Conventional wisdom suggests that products have better prices closer to their home market, but that ain’t necessarily so as they say. For example, as of the time of writing, the Beats EP closed-back on-ear headphones are on sale, in new condition, for 49 euro at Amazon Germany by Amazon Germany actual. The sale price covers the black, blue and white color schemes with up to six pairs per color per customer at the sale price…
EU: Used Beyerdynamic DT770 (80 ohm) for 80 euro
We have our first good deal of the 20% off Warehouse Deals promotion at the Amazons. It is at Amazon Germany and you can get the closed-back over-ear Beyerdynamic DT-770 (80 ohm version) dropping from 100~ to 80~ euro. Shipping is free in Germany-Austria-Etc but extra for everybody else…
NOTE that the discount works only on listings sold by Amazon Warehouse Deals (not marketplace sellers). This applies to all Amazons, USA, Germany, etc [they can’t (yet?) universally force marketplace sellers to take a 20% off hit on their sales] Here’s an example:
20% off Amazon Warehouse Deals (USA and Germany too)
One of the Black Friday traditions is the 20% off discount at Amazon Warehouse Deals. This happens automatically in the shopping cart when you put there products that are eligible for the promotion ~ it is also denoted in the detailed USED listings of such items.
There are currently 82 options in the Headphones category. I will be going through them on a time-permitting basis, but I’m posting it now because supplies are limited, so if you have the time to look for deals, you potentially won’t miss them out!
The same promotion is available at Amazon Germany where they have, as of the time of posting, 270 options in the Headphones sub-category…
AS to whether to shop from Amazon USA or Germany, this depends (obviously) on your location and whether you’ll be paying customs, VAT, taxes and such…
Wedn: Rane RH-50 Studio headphones for $60
As one of the 11/27/19 deals of the day, Woot is running a Professional Audio sale with audio equipment ranging from $40 to $280. One of the sale items are the closed-back over-ear Rane RH-50 studio monitor headphones in the black color scheme going for $60 with free S&H for Prime members (or $6 flat). They come with a 1-year Rane warranty.
The other non-headphone audio equipment in the sale come from Denon, Marantz and Rane…
Wedn: 8GB Sandisk Clip Sport MP3 player for $30
Time to party like it’s 1999! An old school style mp3 player is on sale until Wednesday 11/27/19 at 11:59pm ET at B&H Photo, it’s available in four different colors, going for $30 with free US shipping. “It” refers to the SanDisk 8GB Clip Sport MP3 Player which averages 4.5 out of 5 based on 76 customer reviews. In addition to the 8GB of on-board storage, it also has a microSD slot, like many Clip players have.
I don’t have these one but I have some of the older Clips and for the price, they are definitely worth it. Within reason of course 🙂
Sennheiser HD 4.40BT Over-Ears Bluetooths for $70
Newegg has this for $80 in their BF deals, but Amazon actual has them beat they are offering it for $70. “It” being not the Stephen King book/movie, but the new condition closed-back over-ear bluetooth Sennheiser HD 4.40BT with up to three pairs per customer at the sale price. They average 4 out of 5 based on nearly 900 customer reviews…
I haven’t seen or touched this but I have used the Sennheiser HD 4.20s and those thick (but not hard) earpads are just divine…
Beyerdynamic DT770 (80 ohm) w/$50 promo GC for $179
Also part of the Newegg Black Friday you can get the new condition Beyerdynamic DT770 (80 ohm) closed-back over-ear going for $179 with a $50 promotional NewEgg gift card, sold and shipped by NewEgg actual. Limit up to two units per customer at the sale price…
Assuming you have no trouble spending the $50 promotional gift card in the future at NewEgg on things you want or need, then it’s almost like getting it for $129…
Sennheiser M2 IEi Wired In-Ears for $35
NewEgg is now running a variant of their Black Friday sale and among those offers they do have a Headphone section, the headliner of which is the new condition Sennheiser M2 IEi HD1 wired in-ears with Apple buttons going for just $35 with free US shipping. This is sold and shipped by NewEgg so you know you are not getting an iffy/international/etc product…
The sale is on both the black/red (looks stylish from the pictures) and the black/chrome (looks more conventional/streamlined in the pictures) options…
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Sunday: Fiio X5 III DAP for $180
Good until Sunday 11/24/19 at 11:59pm ET at the B&H daily deals you can get the new condition Fiio X5 III DAP for $180 with free US shipping only in the Titanium color scheme. The black color scheme is not on sale…
While there, you’ll also find the JBL 1 Series 104 Compact Powered Desktop Reference Monitors on sale for $50 per pair with free US shipping…
Saturday: 128GB iPod Touch, LG V20 PAD, Samson HP30, Etc
Saturday 11/23/19 has some headphone-related daily deals running. First up, at the Woot website you can get the new condition Samson HP-30 closed-back headphones for $16 with a 90-day Woot warranty. These are not the famous semi-open studio headphones that are also sold under the Superlux brand…
Also there at Woot, of PAD interest (PAD = Phone As a DAP) you can find the refurbished “scratch and dent” LG V20 smartphone (Verizon with unlocked GSM, 64GB storage) for $100 with a 90-day Woot warranty…
But that’s not all for today. Then we jump on to the Best Buy daily deals where we find the new condition 128GB Apple iPod Touch (6th generation) going for $225, while on the bluetooth-gadget front, the MEE Audio BTR bluetooth audio receiver is offered for $20…
Pay 99c, Get 4 Months of Amazon Music Subscription
If you want to give Amazon’s for-pay music subscription service a longer running test, for a limited time they are offering a 4-month trial for just 99c total for the duration of the trial. After that it will auto-converted to a $10/month paying subscription unless you manually cancel or adjust it…
If you are a Prime, you would pay $8 per month instead of $10, a nice benefit of the Prime subscription since Google is no longer offering $8/mo music subscriptions (they had offered them back when they got started as a way to attract people)…
PS: in case you haven’t heard, Amazon has also launched an HD Music Streaming service that goes for $15 per month (or $13/mo for Prime members) or $20/month for the Family plan. This only gets a 30-day free trial, it is not participating in the 4-month 99c promotion…
PS2: the above offers are for new subscribers or previous subscribers that had been gone long enough for the Amazon systems to treat as new subscribers. The only way to find out if you are eligible as a re-subscriber is to press the buttons and see what their computer server tells you…
EU: Philips X2HR open over-ears for 119 euro
As part of the Black Friday 2019 festivities, Amazon Germany has dropped the price of the new condition open-back over-ear Philips X2-HR for 119 euro with free shipping in Germany-Austria. Limit up to five units per customer at the sale price. This is not a lightning deal, so expiration time is unknown…
Wedn: MEE X10 Truly Wireless for $40
In the black or blue color schemes, $40 can get you the new condition MEE Audio X10 truly wireless earphones as part of the Wednesday November 20 (2019) daily deals at the Best Buy website. These average 4.3 out of 5 based on 27 customer reviews.
As you can see in our Black Friday 2019 round-up, truly wireless is the hottest consumer-advertised segment in the headphones market. Make sense since this is the newest sub-genre and many people have zero ~ as opposed to wired or ANC and/or bluetooth that has been around much longer…
Headphones in the 2019 Black Friday Ads
And just like that dear head-friends another Black Friday is just around the corner. Time to take a look at what headphones are advertised in the Black Friday ads of 2019. Of course these are consumer models, you are not going to find electrostatic systems and open-back reference models in these 🙂
LATEST UPDATE: November 18 in 2019 ~ first edition; more will be added as they come out… As you can see just by looking at the size of the blocks below, wireless is currently “winning” the average consumer… This is a very long post, more after the break…
Monday: Sony WH-XB900N ANC/BT Over-Ears for $128
Good until Monday 11/18/19 at 11:59pm pacific time, Amazon actual is offering as one of their deals of the day the new condition closed-back over-ear Sony WH-XB900N ANC/BT headphones for $128 with free US shipping with up to three pairs per customer at the sale price. As the “XB” in the model name suggests, this is an “Extra Bass” model.
It averages 4.3 out of 5 based on nearly 110 customer reviews and it has 80 answered questions…
Massdrop “Audio Week” with 13 discounted headphone-related products
Massdrop is currently running an Audio Week sale promotion featuring 13 of their headphone-related “X” co-branded products on sale for a limited time:
All the headphones below are “Massdrop X” co-branded. To make the list more readable and less repeating, I am not including the “Massdrop X” in every single name below:
+ Hifiman HE-4XX planars for $130 (or $160 with EU shipment)
+ Meze 99 Noir closed over-ears for $180
+ Sennheiser PC-37X gaming headset for $100 (or $140 with EU shipment)
+ the aforementioned Focal Elex for $600 and Beyerdynamic DT-177X for $380
+ MEE Audio Planamic IEMs for $100
+ Noble Kaiser 10 Universal IEMs for $700 (or $900 with EU shipment)
+ Liquid Carbon X + SDAC dac/amp for $250 (or $350 with EU shipment)
The “EU shipment” mentioned above is relatively new experimental feature at Massdrop, what they call the EU Collection, products that ship directly from within the EU and include VAT, customs, and shipping. So while higher than the USA price, the EU price includes VAT and customs and shipping and they ship faster because they don’t have the transatlantic trip… This is explained in their earlier announcement…
PS: the price is still listed in USD because that’s how the Massdrop website is setup.
Beyerdynamic DT-177X Closed Over-Ears down to $380
The discounting party continues at Massdrop where they have put on sale for a limited time the new condition closed-back over-ear Beyerdynamic DT-177X going for $380 with free US shipping. This is an in-stock drop so it will ship quickly (there is an estimate of one business day after purchase).
This is a “Massdrop X” product, as the “X” in the name suggests, a co-operation between Beyerdynamic and Massdrop, however, there is no mention of a warranty in the listing. Typically “X” products come with a warranty since they are made in co-operation with the manufacturer. There is a new forum discussion on this very topic but nothing conclusive is posted there…
PS: as a refresher for those not familiar, the 7s are closed-back, the 8s are semi-open and the 9s are open in the DT-??? and DT-1??? lines of studio headphones…
Wedn: KEF Porsche Design Space One for $99
Good for Wednesday 11/13/19 in the pacific time zone, NewEgg actual is offering the new condition closed-back over-ear KEF Porsche Design Space One headphones for $99 with free US shipping with up to three pairs per customer at the sale price. This is in a white-gray type of a color scheme and averages 4 out of 5 based on a lucky 13 customer reviews over there…
Massdrop Bounty Box II is back but no Audiophile-only option (for $250)
If you like to get semi-surprised by boxes you receive in the mail, Massdrop has brought back their Bounty Box II. You pay $250 with free US shipping and for that you are guaranteed to receive five items. The five items will be randomly selected from different groupings.
In this iteration of the Bounty Box, the boxes are prepackaged and you cannot select the product category. So you may receive items from audiophile (the headphones) and mechanical keyboardalia and EDC/blades. You have no control of what you receive.
In this post we’ll obviously focus on the Audiophile option but you cannot specify that you want audiophile-only products! If you are not interested in mechanical keyboards and EDC/knives as well, don’t order from this iteration!
Of the five items you receive, you MAY [randomly selected] to receive one from the most prized grouping, the “Rare” items.
+ Sennheiser HD 6XX open over-ears
+ AKG K7XX open over-ears
+ Hifiman HE-4XX planars
+ and one IEM, Noble X universal
Next up you MAY randomly receive two from this grouping:
+ Tin Audio T3 in-ears
+ Acoustic Research AR-E10 in-ears
+ NuForce EDC in-ears
+ NuForce Stride bluetooth in-ears
Lastly, two MAY come [randomly selected] from the group called “Common”:
+ Koss KPH-30i lightweight on-ears
+ Koss Porta PRO old-school lightweight on-ears
+ MEE Audio [does not specify model?]
+ RevoNext QT5 IEMs
“MAY” come because there’s no guarantee you will receive items from the Audiophile category!
To throw a monkey wrench in the above selection process, a few boxes will be randomly selected to receive two RARE items instead of one [you still get a total of five items]. As you can see from the list, that’s very good.
But wait, there’s more. A few boxes may receive an item from the EPIC category that has the Mr Speakers Ether CX and the Empire Ears Zeus universal iems.
These are an in-stock drop, so they will ship right away. No long waits. Returns are accepted but there is a restocking fee ~ check their terms and conditions…
NOTE that the reviews at the Massdrop website are for all variants of the Bounty Boxes and may not apply to this particular box… Check the “Discussions” tab instead where the most recent posts are on this latest “Bounty Box”.
NOTE #2: because these boxes contain knives, they cannot be shipped internationally, so this is a US only offering…
FOCAL ELEX open over-ears drops to $600 [MD]
In addition to the “in-stock drops” (aka conventional online retail) Massdrop has also “discovered” discounting! As of the time of writing, the new condition FOCAL ELEX open-backs, part of the X line of co-branded Massdrop products, are down to $600 with free US shipping. Props to Massdrop for keeping prices round, eg $600, not doing the silly $599.99 that many retailers do.
This is indeed an in-stock drop, so it will ship within one business day after purchase. No long waits. Since it is an “X” product, made and sold in co-operation with the manufacturer, it comes with a 2-year FOCAL warranty. It is handmade in Fwance per the listing…
PS: yes, I am aware Massdrop has been renamed to “Drop”, but “Drop”, although a shorter one-word name that is desirable among the e-commerce world, it just doesn’t not have the uniqueness and personality of “Massdrop”. It can also confuse some as “Dropbox” is a lot more well-known than “Drop”. But then again, they can mayhaps find a theme song in the Cocteau Twins mesmerizing Pearly Dew Drops drops 😉
Singles Day sales include KZ IEMs and Xiaomi Over-Ears for $46
It’s Singles Day all around the world as the time zones come and go, which is why some of the offers last for 48 hours or longer. And some of the 11.11 offers are headphones.
For example, at GearBest you can get the closed-back over-ear Xiaomi for $46 with free shipping. There’s also a few offers for small discounts listed on the page there (eg pay with PayPal, first time customers, etc) so check there before buying…
Also on sale are various KZ in-ears at Gearbest, with all the participating models having the “Flash Sale” tag near to them…
A lot more sales can be found at Ali Express where there’s an official Fiio store among others… There’s also Xduoo action and lots more ~ their internal search box and menus are your friends when it comes to finding product(s) of interest…
Also part of the sales is various sizes of Sandisk microSD cards offered by a 3rd-party seller at Aliexpress…
KOSS w/free US shipping: Porta Pro X On-Ears for $25, KSC-75X clip-ons for $17
For those not familiar, Massdrop has something they call “in-stock drops”. This is what normal-model retailers (eg Amazon, Best Buy, Target, etc) call in-stock and ready to ship. The items are in-stock at Massdrop and ship within one business day after you order them. You don’t have to wait for weeks and weeks for shipment…
And if you are a fan of the Koss way of things but also want to have the modern luxury of a mic/remote, the Koss x Massdrop partnership [yes, you can find fanfics about those two] has two of the very classic Koss models with a single remote and microphone on the cable offered as in-stock drop with free USA shipping and returns and the usual Koss lifetime warranty.
The two models are the open-back lightweight on-ears, yes, you guessed it, the PORTA PRO X going for just $25 in the classic black color scheme. The other one is the (semi)-open-back clip-ons KSC-75X going for $17 with a single button remote with mic on the cable as well.
I’ll leave the debate on how to classify clip-ons to y’all as they are a bit on-ear and a bit earphone 🙂
A lot has been written about these two headphones, and given the prices and free US shipping and returns they are among the best bang for the buck options out there ~ especially if you want a mic/remote combo. After all, even dedicated DAPs make use of the in-line remote controls these days ~ even my good old Fiio X1 DAP does dat [read the last three words faster and faster]…
I don’t [yet] have these Koss X models, but I’ve had the good old KSC-75 clip-ons for a while know ~ I “rescued” them from the clearance bin of an office supply chain store!
KZ ZS10 PrO IEMs for $40 to $43 [MD]
If you are ready to jump into the KZ budget hype train or if you want more for yourself or as gifts for others, for the next two days and change (as of the time of writing of this post), Massdrop is offering the new condition KZ ZS10 PRO in-ears for $40 with free US shipping. Shipment is estimated to be in early December 2019 so it should get to you on time for holiday gift-giving purposes [but always, regardless of the situation, have a Plan B to go to in case of unforeseen trouble]…
The $40 is without a mic/remote but if you wish a mic/remote, that model goes for $43 and it is available in three color options.
These will ship from Massdrop itself. There is no mention of a warranty in the listing…
Brainwavz Case & Earpads (for Sony V6, 7506, etc) for $22.50
We have a combo value meal if you are a fan of the Brainwavz brand. They are currently offering a headphone case + earpads for $22.50. The case is for folded headphones while the earpads are for the Sony MDR-V6, 7506 (and other compatible headphones). The earpads on their own go for $16.50, so you’re getting the case for $6 more.
The listing is a mix of earpads-only and case-n-earpads bundles, so pay attention if you are switching colors and options and if you are reading customer reviews and answered questions…
Sony Audio sale includes XB-700 Over-Ears for $98
If you are a fan of Sony audio gear, you’ve find a potentially interesting post. For a limited time [but not part of its daily deals] Amazon is having a Sony Audio sale of various things that includes, among others, the following:
+ XB-700 closed-back over-ear bluetooth “Extra Bass” (thus the XB) headphones for $98 in two color options
+ WI-C600 neckband ANC earphones for $118
+ PS-LX3-10-BT belt-drive turn-table for $148
+ various speakers and receivers
Thur: V-Moda Crossfade M100 Wired Over-Ears for $150
Good until Thursday 11/7/19 at 11:59pm pacific time (or earlier if sold out), Amazon actual is offering the new condition closed-back over-ear V-Moda Crossfade M100 headphones for $150 with free shipping in your choice of color scheme with up to three pairs per color per customer.
These are wired headphones, no bluetooth, no ANC. They average 4.3 out of 5 based on 1850+ customer reviews and they have over 350 answered questions by viewers like you.
Used RHA CL-750 In-Ears for $49
If you are fond of used in-ears, when you currently under the Used options of the RHA CL-750 in-ears at amazon.com you will find this earphone in “Used – Like New” condition in damaged original packaging sold by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual for $49~ with free shipping. This is a haircut of about $30 compared to the new condition price.
Wedn: bluetooth Sony for $38 each: WH-CH510 On-Ears or WI-XB400 neckband
Good until 11:59pm pacific time on Wednesday 11/6/19, Amazon actual is offering two new condition Sony bluetooth headphones for $38 each. One is an on-ear model, the recently released WH-CH510 closed-back in three different color schemes with up to five per color per customer.
And for fans of the neckband-style earphones, they are offering the new condition the WI-XB400 is available in two color schemes with up to three per color per customer. This being a newer model, it charges via USB-C instead of the good old micro-USB which refuses to go away it seems 🙂
Wedn: iPod Touch (6th Gen, 32GB) for $150
Good for Wednesday November 6 in 2019, the Best Buy website is offering, as one of its deals of the day, the new condition 6th Generation iPod Touch with 32GB of on-board storage for $150 with free US shipping and/or free store pickup where possible. Since iPods don’t have expandable storage (but there’s always the cloud), storage size is more important with them…
Monday: Sennheiser HD 58X drops to $135
Sennheiser fans of the world, unite and take over! Massdrop has just launched a $25 off discount on the new condition HD 58X Jubilee open-back over-ear headphones, from its regular price of $160. It comes with free US shipping and free US returns. For international orders, shipping is discounted but extra and of course there are customs depending on your location.
NOTE that the discount expires on 11/4/19 at 11:59pm pacific time!
During the checkout process, there are options to optionally add earpads to your order and/or the Objective headphone amp. The earpads have a $5 off combined purchase discount while the Objective has a $15 off combined purchase discount. There’s also an option for a $20 3-year accidental coverage US-only warranty. See shopping cart for details 🙂
This is an in-stock drop, so you won’t be waiting for delivery!
Sunday: SwissTek Truly Wireless for $33
Good until Sunday 11/3/19 at 11:59pm central time, as one of their daily deals, Woot is offering the new condition SwissTek truly wireless earphones for $33 with free shipping for Prime members (or $6 flat for non-members). Limit up to ten pairs per customer at the sale price. They are offered in three color schemes and come with a 90-day warranty from Woot…
Wedn: Klipsch earphones: AS-5i for $20, R5 wireless for $50
Woot’s Wednesday October 30 (2019) deals of the day include a duo of Klipsch earphones on sale. In new condition,with a 1-year warranty from Klipsch. Just don’t get caught by r/headphones users wearing them because instant ostracisation is very likely 😉
The two earphones are:
+ AS-5i sport earphones with ear-hooks for $20
+ R5 wireless (bluetooth) neckband earphones for $50
Limit up to ten per customer. Sale ends at 11:59pm central or earlier if sold out…
Tuesday: Razer, B&O H8i, …Bluetooth Cassette
It’s audio day at the Best Buy website for Tuesday October 29 in the year of 2019 as follows:
+ Razer Electra V2 gaming headset (wired, 7.1, compatible with various devices and systems) for $30
+ Bang & Olufsen H8i ANC/bluetooth on-ears for $250
+ Aluratek bluetooth cassette tape adapter for $15
+ a lo-fi paradise, the lo-fi of cassette tape married with the lo-fi of bluetooth 🙂
Tuesday: Westone W60 IEMs for $500
Good until 10/29/19 at 11:59pm ET, B&H Photo is offering the new condition Westone W60 six-driver IEMs for $500 with free US shipping. Per the listing this only ships to the USA. This is one of their daily deals, thus the deadline.
But they also have it available in USED condition starting at $375 and the used price is organic, it is not part of the daily deals (unless somehow the shopping cart AIs adjust used prices based on daily deals as well)…
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