Why does Japan get the best stuff?

I don't really have any answer to that question - just an example. Recently, I picked up a pair of JVC HA S500 headphones from ebay. These headphones are only sold in Japan - although it is pretty easy to import them from vendors on amazon and on ebay. They are actually pretty cheap - if you were in Japan, they'd only cost you around 40 bucks. Shipped to the US, they end up running around 70.

These headphones are among the first to use carbon nano tube drivers as opposed to drivers made out of materials like titanium or the like. Carbon nano tubes are super stiff and apparently they form a great foundation for a driver. I have a decently collection of portable headphones: PX 100, PX 200 ii, ATH ESW9 re-cabled with canare, and the HD 238 and I've got to say that these are maybe the best of the lot with the possible exception of the ESW9 which wins on sound-stage. The HA S500 fold up though and are pretty lightweight making them ideal for portable usage (18 hour plane flights to Finland? Hello!). They are also emminently modifable - lots of people buy either ATH pleathers/velours or the sennheiser hd-25 pads and they are direct switch outs. Some are even picking up the HM5 pad and just putting them over the stock pads creating a circum aural headphone as opposed to the stock supra aural style. They aren't really anything special to look at (if you want style and sound get v-moda) but they sound excellent and with substantial burn (on the order of hundreds, not tens, of hours) they supposedly mature into a really fine headphone. I think anyone who gets really into a hobby, wine, audio gear, backpacking equipment, fishing, whatever (it really doesn't matter) learns to appreciate a product that punches well above its price - well this is one for the headphile world. Check it out, definitely worth the money, particularly if you are already in the market for a portable and don't want to plunk down the $250 for dt1350s.