Archives for October 2016

Two days left on LZ and TFZ IEMs [MD]

Sometimes having too many letters in your company’s name is too expensive, which is the theme of two more unlocked Massdrop offers, with two days to go (from blog-posting date). The LZ A3 Triple Hybrid IEMs go for $130 plus $4~ flat shipping, while the TFZ Series 1S IEMs go for $33 plus $4~ flat shipping. Color choices are available at checkout, and pictures aplenty of the kits are shown over there. Shipment is estimated to be late October 2016.

[DEAD] Starts Thursday 8:35am ET: AmoVee Acrylic Headphone Stand

This offer was cancelled before it went live. Since Amazon opened the Lightning Deals to the marketplace vendors, cancellations are more frequent than they used to be…

Things are rather quiet audio-wise in the Amazon Gold Box for Thursday, but starting at 8:35am Eastern there is going to be a lightning deal on the AmoVee Acrylic Headphone Stand. The price before the sale was $12.80. Multiple designs are on the same product page, so check the individual filtered reviews list which are 320 out of the 413 ones.

New Arrival? HIFIMAN RE400i V2 In-Ears for $79

Version 2 (as the V2 hints at) of the Hifiman RE400i in-ear headphones is currently available for $79 with free shipping by Hifiman through amazon.com. This ships directly from Hifiman’s store, so it is not Prime eligible. There are no customer reviews at the moment. The V2 is also available for the same price by the Hifiman eBay store. I do not know what the differences are between this and the first generation model. There is no mention of a V2 for the RE400i at their website.

Used Sennheiser HD471i Closed Over-Ears for $54

This is not part of the Sennheiser IFA 2016 line-up with the goofy naming scheme, but it is a relatively new headphone (from last Fall), the closed-back over-ear Sennheiser HD 471i (detachable cable, 3-button remote for Apple devices {hence the “i” in the model name}) goes for $110 in new condition, but if you want to save some, you can get it for $54 to $58 in Used condition by Amazon Warehouse Deals. There are four listings under “Used – Very Good” for $58, so price pressure may build on these over time given that they are not a famous headphone. They average 4.1 out of 5 but based on only 16 customer reviews.

Sennheiser Urbanite XL Over-Ears for $90

Staples is trying to get more people shopping on their website so they occasionally roll out some good deals on name brand products, which brings us to the new condition closed-back over-ear Sennheiser Urbanite XL (wired, denim color scheme) offered for $90 with free shipping and handling or free store pickup. This is a limited time offer that expires by 10/8/16 or earlier if sold out. Already two other color options are out of stock and cannot be ordered.

The next best price at the moment is the black color scheme with the Galaxy/Android remote going for $115~ at amazon.com.

Alternately, the black color scheme with the Apple compatible remote control is available for $70 with free shipping in open-box condition by VM Innovations on eBay. As of the time of writing there are four units available.

The Urbanite is part of a two-pronged approach (along with the Momentum) to capture the average consumer that has been buying Beats and Bose and other fashionable/trendy headphones and/or brands.

Accessories Unlocked: Earplugs and Stand [MD]

It’s accessories unlocked day at members-only Massdrop. The Rooth C&P Earplugs (hearing protection at live music events, these don’t play music) are unlocked at $18 plus $3 flat shipping with five different models / color schemes available at checkout… On the stands front, if your bananas decided to reclaim the banana stand and you need to get one of the headphones, the Just Mobile HeadStand is unlocked for $30 plus $8~ flat shipping. Three color options are available… Both offers are running for the next eight days (from blog-posting date, not the date you are reading this).

[DEAD] LiveWire 4-Channel Headphone Amplifier for $40 w/free S&H

This MF daily deal expired but many of their offers return every few weeks, especially now that they went to a 3-item daily deal rotation…

[Read more…]

[DEAD] Sharkk Sport Bluetooth Earbuds for $30 + $5 flat S&H

This daily deal expired…

[Read more…]

[DEAD] Wednesday’s Offers: Parrot Zik 2.0, A-Jays, Beanie Bluetooth Hat, Etc

These daily lightning offers expired as well…

[Read more…]

[SOLD OUT] Sentey GS-1402 Headphone Carrying Hard Case for $6

As of a 3/22/17 re-check, this is sold-out and cannot be ordered at the moment…

The Sentey GS-1402 Universal Headset and Headphones Carrying Hard Case (that’s the “official” product name) is on sale for $6 each, in new condition, by Sentey with the orders fulfilled by Amazon, so you get free Prime shipping (or with a $49+ order if not a member). Thankfully this is not an Add-On item, so you can buy one if you like and still get free Prime shipping. Between the product description, the customer reviews and the questions answered, you can figure out which headphones fit and which ones don’t fit. Both the reviews and answered-questions have search boxes you can search for. You have to go to the detailed pages for each to locate the search boxes. This may also depend on the screen/viewport size. It averages 4.3 out of 5 based on 150+ customer reviews and have 35 questions answered

Repurposed Accessories: Small Camera Case (for Earphones) for $1.57

From the Repurposing Accessories Department, this small AmazonBasics Small Camera Case is on sale for $1.57 each, in new condition, and it comes in those sturdy AB cardboard boxes too that you can repurpose (unless they recently changed their packaging). This is great for small and medium size earphones, plus it has a second smaller compartment you can store eargels, 1/4″ adapters, etc. I will do a post on these in the future, but I can’t stop time and do it now 🙂 The only catch is that this is an Add-On item, so you must place a $25+ order in order to buy it. Limit up to three of this per customer. You can combine this with other Add-On items to get to $25+, some ideas in the second paragraph of this post.

Speaking of repurposing accessories, this is the office supplies clearance season, you may find them at crazy low prices as retailers try to make room for the holiday shopping season. Some ideas in the Repurposing Office Supplies post.

[DEAD] Sennheiser MM60 iP Mobile Headset for $29.70 [ends 9:55pm ET]

This offer is over as well…

[Read more…]

[DEAD] Fostex TX-1 for $18 w/free S&H [ends Tue 8am ET]

This daily deal expired… In the #2 slot of the current Musician’s Friend Deals of the Day (aka at the second row of the stack) are the new condition Fostex TX-1 Headphones offered for $18 with free shipping. The offer ends by Tuesday at 8am ET.

[DEAD] MEE Audio Sport-Fi M6 earphones for $13 (ends 3pm ET)

This particular offer expired, but this model returns every few weeks…

[Read more…]

[DEAD] NuForce NE800M In-Ears for $67.50 (ends 11pm ET)

This 6-hour offer expired…

[Read more…]

[DEAD] Yamaha PRO 300 Closed On-Ears for $78 [ends 9pm ET]

This limited time offer expired as well…

[Read more…]

Audio Technica M40x for $80 [or with Fiio A1 and Slappa Case for $99]

The Audio Technica M40x closed-back over-ear has been slowly chipping away at the M50x hype, a counter-insurgency of sorts, and it is currently on sale, going for $80 with free shipping by a marketplace seller with the order fulfilled by Amazon… Alternately, Beach Camera is bundling it with a Fiio A1 tiny amp and the Slappa Case for $99 (the case goes for $20 on its own, the Fiio A1 goes for $28 on its own)… Alternately, the Amazon recommendation engine points out this $14 co2CREA headphone case

Beyerdynamic DT 880 Premium (600 ohm) with Fiio A1, Slappa Case, 32GB card for $229

The new condition Beyerdynamic DT 880 PREMIUM (600 ohm) are currently unlocked for $218~ shipped at Massdrop with a late October shipment estimate, but in terms of bang for the buck, this offer is “defeated” by Beach Camera on Amazon offering them for $229 with a Slappa HardBody Case ($20 price on its own), along with the Fiio A1 tiny little amp ($28 on its own), and a 32GB Lexar microSD with reader.

Open-Box Sony MDR Z7 for $439

The Razordog Audio eBay store has one pair of open-box Sony MDR-Z7 headphones for $439 with free shipping. The listing says these are open-box return with full warranty and were used for less than ten hours… Earlier this summer these were offered for around $320 in manufacturer refurbished condition by Secondipity…

Used Grado SR125e for $104

The new condition Grado SR125e open-back headphones go for $150 at authorized Grado dealers, but if you want to save some,they are currently available in “Used – Very Good” condition for $104 with free shipping by Amazon Warehouse Deals.

Used Sennheiser Momentum Over-Ears (1st Gen) for $82+

The first generation of the closed-back over-ear Sennheiser Momentums is currently available for $82~ in “Used – Good” condition, and $87~ in “Used – Very Good” condition by Amazon Warehouse Deals in the black color scheme.

Used KRK KNS6400 Studio for $48

Back to the “Used Train” where we find the closed-back over-ear KRK KNS6400 studio headphones available in “Used – Very Good” condition (repackaged, minor cosmetic imperfections) going for $47.73 at Amazon Warehouse Deals (AWD). They ship from AWD actual, so the usual Amazon free shipping terms apply.

If you are not a Prime member, you can add a small accessory to get to $49+ and get free shipping, e.g. $3 Belkin splitter or $5 Shure pouch, or $1.82 Guitar Picks, or $3.17 Pelican Foam Set (for micro cases) or $4 Expo Dry Erase Markers with a Clicker or $1.66 Camera Case (good for small and medium size earphones, has two compartments so you can store eargels, adapters, etc), etc, etc, etc.

In-Stock Again: Focal Utopia for $4000

Some crackpot theorists would argue that the existence of the Focal Utopia is to make the Focal Elear look like a great bang for the buck for $1000, but this is not the Art Bell Headphone Hour 🙂 Which brings us to the Focal Utopia, as of the time of writing, there are two units in-stock and ready to ship for the very flagship price of $4000 by Gramophone thru Amazon. They ship directly from Gramophone (of Maryland), so they are not Prime eligible. This is one of the rare cases where using the fastest shipping method is a great idea.

Sony MDR ZX330 BT (Bluetooth) for $50

One of the latest daily deal features at Best Buy are the new condition closed-back on-ear Bluetooth Sony MDR ZX330 BT going for $50 with free shipping or store pickup (if available nearby). You have to do the “add to cart” thing to see the price. Limit three per buyer during the sale. They are part of their serviceable ZX-series but with Bluetooth and NFC. NFC is handy if you mix and match different bluetooth playback sources and headphones, especially if you leave Bluetooth ON on your devices even when it’s not in use. It’s like a soap opera fight for the bluetooth connection 😉

Used Philips SHP2600/27 Closed Over-Ears for $10

If the success/hype of the Philips X1/X2 and 9500s got you Philips-curious and want to try more of their line-up, the closed-back over-ear Philips SHP2600/27 are currently available in “Used – Very Good” condition (damaged original packaging) for $10.05 by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual, so if you are a Prime member, you get a free 2-day shipping. They average 3.8 out of 5 based on 51 customer reviews. The box markets them as “Extra Bass”.

Used Beyerdynamic T90 Tesla for $217 [was $204; updated]

We continue our mini excursion into Amazon Warehouse Deals with the Beyerdynamic T90 Tesla headphones offered in “Used – Like New” for $217 “Used – Very Good” condition (cosmetic imperfections, damaged original packaging) going for $204~ with free shipping by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. These average 4.4 out of 5 based on 46 customer reviews.

Used Master & Dynamic MW60 Wireless for $303

Retro-styled bluetooth action now where the Master & Dynamic MW60 Wireless are available in “Used – Good” condition for $302.53 in Brown and $304.84 in Black through Amazon Warehouse Deals. This link shows the lowest price per color, click on the “See all offers for this product” next to the color name to see all the options per color. These go for $550 in new condition.

[DEAD] Used Sennheiser HD 558 Open Over-Ears for $48

As of a late 10/3/16 re-check, this got scooped up at this price… If you can’t wait for future sales, and don’t want to wait for more on the new HD 5XX line-up, the open-back over-ear Sennheiser HD 558 is currently available in “Used – Very Good” condition for $48 and “Used – Like New” for $51 by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. This is the middle of the previous generation HD 5xx line-up. It averages 4.6 out of 5 based on 961 customer reviews.

[DEAD] Monday’s Offers: MEE M6, Harman Soho Mini, Yamaha PRO 300, NuForce NE800M, Senn MM60 iP, Etc

Monday’s round of offers expired…

[Read more…]

Shipping now: FiiO Multifunction Dock (DK1) for $25 w/free S&H

If you need to get the brand new FiiO Multifunction Dock (DK1), as of the time of writing, it is in-stock and ready to ship for $25 with free shipping by Pitfull Electronics thru Amazon (not Prime eligible) or $30 by Tinbel Store fulfilled by Amazon (Prime eligible) with a limit of three per customer. This fits some of their latest DAPs (X7, X5 II, X3 II, X1) along with the E17K.

Panasonic RP-HD10C-K Over-Ears for $200

The closed-back over-ear Panasonic RP-HD10C-K are currently going for $200 in new condition at Amazon.com with three seller options. Amazon actual which has a 2-5 week shipping estimate, along with two options from Focus Camera, either fulfilled by Amazon (Prime eligible) or shipping directly from New Jersey (Focus Camera location)… Alternately, you can get them for the same price by Focus’s eBay store… This looks like it could be a computer-generated price-match of the Focus Camera sale triggering the Amazon actual price-matching it…

Beyerdynamic Custom Street On-Ears for $67 [limit 3]

There are on sale again, matching the lightning deal price of last week. It’s the new condition closed-back on-ear Beyerdynamic Custom STREET On-Ears, in the black color scheme, going for $67 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual with a limit of three per customer. These are not on a lightning deal, so the price continues until it changes (in other words I have no clue when it will change).

NOTE: these are on-ears, the “Street” is the On-Ear model. The non-Street Customs are over-ears.

I bought these as an impulse + curiosity buy. The Unboxing post I promised for last weekend was delayed, but delay no more, I just posted a Useful Unboxing (text and pictures only), no animations, no audio/video annoyances. A total of 22 pictures were posted (out of 160+ taken).

bcs_posing_noruler

For some strange reason I decided not to listen to them until I posted the Unboxing post, so how they sound would not “color” the unboxing post. Not sure where this crazy idea came from 🙂

UPDATE:: the “Review Diary” for these is now LIVE will begin this weekend [hooray! Deadline met!]… A “review diary” is when the review develops over time, and I post findings as I use them. Instead of waiting until a review is “completed”. Not that anything is ever completed with audio since there are so many different ways to combine and interconnect things And a more practical reason, if I start a “review diary” I am more likely to review something versus not writing anything at all 🙂

Speaking of review-content related matters, the VE Monks Review Diary continues with more goofiness 🙂

Thinksound ON1 Headphones for $128 [MD]

The Wood Cult is one of the many special interest groups in headphones, perhaps only eclipsed by the Tubes Glow Cult 🙂 Which brings us to Massdrop, the new condition Thinksound ON1 Headphones are fully unlocked for $120 plus $8~ flat shipping. The offer is running for the next eight days (from blog-posting date) and comes with a 2-year warranty and will ship in late October 2016. Around 120 units are available for this particular offer per the listing.

[DEAD] Beyerdynamic Custom PRO Over-Ears for $140

This daily deal expired… The second option in the three Musician’s Friend Stupid Deals of the Day (they have three now instead of one per day) is the new condition closed-back over-ear Beyerdynamic Custom PRO headphones offered for $140 with free shipping. The price drops in the shopping cart. The product page displays a $220 price, but once you add to cart, there is a $80 off discount while this offer is running. The offer ends at 8am ET on Sunday or earlier if they run out of them.