Harman-Japan-A visit to Japan

[Ducatista47]

Ian, dude!
I really admire your "Just do it" attitude in regard to your globe trotting adventures. Most of us play it safe and stay in one place almost all the time.

Numerous Australians visit my FedEx counter at work. They tell me that while something like ten or fifteen percent of Yanks have been abroad, ninety percent of Australians have. They also corroborate that many live and work elsewhere more or less permanently. I had no idea our cultures were so different.

One thing never seems to change. I have never known or met an Anzac (to also give New Zealand its due) I didn't like. Ian in particular I like a lot, by the way. He's a real prince.

Clark

[Ian Mackenzie]

Hi Steve and Clark,

You are too kind.

Lest we forget Don's visit was perhaps more noble and Rick has also paid a visit to Japan. (where is Don these days?)

Ian

[SEAWOLF97]

Numerous Australians visit my FedEx counter at work. They tell me that while something like ten or fifteen percent of Yanks have been abroad, ninety percent of Australians have.

When we were in VietNam last year, the Aussies were everywhere...its like Hawaii for them ie: only a 6 hour flight and lots of cheap beer.....and yes, I've never met an Aussie that I didnt like or feel like I'd known them 20 years on first meeting.
Have a friend in Sydney who keeps inviting me down, really nice guy who travels to Italy often...friendship started with a 1 tweeter eBay sale.

OBTW: they are getting hammered ...100AUD=62USD as of last week..

(Ian's pix sure bring back memories of R&R in Tokyo - Xmas '69 (and Taipei,Hong Kong,Bangkok & Manila too))

[Ian Mackenzie]

The local Reserse banks decision to reduce interest rates 1% has effected the exchange rate. This time last year it was in the 90's.

I dont think the exchange rate or distance stops people travelling, We have plenty of American back packers and London has always been popular as a travel destination.

I would rather spend money travelling than on Ebay.

Ian

[saeman]

Hi Ian:

Thanks for the continued posting of your pics. Many of them are familiar from my recent visit although we were there in January and the weather was not as nice as you recently had. I'm glad you had time to visit Dynamic audio in Akihabara. I recall 7 floors with the cheap Radio Shack stuff on one and the quality going up with each stop of the elevator. Of course the new Everest was on 7 and I had a chance to listen to them for short time.

I hope to make a return trip next year if time and money permit.

Rick

[robertbartsch]

I've been to Asia 33 times on business now and I just returned from Malaysia last week. I have been to Japan's Akihabara (??) once when I lived in Japan (Toyko Marriott) for several months in the 2003 time frame.

Back then, the dollar was so week against the yen you could not afford to buy much.

Anyway, I've seen a few Japanese homes and I wonder how they could fit the larger JBL systems inside. Some of their appartments make NYC appartments look spacious.

Does anyone know why JBL does not sell consumer speakers in the United States of America? I have cobbled togeather a few systems based on professional series drivers and networks which have turned out well but I assume JBL could make money on this if the marketing was done correctly.

Does anyone know if the components sold in Japan are manufactured in the United States? Wow, that would be a revalation!

[4313B]

Does anyone know if the components sold in Japan are manufactured in the United States? Wow, that would be a revalation!

The only components showing on the Harman Japan website are the 1500AL, 435BE and 045BE, all of which are manufactured in the U.S.A. by JBL Professional and then sold to JBL Consumer and Harman Japan. Lower quality transducers are now manufactured in Mexico along with many JBL loudspeaker systems. Some transducers are sourced from other manufacturers.

[Ian Mackenzie]

On the bullet train I passed through a number of areas and will post some pics of properties.

Its hard to make a generalisation on the size of rooms systems the K2 and DD66000 are used in over in Japan because we dont know much about the properties of the prospective buyers.

It would seem that due to population density and perhaps building codes fitting in a pair of 4350's would be a squeeze.

On that score I found the bars were tiny often like a train carriage..narrow and no more then a few yards long.

The Jazz bars were more like cafes's, we were no more then 3 metres from the 4344Mk11s and 4-5 metres in the case of the bar with the 4343's.

It was kind of cute and I think the sound of those systems definately added to the jazz feel of the place. in fact on googling it would seem the Japanese worship the 4343's for their jazz. The sound of 4343 system with the Aleph 2's was surreal and I would highly recommend that combinaton to any 4343 owner.

I recall when I heard John Nebels 4343's side by side with the 4435's I preferred the 4343 on jazz recordings while John preferred the 4435's for his classical recordings.

Ian

[4313B]

I never actually compared the S4800 to the 4338 but I did hear the smaller S4600. Both were nice.

I put all three into the Technical Reference section for those who are interested in such things.

[Ian Mackenzie]

Excellent.

Did the brochure arrive?

My immpediate impression is maintaining a narrower enclosure width wasa key design goal for the S4800 and the S4600 hence the 900 hertz crossover point and the smaller horns.

The S4600 was one of the smoothest responses I have seen and it sounds that way.

[4313B]

Yes, the brochure arrived. That was very nice of you. Thanks.

[Ian Mackenzie]

I think its a really great brochure, the pics sell the product even if you can't read Japanese.

I guess we will both have to take classes!

Ian

[Ian Mackenzie]

Numerous Australians visit my FedEx counter at work. They tell me that while something like ten or fifteen percent of Yanks have been abroad, ninety percent of Australians have. They also corroborate that many live and work elsewhere more or less permanently. I had no idea our cultures were so different.

One thing never seems to change. I have never known or met an Anzac (to also give New Zealand its due) I didn't like. Ian in particular I like a lot, by the way. He's a real prince.

Clark

I wonder what it would cost the Fedex a slab of VB over to you?

I reckon it would get there short of a few tinnies!

Ian

Ian

[jack_bouska]

I was recently privileged to be selected as the 2009 distinguished lecturer by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and I spent the first half of this year visiting a few dozen cities spread across four continents (see my itinerary at: http://tinyurl.com/oeesqe )

One of the destinations on my tour was Tokyo, Japan, (first week of July) where I had a chance to visit the Akabara district, and (by pure chance) audition the DD6000 in the same shop as Ian. I am including a photo, where you can see that one year later, the line-up of speakers on display hasn't changed much. It was interesting to hear the units, and more interesting to inspect the horns up close, and physically touch them (to check for curvature and inflection points). This audition and inspection confirmed some of my suspicions about the design, and I will post more when I get a chance (stupidly busy at work, as usual). For now, a picture is worth a thousand words,
Jack Bouska

[4313B]

It was interesting to hear the units, and more interesting to inspect the horns up close, and physically touch them (to check for curvature and inflection points). This audition and inspection confirmed some of my suspicions about the design, and I will post more when I get a chance.

G.T. finally got a pair of Everest II's a couple weeks ago as well as a pair of K2-S9900's.

Here they are waiting for the truck to take them home.