Now shipping: Fiio Q5 for $345 with free shipping

If you can’t wait to get the new Fiio Q5, we have good news! Two recognizable sellers at Amazon have it in-stock for $345 with free shipping by “ProStudio Sound & Music”, or $350 plus $5 flat shipping by the “Tinbel Store”. Both ships directly from the sellers and they are not Prime eligible. This is a device with lots of features, read up on it on the interwebs if curious.

Speaking of Fiio, their A5 portable headphone-amp is available in “Used – Like New” condition for $110 with free shipping by K&M Camera through Amazon Warehouse Deals. It ships directly from K&M and it is not Prime eligible.

TEAC UD-501 dual-monaural DAC/amp for $360 [MD]

Not to be confused with the famous jeans, the TEAC UD-501 dual-monaural DAC/amp is fully unlocked at Massdrop for $360 with free US shipping, running for the next two days and change (from blog-posting time). It will ship in mid-March from Massdrop, with all sales final. A warranty card is included. Only 40 units are available for this drop, and as of the time of writing, 19 of them have been claimed.

[OLD POST] Used Fiio K1 USB DAC/amp for $30 w/free S&H

This was superseded by a better deal on 2/19/18…

[Read more…]

[DEAD] Apogee Groove USB DAC/amp for $180

As of a 2/18/18 at 7:18pm ET recheck, this is sold out and cannot be ordered…

The new condition Apogee Groove USB DAC/amp is currently on sale for $180 with free shipping or free store pickup (where available/possible) at Guitar Center. Their other online properties (Musician’s Friend, etc) don’t carry it apparently. This goes on a rotating recurring basis on sale at various reputable dealers, apparently it is Guitar Center’s turn now 🙂

Mayflower Objective DAC/Amps available on Amazon

Did you know that Mayflower Electronics is also selling their Objective DAC/amps through Amazon? All but one ship directly from Mayflower (New York) so shipping is extra, except for the O2 ODAC Revision B which is fulfilled by Amazon and Prime eligible.

Just like Schiit Audio did back when they sold their products through Amazon [Schiit no longer offers their products thru Amazon], the Mayflower Amazon prices are slightly higher than their own website, presumably to cover the Amazon seller fees (which are not insubstantial).

Sabaj D3 Desktop DAC/amp for $80 [fulfilled by Amazon]

In addition to the previously mentioned $90 after coupon DA3 portable USB DAC/amp, Sabaj now has their Sabaj D3 desktop DAC/amp shipping from Amazon’s warehouses, fulfilled by Amazon, in either the black or silver color schemes, for $80 each, with free shipping (two days for Prime members).

These has three inputs on the back (USB, optical, coaxial) and outputs RCA or via a headphone port on the front. The product description is poorly translated, so better check the forums if you are not already familiar with it.

Advanced Sound Lightning DAC/Amp for $45 w/FS [MD]

We begin a mini “Massdrop trilogy” of posts 🙂 First up, something for Lightning iOS listeners. Massdrop is offering the new condition Advanced Sound Accessport Lightning DAC/Amp for $45 with free US shipping, running for the next four days and change (from blog-posting date). An MFI button trio is built-into the physical device.

A list of compatible devices is included in the Massdrop product listing. Basically iPhone 5 and later, iPod Touch 5 and later, iPad Retina (4th gen) and later, and all the iPad Mini and PROs. They will ship from the vendor in early March 2018 with all sales final.

Used Open-Box Chord Mojo DAC/amp for $450

It’s back down to $450 again for the “Used – Very Good” open-box condition CHORD Electronics Mojo DAC/amp with those marble-style buttons, offered at this price by real-world A/V dealer “HiDef Lifestyle” through Amazon Warehouse Deals. It ships directly from HiDef and it is not Prime eligible.

Sabaj DA3 portable USB DAC/amp for $90 after coupon

Clip-on coupons are all the rage at Amazon these days The official Sabaj (fulfilled by Amazon) store is having a $10 off clip-on coupon on either color scheme of the new condition Sabaj DA3 portable USB DAC/amp, dropping its price from $100 to $90, with free shipping (fulfilled by Amazon). It averages 4.4 out of 5 based on 13 customer reviews.

Note that this is offered for the same promotion from the Sabaj as “ships from China”. Since the price is the same, if you are in the US, the “fulfilled by Amazon” will arrive a lot faster!

Fiio E10K USB DAC/amp + AK iRiver ICP-AT1000 IEMs for $80

The Fiio E10K USB DAC/amp goes for $76 in new condition at various authorized Fiio Dealers such as Adorama and various at Amazon but for $4 more, you can get it bundled with Astell&Kern (iRiver) ICP-AT1000 earphones, sold in this bundle by seller “ProStudio Sound & Music” with the orders Fulfilled by Amazon, so you get Prime shipping, and Amazon customer service and support.

Used Fiio A3 portable headphone amp for $42 w/FS

Keeping track of the Fiio product names from memory, especially after the naming reboot, is no easy task. The new condition Fiio A3 portable headphone amp (no DAC on this one) goes for $60 in new condition at authorized Fiio dealers, but if you want to save some, you can get it for $42~ with free shipping by Electronics EXPO through Amazon Warehouse Deals.

LIVE NOW: Massdrop Liquid Carbon X + SDAC DAC/Amp for $380 [ships late May 2018]

UPDATE 1/26/18 at 11:30am ET: the offer is now LIVE! The shipping estimate is late May 2018, with a total of 480 units available for this particular drop. 38 of them have been purchased as of the time of writing. The offer runs for the next six days and change from this update…

Save the Date! If you want to be among the first to order the all new Massdrop Liquid Carbon X + SDAC DAC/Amp, Massdrop will be launching it on its maiden internet voyage on Thursday January 25 (exactly 11 months before Christmas) at 9am eastern time. The price will be $380 with free US shipping and subsidized international shipping. It will come with a 1-year Massdrop warranty. The shipping estimate will be revealed tomorrow after the listing goes live!

This is an All-In-One design, with the DAC section by Grace Design and the Amp section by Alex Cavalli. The Borg approve of this 🙂 This is a single DAC/amp combo “all in one” unit. One of the pictures over there shows two pizza boxes stacked together ~ that may create unnecessarily confusion since it is not captioned to explain that the “Cavalli Tube Hybrid” is NOT included.

To make sure it’s clear, here’s an annotated screenshot of the item that’s on sale:

Topping Madness unlocked at Massdrop

Topping (brand name) fans unite and take over! There’s a mega-listing unlocked at Massdrop and running for the next four days and change (from blog-posting time here) offering the following Topping products with free US shipping:

+ A30 headphone amp for $85
+ PA3 stereo amp for $85
+ D30 DAC for $100 (this is the “headliner” of the listing)
+ D30 and A30 for $185 (no combo discount!)
+ D30 and PA3 for $185 (no combo discount!)
+ all three for $260 (a $10 combo discount!)

The D30 supports up to DSD128 and 24/192 PCM and has three input options (USB, coaxial, optical) and RCA output. Power options are available in the shopping cart depending on location.

Yulong DA9 Balanced DAC/Amp for $950 [MD]

It’s not an oolong tea, so please don’t steep it in hot water 🙂 The new condition Yulong DA9 Balanced DAC/Amp is now fully unlocked for $950 with free US shipping at the members-only but free-to-join Massdrop website. This runs for the next four days and change (from blog-posting time here) and will ship in early March 2018 from Massdrop. All sales final. There is no mention of warranty in the listing. Only 100 units are available but it is highly unlikely this will sell out considering the price.

Used Audeze Deckard DAC/amp for $414 + S&H

And now time for some used scavenger hunt action! We begin with the Audeze Deckard DAC/amp, it is available in “Used – Excellent Plus” condition for $414 plus shipping (starting at $11) at authorized dealer Adorama.com. When the used option sells out, you will no longer see it in their search results.

NuForce DAC80 for $250 [MD]

If you like lots of connectivity options the new condition NuForce DAC80 is currently fully unlocked at the members-only but free to join Massdrop website for $250 with free shipping. It will ship in late February from Massdrop, all sales final. There is no mention of warranty in the listing.

[DEAD] Used Chord Mojo DAC/amp for $399

As of a 1/23/18 AM recheck, the $399 option is sold out and gone…

We have a lower used price for the Chord Mojo marble-button DAC/amp at Amazon Warehouse Deals. Marketplace seller “Audio Advice” is offering it for $399 with free shipping in “Used – Like New” condition. This ships directly from them and it is not Prime eligible.

xDuoo TA-01 DAC/Amp for $120 w/free S&H [MD]

Running for the next four days and change (as of posting time here), you can get the new condition xDuoo TA-01 DAC/Amp for $120 with free US shipping at the members-only but free-to-join Massdrop. These will ship in late February 2018 from Massdrop, with all sales final. There is no mention of warranty in the listing.

They take RCA and USB audio inputs, and output audio via RCA or a 1/4″ headphone jack. There is only one pair of RCA, its use depends on the audio situation (they are an input for the headphone-amp, and an output for the DAC).

Used Bravo Audio V1 Tube Driven Headphone Amp for $43

If you are tube-curious, there is one listing of the Bravo Audio V1 Tube Driven Headphone Amplifier in “Used – Good” condition (repackaged) offered for $43~ with free shipping, sold by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. The new condition price there is $75+, so it’s a pretty decent used discount, considering AWD offers a 30-day return policy.

Aune X1S or X7S for $200 (or buy both for $380) [MD]

Fully unlocked and running for the next four days and change (from blog-posting date) is the new condition Aune X1S Anniversary Edition DAC/Amp at the members-only (but free to join) Massdrop shopping site for $200 with free US shipping. On the same listing, you can also buy the X7S balanced headphone amp, also for $200 with free shipping. OR you can buy both of them with a $20 combined purchase discount ($380 total if you buy both instead of $400).

These will ship in late February 2018 from Massdrop, with all sales final. There is no mention of warranty in the listing.

Used Fiio K5 DAC/amp with dock for $88

The Fiio K5 DAC/amp with a docking station for select other Fiio products (eg select Fiio DAPs) is currently available in “Used – Very Good” condition (cosmetic imperfections; damaged original packaging) for $88 with free shipping by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual.

Used Audioquest DragonFly USB DAC/amp Version 1.2 for $77

The Audioquest DragonFly USB DAC/amp Version 1.2 is currently available in “Used – Like New” condition (original packaging) for $77~ with free shipping by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. This is the ideal used option, “Like New”, and “original packaging” and Amazon Warehouse Deals actual (not marketplace sellers) being the seller of the product. Of course, as with all things used, there is always a YMMV/randomness component.

[DEAD] Magni 2 Headphone Amplifier for $59

As of a 1/16/18 re-check, these sold out again…

As of the time of writing, the Amazon website shows that they have the new condition Magni 2 Headphone Amplifier available for $59 with free shipping, sold by Schiit Audio with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so Prime members get free 2-day shipping. Limit one per customer. The in-stock estimate is January 23, 2018. Sometimes the Amazon servers and stock availability may be slightly out of sync, so there is a bit of a YMMV in terms of availability. Amazon works in mysterious ways sometimes.

Little Dot MK II Tube Headphone Amp for $130 [MD]

Running for the next three days and change (from blog posting date), you can get the new condition Little Dot MK II Tube Headphone Amp for $130 with free USA shipping from the members-only but free to join shopping service that is Massdrop.

You have options for different driver tubes that cost more than the base (included) ones. These will ship in mid-February from Massdrop, with all sales final. There is no mention of warranty in the listing.

YOHOOLYO XU09 portable head-amp for $25

A $3 off clip-on coupon is running for a limited time at the Amazon listing of the YOHOOLYO XU09 portable headphone amp dropping its price from $27.99 to $24.99. Free shipping for Prime members or with a $25+ order (yes, the irony of the coupon discount taking away the free shipping).

This is a headphone amp only, it takes 3.5mm input and outputs through the 3.5mm headphone out. The microUSB on the back is for charging the built-in battery. It has a volume dial, and a separate on/off power button, along with an LED light. It averages 3.9 out of 5 based on 41 customer reviews and has 14 answered questions.

RHA Dacamp L1 DAC/amp for $252

It’s back on the sale train again, the new condition RHA Dacamp L1 portable DAC/amp is down to the very specific price of $252.37 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual with up to three sets per customer at the sale price. This is not a lightning deal, so expiration time/date is unknown. It only has four customer reviews, all of them happy with it.

Topping NX1s headphone amp for $32 w/free S&H [MD]

On the budget side of portable headphone amps, the Topping NX1s (it’s not plural, the “s” is part of the model name), is fully unlocked for $35 with free US shipping at the Massdrop website. It is running for the next two days and change (from blog posting time). It will ship mid-February 2018 from Massdrop, with all sales final, and no mention of warranty in the listing.

It is available in either silver or black. It has 3.5mm audio input and output. The microUSB port is for charging only. It has gain and bass physical switches (two settings each). They have a blanket 16 – 300 ohm recommended headphone impedance.

PS: you can find our recent posts of Massdrop time-sensitive drops using the Massdrop blog tag (this link; bookmark it if you are interested in these type of posts specifically).

In-Stock Now: Sennheiser HDV 820 DAC/amp for $2400

CES 2018 is here and we have began rounding up the new headphones at CES 2018 in our annual customary mega-post. It is short now but if you check the previous CES years, you will notice that they balloon to the point of unreadability 🙂

The closed-back HD 820 headphones are the star of Sennheiser’s announcement and the subjects of a long wait until the early summer for release. Coming along with them, but already in-stock and shipping at various retailers is the HDV 820 DAC and headphone amplifier. Both have a price of $2400. The HDV 820 Headphone Amplifier is already in-stock and shipping by various at Amazon and B&H Photo and the official Sennheiser USA store and Hifi Heaven and World Wide Stereo, the last two being their eBay stores.

Refurbished Denon DA-10 portable USB DAC/amp for $139

If you are interested in the Denon DA-10 portable USB DAC/amp, you can get it in refurbished condition from authorized Denon dealer LISTENUP (of Colorado) through Amazon Warehouse Deals. This ships directly from ListenUp and it is not Prime eligible. It averages 4.6 out of 5 based on 13 customer reviews and has 10 answered questions.

Audioquest DragonFly Red USB DAC/Amp for $187

Fulfilled by Amazon seller “Amazing Deals Online” is offering the new condition Audioquest DragonFly Red USB DAC/Amp for the very specific price of $186.66 with free Prime shipping for members. This may be a price match or something, who knows. This is not a lightning deal, so expiration date is unknown.

NuForce uDAC-3 DAC/Amp Combo for $60 [MD]

On the portable side of USB DAC/Amps, fully unlocked at Massdrop and running for the next five days and change (from blog-posting date) is the new condition NuForce uDAC-3 DAC/Amp Combo going for $60 with free US shipping. It ships in early February from Massdrop, with all sales final, and no mention of warranty in the listing.

This takes USB audio input, and outputs analog (RCA) and digital (coaxial), along with a headphone output on the front. It is powered by USB, there is no separate power input. Since audio comes from USB as well, this can only be used with sources that output music via USB.

In addition to their “classic drops”, Massdrop is also running a handful of products in a more conventional setting, they ship within a week after purchase. We round those up at our Massdrop Tracker post

Used CHORD Mojo DAC/amp for $439.50

We have a new low price for these at Amazon Warehouse Deals, it is the CHORD Mojo DAC/amp with the marble buttons in “Used – Very Good” condition for $439.50 with free shipping by Fat Wyre through Amazon. They ship directly from Fat Wyre but Prime members still get Prime-like shipping thanks to a lesser known Prime benefit.

Hifiman HE-400i Special Edition + iFi Micro iDSD Black Label Amp for $549 after coupon

We mentioned earlier the iFi + Beyerdynamic combo, now we have a different iFi combo at BuyDIG! Using coupon code LISTENUP you can get the iFi Micro iDSD Black Label Headphone Amp with the HIFIMAN HE-400i Special Edition planar-magnatic over-ears for $549 with free shipping until 1/10/18 or earlier if sold out.

NuForce BTR-100 Bluetooth Receiver for $45 w/FS [MD]

Massdrop is back once again with another unlocked offer, running for one day and a few hours left (as of blog-posting date). It is the new condition NuForce BTR-100 Bluetooth Receiver going for $45 with free USA shipping. These will ship late January 2018 from Massdrop, with all sales final. There is no mention of warranty in the listing.

Combo: Beyerdynamic DT880 (600 ohm) + iFi Micro iDSD Black Label for $499 after coupon

Sometimes a combo is not a burger and fries, but instead a semi-open headphone and a DAC/amp 🙂 Good until Friday night, BuyDIG is offering this Beyerdynamic + iFi iDSD combo for $499 with free shipping using coupon code LISTENCLEAR. The two items included are:

+ Beyerdynamic DT 880 (600 Ohms) Semi-Open Over-Ears
+ iFi Audio Micro iDSD Black Label Headphone Amp