Tokyo Fostex Shops

[Ropie]

Hi,

I'm not sure if this is exactly the right place to post this but: I will be in Tokyo for a few days in October and wondered if anyone here knew where I could go to purchase a pair of Fostex drivers for a reasonable price?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Piero

[phase_accurate]

Don't know if that is of great help but 12 years ago there was a small shop in Akihabara carrying a lot of Fostex stuff.
I have even seen Fostex fullrangers being sold in Department stores !

Regards

Charles

[CaliforniaBob]

A couple of years ago I saw an enormous number of audio kits at the main Tokyu Hands department store. they had 3-4 tube amp kits, about 6-7 cartridges, and several speaker kits and a tubed CD player kit. Wonderful store - had 7 floors each with upper and lower sections and complete kits and just about everything you ever needed to build or fix something.

However, having said that, you're best bet is still Akihabara.

have fun in Tokyo
Bob

[Scottmoose]

IIRC, I read an article a year back in a UK hifi magazine that found that many of the Japanese equivalents to Dixons / Curry's carried Fostex units.

[TMChan]

http://www.koizumi-musen.com/shop-list.htm

The link is a map showing where is the shops, they all near the JR Akihabara railway station.

[Ropie]

Thank you very much, it seems that they are available in many places then! The big problem of course is going to be deciding which speakers to build...

[OzMikeH]

Magnets are prohibited from aircraft. It's actually illegal to put them in your baggage. If they get a major electronic fault they need to navigate by compass.

You might get away with shielded drivers like the FExx7E ones but you might not be able to convince the inspector if they search your luggage.

Check with the airline before buying your speakers.

[phase_accurate]

I assume there is a possibility to take them on an aircraft. There must be some hundred drivers a day that are transported by aircraft.

But I agree with checking with the airline in advance.

Regards

Charles

[ghpicard]

Originally posted by OzMikeH
Magnets are prohibited from aircraft. It's actually illegal to put them in your baggage.

That's correct, but when I went to the US last year, I made a couple FE166Es sent to my hotel.
Back in the airport I explained with all the due detail to the Check-in employee that I had a couple loudspeakers in the boxes with me (I didn't want to check them with the luggage just out of fear of their cones being destroyed if searched), that had huge magnets and etc, etc. The lady just looked at me and I could almost read the subtitles under her face ... "so what ?").
I repeated the magnet part and she told me "No problem with loudspeakers".

Next, I repeated the same explanation to the people of the X-Ray machine in the gate. This time they looked at me like if I were plainly dumb.

I didn't dare to repeat the show with the plane personnel...

Originally posted by OzMikeH Check with the airline before buying your speakers. [/B]

Yes. That's a sensible advice. I'm not encouraging people to dis-obey regulations, moreover safety ones, but just wanted to put the experience of the guy-next-door on the table.
Perhaps the lack of depth in the standard AATA leaflet helps the general confusion too. Some idea of maximum stray flux could help...

My FE108EZs were sent airfreight, and declared as Louspeakers by the dealer I bought them from. No problem other than the high customs tax... Nothing to do with the magnets though...

Gastón

[ultrakaz]

I'd try to buy the speakers locally, and if not through Madisound. Other than getting them back through the airlines, customs, and intact (from airport inspection- I've had a cone mangled), returning the drivers if there is a problem may be a problem. Fostex should be obtainable via mail order even if you have to pay a little extra.

Perhaps, if you could get a pair of Diatones, cheap, it might be worth the effort.