The Tascam TH-02 closed-back bang-for-the-buck headphones are bundled with the Tascam DR-100 MKIII Stereo PCM Recorder, and two additional freebies, a 32GB Sandisk Ultra SDHC card and the Tascam PS-P520E AC Adapter for Recorders, all together for $430 with free expedited shipping at Adorama.com. The recorder on its own goes for $400, so if you need more than one of the three free accessories, the discounted bundle is a plus.
Archives for February 2017
SMSL M6 DAC/Amp for $143 [MD]
Another day, another Massdrop mad drop (ha!). The SMSL M6 DAC/Amp is unlocked for $135 plus $8~ flat shipping over there. It is available in neither or black and will ship in mid-March 2017. The offer runs for the next six days. It currently beats the eBay and amazon.com prices of $170.
Speaking of MD, these two have two days left in them before the expire:
+ AKG K812 for $939~ shipped
+ xDuoo TA-01 DAC/Amp for $129~ shipped
[DEAD] Limited Time: Bose SoundSport In-Ears for $69; Sennheiser PC360 SE Gaming Headset for $103
These Saturday daily deals expired…
[DEAD] Saturday: Bose In-Ears, Sennheiser PC360 SE, Razer Kraken Pro V2, Etc
This round of lightning deals expired…
NOTE: I only post these on days where there is some reasonable action. I don’t want to post them when there’s almost nothing from known manufacturers…
(ENDED) Friday only Coupons: Monoprice Triple XXX Triple Driver IEMs for $40 each (Buy Two) or $45 (Buy One) + $2.50 S&H
This coupon expired, but Monoprice has recurring coupon offers…
NuForce uDAC-3 DAC/Amp for $64 [MD]
If you can wait until mid-March 2017, you can get the NuForce uDAC-3 DAC/Amp from members-only Massdrop for $60 plus $4~ flat shipping. Only the black color scheme is available, with 200 units maximum. It will ship directly from MD. Pictures and details on their website.
Also unlocked there is, with seven days to go (from posting-date here) is the TEAC TN-200 Turntable going for $140 plus $19 flat shipping. The shipping fee sounds like OUCH but it still handily beats Amazon’s price of $231 (Prime eligible though, you don’t have to wait until mid-March).
Getting close to unlocking (it needs to more units purchased as of the time of writing) is the XDuoo X10 digital audio player. If it fully unlocks, it will be $140 plus $8~ flat shipping, with similar duration and shipping estimate as the other two items mentioned in this post.
Music Docs: Own “Legend of Leadbelly” in HD for $1
If you like music documentaries, the 51 minute documentary “Legend of Leadbelly” is on sale in Digital HD for just $0.99 at Amazon Instant Video. This is digital ownership, not a rental! As of the time of writing, this is not available on Netflix, Qello, Indieflix or Prime Video (I haven’t checked any other subscription services).
PS: if you have Amazon “No Rush Credits”, they will be automatically applied to the order (if eligible), making it free, with a penny to spare for future purchases 🙂
UPDATE: here’s a near-400 page ebook, Pioneers of Jazz: The Story of the Creole Band by Lawrence Gushee going for $3 in the Kindle. You can get a feel for it by jumping into the “Look Inside” of both the ebook and the print book, and also request a Kindle sample. The latter only shows you the beginning, but the “Look Inside” also shows random pages inside the book, which can be more helpful in figuring out whether this is something you need.
UPDATE #2: The Vinyl of “I Learned The Hard Way” by the great and sadly late Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings is on sale for $10 each (limit up to three per customer).
UPDATE #3: non-headphone offers are rounded-up in this permanent round-up post (also linked to in the Sidebar)
Used Sony PHA2 headphone amplifier for $329
Yesterday’s Sony PHA2 headphone amplifier lightning deal was a disappointing just 10% off sale ($540 vs $600), but if you are interested in it, and you are comfortable with Used purchases, there is a “Used – Good” condition option going for $329 with free shipping, sold by a marketplace seller with the order fulfilled by Amazon. The seller has a detailed description along with five pictures of the actual product.
Marked screenshot of this (click on the pictures over there, to see the gallery of five product pictures):
Sony MDR-XB50AP/R Earphones for $28
The red color scheme of the Sony MDR-XB50AP earphones (thus the “/R” in the model name) are on sale for just under $28, in new condition, at Amazon by Amazon actual with a limit of up to three units per customer. The “AP” in the name is Android Phone mic/remote buttons, and the “XB” is Extra Bass. “MDR” is …your homework to find out 🙂
The other two colors go for $30+ at Amazon, but you can get them for exactly $30 at Best Buy, if you are a Rewards member. They too are part of their Early Access sale [see previous post for details].
Sony MDR-XB-450AP/B On-Ears for $30 (Rewards Members Only)
If you are a Best Buy Rewards member (any tier) and you are logged on to your Best Buy account, the price of the closed-back Sony MDR-XB-450AP/B On-Ears drops from $60 to $30. This is an “Early Access” sale, where their Rewards members get the offers first. It looks like this:
It is free to join their Rewards program, and the bottom tier has no annual spending requirements. The next tiers have more benefits but you have to spend a certain amounts per year. Magnolia spending counts towards that too.
Speaking of Best Buy, good until February 22 (in 2017), the VISA Checkout offer is back. Purchases of $100+ get an automatic $25 off discount. Some products are excluded, such as Bose, Sony, Denon, Polk, etc. Check the promotional page for all the exclusions. The shopping cart will simply not discount the purchase if ineligible items are included.
Used Philips X1 Over-Ears for $178
If of the various Philips open-back over-ear headphones it is the good old X1/28 the one you want, it is currently available in “Used – Good” condition (no further details given) for $178~ with free shipping by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. There is only one listing at this price+condition combination.
[DEAD] Powerbeats 2 for $110 New or $90 Refurbished
This sale ended…
[DEAD] Apple EarPods with Lightning Connector for $18
As of 2/22/17 re-check, this is sold out…
If you are looking for lightning earphones that won’t break the bank, the official Apple EarPods with Lightning Connector (model MMTN2AM/A) are on sale for just under $18 at Amazon by Amazon actual. Limit up to three per customer. These are currently a Prime exclusive. Make sure when buying Apple earphones at Amazon that the seller of record is either Amazon actual or recognizable marektplace sellers. If you buy from rando-seller, the chances of fakes (as evidenced by the customer reviews over there) are very high.
[DEAD] Bose with coupon: QC25 or QC30 for $250, QC20 for $200, Etc
As of a 2/19/17 re-check, there are no Bose headphones left in the Bose store…
Used Master & Dynamic MH40 Over-Ears for $225
The Master & Dynamic MH40 closed-back over-ears have a $400 regular price in new condition at authorized dealers, but if you go the Way Of The Used, you can almost cut in the price in half, assuming the discounts color-schemes are the ones you like (or at least do not object to). So off to Amazon Warehouse Deals we go…
… where Audio Advice (they have two B&M stores in North Carolina) is offering the brown color scheme in “Used – Very Good” condition (original packaging) for $225 with free shipping through Amazon Warehouse Deals. This ships directly from them, so it is not Prime eligible.
On the other hand, if you like the convenience of Prime, the Gunmetal color-scheme is offered in “Used – Very Good” condition (minor cosmetic imperfections; damaged original packaging) for $234~ with free shipping by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual.
Back In-Stock: 5pk of black Cosmos headphone drawstring pouch for $12
The gray color scheme has been steadily in-stock, but the black color scheme was sold out until recently. But as of this recheck, the 5-pack of Cosmos-branded drawstring headphone pouches is back in-stock in the black color scheme [CORRECTED LINK] for $12 as well. Check the product description for dimensions and the customer reviews (over 70 of them) to see what fits and what doesn’t.
I bought one of these a couple of years ago for review purposes, but I can’t find them. I have to dig deeper 🙂 I hadn’t opened them yet, so I don’t know how good they are. The one I have been using for over 3.5 years (and it held up pretty well) is the Shure HPACP1 whose price went up in recent weeks. A review of that is in the pipeline as well 🙂
KZ ATE In-Ears Prime Eligible for $13
It feels like it was only yesterday that everyone was jumping on the VE Monks hype train, but trains come and go, and now it’s the KZ ATE train. Currently these in-ears are Prime eligible, sold by a marketplace seller in new condition, with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so if you are a Prime member you can get them in around two days and not have to worry about international shipping, customs and delays and such.
Open-box Chord Mojo for $450
With the HUGO 2 revealed at CES 2017, the prices are finally dripping down for the Chord Mojo, it is currently available in “Used – Like New” Open-Box condition for $450 with free shipping by authorized dealer Gramophone of Maryland sold through Amazon Warehouse Deals. This ships directly from Gromophone, so it is not Prime eligible.
Used supplies are limited, so it may be gone by the time you read this post. It cannot be updated automatically.
Sennheiser HD 461i Closed Over-Ears for $38 [limit 3]
Another one of the wave of next-generation HD 4*/5* series headphones is the HDG 461i with mic/remote of the Apple kind (thus the small “i” in the model name). This very headphone is currently on sale for $38, in new condition, at Amazon by Amazon actual, with a limit of up to three units per customer. The Galaxy/Android version is not on sale. Together they average 3.9 out of 5 based on 39 customer reviews, and they have a lucky 13 questions answered by the “internet people” 🙂
Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart for $450
They are back on again, this offer running for the next seven days from today (or when the 300 available units get spoken for; whichever happens first). The Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart biodynamic headphones are unlocked for $450 with free shipping. They come with a 2-year warranty and will ship at the very end of February 2017.
Running in parallel are the Earsonics SM64 double-flange in-ears, going for $280 plus $7~ flat shipping. There is very limited supply (only 35 units). They come with a 2-year warranty and will ship from Massdrop facilities in late March 2017.
Last but not least (at least in terms of comfort) among today’s unlocked drops, the ZMF Ear Pads go for $50 plus $3 flat shipping. These are the Ori. For +$10, you can upgrade to the Eikons. They ship late March 2017 as well.
[DEAD] SONY PHA-2 Headphone Amplifier for $540
This lightning deal, which offer a rather small discount, expired… Good until 1:35am ET on Thursday, as teased last night within the Gold Box at Amazon, the SONY PHA-2 Headphone Amplifier is on sale for $540 with free shipping. The price before the sale was $600 last night. Non-Prime members can purchase this starting at 8:05pm eastern.
Sennheiser HD700 drips to $419 [limit 3]
The Sennheiser HD700 has dripped further down, now $419 with free shipping, sold and shipped by Amazon actual with up to three units per customer. This is squeezed between the 600s and the 800s 🙂
NOTE: when price-checking the 800s at Amazon, note that most of the marketplace sellers that sell them for significantly less are not authorized and not well known dealers. Avoid buying from those unless you are 100% convinced this is what you want to do!
Fostex TX-1 Closed Over-Ears for $20 w/free S&H
Fostex too has headphones all over the price range. On the budget side of things, their TX-1 closed-back over-ears go for $20 with free shipping by the Musician’s Friend (MF) group of companies including MF directly and Music 123 thru Amazon (not Prime eligible) and by MF through eBay.
Speaking of them, the CAD MH-310 which looks very similar (but not identical) to a certain Superlux/Samson headphone (I think the SR-950) is on sale for $30 with free shipping by Musician’s Friend and free store pickup by Guitar Center. But if you don’t have coupons or store credit or gift cards there, the Samson SR-950 goes for $24 with free S&H at Adorama.
Both are budget studio headphones, so it is reasonable to assume trade-offs versus well-regarded $100+ studio headphones. Although I suppose a more accurate term would be “studio-useful headphones” versus “studio” which is as much marketing as it describes function 🙂
MEE Audio Air-Fi Matrix2 AF 62 for $63
Not a bid discount over current prices, but if you were planning to buy it anyway or have a Massdrop coupon or store credit, the new condition MEE Audio Air-Fi Matrix2 AF 62 is offered for $55 plus $8~ flat shipping. This bluetooth headphone is running for the next eight days, and it is estimated to ship mid-March 2017. Three hundred units are available for purchase during this particular offer (a “drop” in MD-speak).
Also running for the next eight days and fully unlocked are:
+ Fanmusic E6 earphones for $34 shipped
+ Dekoni Bulletz Earphone Tips for $13 shipped
[DEAD] Starts Wednesday 7:35pm ET: SONY PHA-2 Headphone Amplifier sale
This offer expired…
Used Beyerdynamic T1 (2nd Gen) for $659
A mini used trip yielded a trio of potentially interesting items, starting with the higher priced one, the second generation Beyerdynamic T1 semi-open over-ears are available in “Used – Good” condition (cosmetic imperfections; original packaging) for $659~ by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. These are part of the Tesla umbrella, with 600 ohm impedance.
Used Sennheiser HD 598 CS for $67
If you don’t want to wait for the next sale, or you are comfortable with used headphones, the closed-back over-ear Sennheiser HD 598 CS are currently available in “Used – Very Good” condition (minor cosmetic imperfections, damaged original packaging) for $67~ with free shipping by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. There are multiple listings of this condition, so time could put price-pressure on them.
Used Bowers & Wilkins C5 S2 In-Ears for $82
The Bowers & Wilkins C5 S2 In-Ears go for $150 in new condition at reputable dealers, but if you are comfortable with used condition earphones, and/or you don’t mind playing the waiting game, there are multiple listings of thees by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual with “Used – Good” being the price vanguard at $82, while a handful of “Used – Very Good” are available for $87~. Time may force prices to go down since there are multiple listings but that’s only one of the factors that seem to decide prices in the organized chaos that is Amazon 🙂
Chromecast Audio for $30
The lowest price of the Chromecast Audio at recognizable sellers was $25, so if you don’t need it right away, you can always wait for future sales. But if you need it right away, you can get it for $30 at the Staples website and their B&M stores (YMMV on availability – you can check on their website). Staples has a variety of ways to get additional discounts, their monthly rewards, various coupons (some may be restricting specific brands, so check terms/conditions), or you can redeem a $25 Staples electronic (or plastic) gift card for $20 with Discover Cashback.
We have a Text and Pictures Unboxing of this right here. The promised review and tips and tricks posts have not materialized yet 🙂 [that’s a nice euphemism when you don’t finish something 🙂 ]
PS: non-headphone sales are rounded-up in a permanent post, the Audio Deals round-up.
Klipsch R6 In-Ears for $44 to $45
The black color scheme of the Klipsch R6 in-ears goes for $45 at Amazon by Amazon actual with a limit of up to three units per customer. On the same listing, you will find the white color scheme for $44, but Amazon actual is not the seller. However, three of the sellers offering it for $44 are fulfilled by Amazon. The usual free shipping terms apply. Multiple versions share the same customer review pool, so if you want to check those out, make sure you filter it for this particular model.
[DEAD] Tuesday’s Offers: B&W P3, Symphonized, Etc PLUS Lots of Music
These daily deals expired…
Refurbished 8GB iPod Touch 4 for $56 [updated]
If you are a fan of 30-pin Apple devices, the good old iPod Touch, 4th generation, with 8B of on-board storage, is one of the A4C daily deals going for $56 with free shipping. It comes with a 90 day warranty from A4C (not Apple). This runs older versions of iOS and cannot be upgraded (it cannot handle the latest OS versions).
UPDATE: different model is now a daily deal
Recertified Bowers & Wilkins P7 with 2-yr warranty for $280 [or Very Used for $200] {updated}
UPDATE: this post has been rewritten after I discovered a better option…
Tthe closed-back over-ear Bowers & Wilkins P7 wired headphones are currently offered for $280 with free shipping and a 2-year warranty in Recertified condition by Amazon actual, with a limit of up to three units per customer. The current regular new condition price is $400 at authorized dealers. Given the warranty of the recertified, that’s a bang for the buck over the new condition.
On the other hand, if you are comfortable with heavily used headphones, and a higher purchase risk, marketplace seller “Cellular Stream” is offering “Used – Acceptable condition” for $200 with free shipping, with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so you get free Prime shipping (if a member) and 30-day money back guarantee (IMPORTANT since this is a higher risk purchase). Per the listing, you only get the headphones, no other accessories. Make sure you select one “fulfilled by Amazon” or a seller you know and trust.
If you want a lower risk, Amazon Warehouse Deals’ own lowest price is $252 in “Used – Good” condition. Note that there are multiple options on the same product page, so make sure you are looking at the one you want (there’s wired, wireess and recertified on the same listing).
[DEAD] Brainwavz Replacement Memory Foam Earpads for Large Over the Ear Headphones for $13.20
This early morning Monday lightning deal expired. Chances of selling more of these would have been higher if they launched it at a time more people (and musicians) were awake 🙂
These two colors were “hidden” behind the Dark Purple in the Lightning Deals listings but now that the offer has gone live, they have been revealed. Good until 12:49pm ET, you can get the Brainwavz Replacement Memory Foam Earpads for Large Over the Ear Headphones for $13.20 in either the Gray Color Scheme or the Yellow Color Scheme. The Dark Purple that was featured in the Gold Box last night goes for $16.
[DEAD] Sennheiser HD 4.30G Closed Over-Ears for $70
This Monday lightning deal expired…
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