Archives for September 2019

NuForce BE Sport3 bluetooth in-ears for $28 w/FS

Good until Tuesday 10/1/19, B&H Photo is offering the new condition NuForce BE Sport3 bluetooth in-ears for $28 with free US shipping in the gun-metal color-scheme. Limit up to three pairs per customer at the sale price for these double-flanged necklace-style IEMs…

Friday: Philips SE-CL-502K Basic In-Ears for $7 w/FS

FRiday on your mind with a budget name-brand earphone. It’s the new condition Philips SE-CL-502/K basic earphone going for $7 with free US shipping by NewEgg actual with up to three per customer. This is in the black color scheme. Per the spartan description over there, this has a 1-button remote/mic upon its cable. No coupon, no rebate, just add to cart and you get the sale price…

Meanwhile at Woot they have the new condition Beats X bluetooth in-ears (neckband style) going for $70 with free shipping for Prime members in your choice of black or white color-schemes with up to ten pairs per customer at the sale price. They come with a 1-year Apple warranty…

Monday: B&W C5 S2 In-Ears for $120

The alternating parade of B&O and B&W headphones continues at the Best Buy website, and for Monday 9/23/19 they are offering the new condition Bower & Wilkins C5 Series 2 in-ears (no bluetooth) for $120 with free store pickup [when/where possible] or free shipping…. These earphones average 4.3 out of 5 based on 120 customer reviews at the Best Buy website…

UPDATE: speaking of Monday daily deals, a trio of Corsair gaming headset are on sale at Amazon GErmany with prices ranging from 36 to 88 euro…

And while we are visiting Amazon Germany, eight different color schemes of the Beats Solo 3 headphones (closed-back, on-ear, bluetooth, W1 technology) are on sale for 140 euro each…

Thursday: Logitech Gaming Sale (G633, ASTRO + MixAmp bundle)

Good until Thursday 9/19/19 at 11:59pm pacific, there is a Logitech sale at Amazon USA with a trio of gaming headset bundles along with the obligatory keyboards and a couple of speakers:

+ Logitech G633 Artemis Spectrum for $50

+ ASTRO Gaming A40 TR headset with MixAmp PRO TR for $150 in your choice of XBox or Playstation

Beats Solo 3 Bluetooth Closed On-Ears for $130 [limit 3]

While perusing the best-selling over-ear headphone charts at Amazon USA I spotted another price drop on one of the most popular headphones, the new condition Beats Solo 3 on-ears (bluetooth with W1 technology (of interest to iOS device users)) in the “matte black” color scheme as part of the “Icon Collection” is on sale for $130 with free shipping, sold by Amazon actual, with up to three pairs per customer at the sale price.

This is not a lightning deal, so there is no ticking clock on the sale ending. At the same time, since it is an organic sale (or a price-match), the expiration time is unknown to us outsiders. Mayhaps even insiders as Amazon is mostly run by AI bots these days 🙂

Tribit X-Free ANC/Bluetooth Over-Ears for $28

These well-reviewed ANC/bluetooth closed-back over-ear headphones will holding the line over $40 but as of the time of writing, the price has breached the $30 line [not that these are stock prices] and you can get the new condition black color scheme for $28 sold by “Tribit Direct” with the order fulfilled by Amazon. The red color scheme (more like some red in the coloring, it’s mostly black) goes for $30~. You can buy as many as you like.

This is not a lightning deal, so the price can change (or not change) at any time for any reason. They average 4.5 out of 5 based on over 1000 customer reviews and they have over 280 answered questions by almost anyone with internet access [and an Amazon account]…

If you have practical need for the bluetooth/ANC combo, these budget brands that are tearing up the top seller charts at Amazon (along with Cowin, Taotronics, MPow, etc) are a good way to avoid spending a lot of money on non-audiophile products but still solve a pesky real-world problem 😉

Blue Mo-Fi headphones + Blackout Yeti mic for $249

Are they really ninjas if they are wearing pyjamas? Such existential questions are beyond my understanding, but there is a price drop on one of the Blue Ninjas in Pyjamas bundles, it is the Mo-Fi headphones + Blackout Yeti microphone together forever (or not) for $249 and fulfilled by Amazon. The Mo-Fi is a powered (built-in amp) closed-back over-ear headphone but has no bluetooth and no ANC.

Saturday: Audio Technica ATH-M50xBT for $130

Good until Saturday 9/14/19 at 11:59pm central time, you can get the new condition Audio Technica ATH-M50xBT closed-back over-ear bluetooth headphones for $130 with free shipping (for Prime members) and a 2-year warranty from Audio Technica itself. Limit up to ten pairs per customer at the sale price. This headphone, the root model, needs no introduction as its hype train is long 🙂

Also good for Saturday there are two headphones that are part of the daily deals at Best Buy:

+ Beats Solo 3 bluetooth on-ears for $150

+ MEE Audio Matrix Cinema wireless over-ears for $70 as a clearance sale item

Friday: B&O Play H8i ANC/Bluetooth On-Ears for $300

It’s headphone breakfast at the Best Buy daily deals, where one of them is the new condition B&O Play H8i wireless/ANC on-ears going for $300 with free shipping and/or free store pickup in the black color scheme.

It seems that these two “fashion” brands, B&O and B&W are frequently “flyers” at the Best Buy daily deals. Higher profit margin, more flexibility for discounts mayhaps? 🙂

EU: Philips X2-HR Open Over-Ears for 139 euro

Amazon Germany has now leapfrogged Amazon USA in terms of the absolute number of the price for the new condition open-back over-ear Philips X2-HR headphones, going for a limited time for 139 euro at amazon.de while the lowest price at the amazon mothership is $150.

Speaking of the Amazon mothership, one marketplace seller has the older Philips X2 open over-ears for $108~ in “Used – Very Good” condition. The listing says this is new in open package. The marketplace seller averages 99% with 31K rankings. Note however that this ships directly from the seller [not fulfilled by Amazon] which increases the risk…

Monoprice Refurbished and Open-Box sale

Monoprice is running a refurbished & open-box sale with a variety of products on their website including headphones. The link above points to the headphone-related products. If other product categories interest you, you can use the options on the left side of the page over there.

Of headphone interest, a number of the over-ear headphones are available (planar and dynamic) starting at $99. Also part of the sale are their planar earphones (M300) going for $79, the giant Monolith tube head-amp for $299, the Monolith Cavalli Liquid Spark head-amp for $80, etc.

AS usual with Monoprice, price-check both the new condition and the refurb/open-box products as the sale prices may not be in-sync (eg you may be better off getting the new condition).

These inspected and tested refurbs and open-box products get a 90-day warranty along with 30-day satisfaction guarantee, so you are not left twisting in the wind in case of a lemon or a non-agreeable product.

Monoprice HR-3 triple driver IEMs for $35 w/FS

There’s a new sale at the Monoprice website, with free US shipping as of the time of writing, you can get their new condition HR-3 triple driver IEMs for the very specific price of $35.01 with up to twenty pairs per customer at the sale price. These IEMs average 4.6 out of 5 based on a soccer team (= eleven) of customer reviews with about as many answered-questions.

Speaking of Monoprice, one of their classic headphones now with bluetooth is back on sale, the new condition 8323 with bluetooth closed-back over-ears go for $24 with free US shipping with up to twenty pairs per customer. I had the original non-bluetooth version and the price was definitely right, however, there is a warning for big heads – despite its over-ear status and despite the fact that the headband extends widely making you look like a 1950s scifi robot, it is not as roomy as it looks. I was able to just barely fit in and I don’t have the biggest of big heads.

MPOW Over-Ear Ear Muffs for $10 [or $15 for newer model]

If you are looking for hearing protection in the form of a full size headphone, or if you want to use it so people will leave you alone, the current best seller in earmuffs at Amazon is the new condition MPOW 035 safety earmuffs going for $10 with up to five per customer at the sale price.

OR if you prefer, they have a newer model, which promises up to SNR 36 dB (versus 28dB of the $10 model) for $15.

The $10 model averages 4.7 out of 5 based on 4000+ customer reviews, while the $15 model averages 4.5 out of 5 based on 790 customer reviews.

This is not a lightning deal, so the sale could continue anywhere between nanoseconds and eternity 🙂

PS: of trolling purposes, you can hand these to someone who wants to listen to music and watch them try to figure out how to get them to play music ^_^

Woot Garage sale: Anker, Skullcandy, $15 truly wireless

Good until September 17 (or earlier if they sell out ~ and they do sell out), Woot is having another Electronics Garage sale that has the following headphones in-stock as of the time of writing:

+ Anker SoundBuds Slim+ bluetooth (magnetic, water resistant, necklace style) earphones for $22

+ Skullcandy Hesh 2 closed over-ears for $23

+ refurbished Sound & Sonic SS-WBHC-WT-R truly wireless for $15

+ Jabra Storm Bluetooth Headset for $60

As of the time of writing, the following have already sold out and cannot be ordered:

+ Audio Technica M40x for $60
+ Sennheiser HD 25 for $95
+ Sennheiser RS185 wireless over-ears system for $200
+ iPod Touch (6th generation, 16GB) for $100
+ Sony WF1000X/BM1 True Wireless for $70
+ Jabra Elite 65t Truly Wireless for $90
+ Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers – Wooden Enclosure – 42 Watts RMS for $70

Meanwhile their Computer GArage sale has a couple of Logitech headsets, along with the Steelseries Siberia 800 gaming headset for $140.

Once they sell out, they typically do not return in a particular sale like this but of course I cannot predict the future…

Wedn (EU): massive headphone sale at Amazon Germany: B&O, Yamaha EPH-100, Sony bundle, Philips X2HR, Libratones, Beats Solo 3, Etc

Amazon Germany is celebrating the end of summer with a sales week until the 16th of September, and for today (Wednesday September 11 in 2019) the Amazon.de Gold Box is featuring lots of sales that include a lot of headphones. Among them:

+ Yamaha EPH-100 in-ears for 79 euro under the Yamaha sale

+ Sony Xperia XZ2 smartphone with Sony WH-XB900N ANC/bluetooth Extra Bass over-ears for 519 in three different smartphone color schemes

+ Bang & Olufson H7 over-ears for 220, H8 ANC for 270

+ Philips X2HR/00 open-back over-ears for 172 euro under the Philips sale
+ Philips SHP/2500/10 closed over-ears for 21 euro
+ Philips Rounds earhook earbuds for 12
+ Shield 305BK Bass bluetooth earphones for 14
+ SHK-2000-PK/00 lightweight kids over/on-ears with volume control for 17
+ Philips SHB-2505-BK truly wireless for 83

+ Libratone Q Adapt bluetooth/ANC on-ears for 110 euro
+ Libratone neckband style bluetooth earphones for 125
+ Libratone Q Adapt ANC earphones (Lightning cable) for 90 euro

+ Beats Solo 3 in five colors for 149 euro

+ Panasonic HDE-10-E in-ears for 123 euro
+ Panasonic “Wings” BTS-35-E bluetooth earphones for 47 to 54

+ Corsair HS70 wireless 7.1 gaming headset for 78, HS50 for 55

+ various Taotronics ANC/bluetooth over-ears and necklace-style bluetooth earphones

+ various audio cables under the KabelDirekt sale (they do very well in customer reviews)

+ various other audio gear, speakers, receivers and such under the various sales mentioned above and elsewhere in the gold box ~ too many to list here individually

IMR Zenith R1 In-Ears for $250 [five filters included]

IMR, not to be confused with Ymir from Attack on Titan is offering their R1 Zenith in-ears for a limited time for $275 with free US shipping at the Massdrop website [yes, they changed their name to the more generic “Drop” but I still prefer “Massdrop” ~ it has more personality].

These are great for tinkerers because you get five audio filters included and each one has a different sound signature. They are described with a sentence each over there under the “Filter Sounds” segment. Trigger warning: the word “lush” is used often 🙂

Also included are seven pairs of eartips, a hard case, two cables for the earphones and the obligatory [although not every single headphones includes it these days] 6.5mm adapters.

Orders will ship in early October 2019 from Massdrop. There’s no mention of warranty in the listing, so assume there is none.

Fiio Q1 Mark II: Renewed for $80, Used for $85

The new condition Fiio Q1 Mark II DSD DAC/amp seems to be parked at the $100 price point, but if you want to save some and take on some risk, you can get it for $80 in “renewed” condition [another euphemism for refurbished] from a marketplace seller through Amazon. This is part of Amazon’s “Renewed” program which includes a 90-day “Amazon Renewed” warranty. In this case this is sold and shipped by the marketplace seller (i-Tech Mall) who averages 97% based on 1690 ratings in the last 12 months.

But if you prefer things shipped by Amazon, you can get it in “Used – Very Good” condition [minor cosmetic imperfections, damaged original packaging] for $85~ by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual

Grab Bag Returns: MEE Audio bluetooth earphones for $25 each

If you like the semi-surprise of “grab bag” style offerings, Massdrop is back with another variant of their MEE Audio “blue box” offering running for the next four days and change (from the time of writing of this post).

You pay $25 (with free US shipping) and for that you are guaranteed to receive one (randomly chosen) earphone from this list:

  • MEE M6B (2019 model)
  • MEE M9B (2019 model)
  • MEE X6 (2018 model)
  • MEE X7 in red

As you may be able to tell from the model names, all four are necklace-style bluetooth earphones. The chances are evenly split in this grab bag, so there’s no statistical favorite. Limit up to ten “blue boxes” per customer.

Prizes “unlock” every few hundred units sold, and if you are one of the lucky few, you will receive the prizes (AKG K7XX, NuForce EDC) instead of the MEEs. Not sure what happens if you don’t want the price and instead you want the actual thing you paid for?

Per the Massdrop website, the selection happens in this fashion:

“Participants will have their order number swirled around in a random number generator that allocates IEMs accordingly”

EU: Bluedio Hi TWS truly-wireless for 12 euro after coupon

And now something for the Eurozone shoppers, Amazon Germany is offering the new condition Bluedio Hi truly-wireless earphones for 14.44 euro but that’s not all. On the listing there’s also a 2 euro off voucher that you click and it gets added to your account, dropping the price to 12 euro and change. It supports bluetooth 5.0 and TWS and averages 4 out of 5 based however on just 14 customer reviews. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 1-year warranty. It is is a “fulfilled by Amazon” listing.

Sunday: B&W C5 S2 and Beats X In-Ears, 6-ch Marantz head-amp

A trio of headphone-related daily deals is happening on Sunday 9/8/19 as follows, ending at 11:59pm in the timezone of each retailer below (or earlier for any item that manages to run out ahead of its designated expiration time):

+ Bowers & Wilkins C5 Series 2 wired in-ears for $120 at Best Buy

+ Marantz Professional RHA6 6-Channel Headphone Amplifier for $75
at B&H Photo

+ Beats X bluetooth earphones (new condition with 1-year Apple warranty) for $70 at Woot Electronics

The Sub-$100 Legend is Back, sold by Amazon Actual (SHP-9500)

The sub-$100 open-back legend is back sold by Amazon actual, not by marketplace sellers. Yes, it’s the Philips SHP-9500 currently going for $79~, sold and shipped by Amazon.

This headphone went as low as $50 before it had ran out a couple of years ago.

We have a text-and-pictures unboxing of the SHP-9500 purchased before it ran out, somewhere between 2016-2017. “L” is for Left, not for “Loser” 🙂

the earcups

Both this and the Philips X2HR are solidly back in production. The X2HR goes for $175~ by Amazon actual and $150 by a marketplace seller (fulfilled by Amazon, so the risk is reduced).

On the European side of things, it currently goes for $200 euro at Amazon Germany

V-Moda Crossfade Wireless Closed Over-Ears returns to $100

It’s back on sale again, the new condition V-Moda closed-back over-ear Crossfade Wireless (bluetooth but not ANC) is down to $100 with free shipping in all four color schemes by Amazon actual. You can buy as many as you like. It averages 4.2 out of 5 with nearly 800 customer reviews and it has 250+ answered questions and a mutual admiration society at Headfi 🙂

Speaking of V-Moda, their newly released M100 Master over-ears (no bluetooth) is having its first sale at Amazon Germany, a modest drop to 236 euro… On the other side of the pond, there’s no sale, but you can get it in “Used – Very Good” condition for $219~ at amazon.com warehouse deals

Meze x Massdrop Noir 99 Closed Over-Ears for $200

Massdrop strikes again with another “X” offering. Good for the next twenty days (from blog posting time) they are offering the new condition Massdrop x Meze 99 Noir closed-back over-ear headphones for $200 with free US shipping. This being an “X” product, it comes with a 1-year manufacturer warranty. Orders will ship in late September 2019 from Massdrop.

The standard package includes a woven-nylon case and an extra set of earpads (the second set, the one not installed on the headphones, has additional damping foam over the driver).

I haven’t used or seen any Meze headphones, so I have nothing to do. But the internets have plenty to add, on the webs and in the forums and there are 115 customer reviews at Massdrop (4.5 out of 5, 83% recommend) and there’s a long discussion of it as well (750+ posts).

DarkVoice 336SE OTL head-amp for $200

Is the name a spoiler for the sound signature? I won’t spoil it but good for the next three days and change [from blog-posting time] is the return of the new condition DarkVoice 336SE OTL head-amp at Massdrop. Orders will ship in late October 2019 from Massdrop. There is no mention of warranty in the product listing. Over 2,600 units have been sold through Massdrop per the statistics shown on the page over there…

1More IEM sale: Dual Driver for $25, Triple Driver for $60

The official 1More store at NewEgg is offering two of their popular earphones on sale as part of the NewEgg After Labor sale. They are:

+ Triple Driver IEMs for $60 in the gold/yellow color scheme

+ Dual Driver IEMs for $25

+ limit up to 20 units of each per customer

IF earphones were groceries, the Dual driver goes for $12.50 per kilo driver, while the Triple driver goes for $20 per pound driver 🙂

Koss KHP30iw lightweight on-ears for $20 [MD]

And now an “appetizer headphone”, for just $20, for the next six days and change [from blog-posting time] you can get the new condition lightweight Koss KHP30iw on-ears at the Massdrop website.

Despite the retro looks, this headphone has a mic/remote. It is available in two color schemes, with the beige (the one being featured in most of the product page) being the nicer ~ although that is subject to individual taste and opinion…

This being part of the Koss-Massdrop relationship, it comes with the customary Koss limited lifetime warranty. Orders will ship in late September 2019 from Massdrop.

Tuesday daily deals: B&O H9i, MEE Audio M6 II In-Ears, SoundMagic PL30+, 256GB Samsung microSD, Etc

We have some broader action with the Tuesday daily deals at various websites as follows:

+ at Best Buy, they offer the new condition B&O H9i ANC/bluetooth over-ears for $350 with free shipping or free store pickup (where possible) in the “Natural” color scheme

+ at NewEgg, they want to feed your DAPs and PADs, coupon code 92RDX3 gets you the 256GB Samsung EVO micro SDXC card for $38

+ at the Amazon Headphones Lightning deals, the following recognizable earphones are scheduled to go live during Tuesday:

+ starts 12:10pm ET: Symphonized Wraith 2.0 Wood Bluetooth Over-Ears (price before sale $73; there’s also a $5 off clip-on coupon on the listing)

+ starts 8:55pm ET: MEE Audio M6 PRO 2nd Generation (price before sale $39~)

+ starts 9:10pm ET: SoundMAGIC PL30+ Active Sport In-Ears (price before sale $24)

+ and of course throughout the day, it’s full of truly wireless and necklace (and some neckband) style earphones; oh, there’s also a cat-ears on-ear headphone (presumably for kids (of all ages?)? )

Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO (250 ohm) with Slappa Case and Wooden Stand for $450

Also part of the previously mentioned eBay labor day festivities, BuyDig (the online presence of Beach Camera from the East Coast) is offering a new condition bundle, the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO (250 ohm) open-back over-ear headphones bundled with the Slappa hardbody Pro full size headphone case and the Deco Gear wooden omega-shaped (as in the letter omega) stand, all together for $449 with free US shipping.

Don’t forget to use as part of your payment any eBay Bucks, personal eBay coupons and PayPal credits you may have…

eBay headphone sale: refurb Bose QC35 I w/warranty for $199 [and more]

EBay is running its own Labor Day sales and of headphone interest, they have 41 products under the headphones and accessories category including:

+ factory renewed BOSE QC 35 first generation closed-back over-ear ANC & bluetooth for $199 with free shipping from the official Bose eBay store with a 1-year BOSE warranty and original packaging; available in black only; limit up to five per buyer; over 5600 units sold so far;

+ factory renewed BOSE QC30 neckband bluetooth earphones for $140 (likewise as above)

+ Jabra Elite 65e for $40, Active for $100

+ Bluedio Hi truly wireless for $15 [over 6100 units sold]

+ Sony WH-1000X Mark III for $275 from RedTag Camera; almost certain this is an international/import as there is no mention of Sony warranty on the listing; it would have been nice if sellers were honest to mention this prominently on the listing so the consumer can make an informed decision

+ iPod Nano 7s, iPod Touch 4th gen for $30 to $75, Skullcandy Crusher 360s, Bluedios, etc

NOTE: Many years ago I purchased an original new condition iPod Touch 4 and over time upgraded it to the latest allowable iOS version. Fast forward to the latest (and last) iOS upgrade, it became a total slugfest with crashings and such. Half of the music apps could not be installed because it had an old iOS version [thankfully I had some already installed]. And its battery performance was a total disaster. So keep that in mind…

Monoprice Triple Driver IEMs for $30 w/FS

On the budget side of triple driver IEMs, with a reasonable 4.3 out of 5 based on 99 customer reviews, the Monoprice website is offering the new condition Triple Driver IEMs for $30 with free standard US shipping. No coupon needed but it is a limited time sale. It has a 1-button remote/mic and thankfully the “XXX” has been removed from its name 🙂

Speaking of Monoprice, they are offering the new condition M565 planar open over-ears for $170 with free US shipping…

Monday: Sony Xperia Ear Duo truly wireless for $120 [L600 cinematic for $200]

Good until Monday 9/2/19 at 11:59pm eastern time, as one of the deals du jour at New York’s B&H Photo and Video, you can get the new condition Sony Xperia Ear Duo truly-wireless earphones for $120 with free US shipping in your choice of two color options.

Sony is also part of the Woot daily deals, their new condition WH-L600 Digital Wireless headphones go for $200 with free shipping for Prime members or $6 flat shipping for the rest of us mere mortals. They come with a 1-year Sony warranty and you can buy up to ten pairs per customer…

UPDATE: but wait, there’s more! Starting at 3:55pm eastern today [Monday 9/2/19] there is going to be a lightning deal on the Amazon Gold Box for this Sony WH RF400R bundle that includes the transmitter dock (TMRRF400) and cables/adapters. The price before the sale is $97. This is a marketplace seller offering it, with the order fulfilled by Amazon. They are the only ones offering this kit for sale, so they will almost certainly be the ones offering the lightning deal…

The above two are different models from the first headphone I “awarded” with the prestigious “Headphones to Avoid” award, the Sony RF-995-RK wireless… I haven’t seen or used the above two, so I can’t compare them…

Surprise Massdrop Combo: Sennheiser HD6XX _AND_ Sony WH-1000X M3 for $400 TOTAL

Well this is a surprise and a temptation that may be hard to resist for practical audiophiles. For $400 at the Massdrop website, you get two headphones, the audiophile-loved open-back over-ear Sennheiser HD-6XX, AND the utilitarian Sony WH-1000X M3 closed-back over-ear with bluetooth and ANC.

And better yet, both headphones come with a warranty. The HD-6XX comes with a 2-year manufacturer warranty, and the Sony WH-1000X M3 comes with a 1-year Sony warranty per the listing over there.

This is a pre-order with two days left to purchase (as of the time of writing of this post). The orders will ship mid-September from Massdrop.

PS: if you only want one of the two, you can always gift or sell or trade the other one. Or you can send it to me LOL 🙂