u/Emergency-Comedian99

So I'm coming from a budget 5.1 setup. My main use case is watching anime (90% of which is stereo). I really liked the way Dolby DSurround on my Denon X1700H AVR upmixed this stereo into the surround channels (I know that's a controversial opinion). I do often watch bd-rips directly from my pc (hdmi through the wall) for higher bit-rate or surround content. Overall was quite happy with my previous 5.1 system.

However I am moving and for reasons I can't take my old system with me. Whats-more I've decided to switch from surround speakers to a really high end pair of headphones so I'm not constantly bottle-necking my system for worries of disturbing my neighbours (was always concious of "Am I listening too loud right now". Whatever headphone I buy, it will be paired with a seat-kicker for "feeling" bass, and a decent enough amp to drive it properly. I'm also thinking I'll add some kind of WavesNX or other head-tracking option to make them feel less like headphones, and maybe crossfeed as well. Open to any other suggestions! I'll be watching downloaded content directly from my pc or streaming from the google-tv directly most likely (50/50 use case).

I did really like the upmixing with my 5.1 so I could go the HeSuVi route, but I'm thinking it may be redundant to take stereo content, upmix it to pseudo-surround, only to then output it through a stereo source again lol.

The goal is really just for watching movies/tv (90% of which is stereo). Occasional music and single player video games but low use case. Between these two choices which would you recommend? I know the HD800s has the biggest sound-stage, which you could argue makes them replicate 5.1 the best. I've heard they can be a little finicky, hard to drive, and "thin" though. Alternatively the HE1000s seem excellent for everyday listening but would I be sacrificing soundstage meaningfully (especially if I decided to go the HeSuVi route later on?)

Would really love to hear any recommendations! Open to other pairs I haven't considered either. Budget is pretty flexible (although not Smyth Realiser A16 flexible lol). Thanks a lot!

23M Canadian travelling solo to Japan for the first time. Big anime nerd, trying to learn Japanese (reach Pimsleur lvl 3 before trip). Also enjoy J-music and gaming. Set in stone dates are Nov 15 Niigata and Nov 21-23 Tokyo. Budget of about $5,000-7,000CAD.

Moreso looking forward feedback on the route / if it’s too aggressive rather than looking forward things to do. I’m a move-fast-see-more traveller I don’t need to linger long in each place to take it in.

Any feedback is appreciated!

Fri Nov 7  Depart Canada
• Korean Air YYZ → KIX via Seoul — window seat
• Long haul, arriving Nov 8
 
Sat Nov 8  Arrive Osaka (KIX) — Crash
• Landing late so just heading straight to the hotel to sleep
• Maybe grab something from a conbini on the way
Not planning anything this day, just recovering from the flight.
 
Sun Nov 9  Osaka — Recover & Explore
• Taking it easy in the morning to adjust to the time difference
• Dotonbori canal walk — Glico Running Man, giant crab, street food grazing
• Den-Den Town (Osaka's Akihabara) — anime merch, retro games, figures
• Midosuji Illumination at night — 3km illuminated street between Umeda and Namba, free and stunning
• Umeda Sky Building — two towers connected by a floating garden observatory 170m up, with an open-air escalator crossing between towers. Structural engineering marvel, ~¥1,500 to go up
• Shinsekai district for kushikatsu dinner at Daruma — no double dipping in the sauce!
 
Mon Nov 10  Universal Studios Japan
• Full day at USJ — Harry Potter World, Nintendo World, rides
• Going early, have Express Pass for the busy areas
• Super Nintendo World — Mario Kart ride, Power-Up Bands, Bowsers Castle. Get Express Pass specifically for this area
Book USJ tickets + Express Pass online well in advance — sells out
 
Tue Nov 11  Himeji Castle + Kobe → Overnight Nakatsugawa
• Morning train to Himeji (45 min from Osaka) — UNESCO castle, stunning in autumn foliage
• Train Himeji → Kobe (30 min) — world-famous Kobe beef lunch or dinner (splurge)
• Train Kobe → Nagoya → Nakatsugawa, bus to Magome
• Overnight in Magome-juku minshuku — tatami mats, home-cooked dinner
Book Magome minshuku early — tiny inn, very limited rooms (Minshuku Shimada or Oyado Iseya)
Optional: Kenshi Yonezu Nov 11 or 12 at K-Arena Yokohama — requires restructuring this day
 
 
Wed Nov 12  Magome → Tsumago Trail → Overnight Tsumago
• Morning: Walk the Magome → Tsumago Nakasendo trail (8km, ~3 hrs, downhill through cedar forest)
• Dark wood lattice buildings, mountain scenery, zero modernity — pure Edo Japan
• Arrive Tsumago by midday — town is yours once day-trippers leave by afternoon
• Lacquerware shops, gohei-mochi rice cakes, sake tasting, quiet wandering
• Overnight in Tsumago minshuku — lantern-lit evening stroll
 
 
Thu Nov 13  Tsumago → Nagoya → Pick Up Car → Takayama
• Short train to Nagoya from Nakatsugawa
• Drive Nagoya → Takayama (~2.5 hrs through Japanese Alps)
• Sanmachi Suji old town, sake breweries, craft shops
• Overnight Takayama ryokan
 
Fri Nov 14  Takayama → Niigata
• Early: Takayama Jinya + morning markets (open early, done by 10am)
• Scenic drive Takayama → Niigata (~3.5 hrs through Japanese Alps)
• Mountain fog, autumn foliage at elevation, coastal roads into Niigata
• Planning to stop at Lawsons along the way, that feels like part of the experience
• Arrive Niigata evening, check in, seafood dinner
 
Sat Nov 15  Niigata — Ikimonogakari Concert
• Nov 15 is Shichi-Go-San so hopefully I'll see families in formal kimono at shrines
• Explore Niigata city — Sea of Japan port town, real off-the-tourist-trail Japan
• Local sake tasting
• Fresh seafood lunch — crab, yellowtail, whatever's in season
• 18:00: Ikimonogakari at Niigata Prefectural Civic Center
 
Sun Nov 16  Niigata → Kusatsu Onsen
• Drive Niigata → Kusatsu Onsen (~2.5 hrs)
• Arriving early afternoon, getting into the ryokan and putting on a yukata
• Yubatake (steaming hot water field) — stunning illuminated at night
• Yumomi show — traditional water-cooling performance with folk songs (~¥600)
• Public baths: Goto no Yu, Jizo no Yu — Kusatsu is officially tattoo-friendly town-wide
• Full kaiseki dinner at the ryokan
 
 
Mon Nov 17  Kusatsu → Tokyo — Pod Hotel Night
• Activating my JR Pass here since all the expensive shinkansen legs start now
• Train: Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi → Tokyo (~3 hrs, JR covered)
• Check into pod hotel — Nine Hours Shinjuku-North or similar (~¥4,500)
• First proper Tokyo night — Shinjuku ramen, Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho neon
• Just want to wander and take it all in after the road trip
 
Tue Nov 18  Tokyo → Hakone (Overnight Ryokan)
• Romancecar limited express Shinjuku → Hakone-Yumoto (85 min, scenic)
• Lake Ashi cruise with Fuji views
• Hakone Ropeway over volcanic Owakudani valley
• Hakone Open Air Museum — outdoor sculpture park
• Sleepy town wander — Karakura Town vibes
• Overnight at tattoo-friendly Hakone ryokan
 
Wed Nov 19  Hakone → Tokyo — TeamLab & Akihabara
• Getting up early for Fuji views before the clouds roll in
• Morning onsen, traditional breakfast
• Back to Tokyo by midday
• Afternoon: TeamLab Planets (Toyosu) or TeamLab Borderless (Azabudai) — immersive digital art (~¥3,200)
• Evening: Akihabara deep dive — Radio Kaikan, Mandarake, Steins;Gate spots, maid cafe
• Super Potato retro game shop — multiple floors of Famicom/Super Famicom/N64 cartridges, legendary for Nintendo fans
• Pokémon Center Tokyo DX (Shibuya or Ikebukuro) — Japan-only merch and regional exclusives
• Conveyor belt sushi dinner — Sushi no Midori (Shibuya) or Nemuro Hanamaru (Tokyo Station)

 
Thu Nov 20  Tokyo — Anime Pilgrimage + Shibuya Sky
• Suga Shrine in Yotsuya — Your Name staircase (real filming location)
• Shibuya Crossing + Hachiko statue — classic Tokyo
• Mame-Shiba Cafe in Harajuku — sit with actual Shiba Inus, ¥1,000-1,500 for 30 min. Right next to Shibuya. Non-negotiable for a dog person
• Shibuya Sky observation deck at sunset — 360 degree open-air rooftop view
• Kawagoe day trip (30 min from Tokyo) — Little Edo, Gintama/Naruto aesthetic
• Gotokuji Temple (Cat Temple) — hundreds of ceramic maneki-neko lucky cats covering the grounds, free, surreal and completely unique. 30 min from Shinjuku in Setagaya
• Ghibli Museum in Mitaka if September 10 ballot won
• Mogra anison DJ club in Akihabara — check club-mogra.jp for November schedule
• Ryogoku district — sumo heartland of Tokyo. Kokugikan arena, Sumo Museum (free), sumo stables where you may spot wrestlers in yukata. Easy half-hour from Shinjuku
• Special sumo events sometimes run in Tokyo area in November — check buysumotickets.com when tickets go on sale September 19

 
Fri Nov 21  ANIMAX MUSIX Yokohama
• ANIMAX MUSIX 2026 — Yokohama Arena
• All-day anisong festival — lineup TBA, check summer 2026 announcement
• Yokohama is 30 min from Tokyo — easy day, Chinatown for dinner
Decide on tickets when lineup drops in summer 2026
 
Sat Nov 22  ANI-ROCK FES Day 1
• ANI-ROCK FES 2026  PLUS ULTRA LIVE — Day 1
• Yoyogi National Gymnasium 1st Building — doors 14:30, show 16:00
• Artists: Omoinotake, SIX LOUNGE, DISH//, BLUE ENCOUNT, Porno Graffitti
• Tickets already sorted through a proxy service — lottery already entered, results May 20
• Results: May 20, 2026. If won: 7-Eleven conbini pickup from Nov 8
 
Sun Nov 23  ANI-ROCK FES Day 2
• ANI-ROCK FES 2026 — Day 2 (Japanese public holiday)
• Yoyogi National Gymnasium — doors 14:30, show 16:00

 
 
Mon Nov 24  Tokyo → Kyoto
• Shinkansen Tokyo → Kyoto (~2.5 hrs) — covered by JR Pass
• Checking in and resting after the concert weekend
• Evening: Gion district night walk — Hanamikoji Lane, lanterns, maiko spotting
• Pontocho alley dinner — narrow riverside lane, deeply atmospheric
• Higashiyama district night illuminations — lanterns along temple lanes converging on Maruyama Park
• Kamogawa riverbank at night
 
Tue Nov 25  Kyoto — Temples, Foliage & Night Illuminations
• Tofuku-ji at opening (8am) — famous maple carpets across the stone bridge at Tsutenkyo, peak foliage
• Fushimi Inari Taisha — 1000 torii gates, go right after Tofuku-ji while still early
• Both are in southern Kyoto so doing them back to back in the morning
• Kiyomizu-dera temple — wooden veranda view over Kyoto in full foliage
• Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka — cobblestone lanes, matcha soft serve
• Nishiki Market — Kitchen of Kyoto, try everything
• Evening: Eikando Temple night illumination — 3,000 illuminated maple trees, one of Kyoto's most beautiful sights
 
Wed Nov 26  Kyoto — Samurai, Arashiyama & Night Illuminations
• Samurai Kembu Theater — sword dance workshop, swing a katana (~¥9,000, book ahead)
• Arashiyama bamboo grove — iconic, go early for peaceful atmosphere
• Tenryu-ji UNESCO garden — maple backdrop in peak foliage
• Sagano Romantic Train — scenic gorge rail ride through autumn mountains
• Toei Kyoto Studio Park — live samurai/ninja shows, Evangelion Kyoto Base exhibit
• Nintendo Museum (Uji, near Kyoto) — opened 2024, Nintendos original playing card factory, interactive exhibits covering every era from Famicom to Switch. really excited for this
• Pokémon Center Kyoto — in the Kyoto Economic Center building, regional exclusives and Japan-only merch
• Evening: Kodai-ji Temple night illumination — foliage reflected in pond, garden illuminated (~¥600)
Optional: Kenshi Yonezu Nov 27 Fukuoka — shinkansen day trip from Kyoto (~2.5 hrs). Costs a Kyoto day + ~$260 CAD transport. Last-minute call.
 
Thu Nov 27  Kyoto — Shrines, Nijo Castle & Final Evening
• Nijo Castle — World Heritage castle with special autumn light-up events in the gardens
• Yasaka Shrine and Maruyama Park — lantern-lit peak foliage
• Eizan Electric Railway Maple Leaf Tunnel — train lights dimmed through tunnel of illuminated maples
• Tea ceremony experience
• Last night in Kyoto — Pontocho for dinner, walk along the Kamogawa
• One last wander through the Higashiyama illuminations — take it all in
 
Fri Nov 28  Nara Day Trip → Osaka → KIX
• Morning train to Nara (45 min from Kyoto, JR covered)
• Nara deer park — deer bow for shika senbei crackers
• Todai-ji Great Buddha — largest bronze Buddha in Japan
• Kasuga Taisha shrine — ancient lantern-lit forest paths
• Train to Osaka by early afternoon
• Final walk through Dotonbori, last takoyaki, last konbini run
• Airport by midnight for the 2:15 AM flight
Korean Air KIX → YYZ departs 2:15 AM — check in by midnight Nov 28/29
 
Sat Nov 29  Fly Home
• 2:15 AM: Korean Air home via Seoul
• Back in Toronto

23M Canadian solo traveller. Huge anime nerd, learning Japanese (aiming to finish Pimsleur Level 3 before the trip). First time in Japan, \~3 weeks, flying YYZ→KIX and home from KIX.

Set in stone dates are Nov 15: Niigata, and Nov 21-23: Tokyo.

I’m a move-fast-see-more traveller, I don’t need to linger long in each place.
Less looking for things to do — more looking for feedback on whether the route makes sense, isn’t too aggressive, or if any stops should be swapped/cut.

**Nov 8-11 — Osaka (3 nights)**
Recover from flight, Dotonbori, Den-Den Town, USJ full day, day trip Himeji Castle + Kobe beef dinner
Nov 11 evening — Magome-juku (1 night)
Overnight in Edo-period post town minshuku after Kobe

**Nov 12 — Tsumago-juku (1 night)**
Walk the 8km Magome→Tsumago Nakasendo trail, overnight in town

**Nov 13 — Takayama (1 night)**
Pick up rental car in Nagoya, drive through Alps to Takayama. Morning markets, sake district, ryokan.

**Nov 14-15 — Niigata (2 nights)**
Scenic Alps drive to Sea of Japan coast. Ikimonogakari concert on Nov 15.

**Nov 16 — Kusatsu Onsen (1 night)**
Drive from Niigata. Tattoo-friendly ryokan, public baths, kaiseki dinner. Drop rental car here.

**Nov 17 — Tokyo (pod hotel, 1 night)**
Train in from Kusatsu, Shinjuku nightlife, decompress.

**Nov 18-19 — Hakone (1 night)**
Romancecar from Shinjuku, Lake Ashi, Fuji views, tattoo-friendly ryokan, onsen.

**Nov 19-23 — Tokyo (4 nights)**
Akihabara, Shibuya, TeamLab, Kawagoe day trip, anime/gaming pilgrimages. Nov 21: ANIMAX MUSIX Yokohama. Nov 22-23: ANI-ROCK FES both days.

**Nov 24-27 — Kyoto (4 nights)**
Peak foliage timing. Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Arashiyama, Gion, Pontocho, Samurai workshop, Nintendo Museum, temple night illuminations.

**Nov 28 — Nara morning → Osaka → fly home 2:15 AM Nov 29**