Archives for June 2016

Beyerdynamic DX 120 iE for $40 shipped (MD)

Another offer is now fully unlocked at members-only Massdrop, it is the Beyerdynamic DX 120 iE in-ears going for $37 plus $3~ flat shipping. Offer ends in about 8 days from today (blog-posting date) and these will start shipping in early July 2016.

June 5-11: Chromecast Audio for $30

According to the Staples Weekly Ad for the shopping week of June 5-11 in 2016, the Chromecast Audio (and the regular one too) will be on sale for $30. Per the fineprint of the ad (screenshot right below)…

spls_cca_discount

… the Chromecast Audio will only be available at the Staples website. You get free shipping to store. If you are a Rewards member, you get free shipping to your own address as well.

I don’t know if this is a Staples-exclusive offer or other retailers will also be discounting it. You can check the official Google eBay store price here. I will post an update on prices later on.

For more on the Chromecast Audio, I just posted a practical text and pictures only unboxing (no annoying audio/video). This is a long post, so you may want to check if you have a bigger screen and/or you are have plenty of mobile data.

cca_front_box

Samsung Level On-Ears (wired) for $65

On the name-brand on-ears front, Samsung’s Level On-Ears, in the black color scheme, are offered for $65 with free shipping and free returns at Groupon Goods. These are wired only, no Bluetooth/NFC or ANC. They come with a case and have detachable cable and average 4.1 out of 5 with almost 100 customer reviews at amazon.com.

TDK WR680 Bluetooth On-Ears for $20 [limit 5]

On the utilitarian front, the TDK WR680 bluetooth on-ear headphoenes, in a white-gray-red color scheme, are on sale on for $20 with a limit of five per customer. These are sold by a marketplace seller but the order is fulfilled by Amazon, so it is eligible for Prime shipping benefits.

Limitless Creations HP3BK Closed-Back for $29 w/free s&h

More action on eBay in the under $30 shipped price range, the Limitless Creations HP3BK closed back headphones, in new condition and with a 1-year warranty, are on sale for $29 with free shipping by Sonic Electronix on eBay.

XDuoo XQ-10 Portable Amp for $27 shipped [MD]

A new offer is now fully unlocked at members-only Massdrop, the XDuoo XQ-10 Portable Amp (a Fiio E6 type of a competitor) is on sale for $23 plus $4 flat shipping. It is available in silver or black. Close-ups of the ports and buttons are shown there. Shipment estimate is reasonable, late June 2016.

[DEAD] Parrot Zik First Generation (ANC, Bluetooth, etc) for $100 [ends Sun 3am ET]

The party’s over. As of 5pm ET re-check of this offer, all three participating colors sold out at $100…

[Read more…]

Phones as DAPs: 64GB Unlocked ZTE Axon PRO for $300

Some prefer to listen to music using dedicated Digital Audio Players, others prefer to use their smartphones, while other-others a combination of both. If you are interested in “Phones as DAPs”, for a limited time only, the Best Buy eBay store is offering new condition unlocked with no contract requirements 64GB ZTE Axon PRO smartphones for $300 with free shipping. They are available in three different colors.

When price checking and reading reviews, make sure you are looking at the “Axon PRO”, not the “Axon” (not PRO) model. It does not take microSD cards, so keep that in mind. But with 4GB RAM and a Snapdragon 810 processor it should be able to handle even the most demanding Android music and music streaming apps. Another benefit over dedicated DAPs is Bluetooth and NFC. NFC can be very handy if you mix and match different music sources with different headphones/outputs and you don’t like to turn bluetooth on/off all the time to prevent devices for “fighting” over a previously paired connection.

Since it’s an unlocked GSM phone with no contract requirement, you don’t have to use any of the telephone aspects to it, but in the future in case you need a phone or you are in-between phones or providers, it can serve that purpose too.

B&M YMMV: JLabs JBuds Pro Earbuds with mic/remote for $4

This is a YMMV promotion at select Office Depot and Office Max stores (I have no way of checking every store), the colorful JLab JBuds Pro earbuds with a 1-button remote/mic and earfin type thing are on sale for $4 each. They are available in many colors.

The sale is not available on their website where they go for $6. They have over 200 customer reviews at amazon.com where they average 4 out of 5.

JBL Synchros S300 On-Ears (Android cable) for $40 w/free s&h

The weekend sale at NewEgg includes among other things the new condition JBL Synchros S300 on-ear headphones for Android/etc devices in the black/blue color-scheme for $40 with free shipping. No coupon code is needed. These are collapsible, unpowered headphones, and come with a carrying case.

Monoprice Desktop Headphone Amp (Product ID 11567) for $80 with Coupon and Filler Item

The Monoprice Desktop Headphone Amp, Product ID 11567, currently goes for $98.56. It is eligible for the $20 off $100+ coupon code MORE but to use the coupon, your order total must be $100+. To get there, simply add any other combination of items, eg cables, adapters, cases, etc. In this case, I am adding this 3.5mm mobile cable making the total over $101.

Once the total is over $100, then the price drops by $20. The coupon expires Sunday night (6/5/16).

PS: the coupon works on almost everything on their website. For smaller purchases, coupon SOME gets you $5 off a $25+ order. Most items are eligible, but not everything. You can see the Exclusion List by putting the coupon in your shopping cart and then clicking on the “Details” link of the coupon while still in the shopping cart.

Monoprice Stereo Hybrid Tube Amp with Bluetooth (PID 13194) for $130 with coupon

Good until the end of day on Sunday 6/5/16, coupon code MORE gets you $20 off an order of $100+ at the Monoprice website. The coupon includes the Monoprice Stereo Hybrid Tube Amp with Bluetooth, product ID 13194. This goes for $150. Enter the coupon in the shopping cart and it drops to $130.

Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Mahogany/Purpleheart for $400 to $450

Fostex the people! Unlocked right now at members-only shopping club Massdrop (which is free to join, everything happens behind a login-wall), their own Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Mahogany/Purpleheart headphones are on sale for $400 to $450 with free shipping. The listing is good until 6/24/16. Patience is a virtue however, because the shipment estimate for this is end of September 2016, which is roughly four months from blog-posting date.

M-Audio HDH-50 Studio Headphones for $95

The closed-back over-ear M-Audio HDH-50 headphones are currently offered for $95 at upstart online website Jet.com. When you add the product to the shopping cart and continue through with the checkout process, you will discover that the seller is “NYC Electronics”. I am not familiar with this seller, so I don’t know what’s their reputation.

Jet does not tell you who the seller is before you add something to the shopping cart. Here’s how it looks after you add it to the cart and proceed through with the Checkout process (you don’t have to place an actual order to see it):

maudio_hdh50_jet

Audeze LCD-2 Planars for $700

Star Wars is a space odyssey of sorts, a space …Audeze perhaps, which brings us to the AUDEZE LCD-2 planar magnetic headphones on sale until 6/9/16 for $700 with free shipping at Adorama.com, an authorized dealer.

Star Wars SMS Audio On-Ears for $50 (1st and 2nd generation)

In a Galaxy of Hype not so far away, both the first generation and the second generation of the officially licensed Star Wars Closed On-Ear headphones by SMS Audio are on sale for $50 per pair by marketplace sellers with the orders fulfilled by Amazon. This includes models for Darth Vader, Chewbacca, R2D2, Storm Trooper, Boba Fett, Tie Fighter, and of course the real hero of Star Wars, the Galactic Empire 🙂

PS: these are new condition.

Audio-Technica ATH-M70x for $218 [limit 3]

The closed-back over-ear Audio-Technica ATH-M70x headphones are currently on sale for $218 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual with a limit of three per customer. This may be an automated/computer price-match of a marketseller price over there, so it may not last long.

TIP: when shopping at Amazon, always check who the seller of an item is. The higher the price, the bigger the risk if buying something from an unknown or unvetted marketplace seller. This is a screenshot of the above item with Amazon actual being the seller. Pay attention to the center of the red markings of the screenshot below:

sold_by_amazon

AudioQuest Dragonfly 1.2 USB DAC for $80

The color-changing AudioQuest Dragonfly 1.2 USB DAC is on sale for $80 with free shipping or free store pickup (if applicable) at Best Buy’s website. Purchasing this also activates an offer for 22% off your first purchase at HD Tracks.

Beats Solo 2 On-Ears Black for $80 [limit 3]

NOTE: this offer is for Prime members only…

The Helen of Troy of 2015 in the online audiophile world, the Beats that went to the IF Hall of Fame and created existential crises all across the internets are on sale again (the closed-back on-ear Solo 2), in new condition for $80 with free shipping, in the black color scheme, with a limit of three per customer at Amazon by Amazon actual where they average 4.1 out of 5 based on 2460+ customer reviews.

Being Beats it’s interesting that their negatives are high, 15% of the reviews are 1-stars, despite the 4.1 rating. Only 5-stars have more votes. So lots of polarization, 78% of the ratings are either 1 or 5.

Price-Check Comply Massdrop, Better Prices for Prime members on some models

Massdrop has a new offer, fully unlocked, on Comply foam tips that go for $13 plus $2.75 flat shipping. They offer a variety of models (see listing or add to shopping cart to see the options over there).

However, if you are a Prime member (or plan a $49+ Amazon order), some models individually can be had for less at Amazon, the ones shipped or fulfilled by Amazon. For example, the 3pk T500 Medium Black for $12~ [limit 5], or the 3pk S-400 Active charcoal for $11.53 [limit 12]. Charcoal is the color, they are NOT made of charcoal 🙂

Others have the same price, but if you can get free Prime shipping, you avoid the MD shipping fee, eg the 3pk T-400 Blue go for $13 at both places.

There are many model and color combinations, I can’t check them all here.

XDuoo X3 Digital Audio Player for $104 [MD]

This is one of the cases where buying from Massdrop can be a big plus, because I haven’t been able to find this selling from a USA retailer and not shipping from China. So if you are interested in the XDuoo X3 Digital Audio Player, you can get it for $100 plus $4~ flat shipping from Massdrop. Three color options are available for this DAP that has two microSD slots (up to 128GB each). Offer ends in eight days from today and ships June 30 (2016) which is pretty reasonable.

This critter can also support Rockbox (see giant thread on the topic; the usual caveats apply when trying 3rd-party software). This has a different button/design philosophy than the Fiio DAPs, so if you don’t like their approach, this might be an alternative.

With storage prices dropping, you can easily get name-brand 128GB microSD cards for $30 without even waiting for a sale, or you can get 64GB cards for $15 or less.

[DEAD] Thursday: 3M Hearing Protection sale

This daily deal expired…

[Read more…]

[DEAD] Roland UA USB PCM/DSD DAC and Headphone Amp for $70

This 48-hour offer sold out and then expired…

[Read more…]

Sennheiser PX 200-II i On-Ears for $65

The lightweight collapsible Sennheiser PX 200-II i on-ear headphones are on sale for $65 with free shipping in new condition at Groupon Goods. As that tiny little “i” hints at, this is has a mic and 3-button remote.

Value Meal: NVX Audio XPT100 and Polk Audio Hinge for $100

Headphone “value meals” are becoming more and more common these days. Sonic Electronix is offering a two-headphone bundle for $100 with free shipping. The main course of the bundle is the over-ear NVX Audio XPT100 (goes for around $80) and the side dish is the on-ear Polk Audio Hinge (goes for around $30). Both are closed back.

Audio Technica ATH-AD900X Open-Back for $115

The BuyDig store is not done with their headphone offers among the latest featured eBay Deals. They are also offering the new condition open-back over-ear Audio Technica ATH-AD900X headphones for $115 with free shipping (from New Jersey) with a limit of five per customer. That innocent “D” in the model name is the open-back designation 🙂

Klipsch X4i In-Ears for $40 w/free s&h

It’s eBay time now, the BuyDig store on eBay is offering the new condition Klipsch X4i In-Ears for $40 with free shipping, with a limit of five per customer. Over 400 units got sold so far from this particular offer.

Used Koss Pro4S studio headphones for $96

The Koss Pro4S studio headphones go for $150 in new condition, but if you don’t want to wait for sales, and you are comfortable with used products, you can get them in “Used – Very Good” (cosmetic imperfections, damaged original packaging) for $96~ by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. There’s only one listing for Used options at the moment.

Samsung Galaxy Earpods and Earbuds from $5 to $7

This may be something perhaps to add to a Groupon order, especially if you are close to $35+ that will get you free shipping. Apple has earpods, and of course, so must Samsung, their Galaxy S6 Earpods in the white color scheme go for $7 if you buy the 1-pack or $13 for the 2-pack or $19 for the 3-pack. You have to buy the multi-packs, not multiple 1-packs to get the volume discount.

If you prefer the more traditional Galaxy Earbuds they go for $6 with a flat cable or $5 with a regular cable. These are available in black or white color options. They have mic and remote with volume control.

SMS Audio BioSport Biometric Earbuds for $30 w/free S&H

As one of their online featured deals, the Staples website is offering the SMS Audio BioSport Biometric Earbuds with a heart rate monitor for $30 with free shipping in three different color schemes. Their website is goofy when it comes to showing prices of items with multiple colors, when you look at the main page for the product it says “as low as $33.99” but when you select one of the three colors it drops to $30. Free shipping or free ship to store.

On the Way to Unlocking: Massdrop Objective Headphone Amplifiers for $78 to $103

As of the time of writing, this is not fully unlocked yet, it needs 33 more commitments in the next 20 days, so it is reasonable to assume this will unlock long before the deadline. It is the Massdrop Objective line of Headphone Amplifiers based on the NwAvGuy designs. There are three options when you checkout, the 1.0 version goes for $70, the 2.0 version (the one that headlines the listing page) for $80, and the Desktop version of the 2.0 for $95. Shipping is an additional flat $7.75.

IMPORTANT: the shipping estimate for these is mid-September 2016. That’s 3.5 months from posting date, so keep that in mind.

Etymotic Research ER20 Ety-Plug starting at $10

The Etymotic Research ER20 Ety-Plug go for $13 shipped at Massdrop right now with a late June delivery estimate, but it looks like Amazon has them beat. Prices start at $10~ for the Red Sterm or clear soft and go to $13 for other color combinations including the ER20-SMC. The usual shipping terms apply, free 2-day for Prime members or with a $49+ order (or $25+ in physical books).