My listening room in the Japanese countryside

Introduction to my listening room and playback system in Japan, with a discussion about listening to music at home, and living in peaceful harmony with neighbors.

[@zocato0005]

Very cool! Nice vintage equipment. My first “Walkman” was a Victor band. Enjoy your ikigai.

[@samuelsalins8309]

Amazing ✨️👍

[@ricefieldrecords]

Thanks for the visit

[@Ambie86]

Really like your listening space! Pretty cool! Beautiful view you have too. Japan is a fascinating country.

[@ricefieldrecords]

Thank you very much. Congratulations on your recent VCLT gifts.

[@Ambie86]

@@ricefieldrecords Thank you! Rod is a sweet friend :)

[@VintageLuxmanStereoCollector]

Glad to see another vintage Luxman fan! Nice Denon gear too and I have a Denon 103r cart too. Traveled to Japan four years ago as part of a tour. I wish I had more time to go see the record stores and wonderful stereo gear resellers. I do buy Japanese pressings online from Ella Records in Tokyo. Excellent store. Best wishes👍👍

[@richardriley4415]

Welcome to the VC. Nice room. I love seeing peoples set-ups.

[@ricefieldrecords]

Thank you @Richard Riley - I've recently been thinking about isolating components using concrete forms and brick. Photos of your speakers confirmed it is viable.

[@freeradical6390]

Built homes in Sendai back in 95-96, loved Japan! Great place to listen to music!

[@ricefieldrecords]

That's great! lived in Tokyo in the early 90s and worked for an Apple partner in Shinagawa. Wonderful times. Then the bubble burst... Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@freeradical6390]

@@ricefieldrecords I think it was called the Repungi district in Tokyo where all the clubs were. lol

[@kblack3970]

Nice video and thank you for sharing. My time in Kyushu (3yrs) has definitely changed how I affect others. Unfortunately, I live in the states where loud exhaust noise and loud car music is the norm! Cell phones ringing in public and the lack of respect for humanity (gun violence) makes this place feel like a war zone. Enjoy the Peace!

[@SteviesVinylCupboard]

Lovely place you have there, am familiar with those metal frame windows and loving the rain chain. I used to live in a very rural place and its amazing the difference with zero noise and being able to see the stars at night. You have your own rice field, I used to have escaping sheep. Loving your gear, these kinds of vids are inspiring me to refine my own set up n aim high.

[@ricefieldrecords]

$1800 USD - that is/was the total cost of my set-up, including every cable and accessory. I tell you for inspiration and not bragging.

[@SteviesVinylCupboard]

@@ricefieldrecords Sounds like money well spent. Some people spend that on an ugly giant TV so great value I would say, for the pleasure it brings. I am currently renovating a vintage Sony amongst other things so my audiophile debut video awaits

[@jonathanlane5432]

I’m envious. Lots of luck to you and your wife.

[@festersuncle6298]

My Sansui Amp is very Bassy. Same goes for my Technics Receiver. Both Japanese.

[@vinylmartini3377]

Thanks for your cultural insights and welcome to the VC. Looking forward to future shows. Cheers.

[@harrysmusicroom]

really enjoy your tales of Japan thanks for sharing them.

[@ricefieldrecords]

Find a couple more record collectors with Asian spouses and we could do some livestreams.

[@kenmicallefjazzvinylaudiop6455]

Excellent!!

[@sloboat55]

You can't ask for more, 84db is sweet. Dug the vid, Augusta, ga.

[@nkenchington6575]

Great stuff! I'm lucky enough to own Accuphase stuff, and live in rural Thailand.

[@andmoreagain]

i love this video wish i lived there

[@ricefieldrecords]

I'll do my best to present more video of Expat life in Japan

[@TheVinylSalute]

Great video Rice, I learnt something today.

[@stuartlevine5408]

Hello, I am too, an American, vinyl record enthusiast and resident of Japan. My wife, daughters and I live in Niigata City. We have a friend in Saitama. May I ask why you moved from the rural countryside to Saitama?

[@ricefieldrecords]

Sure. We're in our mid-60's. My wife does not drive and we don't have kids. The considerations were very simple. As we age, it's better to live near great hospitals. Saitama affords us that access. No seniors use the second floor of any single family house. It becomes storage. We figured, get everything onto one floor and have the convenience. We are at 77 sq. meters now, but our new place is laid out like a NYC 2-BR apt and a few minutes walk to out train station. In 60 minutes, we can be in Ikebukero, Shinjuku or Shibuya.

[@stuartlevine5408]

Thanks for your reply. I can understand the importance of living near a city with good doctors as I'm approaching 67 years old. While I'm writing you, I just wanted to add that I was, too, a big fan of Genesis. And I would agree that Foxtrot may be their best album. I liked them up until "Invisible Touch." Didn't care for that record or the stadium tour which followed. @@ricefieldrecords

[@Universityofvinyl]

My 2nd table is a vintage Sansui direct drive which looks remarkably similar to that Denon….interesting

[@ricefieldrecords]

I first learned about the DP47F from TechMoan on KZbin. He did a great piece on it. The headshells are unique to the TT and cost around $25-$45USD in Japan and sometimes there’s a wait till a seller appears online. Thanks for your comment, U of V. You need to make some T-shirts and schwag with your great name and logo. I want to be an Alumni!

[@HaraldMacGerhard]

Nice ❤

[@ricefieldrecords]

Glad you like it

[@HaraldMacGerhard]

@@ricefieldrecords The thing is, there is nothing like the magic of a great setup with standmount speakers, you always lose something when you scale up in size to large floorstanders, part of that magic is disappearing, you may lose that sense of being there…. There are some few exceptions like some Sonus Faber’s, but then price point is getting out of hand. I really really like that setup of yours 😎

[@ricefieldrecords]

Check out my video of the ‘23 audio fair in Tokyo. It’s just visually fascinating is all.

[@53puskas53]

I want to live in Japan even more after watching your video!

[@ricefieldrecords]

O’ Wow! Well, the countryside is quiet and the cost of living is low.

[@diamond_marimba]

I live right by the highway so I can appreciate the value of silence. I do wonder how my music sounds to the neighbors...they would complain directly to me, via text haha. nice listening space.

[@michaelvalentini4869]

Turn it up Alex, the airplanes are too noisy, I can't hear your music, over here!

[@ricefieldrecords]

In Tokyo, the neighbors will sometimes call the police to tell you to turn is down.

[@michaelvalentini4869]

@@ricefieldrecords Michael, check out the band, Egg's album, ''The Polite Force''

[@jamiesmith6838]

Class act. Denon & Luxman. Can't go wrong. Not familiar with the speakers?

[@ricefieldrecords]

(machine translation of the original data sheet) ""VICTOR SX-700 Spirit; A speaker system developed to express music at low volume without breaking the music balance. The 25.0cm cone type Woofer is carried in low-pass. The cone made from Kurt Muller is adopted as the material of the diaphragm. Furthermore, by adopting a conical dome on the cone surface, the rigidity of the diaphragm is improved while utilizing the lightness of the woofer, and the radiation characteristics are further improved. The 5.5cm soft dome type squawker is carried in the mid range. The soft dome made of hemp is adopted as a diaphragm, and natural and the characteristic are acquired. Furthermore, the short horn is equipped in the front of a squawker, radiation characteristics are greatly improved, and a high-density reproduction is realized in combination with a round aluminum die-cast frame which prevents disturbance of sound. The 3.5cm soft dome type tweeter is carried in the high region. The diaphragm of this unit is made of double-coated silk, which is also used for the shutter film of single-lens reflex cameras. Are laminated uniformly. This realizes a light, yet stiff diaphragm, excellent transients, and greatly improved directional characteristics. Moreover, the disorder of sound is reduced by adopting a newly designed round shape aluminum die-cast frame. Alnico magnets are used for the magnetic circuit of all units. Alnico is an alloy composed of nickel, cobalt, aluminum, etc. and boasts excellent magnetic properties such as high density and uniform magnetic flux distribution compared to ferrite magnets. For example, the electrical resistance is 45μcm, about 1/200 of that of conventional ferrite (10,000μcm). In order to take advantage of the excellent characteristics of this Alnico, the woofer and the tweeter have adopted the inner magnet type with little magnetic resistance. Moreover, the ring type which escapes the back pressure of a vibration system is adopted in the squawker. The front baffle, which has a significant effect on sound quality, employs a pine MDF with moderate internal loss, sound speed, and high bending stiffness. The exterior is veneer finished with natural oak and carefully painted to improve the texture of the wood and achieve a beautiful sound. Furthermore, by adopting a new G-line unit layout based on Victor's unique sound intensity method, clear sound image localization and natural sound spread are realized. Furthermore, a cabinet with extremely high rigidity is realized by high-speed and high-pressure compaction. The sound absorbing material uses 100% wool, which is a natural material, to reduce the inherent sound. The gilding input terminal corresponding to bi-wiring is adopted. This terminal also supports banana plugs.""

[@jamiesmith6838]

@@ricefieldrecords Wow! Thank you for all the science. I don't think B&W or KEF goes through such length of detail in their manufacturing? I've never personally read their Datasheets to such conclusions. When I saw these Victors I had a suspicion they were special. Had no idea just how special. I can't recall seeing them in the USA? At first glance, I thought Infinity or Altec Lansing? The mirror image pair was demanded a closer inspection. Thanks again for sharing..& happy listening. P.S. I also have that Denon 47f!

[@ricefieldrecords]

@@jamiesmith6838 They never shipped them to the US. That I got confirmed. I don't know the reasoning behind it. Probably costs and they were worried the big dimples on the woofer would be completely misunderstood by US buyers.

[@jamiesmith6838]

@@ricefieldrecords That would explain not seeing them. But, not reading a press write-up is a head-scratcher? The U.S. has a couple of international audio magazines. What I do know, Japan has always produced highly respectable audio products! Some are still a Japanese market only! I still believe Japanese audio like Luxman, Denon & currently the reintroduction to the hi-end by Yamaha & Technics all can hold their own against anyone! Granted, I'm still an enthusiast of Spectral Audio & others. My desire was always High-Speed Electronics! Most manufacturers do not even list Rise Time, Settling & Slew Rates? Sansui did! For me, it was the next best thing to a Spectral. I'd say, it's equivalent to listening to electrostatic speakers from dynamic speakers. All the pros of electrostatic speaker listening with none of their inherent liabilities.

[@Grooverski]

Keep finding these new cool vids. 😂

[@ricefieldrecords]

I’m glad you like this one. It’s a personal favorite of mine. I used that speaker placement method from the video I shared with you. It took me most of the day. It’s the best possible placement for those speakers of mine.

[@Grooverski]

@@ricefieldrecords Beautiful countryside btw. I envy your peaceful and quiet surroundings. It was also interesting to hear about social interactions and how much that culture values privacy and personal peace/space. 👍🏻🍺

[@ricefieldrecords]

@@Grooverski it’s so much a part of life here. Not a day goes by that I do not hear the phrase “we Japanese” interjected into the conversation as a way to make me aware of the huge cultural differences between east and west. I don’t mind. I embrace it. I have no choice :-)

[@Grooverski]

@@ricefieldrecords You have better chance to be accepted by people of Japan than inclusive side of the VC. 😉🤣🍺

[@michaelvalentini4869]

michael, i live near T.F. Green airport, my friends call me, ''Jazz fan living closest to an airport'', it's a very long name, but I wear it with pride! Japanese do it better, they don't like ''excess'' but only the unadorned Truth and good old fashioned ''common sense''.

[@ricefieldrecords]

Yes, practicality is evident in all aspects of life here. As well as politeness and manners. There is no sarcasm here. Well there is, but it needs to be incrementally presented in order to not appear rude.

[@michaelvalentini4869]

@@ricefieldrecords do they use a banana instead of a hammer to ''quietly'' pound down those nails( yes, i'm being sarcastic).

[@davidbryanbartlett4071]

If you could raise your recording volume would be better / Are you finding many friends over there

[@ricefieldrecords]

Yes. One of my closest friends from college lives less than an hour away from my new home. I’m running into a lot more Americans. Just met a New Yorker who lives near my train station. He’s lived in my neighborhood for 17 years.

[@KB-os6lh]

Would love to visit Japan one day. What are the current entry requirements? Cheers from Australia.

[@ricefieldrecords]

Individual tourists are OK now. They’ve dispensed with the group tour limit. Exchange rate is the best it’s been in decades. Come and shop!

[@nick7813]

And I thought my $300 Panasonic Hifi was good 🤣