The open-back Grado SR80e are described by many as a good entry into the Grado line-up without risking too much money on them. They go for $100 in new condition at authorized dealers, but if you are comfortable with used, you can get them in “Used – Very Good” condition (cosmetic imperfection, damaged original pizza box) for $77~ by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual.
Used Shure SRH 1440 Open-Back for $185
The open-back over-ear Shure SRH 1440 are available in “Used – Acceptable” condition with multiple cosmetic imperfections and in damaged original packaging for $185~ with free shipping by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. Considering the rating and description, this is perhaps for higher-risk and/or less-perfectionist shoppers. The new condition price is $300.
PS: remember the even numbers of the 4-digit models are open-back (1440, 1840), while the odd numbers (1540) are closed.
Koss PortaPro On-Ears for $29
If you don’t want to wait for Holiday shopping season doorbusters (according to my records aka “order history”, this went for $20 in late 2014 during a lightning deal), the new condition Koss PortaPro retro-retro open-universe on-ear headphones go for $29 at Amazon by Amazon actual (limit 5; usual free S&H terms) and $30 with free shipping for all (not sold in stores) at the Target website.
At Amazon, these average 4.5 out of 5 based on 3170+ customer reviews and have 90 questions answered. I haven’t looked at the negative reviews, I’m assuming some of them didn’t read the “open back” part and are complaining about open-related issues when they needed closed headphones. But I’m digressing 🙂
Audio Technica M20X for $29 w/free S&H
The BuyDig website only (not their Beach Camera sister site) is having a limited-time flash sale on the new condition closed-back over-ear Audio Technica M20X for $29 with free shipping. This is the entry-point into the 20X to 70X line-up.
Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 On-Ears (iOS, Brown) for $100 [limit 3]
Here we go, another Momentum 2.0 sale, this time it is the on-ear closed-back model, in the brown color-scheme with the iOS buttons, going for $100 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual with a limit of three units per customer.
PS: the iOS/Galaxy/Android mentions are the button compatibility. The headphones themselves are the same. Since they have detachable cables, you can mix and match cables that fit.
Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Over-Ears (iOS/Black) with $17 Promo for $152 [Request Price song-and-dance]
You have to lift a finger or two to see the price, but the price is definitely right, the new condition closed-back over-ear Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 headphones, in the black color scheme with the iOS button set are on sale for $150 plus $2 flat shipping at NewEgg by NewEgg actual. You also get a $17 promotional NewEgg gift card with the purchase. Limit five per customer.
Here’s a screenshot of the shopping cart, it clearly shows the “Around Ear” aka “Over Ear” aka “Circumaural” (which may sound like a reproductive term to the uninitiated)
To see the price, you have to click on the “Request Price” and receive the price either via email, via phone/text, or by scanning a QR code (screenshot of that below). If you have a QR code app on your phone, you don’t even need a data connection to read it, it works in Airplane mode as well:
PS: if you are an Amazon fan, this has not been price-matched as of the time of writing, as you can see at the product page. Because of the way this deal is structured, the Amazon price-matching technology may not be able to notice it (or they won’t price-match it). I believe there was another crazy Momentum 2.0 sale a few weeks ago, maybe it was via price-match? It’s hard to tell with these things without a full-time internet CSI team 🙂
Samson SR550 Closed Over-Ears for $20 w/free S&H
The Samson brand specializes on studio-branded budget headphones, and here comes another one, their closed-back over-ear SR550 is currently on sale for $20, in new condition, at Amazon by Amazon actual (limit 3; the usual free S&H terms) and NewEgg (add to cart to see price; free shipping for all).
Klipsch Reference On-Ears for $29 after $20 MIR (Gift Card)
If you are comfortable doing mail-in rebates (the real thing, cutting UPC codes, copying and mailing things), good until 11/4/16, NewEgg is offering the new condition closed-back Klipsch Reference On-Ears for $29 after a $20 mail-in rebate (in the form of a prepaid gift card; not a check). Free shipping. The offer is available for the black or the white models. You can see a link to the PDF rebate after you add the item to your shopping cart, or you can read it using this direct link to the PDF file.
[DEAD] LG Gruve Bluetooth On-Ears for $40 [ends 3:45pm ET]
This lightning offering expired…
[DEAD] Thursday’s Offers: Monster, Plantronics, Aukey, Etc [updated]
This day’s offers expired…
[DEAD] Fostex TX-1 for $18 w/free S&H
This daily deal ended, and so did MF’s 2-day headphone-as-a-daily-deal streak 🙂 The secondary Musician’s Friend Deal of the Day good until 8am ET on Wednesday (or earlier if sold out) is the new condition Fostex TX-1 studio headphones offered for $18 with free shipping. This is an entry-level model, if you’d been reading about hyped Fostex headphones in the forums, to paraphrase Star Wars, these are not the Fostexes you’ve been looking for 🙂
[DEAD] Tascam TH-300X for $35 w/free S&H
This daily deal expired… The main Musician’s Friend Deal of the Day good until 8am ET on Tuesday (or earlier if sold out) is the new condition Tascam TH-300X studio headphones offered for $35 with free shipping. Tascam has a handful of studio-ish headphones, so be sure t research them if you are not familiar with their line-up.
[DEAD] Bluedio R+ Legend Deep Bass Bluetooth Headphones with built-in microSD slot for $60 [ends 7pm ET]
This 6-hour lightning deal expired… Meanwhile ending by 3am ET on Tuesday is the Denon HEOS 3 Wireless Speaker going for $179 with free shipping with a limit of two units per customer.
[DEAD] AKG Q460 Mini On-Ears (Quincy Jones) for $54.40
This cluster of 4-hour lightning offers expired…
Refurbished Sony MDR-100AP Closed Over-Ears for $100
One more used offer that surfaced while I was checking the various headphones in the Headphone Tracker, it is the closed-back over-ear Sony MDR-100AP headphone, part of their “h.ear” line-up, available in manufacturer refurbished condition in either black color scheme or yellow color scheme for $100 with free shipping by Secondipity thru Amazon. It ships directly from Secondipity, so it is not Prime eligible. It comes with a 90-day warranty (being manufacturer refurbished) and a 30-day Secondipity guarantee. They ship in a brown box with standard accessories.
Used Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless for $317 [was $340]
Also surfacing during the Headphone Tracker Update, we have the first wave of used Bowers & Wilkins P7 bluetooth headphones. They go for $400 in new condition, but if you are comfortable with used, there are two “Used – Like New” listings (damaged original packaging) going for $317 [was $340] with free shipping by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual… Price updated here 10/30/16 at 7:25pm…
[DEAD] JLab FLEX Metal Over/On-Ear for $49, Neon On-Ear for $14, Etc
This JLab-centric daily deal expired, but if you missed it, fret not ~ JLabs are frequent “guests” of the Amazon Gold Box, so they’ll probably return in the future…
[DEAD] Used Sony MDR-1000X ANC BT Over-Ears for $315
As of a 11/1/16 AM re-check, the used options are all sold-out… The new Sony MDR-1000X ANC-Bluetooth over-ear model is now steadily in-stock at $400 at authorized dealers (see New Headphone Tracker) but if you are comfortable with used, there are two listings of the black color scheme in “Used – Very Good” condition (minor cosmetic imperfections, damaged original packaging) going for $315 by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual.
[DEAD] Monday’s Offers: AKG Q460 Mini, JBL, Monster, MEE, Etc
Monday is over, and so are its daily deals…
Beats Solo 3 Wireless drop to $240 (five colors)
Well, the $300 price point didn’t last long. The brand new Beats Solo3 Bluetooth Closed-Back On-Ear headphones are down to $240 with free shipping in five different colors, sold by seller “6ave” through NewEggFlash. Offer ends by Wednesday 11/3/16.
[DEAD] Saturday’s Offers: B&W P5 (first gen), MEE X7 Plus BT In-Ears, Bluedio, TEAC, Etc
Saturday is over, and so are the Saturday daily deals…
Ultrasone PRO550 Foldable for $90 after $20 MIR
The closed-back Ultrasone PRO550 Foldable headphones are on sale for $110 with free shipping at Adorama.com but they also have a $20 mail-in rebate on them (see PDF file) good until 11/2/16 or earlier if sold out.
PS: if you don’t see the sale price, refresh the page there. There may be a temporary syncing issue on the prices.
[DEAD] AUDEZE LCD-XC Limited Edition (Bocote Wood) for $1349
This sale ended too… The closed-back over-ear AUDEZE LCD-XC Limited Edition (Bocote Wood) are on sale for $1349 with free shipping at authorized dealer Adorama.com until 11/3/16 or earlier if sold out. This is SKU AU1002100 and comes with a 3-year Audeze warranty.
PS: if you don’t see the sale price, refresh the page there. There may be a temporary syncing issue on the prices.
[DEAD] 20% off at A4C with coupon [Thursday only!]
This particular coupon promotion expired, but it is recurring every few weeks/months…
Used Beyerdynamic T51i On-Ears for $139+
Another one of the 15% off AWD option it is the closed-back on-ear Beyerdynamic T51i portable headphone. With the 15% off discount factored it, the prices at Amazon Warehouse Deals are $139~ in “Used – Good” condition and $148~ in “Used – Very Good”. There are MANY listings are “Used – Very Good” so over time, price pressure may build on this and bring it down.
NOTE: eligible items for this promotion show this in the detailed AWD listings, here’s a screenshot:
Used Bowers & Wilkins P5 S2 starts at $136 [corrected]
Another find while digging through the 15% off Warehouse Deals, it is the closed-back on-ear Bowers & Wilkins P5 second generation (aka S2).
CORRECTION: The used recertified model is NOT eligible… The first option is the Used condition of the Recertified model. That is someone returned or traded in a recertified model at Amazon, and Amazon Warehouse Deals is selling it as a used version of the recertified. The used price of this $139~, then when you add it to cart, it drops to $118 in “Used – Good” Recertified condition. There is only one listing of this.
The “traditional used” model, a used model of what was once sold as a new condition model has many listings of it starting at “Used – Good” with after-discount prices going for $136 (Used – Good) or $145 (Used – Very Good). Screenshot of the Checkout part of the page below:
Keep in mind, the used options have a price ceiling of sorts, because the Recertified option with a 2-year warranty goes for $186. The new condition goes for $236+ at reputable dealers.
Used V-Moda XS On-Ears for $89
One of the used headphones participating in the 15% off AWD Fall Sale are the closed-back on-ear V-Moda XS in the matte-black color scheme, with after-discount prices going for $89 (“Used – Good”) or $95 (“Used – Very Good”). The link shows only the eligible listings (AWD actual being the seller). This link shows all used sellers (not just AWD). Only items sold by AWD actual are eligible (AWD = Amazon Warehouse Deals).
Here’s a screenshot of the Checkout page showing the discount:
15% off Select Used Headphones (and other gear) at AWD
Amazon Warehouse Deals runs some seasonal promotions. During back to school, a lot of related items had an in-cart 15% off discount. Back to school is over, now they have a Fall Themed 15% Off In-Cart Sale with over 21,800 items participating. To find headphone related items, use the search bar them to search for “headphones” or “earphones” or “IEMs” or “Amp” any other relevant term, or search for your brands of interest. Make sure the Search Scope shown there is “Warehouse Deals Monthly Selection” (see screenshot below):
You can also use the categories and sub-categories on the left hand side of the page over there to further drill down. There are multiple pathways to headphones, under Electronics, eg “Portable Audio & Video”, “Accessories & Supplies”, “Headphones” (obviously), and also the “Musical Instruments” category.
Only items sold and shipped by “Amazon Warehouse Deals” as the seller are eligible. Items sold by marketplace sellers are NOT eligible. Here’s an example of an eligible item, one of the V-Moda M100, with the price automatically dropping by 15% in the top right corner of the Checkout page when you get there. You don’t see the discount until you get to that place in the checkout process. Screenshot:
Beyerdynamic DT880 PREMIUM (32 ohm) for $150
The eBay Deals have reloaded their headphone deals with some new or re-animated offers (some of them are cyclical) and among them we have a PREMIUM Beyerdynamic headphone of their 789 line-up, it is the new condition DT880 (32 ohm) offered for $150 with free shipping by Buydig on eBay (98.8%, New Jersey).
The DT880 are semi-open. The higher the number, the more open they get: the DT990 is open, while the DT770 is closed. Each has PRO and PREMIUM options, and various ohm versions depending on the model, with the overall line-up ranging from 32 ohm to 600 ohm.
Basic RF Wireless Headphones for $11 w/free S&H
More from eBay, on the strictly utilitarian front, a variation on a theme of the “As Seen On TV” RF-wireless headphones are on sale, in new condition, for $11 with free shipping by SJBCable on eBay (99.3%, Los Angeles). Limit five units per buyer. These are not “As Seen On TV” branded but I recognize them very well, they are just sold under a different brand name. These used to be easier to find in-stores but I haven’t seen them as much in recent years, so eBay is an option. The model name when you zoom in on the picture there is MH 2001.
NOTE that these have fairly low volume even at maximum, and they are basic RF wireless technology, so they are subject to the usual trade-offs (interference, lower quality signal, etc), so do not have any audio quality expectations. Consider these as strictly utilitarian (TV, podcasts, YouTube non-music streams, ear warmers). They are powered by two AA batteries (the transmitter base) and two AAA batteries (the headset), so you don’t need to connect them to AC. A big plus if you use rechargeable batteries.
Having said all that, they avoid two of the deal-killer annoyances of more expensive RF-wireless headphones like the Sennheiser RS 120 (quickly drop connection on brief silence, AC power connection design horrid).
Koss KPH7 lightweight on-ears (black) for $5 w/free S&H
More eBay action, this one is of interest if you like free shipping regardless of purchase amount or membership status, the new condition black color scheme of the Koss KPH7 lightweight old-school on-ears are on sale for $5 with free shipping with a limit of five units per buyer by Digital Kynect Online (99.7%, US based but does not say where they ship from)… If you need more, a couple of marketplace sellers offer them for the same price thru Amazon (not Prime eligible)…
Open-box Beats Solo 2 Luxe On-Ears for $70
More eBay action, wholeseller “All Tech Wholesale” (99.8%, Texas) is offering open-box missing-packaging closed-back on-ear Beats Solo 2 Luxe models for $70 with free shipping in three different Luxe colors… If you don’t need these right away, their low price has been established as $80 to $90 (depending on color) at major retailers…
Note also that these are no longer the “latest model”. Along with the iPhone 7 came the Beats Solo 3 Bluetooth with a starting price of $300.
Philips SHP9500 Open Over-Ears for $55 shipped
The NewEgg eBay store is back with it again, offering the new condition open-back over-ear Philips SHP 9500 headphones for $55 with free shipping, with a hard limit of five units per customer. Over 1700 units have been sold so far from this listing. With the Philips X2 “Glue Gate 2016”, there is some renewed interest in the 9500s.
NOTE: the newer SHP9500s model (“s” is part of the name) may be shipped instead of the 9500 without “s”.
[DEAD] Ultrasone HFI-450 Closed-Back for $50 w/free S&H
This deal du jour expired…
[DEAD] Beyerdynamic Custom STUDIO Headphones for $180
This daily deal expired…
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