I thought I could stop saying it but I can’t help it. Fostex the People! The Fostex x Massdrop TH-X00 Purpleheart is back on at Massdrop going for $450 with free shipping, with three days left in the offer (from Cyber Monday). 450 units are available, so it looks like they won’t sell out barring any surges. This is expected to ship quickly, early-to-mid December 2016, and it will ship from Massdrop. This is a dynamic headphone.
Massdrop x AKG K7XX Red Edition for $200
If you missed it during its previous offerings, it is back, and with five days to go, the open-back over-ear Massdrop x AKG K7XX Red Edition is live again at the members-only retailer for its standard price of $200 with free shipping. Per the description, each unit is individually serialized, and this particular offer has a maximum of 1500 units. Only about 100 have been sold as of the time of writing, so you don’t have to rush if you are 50-50 on it. Shipping estimate is early-to-mid December 2017. Since it is in partnership with AKG, you get a 2-year AKG warranty.
PS: in case you missed the news, Harman (which owns AKG) was purchased by none other than Samsung, who is paying cold hard cash (probably not in trash bags though) for Harman. Samsung’s main interest in Harman is their automotive-related business, so fear not, a “Galaxy K702 Mega Edge Plus” is not coming out any time soon 🙂
Grace Design x Massdrop m9XX DAC/Amp for $500 [MD]
Dave Matthews may think the Grace is Gone, but Massdrop shoppers think otherwise, because the Grace Design x Massdrop m9XX DAC/Amp is now fully unlocked for $500 with free shipping, in early-to-mid December 2016. The offer is running for the next four days (from blog-posting date). This is another one of the Massdrop Signature “x” products.
Sennheiser HD 700 for $400 [MD]
If you can’t wait for future discounts, and if you don’t object to waiting until late December 2016 (or you assume you won’t be able to find a better deal by then), the open-back over-ear Sennheiser HD700 is now fully unlocked at members-only Massdrop for $400 with free shipping and a 2-year manufacturer warranty. Massdrop already launched an exclusive headphone with Sennheiser (the HD6xx), so one can assume it is safe to say that it’s safe to buy from them without worrying about warranty issues. The offer ends in about three days from Shop Small Saturday (today = 11/26/16).
The HD700 is between a rock and hard place strategically, squeezed now between the trio of HD6xx/HD600/HD650 and the duo of HD800/HD800S.
Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 for $400
I may have exceeded my lifetime quota of “Fostex the people” jokes, but the Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 is back on again at Massdrop going for $400 with free shipping with three days left in the offer (from Black Friday) with a reasonable early December 2016 shipment estimate. A total of 450 units are available, so theoretically it could sell out earlier.
Campfire Audio Lyra II IEMs for $500 [MD]
Massdrop is going …camping. The Campfire Audio Lyra II IEMs are fully unlocked for $500 with free shipping, with the order running for the next four days (from blog-posting date which is Black Friday). They have 50 units available for this promotion and they are expected to ship in mid-to-late December 2016. The purchases will be shipped by the vendor, not MD.
Massdrop x Noble X Universal IEMs for $250
Unlike the Sennheiser HD6xx, the Massdrop x Noble X Universal IEMs did not “break” Massdrop (MD). This drop (aka offer in MD-speak) is now live, you can get it for $250 with free shipping. The offer runs for the next 15 days (from Thanksgiving day), unless they run out. They have 2000 units available, with 590 purchased as of 11/24/16 AM. The limit is up to three per customer. Optionally during checkout you can get the Lightning cable for +$40 (yes, Apple tax).
NOTE: these will ship on MARCH 15, 2017 which is almost four months away!
MEE Matrix2 AF 62 Bluetooth for $58 [MD]
The price of these headphones has been all over the place, but it’s back on the discounting train at Massdrop where they are fully unlocked for $50 plus $8 flat shipping, with a mid-December shipment estimate, shipping from Massdrop to the buyers. There are two days left (from blog-posting date) on this offer. They play music via Bluetooth but they also have a 3.5mm input, and have a carrying case.
Hifiman HE 350 returns to Massdrop for $100
Hifiman may be better known for their planar magnetic adventures, but they also have dynamic headphones, and their $100 Massdrop exclusive HE-350 is back on at the members-only but free-to-join website, ready to buy for $100 with free shipping. The offer is running for the next ten days from blog-posting date, and will ship early-to-mid December 2016 from Massdrop.
VE Monk Plus Blue for $8 shipped [MD]
Party on Wayne! The VE Monks hype train is back at the station! A new offer is up and running at members-only Massdrop, it is a blue exclusive color scheme of the “VE Monk Plus” earbud going for $5 plus $3 flat shipping. These will ship late December 2016 from Massdrop.
But that’s not all. In the shopping cart, you have optional upgrade options, you can get one with a mic/remote (options are +$2 to +$5 depending on the number of buttons), and you can also get an accessories bundle for +$5.
These are true old-school earbuds, they sit outside your ears. I don’t have the blue color scheme, but I do have the red one, here’s the unboxing and here’s an on-going review diary.
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x for $283 [MD]
Another offer is now unlocked at Massdrop, the new condition open-back over-ear Audio-Technica ATH-R70x in their black color scheme are going for $275 plus $8~ flat shipping. They come with a 1-year warranty from Massdrop (not Audio Technica). They will ship in mid-December 2016, and the offer is running for the next eight days. Note that these are high impedance headphones, so make sure they fit your arsenal power-wise.
Amazon is not price-matching these, but some marketplace sellers at Amazon are bundling these with a variety of DACs/Amps and other accessories for $350. The DACs/Amps bundled with them are not necessarily ideal for these headphones, but if you have various headphones and music sources, then you can easily add the extra accessories to your rotation.
AKG M220 Semi-Open for $58 [MD]
It is back on again, the over-ear semi-open AKG M220 studio headphones (a newer take on the K240) is going for $50 plus $8 flat shipping at members-only Massdrop. This offer runs for the next seven days and will ship in mid-to-late December 2016.
Speaking of the K240, Cosmos-branded earpads for it are going for $6.50 per pair at amazon.com (Prime eligible; multiple options on same page, so be sure to filter reviews and put Q&A in context of correct model).
Speaking of AKG, their parent has a new parent! Samsung is explosively opening up their wallet (sorry, I couldn’t resist) to put down $8 billion to buy Harman (Kardon). Opening the wallet is not a figure of speech, they are paying $112 cash per share 🙂 Samsung’s primary explanation for the purchase is Harman’s automotive business. Not that that’s gonna stop a Samsung Galaxy Kardon Tiesto DJ 5000 Active Edge headphone from happening 🙂
AKG K553 Pro back at Massdrop for $120
It is back on again, with six days to go from blog-posting date, it is the new condition closed-back over-ear AKG K553 Pro offered for the very reasonable price of $120 with free shipping, with a 2-year AKG warranty at members-only but free to join Massdrop. This is not an exclusive model, but MD is one of the places that has it at this price. The shipping estimate is reasonable too, late November 2016, but keep in mind, things can slow down shipping-wise during the Thanksgiving week, a combo of the holiday and the Black Friday madness.
Massdrop x HiFiMAN RE-00 In-Ears for $35 w/free S&H
Back to Massdrop with a normal-speed sale, it is the new condition Massdrop x HiFiMAN RE-00 (another one of their co-branding projects) fully unlocked for $35 with free shipping. The offer runs for the next eight days (from blog-posting date) and will ship in late November 2016 by Massdrop actual.
Sennheiser HD 6xx SOLD OUT quickly at MD
Unfortunately I did not wake up early enough to witness the excitement when it went live at 9am Eastern (6am Pacific). Judging by the comments on the product page and the 4800+ comments on the page there, this was chaotic with their servers getting overwhelmed by the demand, and there were errors and issues. So if you weren’t there and then live, you may have saved yourself from a lot of frustration. It’s 11:13am ET, and it’s already sold-out. Judging by the comments, a lot of people were (re)introduced to the early 2000s internet shopping experience 🙂
Fanmusic E6 angled earphones for $39 [MD]
Another offer is fully unlocked at members-only Massdrop, it has four days to go (from blog-posting date), it is the short and stubby and angled Fanmusic E6 earphones going for $35 plus $4~ flat shipping. It comes with a typical assortment of earphone accessories, and you have two color choices when you go through the ordering process. Shipment is estimated to be early December 2016, handled by MD themselves.
Speaking of which, the Fire S Audio Headphone Stand is fully unlocked at $35 plus $8~ flat shipping. This runs for the next six days and will ship pre-assembled in mid-to-late November 2016. The pre-assembled part perhaps explains the higher shipping fee, since it takes up more space and needs more packaging protection.
SMSL M3 USB DAC/Amp for $69 [MD]
Straddling both portable and desktop use, the SMSL M3 USB DAC/Amp is unlocked at members-only but free-to-join Massdrop for $65 plus $4~ flat shipping. Despite the small size, it offers various input and output and power options, and it also has sampling rate lights (options range from 44 to 192). Check reviews and forums for more details. This runs from the next four days (from blog-posting date) and is estimated to ship early December 2016. Note that the headphone out is 1/4″, not 1/8″, but an adapter is included (and if you are reading this post, you probably have a drawer full of 1/4″ to 1/8″ adapters).
E-MU Wood-Choice Headphones w/removable cable for $515 to $535 [MD]
Tomorrow at 9am ET is decision day if you are interested in the previously mentioned Sennheiser HD 6XX Massdrop offer, but you have more decisions to make until then. It’s wood time and it’s unlocked, the E-MU Teak Headphones with a Removable Cable are going for $500 plus $15~ flat shipping. You have a choice of wood (teak, rosewood) or you can go ebony for an extra $20. There are 200 units available for the drop, which is 55% sold as of the time of writing.
The offer is running for the next four days (from blog-posting date), and comes with a 1-year Massdrop warranty. Shipments will happen in late December 2016. This is based on familiar Fostex/Denon designs. Check forums and websites for more details on them.
MEE Audio IEMs Grab Bag for $9 shipped [MD]
While waiting and pondering whether to get the HD6xx next Tuesday, here’s a live offer at Massdrop, it is an MEE Audio (formerly MEE Electronics) grab bag, for $8 plus $1 flat shipping. You will randomly receive one pair out of four options with a $10 to $25 value. Limit two buys per member, with a total of 3000 units available. To further encourage shoppers, there are six milestone prizes that will get you a lot more expensive items instead of these earphones. The prizes include headphones and DAC/Amps, with prices ranging from $100 to $800. The offer is running for the next seven days (from blog-posting date) and will ship late November 2016.
Massdrop Bombshell: Sennheiser HD6xx for $200 starting on Tuesday
Massdrop dropped a bombshell today! They have their first Sennheiser exclusive deal, and it’s an audiophile level headphone, the HD 6xx, based on the current HD 650 with a detachable 6-foot cable. The drop will go live on November 8 at 9am eastern time. A total of 5000 units will be available, the first 500 of which will get sub-550 serial numbers. They are estimated to ship mid-December 2016. If interested, make sure all your account info at Massdrop is up to date (address, credit card, etc), so you can jump right in when it goes live on Tuesday 11/8/16. These are made in Ireland and come with a 2-year Sennheiser warranty.
What does it say about HD 650 prices?
This also raises an interesting question, considering that the current new condition of the HD 650 is $300+. Does this price mean Sennheiser has flexibility in bigger price drops for the HD 650, or is the nature of the Massdrop offer such that allows them to offer it for less because they don’t have to deal with the traditional retailer infrastructure?
Vsonic VSD3 IEM for $32 [MD]
If you are a fan of the Massdrop shopping style, they have the Vsonic VSD3 IEMs fully unlocked (= the lowest offer price during this promotion) for $29 plus $3 flat shipping. There are roughly seven days left in the offer (from blog-posting date), and orders will ship late November 2016. Massdrop itself provides a 1-year warranty. Multiple jello colors are available at checkout 🙂
Dekoni Earpads for M50X (and others ATs) for $22+ [MD]
The Audio Technica M50x/M50 are popular/hyped (two sides of the same coin?) enough they have their own cottage industry of accessories. Currently, and with seven days to go, the Dekoni earpads are fully unlocked at members-only Massdrop for $19 plus $3~ flat shipping for the Velour pads, and $13 MORE for the “Premium Memory Foam” model. These work on the new MX0x line-up (M50X down to M20X) along with the good old M50, and per the description over there, the Sony MDR-7506 too. They get a 1-year warranty from Massdrop, and are expected to ship in late November 2016.
Sennheiser IE 80 IEMs for $223 [MD]
The Sennheiser IE 80 IEMs are now fully unlocked at members-only Massdrop for $215 plus $8~ flat shipping, with eight days left in the offer, and a mid-November 2016 shipping estimate. Per the listing, these come with a 2-year Sennheiser warranty and will ship from Massdrop. Other well-known sellers have them for $250+ at the moment.
SMSL IDOL+ DAC/Amp for $35 [MD] or $40 now
Tiny USB DAC/amps continue to increase in popularity as more and more smartphones become the centerpiece of people’s digital lives. Or some market-research-mumbo-jumbo like that 🙂 Which brings us to the SMSL IDOL+ DAC/Amp, with a microUSB input and a 3.5mm output, going for $32 plus $3~ flat shipping at Massdrop with eight days left to go from today (= blog-posting date). It comes with both USB and an OTG cable and a 1-year warranty thru Massdrop. Shipping estimate is late November 2016.
If you don’t want to wait for that long, a marketplace seller has it for $40 at Amazon, and the order is fulfilled by Amazon, so if you are a Prime member you get it in about two days after you order.
AKG K181 DJ UE On-Ear DJ for $63 [MD]
Green Day may be trying to kill the DJ, but most headphone companies love DJs so much they make headphones for them 🙂 Which brings us to another offer that fully blossomed at Massdrop, it is the closed-back on-ear DJ-tagged AKG K181 DJ UE headphones going for $55 plus $8~ flat shipping. I round prices, that’s the “~”, because it’s easier to write and type $8 than $7.749583493234356 🙂 The offer is running for the next seven days and will ship shockingly-quickly by MD standards, early November 2016. They come with a 2-year AKG warranty service.
Hidizs AP60 DAP for $84 [MD] or $89
Someone needs to create a new game show, “Is it a DAP or Not?”. If someone told you there is a “Hidizs AP60” digital audio player would you believe them? Is it REAL or NOT? SPOILERS after this sentence…
Spoiler alert: YES, it is real, the Hidizs AP60 digital audio player is not only real but also fully unlocked at Massdrop for $80 plus $4~ flat shipping with eight days left to go in the offer (from blog-posting date). Three colors are available. It ships late November and comes with a 1-year warranty covered by Massdrop. Earbuds are included. I suppose the VE Monks made Earbuds Great Again 🙂
This plays multiple file formats up to DSD 128 and has Bluetooth 4.0 with Apt-X. Storage is via its microSD slot. In addition to being a DAP, you can also “connect it to your computer or phone as an external decoder” (the product description’s language).
If you want to get it slightly faster (but not that much faster), you can get it by Shenzhen Audio (shipping from Asia) for around $88 through NewEgg or Amazon. There are no shipping options from within the USA at the moment.
Thinksound ON1 Headphones for $128 [MD]
If you are a fan of wood-headphones, the Thinksound ON1 on-ears are back on offer at members-only Massdrop going for $$120 plus $8~ flat shipping. The offer runs for the next seven days (from today) and will ship in mid-November 2016. Only 40 units are available for this particular drop, so it may sell out before it expires. They come with a 2-year warranty.
Brainwavz IEM grab bag for $22 [MD]
If you like the semi-uncertainty of grab bag offers, the Brainwavz IEMs promotion is back at members-only Massdrop. You pay $20 plus $2 flat shipping and you are guaranteed to receive (randomly) one out four model. More than half of the people will receive the M5 (without mic). There is a limit of two per customer with a maximum of 550 units available for this promotion. There are also three over-ear headphones available if they reach certain units purchased goals. The offer runs for the next eight days (from today) and will ship around Thanksgiving 2016.
Massdrop x HiFiMAN RE-00 for $35 w/free S&H [MD]
The Hifiman – Massdrop party comes in pairs, also fully unlocked, but with seven days to go (from blog-posting date) are the RE-00 In-Ears going for $35 with free shipping. They will ship from Massdrop directly, with an early November estimate.
Massdrop x HiFiMAN HE-350 for $100 [MD]
It’s back on again! And it’s still $100. The Massdrop x HiFiMAN HE-350 headphones are fully unlocked over there, going for $100 with free shipping, with an early November 2016 shipment estimate. Shipments will arrive from Massdrop. There is no mention of warranty in the listing. There are eight days left in this offer (from blog-posting date here). The HE-350 is based on the HE-300 and it’s another one of Massdrop’s growing list of exclusive and custom headphones.
TFZ Series 5 IEMs for $64 [MD]
TFZ IEMs are slowly but steadily climbing The Hype Charts, and right now, a new Massdrop offer went fully unlocked (= lowest price during their offering). It is the TFZ Series 5 IEMs going for $60 plus $4~ flat shipping. The offer runs for the next seven days (from blog-posting date) and will ship in mid-November from MD. No mention of warranty in the listing.
Bonnaire MX-620 IEMs (bluetooth) for $52 [MD]
If you like to try under-the-radar IEM brands “before they were cool”, here comes another option fully unlocked at members-only Massdrop, it’s the Bonnaire MX-620 going for $48 plus $4~ flat shipping. There are two colors to pick from, and optionally for +$14 you can get a cable for wired usage. The warranty is covered by MD. They have seven days to go from blog-posting date (here), and will ship in mid-November 2016.
Dekoni Bulletz Earphone Tips for $16 [MD]
Comply is not the only name in the game. Massdrop has the Dekoni Bulletz Earphone Tips going for $13 plus $3~ flat shipping. This is the “fully unlocked” price of this offering. This is open for purchase for the next seven days and will ship in mid-November 2016. Two types are available to select at checkout. They will ship by the vendor with the warranty taken care of by Massdrop.
Colorfly C3 DAP for $50 [MD]
The “DAP undercurrent resurgence” (sounds like a good name for an essay post!) is not just happening at the high-end. Even the sub-$50 market is getting fresh DAPs, perhaps in the mini void left after Sandisk lost interest in preserving the “magic” of the Clip+.
To cut a long story short, good for the next eight days is the Colorfly C3 digital audio player going for $47 plus $3~ flat shipping at members-only Massdrop. This plays up to FLAC and WAV and has 8GB on-board storage but fear not, it also takes microSD cards up to 64GB. With card prices continuing to drop, this is thrifty way to go.
No warranty information is mentioned in the listing. Shipping estimate is mid-November 2016.
Massdrop recap: products with 2-5 days left
A few more items became fully unlocked at Massdrop, so to get things moving faster, here’s a round-up, with the days remaining being from the blog-post date:
- 2 days left: Kennerton Ikiz IEMs for $138 shipped
- 3 days left: Audeo PFE 232 IEMs for $407 shipped
- 3 days left: xDuoo TA-02 Tube Amp for $98 shipped
- 5 days left: FX Audio DAC-X6 for $70 shipped
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