New “This Week in Headphoolia” round-up is up!

A new installment of our kinda-weekly round-up of some of the things happening in the world of headphones. This new installment covers the time period up to April 11 with the 2017 Southern California CAN JAM event being the headliner as it brought a number of inverse-Monks-priced headphones with it 🙂

PS: you can find all previous versions of these round-ups in the Headphoolia category. If you have any feedback or like other sources/websites to be included, please leave a comment (including your own impressions/reviews/opinions/etc)!

April 12, 2017 Filed Under: website news

10% off headphones at Groupon with coupon (600+ options)

Coupon code SALE3 (short and sweet and easy to type coupon, without any characters that are hard to decipher ~ eg “0” vs “O” ~ try deciphering that while redeeming a gift card with a looooong list of random letters and numbers) gets you 10% off on almost everything at Groupon Goods (the section of their website that sells physical products, not services or food or local events), including headphones. There are over 400 over/on-ears and 280 earphones listed there. Keep in mind, a lot of them are consumer-tier, you are not going to find a Focal Elear there 🙂 You can also use the Search-BOX there to search for brands or types.

The coupon can get you a maximum of a $50 discount per item. You can use it to buy one unit of an offer. If you buy two or more of the same item, only the first unit will get discounted. You can use the coupon on three separate offers. Expires April 13 (2017).

PS: a number of other sellers sell on Groupon, in addition to Groupon actual. Check the description to find clues on who the seller is, and whether returns are accepted. Also check the shipping estimate; while Groupon has improved, it’s still nowhere near Prime speed.

April 12, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

Dr Meter MS10 dB Meter for $14 w/coupon [hardware; not app]

If you want a basic stand-alone hand-held hardware sound meter (not a phone app), the “Dr Meter MS10”, a device that appears to be sold in various brands and skins is currently on sale for $14 with coupon code UYZ98DYT offered by a marketplace seller with the order fulfilled by Amazon.

It averages 4.1 out of 5 based on 230 customer reviews, and has 29 questions answered. It promises to be +/- 1.5 dB and measures in 0.1 dBA steps. They are powered by a 9V battery. They take measurements every few seconds, it is not always measuring. It can also be mounted on tripod-type devices, perhaps a good use of selfie sticks 🙂

Let the price set expectations. I have a similar-looking one from a different brand but I can’t find it 🙂

PS: the page there has a handy “How Loud is Too Loud” picture in the gallery, picture #4 over there, showing examples of “real world sounds” from 10 dB to 145 dB. Sorry audiophiles, you only allowed to watch firework shows on a TV 🙂 Kids may use this to lobby their parents against doing the grass (“look ma/pa, the lawnmower is in the RED ZONE, no can do!”).

April 12, 2017 Filed Under: accessories Tagged With: ,

[DEAD] Thurdsay: Monoprice M560 Planars + Tube Head Amp drop to $240 with Coupon AND $0.01+ filler item

This coupon expired but Monoprice brings this back every few days/weeks…

[Read more…]

April 12, 2017 Filed Under: amps and dacs, headphones Tagged With: , , ,

Samsung Level ON Closed On-Ears for $54 [was $46]

Price updated here 4/12/17 AM…

The new condition closed-back on-ear Samsung Level ON headphones are on sale for $54 [WAS $46~] with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual in the white/brown color scheme with a limit of three per customer. It looks like a computer-generated price-match of marketplace sellers, so it may not last long.

If you prefer the black color scheme, you have to be a more adventurous shopper as Amazon actual does not carry it, but a couple of marketplace sellers fulfilled by Amazon have it for $51~ each. Fulfilled by Amazon adds some level of protection versus something that ships directly from a marketplace seller since Amazon handles the shipment and such.

These headphones average 4 out of 5 based on 110+ customer reviews.

The black color scheme is available for the more adventurous shoppers for $48 with free shipping but no returns (FINAL SALE) by a marketplace seller through Groupon Goods. This is a final sale, so in case of issues you have more headaches than “fulfilled by Amazon”.

PS: if you find these deals and this blog useful, please consider making your purchases through the affiliate links in all these posts. We only have one conventional ad in the sidebar (how many websites do that?) and no sponsors to worship, so your purchases are what helps fund the resources and time to do this 🙂

April 11, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

Monster N-Lite Earphones for $10 w/FS with coupon

Newegg managed to do the impossible, it took something as simple as daily deals and turned them into a convoluted process 🙂 The daily deals are offered one day early for people in their emailing list through the use of promo codes. The day after, the daily deals appear in their Shellshocker page. So essentially they are two-day daily deals 🙂

Good until Wednesday night, promo code EMCSREBB5 gets you the new condition Monster N-Lite earphones for $10 with free shipping. The model number for these is ridiculous, six random combinations of letters, “MH NLT IE SLV CU WW”. I bet this will go viral as everyone tells their friends they bought the “MH NLT IE SLV CU WW” and can’t wait t listen to them 🙂

April 11, 2017 Filed Under: in-ears Tagged With: ,

Razer Kraken Pro Analog Gaming Headset for $35 w/FS

The Best Buy eBay store is offering the new condition Razer Kraken Pro Analog Gaming Headset (green color scheme) for $35 with free shipping or free store pickup. Limit up to five units per customer for this limited time offering.

April 11, 2017 Filed Under: headset Tagged With: , ,

In-Stock Now: 1More Quad Driver IEMs for $200

If you want to be among the first to get the new 1More Quad driver IEMs and don’t want to wait for future discounts, they are now in-stock for $200 by 1More through Amazon. They ship directly from the 1More’s Amazon store (fulfilled by Amazon, so you get Prime benefits). Amazon’s own estimate is “2-4 weeks”.

April 10, 2017 Filed Under: in-ears Tagged With: ,

Sony MDR-100AAP Closed Over-Ears for $109

If you don’t need the BT + ANC version, we have good news, especially if you like or do “bordeaux pink” color-scheme. The wired-only Sony MDR-100AAP closed-back over-ears are on sale for $109 with free shipping by Beach Camera thru Amazon. This is fulfilled by Amazon, so you get free 2-day Prime shipping from an Amazon facility.

The other colors go for more, the yellow is close at $119 and the rest are further higher. Together they average 4.5 out of 5 based on 40 customer reviews and has an equal number of answered-questions. If these were NBA numbers, it’s guaranteed Hall of Fame induction 🙂

April 10, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

Sony MDR-100ABN/B Closed Over-Ear (BT, ANC) for $180

The new condition Sony MDR-100ABN/B bluetooth and active noise cancelling closed-back over-ear headphones are participating in an “add to cart” sale by BuyDig on eBay for $180 with free shipping. To see the price, you have to be logged-on to your eBay account and press the appropriate button to show the price. This is the black color scheme.

Interestingly, the limit is 50 per customer, so the “Add to cart” is for the lower price it seems. I haven’t attempted to buy 50 of them to test this 🙂 Buydig is an authroized Sony USA dealer.

The 100ABN has been superseded in the Sony line-up with the new MDR-1000X which go for $350 on sale, and according to some, they are neck and neck with the Bose QC35 in terms of ANC effectiveness.

If you don’t need ANC, the non-ANC version, check the post above this!

April 10, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

eBook: “Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time” by Rob Sheffield for $2

And now a music ebook is on sale, the 240-pager “Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time” by music writer Rob Sheffield is on sale for $2 for the Amazon Kindle.

But if you find emotions and feelings talk schiity, well, here’s another ebook on sale, Schiit Happened: The Story of the World’s Most Improbable Start-Up for $3.82, written by the two co-founders. This is a 383-pager. You can get a feel for it by looking at their various forum posts about the company at the head-fi forums.

April 10, 2017 Filed Under: accessories Tagged With:

Open-box Philips DJ PRO headphones: A1 for $31, A5 for $89

If you are interested in the Philips A-series PRO DJ headphones, they are currently on sale in open-box condition at NewEgg by NewEgg actual as follows:

+ open-box A1 PRO / 27 for $31 with free shipping (limit one per customer)

+ open-box A5 PRO for $89 with free shipping (limit two per customer)

April 10, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , , ,

Open box Phiaton MS300 BA earphones for $49

The Phiaton MS300 BA earphones are offered in open-box condition by NewEgg actual with a limit of one unit per customer. NewEgg does not guarantee the inclusion of any accessories with open-box purchases.

If you prefer new condition, it goes for $65~ by Amazon actual where it only has one review. Or it goes for $60 shipping directly from Electronics Expo.

April 10, 2017 Filed Under: in-ears Tagged With: , , ,

Ear Zonk Replacement L Cushions for Grado for $10

The new condition Ear Zonk Replacement L Cushions for select Grado headphones are currently on sale for $10 per pair, sold by EarZonk with the orders fulfilled by Amazon. Limit up to three pairs per customer. Free shipping for Prime members or with a $35+ order. They average a zonky 4.4 out of 5 based on 159 customer reviews.

April 10, 2017 Filed Under: accessories Tagged With: ,

[DEAD] Refurbished Philips SHP9500 Open Over-Ears for $40

As of a 4/19/17 re-check, this is sold out as refurbished at this price.

The open-back over-ear Philips SHP9500 (the older model, without the “S” at the end of the name) is currently available in refurbished condition for $40 by a marketplace seller with the offer fulfilled by Amazon (so Prime eligible) through Amazon Warehouse Deals. There are no details on who did the refurbishing, so assume it is a seller refurbished. It is a smaller seller, under 500 ratings with 100%, so it’s a higher risk but the orders are fulfilled by Amazon, which is more helpful (than direct shipment from the marketplace seller) in case of problems.

PS: the latest model is the SHP9500S, with a final “S” in the name, an unboxing of which, in text and pictures only can be found here.

April 10, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Klipsch Reference On-Ears for $69 (or Used for $42~)

The new condition of the closed-back Klipsch Reference On-Ears is currently going for $69 by a marketplace seller, with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so you get free 2-day shipping if a Prime member. These ship in frustration-free packaging and average 4.2 out of 5 based on 50 customer reviews. Or you can get them in “Used – Very Good” for $41.50 by Amazon Warehouse Deals.

Or if you prefer the black color scheme, it goes for $54~ with free S&H in open-box condition by NewEgg actual. NewEgg does not guarantee that any or all accessories are included with their open-box sales.

April 10, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Monday: NAKAMICHI ANC80 Over-Ears for $18

On the budget side of ANC, for Monday 4/10/17 only, promo code EMCSRERK6 gets you the new condition closed-back over-ear NAKAMICHI ANC80 with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) for $18 with free shipping at NewEgg by NewEgg actual. Limit three per customer. They have four customer reviews over there.

April 10, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Sennheiser PX 200-IIi On-Ears for $50

The new condition Sennheiser PX 200-IIi Closed-Back On-Ears are on sale for $50 with free shipping at B&H Photo. Offer ends Wednesday at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out. All orders placed at B&H will ship after April 19.

Speaking of which, these four Geekria travel case go for $10~ to $12~, sold by Geekria direct and fulfilled by Amazon that fit folding headphones that are shaped like the PX100 and PX200 and such. Check dimensions and the 24 customer reviews for more details.

April 10, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Used Grado SR60e for $59

The entry-point into the Grado sound is the SR60e, and it goes for $79 in new condition at authorized dealers, but if you want to try out the “Grado Wall of Sound” for less, this is available in “Used – Good” condition for $59 by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual.

As of 4/10/17 PM, this sold out: On the other hand, if you want to jump in a couple of steps above that in the line-up, the SR125 goes for $150 in new condition, but you can get it in “Used – Good” for $112.50 by Amazon Warehouse Deals.

April 9, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Used Sony MDR-Z7 for $377

The closed-back over-ear Sony MDR-Z7 are currently available in “Used – Good” condition (cosmetic imperfections; damaged original packaging) for $377~ by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual (AWD). AWD’s used products have a 30-day return policy but make no promises of a warranty.

If you prefer a warranty, you can get them in open-box condition with a 1-year warranty for $439 by RazorDog Audio on eBay. They are described as an open-box return with less than two hours of use.

April 9, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Used Sennheiser HD 598 CS for $68

If you can’t wait for the next Sennheiser HD 598 CS sale in new condition for $100, it is available in “Used – Good” condition for $68 and “Used – Very Good” for $72 by Amazon Warehouse Deals (AWD). On the other hand, if you don’t need it right away, but you still prefer used, you may want to wait until the new condition goes on sale, it may (there’s no guarantee) push the used prices down as well. As usual when buying used at AWD, make sure you check who the sellers are. If you want to lower risk, buy from AWD actual and any recognizable sellers. Things that ship directly from marketplace sellers have a higher risk since Amazon actual has the least amount of control on the transaction.

April 9, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

AKG N20 earphones for $96

With the Samsung Galaxy hype machine behind it and the blessings of the Galaxy S8 and Tab S3 flagships, AKG headphones may be getting “rediscovered” by the general population as the hype tide lifts all boats. As long as the Galaxy S8 doesn’t explode 🙂 Which brings us to the AKG N20 earphones, on sale for $95 in either the black or white, at Amazon by Amazon actual.

April 9, 2017 Filed Under: in-ears Tagged With:

NuForce Primo8 In-Ears for $200 + S&H

It’s Nuforce time at Massdrop (MD), the Primo8 In-Ears go for $200 plus shipping and handling, with the offer running for the next three days, and shipping late May 2017. All sales are final on this offer too, which will ship from MD, and carries a one-year warranty per the listing.

Also unlocked there, but with two days to go, is the XDuuuuooo X10 digital audio player going for $140 with free shipping on this critter. It takes two microSD cards, has a dedicated LineOUT (optical). The volume buttons are on the side on their own, the power button is not near by, so you don’t have the accidental power-button presses when trying to change the volume like you get with many smartphones and some other DAPs (eg Fiio X1 on the left hand side).

PS: a new installment of This Week In Headphoolia should be posted by late Sunday night.

April 9, 2017 Filed Under: digital audio players, in-ears Tagged With: , ,

[DEAD] JLab J6MS JBuds (double flange) for $8

This Monday lightning deal expired…

[Read more…]

April 9, 2017 Filed Under: in-ears Tagged With:

[DEAD] Used OPPO PM-3 Planars for $352

As of 4/10/17 late PM re-check, this is sold out as USED… This is a surprise, the OPPO PM-3 are available as used for a discount. As of the time of writing, there is one listing by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual of the black color scheme of these planars in “Used – Good” condition for $352. There’s another listing by a marketplace seller with the same price but only three ratings, so make sure you buy from AWD actual if you want to reduce potential risk.

April 9, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

[DEAD] 1More Triple Driver IEMs with Lightning Connector available for pre-order

As of late 4/10/17, the pre-orders are sold-out and cannot be ordered… 1More is striking while the iron is hot, they have a new Triple Driver IEM, with a Lightning Connector, available for pre-order for $150 at Amazon. The shipping estimate is a nebulous “1-2 months” which often means just about anything (since it doesn’t have a hard date).

On the other hand, if you want the regular triple driver IEMs, they go for $80 at Costco but they were on sale for less late last year.

April 9, 2017 Filed Under: in-ears Tagged With: , ,

Photive HF1 Bluetooth On-Ears for $30

The black color scheme of the new condition Photive HF1 Bluetooth On-Ears is on sale for $30 by a marketplace seller with the order fulfilled by Amazon (Prime eligible). This is not a lightning deal. They average 4.1 out of 5 based on 270+ customer reviews. This is another one of the popular budget bluetooth over/on-ear headphones making the rounds there.

April 8, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

GermanMAESTRO GMP 8.35 for $170 [MD]

Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic are not the only German companies making headphones. The GermanMAESTRO does too as they remind us in the name 🙂 And their GMP 8.35 closed-back and promised to be “nearly indestructible” is fully unlocked at Massdrop for $170 with free shipping. The offer runs for the next six days and it is estimated to ship early May 2017. Note that “all sales (are) final” on this offer too.

April 8, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart for $450

Dynamic Fostex headphones now, these are not planars. The Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart are back on again, offered for $450 with free shipping. Only 83 units are available for this offer which will end in seven days IF they don’t run out of units by then. These ship late April 2017 from MD, but still “all sales final”.

April 7, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Thinksound IEM grab bag for $35 + S&H [MD]

IF you love the randomness of grab bags, Massdrop has yet another round, this one is centered on the Thinksound wood in-ears. Most people will get one of the ts02 versions (with or without mic; left to randomness, you have no choice), while a few will get an ms02 or a rain3. You pay $35 plus shipping. Limit two grab bags per customer, with up to 700 units available for this offer which ends in seven days from today. Shipment is from the vendor in early May and “all sales final”.

April 7, 2017 Filed Under: in-ears Tagged With: , , ,

Fostex TH-900 Mk II and Audeze Deckard amp for $1400

Bundle up time once again. This time it is two different headphone manufacturers bundled up, the new condition Fostex TH-900 Mark II headphones are bundled with the Audeze Deckard headphone-amp, together for $1400 with free shipping at Adorama.com. No coupon, no rebate, just add to cart and proceed to checkout.

April 6, 2017 Filed Under: amps and dacs, headphones Tagged With: , ,

Audeze LCD-2 (Aluminum and Lambskin) for $699

This recurring promotion has recurred again 🙂 The Audeze LCD-2 (Aluminum and Lambskin) planar-magnetic over-ears are on sale again for $699 with free shipping for a limited time at authorized dealer Adorama.com. No coupon, no rebate, just add-to-cart and checkout.

April 6, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Audio-Technica ATH-AD1000X for $270

The open-back over-ear Audio-Technica ATH-AD1000X are currently on on sale for $270 at Walmart by Walmart actual with free 2-day shipping. Free store pickup is also an option where available/possible. That “D” in the middle of the product name is code for “Open Back” 🙂

April 6, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

[DEAD] YMMV: B&O Play H6 Over-Ears for $149 [limit 1]

UPDATE 4/7/17: it hasn’t come back since, so I’ll pronounce it DEAD for now… I will post a new post if it ever comes back…

[Read more…]

April 6, 2017 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

[DEAD] Saturday: Amazon Premium Earphones for $6 w/FS

This daily deal expired, but it is a recurring offer at A4C, it will likely return again and again until they run out 🙂

[Read more…]

April 6, 2017 Filed Under: earbuds Tagged With: