E☆Earphone

E☆Earphone (イーイヤホン) is Japan's leading earphone and headphone specialty retailer, operated by Time Machine Co., Ltd. (株式会社タイムマシン). Founded on September 7, 2007, by Hiroyuki Ooi in Osaka's Shinsaibashi America-mura, the company began as a small shop and has grown into Japan's premier portable audio chain. Headquartered in Naniwa-ku, Osaka, E☆Earphone revolutionized the audio retail experience by allowing customers to freely audition over 5,000 different earphone and headphone models. The company operates four physical locations across Tokyo (Akihabara flagship), Osaka (Nipponbashi), Nagoya (Osu), and Sendai, plus online sales. With over 25,000 products in inventory including wireless, wired, gaming, bone conduction, and custom-made audio equipment, E☆Earphone achieved remarkable growth with 2024 revenue reaching 8 billion yen. Key achievements include becoming Japan's number one headphone retailer, pioneering the "try before you buy" model, and expanding to multiple major cities while maintaining their specialty focus on portable audio equipment.