinokuniya since you're in Seattle?  Prices are actually fairly reasonable since their conversion table for DVD/CDs is different from books, and you get 10% off w/ their membership.  You can special order pretty much anything if you ask them.
 
It's too bad there isn't too much in the way of DL sales.  Amazon JP started selling DRM-free tracks, but after trying to get a few albums (out of a not-so-stellar selection) I found they were region-bound on sales.

In general, I actually find prices at Kinokuniya to be about the same as ordering at some of the online shops...granted, I don't have a membership, which is one of the things that I probably should look into.  That and it's just way easier to find what you're looking for online when dealing with a decently indexed web site.  Depending on when you're looking, the CD section at Kino can be horrifically out of order, especially for the anime/game soundtracks.
 
EDIT - btw, are you using your Protector or Zero more for the LCD-2?  I've only really had problems with vocals on the LCD-2 when compromising on my DAC and amp.  Stuff that sounds muddled is usually because...well...it is muddled.  Only when listening with another headphone with some recessed frequencies does it usually get a little less muddy.

 

[MuuMuu]

Definitely recommend you check it out.  They have occasional sales where prices can dip even further, month ago was their anniversary sale when I stopped by to pick up some stuff I ordered and ended up getting all books/CDs for 30% off.
 
At home I go PC(X-Fi Prelude Optical Out) -> ZERO DAC -> WA6.  It's definitely the recording that's bad (no doubts about that), sort of like with most of the K-ON music where everything just sounds like they're all bunched together.  As for the vocals I generally don't see it as a problem, just that I sometimes prefer it more on the T1s.  Mostly on stuff like songs by Iori (ex: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5mnWY7oU1Y ).
 
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In general, I actually find prices at Kinokuniya to be about the same as ordering at some of the online shops...granted, I don't have a membership, which is one of the things that I probably should look into.  That and it's just way easier to find what you're looking for online when dealing with a decently indexed web site.  Depending on when you're looking, the CD section at Kino can be horrifically out of order, especially for the anime/game soundtracks.
 
EDIT - btw, are you using your Protector or Zero more for the LCD-2?  I've only really had problems with vocals on the LCD-2 when compromising on my DAC and amp.  Stuff that sounds muddled is usually because...well...it is muddled.  Only when listening with another headphone with some recessed frequencies does it usually get a little less muddy.

 

[AhokZYashA]

yeah, k-on songs are badly recorded..
but i think i dont have that problem on the newest album

 

[Equus]

Ah, my bad Muumuu...I thought you were talking about the congestion source solely being the LCD-2 for some reason.  Honestly I actually usually find the recordings to be on the harsh bright side, not as much congested.  Might be because of the Assemblage and Stacker.
 
Yeah...I really definitely should check out Kino's membership and what not.  Like I said, it's mostly pure laziness and ease of browsing that keeps me going back online...but we'll see.
 
As for the recording quality of the new album, I haven't spent enough time with it on the Stacker/LCD-2 rig to really make a call on it.  I've listened to it a couple of times on my work portable rig, but it's much more forgiving.  The cassette mix disc is pure love though.  It's just too cute listening to the cast chat.

 

[reiserFS]

Interesting, I thought that the LCD-2 is pretty amazing running from my LD MK VI for female vocals, but didn't beat my T1. The T1 just had more smoothness in the highs, especially needed for japanese female vocals such as Tainaka Sachi. Another thing that should be pointed out is that K-On recordings are badly mastered as mentioned before. Generally speaking, a lot of japanese recordings don't get the right mastering they truly deserve.
 
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Hope those of you that say you'll 'buy em one day' do it within your lifetime; it's been disheartening seeing what happened with fansubs and that group of people.  I'm positive we're all guilty of it to some point, but as a true fan it'll make you feel better and you'll enjoy the music more.
 
I've really enjoyed the LCDs, but can't say they're the absolute best thing for anime music.  Muddled presentations show through it, and the female vocals can be just slightly hollow compared to some other phones.  Still debating whether I want to get rid of my T1 or not -- while the LCDs are far, far more musical in its presentation, with the right vocals the T1s can melt your ears off.

 


Why not use Kinokuniya since you're in Seattle?  Prices are actually fairly reasonable since their conversion table for DVD/CDs is different from books, and you get 10% off w/ their membership.  You can special order pretty much anything if you ask them.
 
It's too bad there isn't too much in the way of DL sales.  Amazon JP started selling DRM-free tracks, but after trying to get a few albums (out of a not-so-stellar selection) I found they were region-bound on sales.

 

[JoetheArachnid]

Panty and Stocking has pretty awesome music though

 
But yeah, there's not a lot in the way of audiophile-quality J-Pop, or what have you. I've found that Hitomi Kuroishi, Rie Fu and school food punishment brush up quite nicely, at least for my rig's standard.

 

[Equus]

Yeah...it's kind of a matter of taste and somewhat dependent on source/amp, I think.  I've heard the LCD-2 not sound so fantastic on other rigs.  The caveat is that I have an amp that was pretty much purpose-built by an ortho-head, so it's not too surprising that I like the LCD-2 in that rig.  I'm also personally sensitive to high frequencies, and the T1 just about slaughtered my ears on a few rigs when listening to supercell.  I can, however, totally see how someone may prefer the treble presentation on the T1.  I haven't put in much time on a LD MK VI, so I couldn't say how well I think the LCD-2 trreble fares on it.
 
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Interesting, I thought that the LCD-2 is pretty amazing running from my LD MK VI for female vocals, but didn't beat my T1. The T1 just had more smoothness in the highs, especially needed for japanese female vocals such as Tainaka Sachi. Another thing that should be pointed out is that K-On recordings are badly mastered as mentioned before. Generally speaking, a lot of japanese recordings don't get the right mastering they truly deserve.
 

Still haven't seen any of that series.  I have a few eps...just never watched it.
 
And yeah...it's a generalization, but a lot of Japanese recordings, especially anime OSTs, seem to tend toward being mixed a little "hot".  There are exceptions, of course.

 
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Panty and Stocking has pretty awesome music though

 
But yeah, there's not a lot in the way of audiophile-quality J-Pop, or what have you. I've found that Hitomi Kuroishi, Rie Fu and school food punishment brush up quite nicely, at least for my rig's standard.

 

[xXFallenAngelXx]

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yeah, k-on songs are badly recorded..
but i think i dont have that problem on the newest album

R u sure they're badly recorded? I see many of their songs ripped at 320kbps mp3s which are perfectly fine...unless you're only looking for flac

 

[JoetheArachnid]

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R u sure they're badly recorded? I see many of their songs ripped at 320kbps mp3s which are perfectly fine...unless you're only looking for flac

I can rip white noise in FLAC - it's still white noise. Chosen bitrate has nothing to do with the actual recording quality - that relies on the equipment used and the quality of the mastering. I tend to reserve lossless for my best recordings, whilst the unwashed masses get 320kbps/VBR. But that's just me, there's not a standard.
A bad recording will still sound bad even if it's encoded in lossless, in other words.

 

[xXFallenAngelXx]

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I can rip white noise in FLAC - it's still white noise. Chosen bitrate has nothing to do with the actual recording quality - that relies on the equipment used and the quality of the mastering. I tend to reserve lossless for my best recordings, whilst the unwashed masses get 320kbps/VBR. But that's just me, there's not a standard.
A bad recording will still sound bad even if it's encoded in lossless, in other words.

My bad, I misinterpreted what the OP said..I thought we were talking about when you ripped the files. Yeah a bad recording will always be a bad recording..wish there was some awesome tech that could fix that. 
 

 

[MuuMuu]

If you're staying in the headphone realm, you'll just have to have multiple headphones and play around with which ones work best for which situations.  Used to listen to most of the crappier recordings off my KSC-75,  Audyssey compensation seems to help darken the sound enough that I can overlook most of the problems like oversampling (which seems to be the biggest problem out there, regardless of genre).
 
The anime jazz CD by Rasmus Faber has been the most mindblowing for me so far -- sounds phenomenal, isn't a quick money-grab jazz arrangement, and keeps the original songs at heart.  Did not see any K-On stuff on Vol2 that's coming out this month, but who knows w/ vol3.  Also haven't had too much to complain about w/ the idolmaster recordings aside from the occasional noise.  Planning to stop buying the CDs after the current series, but that's got more to do with how Namco's treating the series than anything else.

 

[reiserFS]

Indeed, Kajiura Yuki's OSTs have excellent mastering, especially the NOIR ones.
 
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And yeah...it's a generalization, but a lot of Japanese recordings, especially anime OSTs, seem to tend toward being mixed a little "hot".  There are exceptions, of course.
 

 

[AhokZYashA]

i have all of my k-on songs on flac now..
 
and some of the angel beats songs also on flac..
and i prefer the recording on the angel beats songs..
 
much better separation and imaging..
thats what i hear anyway..
 
 
and i seriuosly in love with the cassete mix (on flac of course)

 

[xXFallenAngelXx]

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i have all of my k-on songs on flac now..
 
and some of the angel beats songs also on flac..
and i prefer the recording on the angel beats songs..
 
much better separation and imaging..
thats what i hear anyway..
 
 
and i seriuosly in love with the cassete mix (on flac of course)

OMG I love the angel beats songs though a lot of them weren't in the anime. I have them in 320kbps but hopefully I'll buy the Keep the Beats Soundtrack soon