Surprise Massdrop Combo: Sennheiser HD6XX _AND_ Sony WH-1000X M3 for $400 TOTAL

Well this is a surprise and a temptation that may be hard to resist for practical audiophiles. For $400 at the Massdrop website, you get two headphones, the audiophile-loved open-back over-ear Sennheiser HD-6XX, AND the utilitarian Sony WH-1000X M3 closed-back over-ear with bluetooth and ANC.

And better yet, both headphones come with a warranty. The HD-6XX comes with a 2-year manufacturer warranty, and the Sony WH-1000X M3 comes with a 1-year Sony warranty per the listing over there.

This is a pre-order with two days left to purchase (as of the time of writing of this post). The orders will ship mid-September from Massdrop.

PS: if you only want one of the two, you can always gift or sell or trade the other one. Or you can send it to me LOL 🙂

15% off Audio & Sound gear with Stacksocial coupon

For a limited time, most likely part of the Labor Day festivities, coupon code SAVE15SOUND gets you 15% off the audio and sound gear at the Stacksocial website

Monoprice Retro closed over-ears for $26 w/FS

If you don’t want to wait for the Samson and Superlux variants to go on sale on their own, Monoprice is here to help because their website is offering the new condition Monoprice Retro closed over-ear headphones for the very specific price of $25.69 with free US standard shipping for a limited time only.

The headphones average 4.5 out of 5 based on 160+ customer reviews at the Monoprice website. I haven’t looked for comparisons between these and the Superlux/Samson variants, so your favorite forum and search engine are your friends…

NOTE that their non-detachable cable is nearly 10 feet long (three meters)…

For the speed readers out there, this is the closed back model. Not to be confused with a semi-open variant. We have a text-and-pictures unboxing here of the semi-open model, the Samson SR-850. A closer look at the earcup shells easily distinguishes the closed from the semi-open…

And with all that, we reach the conclusion of this blog post 🙂

Thursday: Bang & Play H8i Closed ANC/BT On-Ears for $300

It’s back on again, mayhaps Best Buy has a special relationship with Bang & Olufsen because the BeoPlay H8i headphone (closed-back, on-ear, bluetooth, ANC) is back on sale again for $300 with free shipping at the Best Buy website for Thursday 8/29/19…

KEF Porsche Design Space One for $150

New Egg is having a bit of an early Labor Day sale with some headphones included. There are many “Fuji Labs” earphones participating but the headliner is the new condition KEF Porsche Design Space One closed-back bluetooth over/on-ears [can’t tell from the pictures] going for $150 with free shipping. The sale is good until next Monday Sept 2, 2019…

Starts Wedn 10:25am ET: refurb Beats Solo 2

According to the Amazon Gold Box teasers, starting at 10:25am eastern on Wednesday 8/28/19 there’s going to be a lightning deal on the renew (refurbished) Beats Solo 2 on-ears. This is available in three different colors. I don’t know which color(s) will be on sale. Their prices before the sale range from $89 to $109. I do not know what the sale price will be ~ it will be revealed for all to see when the offers go live…

Shortly after that, starting at 11:10am, there’s gonna be a lightning deal on the new condition Symphonized NRG 3.0 in-ears with the price before the sale being $22 for five of the six color schemes. They average 4.2 out of 5 based on over 2700 customer reviews. I don’t have this particular model but we have a text-and-pictures unboxing of the NRG 2.0 model

And if you are a fan of truly wireless, all kinds of them are running throughout the day. You can see them all at the Headphone Lightning Deals

Dekoni Blue Fostex Planar Semi-Open Over-Ears for $180 [MD]

Fostex the People! The Massdrop offer on the new condition Fostex Dekoni Blue planar magnetics for $180 with free US shipping is nearing the end of this cycle at Massdrop. This is yet another variant of the good old Fostex T50RP Mark III, a fookin’ legend in Flea Bottom at HeadFi’s Landing 😉 The package includes an extra set of earpads, so you get one set of hybrids and one set of velour.

The orders will ship in mid-September 2019 from the vendor. There is no mention of warranty in the listing.

As a refresher, the Fostex T50RP-III and subsequently this variant are semi-open headphones…

Monoprice Summer Clearance with FREE US shipping: Protein Leather Pads for $10, M600 Open Over-Ears for $60, Monolith Tube amp for $280, Electrostatic Headphone + Amp for $350, Etc

The Monoprice Overstock sale has some potentially interesting offerings for headphone fans as well. A total of seven options show when you filter for headphones including:

+ Memory Foam Protein Leather earpads for $10

+ MP20 in-ears for $12

+ M600 open-back dynamic over-ears for $60

+ M1060 planar open over-ears for $250

+ monster-sized Monolith Tube amplifier for $280

+ Electrostatic headphone with dedicated amplifier for $350

+ the M300 planar earphones go for $100 [corrected typo] which was their previous price

+ find them all in the Headphones Clearance page

All the items mentioned above come with free US standard shipping during this promotion. No coupon is needed. When the free shipping offer ends, it will simply stop being mentioned at the individual Monoprice product pages.

Monday (EU): Sony and Anker Headphone sale

It is Sony day at the Amazon Germany Gold Box or as the cool kids in Germany like to call it, the Ange Bote 😉 Among the Sony products on sale they have the following headphones on sale for Monday August 19 in 2019:

+ ZX-310 closed on-ears for 15 euro
+ I had this headphone in my to-go bag for a while, I swear this must have been tuned in a moderately busy coffee shop because it sounds very serviceable there but when you listen to it in a quiet place, it sounds quite un-audiophile

+ ZX-330BT bluetooth on-ears for 39 euro

+ MDR-XB950N1 ANC/bluetooth closed over-ears for 90 euro two color options

+ WH-H900N ANC/bluetooth closed over-ears for 160 in three color options
+ yes, Sony has a multi-tier approach for their ANC/bluetooth combos

BUT that’s not all. When you further scroll through the daily deals, there’s also a combo Anker and Soundcore sale. Soundcare is an Anker sub-brand because it sounds more audio-ish than Anker? Anyway, their offerings for Monday:

+ Soundcore Life2 closed bluetooth over-ears for 38 euro

+ Soundcore Spirit X exercise bluetooth earphones for 25 euro
+ Anker SoundBuds slim bluetooth earphones for 21 euro

+ Soundcore Liberty truly wireless earphones for 60 euro
+ mono wireless headset for 12 euro

+ and of course the obligatory handful of portable bluetooth speakers

Tue: Fuji Labs HD 200 Wireless headphones for $35

Good for Tuesday August 13 in 2019 until 11:59pm pacific time, through the NewEgg website but sold and shipped by the manufacturer of the product, you can get the new condition Fuji Labs HD 200 Wireless headphones for $35 with free US shipping. Limit up to three pairs per customer at the sale price.

The specs promise that even at 80% volume you don’t disturb others near you (they are closed-back after all). They also promise up to 42 hours music playback time and have a LiPo battery. They average 4 out of 5 based on nine customer reviews.

I can’t tell for certain by looking at the pictures and casually looking at the reviews and answers whether these are over-ear or on-ears….

V-Moda Crossfade Wireless (closed over-ear bluetooths) for $100

The deal is back! Grab your e-wallets! Amazon actual is offering the four color schemes of the new condition V-Moda Crossfade Wireless closed-back over-ear bluetooth (but no ANC) headphones for $100 each. This is not a lightning deal, so expiration time/date is unknown to me. There is a second generation model, this is the first generation model, which was based up on the Crossfade M100 (first generation).

At Amazon, this on-sale wireless averages 4.2 out of 5 based on 770+ customer reviews, and it has nearly 250 answered questions.

PS: I believe you’ll find some VModa – Headfi fanfics at some of the fanfic websites 😉

Sony WH-1000X M3 with 20,000 mAh Power Bank for $298

It’s bundle up time, Focus Camera with the orders fulfilled by Amazon has created a bundle centered on the new condition Sony WH-1000X M3 closed over-ear headphone (with ANC and bluetooth) they are including a 20,000 Phone Energy power bank with it. The price listed is $348 BUT there is a $50 clip-on coupon [you have to be logged on to your Amazon account to clip the coupon to your Amazon account ~ obviously], which brings the price down to $298. This offer is available in either color scheme.

Meanwhile in Europe, there is no power bank bundle, but the standard headphone itself is currently on sale for 288 euro at Amazon Germany where it averages 4.4 out of 5 based on 600+ customer reviews and it has over 350 answered questions…

Friday: Master & Dynamic MW60 Closed Bluetooth Over-Ears for $250

There’s also a big battle for the “fashion” headphone brands at around $300-ish, it’s not just the ANC/Bluetooth over-ear combos. In the “Stylish Wars”, Master & Dynamic is firing a new volley for Friday 8/9/19, the headliner Best Buy deal of the day is their new condition MW60 Closed Bluetooth Over-Ears going for $250 with free store pickup (wherever possible) and/or free shipping within the US…

Also part of the Friday daily deals at Best Buy, they have the Aluratek bluetooth audio receiver AND transmitter going for $30…

Tue: Tascam TH-07 Closed Over-Ear Monitors for $50

Good til Tuesday 8/5/19 at 11:59pm ET (or earlier if it manages to sell out) you can get the new condition closed-back over-ear monitor-designated Tascam TH-07 headphones for $50 with free USA shipping at New York’s finest B&H Photo… Optionally you can add a headphone stand to your value meal for +$13…

They have three happy customer reviews so far…

Used Open-Box Sennheiser HD 300 Closed Over-Ears for $30

If you want to give the new-ish Sennheiser HD 300 closed-back over-ears a try without paying the $50 new condition price, Blinq through Amazon Warehouse Deals has them in “Used – Like New” open-box condition going for $30~ with free US shipping. This ships directly from Blinq and it is not Prime eligible. So no fast shipping for Prime members but on the other hand, everyone gets free shipping (not just Primes)…

These are part of Sennheiser’s newer “streamline the model numbers” line of headphones because let’s face it all those 4.20 and 429 S numbers got the average consumer very mixed up.

I haven’t seen or touched the HD 300 but judging from the pictures, their earpads look very similar to the earpads of the older Sennheiser HD 4.20S which we had a text and pictures unboxing of. The earpads were the best feature of that headphone. So comfy. Just put those on after one of those vice-grip headphones and enjoy the lack of brain crunch 🙂

EU: BOSE QuietComfort QC35 II ANC/Bluetooths for 256 euro

The ever-changing economic and monetary system is bringing more changes to where you can find deals and discount. For example, the new condition BOSE QC 35 II ANC/bluetooth headphones currently go for $350 at USA authorized dealers but if you hop on a discounted transatlantic jet, you can get it for 256 euro in your choice of three color schemes by Amazon Germany itself. Limit up to four per shopping cart per customer at the sale price.

I do not know when the sale ends because it is not a lightning deal that has a ticking clock. They average 4.4 out of 5 based on 1250+ customer reviews and they have nearly 600 peer-answered questions (some of the answers are however from manufacturer reps and marketplace sellers (and helpful-score hawks)).

The market is of course very competitive in this segment, with Sony finding a hit with their 1000X, Beats getting boosted by Apple Mothership, and just about every other major name manufacturer trying their hand at this lucrative $300-ish segment.

But that’s not all. The competition is also from below. When people are able to find “good enough” ANC/bluetooth over-ear combos for under $100 from various audiophile-unknown brands at Amazon and other marketplaces, it creates consumer hesitation ~ do you spend $300~ for a “travel headphone” or is a $50 option “good enough”?

As you can see at the Best Selling Headphone charts at amazon.com, the top of the chart is dominated by these Nu-headphone-brands such as COWIN, MPow, TaoTronics, OneOdio, Ailihen, etc.

As of the tine of writing, the highest-ranking name-brand is at #7 with three of them in the top 10 (Beats, Sony, Bose).

nOTE that Amazon’s charts are based on the human-entered and/or computer-generated categories ~ if a product is miscategorized, it will show up in the wrong top selling charts. That’s why you see some on-ears and even some earphones in the “Over-Ear Charts”. Amazon’s marketplace is too big for them to manage 🙂

V-Moda Crossfade Wireless Closed Over-Ears for $125

With the Crossfade II being the “latest model”, the first generation V-Moda Crossfade Wireless closed-back over-ears have been dropping in price, and as of the time of writing, $125 can get you the new condition Crossfade Wireless (first generation) in the gunmetal color schemes. The other three colors range from $130 to $133.

These average 4.3 out of 5 based on 760+ customer reviews and they have 240+ answered questions to their credit.

Philips Fidelio X2-HR Open Over-Ears for $150

This time they are available for all to buy, not just Prime members! The Philips headphone brand has been resurrected ~ thank the Seven Gods for the Cylon Resurrection ship hidden behind the moon!

So you can now get the new condition Philips Fidelio X2-HR open-back over-ear headphones for $150 with free US shipping with up to six per customer (they may have just six left, not have a “limit 6” per customer).

Optionally, while logged on to your Amazon account, you may see an offer for an installment plan. In my case, I see an offer that says five monthly payments of $50. As long as it gets paid without issue, there’s no financing fee (eg, they’ll take $30 out of your credit/debit card for five months in a row ~ if the card doesn’t explode it’s all good).

PS: as to the differences between the X2 and the X2-HR, there’s plenty to find in the forums and the audiophoolia blogs…

Friday: MEE Matrix3 Bluetooth Over Ears with separate bluetooth audio transmitter for $60 [bundle]

It’s back on again as one of the daily deals at the Best Buy website ~ it is the new condition MEE Audio Matrix 3 headphones, a closed-back over-ear bluetooth model bundled with a dual-headphone bluetooth audio transmitter, all together going for $60 with free shipping or free store pickup if you are near a Best Buy store.

This bundle averages 4.8 out of 5 based on 660 customer reviews at the Best Buy website…

Thursday: Master & Dynamic MH-60 Bluetooth Over-Ears for $280

The headliner of the Thursday daily deals at the Best Buy website is the new condition closed-back over-ear Master & Dynamic MH-60 with bluetooth 4.1 and 3.5mm audio playback as well. No ANC. It goes for $280 with free shipping and/or free store pickup wherever possible…

As of the time of writing, Amazon has not price-matched it (yet?), the closer they get is $305~ after you apply a $50 off clip-on coupon on the “Leica” color scheme. Leica camera NOT included ^_^.

Panasonic RP-HTX80 Closed Over-Ears for $41 [limit 3]

If you are looking for name-brand retro-styled bluetooth over-ears headphone without breaking the bank, and the “matte black” color scheme is preferred or at least acceptable, you can get the new condition Panasonic RP-HXT80 headphones for $41~ by Amazon actual with up to three pairs per customer at the sale price. This is not a lightning deal, so expiration time is unknown…

This is a closed-back over-ear model with bluetooth 4.1 but without NFC. The retro design may be a deal killer for some ~ if you don’t like that style of “outdoorsy” headband adjustments. It does not support apt-X or AAC so keep that in mind. No ANC and no 3.5mm input. They promise up to 24 hours battery life.

And as fate would have it, we have a text and pictures unboxing of this, posted around Christmas 2017.

OR if you are not afraid of The USED (no, not the band, I’m still afraid of their constant emo-whining), then you can peruse the various color schemes at Amazon Warehouse Deals to find the right color and condition combination where prices start at $30~. The link I posted here shows the lowest price per color. To see the detailed listings for each color, click (or open in new tab/window) the small blue link titled “See all offers for this product”…

Beats Studio 3 Wireless Closed Over-Ears (BT/ANC) for $280

Beats and Bose, they break my audiophile bones lame some forum audiophiles, but if you are not part of The Lament [there’s even a music album with that name ~ unrelated to audiophilia ~ although I haven’t analyzed the lyrics with a fine-toothed comb)…

… then you may be interested to learn that the new condition Beats Studio 3 Wireless (ANC/bluetooth closed over-ears with the W1 chip) is on sale for $280 in various colors at various Apple-blessed retailers such as B&H Photo and Amazonia

This of course is now a highly-contested battlefield at the $300-ish price range, with Bose and Sony battling it out and many other audio and electronics brands trying their hand, trying to strike gold. After all, Sony was able to hit the ground running with their WH-1000X series breaking out of the shadow of the ZX-series and the “Extra Bass” the average consumer was mostly familiar with Sony-wise…

Beats Solo3 Wireless (closed on-ear) for $160 [limit 3]

IF you are Beats curious or just want to get one so you can compare it with other headphones in your audio reviews, Amazon actual is offering the new condition “Matte Black” (part of the ICON collection) closed-back on-ear Beats Solo 3 Wireless for $160 with free US shipping with up to three pairs per customer at the sale price… This is not a lightning deal, so expiration time is unknown (to me)… It has the W1 chip which is of interest to recent Apple devices that support it ~ but is not a bluetooth 5.0 headset…

Thursday: Dolby Dimension Wireless Over-Ears for $399

Good until Thursday 7/18/19 at 11:59pm pacific (or earlier if sold out) the headliner deal of the day at the Amazon Gold Box is the new condition Dolby Dimension Wireless headphones going for $399 with free shipping. This is good for all shoppers, the Prime Days are over (although they occasionally feature some Prime-only offers, such as today, where the Echo Connect is offered for for $20 for Prime members)…

Anyway, back to the Dolby, these are bluetooth with ANC, average 4 out of 5 based on 38 customer reviews and they have twice as many answered questions. These are bluetooth 4.2 with support for apt-X low latency (of interest to TV/movie watching), 40mm drivers, two hour recharge and such…

Thursday (EU): Vonmahlen bluetooth on-ears for 129 euro

We land back in Germany with the headliner deal of the day at Amazon.de ~ thanks to a 50 euro off clip-on coupon (you have to click on the little box before the coupon name ~ while logged on to an Amazon account because it stores the coupon in your account) you can get the new condition Vonmahlen bluetooth on-ears for 129 euro in your choice from three stylish color schemes.

This is the first time I’ve seen this brand so I know nothing (Jon Snow). The earcups rotate 180 degrees and the hinge folds 90 degrees. It promises up to 21 hours of playtime. They come with a nice case, extra earpads and cables (charging and 3.5mm audio for wired playback). It supports bluetooth 4.2 with apt-X. They average 4.8 out of 5 based on 24 customer reviews over there…

EU: AKG K702 Open Over-Ears for 109 euro

Austria is close to Germany, so mayhaps the rolled them down the mountains into the Amazon Germany warehouses, so they were able to get a great price. “Them” being the new condition open-back over-ear AKG K-702 headphones going for 109~ euro with free shipping within/nearby Germany.

AKG has released a number of AKG K7-series models, including Massdrop exclusives, so you have plenty of options and comparisons, not just in terms of price but also in terms of sound and ergonomics and things of that nature.

The price different of this particular model is quite big between the US and the EU, so if you are set on this, it is worth the extra time and customs and such bringing it in from the EU to the US.

PS: I do not know if these were made in Austria or China…

Monoprice 8323 Closed Over-Ears for $17 [Prime Deal]

Be patient non-Prime members, the party is almost over. Already Amazon Germany’s Prime Day festivities are over and Amazon USA has just under 9 hours to go…

Which brings us to another Prime deal that went live, it is the new condition good old Monoprice 8323 closed-back over-ears going for $17~. They average 3.9 out of 5 based on 1670+ customer reviews.

As most hyped headphones, they are not the miracles and wonders the forum hype made them out to be, and for over-ears they are not as big-head friendly as many others, but they are definitely worth the price of admission. They have a detachable cable even, and you get two of them in the box.

EI: Used Sony MDR-Z7 closed over-ears for [Prime Deal]

The clock is ticking on this deal as there are only two hours left in the Germany timezone. For Prime members of Amazon Germany, the used closed-back over-ear Sony MDR-Z7 headphones can be yours for 294 in *Used – Good” condition to 315 euro (“Used – Very Good” condition).

Bose QuietComfort QC25 ANC Over-Ears for $99 [Prime deal]

If you prefer your noise cancelling headphones without bluetooth and you want to stay under $100, AND you are a Prime member, then you have until the end of day on Tuesday to purchase the new condition Bose QuietComfort QC25 ANC Over-Ears for $99 from Amazon actual. They are available with either iOS or Android remote control buttons (they are wired headphones after all).

They average 4.1 out of 5 based on 4300+ customer reviews and they have 1000+ answered questions by shoppers like you. These are powered by AAA batteries, so a plus if you are fond of them over the rechargeable embedded LiIons.

After this, Bose launched the QC35 series with is both ANC and bluetooth and they use a built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery instead of the AAAs.

Used Bowers & Wilkins PX ANC/Bluetooth Over-Ears for $178 [Prime Deal]

The new condition Bowers & Wilkins PX closed-back over-ear ANC and bluetooth headphones go for $299+ in new condition BUT if you are a Prime member and you are willing to buy USED, you can get the black color scheme in “Used – Very Good” condition for $178, or in “Used – Like New” for $187~ at Amazon Warehouse Deals.

This too is for Prime members only, it is part of the Warehouse Deals 20% off in-cart promotion that is one of the numerous and hard to keep track of Prime Day offerings

EU: Philips X2HR/OO Open Over-Ears for 139 euro

And now we fly back to the European Union where Prime members at Amazon Germany can get the new condition open-back over-ear Philips X2HR/00 headphones for 139 euro with free shipping within Germany. Yes, the open-back Philips headphones are back! The price is close enough to the SHP-9500, making it a more difficult decision…

EU: Bowers and Wilkins P3 Series 2 Closed On-Ears for 65 euro

And now we jump over the pond once again and we land at Amazon Germany where their latest headphone sale for Prime members includes the new condition closed-back on-ear Bowers and Wilkins P3 Series 2 going for 65 euro. A significant discount over what Amazon USA charges for it. And this is sold by Amazon Germany actual, not marketplace sellers…

B&O Play H4 Bluetooth Over-Ears for $105 to $115 [Prime]

This is a nice haircut in terms of a discount, good until 2:20pm eastern (or earlier if sold out) Prime members can get the new condition B&O Play H4 Bluetooth Over-Ears for $105 in the black color scheme or $115 in the gray color scheme. They average 4 out of 5 based on 180+ customer reviews…

Used Jabra Move bluetooth on-ears for $20 [Prime]

If you are looking for a budget bluetooth on-ear headphone AND you are a Prime member, during the Prime Day happenings you can get the USED condition closed-back on-ear Jabra Move bluetooths for around $20 with free shipping of course since everyone eligible for the offer is a Prime member.

NOTE: the link above is filtered to show only the ones sold by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual and shows the lowest price per color. The see more details for a specific color, click on the “See all offers for this product” small link next to the color’s name…

Philips X2-HR Open Over-Ears for $160 [Prime Deal]

Prime members, start your engines! Good until 1pm eastern (or earlier if sold out) you can get the new condition open-back over-ear Philips X2-HR headphones for $160 with free shipping (obviously since these offers are for Prime members only). This is sold and shipped by Amazon.

PS: yes, the critically acclaimed open-back Philips headphones have made a comeback. More on that after Prime Days ends 🙂