Saturday: LG V30 (US998) for $200

For DAP fans (phones as DAPs), good until Saturday 1/30/21 at 11:59pm central time [or earlier if sold out] you can get the new condition unlocked LG V30 US998 smartphone for $200 with a 1-year LG warranty. Up to three per customer at the sale price.

This is the silver color scheme with 4GB RAM, 64GB on-board storage (and microSD slot), 3.5mm headphone jack of course, Snapdragon 835, USB-C, etc, etc, etc…

Tuesday (refurb PADs): LG G7 $130, LG V40 $160

We are big fans of the “phones as DAPs” thing, not to mention you can use them at home for general use (smart home controls, kitchen and tea timer, smartTV remote, etc ~ without having to unlock the phone all the time), etc.

Good until 11/24/20 at 11:59pm central time, Woot is having an older Android phones sale which includes a couple of refurbished audio-friendly LG phones at good prices:

+ LG V40 ThinQ V405 (Unlocked) for $160
+ LG G7 ThinQ unlocked for $130
+ and if you are fond of the stylus equalizing way of things, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 goes for $230 and Note 9 for $340
+ they have a 90-day Woot warranty
+ all these are refurbished and “scratch and dent” ~ which is their polite way of scaring away perfectionists and nitpickers and complainers 😉

Thursday: Sony WH-1000XM3 with Xperia 1 for $550

The Thursday 11/19/20 deals at Woot have a couple of Android smartphone offers of headphone interest:

+ Sony WH-1000XM3 ANC/BT over-ears bundled with the new condition Sony Xperia 1 [SD 855] unlocked former-flagship smartphone for $550; with Sony warranty
+ the Xperia 1 supports LDAC, AAC, and apt-X HD per the PDF file specs linked-to from Woot

+ LG G8 ThinQ with Alexa for $350
+ the PDF file linked-to from Woot that has the specs says this has a 32-bit Quad DAC, and MQA decoder
+ I’ve lost track which LG phones have quad DACs, so be sure to research it to your satisfaction if you are not sure

Wedn: Beyerdynamic Amiron Home for $374 after coupon

Beyer is Dynamic at the Newegg daily deals for Wednesday 5/20/20, and for this day, thanks to promo code 93XPJ95 you can get the new condition open-back over-ears Beyerdynamic AMIRON Home “Tesla” headphone for $374 with free US shipping. This is sold and shipped by NewEGG itself, not marketplace sellers. Up to three pairs per customer during the promotion…

But that’s not all, other sellers have related offers as well in their deals du jour:

+ at Best Buy you can get their Insignia bluetooth necklace-style earphones for $20, and the unlocked LG V40 ThinQ for $300 with activation or without activation. Keep in mind the latest model is the V60 with the quasi-dual screens…

+ if you prefer even older LG V-series as PADs (phones as DAPs) Woot has a refurbished Scratch and Dent smartphone sale that includes the LG V10 and V20 from $40 to $120

+ at the Amazon Germany Gold Box you can get the Anker Soundcore Spirit X exercise bluetooth earphones for 26 euro…

Friday: unlocked LG V40 for $250 to $300

On the PAD side of things, for Saturday 4/24/20, one of the Best Buy deals du jour is on the new condition unlocked LG V40 smartphone. You pay $250 IF you activate it (with a carrier) when you place the order, or $300 if you do not activate it when you buy it.

Either way, it is unlocked, it’s just that Best Buy is giving you a $50 discount if you activate it with a carrier because they are probably getting a cut from the carrier and they are sharing it with you [or something like that].

The nice thing about the LG V-series phones is that their model number rhymes with the Snapdragon model-name second-digit, so the V40 uses the 845, the V50 the 855, the V60 the 866, and so forth. The exception being the V35 which uses the 845, and you have to do some rounding for the V10 (SD 808) 🙂

LG V40 ThinQ PAD for $330 [ends Sat PM]

It’s PAD time! Good until Saturday 4/4/20 at 11:59pm eastern, B&H Photo is offering the new condition unlocked LG V40 ThinQ smartphone for $330 with free US shipping…

This is now two flagships behind (the latest flagship is the V60 which is about to roll out), so it has the Snapdragon 845 processor, with 6GB of RAM, 64GB of on-board storage and a microSD slot (up to a theoretical 2TB, to fill up with music). It also has the newer Bluetooth 5.0, IP68, Quick Charge 3.0, USB Type C, etc.

And of course on main audio interest is the 32-bit Quad DAC…

Wednesday PAD: refurbished LG V20 for $100

PADs, PADs, PADs on a budget! Good until Wednesday 7/3/18 at 11:59pm central (or earlier if sold out), Woot Electronics is offering the refurbished LG V20 Android smartphone for $100 with free shipping for Prime members or $6 flat calendar-day shipping for non-members. Limit up to three per customer.

This is a 4GB RAM with 64GB on-board model with microSD slot as well, and of course the famous V-series DAC/amp technology. It is the Verizon model with its GSM unlocked so you can also use it as a smartphone on Verizon or your favorite GSM provider (check bands if there are issues in your area).

It comes with a 90-day Woot warranty. NOTE that this is a “scratch and dent” refurbished, so if you are a perfectionist, you may want to avoid it 🙂

MEANWHILE if you scoot on over to “Computers”, there, their daily deal is a 3-pack of Samsung 64GB microSD cards for $30 total…

Saturday PADs: refurb LG V20 for $100

You don’t have to spend the big bucks if you want to get a solid Android phone with good audio/phile innards and with a big screen to boot when you are watching music videos or concerts or when you want to use elaborate equalization curves.

All that brings us to the refurbished scratch and dent LG V20 (unlocked) offered for $100 with free shipping for Prime members [or $6 flat shipping for non-members] and with a 90-day Woot warranty. Limit up to three per customer at the sale price.

As a refresher, this has the Quad DAC, a headphone jack, 4GB RAM, 64GB on-board and microSD storage, removable battery, USB-C, 5.7-inch screen, Snapdragon 820, Adreno 530, etc. This came out in the Fall of 2016.

Speaking of daily deals, the Best Buy website offers the new condition MEE Matrix Cinema Wireless Over Ears for $90 with free US shipping or free store pick up if possible.

The above offers end on Saturday 6/8/19 at 11:59pm central time ~ or earlier if they sell out…

Monday PADs: LG V30+ (LS998) for $399

For Monday in the pacific time zone, among the daily deals at NewEGG, you can get the new condition LG V30+ (model LS998) for $399 with free shipping from marketplace seller BREED [a rather unfortunate seller name if you ask me]. This phone of course is of PAD interest. PAD being “phones as DAPs”. With its famed quad DAC, 128GB of on-board storage that can fit plenty of digital music and streaming downloads, along with a microSD card, 6-inch screen and Snapdragon 835 that should be able to handle music and video apps for years to come, and IP68 water/dust-proofness to survive life as a DAP, and such…

Mon: unlocked LG V30+ for $400

It’s PAD time once again! Among the Monday deals of the day at Amazon you can get the new condition factory unlocked LG V30+ smartphone for $400 with free shipping, sold and shipped by marketplace seller BREED. Being the “+” model, it comes with 128GB of storage, so if you prefer to store your music on-board or use high-capacity formats (WAV, etc), then it’s a plus. This being a V-series of course, it is well-known for its quad DAC and such…

PS: I am tempted to get one of the V30* models as a PAD and turn it into a universal music and music-video player since my Fiio and Clips can’t stream or play videos…

PADs: Used LG V40 for $639

If you want to use the LG V40 flagship smartphone at a DAP but balk at the full new condition price, fear not! New York’s finest B&H Photo is offering it in USED condition for $629 in “condition 10”. This is the factory unlocked North American variant, in the “aurora black” color scheme.

With a 6-inch screen, this can be great for music videos and concerts too, and/or some of the more luxurious music playback and equalizer apps. With 6GB of RAM, it should be able to handle Android music and video streaming apps for years to come. It has 64GB on-board storage plus microSD slot.

On the other hand, if you prioritize on the quad DAC and you are not revved up to get the latest “phone” specs, the new condition unlocked LG V30+ goes for $495 after a $5 off (!) clip-on coupon. This is a USA warranty model. Being a “+”, it has 128GB on-board.

PADs: Unlocked LG G6 for $250 [Monday only]

From the “Phones as DAPs” (PADs) department, good until Monday 10/22/18 at 11:59pm eastern time, you can get the new condition, unlocked, carrier-free LG G6 for $250 with free shipping at B&H Photo. This is in the Ice Platinum color scheme.

NOTE: this is the international version phone but it comes with a 1-year warranty from B&H Photo itself…

Wedn: Sennheiser PX684i neckband earbuds for $20 w/FS; LG V30S ThinQ for $600

There are two headphone-related offers at the B&H Daily Deals running until Wednesday at 11:59pm eastern (or earlier if any of them happens to sellout ahead of time).

We start with the earphones, they are earbuds, of the neckband type. IT is the new condition Sennheiser PMX 684i In-Ear Neckband Sports earbuds with iOS remote control buttons for $20 with free shipping.

Next up, on the PADs front (Phones as DAPs), the new condition factory unlocked LG V30S ThinQ Smartphone (128GB onboard) is offered for $600 with free shipping with two different color options to pick from. This was among the last Snapdragon 835 smartphones with a headphone jack [the latest models have the 845], with 128GB of on-board storage plus microSD slot for even more FLACs and WAVs and such, Android 8.0, 6″ screen, a solid 6GB RAM which should be more than enough for all your music streaming and equalizing and visualizing needs, Bluetooth 5.0, apt-X HD, FM radio, USB Type C version 3.1, and so forth. And of course the famous V-series DAC technology.

PADs: LG V30S ThinQ unlocked for $680

For a limited time, New York’s B&H Photo is offering the new condition factory unlocked LG V30S ThinQ smartphone for $680 with free expedited shipping. It is available in two color schemes. It comes with a 1-year warranty out of the box, but if you register it with LG, you get a second year of warranty coverage!

The LG V-series is praised for its audio components, and it has a 3.5mm headphone jack, unlike certain other flagship smartphone lines. The nice screen is also a plus if you like to watch a lot of music videos or concerts on it! Note though that this uses the Snapdragon 835, while the brand new flagships are using the newer 845.

It comes with 128GB of on-board storage, which may be more than enough for some music collections if you also utilize a lot of music streaming, but if you need more, it also takes microSD cards up to a theoretical 2TB.

[DEAD] Wedn Phones as DAPs: refurb LG V10 for $120, V20 for $180

This offer expired…

[Read more…]

Phones as DAPs: LG V30 for $22.50/mo on 24-mo plan [$540 total]

If you are not tempted by the new AI version of the LG V30, the one with the goofy name of “ThinQ” revealed at MWC 2018 [yes, it has a headphone jack], Verizon Wireless is having a $300 off trickle-monthly promotion on the new condition LG V30 if you buy it on a 24-month installment plan. The monthly price will be $22.50 and at the end of the 24 months, you own the phone. That’s because the discount is applied monthly, instead of up front. That makes it $540 for the phone with ownership at the end of the 24 month cycle.

If you want to buy the phone upfront, it doesn’t look like it’s eligible for the $300 off discount. This is only a good deal if you plan to have Verizon Wireless service in the next 24 months.

LG HBS-S80 Force Wireless for $23

This is part of the longer running Woot Plus offers, ending in three days and change (from blog-posting date) you can get the new condition LG HBS-S80 Force Wireless headset (bluetooth) for $23 with free shipping for Prime members or $5 flat for non. You can buy up to ten units at the sale price. It looks like Amazon’s warehouses are allowing Woot to stock up 🙂 They come with a 1-year warranty from LG.

Phones as DAPs: LG G6+ (Quad DAC, 128GB, USA warranty, Unlocked) drops to $470

If you want a quad DAC in your Android smartphone but for one reason or another don’t want the LG V30, there is now a US warranty alternative, the LG G6+, new condition, factory unlocked, with USA warranty, in the Amazon Prime Exclusive version dropping from $520 to $470 with free Prime shipping.

This went for $500 before Amazon removed the Lockscreen Ads from their “Prime Exclusive” phones and increased their price by $20 to $520. So now it’s down $50 (or down $30 from the previous previous price) but without lockscreen ads.

Limit one per customer at the moment. The shipping estimate is currently a variable “1 to 2 months”. Amazon tends to be conservative on the estimates (so as not to over-promise something they can’t deliver on time), but still, if you want this by a specific time in the near future, there are no guarantees for delivery when you need/want it! So keep that in mind.

[DEAD] Wedn: LG HBS-780 Tone Pro Neckband BT Earphones for $35

This daily deal ended…

[Read more…]

Phones as DAPs: LG G6+ with Quad DAC for $520 (Prime only)

Starting today (February 7 in 2018), Amazon is no longer selling their Prime Exclusive phones with Lockscreen and other Ads. Instead they are sold ad-free. Their prices went up by $20 since yesterday to counter the ad removal. Of audio interest, the LG G6+ with its Quad DAC and 128GB on-board storage is now going for $520 with free shipping. This is a US warranty model, unlocked, and working with US carriers. Only Prime members can buy them.

Phones as DAPs: LG V30 (Unlocked, USA Warranty) for $675; LG G6+ Prime Ads (128GB, Quad DAC too) for $500

From the “Phones as DAPs” department, especially if you are looking to get both a new phone and a new DAP, the new condition, factory unlocked, with USA warranty LG V30 is currently on sale for $675 with free shipping in the cloud silver color scheme at B&H Photo. You can also get a second year of warranty by registering the product online with LG.

Considering all the specs of this model, it can be used as a DAP long after it may be considered too old to be your main phone. The Quad DAC, 64GB onboard and microSD, Snapdragon 835, 4GB RAM, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 18:9 (easier playlist management), 802.11ac, NFC, FM radio, IP68, Qi charging, are more than good enough to handle music streaming apps for many years to come.

LG G6+ for $500 with Prime Lockscreen Ads
If you want a Quad DAC, but prefer a slightly smaller screen and slightly smaller price, Amazon is offering the Prime exclusive LG G6+ for $500. You will get Amazon Lockscreen Offers and Ads, which is why you pay a lower price. The G6+ model has the quad DAC in the US version, with 128GB on-board storage, microSD, 4GB RAM, Snapdragon 821, 18:9 screen, IP68, and so forth.

I haven’t used any of Amazon’s “Lockscreen Ads” phones/tablets, so I don’t know how annoying or helpful they can be [helpful if you are an Amazon bargain hunter]. The ads on the Kindle e-book readers are not annoying and occasionally useful [in finding deals], but e-ink screens limit the type of advertising, while smartphones have a lot more [annoying] ads options 🙂

Seller Refurbished LG V20 for $210
If you want an even better price, the LG V20 is offered seller refurbished for $210 with free shipping by eBay seller “Guarantee Cellular” (96.3%, Brooklyn) is Titan or Silver color schemes. This is a higher risk purchase, but they offer a 30 day guarantee. Still if you hate the idea of having to return something, you may want to avoid this. Over 480 units have been sold from this listing so far.

Phones as DAPs: refurbished LG V20 for $230

From the “Phones as DAPs” department, especially if you want one for a big enough screen to watch music videos or music performances, eBay seller Guaranteeee Cellular is offering the seller refurbished LG V20 for $230 with free shipping and 30-day returns and a 60-day seller warranty.

It is available in two color schemes. This is the Verizon version with unlocked GSM. Check bands and such if you are planning to use it as a phone as well. Given the screen size and specs, you can also use it as an in-home/in-office mini-tablet.

Seller refurbished is a higher risk than manufacturer refurbished, as you rely on the seller to stand behind their work. That’s why the price is lower, so that’s a trade-off some are willing to make.

In addition to the praised DAC/Audio module, this has other music-playback friendly features, such as 64GB on-board plus microSD (up to 256GB), 4GB RAM, a previous generation flagship processor (so it won’t have problem using music/streaming apps for many years), 5.7-inch screen, etc.

PS: I have now began putting the “Phones as DAPs” under the Digital Audio Players category

Phones as DAPs: LG V30 (USA warranty, Unlocked) for $675

From the “Phones as DAPs” department, the well-regarded LG V30 is now on sale for $675 with free shipping, factory unlocked, with USA warranty at B&H Photo, a very reputable online and B&M dealer.

Of audio interest, in addition to the well-regarded DAC/amp, this has 4GB of RAM, 64GB of on-board storage, a Snapdragon 835, a microSD slot, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, 802.11ac, water/dust-proof, headphone jack, USB-C charging/connector, and more. All these means it will be able to keep up with music streaming apps for many years to come, and it has the latest Bluetooth version and fast Wifi.

Phones as DAPs: LG V30 for $540 with a 24-month Verizon Installment Plan

On the “Phones as DAPs” front, the current LG flagship, the new condition with USA warranty V30 phone with all its state of the art phone audio features has a special promotion until 12/13/17 at Verizon Wireless. If you purchase it with a 24-month installment plan, you will get a $300 off discount on its current price of $840. You will pay $540 for it, divided over 24 months, making it a $22.50/month installment. You own the phone at the end of the 24 months, this is not a confused Sprint lease plan 🙂 On approved credit and all that good stuff.

(ENDED) Friday’s Phones as DAPs: refurbished LG V10 for $135

This daily offer expired…

[Read more…]

[DEAD] Tuesday: refurbished LG Tone Pro HBS-780 Bluetooth Neckband Earphones for $20 w/free S&H

This offer is over too…

[Read more…]

Pre-order LG G6+ with Quad DAC and QuadPlay headphones for $500 [Amazon Prime Lockscreen Ads version]

From the “Phones as DAPs” department, Amazon is now accepting pre-orders for the new condition LG G6+ 128GB smartphone with the quad-DAC and QuadPlay headphones [included in the box] for $500. This is the Prime Exclusive with Lockscreen Offers and Ads version, so keep that in mind.

The regular LG G6, which is also getting its own Lockscreen version for $400, does not have the Quad-DAC.

These are expected to ship November 9 in 2017, and they are available for purchase for Prime members only.

If you are not a Prime member, or not logged on to your Prime account, you will see a different offer – the LG G6+ will be $800 and it will encourage you to sign up for Prime. After you become a paying Prime member, you will receive a $300 Amazon Gift Card, making it a $500 phone when you factor in the $300 gift card.

Phones as DAPs: LG V20 Unlocked with Motorola Pulse BT Over-Ears for $310

On the “Phones as DAPs” front, with the LG V30 slowly rolling out, the prices of the LG V20 are rolling down. At the moment, NewEgg actual is offering the new condition unlocked LG V20, the AT&T version, model H910A, along with a FREE Motorola Pulse bluetooth 4.1 over-ear headphone (goes for $40 on its own), together for $310 with free shipping.

Of DAP interest, the V20 has the quad-DAC, microSD slot, and removeable battery.

[DEAD] Phones as DAPs: refurbished LG V10 for $145

This daily deal expired, but Woot’s offers often keep coming back in future daily deals or Woot-OFFs or Leftover deals…

[Read more…]

[DEAD] Phones as DAPs: LG V20 (unlocked AT&T) for $303

As of 9/30/17 recheck, the price increased to $330…

[Read more…]

Phones as DAPs: certified refurbished LG V10 for $180, refurb LG V20 for $290, or NEW for $390

The LG V30 was just announced, with a price expected to be somewhere between the Galaxy S8+ and the Note 8. But if you want a smartphone with some quality audio and don’t need to have the latest and greatest model, the previous generations of the LG V-series are dropping in price as follows:

+ certified refurbished LG V10 (Unlocked T-Mobile model) for $180 by marketplace seller with the order fulfilled by Amazon (Prime eligible)

+ certified refurbished LG V20 (T-Mobile) for $290

+ new condition, USA model with USA warranty LG V30 (Titan Grey) for $390

Why Use a Smartphone as a DAP

We call using smartphones as digital audio players PADs (Phones As DAPs). You can get something like a Fiio X1 [text unboxing here] for under $100, so why would you need a smartphone?

One reason is because you want to use music subscription services, and phones are better at running Android apps than the few DAPs that are running GooglePLAY Android.

Another reason is because you also want to use the smartphone as a phone, or use it for various other purposes, eg as a media remote control at home, a bedtime Wifi device (so you don’t eat up your daily driver phone’s battery or sleep with an AC charging cable next to your head), and so forth…

More on this in a future post.

What is Amazon’s Certified Refurbished?

On Amazon, “Certified Refurbished”, when indicated so on the product listing, is a program run by Amazon that offers refurbished products that include a minimum 90-day warranty, and a charger or cable (that may or may not be original). More details at the Certified Refurbished Home page.

Amazon only allows some sellers to participate in this, so in theory, you would have more leverage in case of warranty issues, because if a seller is playing games with you, you can call Amazon’s customer service and complain, and if they are caught mistreating customers, they can lose their status in the “certified refurbished” program, or even get booted off the program.

[DEAD] Tuesday: Phones as DAPs: refurbished LG V20 for $285 [or $400 NEW]

These Tuesday offers expired…

[Read more…]

[DEAD] Monday (Phones as DAPs): LG V20 for $400 [unlocked, USA]

This limited time sale expired…

[Read more…]

Phones as DAPs: LG V20 for $500 (Factory Unlocked, USA warranty)

If you want to get the LG V20 but don’t want to be hogtied to a cellular carrier and don’t want to risk buying used or seller-refurbished on eBay, there’s another option, you can get the 64GB LG V20 in new condition, in the titan color scheme, factory unlocked and with LG USA warranty for $500 at B&H Photo. It comes with a 30-day return policy as well.

This being factory unlocked and able to work on GSM and CDMA networks, it will likely fetch a price if/when you decide to sell it later on. Only a small percentage of smartphones out there are “all-carrier phones”.

Of headphone/music interest of course is the Quad DAC, 64GB on-board storage, microSD slot, 4GB RAM so you can run various music apps, nice screen for music videos (eg YouTube Music app), removable battery, Android 7, etc.

Phones as DAPs: LG V20 (LS997, Sprint Locked) for $300

On the “Phones as DAPs” front, for the more adventurous shoppers, eBay Seller “Cellular Stream” (98.2%, Lincolnshire), is offering “New – Other” condition of the Sprint-locked LG V20 smartphone, model LS997, for $300 with free shipping. Limit up to five per buyer.

Cellular-wise, you can only use it on Sprint and any of the Sprint-approved MVNOs (Ting, FreedomPOP, etC). It is LOCKED to Sprint. It comes with a 30-day warranty from the seller, no LG warranty. The LS997 is the Sprint-designated model (see Tech Walls or use your favorite search engine).

Per the listing, you get the phone, the battery, the OEM LG charger, and a USB-C cable. No original box, nothing else included. The listing promises a Clean ESN.

If you are planning to use it strictly as a Wifi-only DAP and Media Player (5.7″ screen and microSD card along with 64GB on-board storage and 4GB RAM), then the cellular part is not as important. However, this being Sprint-locked, it means (other things equal) that if you decide to sell it in the future, it will fetch less than a GSM-unlocked model would.

Also, since you are only getting a 30-day seller warranty, this increases the risk. All of these factors, along with the seller’s feedback score, contribute to this being offered for $300 instead of a lot more.

If any of the above does not make you comfortable, DO NOT BUY!