Headphone Culture in Japan

Headphone culture in Japan

For fellow headphone/earphone enthusiasts, Japanese makers are known  for superbly built gears uniquely differentiating them from their European and American counterparts. Here, earphone and headphone is a common commodity and you can see people using them almost anywhere (based on personal observation) in Tokyo.

For most Japanese, the easiest way to acquire a piece of headphone can be done at department stores such as BicCamera, LABI, or Yodobashi, conveniently located at strategic location close to major train station. These stores usually provide price lower than recommended retail price set by the maker, and if you're a visitor from abroad you can be waived off the consumer's tax (5%) if you show your passport during payment.

Yodobashi-Akiba located at Akihabara, Tokyo.


The best thing about these stores would be almost all headphones/earphones can be auditioned, including those high end models priced astronomically (such as Final Audio Design's Piano Forte or headphones made of exotic materials) that usually is locked in glass display. All you need to do is just wave down one of the staff and indicate you're interested to try it out.

Of course, this is also the land of limited edition gears, like the most recent Audio Technica's 50th Anniversary headphones/earphones. Some other noticeable example would be Shure SE535 Asia Special Edition which is coated in red and said to sounded different compared to the stock SE535.

It takes time to go through the headphones but ultimately you'll be pleased as you have the leisure of trying them out before deciding which is your final choice.
In case you plan to travel to Japan to hunt for headphones, remember to charge up your listening gears before auditioning those headphones!

Just the tip of the iceberg, of all the headphones/earphones you can try over here.


Certain stores have special corner equipped with CD player and amplifier that allows people to audition with their own CDs. Usually the audition headphones are higher end models like wooden ones.

My personal favourite spot would be BicCamera located at Shinjuku station's west entrance (ビックカメラ新宿西口店) at Tokyo, for it's mass collection of headphones, well-maintained and relatively quieter compared to other stores. Other spots I would recommend is Yodobashi Akiba or BicCamera's newest outlet at Shinjuku station's east gate.

If shopping with the mass isn't your cup of tea, it is still possible to purchase them online.

Kakaku.com (Japanese) is a well-known online shopping site where you can compare the price of a specific item and hunt down the cheapest price in town.

Amazon Japan would be more familiar for the international audience. Although they do provide international delivery, unfortunately headphone/earphone is only limited to domestic delivery. However, I've heard of service such that the goods will be delivered to a Japanese address and then they'll help ship the goods to your address out of Japan, acting as the middle man.

Second hand shops is also a good treasure-hunting site if you don't mind used item or if you're short of cash but eager to own a piece of the headgear. Most Japanese kept their stuffs well and even if it's used, it's still in good condition. So far I've visited Fujiya Avic located at Nakano, Tokyo but of course, there are a lot more treasure hunting second hand goods shops out there.

Do keep in mind that American brands (Shure, Westone, Ultimate Ears etc) are being sold more than they cost in the US, and same goes to European cans (Sennheiser, AKG). So if you're looking for non-Japanese headphone, perhaps you should check out your backyard again.

Short Tales of Headphones

Being here in Japan close to Tokyo, one of my favourite pastime is trying out headphones and earphones at department stores around, namely BicCamera or Yodobashi Camera. The simplest reason is because there are a lot of choices and you can test all you want with your own music player almost as long as you want lol.



I for one, would prefer headphone over speaker mainly because of the spacial constraint and financial cost that speakers would consume, compared to the more discreet headphone. For instance, it's possible to get a decent monitoring headphone below 10,000 yen mark while a pair decent monitoring speakers would cost more than 10,000 yen. Plus, considering the space that speaker would take up, it's not really the wisest purchase as Japan's limited space (especially Greater Tokyo/Kanto area).

My personal choice would be Audio Technica, a well-established Japanese brand which eats up quite a large chunk in the headphone market pie. But to keep things in perspective, I'm eager to try out headphones from other brands. Some other I like including Shure, Sennheiser and certain Sony models. And no, I despise Dr Dre Beats at all cost.

Recently Audio Technica had announced a series of new headphones and earphones. including some exotic 50th anniversary editions. While they're mostly out of my reach due to the above-average pricetag, and being collector's item the price will naturally, shoots up.

The 50th anniversary's flagship headphone, W3000Anv, made of sakura wood from Hokkaido.


But there are other new models that are available within most consumer's purchase ability. A worthwhile mention here would be the TAD500, an open-air headphone related to Audio Technica's popular AD series, the Air Dynamic line.

TAD500


My initial impression trying it out was pretty good, considering that I'm trying it out at quite a noisy environment, which normally open-air couldn't bring out it's potential as it's weak to the surrounding noise. Most importantly, TAD500 cost just below 6k yen, way cheaper than most of the AD series counterparts.
To put it simply, TAD is cheaper AD headphone, albeit the material may not be as solid as AD's, the sound quality is there.

Another I'd like to mention would be the king of Audio Technica's CKM series (in-ear earphone line), CKM1000. Launched at the same time as the 50th anniversary goods, although I only tried it briefly, but it's obvious that the sound it produces justified the pricetag.



I'm not sure whether it's already available elsewhere in the world or not, but even if it's not it's pretty likely to be available by next year should Audio Technica goods are available at your area.

As for myself, my most recent acquirement is this wooden headphone, W1000X.



Got it at a very attractive price, and to my surprise, it sounds quite well directly from iPod without going through any amplification. Normally higher-end headphones like these made of wood would require some extra push to bring out it's full potential. For the time being, I'd just play around and enjoy the gears I'm having right now.

Well that's all for this short update regarding audio.

Earphones Macro Shots

I was kinda bored the other day so decided to take some pics of the earphones lying around the table.
After tested awhile I find it to be quite a good exercise to practise macro shots.

These are actually a very basic pair of earphones by Sony, MDR-E10LP.


The Sony Walkman logo.


Closeup of the main casing unit. The casing is semi-transparent so you can see the cable inside it.


Closer look into the transducer unit.



Long ago before I've discovered in-ear monitors, IEMs (aka canalphone), I would stuck with these kind of earphones (earbuds for some) enjoying music from my Creative MP3 player. The best earphone I had back then was a puny Creative EP-50.

The problem with earbuds is that it's not easy to get a nice fit on the ears. When you can't get a good fit, there'll be sound leakage thus hampering the listening experience. One symptom is the earbud wouldn't last long on the ears and will keep falling. It's quite annoying to keep readjusting the positions.

It was sometime around 2008 when I get serious with audio stuffs thus "invested" in my first pair of IEMs.

This is the current IEM I frequently using. Mylarone Bijou 4 by the Korean company Crossroads.


Attached to the earphone is the double-flenge eartip, for better sealing.



It's one of the better sounding IEMs I ever had so far, been using it like almost everyday especially during commuting.

One of the recently acquired IEMs is this Audio Technica ATH-ANC3, noise-cancelling earphones.

The portable case.


Not too dull design.





The control for the noise-canceling function.


It's not bad but I seldom use it as it's specifically used when I need to enjoy music in noisy environment like in the train or in the plane. The noise-canceling does work quite well though it can't cancel out every noise but heck, not even Sony's expensive noise-canceling headphonecan achieve it as well!

A shot of the bigger headphone, Audio Technica ATH-M50.


So far the best audio gear, the best sounding headphone I ever own. Got it a year ago.

Besides Sony, this is the other brand which I had faith in for audio stuffs, Audio Technica.

New Sony Walkman Music Players

It's been awhile since I update the audiophile hobby of mine here, but today I've been very excited since getting updates of the new Sony Walkman music players via the subscribed RSS feeds.

First off, the mid-end S series, S640 & S740.

S640


S740


Screen: 2.0" LCD (TV output at 720×480 (SD) resolution available)
Storage: 8GB, 16GB & 32GB (S740 only) flash memory.
Earphone: MDR-EX300SL (S740's earphone is similar to MDR-NC33)
Sound Enhancement: Noise-cancelling (S740 only), Clear Bass, Clear Stereo, and DSEE.
Functions: FM Radio, ability to display lyrics (might be limited to Japan models only), play speed control
Battery life: 42 hours music playback. 10 hours video playback.
Codec:
Music -MP3, WMA, AAC, HE-AAC, ATRAC, ATRAC AL, PCM/wav.
Video - AVC (H2.64), MPEG-4, WMV.

The difference between the S640 & S740 is the design of the player (S640's plasticky feel while S740's metallic feel), the noise-cancelling function (exclusive for S740), the earphone and the 32GB which is exclusive to S740.



I had the previous generation S730 series, and still using it now. Quite happy to see the improvement in the hardware and quality, but sad to see the demise of the auto playlist SensMe Channels.

Next up, the higher-end version A series, A840.





2.8 inch WQVGA OLED screen (with TV output function at 720X480 resolution)
Slim design with the thickness of 7.2mm.
Storage: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
Sound Enhancement: S-Master digital amplifier, Digital Noise Cancelling, DSEE, Clear Stereo, Clear bass, and lyric display.
Earphone: MDR-EX300SL (with NC function, similar to MDR-NC33)
Battery life: 29 hours audio listening. 9 hours of video playback
Codec:
Music - MP3, WMA, AAC, HE-AAC, ATRAC, ATRAC AL, PCM/wav.
Video - AVC (H2.64), MPEG-4, WMV.

Another fine piece of gadget by Sony, this is the new flagship model which I believe will get along together with the current flagship touchscreen X series.
I'm kinda interested to know which would sounded better, though I'm slightly biased towards the A series due to it's better earphone, the MDR-EX300SL.



The new S series & A series is likely to be available by November. Still don't have much idea bout the pricing but I guess there's a price to pay if you wanna enjoy high quality music.

For me, I'm actually tempted to get the A series in the future. Love the sound of the current player, but A series will definitely sounded better as it comes with the S-Master Digital Amp that builds in within the player itself. Besides, I love the noise-cancelling function too, glad it didn't been taken away heh.
A 16GB is not enough for me, so I'm likely to get 32GB or 64GB model. Budget budget, hmm.....

Left to right: A840, S640, S740, S730.


Anyway on to give my advice whether you should get the new Walkman players or not, do take a few points into consideration:
- It performs superb in music-playback but doesn't comes with fancy application like those in iPod.
- Video-playback is average. Screen is not the biggest and limited codec supported, which means you gonna convert the videos into compatible format (most commonly WMV).
- Noise-canceling only works with the bundled earphone.

Otherwise, it's a real nice piece of gadget to enjoy music-listening to another higher level. :)



P/S: It is OK if you can't really differentiate the model based on the pic, because the design is more or less the same. It would have been better if Sony put in some effort to make each of the series' design unique so that the consumer can easily recognise the model instead of scratching into the details (which most of them wouldn't bother much).

Japanese Audio Updates

Image by CLF via Flickr

I've been here for 2 months+ and I've been noticing the audio scene over here in Japan, generally based on my observations on how common it is for the Japanese hook up their earphones or headphones.

I was quite surprised and baffled by the amount of Japanese put on the earphones and headphones while commuting in the train and walking on the streets.

I think out of 10 persons in the public, at least 2 or 3, had something stuck into their ears, listening (or maybe blocking the noise?).

Riding the bicycle is a common method of transportation for the Japanese, and it's not uncommon to see them cycling while listening. I quickly adopted this habit as I find cycling much more enjoyable while listening to my favourite tunes. :)

Other than those common earphones (let it be earbuds or in-ear monitors), it's quite normal for them to stick with big-sized headphones like those normally used at home.

Back in Malaysia, I've seen only a few people who dared to put on a full-size headphone inside the LRT, but for the Japanese is very common.

Image by CLF via Flickr

From what I observed, the Japanese prefers iPod to any other MP3 players, followed by Sony Walkman. Some would just listen from their mobile phones. What songs they are listening, I had no idea.

Noticeable earphone and headphone brands the Japanese prefers are Audio Technica, BOSE, Sony and Panasonic. I personally favours Audio Technica to another other brands listed above.

From my experience using 2 units of Audio Technica headphones, what I can say is the superb build quality and most importantly satisfying listening experience.

Image by CLF via Flickr

Japan is the motherland of Audio Technica so it's easily available at those

electronic department stores (I wouldn't call it shopping mall because it lacks the kind of comfort and feel of a real shopping paradise like those back in M'sia).

They had almost the full range of the headphone products and able to audition it one by one. Unfortunately, the environment is too noisy to do judgement. Lack of volume and sound input control is something bothering me from making a proper audition of those headphones.

A general guide for audiophiles to decide getting which headphone is to try them out personally to determine whether the headphone suits their "tastebuds" and whether their bank can afford it (not joking, as some high-end headphones can go up to thousand USD!).

This Audio Technica ATH-ES7 is a piece of headphone I would love to own in near future as it's been highly rated among audiophiles. Read quite a lot of Japanese using it due to it's portabality, elegence design and most importantly the superb sound quality it produces.

So far the cheapest ES7 I've found is on Amazon Japan, selling at JPY 11,180 (~MYR 400) compared to the suggested retail price JPY 18,900 (~MYR 673).

I've been tempted to get this headphone, but not so soon.....

Anyway, this is not the end of the audio scene in Japan yet. I've yet to explore some other great discoveries like Denon, another headphone brand native to Japan.

'til then, will be updating when I had made some new discoveries.

Audio Technica Journey

It's been awhile since I last posted something regarding audio here, although occasionally I posted pics of headphones that I came across while doing window-shopping in the department stores.

This makes me happy. :)


Japan is really an audiophile's paradise, especially an Audio Technica fan like me.

My ATH-M30 and ATH-M50 aren't with me currently so I cannot enjoy superior audio listening as I'm using IEM (in-ear monitors) currently. A little IEM can never produce the brilliant sound like a full-size headphones, unless you're talking about those high-end IEMs.

My favourite pair-up back then, Audio Technica ATH-M50 + Sony Walkman S739F.


Now I've been considering getting another headphone, heh..... a lethal hobby that is, keeps venturing into different headphones. Mind you, it doesn't come cheap though.

From the Audio Technica choices available here, I'm down to 2 headphones which both cost the same at 14,800 Yen. Converted back to MYR, it's about RM 532. Scary price huh....

My choices are:

ATH-ANC7, noise-canceling headphone.


ATH-ES7, portable mid-size headphone.


From the feedbacks of fellow forumers, it's said that ES7 is a real player and surprisingly great for that price range. Sound quality is assured after the headphone has been burned in for hundreds of hours.

ANC7's main point is it's noise-canceling function (NC), something which I'm quite devoted into currently. My Sony Walkman comes with NC function and it works very well for me while in the plane and train. It's some sort of bonus for those who wants to enjoy good music and at the same time, enjoy a little peaceful moment with oneself.

I've tried both ES7 & ANC7 headphones in those department stores, but disappointingly the surrounding is too noisy to clearly listen to the quality of the sound produced. Besides, I prefer to use my own audio source to test headphones rather than those provided by the dept store.

I'm leaning towards ANC7 due to it's NC function. Both headphones are portable type which suits me well as I'm planning to bring it around while traveling.
Although ES7 might be a better sounding headphone, but I believe ANC7 will not be disappointing either. So given the same pricetag, I'd go for ANC7. :)

As if for now I can just think and consider it, as I have limited fund here. I might be getting it after I start to work part-time.
I've calculated, I'll need say, roughly a week's wages to afford this headphone if I were to work 4 hours per day, 900 Yen per hour pay.

So many headphones to choose....


There're some other headphones which I considered, but highly unlikely to get it due to the limited fund, and also limited gears as well.
These headphones need proper amplification to bring the best out of it, else it'll sounded rather plain, perhaps slightly better than other conventional headphones.
You'll never want to try those conventional headphones anymore when you've heard the far better sound those top-quality headphones produced.

ATH-ESW9 and ATH-ESW10 Japan. Both are considered premium wooden headphones with superior quality, but needs proper amp to let it shine.



Both ESW9 and ESW10 are actually improved, or perhaps should say, upgraded model of ES7? I can't tell the difference from the sounding now, but surely the price difference can easily kill me off.
You can get 2 ES7s with the price of ESW9.
ESW10 Japan cost ~50,000 Yen, more than my monthly room rental!! O_O

For now I'll just study hard and work hard.... and reward myself with a nice headphone before I going back to Malaysia next year. :D


P/S: Just noticed Amazon Japan is selling at cheaper price than I checked from BicCamera.com. If I were to get the headphone, am likely to pick it up from Amazon Jp. :)

High Fidelity Audio Quality

Today updated my laptop's sound driver, and noticed a new feature added into the console.

Newly added SRS Powered Premium Sound console.


When I was using Inspiron 1420 the stock sound quality of that laptop is weak, so I decided to try out the SRS Audio Sandbox, which works very well.



More detailed console.


Still in the process of trying to configure the best sounding settings for my headphone. Real good stuff it is!

Oh, and here's my desktop shot.....



Noticed something non-Windows? :P

Avatar done by AkiraCEO.com

Love the musical-themed, nice colour combo (red + black), and the very detailed headphone on the head lol.

Many thanks to Jian aka Miao helping me to create this personalised avatar! :D