The new condition LG TONE PLATINUM HBS-1100 Neckband Earphones (bluetooth), in the gold or black color schemes, are currently going for $100 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual with a limit of up to three per color per customer at the moment. The other two colors go for more. All together they average 3.6 out of 5 based on 260 customer reviews and have over 100 questions answered by viewers like you (anyone can answer questions at Amazon).
Archives for April 2017
[DEAD] Monday: Monoprice M560 Planars + Tube Head Amp drop to $240 with Coupon AND $0.01+ filler item
This coupon expired but it returns every few days or so, so if you missed it, patience is a virtue, it will return in the future 🙂
[DEAD] Monday’s Offers: Status Audio, Aukey, MEE, Stand, Etc
This round of lightning offers expired…
AKG K842 Master Reference and Beyerdynamic A20 head-amp and Slappa Case for $1499
Another bundle of three from Beach Camera through Amazon, this bundle is centered on the AKG K872 headphones, a closed-back over-ear four-figure studio-branded model. The two other items bundled with it are the Beyerdynamic A20 headphone-amp and the Slappa Hardbody PRO case.
As with some of the other bundles, some are not necessarily intended or ideally suited to be used together, they are more of interest to the headphone fan that has multiple items and likes to mix and match and experiment with.
Pioneer SE-MJ553BT-K On-Ears and Indigo head-amp and Slappa case for $70
It’s bundle up time now. You get three different products for $70. The new condition closed-back on-ear Pioneer SE-MJ553BT-K bluetooth headphones, the Indigo portable headphone-amp (which looks a lot like this M-Audio ~ they both for $30 on their own), the Slappa hardbody headphone case (goes for $20 on its own).
All these are by Beach Camera thru Amazon. It ships directly from Beach Camera (New Jersey) but if you are a Prime member, you get Prime-like shipping speed directly from Beach.
On the other hand, if you don’t want the portable headphone-amp, you can a different bundle for $10 more: it replaces the amp with an omega-shaped wood headphone stand.
PS: some of these bundles are value plays, you don’t necessarily have to (or you can’t) use all the items together, eg the portable head amp and a bluetooth-only headphone.
In-Stock Now: V-Moda Wireless II with apt-X for $350
The official V-Moda store at Amazon is offering the new apt-X model of their recently-revealed Crossfade Wireless II headphone, the Rose Gold color scheme for $350 with free shipping. Only the “Rose Gold” has apt-X. The other two colors do not, which is why they cost $30 less. This is fulfilled by Amazon, so Prime members get them in two days.
Pioneer XDP-100R DAP for $300
DAP-DAP time! The new condition Pioneer XDP-100R is on sale for $300 in new condition in the black or silver color scheme by Electronics Expo (East Coast B&M retailer) with the orders fulfilled by Amazon, so you get free 2-day shipping if you are a Prime member. This averages 4 out of 5 based on 35 customer reviews and has nearly 60 questions answered. More questions than reviews can be a sign of a niche-interest in a product.
AKG K545 Closed Over-Ears for $85 shipped [K495NC On-Ears for $95 shipped]
The new condition closed-back over-ear AKG K545 headphones, only in the white color scheme (the black one is sold out) are going for $80 at Woot’s website. Limit three units per customer.
This is part of a random headphone sale that carries 31 headphones of different kinds, including a handful of 1Voice earphones, older PowerBeats, and the new condition AKG K495NC On-Ears for $90, with the same limit of three. This sale has a mix of conditions, so check each listing individually, do not assume they are all new condition.
Shipping is $5 flat for everything you buy in a single day. They are not daily deals, but a longer-running offer that ends 4/18/17 at 11:59pm Central time.
In-Stock Now: V-Moda Crossfade II BT for $330
The Matte-White color scheme of the brand new V-Moda Crossfade II Bluetooth (wireless) headphones is now in-stock and ready to ship for $330 by v-Moda thru Amazon. This is fulfilled by Amazon, so you get free 2-day Prime shipping. More and more manufacturers open “Amazon stores”. The other two colors are not in-stock yet from V-Moda or Amazon actual.
PS: the “Rose Gold” color scheme is the only one of the three colors that has Apt-X, which is why it costs $20 more. The price difference may be a hint at Qualcomm’s licensing fees for Apt-X and perhaps a reason why Apt-X is not everywhere 🙂
Focal Classic Over-Ears AND Sphear In-Ears for $268
If you want a “Focal Value Meal”, AudioLAB through Amazon is offering a bundle of one over-ear and one in-ear, together for $268 with free shipping (not Prime eligible). The bundle is the Focal Classic closed over-ears AND the Sphear in-ear (a rhyme-y thing).
JBL Coach E40 BT On-Ears for $30
This is a NewEgg “daily” deal, so it is offered for two days. On Day #1 (Friday), promo code EMCSREBE2 gets you the new condition JBL Coach E40 Bluetooth On-Ears for $30 with free shipping. You may have to be a NewEgg email subscriber to use this coupon. On Day #2 (Saturday), it becomes one of the daily deals posted on their ShellShocker daily deals.
PS: I can’t see the benefit of this convoluted way of doing daily deals, but what do I know? 🙂
CEntrance DACport Slim for $100 [MD]
It is back on again, the CEntrance DACport Slim portable little USB DAC/amp is fully unlocked at members-only Massdrop for $100 with free shipping. The offer runs for the next seven days from today (today being blog-posting date) and will ship late April 2017. This too is an “all sales final” type of a promotion.
Amazon Prime Store Card: 10% back on select Musical Instruments (includes 36 headphones)
If you have an Amazon Prime Store credit card (not to be confused with the Chase VISA card), you earn 5% cashback on Amazon purchases. For a limited time until 5/1/17, you will earn an additional 5% cashback, for a total of 10% back on your statement when you purchase select Musical Instruments gear, which includes 36 headphones (the last row that says “Featured headphones”).
A number of well-known studio-type headphones are eligible, including the Sony V6, AKG, KRK, DT-series, Pioneer, Shure, Fostex, etc. Headphone prices are all over the place in terms of competitiveness, so if you are not familiar with a particular headphone’s price, price-check first before buying.
NuForce uDAC-3 DAC/Amp for $70 [MD]
Another offer has blossomed (okay, enough with the spring analogies) ~ it is fully unlocked at members-only (but free to join) shopping club Massdrop, it is the new condition NuForce uDAC-3 DAC/Amp going for $70 with free shipping. The offer runs for the next seven days and will ship from Massdrop around mid-May 2017. All sales are final on this offer too, so keep that mind when shopping at Massdrop. That’s one of the reasons they can offer lower prices as everything factors in the cost of doing business.
Monoprice Tube Amp with Bluetooth 15W Compact Stereo Hybrid for $65 w/FS after coupon
Speaking of Monoprice, their Tube Amp with Bluetooth 15-watt Compact Stereo Hybrid, PID 16152, can be yours for $65 with free standard US shipping when you use coupon code 15TUBE over there. This is a limited time offer but I do not know when it expires. This is not a headphone-amp.
Panasonic drops360° RP-HJX5-A for $13
The new condition Panasonic RP-HJX5-A earphones, part of the drops360 line, in the metallic-blue color scheme, is currently on sale for $13 each at Amazon by Amazon actual. The other two colors go for around $20. They average 3.9 out of 5 based on 50+ customer reviews and they are marketed as “Powerful Bass”.
Kinera BD005 IEM for $20 + S&H [MD]
More Chi-Fi action at Massdrop’s, the Kinera (not to be confused with the Game Of Thrones Red Priestess Kinvara) is fully unlocked for $20 plus shipping. The offer runs for the next seven days and will ship mid-May 2017. It will ship from Massdrop. It comes in three colors, the pictured R’hllor-approved Red, along with Blue or Gray. This is another hybrid design, one dynamic and one balance armature (not balanced armchair) driver.
Used Focal Elear Open Over-Ears for $819
The open-back over-ear Focal Elear go for $1000 in new condition at authorized dealers, but if you are comfortable buying them used, they are available in “Used – Like New” condition for $819 with free shipping by marketplace seller “Audio Fanatic” (100%, 81 ratings) through Amazon Warehouse Deals. They are not Prime eligible.
PS: ignore the “Just Launched” sellers with the ridiculous low prices and the “email us before buying”. They are harvesting data and worse.
Sony MDR-XB950 AP Extra Bass for $59
Good until Friday, the new condition closed-back over-ear Sony MDR-XB950AP/H Extra Bass in the gray color scheme is on sale for $59 with free shipping by Focus Camera through NewEgg Flash.
PS: this is the wired-only version. The Bluetooth version has a BT appended to its model name, it is MDR-XB950-BT. Plus the bluetooth is available in black, blue or red, not gray. The Bluetooth version has a newer version even, the MDR-XB950-B1 which goes for its honeymoon era price of $198.
[DEAD] Beats Studio Wireless Over-Ears (BT and ANC) for $210
This daily deal expired…
PS: this market segment (over-ears with bluetooth and ANC) continues to increase in popularity (to the chagrin of some audiophiles) and it is heavily contested as a nice profit margin segment in the $200+ price range, with Bose, Sony, Sennheiser, V-Moda, B&W, B&O, and many more vying for earfection. Ear affection that is, although on re-reading this new made-up-word, it sounds more like an infection ~ which the dissenting audiophiles will agree with 🙂
[DEAD] Symphonized MTRX 2.0 Wood In-Ears for $20
This expired but different Symphonized wood-y earphones are offered in the lightning deals almost daily…
Sennheiser IE60 in-ears for $109
The new condition Sennheiser IE60 in-ears are currently on sale for $109 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual with a limit of up to three units per customer. This is not a lightning deal.
V-Moda Crossfade M100 Closed Over-Ears for $200
The new condition closed-back over-era V-Moda Crossfade M100, in the matte-black color-scheme is currently on sale for $200 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual with a limit of up to three units per customer. These are wired-only, no BT/ANC. All together they average 4.4 out of 5 based on 1600+ customer reviews.
Koss KSC21 SportClip Clip-On for $6 [limit 3]
Clip-on action now, the new condition Koss KSC21 SportClip are on sale for the very specific price of $5.89 at Aamzon by Amazon actual with a limit of up to three units per customer. Despite the low price, they are not an ADD-ON item, so if you are a Prime member, you get free 2-day shipping with just one pair of these They average 3.8 out of 5 based on 117 customer reviews.
PS: this should not be confused with the more famous clip-ons, the Koss KSC-75.
JBL S300 NBA-licensed On-Ears for $50 (six teams)
For NBA fans, the JBL S300 closed-back on-ear headphones that are NBA-licensed are on sale again for $50 with free shipping at the official JBL store. These are new condition available in Bulls, Knicks, Thunder, Lakers, Spurs and Celtics. Per the listing there, they come with a carrying case and a detachable cable. It’s not clear whether you get the Android or iOS 3-button cable or both.
New “This Week in Headphoolia” round-up is up!
A new installment of our kinda-weekly round-up of some of the things happening in the world of headphones. This new installment covers the time period up to April 11 with the 2017 Southern California CAN JAM event being the headliner as it brought a number of inverse-Monks-priced headphones with it 🙂
PS: you can find all previous versions of these round-ups in the Headphoolia category. If you have any feedback or like other sources/websites to be included, please leave a comment (including your own impressions/reviews/opinions/etc)!
10% off headphones at Groupon with coupon (600+ options)
Coupon code SALE3 (short and sweet and easy to type coupon, without any characters that are hard to decipher ~ eg “0” vs “O” ~ try deciphering that while redeeming a gift card with a looooong list of random letters and numbers) gets you 10% off on almost everything at Groupon Goods (the section of their website that sells physical products, not services or food or local events), including headphones. There are over 400 over/on-ears and 280 earphones listed there. Keep in mind, a lot of them are consumer-tier, you are not going to find a Focal Elear there 🙂 You can also use the Search-BOX there to search for brands or types.
The coupon can get you a maximum of a $50 discount per item. You can use it to buy one unit of an offer. If you buy two or more of the same item, only the first unit will get discounted. You can use the coupon on three separate offers. Expires April 13 (2017).
PS: a number of other sellers sell on Groupon, in addition to Groupon actual. Check the description to find clues on who the seller is, and whether returns are accepted. Also check the shipping estimate; while Groupon has improved, it’s still nowhere near Prime speed.
Dr Meter MS10 dB Meter for $14 w/coupon [hardware; not app]
If you want a basic stand-alone hand-held hardware sound meter (not a phone app), the “Dr Meter MS10”, a device that appears to be sold in various brands and skins is currently on sale for $14 with coupon code UYZ98DYT offered by a marketplace seller with the order fulfilled by Amazon.
It averages 4.1 out of 5 based on 230 customer reviews, and has 29 questions answered. It promises to be +/- 1.5 dB and measures in 0.1 dBA steps. They are powered by a 9V battery. They take measurements every few seconds, it is not always measuring. It can also be mounted on tripod-type devices, perhaps a good use of selfie sticks 🙂
Let the price set expectations. I have a similar-looking one from a different brand but I can’t find it 🙂
PS: the page there has a handy “How Loud is Too Loud” picture in the gallery, picture #4 over there, showing examples of “real world sounds” from 10 dB to 145 dB. Sorry audiophiles, you only allowed to watch firework shows on a TV 🙂 Kids may use this to lobby their parents against doing the grass (“look ma/pa, the lawnmower is in the RED ZONE, no can do!”).
[DEAD] Thurdsay: Monoprice M560 Planars + Tube Head Amp drop to $240 with Coupon AND $0.01+ filler item
This coupon expired but Monoprice brings this back every few days/weeks…
Samsung Level ON Closed On-Ears for $54 [was $46]
Price updated here 4/12/17 AM…
The new condition closed-back on-ear Samsung Level ON headphones are on sale for $54 [WAS $46~] with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual in the white/brown color scheme with a limit of three per customer. It looks like a computer-generated price-match of marketplace sellers, so it may not last long.
If you prefer the black color scheme, you have to be a more adventurous shopper as Amazon actual does not carry it, but a couple of marketplace sellers fulfilled by Amazon have it for $51~ each. Fulfilled by Amazon adds some level of protection versus something that ships directly from a marketplace seller since Amazon handles the shipment and such.
These headphones average 4 out of 5 based on 110+ customer reviews.
The black color scheme is available for the more adventurous shoppers for $48 with free shipping but no returns (FINAL SALE) by a marketplace seller through Groupon Goods. This is a final sale, so in case of issues you have more headaches than “fulfilled by Amazon”.
PS: if you find these deals and this blog useful, please consider making your purchases through the affiliate links in all these posts. We only have one conventional ad in the sidebar (how many websites do that?) and no sponsors to worship, so your purchases are what helps fund the resources and time to do this 🙂
Monster N-Lite Earphones for $10 w/FS with coupon
Newegg managed to do the impossible, it took something as simple as daily deals and turned them into a convoluted process 🙂 The daily deals are offered one day early for people in their emailing list through the use of promo codes. The day after, the daily deals appear in their Shellshocker page. So essentially they are two-day daily deals 🙂
Good until Wednesday night, promo code EMCSREBB5 gets you the new condition Monster N-Lite earphones for $10 with free shipping. The model number for these is ridiculous, six random combinations of letters, “MH NLT IE SLV CU WW”. I bet this will go viral as everyone tells their friends they bought the “MH NLT IE SLV CU WW” and can’t wait t listen to them 🙂
Razer Kraken Pro Analog Gaming Headset for $35 w/FS
The Best Buy eBay store is offering the new condition Razer Kraken Pro Analog Gaming Headset (green color scheme) for $35 with free shipping or free store pickup. Limit up to five units per customer for this limited time offering.
In-Stock Now: 1More Quad Driver IEMs for $200
If you want to be among the first to get the new 1More Quad driver IEMs and don’t want to wait for future discounts, they are now in-stock for $200 by 1More through Amazon. They ship directly from the 1More’s Amazon store (fulfilled by Amazon, so you get Prime benefits). Amazon’s own estimate is “2-4 weeks”.
Sony MDR-100AAP Closed Over-Ears for $109
If you don’t need the BT + ANC version, we have good news, especially if you like or do “bordeaux pink” color-scheme. The wired-only Sony MDR-100AAP closed-back over-ears are on sale for $109 with free shipping by Beach Camera thru Amazon. This is fulfilled by Amazon, so you get free 2-day Prime shipping from an Amazon facility.
The other colors go for more, the yellow is close at $119 and the rest are further higher. Together they average 4.5 out of 5 based on 40 customer reviews and has an equal number of answered-questions. If these were NBA numbers, it’s guaranteed Hall of Fame induction 🙂
Sony MDR-100ABN/B Closed Over-Ear (BT, ANC) for $180
The new condition Sony MDR-100ABN/B bluetooth and active noise cancelling closed-back over-ear headphones are participating in an “add to cart” sale by BuyDig on eBay for $180 with free shipping. To see the price, you have to be logged-on to your eBay account and press the appropriate button to show the price. This is the black color scheme.
Interestingly, the limit is 50 per customer, so the “Add to cart” is for the lower price it seems. I haven’t attempted to buy 50 of them to test this 🙂 Buydig is an authroized Sony USA dealer.
The 100ABN has been superseded in the Sony line-up with the new MDR-1000X which go for $350 on sale, and according to some, they are neck and neck with the Bose QC35 in terms of ANC effectiveness.
If you don’t need ANC, the non-ANC version, check the post above this!
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