[bcasey25raptor]

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Just to be smug.
To all those complaining about how far Japan is from the States... I live an hour away by plane! Now I just need to save up enough money to catch a ride, and about enough to spend a week or so there....
 
Food, lodging, cash for new cans... Arggggh! I almost dislocated my jaw (again) when I saw that post!!! Why couldn't I have been born Japanese? T_T
 
Long live the Land of The Awesome Headphones! I mean... Rising Sun! XP
Okay, guess I owe an apology for that unnatural display of corniness 

 
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I wish there would be a headphone or audio store where you could:
 
1. Listen to ever selection.
2. Bring your own source.
3. Pair them up with other products you may be purchasing that might be in the audio.
 
I have hesitated on buying any headphone worth a bunch of money because all I have to go on is reviews on the internet.  If I buy something and don't like it I have to deal with shipping, and they don't cover shipping stuff back.  Even a small local store I would support if they carried a huge line of stuff to be able to hear, and I would pay more for it.

 
Come to Japan on vacation! I have been living outside of Tokyo this year, studying Japanese at a school in the outskirts of Yokohama. There are a few electronics chains, the most well known being Yodobashi camera and BIC camera. They both have big headphone sections where you can do number 1 and 2 on your list. I often go to the local Yodobashi store and listen to headphones. I am thinking of buying a pair of Sennheiser HD 25 1:II for myself and a pair of AKG K518 LE for my wife. I have been able to listen to them with different DAP:s at Yodobashi and BIC camera stores. However, I will buy them back in Sweden since foreign brands are more expensive in Japan. If you want to find cheaper stuff in Japan, you should buy Japanese products.
 
In a few weeks we return to Sweden, which compared to Japan is like North korea - no possibilies at all to test headphones in stores, small selection etc... Today I will go to Akihabara in Tokyo, where there is a HUGE Yodobashi store. Probably my last visit during this stay in Japan...
Let me tempt you with some pictures I found online:

 
The picture above is from the Yodobashi store in Akihabara. I'll go there and try out some headphones. The last time I was there, the HD 25 1:II had no sound on one side. Perhaps they have fixed it...
 
 
It can also look like this, with each maker having it's own booth:

 
 
 
Some headphones are in glass cabinets, but there is no problem to try them out as well if you ask. The service of Japanese staff is probably the best in the world.

 
 
I'll certainly miss living in Japan. Since my wife is Japanese we will of course come here on vacation. And who knows, we might move here permanently in the future.
 
During my year in Japan, I have bought: ATH ES7, ATH M50, Pioneer SE EX9 clip-on earphones and most recently ATH CM700TI. I bought all of them used on Japanese Yahoo auction. Even if they are second hand, they are almost like new, and best of all - half price compared to store prices.
I have also bought two used Japanese MP3 players: a Kenwood HD20GA7 and a Victor/JVC XA HD 500.
 
Japan truly is an electronics nerd's heaven

 

wow.  i want to move to japan. that looks like heaven.

 

[Mushrooshi]

While showing a friend this song with my Grados, he took them off his head, plugged in some Sony XB40s, and said smugly "Ah, much better :]" and I felt defeated...

 

[SoSpecial]

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While showing a friend this song with my Grados, he took them off his head, plugged in some Sony XB40s, and said smugly "Ah, much better :]" and I felt defeated...

Why you should have seen that comming from the start, not everyone likes grado's.
 

 

[chinesekiwi]

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While showing a friend this song with my Grados, he took them off his head, plugged in some Sony XB40s, and said smugly "Ah, much better :]" and I felt defeated...

Preference of sound signature over sound fidelity story in this thread #37283283278.

 

[Szadzik]

So I let another co-worker listen to my BD T5p and Stepdance and he was impressed. Brought his Bose and PX100s to compare. Today he started talking about headphones again and says he wants to buy a portable amp as it makes the sound much better. I had to explain that firs he needs a pair of good headphones and then he can buy an amp. He is now mulling it all over and I bet he will get something soon as he cannot stand someone having gear better than his

 

[turimbar1]

 
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So I let another co-worker listen to my BD T5p and Stepdance and he was impressed. Brought his Bose and PX100s to compare. Today he started talking about headphones again and says he wants to buy a portable amp as it makes the sound much better. I had to explain that firs he needs a pair of good headphones and then he can buy an amp. He is now mulling it all over and I bet he will get something soon as he cannot stand someone having gear better than his

 
hahahahaha he will have a reeaaallly hard time finding anything portably drivable that is better than the t5p's (ED8's anyone?) congratulations on the conversion to audiophilia! I am making my brother into one (as I have noted b4) he left this on my facebook: "What's a good music player that can play flac? I don't think I have any that do. "  lol, he is slowly catching the bug

 

[Szadzik]

 
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So I let another co-worker listen to my BD T5p and Stepdance and he was impressed. Brought his Bose and PX100s to compare. Today he started talking about headphones again and says he wants to buy a portable amp as it makes the sound much better. I had to explain that firs he needs a pair of good headphones and then he can buy an amp. He is now mulling it all over and I bet he will get something soon as he cannot stand someone having gear better than his

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hahahahaha he will have a reeaaallly hard time finding anything portably drivable that is better than the t5p's (ED8's anyone?) congratulations on the conversion to audiophilia! I am making my brother into one (as I have noted b4) he left this on my facebook: "What's a good music player that can play flac? I don't think I have any that do. "  lol, he is slowly catching the bug

I know he is not getting anything as good as that as he prefers portability and noise cancellation over sound quality and has no idea about what's out there
 
Thanks for the congrats, yes I now feel like a real audiophile gear-wise but now I have to learn about sound more.

 

[WhiteCrow]

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While showing a friend this song with my Grados, he took them off his head, plugged in some Sony XB40s, and said smugly "Ah, much better :]" and I felt defeated...

kick him in the balls and tell him hes wrong. always solves the problem.

 

[KuKuBuKu]

Converted my friend Austin to an audiophile a few months ago. He owns a Sansa Clip and Ipod Nano 1G, both Rockbox'd, and he is now looking for some decent portables....
 
I also found someone else who is already a budding audiophile. Owns a set of HD515s, and has a strong dislike for Skullcandy. IMMD.

 

[mralexosborn]

I have a friend named Austin too. I gave him my KSC75's. I thought that was the least I could do after tempting him with the old SR225i's.

 

[KuKuBuKu]

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I have a friend named Austin too. I gave him my KSC75's. I thought that was the least I could do after tempting him with the old SR225i's.

I gave my friend Bryce KSC75's for his birthday. I needed to get him a cheap gift, most of his music was rock and the like, and he was a  huge fan of clip-on headphones. PERFECT situation. Next week he told me what great bass they had, put one of the headphones in my hand, and turned it all the way up until I could feel it vibrate...damn....
 
What happened to your SR225i's?
 

 

[mralexosborn]

I sold them. Duh. 
 
Now to get my SM3's...

 

[KuKuBuKu]

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I sold them. Duh. 
 
Now to get my SM3's...

Aw. 
 
Let us know how the SM3's are.

 

[mralexosborn]

I will, have no fear. Supposedly the beat out most mid-fi cans.

 

[Ishcabible]

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I will, have no fear. Supposedly the beat out most mid-fi cans.

But...they're not blue...

My initial reaction to the fact that you traded your K702's for them was kind of shocked, but meh, different strokes.
 
Oh, and I'll repost what I posted in a different thread, with an update.
 
Okay, so my friend scoffed at my CC51's because he thought they were ibuds. I let him try them today, and he was pretty impressed and confused. Score for MEE!