The new condition Sony MDR-1A closed-back over-ears go for $300 at authorized Sony resellers, but if you are comfortable with used gear, you can get the silver color scheme in “Used – Good” condition (original damaged packaging) for $205 by Amazon Warehouse Deals. There are two listings at this price, a price decrease may be possible if the stars align (but there’s no guarantee).
Archives for May 2015
24 Headphone Water Nail Decals for $4.50 shipped
You probably won’t find this mentioned in an audiophile forum, but we cover items big and small here 🙂 If you are looking for headphone nail decals, a set is on sale for $2.50 plus $2 flat shipping by Nailicious International thru amazon.com. You get 24 Water Nail Decals and 48 French Manicure Tip Guides (three shape styles evenly divided). They have no customer reviews as of the time of writing. Please note these ship from the United Kingdom – see the detailed listing, so it will take a bit longer to arrive.
Shipping Soon: Apogee GROOVE Portable USB DAC/Amp for $300
If you like to be among the first to try out new amps and DACs, the new Apogee GROOVE Portable USB model for Windows and Mac (USB 2.0) is estimated to begin shipping in 2-4 weeks at Amazon with a price of $300. Supports up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution and Built in the USA per the listing.
Used Brooklyn Headphone Company BK9 Studio for $19
We have a wild dynamic range today, from $5 earbuds to electrostatics, and now back to the used bargain end of the spectrum, the Brooklyn Headphone Company BK9 Studio in the black color scheme is available in “Used – Very Good” condition (damaged packaging) for around $19 by Amazon Warehouse Deals. The other colors go for more. A Prime membership gets them to you for free in 2-ish days.
Used Teac HA-501-B Dual Monaural Headphone Amplifier for $430
The Teac HA-501-B Dual Monaural Headphone Amplifier is currently available in “Used – Very Good” condition in original but damaged packaging according to the listing by Amazon Warehouse Deals for $430 (was $447~) with free shipping. The refurbished price is $600 and the new condition price is $850… Price updated here 5/26/15…
Westone Adventure Series Beta In-Ears for $60
The Westone Adventure Series Beta in-ears are currently on sale for $60 with free shipping by Beach on amazon.com and Groupon Goods among others.
Bose SoundTrue Semi In-Ears (iOS) for $117
Shhhh! Don’t let the audiophiles see this! The Bose SoundTrue semi in-ears with buttons for iOS devices are currently on sale for $117 with free shipping at Amazon.com. These are on the same product page as the Freestyle models, so pay attention if you are changing the OS or color-scheme options over there. These are neither classic earbuds not in-ears. They have a speaker-protrusion that crosses the earhole plane (not a scientific term) but it does not create a seal. Speaking of Bose, a number of other items in their line-up are discounted at authorized dealers with the Dads and Grads season, including their QC20i ANC in-ears going for $250 (in-cable rechargeable li-ion battery).
Koss ESP-950 Electrostatic Stereophone for $735~
Even though it sounds totally ridiculous, I can’t resist saying “Come On Barbie, Let’s Have An Electrostatic Party!”. With that out of the way, the Koss ESP-950 Electrostatic Stereophone is on sale for around $735 at Amazon.com. Amazon’s own price is $736 while marketplace sellers go for as low as $733. The same price range can be found outside Amazon by World Wide Stereo on eBay and Sonix Electronix.
Add-On Headphones: Koss KPH7 for $4.14, Panasonic RPH-JE-120 for $5
The price is right but the catch of these offers is that they are part of Amazon’s Add-On Program, which means you must place an order of $25 or more in order to buy them. The restriction applies to everyone, including Prime members. You can use any combination of eligible physical products to get to $25+ (sold or fulfilled by Amazon). Both the prices and the Add-On status of products can change. These are as of the time of writing of this post.
On the featherweight on-ears front, the good old Koss KPH7 on-ears in the black color scheme go for $4.14 per pair, with a limit of five per shopping cart. The other five color options currently go for $6+. They average 3.9 out of 5 based on 320+ customer reviews. Note these, just like the Panasonic HT-21 are open and leak music!
On the earbuds front, the green color scheme of the Panasonic RP-HJE-120 goes for $4.99 per pair, with a limit of five per customer. If you max out on five of these, you are still $0.05 short of reaching the $25+ minimum. They average 4.4 out of 5 based on over twenty thousand (!) customer reviews.
Used Parrot Zik 2.0 for $302
The new condition price for the second generation Parrot Zik headphones (aka 2.0) is $400 but if you are fond of used, you can get them in “Used – Very Good” condition for $302~ by Amazon Warehouse Deals. These have all the tech buzzword features, Bluetooth, touch controls, NFC, ANC, custom app, etc.
Massdrop: AKG K7XX LE for $200
The Massdrop limited edition AKG K7xx headphones are back at their website, offered for $200 with free shipping, with the offer ending in about seven days from blog-posting date. This is the lowest price possible under this offer (only one price). This is based on the K702 65th anniversary edition, an over-ear open-back headphone. The sale is behind a login wall (only registered members can see it – but it is free to join), but their “understanding headphone reviews” blog post is open for all to read.
Another recently launched offer there, but not fully unlocked is the Fostex TH-900 as low as $1116 shipped (why isn’t a $1100 headphone getting free shipping?).
Panasonic RP-DH1250-S for $100 (limit 3)
The Panasonic Technics RP-DH1250-S DJ headphones are currently on sale for $100 per pair, with a limit of up to three per customer at Amazon.com by amazon actual. They average 4.2 out of 5 with 40+ customer reviews.
Samson SR850 for $40
The Samson SR850 over-ears, related to Superlux, are currently on sale in new condition for $40 with free shipping per pair at Amazon by Amazon actual. You can buy as many as you like. This is not part of the limited-time lightning-deals. These average 4.4 out of 5 based on 120+ customer reviews.
Used Superlux HD668B for $32.50
The frequently recommended in the sub-$50 category Superlux HD668B semi-open over-ears are currently available in “Used – Like New” condition for $32.50 by Kellars with the order fulfilled by Amazon.com. The description for this particular listing says “IN NEW CONDITION. Full Manufactures Warranty. 100% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION”. I’m not yelling, the uppercase is how the listing is written 🙂 They average 4.4 out of 5 based on 300+ customer reviews.
[DEAD] Refurbished V-Moda M100 for $181
All of a sudden many of the used options disappeared. May have been posted on a forum or something. Lowest used price as of 5/26/16 is $230+…
Used Sennheiser HD 429 S for $25 w/free S&H
The closed back over-ear Sennheiser HD 429 S (S for smartphones/tablets) are available in “Used – Like New” condition for $25 with free shipping by Pinnacle Deals through Amazon Warehouse Deals. This is shipped by Pinnacle Deals, so everyone gets free shipping regardless of Prime status. The description there says, “Sennheiser approved and authorized. Refurbished to like new condition. Fully accessorized. 90 day warranty”. The headphones average 4.2 out of 5 based on 120 customer reviews. These are 32 ohm headphones. Someone needs to create a cheat-sheet to keep track of all the Sennheiser HD 4xx and HD 3xx and HD 2xx headphones 🙂
HiFiMan RE-400 or RE-400i In-Ears for $80 [updated]
If a mic/remote is not a high priority, the HiFiMan RE-400 In-Ears were on sale for $70 per pair but as of 5/26/15 are up to $80, with a limit of five per customer at Amazon.com by Amazon actual. They average 3.7 out of 5 based on 140+ customer reviews. On the other hand, if you want a mic/remote, their RE-400i go for $80 per pair.
Used Sony PHA-2 Headphone Amplifier for $360
More Sony action, their PHA-2 Headphone Amplifier is offered in “Used – Very Good” condition for around $360 (was $343) by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. A just-launched marketplace seller offers it for slightly less but that’s if you are a more high-risk shopper… Price updated here 5/26/15…
Refurbished Fostex HP-P1 head-amp for $400
We continue our mini DAC-Amp marathon with the Fostex HP-P1 headphone amplifier offered in refurbished condition for $400 with free Prime shipping by Audiotopia (97%) with the order fulfilled by Amazon.
Used Sony PHA1A Portable DAC/amp for $223
The new condition Sony PHA1A Portable DAC-amp goes for $300 at authorized dealers, but if you want to save some, you can get it for around $223 (was $202) in “Used – Good” condition by Amazon Warehouse Deals, in the silver color scheme… Price updated here 5/26/15…
Used Denon DA-300USB DAC/Amp for $380
The Denon DA-300USB DAC and amp is currently available in “Used – Like New” condition for $380 with free shipping by OneCall thru Amazon Warehouse Deals. Per the listing, “item was a return in one of our retail stores. In original box with all manuals and accessories. One Year Warranty provided by OneCall, an Authorized Denon Reseller”. The new condition price at authorized dealers is $500.
[DEAD] Used Marantz HD- DAC1High Definition USB DAC Amp for $530
These sold out… The Marantz HD- DAC1High Definition USB DAC and headphone-amp are currently available in “Used – Very Good” condition or around $530 (was $482) by Amazon Warehouse Deals. They go for $800 in new condition… Price updated here 5/26/15…
Used Shure SRH 145m+ for $26
Shure’s first attempt at consumer sub-$50 headphones have been around for a few months now that they are getting discounted in the used market, the closed-back on-ear with a mic/remote, the SRH 145m+ is available in “Used – Good” condition for $26~ and $28~ in “Used – Very Good” by Amazon Warehouse Deals.
[DEAD] Used Pyle Pro PHPDJ1 DJ headphones for $4.50
As of 5/26/15, all used options are sold out…
[Read more…]
[DEAD] Used Bravo V2 head-amp for $51
As of 5/26/15, the discounted used prices got scooped up… If you are comfortable with used gear, the Bravo V2 headphone amp is currently available in “Used – Good” condition for $51 by Amazon Warehouse Deals (AWD). There’s only one listing by AWD actual available as of the time of writing.
Used RHA MA750i In-Ears for $77
The RHA MA750i in-ears go for $130 in new condition, but if you are comfortable with buying used, you can get them for around $77 in “Used – Very Good” condition by Amazon Warehouse Deals (AWD). There are multiple pages of used listings by AWD, so price pressure may push the prices further down. The different listings have slightly different used descriptions, so check them to see which one may be the best match for your used gear risk matrix.
Note: these are on the same Amazon product listing as the MA750 (which does not have mic/remote as the lack of an “i” in its name hints at), so when clicking around, do pay attention to that.
Used MEElectronics Sport-Fi M6 for $8
The sporty MEelectronics Sport-Fi M6 are available just under $8 in the black color scheme in “Used – Like New” condition by Amazon Warehouse Deals. The other colors, also used, go for $8.50 or more.
Massdrop: BeyerD DT235, Brainwavz S5, etc
Another day, another round of offers up at members-only but free-to-join Massdrop. These end in 6-7 days from blog-posting date, and as of the time of writing, none of them has reached the lowest offer price possible. They are:
+ Beyerdynamic DT 235 on-ears as low as $46 (black or white)
+ Brainwavz S5 Earphones as low as $67 (goes for $100 at amazon)
+ MEElectronics M-Duo as low as $30 (goes for $50 at amazon)
+ Luxury and Precision L5 Digital Audio Player as low as $538 shipped (24 bit/192 PCM, DSD, 3.5″, 16GB, microSD)
+ mini-rant: with the prices of memory so low, it is rather ridiculous that $500+ DAPs (not just this one) can only “afford” 16GB of on-board storage. Really???
[DEAD] Used Sennheiser IE80 in-ears for $256 (was $238)
As of 5/26/15 the used price increased even more… The Sennheiser IE80 in-ears are currently available in “Used – Good” condition for around $256 (was $238) by Amazon Warehouse Deals, with many listings at “Used – Very Good” going for $254. If someone buys the “Good” which is holding the price dam, it may put price pressure on the various “Very Good” listings… Price updated here 5/23/15…
[DEAD] Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBL with Creative E1 head-amp for $190
As of 5/23/15 the prices went up, but these are recurring offers…
[Read more…]
[DEAD] Refurbished Harman Kardon Bluetooth Over-Ears for $100
This particular daily deal expired, but these appear to be recurring every few weeks in the lightning deals, so they may (or may not) return in the unpredictable future…
[Read more…]
Brooklyn Headphone Company headphones for $21
The featured Staples.com deals include the new condition Brooklyn Headphone Company Studio Pro DJ headphones for $21 per pair, with the offer ending by 5/26/15. The listing is almost naked, very little information is given. From the pictures we can deduce they fold, and that different cables are included. You can have them shipped to a Staples store for free. Rewards members get free shipping to their address of choice as well. This is a bit of a pig-in-a-poke type of a purchase since little information is posted over there.
In parallel, at the same place, from the same manufacturer, but in a separate listing/offer, they have the BHC BK9 studio headphones for $27 per pair, with five different color options available. This ends 5/23/15 with the same shipping options as the one above.
Open box HiFiMaN HE-400i for $425
The planar magnetic over-ear HiFiMaN HE-400i headphones are currently available in “Used – Very Good” condition for $425 by Audio Advisor at Amazon (99%). These are fulfilled by Amazon, so if you are a Prime member, you get free 2-day shipping. The new condition price at authorized dealers is $500.
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