we find good deals for you!
From the “Phones as DAPs” (PADs) department, good until Monday 10/22/18 at 11:59pm eastern time, you can get the new condition, unlocked, carrier-free LG G6 for $250 with free shipping at B&H Photo. This is in the Ice Platinum color scheme.
NOTE: this is the international version phone but it comes with a 1-year warranty from B&H Photo itself…
It didn’t take long for Chi-fi to come up with DSD digital audio players, and for a limited (unspecified) time, Amazon is offering a 20% off clip-on coupon on this small-ish Hifi Walker HX DAP with 16GB on-board and one microSD memory card slot. It supports up to DSD 128 (5.8 MHz), with Bluetooth 4.0 (with apt-X) that works in your choice of receiver [use it amp your smartphone/tablet/etc music] or transmitter [play music on your bluetooth headphones/speakers/etc].
It averages 3.5 out of 5 based on 20 customer reviews and has 39 answered questions, so it looks like the DSD support generated some curiosity interest among some fans.
The name is more likely word-play on the more famous Sony Walkman, another defining characteristic of Chi-fi we know and love [VE Monks FTW! ~ it is the two year anniversary of my Monks purchase 🙂 ]
Its current price [as of the time of writing] is $110, with the 20% off dropping it to $88 or so.
It’s DAP time among the deals of the day B&H Photo, good until Wednesday October 17 at 11:59pm eastern time. It is the new condition Pioneer XDP-30R offered for $150 with free shipping in the black color scheme.
This is not an Android DAP [but supports TIDAL and Tune IN Radio streaming], but it has some advanced features, such as balanced outputs, two microSD card slots [and 16GB on-board storage], dual SABRE, dual-band Wifi, bluetooth, small touchscreen for operations, DSD support [up to 5.6 MHz], AAC up to 192/32, They also promise MQA support with a future firmware update.
As we’ve seen with smartphones [and other devices too], promises of future updates often remain promises, so keep that in mind if this is a major decision point in your purchase!
It averages 4.2 out of 5 based on a dozen customer reviews at B&H, and 3.5 out of 5 based on 20 customer reviews at Amazon where it also has 17 answered questions by “viewers like you”…
There are two headphone-related offers at the B&H Daily Deals running until Wednesday at 11:59pm eastern (or earlier if any of them happens to sellout ahead of time).
We start with the earphones, they are earbuds, of the neckband type. IT is the new condition Sennheiser PMX 684i In-Ear Neckband Sports earbuds with iOS remote control buttons for $20 with free shipping.
Next up, on the PADs front (Phones as DAPs), the new condition factory unlocked LG V30S ThinQ Smartphone (128GB onboard) is offered for $600 with free shipping with two different color options to pick from. This was among the last Snapdragon 835 smartphones with a headphone jack [the latest models have the 845], with 128GB of on-board storage plus microSD slot for even more FLACs and WAVs and such, Android 8.0, 6″ screen, a solid 6GB RAM which should be more than enough for all your music streaming and equalizing and visualizing needs, Bluetooth 5.0, apt-X HD, FM radio, USB Type C version 3.1, and so forth. And of course the famous V-series DAC technology.
For a limited time, New York’s B&H Photo is offering the new condition factory unlocked LG V30S ThinQ smartphone for $680 with free expedited shipping. It is available in two color schemes. It comes with a 1-year warranty out of the box, but if you register it with LG, you get a second year of warranty coverage!
The LG V-series is praised for its audio components, and it has a 3.5mm headphone jack, unlike certain other flagship smartphone lines. The nice screen is also a plus if you like to watch a lot of music videos or concerts on it! Note though that this uses the Snapdragon 835, while the brand new flagships are using the newer 845.
It comes with 128GB of on-board storage, which may be more than enough for some music collections if you also utilize a lot of music streaming, but if you need more, it also takes microSD cards up to a theoretical 2TB.
If you like a more compact Android phone as your “Phone as DAP” (PAD), and you prefer new condition and factory unlocked with a previous-generation flagship Snapdragon, and you like your PAD to support LDAC, the new condition “Sony XZ1 Compact” is on sale for $370 with free shipping by Amazon actual in the black color scheme with up to four per customer at the sale price. This is an old fashioned sale, not a lightning deal.
It supports LDAC, has a Snapdragon 835, 4.6″ display (yes, under 5 inches!), 4GB RAM, 32GB on-board, GSM, Android Oreo, USB-C charging, QC 3.0, AND a headphone jack!
This offer expired…
These offers expired…
From the “PADs” department (Phones as DAPs”), the official Honor Store is offering for a limited time the Honor 7X phone along with the Honor bluetooth earphones for $225, or you can add the Band 3 wearable to the bundle and pay $254 instead. This has a 3.5mm headphone jack, 18:9 display (think playlist editing), 32GB on-board storage and microSD (up to 256GB), microUSB, Bluetooth 4.1 with LE (Low Energy), etc…
This offer expired…
Running until 2:40pm ET today (Wednesday 4/11/18) in the Amazonian Gold Box is the new condition HIFI WALKER H2 Bluetooth DAP for $119 with free shipping. The price before the sale is $140.
It plays music from a microSD card (up to 256GB supported) and also supports Bluetooth 4.0 with apt-X support. It can play Native DSDs (up to 128-bit 5.6 MHz), and has the Burr Brown PCM5102 DAC from TI. It averages 3.9 out of 5 based on 56 customer reviews and has 99 answered questions.
This lightning deal expired…
Surprise-surprise, the latest Newegg e-Newsletter sale has a DAP among the many techie products it features! It is the new condition ONKYO rubato DP-S1(B) offered for $199 with free shipping, sold by Electronics Expo through NewEgg. No promo code, and no mail-in rebate needed! Just add to cart and proceed to checkout.
There is also a headphone sale in this lot, the new condition Philips FS3BK lightweight on-ears going for $15 with free shipping, sold and shipped by Newegg actual.
Both offers are good until Thursday night or earlier if sold out.
I don’t usually look for deals in Europe, but this one appeared right in front of me, so I might as well post it! For a limited, in the United Kingdom, Car Warehouse is offering FREE pair of Bose QuietComfort QC35 II ANC/bluetooth over-ears for FREE when you pre-order the Huawei P20 or P20 PRO smartphone from them!
The P20 and P20 PRO (along with the Mate RS) are all without a headphone jack…
Another offer running unlocked for the next two days and change (from blog-posting time) at Massdrop is the new condition Colorfly C10 Portable DAP going for $180 with free US shipping. It is only available in the blue color scheme. Orders will ship from Massdrop in early May with all sales final.
The Essential PH-1 from Android “father” Andy Rubin is one of the headphones WITHOUT a headphone jack. To encourage people to give this smartphone a try, especially now that it is getting discounted, Amazon and Essential are including a FREE pair of Essential USB-C earphones with purchase of the new condition Essential PH-1 smartphone for $450 with free shipping. Three phone color schemes are available, including the Amazon-exclusive “Halo Gray”.
The earphones goes for $99 on their own and they have a 1-button remote/mic and support USB Audio Class 2 according to the product description.
For more on USB-C audio, Anandtech explains the USB Device Audio Class 3.0 which allows for digital audio and analog audio over a USB-C port. However, not all smartphones support analog audio over USB-C (by re-assigning pins) which creates confusion and frustration among USB-C users who try to mix and match devices…
This eBay flash-sale coupon expired…
Never a dull moment at Massdrop. Another offer has fully unlocked, it is the new condition Astell&Kern Super Junior x AK Jr DAP for $200 with free US shipping running for the next four days and change from blog-posting date. These will ship in early April 2018 from Massdrop with all sales final as usual.
This messy name is because this is a special edition of the DAP in collaboration with K-Pop band “Super Junior”. Jealous of the iPhone-U2 collaboration, the DAP will include 20 remastered tracks from the band 🙂
This has 64GB onboard storage and can take up to 400GB microSD memory cards.
NOTE that the back of this blue DAP is autographed by the members of the band. It’s covered in signatures.
DAP DAP time at Massdrop! Fully unlocked and running for the next four days and change (from blog posting time) is the new condition Hidizs AP60 Pro Digital Audio Player going for $80 with free US shipping. This will ship in early May 2018 by Massdrop with all sales final. There is no mention of warranty in the listing.
Among its features is 2-way bluetooth control, which allows your smartphone to control it. An interesting proposition! It also serves as a USB DAC/amp when connected to a computer. It takes microSD cards up to 256GB. But it has not embraced USB-C, it’s still microUSB. It would probably be too expensive to go USB-C 3.1 given the price but at least USB-C would make connecting the cable easier 🙂
Bluetooth-wise it supports version 4.0 with apt-X. The user interface does not have a rotating center dial like the Fiio X1, but it looks to be of similar chunky size, which is good because it falls to the bottom of your pocket ~ harder to fall out 🙂
I’m not sure when the price dropped but I just now noticed it. The new condition Fiio X1 II (second generation) digital audio player is now down to $90 with frees shipping at Adorama and various Prime-eligible sellers at Amazon…
I haven’t seen or touched the second generation model which does not seem to be doing well review-wise, it averages 3.1 out of 5 at Amazon based on 230+ customer reviews and it has nearly 150 answered questions.
I have and I’m using the first generation model. So far I only posted a text and pictures unboxing. The first generation did better in reviews at amazon.com, 3.9 out of 5 based on 560+ customer reviews and with nearly 500 answered questions.
This sale ended… On the higher end of DAPs, the new condition Astell and Kern AK 100 Mark II are currently on sale for a limited time for $455 at Touch of Modern…
Touch of Modern is a website that specializes in modern and harder to find products. ToM has been growing steadily, with over 1 million orders placed in 2016 per their About page.
Audiophile jazz and blues fans, open those wallets wide 🙂 Running for the next four days and change, fully unlocked at Massdrop is the Astell & Kern AK240 Blue Note Digital Audio Player for $1700 with free US shipping.
This DAP is a collaboration between AK and Blue Note records to celebrate Blue Note’s 75 years of Jazz and Blues. The DAP has a blue color and Blue Note logo but more importantly it includes 75 Blue Notes albums, remastered at 96kHz/24-bit. The albums are not loaded on the DAP Apple/U2 style (ha!) but instead come with a nice little tower of microSD cards, an homage mayhaps of the old days of CD tower stacks 🙂 It is a very nice looking gift if you have the financial flexibility to buy or gift it.
This ships at the end of March 2018 from Massdrop with all sales final.
If you are not tempted by the new AI version of the LG V30, the one with the goofy name of “ThinQ” revealed at MWC 2018 [yes, it has a headphone jack], Verizon Wireless is having a $300 off trickle-monthly promotion on the new condition LG V30 if you buy it on a 24-month installment plan. The monthly price will be $22.50 and at the end of the 24 months, you own the phone. That’s because the discount is applied monthly, instead of up front. That makes it $540 for the phone with ownership at the end of the 24 month cycle.
If you want to buy the phone upfront, it doesn’t look like it’s eligible for the $300 off discount. This is only a good deal if you plan to have Verizon Wireless service in the next 24 months.
Blinq is having a Featured Sale that includes some audio-related products running until Saturday at 11:59pm eastern. The coupon is applied automatically in the cart, but in case of technical issues, you can also find the coupon at the aforelinked page.
The coupon is a 25% off discount, and it drops the prices of the following items as follows:
+ open-box iPod Touch 6 (16GB, blue) for $120~
+ three left; this has a Lightning connector
+ open-box iPod Nano (16GB, 7th generation, blue) for $130~
+ factory refurbished Beats X bluetooth earphones for $46~ in black or blue
+ see them all at the Blinq Featured Sale
+ free shipping on all purchases regardless of price
+ 30-day money back guarantee on purchases
Because of the nature of Blinq (they pick up returns and overstocks and sell them to consumers) the risk of something having to be returned is higher than buying something brand new sealed in box, so the free shipping and 30-day returns go a long way towards mitigating the risk. Unless you hate returning things with a passion 🙂
Surprise, surprise! This is why we price-check things 🙂 The new condition HIDIZS AP60 Ⅱ digital audio player goes for $130, BUT when you look closely on the product page, it has a $30 OFF clip-on coupon. You clip that coupon (click on the little box or the coupon text) and you get $30 off, making it $100. You don’t have to type anything with clip-on coupons; just click. The coupon is available for multiple color schemes of this DAP!
If you are not familiar with Amazon’s clip-on coupons, follow the visual cues in this annotated partial screenshot below:
From the “Phones as DAPs” department, if you are looking for a double figures Android DAP without breaking the bank, the refurbished HTC One M8 is offered as a “Scratch & Dent” for $90 at part of the longer running Woot deals, this one is good until March 1st (or earlier if sold out). Limit up to ten per customer.
This is a Verizon + GSM unlocked phone, with 2GB RAM, 32GB on-board and microSD card (of particular music interest obviously), Snapdragon 801, 5 inch screen, etc. It comes with a 90-day Woot warranty.
Shipping is free for Prime members (must login to Woot with our Amazon Prime account), otherwise it’s the usual $5 flat for everything you buy during the central time zone calendar day.
If you want a quad DAC in your Android smartphone but for one reason or another don’t want the LG V30, there is now a US warranty alternative, the LG G6+, new condition, factory unlocked, with USA warranty, in the Amazon Prime Exclusive version dropping from $520 to $470 with free Prime shipping.
This went for $500 before Amazon removed the Lockscreen Ads from their “Prime Exclusive” phones and increased their price by $20 to $520. So now it’s down $50 (or down $30 from the previous previous price) but without lockscreen ads.
Limit one per customer at the moment. The shipping estimate is currently a variable “1 to 2 months”. Amazon tends to be conservative on the estimates (so as not to over-promise something they can’t deliver on time), but still, if you want this by a specific time in the near future, there are no guarantees for delivery when you need/want it! So keep that in mind.
Here comes another Sony offer at Guitar Center. This time it is the new condition Sony Walkman NW-ZA17-SLV digital audio player going for $230 with free shipping or store pickup.
Note that most sale items are not eligible for coupon code PRESDAY18 which is 15% off products priced $199 or higher. The discount is larger than the coupon percentage anyway.
The Guitar Center President’s Day sale is a gift that keeps on giving! In new condition, you can get the black color scheme of the TEAC HA-P90SD DAC/amp/DAP for $230 with free shipping or free ship to store (aka store pickup). No coupon is needed, the price you see is the price you pay during this promotion.
Some DAP (digital audio player) deep cuts (the music term, not a deep discount reference) action, running at members only but free to join Massdrop for the next four days and change is the new condition Colorfly C10 DAP for $180 with free US shipping. This is only available in the blue color scheme. It ships in late March from Massdrop with all sales final.
It has 32GB on-board storage plus a microSD slot. It is running on Linux, and it has a line-out jack, in addition to a 3.5mm headphone out. The DAC is a Cirrus CS4398.
I need to find my prehistoric 32MB (yes, megabyte) DAP and see how it does today. I believe it used AA or AAA, so it shouldn’t have built-in battery is dead issues 🙂
Starting today (February 7 in 2018), Amazon is no longer selling their Prime Exclusive phones with Lockscreen and other Ads. Instead they are sold ad-free. Their prices went up by $20 since yesterday to counter the ad removal. Of audio interest, the LG G6+ with its Quad DAC and 128GB on-board storage is now going for $520 with free shipping. This is a US warranty model, unlocked, and working with US carriers. Only Prime members can buy them.
From the “Phones as DAPs” department, especially if you are looking to get both a new phone and a new DAP, the new condition, factory unlocked, with USA warranty LG V30 is currently on sale for $675 with free shipping in the cloud silver color scheme at B&H Photo. You can also get a second year of warranty by registering the product online with LG.
Considering all the specs of this model, it can be used as a DAP long after it may be considered too old to be your main phone. The Quad DAC, 64GB onboard and microSD, Snapdragon 835, 4GB RAM, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 18:9 (easier playlist management), 802.11ac, NFC, FM radio, IP68, Qi charging, are more than good enough to handle music streaming apps for many years to come.
LG G6+ for $500 with Prime Lockscreen Ads
If you want a Quad DAC, but prefer a slightly smaller screen and slightly smaller price, Amazon is offering the Prime exclusive LG G6+ for $500. You will get Amazon Lockscreen Offers and Ads, which is why you pay a lower price. The G6+ model has the quad DAC in the US version, with 128GB on-board storage, microSD, 4GB RAM, Snapdragon 821, 18:9 screen, IP68, and so forth.
I haven’t used any of Amazon’s “Lockscreen Ads” phones/tablets, so I don’t know how annoying or helpful they can be [helpful if you are an Amazon bargain hunter]. The ads on the Kindle e-book readers are not annoying and occasionally useful [in finding deals], but e-ink screens limit the type of advertising, while smartphones have a lot more [annoying] ads options 🙂
Seller Refurbished LG V20 for $210
If you want an even better price, the LG V20 is offered seller refurbished for $210 with free shipping by eBay seller “Guarantee Cellular” (96.3%, Brooklyn) is Titan or Silver color schemes. This is a higher risk purchase, but they offer a 30 day guarantee. Still if you hate the idea of having to return something, you may want to avoid this. Over 480 units have been sold from this listing so far.
This daily deal expired…
Back to the DAPs we go with another offer getting unlocked at Massdrop, and running for the next three days and change (from blog-posting date), it is the new condition Colorfly C10 Portable DAP going for $180 with free US shipping. This is only available in the blue color scheme.
The player is running Linux, uses the Cirrus CS4398 DAC, and is CNC-machined aluminum and red sandalwood which makes it look nice (at least in the pictures; I haven’t seen it in person). It has 32GB memory on-board plus a micro SD slot. It will ship from Massdrop in late February 2018 with all sales final.
A warranty card is included in the package, but it does specify any further details on the warranty (or lack there of). Massdrop would improve their credibility if they deterministically mentioned the warranty status of each drop. Consumers build trust and become customers for life when a seller is more open and forthcoming.
If you don’t mind waiting, or paying extra for faster shipping, GearBest is having a sale on the new condition XDuoo X3 digital audio players. The silver color schemes goes for $76, while the black color scheme goes for $80. With free slow shipping from China. The gold color scheme is not on sale.
Their button placement may be a unusual if you are used to the more symmetric digital audio players, so you may want to do some “usage visualations” to make sure you are okay with their positioning 🙂
From the “Phones as DAPs” department, especially if you want one for a big enough screen to watch music videos or music performances, eBay seller Guaranteeee Cellular is offering the seller refurbished LG V20 for $230 with free shipping and 30-day returns and a 60-day seller warranty.
It is available in two color schemes. This is the Verizon version with unlocked GSM. Check bands and such if you are planning to use it as a phone as well. Given the screen size and specs, you can also use it as an in-home/in-office mini-tablet.
Seller refurbished is a higher risk than manufacturer refurbished, as you rely on the seller to stand behind their work. That’s why the price is lower, so that’s a trade-off some are willing to make.
In addition to the praised DAC/Audio module, this has other music-playback friendly features, such as 64GB on-board plus microSD (up to 256GB), 4GB RAM, a previous generation flagship processor (so it won’t have problem using music/streaming apps for many years), 5.7-inch screen, etc.
PS: I have now began putting the “Phones as DAPs” under the Digital Audio Players category
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