If you are cool with mail-in rebates, the new condition open-back over-ear Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO (250 ohm) are offered for $125 after a $20 mail-in rebate at Adorama.com. This is a limited time offer, expiring by 5/24/16, with a limit of one per customer. Details on the rebate at the PDF file.
CozyPhones Sleep Headphones for $16
If you like to listen to audio while in bed, but don’t want to risk damaging your in-ears or your ears, there are more and more “sleephones” that are made to be slept on. One such is the CozyPhones Sleep Headphones (with travel bag included), on sale for $16 in the black color scheme by the maker, Halo Acoustic Wear, with the order fulfilled by Amazon. The other three colors go for $18. All together they average 3.9 out of 5 based on over 750 customer reviews, and they have 40+ questions answered.
If your first question is how neutral they are or where’s Tyll’s PDF with the measurements, you may be experiencing irrational audiophile exuberance 🙂
Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 (Bluetooth, ANC) for $342.50
Even though it is Sennheiser, this may get you kicked out of the local audiophile club, so use them discreetly because they are both Bluetooth and have Active Noise Cancellation. It is the Ivory color scheme of the closed-back over-ear Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless (Bluetooth) with ANC going for $342.50 with free shipping, with a limit of five units per customer at Amazon by Amazon actual. This looks like it might be a computer-generated price-match of a marketplace seller offering them, so it may not last long.
MEE Audio Rumble Bluetooth AF80 for $44 (MD)
MassDrop droppings now, fully unlocked it is, the new condition MEE Audio Rumble Bluetooth AF80, going for $40 plus $4~ flat shipping. Two color options are available. The offer ends before the weekend… The lowest price for these is $50 (the white/blue color) at amazon.com where they average 4 out of 5 based on 220+ customer reviews and 50+ answered questions…
[DEAD] 10% off headphones at Groupon with Coupon
This coupon expired but Groupon rolls out coupons throughout the year…
Open-box Beyerdynamic DT 1770 PRO for $464
And now we go to the other end of the Beyerdynamic closed spectrum, it’s Tesla 2.0 time. The DT 1770 PRO studio headphones are available in “Used – Like New” condition for $464+ by authorized dealers through Amazon Warehouse Deals (OneCall and Electronics Expo). The Amazon Warehouse Deals (AWD) actual is $464 but AWD (Amazon) does not make any promises of warranty but offers a 30-day return policy.
OneCall has two listings and they are also available through their eBay store, listing #1 and listing #2.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (250 ohm) for $126
Warm up the amps, it looks like Amazon’s price computer is price-matching the offers of marketplace sellers for some of the Beyerdynamic headphones. As of the time of writing, the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (250 ohm) is on sale for $126 by Amazon actual. Marketplace sellers have it for a few pennies less but they don’t look to be authorized dealers.
If you are looking for reasons to buy these, consider this review project: compare ALL the versions of the DT770, or for extra credit, compare all versions of the 770/880/990 triumvirate 🙂
TIP: an easy way to remember their closed/open status is that the bigger the number gets, the more open they are. The 770 are closed, the 880 are semi, and the 990 are open.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 for $124 [was $136]
Down the rabbit hole of figuring out the various versions and reading comparisons of this classic Beyerdynamic line-up as the PRO version of the DT 770 closed-back over-ear headphones with 80 ohm impedance is on sale for $124 [was $136~] with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual.
TIP: make sure you check and verify that Amazon actual is the actual seller, and not marketplace sellers who may not be authorized dealers!
This looks like it might be a computer price match of marketplace sellers offering it for similar prices at Amazon, so it is unpredictable how long it will last.
Price Updated in this post on 5/17/16 PM!
Refurbished Beats Sale: three powered models, $140 to $160
Woot is running a refurbished Beats sale good until 5/24/16 at 12:01am central time. Each headphone is refurbished and comes with a 90 day warranty from Woot and has a limit of three units per customer. The three models are (in price order):
- refurbished Beats Executive Over-Ears for $140
- refurbished Beats Studio 2.0 Over-Ears for $150
- refurbished Beats Solo 2 Bluetooth On-Ears for $160
Note that all three of them are powered headphones. The Executive is an older generation and takes AAA batteries, which is plus or minus depending on your battery predisposition. The other two have built-in rechargeable batteries.
[DEAD] Refurbished Sony MDR-RF985-RK RF Wireless for $45
This is an older post, there is a better used offer on the main listing.
Monoprice Snail Earphones for $5 + S&H
The Monoprice website has a Spring Clearance Sale until May 22nd in 2016 that includes some of their budget earphones, including the snail-looking model 9927 for $5 (around 80% with nearly 500 reviews) and further down the page model 8320 also for $5 (around 79% with over 800 reviews).
Their classic closed-back over-ear 8323 model continues to sell for $16 (nearly 88% with nearly 1500 reviews).
Shipping is EXTRA on the above items.
Audeze EL8 Headphones and iFi Micro-iCAN for $799
Bundle up time once again, and yes, it’s another Audeze bundle. You get the closed back planar magnetic Audeze EL8 (elate, musical elevation, or so ~ I am guessing that’s what the name means) headphones bundled with the iFi Micro-iCAN Headphone Amplifier (Special Edition), together for $799 with free shipping at Adorama.com until 5/22/16.
Sennheiser RS 175 RF Wireless for $239
The latest generation of the Sennheiser RF-wireless RS-series headphones (the ones whose model names ends with xx5) appears to not be using Kleer technology, mayhaps they developed something better in-house or they didn’t want to pay the licensing fees. Regardless, one of those new models, the RS 175 is on sale for $239 with free shipping with a limit of five per customer at Amazon by Amazon actual.
This is a closed back over ear model and comes with one pair of headphones and one transmitter/base which also serves as a headphone stand. You can pair a second headphone to the base (you have to buy the 2nd pair on your own). This averages 4.5 out of 5 with 300 customer reviews and has nearly 150 questions answered, so that’s a lot of info available about it.
Beats Studio Lil Wayne Edition for $189
You literally don’t know what you will find in the eBay deals, for example, how about some black-red Lil Wayne edition of the Beats Studio headphones, available in new condition, for $189 with free shipping with a limit of five units per customer by NewEgg’s eBay store.
[DEAD] Tue Offers: MEE Audio Runaway Bluetooth On-Ears, Bluedio BT
This particular sale ended but both brands are recurring “guests” of the lightning deals…
[DEAD] Starts Sunday 3pm ET: Bluedio Vinyl Plus Sale
This offer expired but Bluedios are recurring “guests” over there…
Used Sennheiser HD700 for $358 [updated]
UPDATE (5/16/16): the “Used – Good” condition for $326 sold out, the lowest price now is “Used – Very Good” for $358~, with three separate listings at this price.
ORIGINAL: If you are interested in the Sennheiser HD700, a headphone caught in the crossfire of the HD800 and the HD600 and HD650 power duo, it is currently available in “Used – Good” condition for around $326 by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. They also have a couple of listings in “Used – Very Good” condition for $22 more.
Used Sennheiser RS120 Wireless for $29
The RF wireless open-back Sennheiser RS 120 headphones are available in “Used – Very Good” condition for around $29 by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual, so you get free 2-day shipping if you are a Prime member.
There are two potential deal killers for these headphones according to the reviews, they lose their connection to the transmitter base if there is short silence (so you get annoying noise), and the mechanics of the AC input are not good.
AKG Tiesto K167 DJ Headphones for $59 [limit 3]
DJ action from the land of the AKGs, the Tiesto co-branded K167 DJ headphones are on sale, in new condition, for $59 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual with a limit of three pairs per shopping cart. These average 4.2 out of 5 based on 47 customer reviews.
Audeze LCD-2 and AK Jr 64GB DAP for $995
More Audeze temptations, this time it is the LCD-2 (bamboo and lambskin leather) planar-magnetics that are bundled with the Astell & Kern AK Jr 64GB DAP, all together for $995 with free shipping at Adorama.com. Offer ends 5/17/16.
The AK Jr can also serve as a USB DAC, and in addition to the 64GB of on-board storage, it can also take a microSD card (up to 64GB per the specs ~ check forums/reviews to see if higher capacities would work well).
PS: for the purposes of this blog, I am drawing the line between DACs and DAPs on the ability to play music. If something can play music, I am filing it under DAP (digital audio player). Otherwise it goes under the “Amps and DACs” category. I am resisting temptation to further break down that category because I fear I will be lost in a sea of sub-categories 🙂
Sennheiser HD8 DJ headphones and Pioneer Electronics DDJ-SX2 4-Channel Performance Serato DJ Controller for $999
A lot of things are marked “DJ” for marketing purposes, but this is a real DJ bundle at Adorama.com, it is the Sennheiser HD8 DJ headphones along with the Pioneer Electronics DDJ-SX2 4-Channel Performance Serato DJ Controller, together for $999 with free shipping. This bundle offer expires 5/17/16.
NVX Audio XPT100 Studio Headphones for $68 with coupon
Coupon time makes this good deal for a sub-$100 headphone. The closed-back over-ear NVX Audio XPT100 headphones currently go for $80 with free shipping but coupon code 15AUDIO gets you 15% off the current price, making it $68 with free shipping (48 contiguous US states) at Sonic Electronix. The coupon expires 5/18/16.
The outside box is very studio-ish but they make up for it in accessories, an extra set of earpads and a carrying case and two cables (short and long). As you can see from the pictures, these are not small 🙂
These creatures average 4.6 out of 5 with over 90 customer reviews at amazon.com where they also have 30 questions peer-answered.
Massdrop x AKG K7XX Red for $200
If you like the vampire-red undertones of the Massdrop x AKG K7XX Red Edition headphones, we have good news for you, they are available again to purchase from members-only but free-to-join Massdrop for $200 with free shipping. The offer runs for 11 more days or if 1500 units get scooped up, whichever happens first. Keep in mind however that these ship in mid-June 2016!
Wednesday’s Dailies: Bluedios, APIE, Razer Kraken
There is some headphone action at the Gold Box of Amazon for Wednesday 5/11/16 as follows: (as usual each offer “lives” for about four hours ~ give or take):
* starts 9am Eastern: APIE in-ears with 1-button remote/mic
* starts 11am Eastern: Bluedio V (Victory) Pro Patented PPS12 Wireless Bluetooth headphones (Black)
* price before the sale is $300, 10x more than their budget T2s
* starts 1pm Eastern: Razer Kraken Pro Analog Gaming Headset for PC and Playstation 4, White
* starts 7:15pm Eastern: Bluedio U (UFO) Premium Bluetooth headphones in RED
* starts 8:15pm Eastern: Bluedio T2 Plus Turbine Wireless Bluetooth Headphones with Micro SD Card Slot (plays mp3, wav) and FM Radio
JLab Bombora Over-Ears for $16 w/free S&H (detachable 1-button cable, drawstring pouch)
If you don’t have Amazon Prime or you are not fond of shopping at Amazon, and you are interested in the JLab Bombora (who comes up with these names?) closed-back over-ear headphones, they are on sale with free shipping for all on eBay. That’s right, eBay seller GeekDeal (98%, Seattle) is offering them for $16 with free shipping, in four different color choices. You can buy as many as you like.
They come with a detachable cable with a 1-button remote/mic and a drawstring pouch, so even if the headphones fail/break, you still have the cable and the pouch 🙂
They average 3.7 out of 5 based on 360+ customer reviews at amazon.com.
Sennheiser HD600 and Fiio E12 and Samson MIC for $400
Another triple bundle temptation! This time you have to part with $400 out of your wallet, and that will get you three items in new condition: the open-back over-ear classic Sennheiser HD600 headphones, the Fiio E12 Mont Blanc portable headphone amplifier, and the Samson MTR101 1″ Diaphragm Condenser Microphone (with Shockmount and Pop Filter) from authorized dealer Adorama.com. Offer ends by 5/16/16.
If you are interested in the HD600, but have no interest in the Fiio E12 or the Microphone (or don’t want to sell/trade/gift them), there’s another bundle option running, this one at amazon.com, for the same price of $400, but instead of the Fiio and Samson, you get a $150 plastic Amazon Gift Card, which is almost as good as cash.
Refurbished Sony MDR-XB950BT Bluetooth for $70
If you are a fan of the Double Bs (Bluetooth and Bass), the Sony MDR-XB950BT in the black color scheme is currently offered in manufacturer refurbished condition for $80 with free shipping and a 90 day warranty by Secondipity on eBay with a limit of fifty units per customer.
The eBay listing has a link to the PDF file with the warranty details, which is a nice touch since many eBay listings are chaos and disorder 🙂
Audio Technica M30x headphones + 3 month Rhapsody Premiere + $30 Vudu for $50
The hype winds are turning a bit on the Audio Technica M50x, and at the same time, they are sort of slightly lifting the other models below it in the line-up. If you are caught in an Audio Technica M30x hype upswing stream, this headphone is available in new condition for $50 with free shipping with a limit of five units per customer by BuyDig’s eBay store.
They are authorized dealers and this offer comes with a $30 Vudu Voucher along with three months of Rhapsody Premiere music streaming service. Details on these two promotions can be found at the bottom of the above eBay listing page.
The Vudu voucher makes it a particularly good deal for cordcutters, since you can use the Voucher to buy a Season Pass for a TV series, or use it any other way (eg movie rentals or digital copy purchases).
AKG M220 for $65 (ship mid-June) or $77 (ship now)
The AKG M220 is a re-imaging of the good old AKG K240 headphones and it is back in the rotation at members-only (but free to join) Massdrop going for $57 plus $8~ flat shipping. The shipping estimate there is mid-June 2016. The offer expires in five days from today (today being the blog-posting date, not the day you are reading this).
If you don’t want to wait that long, and you don’t mind paying more, Amazon seller “Audio Watt Store” has them on sale, in new condition, for $77 with free shipping, with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so if you are a Prime member, you can get them to your door in about 2 days. There, they average 4.7 out of 5 based on 25 customer reviews.
Thinksound ON1 for $138 [Massdrop]
For fans of wooden earcups, the Thinksound ON1 are offered for $130 plus $8~ flat shipping at the members-only Massdrop website. The offer expires in eight days (from blog posting date), and the shipping estimate is the end of May 2016.
Audeze SINE On-Ears and Fiio E18 Kunlun DAC/amp for $450
If you are interested in the new Audeze SINE on-ear planar magnetic headphones, there is a bundle of them, along with the Fiio E18 Kunlun Android USB DAC and AMP offered for $450 with free shipping at Adorama.com until 5/15/16.
The Android part is because it can be used to grab audio out of your smartphone or tablet using a USB OTG connection. Your phone/tablet must also support USB Audio. But you can also connect it to a computer or any other device that can output audio via USB. But wait, there’s more, it also has a Line IN input for audio 🙂
Audeze LCD-3 and Centrance HIFI-M8 and Fiio X3 II for $1945
How about a triple bundle? That’s right, you get headphones and a DAC/amp and a DAP! For $1945 with free shipping at Adorama.com you get these three items:
- Audeze LCD-3 planar headphones
- Centrance HIFI-M8 XL4 DAC Amp
- Fiio X3 Second Generation Digital Audio Player
All of them are in new condition and authorized dealer. The sale ends 5/15/16 or earlier if they sell out (unlikely since this is a specialty bundle).
Sennheiser HD 518 for $50 [limit 5]
Back on the discounting carousel again, it is the open-back over-ear Sennheiser HD 518, the entry-point in a three-headphone HD 5×8 series, on sale for $50 with free shipping, with a limit of five units per customer, at Amazon by Amazon actual where it averages 4.4 out of 5 based on 450 customer reviews.
Fostex x Massdrop TH-X00 for $400
The Fostex x Massdrop TH-X00 headphones are back again at Massdrop for $400 with free shipping, but the shipping estimate depends on when you buy them. The first 600 units purchased will ship when this drop ends, end of May 2016. The remaining 1400 units will ship in mid-September 2016. So if you want them sooner than later, make sure you buy them before the “XX purchased” is over 600. Also don’t want until the last minute, as the counter may not be real time. As of the time of writing, it is “87 purchased”. Temptations, temptations 🙂
Skullcandy Hesh 2 Bluetooth Over-Ears for $65 [limit 3]
At the intersection of Skullcandy and Bluetooth, the black color scheme (they have seven different colors) of the Hesh 2 Bluetooth Over-Ears (with 50mm drivers) are on sale for $65 with free shipping with a limit of three per customer at Amazon by Amazon actual. With almost 1000 customer reviews, they average 4.2 out of 5 and they have 360+ questions answered by viewers like you.
Recent Comments