Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee for $139 w/FS

For a limited time only, Massdrop is offering the new condition wired open-back over-ear Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee for $139 with free US shipping. They currently offer free standard US shipping on orders of $99+.

As to which Sennheiser to get, and/or which open back to get, there are hundreds upon hundreds of threads and blogs and vlogs and videos on the interwebs 🙂

Sennheiser HD 650 for $250

One could write a small book trying to sort out the various Sennheiser open-back over-ear headphones. IF of ALL the options out there you have settled on the wired open-back over-ear HD 650, it is currently, for a limited time, on sale for $250 at B&H Photo thanks to an automatic “add to cart” type of a discount.

Speaking of B&H and Sennheiser, a number of other Sennheisers are on sale as well, including the HD 560S going for $150 (same price at Amazon as well).

Black Friday Doorbusters at Massdrop: HD58X for $129, HE4XX for $149, Etc

Black Friday daily Doorbusters have arrived at the Massdrop website and swimming in the sea of mechanical keyboards we have some HEADPHONES:

+ open-back over-ear wired Sennheiser HD 58x Jubilee for $129

+ Drop + Hifiman HE4XX planar magnetics for $149

+ Drop + EPOS H3X gaming headset for $45

+ site-wide bonus rewards depending on the purchase amount, eg $250+ gets $25 rewards, $500+ gets $50, $750+ gets $100
+ this is not a percentage, it is a tier/threshold type of thing

+ new doorbusters added daily at 9am pacific until Cyber Monday

Sennheiser HD 650 for $250 [limited time offer]

It’s a Feast Of Choices in open-back Sennheiser headphones these days. If of all the choices out there you have settled on the HD 650, good until Saturday 11/18/23 at 11:59pm eastern (or earlier if sold out), B&H Photo is offering the new condition wired open-back over-ear Sennheiser HD 650 headphones for $250 after an “add to cart” type of an instant coupon (no need to type anything in).

Note that B&H observes the Sabbath, so online ordering is paused between Friday PM and Saturday PM – check their website for the exact times.

Refurbished Philips X3 open-back for $80 [no balanced cable]

These are open to all customers, they are not part of the Prime Deals!

If you don’t need the balanced cable and you are comfortable with refurbished headphones, the open-back over-ear wired Philips Fidelio X3 is offered for $80 by PhotoTech on Amazon. Per the customer reviews there, the balanced cable is NOT included in the refurbished package, even though the listing says it is included!

IF you want the balanced cable, the new condition Philips X3 is offered by Amazon actual for $140.

OR you can get the Philips SHP-9600 that hovers around $70 (depending on seller) in new condition OR around $50 as refurbished

Massdrop Coupon: $20 off $100+ gets you HE-R7DX for $79, HD-58X for $130, HD-6xx for $180, HD-560S for $200

Oh dear, we have fallen behind on our postings! But we have a round-up type of a post today!

First up, the Massdrop website has launched a $20 off coupon on orders of $100+, coupon code WHATSYOURMAJOR entered over there. This runs until 8/27/23.

This drops [no pun intended, really!] the HD-6XX to $180, the HD-58X Jubilee to $130, the HD-560S to $200, the HE-R7DX closed to $79 (if you buy something else that costs $1+ to get the pre-coupon order total to $100+) and so on.

The aforementioned headphones are all listed and featured in the coupon promotional page.

There’s other headphones as well, along with earphones, DAC/amps, headphonalia accessories, keyboardalia of course, and such. Remember, if you want accessories that cost under $100 each, you can still use the coupon code if your order total is over $100, eg multiple units of the same accessory, or different accessories, or accessories + headphone or keyboard, and such. Any combination that gets your order total to $100+ in eligible items!

Monoprice coupon ends today!
Monoprice too is running a limited time coupon code on select audio products (those listed in the aforelinked promotional page), use BIG30 to get 30% off on orders of $50+. Coupon ends 8/17/23 at 11:59pm pacific.

OOPS, I just realized I posted this coupon earlier in August 🙂

As usual, their shopping cart decides on which products quality. The listed products include some of their bluetooth headphones, Monolith DAC/amps, the M1070C planars, and such.

Monolith Speakers sale
A separate promotion, for a limited time, kinda their deals of the day/week or so, they have three Monolith speakers on sale, with the all-important free standard US shipping, because unlike headphones, speakers weigh more than a few grams 🙂

+ Monolith Encore T5 Tower Speaker for $90
+ one speaker

+ Monolith Encore B5 Bookshelf Speaker for $50
+ one speaker

+ Monolith Audition T4 Tower Speaker for $130
+ one speaker

Philips X3 Open Over-Ears for $140

This offer is open to all Amazon customers! A 3rd-party seller (Phototech) is offering the new condition wired open-back over-ears Philips Fidelio X3 for $140 with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so Prime members get free 2-day shipping.

Amazon’s own price is higher. Phototech is a frequent seller of the Fidelio line.

As to which one of the Fidelio X-series headphones to get, or whether to get them, well, head on over to your favorite headphoolia websites, forums, blogs and vlogs for never-ending discussions 🙂

Prime Day 2023 is here with surprise Sennheiser hot offers!

Prime Day 2023 is here and there are five pages of Headphone deals including the usual suspects of popular with consumer options like Bose, Beats, Sony, AirPods and such.

But the big surprise of the day is a Big Sennheiser SALE including:

+ open over-ear HD 560S for $150

+ open over-ear HD 600 for $283~

+ open over-ear HD 660 S2 for $400

+ open over-ear HD 599 SE for $80

+ closed over-ear HD 450 SE Bluebooths for $80

+ also various truly-wireless and a couple of RF-series TV headphones

+ IE 200 In-Ears for $100

+ to purchase most of the offers above, you must be a Prime Member, thus the Prime Day name
+ if you want to buy any of these offers, fear not, you can jump in and buy anything you want as long as you start a 30-DAY free TRIAL of Prime!

Hifiman HE6se V2 for $599

Planar time again, of the open-back variety. As of the time of writing Adorama is offering the new condition wired open-back over-ear planar-magnetic Hifiman HE6se V2 for $599. You can also get it at this price by Adorama thru Amazon

Sennheiser HD 599 Open Over-Ears for $116

While the hype machine is revving up for the new HD 660 S2 [see our in-stock alert], Sennheiser is also quietly giving practical discounts on some of its other open-back headphones. Case in point, the new condition HD 599 over-ears in the ivory color-scheme is going for almost $116 at Amazon by Amazon actual, with up to three per customer.

It looks like this may be a price-match of a marketplace seller, but that’s just my speculation…

Now shipping: Sennheiser HD 660 S2

Hide your e-wallets! IF you cannot wait to get your head and hands and ears on this, the highly anticipated Sennheiser HD 660 S2 open-back over-ears wired headphone is here, at the early adopter price of $600 AND more importantly it is currently in-stock and shipping at its starting price of $600 at Amazon and at B&H Photo

Why this and why at this price over the many other options out there? This question has been answered, is currently being answered, and will also be getting answered in the future, just check your favorite audio forums, blogs, YouTubes and social media!

Sennheiser HD 560 S Open Over-Ears for $146

Speaking of the Sennheiser open-backs, let’s revisit them, if it’s the HD 560 S the one you want, it is currently going for $146 by a trio of sellers at the Amazon website, including Amazon herself and World Wide Stereo.

Sennheiser HD 650 Open Over-Ears for $299

IF of all the Sennheiser open-back headphones it is the HD 650 the one you want, in new condition, it is on sale for a limited time for $299 at Adorama as one of their daily deals…

Why this and not the other HD options from Sennheiser or from Hifiman or from any of the other makers? well, there many and more forum threads and comment sections discussing this ab eterno 🙂

AKG K612 PRO Open Over-Ears for $129

It looks like we have a sale and a price-match at the same time! The AKG K612 PRO open-back over-ear headphones are currently a daily deal sale for $129 at Adorama but at the same time, it looks like they may have been price-matched at Amazon as well.

There are countless open-back options in the market these days, and countless forum posts and countless YouTube videos to help you decide 🙂

PS: speaking of AKG, for a limited time, a 25% off clip-on coupon drops the price of the good old new condition AKG K240 studio headphones from $79 to $59~ at B&H Photo…

Philips X3 Open Over-Ears for $150

If of all the open-back dynamic over-ear headphones it is the Philips X3 the one you want, you can get it, in new condition, for a limited time, for $150 at the Amazon website, sold by marketplace seller PhotoTech and the order fulfilled by Amazon (eligible for the Prime shipping benefits).

Why this and not one of the many other open-back headphones? Well, that’s why headphone forums exist 🙂

Hifiman B-stock sale: HE400SE for $79, Sundara $209, Etc

The official Hifiman online store is having a B-Stock Clearance sale that ships to USA, EU, UK, and Canada. As of the time of writing, they have these offers:

+ HE-400-SE for $79

+ HE-4XX for $89

+ Sundara for $209

+ Edition XS for $399

+ Ananda Non-Stealth for $429

+ Ananda Stealth for $509

FURTHER DOWN that page, they have sales on new condition products, including the wired DEVA for $159, the EF-400 for $529, the wired HE-R9 for $249, and the wireless HE-R9 for $439.

EVEN FURTHER DOWN over there, they have open-box deals, 28 of them as of the time of writing…

Monolith Planar Headphones sale

Santa is a …Monolith and it’s bringing a Monolith headphone sale at the Monoprice website that among others includes:

+ M565C planar closed over-ears for $160

+ M570 planar open over-ears for $180

+ M1060 planar open over-ears for $240

+ M1060C planar closed over-ear for $250

+ M1070 open or M1070C planar over-ears for $280 each

+ M1570 open or M1570C planar over-ears for $380 each

+ Monolith AMT headphone for $700

+ five DAC/amps of the Liquid, Cavalli and THX kind

+ speakers and subwoofers as well

+ this is a limited time sale
+ I do not know the expiration date

Sennheiser BF sale includes HD 560S for $150

The Sennheiser sale at Amazon includes many well-known non-Massdrop Sennheiser headphones, from the consumer and Momentum but also the open-back tiers! Among them you can find the plushy earpad HD-400S for $50, the open-back HD 599 SE for $90, some bluetooths, some earphones and TWs and also *drum roll* the open-back HD 560S for $150…

You can also find the HD560S for $150 at other authorized dealers such as B&H Photo and also at Adorama

Philips Open-Back Sales (multilpe options)

Partaking in the Black Friday festivities is Philips with some of their open-back headphones at the Amazon website. Prices are as of the time of writing of this blog-post, and as always (and as with everything in life), they are subject to change at any time and for any reason 🙂

+ three models on the same listing:
++ SHP-9500 for $63~
++ SHP-9600MB for $75
++ SHP-9600 for $85

+ Fidelio X2HR for $125
+ on the same listing, Fidelio L2 for $64

+ renewed Fidelio X3 for $105 by marketplace seller (not Amazon proper) for $105
+ customer reviews say this renewed option does NOT include the balanced cable

+ new condition Fidelio X3 from the usual suspects (“Phototech”) for $155
+ “USED – Like New” from “Phototech” direct for $100

This last one is not open-back, but I didn’t want to create a separate post for it, it’s the new condition Fidelio L3 ANC/BT over-ears going for $150.

Koss KPH40X Utility Open On-Ears drop to $35

If you haven’t been keeping up, the KPH30i is now passe and there’s a new trendy Koss model with a higher model number 😉

Joking aside, the new condition KPH40X Utility lightweight Koss x Massdrop on-ears is on sale for $35 at the Massdrop website. This will ship in early December 2022 (it is not an in-stock drop).

What separates this from most headphones is the Koss “Utility Port” that works with 3.5mm or USB-C or Lightning cables (made by Koss). A 3.5mm cable is included in the package, along with three pairs of earpads (each set a different color).

Monday: refurbished Philips X3 Open Over-Ears for $100

Good until Monday 11/7/22 at 11:59pm central time (or earlier if sold out) there’s a Philips Audio sale at Woot that includes, surprise-surprise, the factory reconditioned open-back over-ear wired Philips Fidelio X3 for $100 plus flat shipping (or free S&H for Prime members). It comes with a 90-day Woot warranty. Up to three pairs per customer.

If you are reading this in the future after the sale expired, and this hasn’t sold out, chances are it will be cycled/recycled in various other Woot Plus or daily deals until it is eventually depleted…

Massdrop launched their own Prime deals (HD-8XX for $899, Etc)

Not to be outdone by Amazonia, Massdrop has launched their own Prime deals which include, among others:

+ Sennheiser HD-6XX for $219
+ yes, you could have had this for $199 pre-COVID, but unless you have a time-machine…

+ Sennheiser HD-8XX for $899

+ HELM AUDIO DB12 AAAMP THX AMP for $99
+ because a simple dongle is for the plebs!

+ Audio Technica AD-500X open over-ears for $69
+ yes, there are other open-back options under $100, it’s not just Sennheiser, Philips and Grado

+ SMSL SH-8s amplifier for $130

+ BeyerDee MMX 300 Premium gaming headset for $229

+ lots of keyboard-y things

+ find them all at the Massdrop Prime deals

Koss Porta PRO X down to $29 [and IN-STOCK]

The headphone hobby can be prohibitively expensive for many people, but there are exceptions! One such exception is right here right now! The Massdrop variant of the Koss Porta PRO, the “X”, the old-school retro open-back on-ears is back in-stock at Massdrop and it’s on sale for $29! With the legendary KOSS limited lifetime warranty!

Shipping is free with orders over $125. Five of these can get you to free shipping. Give them as gifts, trade them, keep an extra pair for work, and so on!

These are an “in-stock drop”, so they ship in two business days after purchase. It’s not the “legendary” Massdrop long wait!

I have this but I haven’t prepared the unboxing post yet. I haven’t posted a headphone unboxing in two years. I’m a very productive audiophool blogger 🙂

Refurbished Massdrop x FOCAL Elex for $499 [CAUTION]

This is a deal but with a caution alert as well!

Massdrop is offering refurbished B-stock Massdrop x FOCAL ELEX wired open-back over-ears for $499 with free US shipping. You get a 30-day return window but NO warranty. This is an in-stock drop, so it will ship quickly.

CAUTION however, three of the four published customer reviews over there are complaining of “Ear Cup Death”. Two of the three within 2 days, one on day #28.

So if the price tempts you, research it further in the massdrop forums and other audiophile places. If you hate having to return a product because of problems (and return it in a timely manner because of the 30-day return window), or having to argue with customer service in case they stonewall, you may want to AVOID it!

Thursday: BeyerDynamic DT990 PRO X for $249

The new Beyerdynamics are shyly making their way to the NewEGG daily deals! Good until 9/15/22 at 11:59pm pacific time, or earlier if sold out, you can have the new condition wired open-back over-ear Beyerdynamic DT900 PRO X headphones for $249 with free US shipping. This is sold and shipped by NewEGG actual…

AKG K612 for $110, K240 II for $69, K371 in Bundle

It’s AKG time at the current round of Adorama daily deals running up until Sunday 8/28/22 at 10am ET:

+ AKG K612 PRO for $110

+ AKG K240 mk II for $69

+ AKG Podcaster Essential kit that includes the Lyra USB microphone and K371 headphones for $189

+ AKG P420 microphone for $130
+ interesting model number 😉

Hifiman HE-X4 Planar Open Over-Ears for $89

Yes indeed! Not only can you get this pair of open-back headphones for under $100, it is also a planar-magnetic headphone, a lower cost way to try planar for the first time without breaking the bank or committing capital and dealing with selling it later!

For a limited time, Massdrop is offering the new condition wired open-back over-ear Hifiman HE-X4 planar magnetics for $89 plus shipping. Shipping is free if your order total is $100+.

They come with a 30-day no-questions-asked return policy. There is no mention of warranty in the listing.

This is an in-stock drop, so they will ship approximately two business days after purchase. It’s not one of those “patience in a virtue” Massdrop deals 🙂

Monoprice Planars: M565C for $175, M1060 for $240

If you page-down and down to the “Audio” section of the latest Monoprice End of Summer sale you will find some headphone-related products on sale:

  • M565C wired closed over-ear planars for $175
  • M1060 wired open over-ear planars for $240
  • Liquid Spark Headphone Amplifier by Alex Cavalli for $100
  • 3.5mm Onyx cables and Premium RCA cables

I do not know when the sale ends…

Friday: Beyernamic Amiron Home open over-ears for $320

The NewEgg daily deals have lost interest in the good old Beyerdynamic DT 7-8-9 series, and they are now focusing on other options. Such as this offer, running until Friday 7/29/22 at 11:59pm pacific time, sold and shipped by NewEGG actual (not marketplace sellers), it is the new condition wired open-back over-ear Beyerdynamic Amiron Home going for $320 with free US shipping.

No coupon, no mail-in rebate. Up to five per customer at the sale price.

UPDATE: also among the Friday daily deals, this time at Amazon’s Kindle daily deals, they offer the “Leonard Cohen: The Mystical Roots of Genius” by Harry Freedman in the kindle version for $2.

This is 258 pages, October 2021, by Bloomsbury Continuum (sounds like a Star Trek thing but it’s actually the publisher!). As of the time of writing it averages 4.7 out of 5 based on 127 ratings…

Sun: Beyerdynamic Amiron Home open over-ears for $296

Good until 7/24/22 at 11:59pm pacific time, NewEgg actual is offering the new condition wired open-back over-ear Beyerdynamic Amiron Home for $296 with free US shipping. Up to five pairs per customer at the sale price. No coupon code this time around.

Audio Technica AD-500X Open Over-Ears for $69

It may feel like there are few options [and there are certainly a lot fewer compared to closed-backs] but you do actually have a handful of options for wired open-back over-ear headphones under $100.

Case in point this limited time promotion at Massdrop, they are offering the new condition wired Audio Technica AD-500X Open Over-Ears for $69. Shipping is free with orders of $100+

There is no mention of warranty in the listing.

Note that this is estimated to ship at the end of August 2022.

Philips SHP-9600 Open Over-Ears for $68 [Prime]

You have another option for under $100 open-back wired over-ear headphones that is also on sale as part of the Prime 2022 festivities, it is the Philips SHP-9600, a follow-up to the now legendary SHP-9500 [we have a text and pictures unboxing of it here, five years ago!)…

Speaking of Philips open-back, their Fidelio X3 is also on sale as part of the Prime festivities for $135 with free US shipping…

Sennheiser HD 599 SE Open Over-Ears for $100 [Prime]

Want to try out the Sennheiser open-back sound but stay under triple figures? If you are a Prime member, Amazon is offering as part of the Prime Days 2022 festivities the new condition wired open-back over-ears Sennheiser HD 599 SE (black) for $100 with free US shipping. One per customer during this promotion.

Speaking of Prime Deals, Amazon has three pages of headphone offers

Sennheiser HD-58X Jubilee for $149, HD-6XX for $199

Setting aside the philosophical question of “when prices go up, what is really a discount then?”, we have two of the much-discussed Sennheiser affordable wired open-back over-ears on sale at Massdrop!

We start with the biggest star of them all, the the HD-6XX headphone going “down” to $199 with free US shipping with a 2-year manufacturer warranty. Per the listing this is made in Romania. Thankfully it’s an “in-stock drop” so it should be in about two business day after your purchase/payment!

Same as above on the logistics and shipping is the “deputy” the HD-58X Jubilee dropping down to $149 with free US shipping and free returns.

You could even buy them both for about the price of a Bose/Beats/Sony ANC/BT hype headphone 🙂

Optionally Massdrop offers an optional 3-year Drop warranty with Accidental Coverage for +$40 and +$30 respectively.

Sennheiser HD 599 SE Black Open Over-Ears for $180

The ivory version of the Sennheiser HD 599 wired open-back over-ear is on general sale for $150 at authorized dealers such as B&H Photo BUT if you prefer the black Special Edition, it is on sale as part of the Prime Days festivities for $180 at Amazon by Amazon, up to three per customer at the sale price…