we find good deals for you!
You can also make your own deals with a couple of general purpose deals available. At BestBuy.com, if you pay with VISA Checkout, you get a $25 off discount on an order of $100 or more. The offer expires by 12/25/16.
Meanwhile both Target stores and the Target website have a 15% off almost everything on their website. The terms and condition state specifically that Bose and Sonos are among the excluded items.
Another new deal that emerged since the previous update of the Headphone Tracker (notable changes there are marked in BOLD) is that the LG V20 freebie train is getting more wagons if you are willing to buy it unlocked and not from carriers. Its price from authorized with USA warranty dealers is $800. If you buy it from B&H Photo you will receive three freebies:
All useful freebies in their own right, which means you can also use them as Holiday gifts 🙂
This is the North American variant of the phone (model US996), with carrier flexibility and USA warranty. 64GB of on-board storage plus a microSD slot and removable battery, along with “Quad DAC”, Nougat out of the box, and things of that nature.
This daily deal expired as well but these are recurring items…
As of late 11/29/16 these are sold out and cannot be ordered… At the risk of turning into an “earpads blog”, here’s another sale. The HIFIMAN Velour Earpads (actual Hifiman brand) are on sale for $10 with free shipping by Hifiman through Amazon. They ship directly from hifiman’s store, so they are not Prime eligible. Limit three per customer.
This promotion expired…
I kept forgetting to post this, but it’s better late than never I guess. Sound and audio books are not discounted as frequently as other books, which makes this a good opportunity, coupon code HOLIDAYBOOK gets you $10 off purchases (not rentals) of $25 or more in new condition printed books sold by Amazon actual. Books sold by marketplace sellers or “fulfilled by Amazon” are not eligible. Amazon proper must be the seller. The offer expires at 3am eastern on Tuesday 11/29/16 [updated]. The coupon works on all books, not just sound/audio books.
If your DAP (or PAD) is compatible with 200GB memory cards, the 200GB Sandisk Ultra micro SD is on sale for $50 with free shipping for all at Amazon, with up to ten units per customer. This is not a lightning deal, so the expiration date is unknown.
PS: “PAD” = Phone as a DAP; “DAP” = digital audio player;
This sold out: UPDATE: speaking of storing music, if you need external storage, there’s a good bang for the buck offer on eBay, by BuyDig, the 4TB Seagate Expansion Desktop External Hard Drive (USB 3.0) is on sale for $90 with free S&H, with up to five units per customer.
Dongle time! The new condition Google Chromecast Audio is now on sale again for $25 with free shipping by Google’s own eBay store with a limit of five units per customer. There has only been one model so far, so it’s both the first generation and the latest generation :).
If you want spoilers of what’s included and how it looks, here’s our text and pictures practical unboxing (no audio, no video).
Speaking of Chromecasts, the non-4K “video” Chromecast is also on sale for $25 with free shipping by Google’s eBay store, with a limit of five per customer, and it includes a 3-month HBO Now free trial, a $45 value since HBO goes for $15 per month. A good way to watch the buzzworthy Westworld without paying 🙂
Musician’s Friend always runs these on holidays, so it will come back in the future…
On the utilitarian front, this 5-pack of FosPower 3-ring male-to-female headphone jack adapters is on sale for $9 by the seller FosPower with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so it is Prime eligible. As of the time of writing they are not an Add-On item, so you get free 2-day shipping as a Prime member without having to buy anything else.
The 5-pack is currently the best per-unit price among the other options (they have 1-pack, 3-pack, this one, and 10-pack).
These maybe handy if you have phones or DAPs or other devices or headphones with “difficult” 3.5mm situations. All together, they average 4.2 out of 5 with nearly 350 customer reviews, and have over 60 questions answered. They have a 7-to-1 “review intensity ratio” (5-stars vs 1-stars) so it’s a good idea to check some of the 1-star reviews to see what issues people had with these.
PS: typically a double figure “review intensity ratio” (10:1 or better) is a sign of a lower risk purchase, but again, the heuristic metrics are only as good as the underlying reviews, and there’s no guarantee of review quality or consistency from product to product.
Musician’s Friend has launched a Black Friday Early Access Sale using coupon code BLACKFRIDAY to get 10% off orders over $99, OR 15% off on orders of $199+. The maximum discount using the coupon is $500 (eg, in other words the maximum order for this is promotion is $3333.33).
PS: I do not know if the coupon only works for “Backstage Pass” rewards members (free for everyone to join) or everyone. The usual coupon restrictions apply.
As of 5pm re-check, this is sold out… If you are not allergic on mail-in rebates, NewEgg is offering this Rosewill 3-foot 3.5mm audio cable (two rings on the connectors) for FREE after a $5 mail-in rebate (check in the mail). Free shipping.… The formal name is a bit confusing giving the impression it’s a 3-pack, but it probably means “3-PK” = 3-foot PinK (PK).
But wait, there’s more! In addition to the previously mentioned sub-$5 case, Sentey also have their LS-7501 universal headphone case on sale, this one goes for $5.15, sold by them with the order fulfilled by Amazon, with the usual limit of up to 30 per customer. As of the time of writing, this is NOT an Add-On item, so if you are a Prime member, you can buy just one and still get free shipping.
This averages 4.3 out of 5 based on 270+ customer reviews and has 80+ answered questions. Check the aforementioned along with the product description to see what fits and what doesn’t fit. This appears to have different dimensions from the previously mentioned model, and Sentey has one additional model that goes for around $7.
Speaking of Sentey, they have their own $7 in-ears with the uncommon feature of an interchangeable back that offers three different sound signature depending on which one of the three included backs you attach. Check the last picture in the gallery over there for more details. Along with the near 700 customer reviews and 35+ answered questions.
The Sentey GS-1402 Universal Headphone Case with a metal zipper, in its black with red accents color scheme is now down to $5, fulfilled by Amazon (Sentey is the seller of record) with a limit of 30 per customer. It averages 4.2 out of 5 based on 80 customer reviews and has about half that number in answered questions. Check the description and the two aforementioned places to see what headphones it might and might not fit.
There is one catch though, it is part of Amazon’s Add-On program, so you must have $25+ in your shopping cart in order to buy it. It wasn’t an Add-On item back when it was selling for $8. A lot of items move to “Add On” status when they get to $5 or less; but not all of them and not all the time. Amazon works in mysterious ways 🙂
This lightning deal expired… As per the schedule, the Shure HPAEC940 Replacement Velour Ear Pads are on sale for $15 for one pair. Offer ends by 4:49pm ET today or earlier if sold out. The price before the sale last night was $17. Free shipping for Prime members or with a $49+ order (or $25+ in books).
Another offer is fully unlocked at members-only Massdrop, it has four days to go (from blog-posting date), it is the short and stubby and angled Fanmusic E6 earphones going for $35 plus $4~ flat shipping. It comes with a typical assortment of earphone accessories, and you have two color choices when you go through the ordering process. Shipment is estimated to be early December 2016, handled by MD themselves.
Speaking of which, the Fire S Audio Headphone Stand is fully unlocked at $35 plus $8~ flat shipping. This runs for the next six days and will ship pre-assembled in mid-to-late November 2016. The pre-assembled part perhaps explains the higher shipping fee, since it takes up more space and needs more packaging protection.
This particular sale ended but hearing protection items return every few weeks/months in the Gold Box…
We now have a Shure trilogy of posts, starting with the utilitarian, the Shure HPAEC840 replacement earpads are on sale, in new condition, for $12 per set, at Amazon by Amazon actual. These are made for the SRH840.
Check reviews and answered-questions to see what other headphones they fit. Pay attention however to look at reviews and answers pertaining to this particular model. A soccer team of earpads (eleven different models) are on the same product page and share the same reviews pool and answers, so make sure you are reading the entries for the correct model. This is a pre-filtered list of reviews for the HPAEC840 (about half of the 400+ reviews posted there).
In addition to these being a recommended upgrade for the SRH440, customers there are also liking them with the M50/M50x, Koss DJ100, ATH PRO 700 II, Fostex T?0RP, Sony V6/MDR-7506, etc. About 1/3rd of the reviews are about these pads on the Audio Technica M50/M50x/M* headphones 🙂 Keep in mind, these are user recommendations/reviews, there is always a YMMV component to this as reviews don’t always explain their personal preferences and pet peeves and sometimes they forget to mention any DIY work that may be needed.
This is not a lightning deal, so the sale continues until it stops. The limit is the usual up to 30 per order per customer.
PS: this next item is not on sale, but I’ve had it in bags and backpacks or storing headphones one way or another for 3.5 years and it still looks very solid (I need to post a review for it – eg do a headphone modeling/fitting session), it is the Shure HPACP1 Headphone Carrying Pouch (with drawstring) for $5. It won’t protect from impact, it’s just a pouch, but it will keep dust and scratches away. The logo is sinking in the material, so it’s not obnoxious.
This 4-hour lightning deal expired, but this is a recurring offer… The AmoVee Acrylic Headphone Stand is on sale for $9.35 with the usual free shipping terms (Prime or $49+) as one of today’s Amazon Lightning Deals, good until 6:25pm ET or earlier if sold out. When reading the customer reviews, note that there are four different designs on the same page, so be sure to filter for the one that’s one sale.
If you like red earphone cases with a clear top, mayhaps because you have red earbuds, the red Pelican 1010 Micro Case is under $10 again and Prime-eligible at Amazon by Amazon actual. Black and yellow show under $10 but they are not Prime eligible, so everyone has to pay shipping for them regardless. This is not an Add-On item, so as a Prime member, you can just scoop up one of these and you get free S&H.
What is an Add-On item however is the 1012 Foam Set for $3.17 (limit 30).
If you are trying to get to $25+, here are some ideas:
+ Sentey Universal Headphone case for $5.75
+ Single-Serve ReUsable Primula Coffee Filter for $5.17 ~ coffee is like steroids when evaluating headphones, it sharpens the senses 😉
+ 10pk Planet Waves Guitar Picks for $1.82
+ 8-inch StarTech microUSB to microUSB OTG cable for $2.89 (this is 8-inches, not 8-feet)
+ Introductory Guide to High-Performance Audio Systems by Robert Harley (USED – Acceptable; Prime eligible) for $5.81
The Audio Technica M50x/M50 are popular/hyped (two sides of the same coin?) enough they have their own cottage industry of accessories. Currently, and with seven days to go, the Dekoni earpads are fully unlocked at members-only Massdrop for $19 plus $3~ flat shipping for the Velour pads, and $13 MORE for the “Premium Memory Foam” model. These work on the new MX0x line-up (M50X down to M20X) along with the good old M50, and per the description over there, the Sony MDR-7506 too. They get a 1-year warranty from Massdrop, and are expected to ship in late November 2016.
These offers expired…
Accessorize time for the second generation Fiio X5 DAP. It’s official Fiio HS16 stacking kit is on sale for $6.69 by a marketplace seller with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so it is Prime eligible. They either have 15 units available at this price, or the limit is 15 per customer. The former is more likely. The other sellers there have it for $15.
If you need some 24-bit music for testing purposes, the brand new Lady Gaga album “Joanne”, in the deluxe edition (14 tracks, 47 minutes) is on sale for a limited time in the 24-bit 44.1 kHz FLAC version for $10 at the US version of the 7digital store. This is half the price of HDTracks, except 7digital does not offer the WAV option.
The next best deal is for the mp3 version of the standard album (11 tracks) going for $4 for Friday only at amazon.com.
The “Headphone vs Earphone” Fairness Doctrine requires that if we post a deal for an earphone case, we much match it with another post for a headphone case 😉 Which brings us to the Sentey GS-1402 Hard Headphone Travel Case dropping down to $5.75 in new condition, sold by Sentey with the order fulfilled by Amazon (Prime eligible). Limit 30 per customer. This is not an Add-On item as of the time of writing *fingers crossed*
If you are also considering the previously mentioned Pelican items and need to get to $25+ to get the $3~ foam set, adding the Sentey case can help you get there.
It averages 4.2 out of 5 based on 160 customer reviews and has 39 answered questions. Between those two you can triangulate/guestimate whether it fits your headphones. I don’t have this one, so I can’t opine.
If you are a fan of Pelican cases for your earphones, the black Pelican 1010 Micro Case with clear lid is available for just under $10 by a marketplace seller with the order Prime eligible (fulfilled by Amazon). The other color schemes go for $10+ shipped (non-Prime eligible).
And if you need “filler material” for the case, the Pelican 1012 Pick N’ Pluck Foam Set for 1010 Micro-Case (Grey) is going for $3.17 with a limit of 90 per customer. However, the foam is an “Add On” item, so you must place a $25+ order otherwise the shopping cart won’t let you buy it. The 1010 Case is not an Add-On, so you don’t need to buy anything else.
These 1-day offers have now expired…
Comply is not the only name in the game. Massdrop has the Dekoni Bulletz Earphone Tips going for $13 plus $3~ flat shipping. This is the “fully unlocked” price of this offering. This is open for purchase for the next seven days and will ship in mid-November 2016. Two types are available to select at checkout. They will ship by the vendor with the warranty taken care of by Massdrop.
Do you often run out of cable ties? This may help, a 100pk of Velcro Self-Gripping Cable Wraps is on sale for $6.26 at Amazon by Amazon actual, with a limit of 10 100-packs per customer. The 100-pack currently “defeats” the other bundles, for example, a 25-pack goes for $3.33. These are self-gripping wraps, so they are very easy to use and re-use and re-use. They measure 8-inch long and 0.5 inch wide.
The main catch is that they are an Amazon Add-On item, so you must place an order total of $25+ in order to buy them. You can get to $25 with four of these (= $25.06 at current price) or any other combination of items sold or fulfilled by Amazon (Prime eligible stuff).
TIP: you can be the hero at the next headphone meet, bring a pack of these and hand them off to everyone in need of them 🙂
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.
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).
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
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.
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.
On the name-brand headphone travel case front, the black/red color scheme of the Skullcandy Headphone Travel Case is down to $16.28 by a marketplace seller with the order fulfilled by Amazon. The other two color schemes go for more. This fits a variety of Skullcandy’s over/on-ear headphones non-folded, so it should be able to fit headphones from other brands that have similar dimensions. It also has a removable zippered pouch for cables/accessories, which may (or may not) fit earphones depending on size/shape. What’s a bit different with this travel case is that it has a handle and is more rectangular than roundish. A rounded rectangular, or a rectangular circle. I’m sure there are “geometrics” terms for these 😉 The usual Amazon free shipping terms apply (Prime or $49+).
MEE Audio (formerly MEE Electronics) is diversifying with detachable cables that cannot only be used in their own P1 Pinnacle in-ears, but a handful of other popular brands that have models with MMCX. Their MEE Audio MMCX Cables are currently fully unlocked at Massdrop for $25 plus $3.50 flat shipping (without mic) or $30 plus $3.50 flat shipping for the mic/remote cable. The offer has seven days to go (from blog-posting date; approximate since MD does not provide an exact expiration date/time). Warranty is 1-year from MD, and the purchases will ship late October 2016.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to wait and instead prefer near-instant delivery, you can get them for $30 (no mic/remote) or $35 (with mic/remote) at Amazon.com, with the usual free shipping terms.
NOTE that not every MMCX earphone works with these. Check the listings at both places for more details.
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