Archives for July 2016

Sabrent External USB Stereo Sound Adapter for $6

The Sabrent External USB Stereo Sound Adapter is now down to $6 at amazon.com and it is USB powered. It averages 4.3 out of 5 based on 2100+ customer reviews and has 300+ answered questions. This is more of utilitarian interest, than audiophile interest.

If you need more reviews, there is a similarly looking and similarly priced SYBA branded item which is however an Add-On item, so you must place an order of $25+ in order to buy it. This one also averages 4.3 out of 5 based on 3400+ reviews, and has 500+ answered questions. Plenty of details in those two places about it if you want to research them.

PS: I am doing a price-checking session at Amazon and Amazon Warehouse Deals, which is why you will be seeing all kinds of random things getting posted in the next few hours 🙂

July 26, 2016 Filed Under: accessories Tagged With: ,

Mpow Bluetooth Receiver drops to $12

If you need to bluetoothize (verb) your headphones or anything else that can play music from a 3.5mm input, the well-reviewed (4.3 out of 5 with 2660+ reviews and 300+ questions answered) Mpow Bluetooth Receiver is now down to $12 in new condition at amazon.com. Manufacturers rarely describe this clearly, but you can read the reviews and Q&A for more details.

Receiver is the key word here, it “receives” music from a bluetooth source (eg smartphone or tablet). The opposite is a Transmitter, which “transmits” music (eg from a 3.5mm playback source) to a bluetooth receiver (eg this device or bluetooth headphones or bluetooth-enabled speakers).

Using both a bluetooth receiver and a transmitter, you can take any two analog devices, eg your tape cassette player and your wired headphones and turn them into a bluetooth set. However, keep in mind that there is audio degradation with bluetooth, and more so when you combine them, so this may be best for audiobooks or spoken word or non-musical audio or background music while doing household chores that wouldn’t let you critically enjoy music anyway.

July 26, 2016 Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

MEE Audio In-Ear Grab Bag for $9 shipped [MD]

In an appetizer-style of a grab bag offer, members-only Massdrop offers a random selection MEE Audio in-ears for $8 plus $1 flat shipping. Limit two random items per customer. You will randomly receive one out of four models (M6P, M6, M9, RX18p). The first two are the more expensive and are 20% of the quantity available. Half of them are the RX18p. A total of 4000 units are available, and at each numeric milestone (500, 1000, etc) a special prize will unlocked, including the Sennheiser HD800 if the grab bag sells out. Offer ends in eight days from today or earlier if the 4000 limit is reached.

July 26, 2016 Filed Under: earbuds Tagged With: , ,

[DEAD] Fostex TX-1 for $20 w/free S&H

This daily deal expired… In the #3 slot of the current Musician’s Friend Deals of the Day (aka at the bottom of the stack) are the new condition Fostex TX-1 Headphones offered for $20 with free shipping. The offer ends by Wednesday at 8am ET.

July 26, 2016 Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

[DEAD] Wednesday’s Offers: GOgroove Earbuds, Earpads for Bose Over-Ears, Etc

This round of daily deals is now over…

[Read more…]

July 26, 2016 Filed Under: accessories, earbuds

[DEAD] Used Schiit Valhalla 2 Headphone Amplifier for $331

As of a 7/27/16 4pm ET recheck, the used option sold out… The Valhalla 2 Headphone Amplifier goes for $349 plus mandatory shipping at the Schiit website in new condition. At Amazon, the same products are sold for more in new condition, but they get free shipping. With this trade-off in mind, there is a “Used – Like New” listing for this Viking model going for $331~ by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual, with the description of damaged original packaging.

July 26, 2016 Filed Under: amps and dacs Tagged With: ,

Noontec Hammo Over-Ears for $40 w/free S&H

If you like headphones in a red-yellow type of a color scheme, the new condition over-ear closed-back Noontec Hammo in the red color scheme only are down to $40 with free shipping by Tanga.com and Beach Camera on eBay and Beach on Amazon (not Prime eligible) where they average 4 out of 5 based on 21 customer reviews.

PS: Noontec’s claim to fame was perhaps when their Zoro On-Ears “defeated” the first generation of the Beats Solo while selling for less and looking very zimilar 🙂

July 25, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Audio-Technica ATH-CHX7 SonicFuel Hybrid Earbuds for $12 w/free S&H

If you want to try out the Audio Technica Sonic Fuels without spending/risking too much, you can get the new condition Audio-Technica ATH-CHX7 SonicFuel Hybrid Earbuds for $12 with free shipping at Tanga.com. They are available in three different colors with a limit of ten units per customer. The free shipping is a limited time promotion.

July 25, 2016 Filed Under: earbuds Tagged With:

[DEAD] Monday: Bose SoundTrue Around-Ears II (black; iOS) for $100

This daily deal expired… o/~ Beats and Bose they break my bones o/~ but if you are not singing this tune, then good for Monday only (July 25, 2016), Best Buy is offering as one of their deals du jour the new condition charcoal-black Bose SoundTrue Around-Ears II with the iOS button configuration for $100 with free S&H or store pick-up. These are straight up wired headphones, no ANC, no Bluetooth.

July 25, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

[DEAD] Tuesday’s Offers: Brainwavz Omega, Agptek mp3, Sanitary Covers, Etc

These particular set of limited time offers expired…

[Read more…]

July 25, 2016 Filed Under: earbuds Tagged With:

XDuoo X2 Digital Audio Player for $47 [MD] or $50 Now

There is a choice in this offer! If you like to pay a lower price and don’t mind waiting until late August 2016, you can get the XDuoo X2 Digital Audio Player for $44 plus $3~ flat shipping from Massdrop. It is currently fully unlocked with six days left (from blog-posting date, not the date you are reading this ~ MD does not post a specific end time, so I don’t know exactly when it expires).

If you can’t wait that long, or you don’t want to deal with a members-only shopping website, fear not, for $3 more, you can have it in your pocket in as little as two days, depending on how close you are to an Amazon facility and whether you are a Prime member. To cut a long story short, it is offered for $50 by Andoer, with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so it is Prime-eligible.

PS: the first picture at Amazon makes it look like it is pancake-flat. It is not! Check the other pictures, it is DAP-chunky like a Fiio 🙂

July 24, 2016 Filed Under: digital audio players Tagged With: ,

Fireye HDB Balanced Portable Amplifier for $187 [MD]

It’s balance amp time, of the portable kind this time at Massdrop, and it is fully unlocked, going for $180 plus $7~ flat shipping. The item in question is the Fireye HDB Balanced Portable Amplifier, with the offer good for six more days (from blog-posting date) and a mid-August 2016 shipment estimate. Close-up pictures of all the ports are included at the MD website.

July 24, 2016 Filed Under: amps and dacs Tagged With: ,

Chromecast Audio for $30 with free S&H

As foreshadowed by the weekly ad teasers, the new condition Chromecast Audio is now on sale again for $30 (instead of its usual price of $35) with free shipping for all at the official Google eBay store and free shipping for Rewards members at Staples.com. Other retailers have it for $30 but no free shipping. You may also find it on sale for $30 at B&M stores (eg Best Buy, Walmart, etc) but I haven’t walked into those to check.

If you are Chromecast-Audio-curious, here’s our text and pictures useful Unboxing. Fear not, there’s no audio and no video. It’s a non-disruptive unboxing 🙂

July 24, 2016 Filed Under: accessories Tagged With: ,

[DEAD] Monday Offers: MEE M6 In-Ears and refurbs (Sony Kids, Backbeat Go2, Kraken), Etc

These daily lightning offers expired…

[Read more…]

July 24, 2016 Filed Under: earbuds, headphones Tagged With: , , ,

[DEAD] Open-box Philips SHP9500 for $49 w/free S&H

As of a 7/28/16 recheck, the price went up… If you don’t want to wait for another discount ($60 sale price) or don’t want to deal with a mail-in rebate promotion ($50 after mail-in rebate), the open-back over-ear Philips SHP-9500 are in-stock right now in open-box condition for $49 with free shipping at the NewEgg website by NewEgg actual with a limit of five units per customer.

July 22, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

[DEAD] Refurbished Philips M1/28 On-Ear for $37

As of 10/21/16 rechecked, these sold out… This was $50 when we last posted about it in late April (I do not have photographic memory, I am going through the Philips archives), but as of this re-check, the Philips M1/28 on-ears (discontinued) are available in refurbished condition from Deals2Remember (91%, 90 ratings) for $37, with the order fulfilled by Amazon. Since they ship from Amazon, you deal with Amazon’s customer service and get free Prime shipping, so in case of problems, it’s not as risky as buying directly from a seller. The headphones themselves average 4 out of 5 based on 55 customer reviews.

July 22, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

[DEAD] Philips Fidelio S2WT/28 In-Ears (white) for $94

As of 10/21/16 this discontinued model is not available in new condition at these prices any more… Back on the sale train again, the white color scheme of the Philips Fidelio S2WT/28 In-Ears is down to $94~ with free shipping with a limit of five per customer, in new condition, at Amazon by Amazon actual. There is a used option for $42~ shipped by a non-Prime marketplace seller that is a higher risk. The black color scheme remains at $120+.

July 22, 2016 Filed Under: in-ears Tagged With:

Used Philips F1/27 On-Ears for $37, new for $50 to $59

It looks like Amazon Warehouse Deals is starting to re-stockup again after the Great Purge of Prime Day Couponing in early July. Case in point, the Philips F1/27 On-Ears are available in “Used – Good” condition for $37.50 and “Used – Very Good” for $40 by Amazon Warehouse Deals.

But that’s not all, the new condition prices have also dropped, it goes for $50 by AutoCare Depot (not Prime eligible) and $59 by Amazon actual.

July 22, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Philips Fidelio M1/27 Mark II On-Ears for $80

This headphone dropped another $10 since we posted about it in early July. It is the black/orange color-scheme of the Philips Fidelio M1/27 Mark II BO (= Black Orange) going for $80 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual with a limit of three units per customer. Amazon’s own price is $90 for the Black color-scheme. These are for Prime members only.

However, a couple of marketplace sellers (Phat George and Auto Care Depot) offer these two colors for $80 each thru Amazon. Phat George is fulfilled by Amazon, while AutoCare ships directly. These are not well-known A/V dealers, so it is a higher risk purchase. These offers are available to everyone, only the ones sold by Amazon actual are limited to Prime members.

July 22, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

[DEAD] Still good: Philips A1Pro/27 DJ Headphones for $40 [limit 5]

As of 8/26/16, the price jumped to $80+…

[Read more…]

July 22, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

[DEAD] Saturday Offers: Torque t103z In-Ears, KZ ED9 In-Ears, Mocreo Stand

This limited time daily offerings expired…

[Read more…]

July 22, 2016 Filed Under: in-ears Tagged With: , , ,

New and shipping: Monoprice portable USB DAC/Amp (15494)

A new product alert from Monoprice, and it is in-stock and shipping as of the time of writing, it is their new Portable USB DAC/amp [updated link], model 15494, with a starting price of $60. This is USB (Class A) on one side and 3.5mm headphone out on the other side, and supports up to 24/96. It is so new it has no customer reviews there.

July 21, 2016 Filed Under: amps and dacs Tagged With: ,

Free headphones with ZTE Axon 7 pre-order (two choices)

From the “Phones as DAPs” department, the new ZTE flagship smartphone, the “ZTE Axon 7” is available for pre-order for $400 (unlocked, USA warranty, no contract) at various sellers. As of the time of writing, a couple of sellers are sweetening the pie with free headphones.

At NewEgg you get the Monster N-Pulse Over-Ear DJ headphones for FREE. They have a selling price of $200 but various marketplace sellers have the white color for $100 at NewEgg, while a …car parts seller has it as low as $55 at amazon.com. To cut a long story short, this is not a $200 freebie, just the usual marketing value inflation gimmicks 🙂

At B&H Photo you get two freebies without the hype, a $25 B&H Photo Gift Card (to be used in future purchases, not towards this purchase), and the Samsung Level U solid-frame bluetooth earbuds.

July 21, 2016 Filed Under: accessories Tagged With: ,

Heads up: Chromecast Audio dropping to $30 again on Sunday

This is a heads up alert. According to the sneak peak of the Staples Weekly Ad for the week starting on Sunday 7/24/16, the Chromecast sale will return with both the regular and Audio versions dropping to $30 instead of their usual price of $35. In Staples’s case, the Audio is only available on their website. Usually the sale carries over to other retailers as well, either with price-match or a general purpose sale. You can also check starting on Sunday the official eBay store (it is $35 as of posting time).

ccaudio_sale_again

If you are Chromecast-Audio-curious, here’s our text and pictures useful Unboxing. Fear not, there’s no audio and no video. It’s a non-disruptive unboxing 🙂

July 21, 2016 Filed Under: accessories Tagged With:

I&S Millworks Headphone Stands for $64 [MD]

On the handcrafted wooden headphone stands, Massdrop has in fully unlocked state the I&S Millworks Headphone Stands for $55 plus $9~ flat shipping. Optionally you can upgrade to other woods for an additional fee. The offer is good for the next eight day and shipments will begin in early September 2016.

July 21, 2016 Filed Under: accessories Tagged With: ,

[DEAD] Ends Fri 3:24pm ET: SHANLING M2 DSD DAP for $170 [updated]

These daily offers expired…

[Read more…]

July 21, 2016 Filed Under: digital audio players Tagged With:

Sennheiser HD7 DJ headphones with $15 promo for $115

This is an unusual combo offer. For $115 with free shipping you get the Sennheiser HD7 DJ closed-back over-ear headphones from Adorama thru NewEgg, along with a $15 promotional gift card from NewEgg. So the headphones ship from Adorama, and the $15 promotional gift card will get emailed by NewEgg.

PS: if you are not familiar with the terms, here’s the NewEgg Help page explaining the differences between a regular gift card (first part), and a promotional gift card (second part).

July 20, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

1-Day Flash Sale at Sonic Electronix with coupon

Sonic Electronix has a 1-day flash sale, coupon code ONEDAY10 or ONEDAY20 (depending on the item) gets you the items at the discounted prices show on the Flash Sale page. Of headphone interest, after the correct coupon is entered, they offer:

  • Sennheiser HD-205 II for $32
  • Westone T1 Talk in-ears for $47~
  • Sennheiser Urbanite On-Ears for $64~
  • Phiaton MS-530 for $72
  • Fostex T50RP Mark III for $136
  • Beyerdynamic DT990 PRO 32 ohm for $159~
  • and a lot more, it’s a long scrolling page
  • offer ends 7/20/16 at 11:59pm Pacific time
July 20, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

[DEAD] Wednesday only: Sennheiser HD558 for $80

This daily deal expired, but the Sennheiser HD-5xx series is regularly featured in various daily deals across the inter-shopping-webs…

[Read more…]

July 20, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

[DEAD] Thursday’s Offers: Symphonized, SoundPeats, Etc

These offers expired…

[Read more…]

July 20, 2016 Filed Under: in-ears

[DEAD] Refurbished AUDEZE EL-8 Open or Closed for $400 each

This limited time but recurring promotion expired… It’s refurbished action now on the Audeze front, Adorama.com is offering the Audeze EL-8 in refurbished condition with a 1-year manufacturer warranty for $400 with free shipping in either the Open-Back EL-8 or the Closed-Back EL-8. These are planar-magnetics.

July 19, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , , ,

Bose SoundTrue Around Ear II for $129

Hide this post from the hardcore audiophiles. It’s Bose and it doesn’t have the audiophile excuse, the active noise cancelling technology 🙂 These are wired over-ear headphones, no wireless, no ANC. And they are on sale for a limited time (no specific expiration date is given). They are the Bose SoundTrue Around Ear II available with mic/remote for either iOS or Android for $129 with free shipping and $6.45 rewards (to be used in future purchases) at Adorama.com as follows:

+ iOS: Black or Blue
+ Android: Black or Blue

July 19, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

Sony MDR-1aDAC Over-Ears (w/built-in DAC/Amp) for $250

The Sony MDR-1aDAC over-ear headphones, which, as the DAC in their model name foreshadows, have a built-in DAC/Amp, are currently available in new condition for $250 with free shipping and free returns at Groupon Goods. Judging by the price and the lack of a warranty mention in the product description, one can assume that these are imported, so no Sony USA warranty. The ones with Sony USA warranty go for $400 at authorized Sony dealers.

July 19, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

AKG M220 Semi-Open Over-Ears for $58 [MD]

It’s an AKG party at members-only Massdrop, the AKG M220 Semi-Open Over-Ears (based on the good old K240) are now fully unlocked at $50 plus $8~ flat shipping. The promotion ends in about eight days and the shipment estimate for these is late August 2016.

If you prefer instant gratification or a lower price, you can get them in “Used – Like New” (Store Demo) condition for $49 with free shipping by AudioWatt Store thru AWD (Amazon Warehouse Deals). This is fulfilled by Amazonia, so it is Prime-eligible for members.

July 19, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Massdrop x AKG K7XX Red Edition for $200 [MD]

Seeing red again, but Chevelle is not included. It is the Massdrop x AKG K7XX Red Edition of the open-back headphones, fully unlocked at the members-only site Massdrop, for $200 with free shipping. This drop has six days to go with a maximum of 1500 units available for purchase. Shipment estimate is mid-August 2016, so you have to wait a few weeks before you can see red 🙂

July 19, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,