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Cartridge Shopping. In Tokyo..

Aethelist

Aethelist

pfm Member
Just got back from a couple of weeks holiday in Japan. Not sure if this has been posted here before but it really helped me out in where to buy a new cartridge in Tokyo.


 
Ian (the guy who made this video) is a real gent, he makes some excellent content and always engages with people in the comments, his channel is well worth subscribing to.
 
I see a thread with this title and my tongue sticks out, my eyes are on organ stops- what piece of cartridge magic could I pick up in a Tokyo bazaar? I’ll listen to any stories just for the vicarious pleasure...one day I have to go.
 
We got 141 jpy to the £1. Not great. BTW. If you pay using a visa card at Yodabashi they give an extra 5% discount on top of the 8% you get if you show them your passport (they staple the receipt inside it - easily removed)
If you look at the marked prices in that video (from 2016) the mp300 was 56,000. It was 50,000 last week (less 13%) so just over £300. You can check prices at Yodabashi camera stores website on other carts. They were the same as in store.
Writing this at 3.30 am. Damn Jet lag!
 
You guys should stop complaining about the Yen rate. It hasn't been at this low level for a while. It was indeed lower in 2015 but it was much higher for a long time before that. If you are thinking of the Y250/$ rates of the old days, dream on!
 
Picked up a Shelter 500 a few years at the Osaka branch of Yodobashi and got the 8% tax off but didn't know about the visa deal. Off again later this year so may get a cartridge. Although 141 isn't great its manageable day to day as food etc and hotels are reasonable. The former all the time unless you want top end Kobe beef etc, the later if you book in advance.
 
Any idea of the best cartridge bargains out there? Are any brands more heavily discounted than others?
 
"Be interested to know what you think of it." _ Tony L (I still can't find the quote button here)

Hey, I'm no expert Tony but I've been a fan of Nagaoka carts since the early 80's. My first "proper " deck was a piano black Thorens TD 320 that came fitted with an MP11 Boron from the dealer (Fanthorpes in Kingston - upon Hull) I ran that for a few years and then had an MP11 Boron Gold fitted.

Then I discovered the internet and made the silly mistake that I just had to have an LP12 with a Troika , and when that bored me to death , a Dynavector (10x5) , then an Ortofon Rohmann, then a Audio Technica (ATOC9 , AT33PTG ) But something still wasn't quite right with all of that. So I gave up with Moving Coils, caved in and went back to Nagaoka with an MP110 a few years ago( money well spent in comparison)

I've been well happy since. I got that "thing" back that just sounded "right" in my system. Synergy, whatever. It made my records sound like records again.

The chance to score an MP300 whilst in Japan was too good an opportunity to miss so I bought one.

Not sure when I'll get around to installing it. Will report back when I do though.
 
did you see any Hana SL carts ?
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No. I don't think I did. I was on a mission to find someone who spoke English to open the cabinet so I could buy what I wanted. Very very busy store. Not easy. Sorry.

Denon should be cheaper as well as Audio Technica.
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Actually they weren't by much. Nagaoka were though.
 
flapland said:
This may help. The phasemotion look cheap for what are meant to be excellent cartridges.
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Wot no Koetsus ? I saw them on the video, but not in your list. I ran a check at 141 Y=£ on a few whose British price I know (Benz (imported)) and Lyra (Japanese). No t great deal of difference; maybe 10% cheaper excl. any further discounts, which you may well get here anyway.
 
Aethelist said:
(I still can't find the quote button here)
Click to expand...

Highlight the text you want to quote and 'Reply/Quote' comes up. Click 'Reply' . You may need a few stabs at it, as the highlighting and clicking 'Reply' need slow, accurate and deliberate execution. Quite a few replies end up in the quoted panel so not everybody has a handle on it yet. Surprised I have, t.b.h., with my dearth of internet skills ! Beats quoting a whole post and having to delete unwanted parts, though, as was in the old pfm and still is on another forum.
 
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