30% off coupon on Monolith AMT, M1070(C) and M1570C Planars

A coupon promotion until 11//16/23 at the Monoprice website features an extra 30% off on orders of $50+ using coupon code EXTRA30 on select Monoprice audio products, headlined by some of their headphones:

+ AMT headphone drops to $700

+ Planars M1070 open-back and M1070C closed-back drop to $280

+ Planar M1570C closed-back drops to $420

+ a couple of other consumer headphones, various speakers, audio cables, stands, and speaker wire are among the other eligible items

Monoprice sale includes $1 wired mic/remote earphone [also: M1570C Planars for $420]

If you are wondering why I often post Monoprice deals is because they organize their offers in a simple way that is fast to post and fast to read/scan through to see if you are interested in anything 🙂

Which brings us to another limited time sale, a MEGA SALE (LOL) that starts with headphones, headlined by the wired closed-back planar-magnetic over-ear M1570C for $420 with free standard US shipping. Yes, a very special price 🙂

Move over Chi-Fi, here comes Mono-Fi! The sale also includes a $1 (actually $0.99) wired earphone with mic/remote even [free shipping on $39+ orders]. You can buy as many as you want. Yes, a fun stocking stuffer. Or the only gift for those who misbehaved during the year 😉 As of the time of writing it averages 4.4 out of 5 based on 274 customer reviews and it has a handful of answered questions as well.

I remember buying it a long time ago, but I recall nothing else.

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

Hifiman Week at Massdrop

Massdrop is celebrating Hifiman this week, and they are running special promotions on select Hifiman headphones including:

+ HE-R7DX closed for $79
+ HE-X4 planar for $100
+ HE-4XX planar for $159
+ HE-5XX planar for $179
+ Dekoni pads for HE-series for $35

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

Monoprice Monolith M1570 Open Over-Ear Balanced Planars for $450

Headlining the Labor Day 2022 headphone sale at the Monoprice website is a new-ish planar-magnetic balanced headphone of their own Monolith brand, it’s the new condition wired open-back over-ear balanced planar M1570 going for $450 with free standard US shipping.

Note that per the notice at the Monoprice website they are expanding their warehouse which may cause delays in shipments…

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…

Hifiman HE-X4 Planar Open Over-Ears for $99

Massdrop is having its own “Prime Day” and as part of their festivities they are offering the new condition open-back over-ear Drop Hifiman HE-X4 planar-magnetic headphones for $99.

NOTE that this is an old-school Massdrop offer in that it will take a while to ship. The shipping estimate is the end of September 2022, that’s 2.5 months from the time of writing of this post 🙂

Shipping is FREE for orders of $100+, so you may want to add some accessory or eartips or such to get to the free shipping…

Monoprice M1060 Open Over-Ear Planars for $230

A Dads-n-Grads sale at the Monoprice website also includes various audio-related products. Not just the obligatory electric guitars (because Grads and Dads), but there’s also a wired over-ear open-back planar magnetic headphone!

During the sale, the new condition Monoprice M1060 goes for $230 with free standard US shipping. Also available is store pickup for those in SoCAL.

Also part of the sale is the Liquid Spark by Cavalli headphone amp for $100…

PS: I do not know when this sale ends, but given the name of the sale, you can triangulate a general time frame 🙂

Ends Sun PM: Hifiman HE-X4 planars for $99

If you want to try planar-magnetic over-ears without breaking the bank or buying used, until Sunday 6/5/22 at 11:59pm pacific time, Massdrop is offering the new condition Hifiman HE-X4 planars (wired, open-back, over-ear) for $99 with free US returns. No mention of warranty in the listing.

The shipping estimate for this is mid-June 2022. It is not an in-stock drop, so it will ship in group-fashion at the designated date…

Hifiman HE-560 V4 Premium open-back over-ear planars for $299

We are posting like the good old days, its our fifth post in a row today, and as fate would have it, it’s another Hifiman sale, the HE-560 V4 Premium (Adorama exclusive) for $300 at Adorama directly or you can buy it by Adorama thru Amazon for the same price…

I’m not familiar with the latest happenings in the world of Hifiman, so do check with your favorite forums, websites and video-sites for details and recommendations.

One name that keeps popping up that happens to be at the same price of $299 is the Sundara open-back over-ear planars (eg Amazon)…

PS: global correction, just in case, if you see “oven back” on this blog, it’s just a typo for “open back” 🙂

PS2: yes, I am working on a new website, “Cooking for Audiophiles” and that’s where the term “oven back” comes from 😉 #FakeNews

Hifiman HE-400SE Planar Over-Ears for $109

Various well-known audio sellers at the Amazon website (including the official Hifiman Amazon store) are offering the new condition Hifiman HE-400SE planar-magnetic open-back over-ears for $109 with free US shipping. This is not a daily deal, so expiration date is unknown (to me)…

Check with your favorite audio websites, blogs, youtubes and forums for details and recommendations as there are many and more Hifiman options out there these days…

Sunday: HIFIMAN HE-400i planar over-ears for $200, Etc

An audio party is happening with a heavy headphone emphasis in another variant of the Woot random audio sale running until 5/1/22 at 10pm central time.

OF the 26 in-stock products, half of them are headphones including:

+ HIFIMAN HE-400i planar over-ears for $200

+ refurbished Sony WH-1000X M4 ANC/BT over-ears for $180
+ M3 for $160
+ come with a 1-year warranty from the refurbisher (not from Sony)

+ various Beats and Bose and Sony truly-wireless and bluetooth earphones

Meanwhile running until 5/2/22 at 10am ET, Adorama is offering the new condition Behringer U-PHORIA UM2 2×2 USB Audio Interface for $30…

Hifiman HE-4XX Planar Open Over-Ears for $149

If you want to give planar a try, for a limited time, as Audiophile Week sales are ending, Massdrop is offering their own co-collab, the wired open-back over-ear Hifiman HE-4XX planar magnetics for $149 with free US shipping and a 1-year manufacturer warranty.

Better yet, this will ship in late April, it is an “in-stock drop”, not a “patience is a virtue” drop 🙂

For more offerings, check their 10-Year Anniversary sale

Hifiman HE-X4 Planar Open-Back for $99

We have a “delayed gratification” deal alert! The complaint has always been that the options in under $100 open-back over-ear headphones are very few, and few-to-non-existent in planar magnetics.

Well, Massdrop x Hifiman are changing this right now. As part of their 10-year anniversary sale, for a limited time (ends by 4/25/22), they are offering the new condition wired open-back over-ear Hifiman HE-X4 planar-magnetics for $99. As of the time of writing, over 2500 units have been sold per the Massdrop website.

The “delayed gratification” part? Per the listing, this will ship in mid-June 2022. This being late April 2022, that’s almost two months from now. In a world of instant gratification, that’s a near eternity!

But if you can wait…

PS: there’s no mention of warranty in the listing. They accept returns within 30 days of delivery in new/unused condition.

Massdrop 10-Year April Anniversale (17 options)

Party on Wayne! It is April 20! And what a coincidence, Massdrop is having their 10-Year April Anniversale featuring 17 Massdrop-X co-branded headphones, three of which are IEMs and four are gaming headsets.

Of the audiophile over-ears, they have Dan Clark Aeons, Sennheiser HD-XXX options, Hifiman planars, and one each from Focal, BeyerDee and Senor Speakers (aka Mr Speakers)…

The IEMs are Noble, Grell and JVC…

This is a limited time offer…

PS: “anniversale” is a shortcut for “Anniversary Sale” 🙂

EU: Monoprice M1070 Planar Over-Ears for 240AC euro

If you are a fan of the Monoprice Monolith planar-magnetic headphones and you are in the European Union, you are in luck, because at Amazon Germany, the Monoprice GmbH online shop is offering a 30% off clip-on coupon (in Amazon-speaker they are called “vouchers”) on the new condition Monolith M1070 open over-ears.

As of the time of writing, the current price is 360 euro. Minus 30%, it is just over 240 euro, about 1/3rd of, a very generous coupon. It averages 4.3 out of 5 based on 50 global ratings.

Monolith Planar headphone sale ($300 to $400)

AS part of the Black Friday festivities, Monoprice is having a sale on their Monolith audio gear which includes four over-ear planar-magnetic headphones as follows:

  • M1070 open-back for $300
  • M1070C closed-back for $300
  • M1570 open-back for $400
  • M1570C closed-back for $300

At the same page above, there’s various Monolith powered speakers, subwoofers, tower speakers, bookshelf, etc…

If you are not fond of “magic cables”, there’s also a big Monoprice cable sale with prices starting at $1.50 (eg 1.5m mobile 3.5mm M/M gold-plated)… In addition to 3.5mm cables, there’s RCA, optical TOSLink, and adapters and such…

But that’s not all. They also have a general purpose Black Friday sale with many product categories, including a Portable Audio category that includes more of the consumer-tier headphones and earphones…

Used Hifiman HE-400SE Open Planars for $131

Organic and manufacturer hype trains come and go in the world of audiophoolia, sometimes you get bang for the buck, sometimes you are just getting something to keep up with the Zeoses 😉

If you are planar-curious, but don’t want to drop big money, the new Hifiman HE 400 SE seems to be generating its own hype wave. Its new condition price at various sellers is $150 but if you are fond of paying even less, or helping “cycle” used headphones in the market, as of the time of writing, used prices start at $131 (“Used – Good” condition) at the Amazon website. Look for the USED options on the right-hand side of the desktop website…

If you have trouble locating the USED segment in Amazon’s ever-so-expanding product pages, this particular link automatically opens up popup-style the USED listing…

I haven’t yet jumped on this bandwagon but the price is definitely right on these. Stay tuned because I already have a backlog of headphonalia for blog-reviewing 🙂

PS: if you prefer new condition, you can get it for $150 at Amazon (links above) and at NewEgg (from the Hifiman NewEgg store)

Hifiman HE-560 V4 Planar Over-Ears for $269

More action at Adorama, as part of their limited time audio sales they are offering the new condition Hifiman HE-560 V4 Planar Over-Ears for $269 with free US shipping and handling…

Check with your favorite audiophile-audiophool websites and forums and YouTubes to sort out the various Hifiman options and versions and issues. It’s at least one full-time job 🙂

For more deals, check Adorama’s 240+ audio products on sale including headphones and their accessories… I will be going through these and posting more deals, but I can’t go through them all on the spot – I wish I was a 16-core AI bot ~ instead I’m a birdbrain with a Celeron brain-CPU 🙂

Audeze iSine 10 Planar Earphones for $119 (B-Stock)

If you don’t mind buying “beef stock” (okay, B-Stock) headphones, for a limited time, Adorama is offering in B-Stock the Audeze iSine 10 planar earphones for $119 with free US shipping…

I’ll leave it to the forums to debate the minutia of categorizing these. Clip-Ons? In-Ears? Or just use the umbrella term Earphones like I just did? 🙂

Finally IN-STOCK: Drop + THX Panda for $399

It’s FINALLY in-stock! Ring the online bells! The Drop + THX Panda wireless over-ear closed-back headphones are, as of the time of writing, in-stock at the Massdrop website for $399 with free US shipping [discounted international shipping available] and free US returns, with a 2-year Drop International Warranty.

Better yet, this is estimated to ship in mid-December (based on the blog-posting date; obviously if you read this a week later, the estimated shipping date will be different)…

Optionally you can add a Drop Panda Boom Mic to your order for +$49.

As a quick refresher, this uses planar-ribbon drives, supports LDAC, apt-X HD and Adaptive, AAC, SBC of course [the lowest common bluetooth denominator these days and the ones to be avoided by audiophiles of course], bluetooth 5.0, 10-minute quick charge for 3 hour battery time, 375g weight, IPX 6, USB-C charging [finally the headphone companies are waking up], and carrying case.

Plenty has already been written about it, the internet and forum search buttons are your friends 🙂

Here’s the Drop “Hype video” (about as long as most of today’s hit singles):

Hifiman HE-5XX Planar Magnetics for $220 [MD]

Planar time once again at Massdrop, Deputy Ambassadors of the Planar Republic 🙂

They are currently offering, as an in-stock drop (meaning it ships within a couple of business days from purchase), the new condition open-back over-ear wired Hifiman 5XX planar-magnetics, a Massdrop x Hifiman collaboration, for $220 with free US shipping and free US returns (discounted international shipping as well) with a 1-year manufacturer warranty…

This is the sixth Hifiman x Massdrop collaboration… Optionally you can purchase a 3-year MassDrop extended warranty for +$30. The extended warranty is US only…

DARKVOICE 336SE OTL headphone amp for $200 [MD]

Among the Cyber Monday promotions at Massdrop there’s an OTL headphone amp, the new condition DARKVOICE 336SE OTL going for $200 with your choice of 110V or 220V. This will ship in early January 2021, so keep that mind if you are looking for holiday season gifts. There is no mention of warranty in the listing…

Speaking of Massdrop, they have a Gaming Value Meal of the non-edible kind. If you start with the Drop ENTR mechanical keyboard page and from there you add the Sennheiser PC-37X gaming headset, and proceed to the shopping cart their total price will drop from $180 ($90 each) to $150. A combined purchase discount. No coupon is needed, this happens automatically during this limited time promotion…

Another one of their offers if you are interested in Mr Dan Clark Audio (DCA) ear-speakers (ha!). They are offering the new condition Drop + DCA AEON open X headphones of the V-Planar magnetic kind for $450 with free US shipping and free US returns. This is an in-stock drop, it will ship in a couple of business days… Optionally you can add a 3-year Drop extended warranty for +$40…

Hifiman HE-4XX Planars drop to $120

If you’ve been planar-curious but haven’t taken the jump in yet, here’s a lower risk price! Massdrop has dropped the price of the new condition wired open-back over-ear Hifiman HE-4XX planar magnetics to $120 with free US shipping and free US returns with a 1-year manufacturer warranty. My Oh My! These will ship in early December 2020.

You have an option to add a 3-year Drop warranty with accidental coverage for +$20, US buyers only. Normally I avoid optional $warranties$, but this is Hifiman 🙂 They average 4.4 out of 5 based on 1414 customer reviews over there, but do take a look at the 1-star reviews, thus mayhaps the $20 3-year Drop warranty is not a bad idea?

Audeze iSine 20 Planar In-Ears for $229

Good until Friday 11/27/20 at 10am eastern time (or before that if it sells out), as one of their deals du jour, Adorama is offering the new condition Audeze iSine 20 planar in-ears for $229 with free US shipping and handling. You also earn 1% store rewards on the purchase (to be used in future purchases)…

This is B-stock but per the listing it still comes with a 3-year Audeze warranty…

Monolith Black Friday sale at Monoprice

Monoprice’s Monolith high-end audio brand is having its Black Friday sale as well. This includes speakers and subwoofers, but when you further page down over there you will find their headphone offerings. A total of eight products are on offer, five headphones and three DAC/amps!

Planar Open-Back Over Ears
+ M570 for $200
+ M1070 for $300
+ M1570 for $400
+ staircase prices in full octaves 🙂

Earphones
+ M350 planar earphones for $90
+ M-TWE truly-wireless for $100

DAC/amps
+ Monolith USB DAC for $70
+ Monolith THX AAA Balanced Headphone Amplifier for $330
+ Monolith Liquid Platinum Balanced Headphone Amplifier by Alex Cavalli for $400

Hifiman HE-4XX Planars drop to $160

Massdrop is back with more Black Friday 2020 offers, headlined by the new condition Hifiman HE-4XX planar-magnetic open-back over-ear wired headphones going for $160 with free US shipping and free returns. International shipping is discounted but not free. It comes with a 1-year warranty but optionally those in the US can add for an extra $20 a 3-year Massdrop warranty with accidental coverage.

This is not an in-stock drop. Shipping is estimated to begin in early December 2020.

Seven Days Left: Hifiman HE-5XX Planars for $220

One of the Hype Headphones du jour at the moment is the open-back over-ear Hifiman HE-5XX planar-magnetic headphones and their listing at Massdrop has seven more days [as of the time of writing of this blog-post] before they begin shipping. They are currently in pre-order status. If you want to be among the first to have them on your non-planar head, you have seven days to decide!

They currently go for $220 with free US shipping and free US returns. International shoppers get discounted shipping and they have a 30-day return option, but the shipping cost on the return is on the shopper, not on Massdrop.

They come with a 1-year manufacturer warranty. They are, as the name hints at, based on the Hifiman HE-500 series…

Hype, Hype, Hype!!! 😉

Hifiman HE-4XX Planar Open Over-Ears drop to $160

If you want to try out this “planar type” which has shown to have staying power, for a limited time Massdrop has dropped the price of the open-back over-ear HifiMan HE-4XX planars to $160 with free US shipping and free US returns. International shipping is discounted but not free (depending on location, situation, COVIDalia, etc)…

Also for a limited time, an open over-ear but dynamic headphone is on sale at Massdrop, the Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee are going for $150 with free US shipping and returns.

Both of these headphones are in-stock and ready to ship. Their current shipping estimate is around two business days from ordering time. No long waits for them to be made by the Audiophool Elves and Dwarves under the Magical Mystical Audio Mountain 😉

Monoprice Headphone Sale includes Planars and DACs

Monoprice continues to march on with their headphone products and as such, they are having a limited-time headphone and earphone sale that features a soccer team [= eleven] products as follows:

+ Closed-Back Planar Magnetics: M565C for $175, M1060C for $270

+ Modern Retro closed over-ears for $23
+ may remind you heavily of Samson/Superlux 🙂
+ I have here a text and pictures unboxing of their semi-open cousin 🙂

+ Quintet (2 dynamic, 3 BA) wired in-ears for $50

+ two truly-wireless ($60 each) and two bluetooth over-ears ($34 and $60 each)

+ Monolith portable headphone DAC/amp with THX AAA for $270

+ Monolith balanced headphone amp for $375

+ Monolith desktop balanced DAC/amp for $450

And that’s it 🙂

Drop + MrSpeakers Ether CX Closed V-Planar Over-Ears for $750

Massdrop is back with another Xclusive offering, this time around their co-operation is with Mr Speakers (aka Dan Clark Audio), and for $750 with free US shipping you can get the new condition closed-back over-ear DROP + MRSPEAKERS ETHER CX headphones which are not just planar but “accordion” V-planars!

They come with a 2-year warranty and being an “in-stock drop”, it ships within a couple of business days after purchase. It’s not one of those long-shipping offers…

Optionally in the shopping cart you can buy it together Drop + THX AAAâ„¢ 789 Linear Amplifier for a $25 off combined purchase discount, making the THX a +$375 on your order total (instead of +$400 if purchased separately)…

Hifiman HE-4XX Planar Open Over-Ears for $145 [MD]

IF you are planar curious but don’t want to break the bank, Massdrop is offering the new condition Hifiman HE-4XX open over-ears for $145 with free US shipping and free US returns with a 1-year manufacturer warranty [since this product is in partnership with Hifiman).

This is an in-stock drop, so it will ship in about a business day after your purchase. Your credit card will be charged about two hours after your purchase.

A 3-year “Warranty and Accidental Coverage” is offered for an additional +$20 for US addresses. Given Hifiman’s reliability woes, this may not be a bad idea. Check the MD comments and your favorite audiophool audiophile forums for more on this…