Sony MDR XB-950BT Extra-Bass Bluetooth Over-Ears for $88

UPDATE: Amazon is back on the $88 bandwagon again: Bass and Bluetooth in one headphone is the main marketing push for these headphones, the new condition closed-back over-ear Sony MDR XB-950BT available in three different color schemes for $88 with free shipping, with a limit of five units per color per customer at Amazon by Amazon actual where they average 4.3 out of 5 based on nearly 1200 customer reviews.

This ended as of 11/26/16 AM re-check: As of 11/23/16 PM, the Amazon sale below is over, however, you can get the new condition Sony MDR XB-950BT Extra-Bass Bluetooth Over-Ears for $88 with free shipping in your choice of black or blue or red, with a limit of five per customer, by Buydig’s eBay store, which also includes a 2600 mah mobile power bank, which is perhaps good enough as backup power for the Sandisk Clip Plus 🙂

PS: the Bs may not be popular with some vocal audiophiles ~ Bluetooth, Bassy, Beats, Bose ~ but the average consumer loves them 🙂

November 23, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

[DEAD] Ends Thursday 12pm ET: Sony XBA-H1 Hybrid In-Ears for $50 [updated]

This flash sale ended, and as of 11/24/16 at 12:15pm ET the price returned to $80 with free shipping…

Ending at 12pm ET on Thursday, B&H Photo has the new condition Sony XBA-H1 Hybrid, 2-Way Driver In-Ears on sale for $40 with free shipping. The price before the sale is $80 with free shipping.

November 23, 2016 Filed Under: in-ears Tagged With:

Costco: Sony MDRZX770/780DC for $100

Costco is offering what they describe as the Sony MDRZX770/780DC headphone with bluetooth and active noise cancellation for $100. I do not know why it has two model numbers in its name. It has a limit of up to three units per customer and it may be available at their local stores as well. Non-Costco members can purchase it but have to pay an additional 5% more as a non-member. I am not currently a Costco member so I can’t go to the stores to “investigate” 🙂

As of 11/24/16 re-check this sold-out: Speaking of which, the ZX770BT is available in certified refurbished condition for $80 with free shipping by Secondipity thru Amazon (not Prime eligible).

November 22, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Sony MDR-1A for $253 with coupon

The previously mentioned Musician’s Friend coupon code BLACKFRIDAY can get you the new condition Sony MDR-1A closed-back over-ear headphone for $253 with free shipping. The regular price is $300, the 15% off coupon drops it to this price. You can add the headphone to the cart and enter the coupon code further down below in the page. You don’t need to sign-in or sign-up to test the coupon.

mf_bf_coupon_example

On the other hand, if you are comfortable with refurbished or imported products, you can get them for even less:

+ manufacturer refurbished for $150 by Secondipity thru Amazon
+ international version (new condition) without Sony USA warranty for $187 by various at Amazon

November 20, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Sony ZX110 Closed On-Ears for $10

The white color scheme of the closed-back on-ear folding headphones is currently on sale for $10 in new condition at the Walmart website, sold by Walmart. Shipping is not free unless your order total is $50+, or you subscribe to Walmart’s “Prime” service. It may also be available for free store pickup, which is YMMV depending on location and inventory.

November 19, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

[DEAD] Sunday: Sony MDR XB950 AP/H Closed On-Ears for $90

This offer expired… One of the Sunday daily deals at Best Buy is the new condition Sony MDR XB950 AP/H offered for $90 with free shipping or store pick-up (wherever possible). This is the gray color-scheme of these 24 ohm closed-back wired on-ears.

November 13, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

[DEAD] Refurbished Sony V55 for $45, XB450A Extra Bass for $35

These daily offers expired…

[Read more…]

November 3, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Refurbished Sony MDR-100AP Closed Over-Ears for $100

One more used offer that surfaced while I was checking the various headphones in the Headphone Tracker, it is the closed-back over-ear Sony MDR-100AP headphone, part of their “h.ear” line-up, available in manufacturer refurbished condition in either black color scheme or yellow color scheme for $100 with free shipping by Secondipity thru Amazon. It ships directly from Secondipity, so it is not Prime eligible. It comes with a 90-day warranty (being manufacturer refurbished) and a 30-day Secondipity guarantee. They ship in a brown box with standard accessories.

October 30, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , , ,

[DEAD] Used Sony MDR-1000X ANC BT Over-Ears for $315

As of a 11/1/16 AM re-check, the used options are all sold-out… The new Sony MDR-1000X ANC-Bluetooth over-ear model is now steadily in-stock at $400 at authorized dealers (see New Headphone Tracker) but if you are comfortable with used, there are two listings of the black color scheme in “Used – Very Good” condition (minor cosmetic imperfections, damaged original packaging) going for $315 by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual.

October 30, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , , ,

In-Stock Now: Sony MDR-1000X (both colors)

If you had been waiting for hte new Sony MDR-1000X headphones (announced at IFA 2016) to be released, we have good news for you! Both the black color scheme and the brown color scheme are in-stock by Amazon actual. These ANC and Bluetooth combo headphones currently average 4.5 out of 5 based on 30+ customer reviews, and they already have 40+ answered-questions… For more updates on newly-released headphones, check the Headphone Tracker…

October 23, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , , ,

Sony MDR-100AAP and $100 Promo Gift Card for $198

The closed-back over-ear Sony MDR-100AAP headphones, part of their “h.ear” line-up, go for $200 at authorized Sony USA dealers. That’s also the price at the Dell Home store, however, good until 10/27/2016 at 7am central time, you will receive a $100 Dell promotional gift card if you purchase them for $198.

The $100 promo gift card will be emailed to you 10-20 days after your order ships, and will have to be used within 90 days of delivery. That’s why it’s “promo gift card”, instead of a normal gift card. This is partially why they are able to offer this, it almost guarantees that you will place at least one more order from them. So it’s sort of like a customer acquisition type of an expense.

Only the black color scheme is eligible for this. The offer is mentioned both on the product page and the shopping cart. Here’s a screenshot of how it looks on the product page:

dell_sony_100aap_promo_giftcard

Review-wise, so far, they average 4.4 out of 5 but only based on 29 customer reviews at amazon.com where they actually have slightly more answered-questions than reviews. These are folding headphones by the way.

October 22, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Sony MDR-AS600BT Bluetooth Earphones and $50 promo gift card for $98

The Sony MDR-AS600BT bluetooth earphones go for $100~ at authorized dealers. For a limited time, good until 10/27/2016 at 7am central, you can get them for that price but you will also receive in the future a $50 promotional gift card to be used in the future. This offer is at the Dell Home store.

The promotion is shown on the product page over there, and in the shopping cart when you add the earphone there. After you make the purchase, you will receive an email with the $50 promo code 10-20 days _after_ your order ships, and you have to use it within 90 days of that date. That’s why it’s a promotional gift card instead of a normal gift card.

On the other hand, if you are comfortable with grey market earphones that do not get a Sony USA warranty, a marketplace seller has these in new condition for $45 at amazon.com. They are fulfilled by Amazon, so they are Prime-eligible, but that does not make authorized in the eyes of Sony. You would still have to buy them from an actual authorized dealer. Review-wise, they average 3.6 out of 5 based on 200+ customer reviews. You can find those at the normal listing at Amazon.

October 22, 2016 Filed Under: earbuds Tagged With: , ,

In-stock (2 left): brown Sony MDR-1000X for $398

Sony’s answer to the ANC + Bluetooth combo headphone that got revealed at IFA 2016 (loooong browser crashing post) is back in-stock in the brown color scheme, as of the time of writing, there are two units left of the Sony MDR-1000X for $398 by Video & Audio Center thru Amazon. This is not Prime eligible (it ships directly from VAC)… For the latest comings and goings of some of the latest headphones be sure to stay tuned and bookmark the Headphone Tracker that got launched earlier in the week…

October 21, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , , ,

(ENDED) Feed the DAPs: MicroSD and Flash Drive Sale [PADs: Sony Xperia sale] {Monday sale}

These 1-day offers have now expired…

[Read more…]

October 17, 2016 Filed Under: accessories Tagged With: , ,

Refurbished Sony MDR-XB450AP/B Extra Bass for $35

Among the Woot daily deals good until 1am ET on Thursday are the refurbished Sony MDR-XB450AP/B Extra Bass headphones going for $30 plus $5 flat shipping. Limit three units per customer. You only pay five bucks for shipping no matter how many things you buy from Woot on a particular calendar day (in the Central time zone). They come with a 90-day Woot warranty per the listing. These are closed, wired, on-ears.

October 11, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Sony MDR-EX15-AP Earbuds for $6 w/free S&H [limit 3]

We have a mini “eBay Trilogy”, starting with the Best Buy eBay store offering the new condition Sony MDR-EX15-AP Earbuds in the black color scheme for $6 with free shipping or free store pickup (where possible). Limit three per buyer. They forgot to put “Sony” in the listing title so it’s probably flying under the radar.

October 7, 2016 Filed Under: earbuds Tagged With: ,

Open-Box Sony MDR Z7 for $439

The Razordog Audio eBay store has one pair of open-box Sony MDR-Z7 headphones for $439 with free shipping. The listing says these are open-box return with full warranty and were used for less than ten hours… Earlier this summer these were offered for around $320 in manufacturer refurbished condition by Secondipity…

October 2, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Sony MDR ZX330 BT (Bluetooth) for $50

One of the latest daily deal features at Best Buy are the new condition closed-back on-ear Bluetooth Sony MDR ZX330 BT going for $50 with free shipping or store pickup (if available nearby). You have to do the “add to cart” thing to see the price. Limit three per buyer during the sale. They are part of their serviceable ZX-series but with Bluetooth and NFC. NFC is handy if you mix and match different bluetooth playback sources and headphones, especially if you leave Bluetooth ON on your devices even when it’s not in use. It’s like a soap opera fight for the bluetooth connection 😉

October 2, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Sony MDR XB 450 Extra Bass for $39

This is only “Extra Bass”, no Bluetooth, it is the new condition Sony MDR XB 450 in the “AP” mic/remote configuration (universal, aka Android Phone or something like that) going for $39 with free shipping by “Video and Audio Center” with the orders fulfilled by Amazon, so Prime shipping benefits.

PS: there’s a handful of refurbished options in the low 20s there, but none of them are recognizable seller names, and the “seller profile” scores do not look very encouraging. Especially if they are not “fulfilled by Amazon” so you won’t have to “fight the seller” to return something or resolve any other issues.

September 30, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With:

Sony MDR XB950 BT Extra Bass for $128 [or $100 certified refurbished]

If you like the Double Bs (Bass and Bluetooth), the new condition Sony XB950/BT Extra Bass is on sale, in new condition, for $128 with free shipping by “Video and Audio Center” (aka VAC in SoCal) through Amazon.com. The red color scheme is fulfilled by Amazon so it gets Prime shipping, while the black and blue colors ship directly from VAC, so no Prime shipping. The headphones average 4.3 out of 5 based on nearly 1100 customer reviews, and have 650+ questions answered, both indicators of consumer interest in “bass” and “bluetooth” 🙂

On the other hand, if you are comfortable with certified refurbished, the red goes for $100, and the other two colors for $110 by Secondipity thru Amazon. They ship from Secondipity, so they are not Prime eligible. The refurbished too are popular, they average 4.3 out of 5 based on 350+ customer reviews (interesting how they have the same average, wisdom of the masses in effect?) and have 90 questions peer-answered.

September 30, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Sony MDR-100AAP with Fiio A1 head-amp and Slappa Case for $200

The Sony MDR-100AAP closed headphones currently go for $200 at authorized Sony dealers. While still paying $200, you can score a handful of freebies when you buy them from Beach Camera on Amazon in four different color schemes. Four freebies are included by Beach, two of them are significant: a Slappa Hardbody case and the small Fiio A1 headphone amp. The other two freebies are a microfiber cloth and a 2600 mah keychain battery (mayhaps the Clip+ is a good match for it, definitely not much you can get out of it with a modern smartphone).

Some of these bundles may make sense if you have multiple different types of headphones, and you don’t necessary want to use all the included items together. For example, you could use the Fiio A1 to power something else, and you could use the case to store other headphones. Or if you don’t need the extras, you can gift them or trade/sell them.

In new condition, the Fiio A1 goes for $28, while the Slappa Hardbody goes for $20.

September 27, 2016 Filed Under: amps and dacs, headphones Tagged With: , , ,

Refurbished Sony XB 600 Extra Bass for $40

I am not becoming certifiably certifiable, the reason you see a string of certified refurbished items is because I am going through the list of 150+ certified refurbished headphones at Amazon, and among them is the Sony XB 600 Extra Bass folding headphones going for $40 by DealFisher thru Amazon, so they are Prime eligible.

They include the original accessories and a 90-day warranty. “Certified Refurbished” appears to be an Amazon term for products that fit certain requirements, a highlighted screenshot of that segment below.

certified_refurbished

As you can see, these can be manufacturer refurbisher or other-party refurbished, as long as they fulfill the above requirements.

September 15, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Manufacturer Refurbished Sony MDR-1A drops to $150

The last time I posted about the manufacturer refurbished Sony MDR-1A in late August it was going for $180, but as of the time of writing, the price dropped to $150 with free shipping by Secondipity through Amazon Warehouse Deals. It ships directly from Secondipity, so it is not Prime-eligible.

The competing price to the manufacturer-refurbished are new-condition but international versions, imported to the USA without the blessings of Sony USA, so they don’t get their warranty. Their prices too have dropped a bit since, settling around $187 depending on the seller. Check the detailed listings for the either the silver MDR-1A or the black MDR-1A to see all price options.

The new condition price from authorized Sony USA dealers is $300.

September 8, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , , ,

Used Sony XBA-Z5 In-Ears for $349

The Sony XBA-Z5 In-Ears are currently available in “Used – Like New” condition for $349 with free shipping by Beach Camera thru Amazon. They ship directly from Beach Camera but Prime members will get free 2-day Prime shipping as the Prime logo next to the price suggests. As the BA in the name suggests, these are balanced armature earphones.

sony_z5_beach

September 7, 2016 Filed Under: in-ears Tagged With: , ,

Pre-order new Sony Signature Series DAP and Amp

In addition to the previously mentioned MDR-Z1R flagship headphone available for pre-order for $2200, Sony has also launched two brand new Signature Series (read four figure prices) DAPs and one new component-size headphone-amp. Two of the three are available for pre-order: the $3200 NW-WM1Z digital audio player and the $2200 TA-ZH1ES headphone amp. They are all marked as “Temporarily Out Of Stock”, so an exact shipment date is unknown at the moment.

These too have been added to our on-going post tracking New Headphones at IFA 2016. And more are coming, not just the ones I have yet to post, but Tuesday is the official announcement of the LG V20 phone with its gazillion-bit DAC, and Wednesday is Apple day, quite possibly an existential crisis day for the 3.5mm headphone output at least when it comes to headphones [more on that later].

September 5, 2016 Filed Under: amps and dacs, digital audio players Tagged With: ,

Pre-order new Sony MDR-Z1R for $2200

We go from a $4 Sony on-ear to a $2200 Made-in-Japan flagship! The brand new Sony MDR-Z1R announced in Berlin at IFA 2016 is now available for pre-ordering for $2200 at Amazon by Amazon actual. There is no release estimate yet, just the all-encompassing “Temporarily out of stock”. Signature is required for delivery for this item.

September 2, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

[DEAD] Used Sony ZX110 Closed On-Ears (white) for $4.25

As of 9/6/16, the $4.25 options sold out…

[Read more…]

September 2, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Pre-order new Sony MDR-1000X for $400 (ANC/BT)

IFA 2016 is underway and it’s raining new headphones left and right. I am trying to catch up and keep up, I just started a dedicated post at the main blog tracking IFA 2016 headphones. It is very organized now, but it will end up turning into chaos like CES 2016 and CES 2015 posts 🙂

With that out of the way, if you are fond of Active Noise Cancelling, Bluetooth, Touch Controls and Sony, and you are the early adopter type, the new Sony MDR-1000X are available for pre-order for $400 in two color schemes (black or ivory) at Amazon by Amazon actual.

September 1, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , , ,

[DEAD] Sony MDR-7506 for $72 w/free S&H [intl version]

This offer expired… The Sony MDR-7506 currently goes for $80 at authorized Sony USA dealers, but if you are comfortable buying new condition international products (without a Sony USA warranty), it is currently available for $72 with free shipping by Ritz Camera on eBay with a limit of five units per customer.

September 1, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Sony MDR-1A for $180 manufacturer-refurbished OR $190 new but no Sony warranty

If you are interested in the Sony MDR-1A closed-back over-ears and want to pay under $200, there are two options. If you want Sony USA’s blessings, you can get them manufacturer refurbished with a 90-day warranty for $180 with free shipping by Secondipity through Amazon Warehouse Deals.

On the other hand, if you don’t want Sony’s blessings, but prefer them new condition, you can get the International Versions in new condition but without a Sony USA warranty from various marketplace sellers with some of the orders fulfilled by Amazon (Prime eligible) for $190 with free shipping in either the silver MDR-1A or the black MDR-1A.

August 29, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , , ,

Used Sony XBAH1 Hybrid 2-Way In-Ears for $49

The Sony XBAH1 Hybrid 2-Way In-Ears are currently available in “Used – Very Good” condition for $49~ by Secondipity through Amazon Warehouse Deals. They ship directly from them so they are not eligible for Prime shipping.

August 26, 2016 Filed Under: in-ears Tagged With: ,

[DEAD] Refurbished Sony MDR-Z7 for $320

As of 8/25/16 1:20pm ET re-check, the refurbished option sold out…

If you missed it during the previous sale, it looks like it is back, the manufacturer refurbished closed-back over-ear Sony MDR-Z7 are going for $320 with free shipping by Secondpity through Amazon Warehouse Deals. They ship directly from Secondipity, so they are not prime-eligible.

August 24, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Sony XB950BT Extra Bass Bluetooths for $98

At the intersection of bassheads and techies, one of the headphones one may find are the closed-back Sony XB950BT over-ears. The “Extra Bass” in their name makes certain classical music fans don’t buy them accidentally 😉 They have Bluetooth with NFC but no ANC. NFC is handy if you are planning to frequently switch between different bluetooth sources (eg two phones) and don’t want to deal with the soap opera of different bluetooth devices “fighting” for an active connection.

All that brings us to these headphones being on sale for $98 with free shipping, in your choice of black, red or blue, at authorized dealers Abt Electronics and BuyDig on eBay (limit 5; over 400 units sold).

These are popular, if customer reviews and questions are an indicator, they have over 1000 of the former and over 600 answered of the latter at amazon.com with an average of 4.3 out of 5 and a decent “review intensity ratio”. That’s the 5-stars vs the 1-stars, it’s about a 10:1 (69% of reviews versus 7% of reviews), which is a good sign.

August 18, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: , ,

Used Sony MDR-XD100 for $18.81 [was $20.60]

If you happen to be interested in getting the now discontinued Sony MDR-XD100, it is currently available in “Used – Very Good” condition (repackaged) for $18.81 [was $20.60] by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual, so free Prime shipping for members. It averages 3.6 out of 5 based on 300+ customer reviews… Price updated here 8/14/16 PM…

August 12, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,

Used Sony MDR-7506 for $62 to $66 [updated]

The good old Sony MDR-7506 headphones go for $80 in new condition at authorized Sony dealers, but if you want to save some, you can get them in used for $62 to $66 in various used conditions with free shipping by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. Availability changes often, so YMMV depending on when you check.

August 11, 2016 Filed Under: headphones Tagged With: ,