Archives for September 2016

Sony MDR XB 450 Extra Bass for $39

This is only “Extra Bass”, no Bluetooth, it is the new condition Sony MDR XB 450 in the “AP” mic/remote configuration (universal, aka Android Phone or something like that) going for $39 with free shipping by “Video and Audio Center” with the orders fulfilled by Amazon, so Prime shipping benefits.

PS: there’s a handful of refurbished options in the low 20s there, but none of them are recognizable seller names, and the “seller profile” scores do not look very encouraging. Especially if they are not “fulfilled by Amazon” so you won’t have to “fight the seller” to return something or resolve any other issues.

Skullcandy Grind Bluetooth On-Ears for $70

It has the makings of a price match, the most modest of the color schemes of the Skullcandy Grind Bluetooth On-Ears (the black/chrome color scheme) is on sale, in new condition, for $70 with free shipping at Target (free S&H or store pickup where available) and Amazon by Amazon actual.

PS: if you are curious about what’s in the box, here’s our Useful Unboxing (it’s only text and pictures, no annoying audio or video or animations). Reviews of everything are delayed 🙂

Jaybird X2 Sport Wireless Earbuds for $99 [two colors]

Two of the six color schemes (Storm and Midnight) of the Jaybird X2 Sport Wireless (Bluetooth) earbuds are on sale, in new condition, for $99 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual where they average 3.4 out of 5 based on nearly 4000 customer reviews, and have 500+ answered questions there.

PS: still no date for the release of the upcoming Jaybird X3 as far as I can tell.

Sony MDR XB950 BT Extra Bass for $128 [or $100 certified refurbished]

If you like the Double Bs (Bass and Bluetooth), the new condition Sony XB950/BT Extra Bass is on sale, in new condition, for $128 with free shipping by “Video and Audio Center” (aka VAC in SoCal) through Amazon.com. The red color scheme is fulfilled by Amazon so it gets Prime shipping, while the black and blue colors ship directly from VAC, so no Prime shipping. The headphones average 4.3 out of 5 based on nearly 1100 customer reviews, and have 650+ questions answered, both indicators of consumer interest in “bass” and “bluetooth” 🙂

On the other hand, if you are comfortable with certified refurbished, the red goes for $100, and the other two colors for $110 by Secondipity thru Amazon. They ship from Secondipity, so they are not Prime eligible. The refurbished too are popular, they average 4.3 out of 5 based on 350+ customer reviews (interesting how they have the same average, wisdom of the masses in effect?) and have 90 questions peer-answered.

V-Moda M80 On-Ears for $80

In a 2-day sale ending Saturday night, Best Buy is offering the new condition silver color scheme of the V-Moda M80 Closed On-Ears for $80 with free shipping or store pickup (if/where available). This is the previous generation model, the current generation model are the XS on-ears.

15% off Headphones at Stacksocial with Coupon

Stacksocial carries a limited selection of headphones and for a limited time, coupon code CHEERS15 gets you 15% off their current prices. With the coupon factored in, among others, the prices drop as follows:

+ A-Audio Legacy Noise Cancelling Headphones with 3-Stage Technology for $68
+ FRESHeBUDS Pro Magnetic Bluetooth Earbuds for $34
+ Earin True Wireless Earbuds for $170
+ coupon expiration date unknown

[DEAD] Audeze SINE On-Ears and iFi Nano iDSD for $449

This sale ended… It’s bundle time again at Adorama.com, they are offering the closed-back Audeze SINE on-ears with the iFi Nano-iDSD PCM/DSD/DXD USB DAC, together for $449 with free shipping until 10/8/16.

[DEAD] Saturday’s Offers: Bluetooth party: Bluedio, Photive, Etc

These daily offers expired…

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Skullcandy Headphone Travel Case for $16

On the name-brand headphone travel case front, the black/red color scheme of the Skullcandy Headphone Travel Case is down to $16.28 by a marketplace seller with the order fulfilled by Amazon. The other two color schemes go for more. This fits a variety of Skullcandy’s over/on-ear headphones non-folded, so it should be able to fit headphones from other brands that have similar dimensions. It also has a removable zippered pouch for cables/accessories, which may (or may not) fit earphones depending on size/shape. What’s a bit different with this travel case is that it has a handle and is more rectangular than roundish. A rounded rectangular, or a rectangular circle. I’m sure there are “geometrics” terms for these 😉 The usual Amazon free shipping terms apply (Prime or $49+).

Opened Box Logitech UE900S Ultimate Ears In-Ears for $216

Pitfull Audio’s eBay store is offering the new condition Logitech UE900S UltimateEars In-Ears for $280 and they are an authorized dealer, but if you want to save some, they have them in opened-box condition for $216 with free shipping (from Southern California).

Refurbished Klipsch R6i Earphones for $27 w/free S&H

More eBay action, the BuyDig eBay store is offering the certified Klipsch refurbished with a 90-day warranty Klipsch R6i Earphones with an iOS mic/remote combo for $27 with free shipping. Over 530 units have been sold so far according to the eBay page over there. Some of the remote functions works on non-iOS devices, but typically Volume Up/Down only work on iOS.

Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X Open-Back for $80

On the Audio Technica front, the new condition open-back over-ear ATH-AD500X (the “D” is the open-back designator) are on sale for $80 with free shipping by Beach Camera fulfilled by Amazon (Prime eligible) and by BuyDig on eBay.

SMS Audio Street PRO Over-Ears for $35 w/free S&H

The over-ear version of the 50 Cent’s “SMS Audio” Street that has the “PRO” tag in their name are currently on sale in new condition for $35 with free shipping with a limit of 50 per customer by Tech Rabbit on eBay. Over 870 units got sold so far form this listing. They are closed-back with detachable cable, in retail packaging.

[DEAD] eBay Coupon (ends Friday 1am ET): $15 OFF orders of $60+

This limited run coupon expired, but it’s a step in the right direction to generate more excitement about eBay sales, and try to wash out the stigma of PayPal as the only payment method :)…

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[DEAD] Refurbished Bohm ANC Bluetooth On-Ears for $38 w/free S&H

It looks like I jinxed them, as of 9/30/16 AM, both colors are sold out and cannot be ordered…

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[DEAD] Refurbished Plantronics BackBeat Go 2 Wireless (BT) for $29.70

This offer ended, it looks like it sold out before the 6-hours were up…

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[DEAD] FiiO D3 (D03K) DAC w/6ft TOS for $21.24

This 4-hour sale, a $4~ discount, expired… Not much pre-scheduled for Friday at Amazon’s, the most recognizable thing is perhaps the FiiO D3 (D03K) Digital to Analog Audio Converter with a 6ft Micca TOS cable. The price before the sale is $25. The sale price is $21.24. Sale ends 6:20pm ET. It started at 2:20pm ET. These offers typically last 4 or in some cases 6 hours. [updated]

[DEAD] Refurbished 8GB iPod Touch 4 for $55 w/free S&H [limit 1]

As of 9/30/16 AM, this is sold-out and the price increased from $55 to $60…

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Lord Byron is here (aka Beyerdynamic Byron BT in-stock for $100) [updated]

Officially announced at IFA 2016, the new Beyerdynamic Byron BT earphones are now in-stock and ready to ship for $100 at Amazon.com by Beach Camera. Amazon’s own shipping estimate has moved to October 3rd (eg they run out of what they previously had in-stock). [updated 9/29/16 AM]

Meanwhile the Byron wired in-ear is getting closer, its current estimate is “1 to 4 weeks” with a price of $79.

Massdrop x AKG K7XX Open-Back for $200

It’s back on again, the Massdrop x AKG K7XX open-back headphones are fully unlocked and going for $200 with free shipping. The offer is running for the next eight days (from blog-posting date, not the date you are reading this), comes with a 2-year AKG warranty and is estimated to ship mid-October 2016, which is fast by MD standards 🙂 A total of 590 units are available for this particular offering.

[DEAD] Used Beats UrBeats earphones w/new eargels for $20 w/free S&H

This daily deal expired…

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[DEAD] Refurbished JBL Synchros E40BT Bluetooth On-Ears for $40 w/free S&H

This offer expired…

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Store Demo Hifiman Edition S On-Ears for $209 [updated]

The Hifiman Edition S on-ears (not to be confused with the more expensive “Edition X”) go for $250 in new condition at authorized dealers, but if you want to save some, you can get them in “Store Demo” condition (less than 5 hours used) with full warranty from authorized dealer RazorDog Audio on eBay. These can be switched between open and closed. Note that these are NOT planar magnetic.

If they run out, seller “Audio Advisor” (100%, 8258 ratings) has them in “Used – Very Good” condition for $202 $212 at Amazon Warehouse Deals. [price updated in this post on 9/30/16]

Sennheiser HD 700 for $420 [less if you make a $1000+ purchase]

Don’t smoke them, it’s just the price 🙂 The new condition open-back over-ear Sennheiser HD 700 headphones dropped down to $420 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual with a limit of five per customer.

OPTIONAL: If you were also planning to purchase more audio gear, and what you want/need happens to participate in this promotion, you can get an even better deal with this promotion, good until 10/1/16: Buy $1000+ on select products and get a $100 Amazon Store credit to spend in the future. The $1000+ can be any combination and quantities of the 260+ eligible products, as long as Amazon actual is the seller. For example, you can get to the $100 credit if you buy three HD 700 units. Check more details on that promotion (the shopping cart verifies your order is eligible, so you don’t have to guess/gamble).

Here’s a screenshot of the shopping cart with three HD 700s in the shopping cart, and confirmation that the order is eligible for this promotion:

sennheiser_hd700_promotion

Sony MDR-100AAP with Fiio A1 head-amp and Slappa Case for $200

The Sony MDR-100AAP closed headphones currently go for $200 at authorized Sony dealers. While still paying $200, you can score a handful of freebies when you buy them from Beach Camera on Amazon in four different color schemes. Four freebies are included by Beach, two of them are significant: a Slappa Hardbody case and the small Fiio A1 headphone amp. The other two freebies are a microfiber cloth and a 2600 mah keychain battery (mayhaps the Clip+ is a good match for it, definitely not much you can get out of it with a modern smartphone).

Some of these bundles may make sense if you have multiple different types of headphones, and you don’t necessary want to use all the included items together. For example, you could use the Fiio A1 to power something else, and you could use the case to store other headphones. Or if you don’t need the extras, you can gift them or trade/sell them.

In new condition, the Fiio A1 goes for $28, while the Slappa Hardbody goes for $20.

Used Noontec Zoro II On-Ears: Wired for $43 {Used Bluetooth for $103}

The one offered by Noontec itself, sold out. Marketplace sellers have some of the other colors for around $60… Noontec itself is offering the new condition Zoro II wired on-ears for $56 with free shipping in the “orange soda” color scheme with the orders fulfilled by Amazon. Limit two units per customer. A couple of other color schemes are offered for slightly more, they are “fulfilled by Amazon”, but they are sold by unknown sellers.

On the other hand, if you prefer used, prices start at $43+ depending on color and condition at Amazon Warehouse Deals. This link shows the lowest price per color. To see more detailed prices for a particular color, click on the “See all offers for this product” link next to the color name over there.

Meanwhile the Noontec Zoro II Wireless (bluetooth) is currently available in “Used – Like New” condition (damaged original packaging) for $103~ by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. The new condition price is currently $140. They also play audio via the 3.5mm audio port.

[DEAD] Refurbished JBL Synchros Slate (Powered by two AA) for $24 w/free S&H with coupon

These are SOLD OUT as of 9/30/16 AM re-checking…

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[DEAD] 20% off at A4C with coupon

This limited time coupon expired, but it returns every few weeks…

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Koss PortaPros drip-drop to $33.88 [limit 5]

The Koss PortaPros are f00kin legends in a retro kind of way, and if you can’t wait for a future discount or holiday season lightning deal, they have drip-dropped in price a bit at the moment, you can get them for $33.88 in new condition, with a limit of five units per customer at Amazon by Amazon actual. Two more marketplace sellers offer them for the exact same price, so it may be that Amazon automatically price-matched them. So pay attention to who the actual seller is. Look for Amazon’s own listing:

koss_portapro_amzn

Kennerton Magisters for $350 to $700 [MD]

Never a dull moment in the world of headphones these days, many and more new models and brands surface left and right, which brings us to the Kennerton Magisters being offered and fully unlocked at Massdrop. There are two options, the “Light” go for $350, while the standard non-Light go for $700. These are hand assembled in Russia and they allegedly use solid bog oak from trees older than 2000 years old. They have 64 ohm impedance and MD covers the warranty (the standard 1-year). Shipment is late October 2016, and the offer is running for the next seven days.

MEE Audio MMCX Cables for $28+ (fits various in-ears) [MD]

MEE Audio (formerly MEE Electronics) is diversifying with detachable cables that cannot only be used in their own P1 Pinnacle in-ears, but a handful of other popular brands that have models with MMCX. Their MEE Audio MMCX Cables are currently fully unlocked at Massdrop for $25 plus $3.50 flat shipping (without mic) or $30 plus $3.50 flat shipping for the mic/remote cable. The offer has seven days to go (from blog-posting date; approximate since MD does not provide an exact expiration date/time). Warranty is 1-year from MD, and the purchases will ship late October 2016.

On the other hand, if you don’t want to wait and instead prefer near-instant delivery, you can get them for $30 (no mic/remote) or $35 (with mic/remote) at Amazon.com, with the usual free shipping terms.

NOTE that not every MMCX earphone works with these. Check the listings at both places for more details.

[DEAD] Wednesday Offers: Symphonized, Outdoor Tech BT, Etc

This round of daily offerings expired…

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Bose MIE2 earphones for $56 w/free S&H [updated]

If you are caught in the land between in-ears and classic earbuds [eg the VE Monk+], one option are the Bose earphones that are somewhere in between, and one of their previous generation models (before they switched to the Soundtrue line-up) are on sale for $56 with free shipping at A4C online when you use coupon code SEPTEMBER20 (limited time coupon code). This particular model is the Bose MIE2 with an Android/etc remote/mic, not the iOS 3-button.

[DEAD] Audeze LCD-2 (Aluminum or Bamboo) for $700

These two sales expired as well… Another Audeze LCD-2, this one at authorized dealer Adorama.com until 10/3/16 or earlier if sold out, it is two different options of the LCD-2 going for $700 with free shipping, the Aluminum option or the Bamboo option.

KEF M400 On-Ears for $200

Well-known audio companies have been slowly but steadily flocking to the “fashion headphones” segment of the market, which brings us to the KEF M400 On-Ears now down to $200 with free shipping in three of the four color-schemes available at amazon.com. These have only two reviews, and both complain about the jack acting up. They were posted in April/May 2016, so I don’t know if it got fixed or how many were impacted. #FidelioX2GlueGate2016