On the four figure DAP front, the Astell & Kern AK 120 II is currently available in “Used – Like New” condition for $1320 with free shipping by Beach Camera thru Amazon.
[DEAD] Refurbished Sony Walkman NWZ-A17-SLV DAP for $200
As of 6/24/15 recheck, these sold out at $200…
[Read more…]
Now shipping: SanDisk SDMX26-008G-G46 Clip Jam for $39
Sandisk is back with another colorful variation of their popular Clip* mp3 player line-up. The new model is the SanDisk SDMX26-008G-G46, with a street name of “Clip Jam”, available in black and four colorful colors, currently going for around $40 (varies slightly by color) at amazon.com. It has 8GB on-board plus the good old microSD slot that makes the Clips such a good value. Promises up to 18 hours of battery life and comes with a two year warranty. There’s no mention of FLAC in the list of supported formats (but supports mp3, aac, wma, wav, and Audible).
New at Massdrop (not unlocked): SE535, TH900, Walkman A17, etc
A new burst of offers is up at Massdrop today, but as of the time of writing, none of them have reached their lowest possible offer price (in their lingo, “fully unlocked”). These however have about 6-7 days to go from blog-posting date, so they have plenty of chances to get fully unlocked. They are (with shipping added to the price total, but not sales tax because I am not a tax calculation super-computer):
- Shure SE535 IEMs as low as $380
- Fostex TH-900 for $1116 (can’t get free shipping on a $1100 headphone? Come on!)
- Sony PHA-3 Portable for $708
- DarkVoice 336SE OTL Headphone Amp for $235
- Sony NWZ-A17 Walkman DAP for $260
- Matrix X-SPDIF (USB to SPDIF converter) for $168
Massdrop: lots of items added, Gustard and PS Audio fully unlocked
Members-only but free to join site Massdrop has a number of new offers added the last few days. The offers mentioned in this post expire in 6-7 days from blog-posting date. Of those added, the PS Audio Sprout DAC/amp is fully unlocked for $510 shipped, and the GUSTARD H10 amp for $312~ shipped. On the budget front, the Brainwavz S1 Earphones go for $28~ shipped. Not headphone related, but the U-Turn Audio Orbit Basic + Cue is also unlocked, for $195 shipped. The rest of the items are not unlocked as of the time of writing, but they have plenty of time left to go.
Open-box Fiio X5 for $280
The second generation Fiio X5 is coming, but if you are cool with the first generation and buying open-box, you can get it for $280 with free shipping by Amazon marketplace seller “All About Office” (99%, 8110 ratings). This ships from them, so it’s not eligible for Prime benefits. The description says “open box! return Authorized dealer”.
Fiio X3 (2nd generation) for $200
The second generation Fiio X3 digital audio player (aka X3 II) is now going for $200 with free shipping, by marketplace sellers with the order fulfilled by Amazon. Amazon actual does not carry it. It currently averages 4.3 out of 5 based on 15 customer reviews, with one 1-star review complaining about ALAC issues.
Massdrop: BeyerD DT235, Brainwavz S5, etc
Another day, another round of offers up at members-only but free-to-join Massdrop. These end in 6-7 days from blog-posting date, and as of the time of writing, none of them has reached the lowest offer price possible. They are:
+ Beyerdynamic DT 235 on-ears as low as $46 (black or white)
+ Brainwavz S5 Earphones as low as $67 (goes for $100 at amazon)
+ MEElectronics M-Duo as low as $30 (goes for $50 at amazon)
+ Luxury and Precision L5 Digital Audio Player as low as $538 shipped (24 bit/192 PCM, DSD, 3.5″, 16GB, microSD)
+ mini-rant: with the prices of memory so low, it is rather ridiculous that $500+ DAPs (not just this one) can only “afford” 16GB of on-board storage. Really???
Massdrop: Sony A17 DAP, HD 800 cables, and more
Four more offers were added to Massdrop, with all ending in about seven days (from blog-posting date), with the exception of the Numarks which end in nine days. As of the time of writing, none of them are fully unlocked…
+ Sennheiser HD 800 ZY Cable as low as $103 (you can choose type at checkout)
+ Numark Redwave DJ Headphones as low as $55
+ TCG Audio Skina Headphone Amp as low as $50
+ Sony NWZ-A17 Walkman as low as $260 (goes for $300 at amazon)
[DEAD] Refurbished Zune HD for $100 (Logi 200vi earbuds for $10)
These limited time coupon offers expired…
[Read more…]
Massdrop: BeyerD DT990 Premium (600 ohm) fully unlocked for $248
Warm up your DACs and AMPs, the 600 ohm are coming! Fully unlocked at the moment at members-only Massdrop is the new condition Beyerdynamic DT990 Premium (600 ohm) going for $240 plus $8 flat shipping. The sale ends in about seven days from today (today being the blog-posting date, not the date you may be reading this).
A lot of other items went up at Massdrop, but as of the time of writing, none of them are fully unlocked. Fully unlocked is when they reach the lowest price possible during a particular offer. These offers expire in seven days from today:
+ Takstar PRO 80 Headphones as low as $67 shipped
+ Astrotec AX-35 Hybrid IEM as low as $55 shipped
+ xDuoo UA-05 DAC/Amp as low as $188 shipped
+ QLS QA360 Music Player as low as $470 shipped (hooray for the DAP rival, not so hooray for the $prices$)
Massdrop: Astrotec, Shanling, Matrix
Three more items were added to Massdrop, with offers for the first two ending in seven days, while the last ends in 14 days (from the blog-posting date):
+ Matrix M-Stage HP2 Amplifier/DAC as low as $250 shipped
+ Shanling M3 DAP as low as $308 shipped
+ Astrotec Lyra Earbuds as low as $100 shipped
Astell & Kern AK120 DAP for $800
The audiophile level Astell & Kern AK120 digital music player is currently down to $800 with free shipping at Amazon.com (by ProStudio and Beach Camera) and BuyDig.com.
Massdrop: DACmini CX fully unlocked for $400
A new round of offers is up at members-only Massdrop, the ones mentioned below end in 4-6 days from blog-posting date:
+ CEntrance DACmini CX Amp/DAC fully unlocked for $400
+ Fostex TE-05 in-ears as low as $125
+ Fostex TH500RP over-ears as low as $560
+ Colorfly C4 DAP + DAC + amp as low as $508
Massdrop: unlocked ER20 Earplus shipped for $11
More offers got added to Massdrop, with the ones mentioned here ending in 6-7 days from blog-posting date. One of them is fully unlocked, the Etymotic Research ER-20 Earplugs for $11 with free shipping. These are just earplugs, not earphones! This is limited to 100 units and 81 have been purchased as of the time of writing.
Other items listed but not currently fully-unlocked are as follows:
- Shure SE215 Blue LE in-ears as low as $115
- Sony NWZ-A17 Walkman as low as $260
- Little Dot MKIII Tube amp for $225
- KLUTZ DESIGN CanCans stand as low as $190 shipped
- I am adding the shipping price to the totals
Massdrop: Shure SE846 unlocked for $780 (and many more not yet)
At members only shopping club Massdrop.com (you have to login over there in order to see the offers but it is free to get an account), the Shure SE 846 in-ears are fully unlocked for $780 with free shipping. This is the lowest price under this particular offer. It ends in about seven days from today, with today being blog-posting date, not the date you are reading this.
A few more items are live at Massdrop with a 6-7 day expiration from today, but none of them are fully unlocked as of the time of writing. Here they are:
- Fostex TH-600 as low as $520
- Sony MDR-1A as low as $250
- MEElectronics A151P (2nd gen) as low as $36
- iBasso DX90 as low as $335
- Mayflower Electronics CMOY amp as low as $72
Refurbished 16GB Zune HD for $70
If you missed out on the opportunity to get a Zune HD back in the day, and you are comfortable with manufacturer refurbished gadgets, among the latest eBay Deals you can get the 16GB Zune HD in manufacturer refurbished condition for $70 with free shipping by eBay seller Digital Outlet (99.3%) with a limit of five per buyer.
UPDATE: Same price, similar condition from eBay seller GeekDeal (98.3%).
Massdrop: lots of Amps, DACs, and DAPs
A number of headphone-related products have launched on Massdrop the last couple of days. As a reminder, Massdrop is members-only, and you can only see the offers and individual product pages if you are signed in with a free Massdrop account. Their offers are limited time only (typically a week, sometimes limited by quantity). Some of them return after a few weeks, others don’t.
Headphones
- MEElectronics Air-Fi Venture AF52 as low as $46 shipped
- Brainwavz S0 earphones as low as $33 shipped
- Yuin Pk3 Earbuds for $29 shipped (fully unlocked)
AMPs, DACs, DAPs
- TCG Titan Portable USB DAC/AMP could go as low as $93 shipped
- portable SMSL SAP-7 headphone amp as low as $50 shipped
- tiny Cozoy Astrapi DAC/amp (think along USB Flash Drive size) for as low as $90 shipped
- Grace Design m920 desktop as low as $1506 shipped
- Colorfly C4 3-in-1 as low as $508 shipped
- Shanling M3 DAP (digital audio player) could go as low as $308 shipped (not to be confused with Larry Shandling!)
Massdrop: Sony NWZ-A17, GeekOut 450, iFi Nano
A trio of new offers are up at Massdrop. As of the time of writing of this post, none of them are fully unlocked (which is their way of saying, the lowest price possible under this promotion). The offers below expire in 6-7 days from today (with today being the blog-posting day).
We start on the DAP front, with the Sony NWZ-A17 Walkman that can go as low as $260 shipped. It is expected to ship in early April 2015, so keep that in mind if you need to get to it quickly. It goes for $300 at authorized Sony dealers (eg Sony’s eBay store or Amazon).
Next up we have a couple of portable devices, the iFi Nano iDSD USB DAC could go for as low as $175 shipped (it goes for $190 by marketplace sellers at amazon), while the Geek Out 450 DAC/amp could go for as low as $133 shipped (this goes for $200 by marketplace sellers at amazon).
Used Fiio X5 digital audio player for $270
The Fiio X5 is currently available in “Used – Like New” condition for $260 plus $10 flat shipping by Pro Studio thru Amazon Warehouse Deals. This ships from Pro Studio Sound and Music, so it is not eligible for Prime/free shipping benefits.
Note #1: there are a variety of Fiio X5 bundles, so if you may also need accessories, it may be a good idea to consider the trade-offs of the various bundles.
Note #2: Fiio now has a trio of audiophile DAPs, the X1, X3, and X5, so that adds another level of trade-offs and choices.
[DEAD] Used Astell & Kern AK120 II DAP for $1320
As of a 3/9/15 recheck, the used units sold out and it is only available in new condition at the usual prices…
[Read more…]
Used Sony Walkman NWZ-A17-SLV DAP for $271
If you are fond of buying used equipment, the first wave of used Sony Walkman NWZ-A17-SLV audiophile level Digital Audio Players are starting to hit Amazon Warehouse Deals. The discounts are not big right now, but less is less. As of the time of writing of this, there are two “Used – Very Good” condition listings for $271. The new condition goes for $300 and is in-stock from Sony.
Massdrop: Syun, iBasso DX90, ModMic 4.0
At members-only but free-to-join website Massdrop, two new offers were added. Neither is fully unlocked as of the time of writing. First up, it is the SYUN MIX-1 earbuds that could go as low as $24 shipped. Next up, it is the iBasso DX90 DAP that could go as low as $345 shipped. It currently goes for $380 from authorized iBasso distributors at amazon.com.
Fully unlocked, of semi-related interest, the AntLion ModMic 4.0 is $40 shipped over there at Massdrop. The offers mentioned in this post expire 4-6 days from today (today = blog-posting date).
In-stock for $300: Sony Walkman NWZ-A17-SLV DAP [updated]
The new Sony Walkman NWZ-A17-SLV 64GB digital audio player (DAP) is back in-stock for $300 from Sony’s own store and Sony’s eBay store
UPDATE (2/24/15): the in-stock marketplace option sold-out, and Amazon’s own in-stock estimate has it at a floating “3 to 6 weeks”. In addition to the 64GB of on-board storage, this takes up to a 128GB microSD card, which is definitely a plus if you are using FLAC and other higher-than-MP3 file formats. It averages 4.2 out of 5 based on 47 customer reviews, and has a total of 90 questions answered.
No, you don’t need to buy an “audiophile” microSD card at 5X+ the price, unless you want to help kickstart Sony’s profit margins during their hard financial times 🙂
Refurbished 4GB Sansa Clip+ for $24 to $25
The good old 4GB SanDisk Sansa Clip+ mp3 player is available as refurbished for $24 sold by marketplace sellers and fulfilled by Amazon. If you are not a Prime member or plan a $35+ order, another marketplace seller (Blue Proton) is shipping it directly for $25 with free shipping. This is for the black color scheme. The other colors go for more. See all options at Amazon Warehouse Deals.
32GB Zune HD (new condition) for $200
Digital Audio Players are having a mini-renaissance of sorts, at least at the audiophile tier, but if none of the new options sounds interesting, there’s also the good old Zune HD. Some units still remain available in new condition, and some of them are part of the latest eBay Frenzy deals, for $200 with free shipping by Digital Outlet on eBay (the 32GB version). Needless to say, this is for dedicated Zune fans.
Massdrop: BeyerD DX120 iE in-ears and iBasso DX90 DAP
Two new offers are up at Massdrop, neither one fully unlocked as of the time of writing of this post. The Beyerdynamic DX 120 iE Earphones could go as low as $45 shipped while the iBasso DX90 DAP could go as low as $345 shipped. They expire in about seven days from today (today = blog posting date).
Massdrop: Velour Earpads for ATH-M50x (and more) for $22 shipped (fully unlocked)
For owners of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, M50, M40x, M30x and M20x, a set of Velour Earpads is currently fully unlocked for $20 plus $2 shipping at Massdrop. At checkout, you can pick black or brown color. It looks like they are sold by Sound Professionals. Offer ends in about 7 days from today. They are expected to ship Jan-20-2015 or later.
The mini-renaissance of audiophile level digital audio players continues, with the QLS QA360 Music Player offered over there as well, the lowest price possible is $470 but has zero purchases as of the time of writing.
Massdrop: Bravo V3 unlocked for $73 (also: AKG K812, Fiio X5)
In the land of the Massdrops, the Bravo V3 “naked” headphone amp is fully unlocked for $65 plus $8 flat shipping. This is the lowest price possible. Expires in about five days from today. A couple of other items are offered but not fully unlocked as of posting time, the AKG K812 flagship can go as low as $1080, while the FiiO X5 audiophile DAP can go as low as $300. Check their website for future updates on each individual offers. Unfortunately I cannot “babysit” individual offers throughout their lifecycle.
New at Massdrop: Astrotec AX-35 and Xuelin 770
Two new additions today at Massdrop, neither one fully unlocked as of the time of this post…
- Astrotec AX-35 in-ears as low as $55
- Xuelin IHIFI 770 Audiophile Player as low as $140
Massdrop: XDuoo X1 DAP for as low as $80
New at Massdrop, the XDuoo X1 digital audio player (DAP) is offered with the lowest price possible being around $80 with shipping factored in. As of the time of writing, it is not fully unlocked.
[SOLD OUT] 8GB Sandisk Clip Plus for $30 [limit 3]
As of a 11/29/14 recheck, this is temporarily sold out… It won’t best the Astell & Kerns AK-series in features and specs, but it definitely bests it in bang for the buck, the 8GB Sandisk Clip Plus (with microSD slot {up to 32GB} and 16-bit FLAC playback with latest Sandisk firmware or Rockbox firmware) is now on sale for $30 with free shipping, with a limit of three per buyer, at Amazon.com by Amazon actual.
New at Massdrop: BeyerD DT990-250 Pro, xDuoo, etc
Yesterday launched a wave of new Massdrop offers, and today has even more. As of the time of writing, none of the ones below are fully unlocked (= lowest price possible):
+ Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250 ohm as low as $180 (only 250 ohm participating)
+ xDuoo TA-02 Tube DAC/Amp as low as $90
+ Hidizs AP100 Portable HiFi Music Player as low as $230
+ Luxury & Precision LP5 Music Player as low as $700 (only 1 needed to unlock)
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