Archives for August 2016

SteelSeries Siberia 800 Wireless Gaming Headset for $200

Another variation of a PC Accessories sale is running in the Amazon Gold Box, and one of the 25 participating items is the SteelSeries Siberia 800 Wireless Gaming Headset offered for $200 with free shipping with a limit of three units per customer. Offer ends by Friday 3am ET.

If you want to have a very portable collection of 128GB of music of your own choice and format, the 128GB Sandisk Ultra Fit USB 3.0 Flash Drive goes for $24 with the same limit of three per customer. This is small enough you can fit on the side of a laptop or connect to a phone/tablet with an OTG cable. It’s like your phone/tablet is wearing an earring 🙂

August 18, 2016 Filed Under: accessories Tagged With: ,

Grace Design x Massdrop m9XX DAC/Amp for $500 [MD]

Contrary to Dave Matthews, the Grace is not gone! It is back and fully unlocked at Massdrop, the Grace Design x Massdrop m9XX DAC/Amp going for $500 with free shipping. This is running for the next eight days with a mid-September shipping estimate. If you are curious, they have included a 12-page user manual in PDF format.

August 18, 2016 Filed Under: amps and dacs Tagged With: ,

Bose QuietComfort 15 ANC for $240 or $252

If of the various Bose over-ear headphones with their Active Noise Cancelling technology it’s the older Quiet Comfort 15 model the one you want, you can get them at Costco with free shipping. Members get them for $240 while non-members have to pay a 5% surcharge, making them $252.

PS: Costco has a shockingly limited variety of headphones on their website, despite the explosion of headphones as a consumer electronics category. Interesting!

August 17, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

[DEAD] Audeze SINE On-Ears (Lightning) for $400

This sale expired too… The Audeze SINE on-ears with a Lightning cable is currently on sale for a limited time for $400 with free shipping at authorized dealer Adorama.com until 8/22/16. No coupon/rebate needed. These are planar-magnetic on-ears, closed back.

PS: more on the whole Lightning/USB-C thing in the next few days…

August 17, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b for $80 (ANC)

On the Active Noise Cancelling front, the new condition Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b are currently offered for $80 with free shipping with a limit of five units per customer by Focus Camera on eBay with a limit of five units per customer. The ANC system is powered by one AAA battery which is a plus/minus depending on your disposition on these and whether you like to use rechargeable AAAs.

August 17, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Heads Up: OPPO PM-3 going live at NewEgg FLASH on Saturday 8/20/16

The supply and demand curves are such for the OPPO PM-3 planar magnetic headphones that they are holding strong at their new condition price of $400. There may (or may not) be some hope for a discount, the NewEggFlash website is planning to have this as a limited time offer starting on August 20 at 12pm Eastern.

Here’s a screenshot of the teaser, with the yellow text appearing when you click on the picture over there:

oppo_neweggflash

NewEgg Flash is sort of like NewEgg’s attempt at making a Groupon competitor. Amazon tried too with Local Deals before they dismantled it, and Living Social is living on the edge of the knife. But I’m digressing…

That’s enough time to do some research and due diligence for anyone that could potentially be interested in this headphone.

August 17, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Bluecell Headphone Hanger Clip for $7.50

If you prefer to turn existing locations or furniture into headphone stands, the Bluecell Headphone Hanger Clip with a locking knob is now down to $7.50 by a variety of marketplace sellers competing on price with most of the orders fulfilled by Amazon. This averages 4.4 out of 5 with 101 customer reviews. The holder has a 3-inch extension. Check the pictures for a better look at it.

August 17, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Refurbished Beats Solo 2 Bluetooth On-Ears for $120

The red color scheme of the Beats Solo 2 Bluetooth on-ear headphones are currently on sale in refurbished condition for $120 with free shipping at A4C.com (All4Cellular). The black color scheme goes for $130. Everything on their website gets free shipping, even the $5 items.

NOTE: refurbished items on their website come with a 90-day replacement warranty from the seller A4C, not the manufacturer. It covers replacements of defective products using their RMA process.

August 17, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Sennheiser HD7 DJ headphones with Pioneer DDJ-SB2 2 Channel Controller for Serato DJ for $300

It’s bundle time, this offer is running until 8/22/16 and does not need a coupon or rebate. It is the Sennheiser HD7 DJ headphones bundled with the Pioneer DDJ-SB2 2-Channel Controller for Serato DJ, all together for $300 with free shipping at authorized dealer Adorama.com.

August 17, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , , ,

Two Days Left: Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 for $400 [MD]

Can you resist the temptation? Two days are left in this round of Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 at Massdrop, going for $400 with free shipping. This is expected to ship in early September 2016. A total of 750 units are available through this offer and there are nowhere near to selling out, so you can use the next two days to read reviews and forums and shift budgets and switch to a noodle diet 🙂 These are woody closed-back over-ear dynamic transducer creatures.

August 17, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Used Schiit Magni Uber 2 Amp for $143

Schiit sells their products through Amazon (fulfilled by Amazon, so Prime eligible) for more than they do on their website, but their website charges shipping and handling based on destination, while Amazon is free shipping for all ($49+ or Prime). With that in mind, the Magni Uber 2 amp, in new condition, goes for $150 plus shipping ($11 to $15 lowest price on West/East coast zipcodes I tried) at the Schiit website and $180 through Amazon.

If you are comfortable with used, there is a “Used – Very Good” cosmetic imperfection, damaged original packaging for $143 by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. If the price is too close to the new condition, you can keep an eye on the listing in case it drops further down in the future.

PS: if you are not familiar with their line-up, there’s a simple way to remember which one is the DAC and which one is the AMP. The MoDi is a DAC, while the mAgni is an Amp.

PS2: if you are curious about the company’s history, the two co-founders published a 383-page e-book with their story. The chapter titles (36 of them) when you “Look Inside” the book or get a Kindle sample will give you a good idea of what the book covers.

August 16, 2016 Filed Under: amps and dacs Tagged With: ,

Used Fiio Q1 portable DAC/amp for $49

The Fiio Q1 portable DAC/amp (flask shaped) is currently available in “Used – Like New” condition for $49~ with free shipping by Electronics Expo through Amazon Warehouse Deals. This ships directly from Expo, so it is not Prime eligible. So many Fiios, so little time!

August 16, 2016 Filed Under: amps and dacs Tagged With: ,

Used Fiio A3 amp for $46, refurbished for $50

The silver color scheme of the new Fiio A3 headphone amp is currently available in “Used – Very Good” condition (repackaged) for $46~ or for $50 in refurbished condition at Amazon Warehouse Deals (AWD). The former is offered by AWD actual, while the refurbished is offered by Beach Camera and ships directly from them (New Jersey). The new condition price is $60.

PS: be careful when looking at the listings, there’s a few of “just launched” sellers offering it for less.

August 16, 2016 Filed Under: amps and dacs Tagged With: , ,

Used Grado SR80e Open On-Ears for $74

I don’t know if it’s the same headphone playing hide and seek in their warehouse or computer servers, but the “Used – Good” condition of the open-back on-ear Grado SR80e is back again at Amazon Warehouse Deals for $74. This is described as having cosmetic imperfections and damaged original pizza box packaging. It’s been on and off so often, I am even recycling the jokes 🙂

August 16, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

TEAC HA-P50 portable headphone amp for $165

The black color option of the TEAC-P50 portable headphone amp, in new condition, is currently on sale for $165 by World Wide Stereo at amazon.com. This ships directly from wWS, so no Prime shipping. Amazon’s own price is $167~ with a “1 to 2 months” shipping estimate. It averages 4.3 out of 5 based on 20 customer reviews.

On the other hand, if you prefer a headphone-amp that is almost as red as Melisandre, the red version is available in “Used – Good” condition (cosmetic imperfections, damaged original packaging) for $146~ by Amazon Warehouse Deals. The new condition of the red is $195.

August 16, 2016 Filed Under: amps and dacs Tagged With: ,

4pk ZMLM Earbud Carrying Cases for $10

Four ZMLM (the brand name, not a cat walking on the keyboard) earbud cases are bundled together for $10 by ZMLM directly, with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so it is Prime eligible. Check both the product pictures and the customer reviews/pictures to get a feel for its size if you plan to use it with larger earphones or tiny DACs/DAPs. I added it to the list of things to consider considering reviewing 🙂

August 16, 2016 Filed Under: accessories Tagged With: ,

Starts Wedn 9:54pm ET: SHANLING M2 DAP sale

Wednesday looks like it’s gonna be a less busy day at the Amazon Gold Box. As of posting time (Wednesday 12:20am ET), there are only 1000 Lightning Deals scheduled. On a typical day, Electronics alone has 300+, but only 92 at the moment.

Of headphone-y interest, there is just one item that is not a generic earbud, starting at 9:54pm ET, they will have a lightning deal on the SHANLING M2 DSD DAP. The price before the sale is $200. There is only one seller for this, which means they will be the one offering it (“Gemini Doctor” is the seller’s name). They are fulfilled by Amazon, so you get Prime shipping and Amazon customer support. An extra layer of safety in case of troubles or issues.

August 16, 2016 Filed Under: digital audio players Tagged With:

Trio of Gaming Headsets from $30 to $67 (Razer, HyperX)

Oops, I forgot about this, but one of the Tuesday daily deals at Amazon is a sale on twenty computer accessories including a trio of gaming headsets with these prices:

+ Razer Kraken USB Over Ear PC, Playstation 4, and Music Headset for $45
+ Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma Sound USB Gaming Headset for $67
+ Kingston HyperX Cloud Drone Gaming Headset for $30

There is a limit of up to three units per item during this sale. The offers expire at 3am eastern on Wednesday or earlier if any of them manages to get sold out.

August 16, 2016 Filed Under: accessories Tagged With: , ,

Open-Box Definitive Technology Symphony 1 for $245

On the techie side of headphones, the new condition Definitive Technology Symphony 1 go for $400, but if you are tech-curious but don’t want to spend that much, they are available in Open-Box Used “Like New” condition for $245 with free shipping by HifiDef Lifestyle through Amazon Warehouse Deals. They ship directly from HiDef (actual real-world A/V store with showroom in Pennsylvania). If you prefer a Prime-delivery, they go for $260 by Electronic Expo.

These are bluetooth with ANC and built-in battery. They average 4.1 out of 5 based on 46 customer reviews.

August 16, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , , , ,

Maxell HP-100 Featherweight On-Ears for $3.13

The Maxell HP-100 featherweight On-Ears are currently on sale for $3.13 each, in new condition, with a limit of five units per customer at Amazon by Amazon actual. Surprisingly (if not shockingly), these are NOT currently an Add-On item, so if you are a Prime member you can get them with free 2-day shipping even if you don’t buy anything else. In fact they are also eligible for free 1-day shipping if your order total is $35+. They average 3.7 out of 5 based on 100+ customer reviews. These are flashback back to the 80s and cassette players 🙂

August 16, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

Creative Sound BlasterX G5 7.1 External Sound Card and Headphone amp for $97

The Creative Sound BlasterX G5 7.1 External Sound Card and Headphone amp is currently on sale for $97 with free shipping by Best Buy on eBay and Amazon by Amazon actual. Check specs and reviews to see if this is something you need/want, as it is not a dedicated headphone amp.

August 16, 2016 Filed Under: amps and dacs Tagged With: ,

AKG M220 Semi-Open Studio for $58 New (MD) or $49 Used (Now)

Based on the good old AKG K240 semi-open over-ear studio-headphones, the new M220 are currently offered on Massdrop for $50 plus $8 flat shipping with a late September 2016 shipping estimate. The offer runs for the next seven days or so.

If you don’t want to wait that long, they are available in “Used – Like New” condition (store demo) for $49 by AudioWattStore with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so they are Prime eligible. The new condition price at Amazon is $79. They average 4.7 out of 5 based on 34 customer reviews.

August 16, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , , ,

[DEAD] Marantz MPH-1 Studio headphones for $30 w/free S&H

This daily deal expired…

[Read more…]

August 16, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Koss The Plug Conehead Earphones for $10

The begging-to-be-joked about “The Plug” Koss earphones, a cone that goes into your ears, is currently on sale in new condition in the standard color scheme for $10 at NewEgg by NewEgg actual (free S&H with $25+ order or $2 flat shipping) and at Amazon by Amazon actual (limit 5; the usual free S&H terms) where it averages 4.2 out of 5 based on 900+ customer reviews. The video there shows the coneheads expanding.

August 15, 2016 Filed Under: earbuds Tagged With:

TDK ST560s Over-Ears for $13

The TDK ST560s over-ears were $22+ the last time I price-checked them, but now you can get them in new condition for $13, offered by two marketplace sellers with the orders fulfilled by Amazon. It is possible the price drop was caused by an (automated?) price war between the two sellers, but that’s just crackpot, I have no way of knowing for certain. They have just one review that has four pictures of the headphones and the mic/remote which also has a volume slider. They have detachable cables.

August 15, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

Skullcandy Navigator On-Ears for $20

We continue the Amazon price-checking sweep. The eBay listing from a few days ago ended, but if you are a Prime member you can get these with free shipping, the new condition Skullcandy Navigator On-ears go for $20 per pair in four different color schemes. They are sold by marketplace sellers, with the orders fulfilled by Amazon, thus the Prime eligible. The headphones average 3.9 out of 5 based on 180 customer reviews.

August 15, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

Used Pioneer SE-M521 for $17 to $19

The new condition Pioneer SE-M521 go for $27 with Prime shipping, or if you can wait for them to arrive from Japan, over a dozen sellers ship from Japan for around $22. If you don’t want to wait that long and instead prefer the 2-day Prime shipping, they are available in Used condition for $17~ (“Good”) and for $19~ (“Very Good”) by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual (Prime eligible). They average 4.5 out of 5 based on 32 customer reviews.

August 15, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Noontec Zoro Closed On-Ears for $24

I am doing another price-check sweep at Amazon, which partially explains the randomness of the posts you see below 🙂 We start with the first generation Noontec Zoro closed-back on-ears, a Beats Solo competitor and “homage” (homage in quotes is a euphemism of making them very similar), in the black color scheme, in new condition, going for $24, sold by a marketplace seller, with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so it is Prime eligible. Limit three per customer and it looks like they may only have three available which is probably why it is limit three per customer. They average 4.2 out of 5 based on 276 customer reviews.

August 15, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

Photive PH-BTE70 Bluetooth Exercise Earbuds for $28

The last time I price-checked these were going for $40, but right now they are going for the very specific price of $27.90, they are decidedly on the utilitarian front, exercise bluetooth earbuds with hooks to stay on your ears, the Photive PH-BTE70, going for that price by a marketplace seller with the order fulfilled by Amazon. They average 3.7 out of 5 based on 1700+ customer reviews.

August 15, 2016 Filed Under: earbuds Tagged With: , ,

AcousticSheep SleepPhones for $30

Do humans dream of electric sheep when they wear headphones at night? We may never know but the AcousticSheep SleepPhones dropped to $30 in most of the size and color combinations by a variety of sellers with most of the orders fulfilled by Amazon. They average 3.6 out of 5 based on 2288 customer reviews. Picture #3 there is LOLworthy showing the husband visibly snoring 🙂

August 15, 2016 Filed Under: accessories Tagged With: ,

Sennheiser CX 3.00 In-Ears for $40 [three colors; limit 5]

In-ear action now, these are more of the shallow insertion kind, or as I like to call them, “earbud-y in-ears”, all three color options of Sennheiser CX 3.00 are on sale for $40 each, with a limit of five per color per customer at Amazon by Amazon actual where they average 4.2 out of 5 based on exactly 200 customer reviews.

August 15, 2016 Filed Under: in-ears Tagged With:

Denon AH-D320RD On-Ears for $40

The commercial success of Beats sent a lot of headphone manufacturers in a scramble to make competing products with varying levels of success. One such exhibit are the new condition Denon AH-D320RD closed on-ears offered for $40 by a marketplace seller with the order fulfilled by Amazon so it is Prime-eligible for members. The headphones average 4.8 out of 5 but that’s only nine reviews.

One semi-unusual thing about these is that the mic and remote controls are integrated into …the earcup, even though they are not Bluetooth/ANC. They have a detachable cable and include a plain 3.5mm audio cable. I suppose one could use their own MFi/1-button cable? I don’t have them so I can’t test this. They also include a carrying case and have a custom Denon app for iOS and Google Play.

August 15, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

Bose MIE2 Earphones for $73

Hide this post from the angry audiophiles, you may get excommunicated for reading about Bose 😉 Among the latest daily deals on eBay, the A4C store (aka All4Cellular) is offering the new condition Bose MIE2 Earphones for $73 with free shipping with a limit of five per customer. The “M” stands for mobile, it has a mic/remote. This is a previous generation model, before Bose switched to the Soundtrue/Soundsport line-ups.

The semi-unique feature of these is that there are neither in-ears nor earbuds. They sort of sit on the ear like an earbud but they have a speaker protrusion that goes inside the ear. It does not create a seal, so you are not going to get ideal sound quality, but if you have comfort issues with both earbuds and in-ears, it may be a convenience/comfort compromise. The earfins hold them in place.

PS: for a limited time, you can save 5% off more if you buy two or more of these or any other items participating in the A4C promotion (this offer is mentioned prominently over there while it is running).

August 15, 2016 Filed Under: in-ears Tagged With: ,

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

It’s back again at Massdrop, the open-back over-ear AKG K7XX Red Edition going for its usual price of $200 with free shipping. It comes with a 2-year AKG warranty and the offer is limited to 1500 units. Offer ends in about eight days from today (today being posting-date, not reading-date).

August 15, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

FX Audio DAC-X6 DAC/amp for $70 [MD]

Another item is currently fully unlocked at the members-only Massdrop, it is the FX Audio DAC-X6 DAC/amp going for $62 plus $8 flat shipping. Offer is good for the next five days or so, and has a mid-September shipment estimate. This has multiple inputs (USB, Coaxial, Optical) and outputs RCA and 6.35mm headphone-out. Toggle switch flips between the three input options.

August 15, 2016 Filed Under: amps and dacs Tagged With: ,