Massdrop: JayBird BlueBuds X bluetooth earbuds for $115

Three more offers were added to Massdrop, with 6-7 days as of blog-posting date. Of the three, one is fully unlocked (= has the lowest price possible during this particular offer), the JayBird BlueBuds X Sport Bluetooth earbuds going for $115~ shipped. Their lowest price is $121 at amazon.com but in a different color scheme.

The other additions (not unlocked as of the time of writing) are the quick return of the Beyerdynamic DT 1350 CC that could go as $178 shipped (same price as previous June offer) and the Bravo V2 Headphone Amplifier that could go as low as $88~ shipped.

Used Shure SE215 black for $80

The Shure SE-215 are one of the in-ears you often seen in $100-ish recommendation lists and partly because of that, they are mostly “stuck” in price at $100 in new condition. But if you are comfortable with used, you can get them in “Used – Very Good” condition for around $80 by Amazon Warehouse Deals. There are multiple listings, so there is the possibility of price-pressure discounting them some more but this is only speculation since I don’t know how the prices are decided. They average 4.1 out of 5 with over 1500 customer reviews so far. Hype train number of reviews 🙂

Westone Adventure Series High Performance Earphones for $50

Among the latest Staples.com Website Deals, you can get the new condition Westone Adventure Series High Performance Earphones, model WST78401, aka 8401, for $50 with free ship to store, or free shipping for Rewards members. This is an online-only offer, so Store Pickup is not available. Offer ends by 6/23/15 according to the page over there.

Used RHA MA750i for $70 to $75

The RHA MA750i in-ears are currently available in “Used – Good” condition for around $70 by Amazon Warehouse Deals or $75~ in “Used – Very Good” or $80 in “Used – Like New”. There are many many “Very Good” listings, so price pressure may force them further down (five pages of used listings over there as of the time of writing). These average 4.2 out of 5 based on 385 customer reviews but they share the listing with their parallel non-mic/remote (MA750).

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

Jays a-JAYS Five (iOS, white) in-ears for $50

The white color schemes of the iOS version of the Jays a-JAYS Five in-ears, model #T00096, is currently on sale for $50 with free shipping by Focus Camera thru NewEgg. The other OS versions (Android, Win) go for $60+.

AKG Q350 In-Ears for $25 (no limits)

Part of the Quincy Jones line-up, the AKG Q350 in-ears, in the black-lime color scheme are currently on sale for $25 with free shipping, in new condition, and without any purchase quantity limits, and not part of the lightning deals at Amazon.com by Woot. These average 3.6 out of 5 based on 150+ customer reviews, but many of those reviews were written when they were selling for more. Free 2-day shipping for Prime members or with a $35+ order.

[DEAD] Used AKG K3003i Reference In-Ears for $641

As of a 6/13/15 update, the $641 option sold-out. The lowest used price is $760 via AudioCritic… The $641 price by AWD actual The Reference Class AKG K3003i In-Ears are currently available in “Used – Very Good” condition for around $641 by Amazon Warehouse Deals (AWD) actual. When you add it to the shopping cart, it says there’s only one left.

[DEAD] Used HIFIMAN RE400i in-ears for $55

This offer ended…

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

Used Onkyo IE-FC300 in-ears for $40 w/free S&H

The white color scheme of the Onkyo IE-FC300 in-ears is currently available in “Used – Like New” condition for $40 with free shipping by Acoustic Sound Design (100%, 4255 ratings) through Amazon. They ship from the seller, so they are not eligible for Prime benefits.

Puro Sound Labs IEM500 In-Ears for $50

If you like to explore off-the-beaten path earphones, among the latest eBay Deals you can get the new condition Puro Sound Labs IEM500 In-Ears for $50 with free shipping, with a limit of five per buyer from eBay seller “ShopDivvy” (99.1%). Per the listing, these have dual drivers, mic with 1-button remote, five eartip pairs, and a soft sock (for the earphones, not for the humans!). They have a one year warranty and a 30-day return policy.

Massdrop: Shure SE215 in-ears unlocked for $86

These don’t go on sale often, so if interested, the Shure SE-215 in-ears are currently unlocked at members-only (but free to join) Massdrop for $80 plus $6~ flat shipping. This are in the black color scheme. The offer ends in about seven days from blog-posting date. These continue to build up in popularity, they have amassed over 1500 customer reviews at amazon now with a 4.1 out of 5 average, and they even have a fitting mini-tutorial page.

[DEAD] Klipsch X7 in-ears for $55 each {X5 sold out}

These sold out before the daily deal expired…
[Read more…]

Massdrop: HD5xx cable, Matrix, Topping, etc

Four more items were added to Massdrop, one of which is fully unlocked as of the time of writing, the Sennheiser HD-5xx ZY Cable goes for $25~ shipped. This fits these models: HD518, HD558, HD595, HD598. Basically current HD 5xx open-back line-up plus good old 595.

Not fully unlocked at the moment are the following items, the Matrix M-Stage HP2 DAC-Amp that could go as low as $210 shipped, the portable Topping NX1 amp that could go as low as $36 shipped, and the TTPOD T1S IEMs that could go as low as $32.50~ shipped. All the items mentioned in this post end in about 6-7 days from blog-posting date here.

Massdrop: AT ATH-ES88, Superlux HD 668B, Dunu DN-2000J

Three more items got added to Massdrop today, ending in about seven days from today (today being blog-posting date). As of the time of writing, none of them are fully unlocked (= lowest price possible). They are:

* Audio-Technica ATH-ES88 Portable Headphones as low as $143~ shipped
* Superlux HD668B Headphones as low as $38~ shipped
* Dunu DN-2000J Premium Hybrid Earphone as low as $306~ shipped

VSonic VSD3S red or blue for $50 w/free USA shipping

UB40 sings of “red red wine” but if you prefer “red red in-ears”, the red Vsonic VSD3S with detachable cable are currently on sale for $50 with free shipping by Lend Me UR ears Singapore with the order shipping from Amazon.com (USA warehouses) and eligible for free 2-day Prime shipping. As of the time of writing, the page there says there are 12 units left in-stock. If red is not your color, the blue are also going for $50.

NOTE #1: when price-checking these, make sure to check whether they are detachable or not – there are various options.

NOTE #2: for other well-received Asian IEMs, check the Lend Me Your Ears fulfilled by Amazon storefront. These ship from an Amazon USA warehouse, not from Singapore. Lend Me sends them to Amazon USA warehouses and Amazonia handles the shipping/etc.

NOTE #3: similar to the list of eBay Stores created in the Sidebar of this blog, I will also add a list of Amazon storefronts. {coming soon, but feel free to remind/yell at me if it doesn’t arrive soon!}

Massdrop: Philips Fidelio L1 for $110, ATH-Mx Velour for $22

More offers launched today at Massdrop, and as of the time of writing, two of them have reached the lowest price possible. The Philips Fidelio L1 semi-open headphones go for $100 plus $10 flat shipping, while Velour Earpads for the new ATH-Mx headphones from Sound Professionals are offered for $20 plus $2 flat shipping. Five color options are available at checkout and they fit the M50x, M40x, M30x, and M20x, along with the M50 (per the listing there).

Also launched there but not at their lowest price possible as of the time of writing are the Fostex TH500RP for $510, the Parrot Zik 2.0 as low as $328 headphones. On the in-ear front, the Beyerdynamic MXP 50 iE could go as low as $32~ shipped. Of potential interest, the red Focusrite 18i8 Interface could go as low as $305 shipped.

All the above end in about seven days from blog-posting date (not the date you are reading this).

PS: when looking at Philips headphones, beware of an “L” in their model name. It is an indicator of a Lightning connector (newer Apple devices). An example of a new Philips L-headphone, the Fidelio M2L (M2L/27).

NewEgg Coupons or Promo Gift Cards with select Sennheiser headphones (HD 202 II, Momentum In-Ear, HD 518, etc)

NewEgg has a two part Sennheiser promotion expiring at the end of day on 5/30/15. The first part are promo code discounts that can get you the HD 202 II for $15, the HD 439 for $40, the HD 518 open-back for $60 among others. The second part are promotional gift cards ($10 to $50) when you buy some of their newest headphone models (RS195, M2 AE2i, Urbanite XL, Momentum In-Ears, etc). The Momentum In-Ears go for $100 with a $20 promotional gift card, which is not a bad price, but the offer only applies to the red color scheme for Galaxy/Android.

Massdrop: STAX, Moe, xDuoo

More action at Massdrop, three more items got added, with their offers expiring in about seven days from blog-posting date. As of the time of writing, none of them are fully unlocked. They are:

* STAX SRS-3170 Electrostatic Earspeaker System as low as $1010 shipped
* Moe Audio MOE-SS01 IEMs as low as $42~ shipped
* xDuoo TA-01 DAC/Amp as low as $135 shipped

Sennheiser MM30G In Ears for $23 w/free S&H

The Sennheiser MM30G In Ears are currently on sale for $23 with free shipping by Adorama on Amazon. It ships from Adorama so everyone gets free shipping, but on the other hand, it does not qualify for free 2-day Prime shipping. These average 4 out of 5 based on 420+ customer reviews.

Westone Adventure Series Beta In-Ears for $60

The Westone Adventure Series Beta in-ears are currently on sale for $60 with free shipping by Beach on amazon.com and Groupon Goods among others.

HiFiMan RE-400 or RE-400i In-Ears for $80 [updated]

If a mic/remote is not a high priority, the HiFiMan RE-400 In-Ears were on sale for $70 per pair but as of 5/26/15 are up to $80, with a limit of five per customer at Amazon.com by Amazon actual. They average 3.7 out of 5 based on 140+ customer reviews. On the other hand, if you want a mic/remote, their RE-400i go for $80 per pair.

Massdrop: Shure SE215 Blue, SE535, Bravo V2, etc

A new round of offers went up at members-only Massdrop. These expire in seven days from blog-posting date and as of the time of writing, none of them is fully unlocked, which is the lowest price possible under a particular offer over there. The new additions are:

+ Shure SE215 Blue IEMs as low as $115 shipped
+ Shure SE535 IEMs as low as $380 shipped
+ Bravo V2 Headphone Amplifier as low as $88 shipped
+ Cayin C6 Portable DAC/Amp as low as $140 shipped
+ SMSL M8 DAC (desktop) as low as $180 shipped

Used RHA MA750i In-Ears for $77

The RHA MA750i in-ears go for $130 in new condition, but if you are comfortable with buying used, you can get them for around $77 in “Used – Very Good” condition by Amazon Warehouse Deals (AWD). There are multiple pages of used listings by AWD, so price pressure may push the prices further down. The different listings have slightly different used descriptions, so check them to see which one may be the best match for your used gear risk matrix.

Note: these are on the same Amazon product listing as the MA750 (which does not have mic/remote as the lack of an “i” in its name hints at), so when clicking around, do pay attention to that.

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???

[DEAD] Used Sennheiser IE80 in-ears for $256 (was $238)

As of 5/26/15 the used price increased even more… The Sennheiser IE80 in-ears are currently available in “Used – Good” condition for around $256 (was $238) by Amazon Warehouse Deals, with many listings at “Used – Very Good” going for $254. If someone buys the “Good” which is holding the price dam, it may put price pressure on the various “Very Good” listings… Price updated here 5/23/15…

Massdrop: JayBird BlueBuds X Sport (BT) for $115

A number of new offers have been posted at members-only Massdrop today. All the items mentioned below end in about seven days from today (with today being the blog-posting date, not the date you reading this). Of them, the JayBird BlueBuds X Sport are fully unlocked (the lowest price possible) going for $110 plus $5 shipping. The lowest price at amazon is $122 at the moment.

The rest are not unlocked (= reaching their lowest price possible during this offer) as of the time of writing (shipping is included in the price mentioned below):

+ SYUN MIX-1 budget IEMs as low as $24 (go for $33 at amazon by Lend Me UR ears)
+ Spracht Konf-X ANC Buds as low as $52.50
+ xDuoo TA-02 Tube Amp as low as $90
+ Gustard U12 USB Interface as low as $140

[DEAD] JBL J33a in-ears for $15 w/free S&H

As of 5/19/15 these sold out with over 5000 units sold from this particular listing…
[Read more…]

Harman Kardon Soho II In-Ears (ANC) for $35 w/free S&H

The Harman family of companies like the eBay Deals, case in point, the new condition Harman Kardon Soho II In-Ears with Active Noise Canceling are offered for $35 with free shipping, with a limit of five per customer, by eBay seller “ShopDivvy” (99.1%).

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 $prices$)

[DEAD] AKG Q350 Quincy In-Ears for $30

This limited time offer expired…
[Read more…]

Massdrop: Shure SE 846 and TCG

Two more items are offered at members-only but free-to-join Massdrop.com. The Shure SE 846 in-ears could go as low as $780 shipped with seven days left in the offer, while the TCG TRD3 desktop DAC-Amp could go as low as $168 shipped with six days left. Days left as of blog-posting time, not as of the time you may be reading this.

Used Shure SE425-CL in-ears for $212

The Shure SE425-CL in-ears in the clear color scheme go for $300 in new condition, but if you are comfortable with used, they are available in “Used – Very Good” condition for $212~ by Amazon Warehouse Deals.

Klipsch S3m in-ears for $20 w/free S&H

The white color scheme of the Klipsch S3m in-ears are currently on sale, in new condition, for $20 with free shipping at New York’s B&H Photo with a limit of four per customer. There they average 4.2 out of 5 based on 32 customer reviews.