Good for Saturday 11/26/22, Amazon is offering in Kindle ebook format Led Zeppelin – The Biography by Bob Spitz for $2. It averages 4.7 out of 5 based on nearly 800 customer ratings. This is Penguin Press, November 2021, 687 pages. A few more and GRRM could have written it 😉
Archives for November 2022
Sennheiser BF sale includes HD 560S for $150
The Sennheiser sale at Amazon includes many well-known non-Massdrop Sennheiser headphones, from the consumer and Momentum but also the open-back tiers! Among them you can find the plushy earpad HD-400S for $50, the open-back HD 599 SE for $90, some bluetooths, some earphones and TWs and also *drum roll* the open-back HD 560S for $150…
You can also find the HD560S for $150 at other authorized dealers such as B&H Photo and also at Adorama…
Headphones at Amazon’s Black Friday
Black Friday offers are coming in fast and furious, until I can find time to digest them all, here is a link to the Amazon headphone offers, there’s six pages of them, this is a mix of their BF offers along with their more traditional “Gold Box Lightning” deals.
It’s also a mix of name-brands and unknown brands. Well there’s “unknown” and unknown, and some non-designer brands have made a name for themselves at Amazon by offering bang for the buck type of products that the name-brand manufacturers cannot compete with.
Ends Thur 10am ET: Bose QC45 for $230 AC
In a flash sale that ends on Thursday 11/24/22 at 10am eastern (or earlier if sold out), B&H Photo of House New York is offering the new condition “white smoke” Bose QC45 ANC/BT Over-Ears for $230 after an automatic in-cart coupon. You don’t have to type a coupon code. While this offer is running, the coupon will be added when you “add to cart”.
PS: all apologies to the “Beats and Bose, They Break My Bones” crowd 😉
Philips Open-Back Sales (multilpe options)
Partaking in the Black Friday festivities is Philips with some of their open-back headphones at the Amazon website. Prices are as of the time of writing of this blog-post, and as always (and as with everything in life), they are subject to change at any time and for any reason 🙂
+ three models on the same listing:
++ SHP-9500 for $63~
++ SHP-9600MB for $75
++ SHP-9600 for $85
+ Fidelio X2HR for $125
+ on the same listing, Fidelio L2 for $64
+ renewed Fidelio X3 for $105 by marketplace seller (not Amazon proper) for $105
+ customer reviews say this renewed option does NOT include the balanced cable
+ new condition Fidelio X3 from the usual suspects (“Phototech”) for $155
+ “USED – Like New” from “Phototech” direct for $100
This last one is not open-back, but I didn’t want to create a separate post for it, it’s the new condition Fidelio L3 ANC/BT over-ears going for $150.
Sennheiser HD25 SE Closed On-Ears for $100
Sennheiser time at the Amazon Black Friday, a little bit of a deep cut type of a headphone. It is the new condition Sennheiser HD25 Special Edition going for $100. This is a closed-back wired on-ear headphone of course.
Wedn: Shure SE-486 IEMs w/RMCE-UNI cable for $499
Good until Wednesday at 11/23/22 at 11:59pm eastern (or before that if they manage to sell out), B&H of House New York is offering the new condition Shure SE-486 in-ears for $499 with free US shipping in three color options with the RMCE-UNI cable (black, blue, clear) and one option without it (Clear)…
AirPods (2nd Gen) for $80 [limit 3]
This is currently the #1 trending product at the Amazon website, it is the new condition Apple AirPod (2nd generation) going for $80 with up to three pairs per customer at the sale price. Sold by Amazon actual! The kit with AppleCare goes for +$29.
Lots of mainstream headphone at Amazon Gold Box
At the moment, it is a mainstream headphone brand party at the Amazon Gold Box. The sale includes Sony, JBL, Beats, Bose, PixelBuds and GalaxyBuds, Marshall, Logitech G headsets, budget top-selling brands, and lots more.
See them all at this headphone link…
Monolith headphones on sale
Monoprice is running another set of Black Friday sales and they include a large number of their Monolith audio products. And among those are many of their headphone and related products including:
+ M565C closed planars for $185
+ M1060 open or M1060C closed for $250 each
+ M1570 open or M1570C closed for $380 each
+ M1070 open for $320, M1070C closed for $280
+ yes, there’s a price delta here between open and closed
+ and many more, can’t list them all
AirPods PRO (2nd Gen) for $200 [limit 3]
As part of the early Black Friday festivities, Amazon actual is offering the new condition AirPods PRO (2nd Gen) truly-wireless for $200 with free shipping, with up to three per customer at the sale price.
PS: the AppleCare bundle is not similarly discounted, it goes for $263.
Monday: Shure SRH840 for $70, Klipsch, Bose
Monday November 21 in 2022 has an audio theme at the B&H Photo daily deals, with a trio of them:
+ Shure SRH-840 closed-back over-ears in new packaging for $70
+ Klipsch KD-400 2-Way Active Wireless Bookshelf Speakers for $149
+ Bose Soundbar 700 for $549 after coupon cart
Sunday: Ultrasone DXP Closed-Backs + Panther DSD DAC/Amp + Manfrotto Tripod for $850
Now that Massdrop is making Ultrasone great again with their launch, mayhaps this recurring bundle offer from B&H Photo will get extra looks? This is a daily deal, running until 11/20/22 at 11:59pm eastern or earlier if sold out. It’s another variant of the Ultrasone x Manfrotto bundle as follows, for $850:
+ Ultrasone Panther DSD DAC Amplifier
+ Ultrasone Signature DXP Closed-Back Stereo Headphones
+ Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Twin Leg Video Tripod Legs with Mid-Level Spreader (100/75mm Bowl)
+ Manfrotto 504X Fluid Video Head with Flat Base
As to why they keep bundling these? It shall remain a mystery ~ because the answer is probably more boring than the imagination – just like LOST 🙂
Friday: Apple AirPods PRO (2nd Gen) for $198 [limit ONE]
The headliner Friday 11/19/22 daily deal at Woot is the new condition Apple AirPods PRO (2nd Gen) going for $198 plus flat shipping (free for Prime members). They come with a 1-year warranty. Or as they affectionately call them in Cupertino, they are the MQD83AM/A 🙂
Per the listing there, there is a strict limit of one per customer. The page says they reserve the right to review orders and cancel them if multiple orders go to the same address!
Bose QC45 ANC/BT Over-Ears for $249 [Prime]
Yes, I know, Beats and Bose they break my audiophile bones but if you are interested in the Bose QC45 ANC/BT over-ears and you are a Prime member [or you don’t object to starting a 30-day free trial), you can get it, in new condition, for $249 at Amazon by Amazon. It is available in four color schemes.
While at Amazon, of music interest, for $3 you can get the “The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer” by Janelle Monae in the Kindle ebook format.
Sony WH-CH-710-N ANC/BT Over-Ears for $68
The latest Amazon USA Gold Box includes a Sony audio sale that includes the new condition closed-back ANC/BT over-ears that go by the name of WH-CH-710-N, going for $68 in two color options. Sold and shipped by Amazon proper.
Over there, they average 4.4 out of 5 based on over 20,000 customer ratings as of the time of writing and they have over 400 answered questions.
I haven’t seen or touched this model, but we had here, over four years ago, a text and pictures unboxing of the previous model, the WH-CH-700-N.
Basically these are a way for Sony to compete in the sub-$100 market segment where many alternative/unknown brands dominate (eg at Amazon’s website) with low priced options.
Tribit truly wireless sale (including 100H for $32)
For a limited time, Amazon is having a sale on select Tribit truly-wireless, along with some over-ears and some speakers, all of the bluetooth kind. A total of 22 options as of the time of writing.
Of note is the Tribit 100H TW for $32. I have these and they indeed last a long time. I use them daily for YouTube and podcasts and such, and charge them just once per month!
You can also do the one earpiece trick, you don’t have to use both at the same time. That’s how I’m getting the once a month charge. Each earpiece runs for around 3 hours and change before it needs to get recharged in the comfort of the included charging case. Then you switch to the other earpiece, while the previous one recharges. You can on and on like this until the charging case battery is depleted!
Saturday: Yamaha YH-E700A ANC/BT Over-Ears for $160
Good until 11/12/22 at 11:59pm central time, the Woot daily deals are having a mini Yamaha headphone sale that consists of exactly new condition two models with a 1-year Yamaha warranty:
+ YH-E700A ANC/BT over-ears for $160
+ two per customer
+ bluetooth 5 with apt-X and AAC
+ case, USB-C charging
+ YH-E700A truly-wireless for $40
+ BT5, apt-X, IPX5, USB-C, five color options
Koss KPH40X Utility Open On-Ears drop to $35
If you haven’t been keeping up, the KPH30i is now passe and there’s a new trendy Koss model with a higher model number 😉
Joking aside, the new condition KPH40X Utility lightweight Koss x Massdrop on-ears is on sale for $35 at the Massdrop website. This will ship in early December 2022 (it is not an in-stock drop).
What separates this from most headphones is the Koss “Utility Port” that works with 3.5mm or USB-C or Lightning cables (made by Koss). A 3.5mm cable is included in the package, along with three pairs of earpads (each set a different color).
Singles Day 2022 is here, let the Chi-Fi parties begin!
Yes, the premier Chi-Fi party is here! It is Singles Day 2022! I can’t go through all the sites and the individual sales, but here’s a round-up of some of the places to look for deals:
+ Hifi Go
+ Shen Zhen Audio, also has regional Amazon stores, some ship from regional country (eg USA Prime eligible), some ship from China
+ Penon Audio, “old school” Chi-fi retailer
+ KZ Online Shoppe, old school budget IEMs
+ Fiio shop, I guess Fiio is now “old school”
+ Moondrop Audio, because the hype machine is hungry!
+ and a lot more!
And now off to the general-market retailers that also have plenty of Chi-fi gear, such as
+ GearBest (bought from them multiple times)
+ Aliexpress (biggest site, check each retailer like you would do on Amazon and eBay)
+ DH Gate
+ and a lot more
BECAUSE Chi-Fi is a lifestyle, it’s a never-ending journey, the shopping never stops and the latest must-have IEM is just a YouTube update away! Just today, Ryan of Super*Review rated the Truthear Hexa as the “easiest 5-star ever” (YouTube-embedded below), so run to buy this one too along with the rest of the must-have Chi-fis 🙂
Master & Dynamic MW07 truly-wireless for $33
Woot Plus are longer running deals, this one in particular that I’m mentioning down below runs for another 3 weeks. It is the new condition Master & Dynamic MW07 truly-wireless going for $33 plus shipping (free for Prime members) in your choice of four color schemes, and up to ten pairs per customer. Great for color-coding gift-giving, so each child/grand-child/great-grand-child gets a different color, so they don’t confuse them 🙂
It comes with a 1-year M&D warranty. It supports apt-X but it is Bluetooth 4.2. Personally I prefer to go with Bluetooth 5, as the bluetooth connectivity issues and peculiarities decrease when all devices are version 5. It comes with a charging case and a pouch and such.
Tue: Etymotic Research EVO Triple-Driver IEMs for $200
Surprise-surprise, an earphone has appeared at the daily deals of New York’s famous B&H Photo, it is the new condition Etymotic Research EVO Triple-Driver IEMs going for $200 after an add-to-cart instant coupon! The offer runs until Tuesday 11/8/22 at 11:59pm eastern or earlier if sold out…
It includes all kinds of IEM-y accessories including foam, double and triple flange eartips, dampers and replacement tool, and bags and holders and such.
UPDATE: some Tuesday action at Amazon as well, there’s a Polk speakers sale (seven options) and there’s a Willie Nelson ebook for $4…
Monday eBook: “Mad World” (80s music) for $3
Good for Monday 11/7/22 in the pacific time zone, Amazon is offering the Kindle ebook version of “Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the 1980s” by Lori Majewski and Jonathan Bernstein for $3.
This came out in April 2014 by ABRAMS Image, it is 324 pages, and as of the time of writing it averages 4.6 out of 5 based on 363 ratings…
Monday: refurbished Philips X3 Open Over-Ears for $100
Good until Monday 11/7/22 at 11:59pm central time (or earlier if sold out) there’s a Philips Audio sale at Woot that includes, surprise-surprise, the factory reconditioned open-back over-ear wired Philips Fidelio X3 for $100 plus flat shipping (or free S&H for Prime members). It comes with a 90-day Woot warranty. Up to three pairs per customer.
If you are reading this in the future after the sale expired, and this hasn’t sold out, chances are it will be cycled/recycled in various other Woot Plus or daily deals until it is eventually depleted…
Mainstream Earphone sale at Amazon
Trigger warning for headfi denizens, this post contains mainstream brands 🙂
Amazon is having a limited time on various mainstream earphones and headphones including:
+ AirPods PRO (2nd Gen) for $234
+ Sony Group sale including the WH-1000XM4 ANC/BT over-ears for $228
+ various LinkBuds as well
+ BOSE SleepBuds II for $199
+ various Beats truly wireless
UPDATE: speaking of name-brands, for Monday 11/7/22, the Meh daily deal is the Kenwood WS-A1 ANC truly-wireless for $50 plus shipping…
Amazon Prime Music now includes ALL music (in shuffle mode) Ad-Free
Amazon tries once again to make inroads in the world of streaming music services. For Prime members only, they have announced an upgrade, now with the included “Prime Music” service (included in the Prime membership) you can list Ad-FREE to all 100+ million songs in their database, in Shuffle mode, or in select “All Access” playlists. You can also listen to some of the top podcasts ad-free.
When it came out a few years ago, “Prime Music” only offered a selection of about 2 million songs.
So why even pay for the for-pay “Music Unlimited” tier if you are a Prime member? Well, with that you get on-demand music playback (meaning you can play individual songs and albums in order), you get HD music, offline listening, unlimited skips, etc.
PS: if you are not a Prime member, and not signed-up for the for-pay music plan, you can still listen to music for free, but it is with ads and it is more limited than the “Prime Music”.
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