Sony ZX310-AP Closed On-Ears for $19

Through the magic of price-matching, currently the new condition closed-back on-ear Sony ZX-310AP/B headphone is on sale for $19 at NewEgg (by Newegg actual) and by Amazon actual. Up to three per customer at each retailer…

The “AP” stands for remote control button for an Android phone, and the “/B” stands for the black color scheme…

I’ve used both the ZX310 and the ZX100 and I’m convinced these were tuned for use in a (at least moderately loud) coffee shop. There, they sound very serviceable but listening to them in a quiet place brings out the worst of them…

UPDATE: speaking of Amazon, as part of cascading AmazonBasics (house brand) sales, they are offering the AB replacement cables for Bose Quiet Comfort headphones for about $11 per cable. Not related to the Sonys, I’m just stuffing this here because it does not warrant a separate post…

Used Sony WH-CH700N ANC/BT for $50

IF you are looking for a name-brand ANC/bluetooth over-ear headphone, the Sony WH-CH700N is currently on sale for $88 in either color in new condition at Amazon.

But thanks to the previously mentioned 20% off in-cart used AWD promotion, you can get either color in USED condition (“Used – Very Good” or better) starting at $62~ minus 20% off = $50~ at Amazon Warehouse Deals.

So while $88 is not bad, paying $50 is even better 🙂

Monday: Sony WH-XB900N ANC/BT Over-Ears for $128

Good until Monday 11/18/19 at 11:59pm pacific time, Amazon actual is offering as one of their deals of the day the new condition closed-back over-ear Sony WH-XB900N ANC/BT headphones for $128 with free US shipping with up to three pairs per customer at the sale price. As the “XB” in the model name suggests, this is an “Extra Bass” model.

It averages 4.3 out of 5 based on nearly 110 customer reviews and it has 80 answered questions…

Brainwavz Case & Earpads (for Sony V6, 7506, etc) for $22.50

We have a combo value meal if you are a fan of the Brainwavz brand. They are currently offering a headphone case + earpads for $22.50. The case is for folded headphones while the earpads are for the Sony MDR-V6, 7506 (and other compatible headphones). The earpads on their own go for $16.50, so you’re getting the case for $6 more.

The listing is a mix of earpads-only and case-n-earpads bundles, so pay attention if you are switching colors and options and if you are reading customer reviews and answered questions…

Sony Audio sale includes XB-700 Over-Ears for $98

If you are a fan of Sony audio gear, you’ve find a potentially interesting post. For a limited time [but not part of its daily deals] Amazon is having a Sony Audio sale of various things that includes, among others, the following:

+ XB-700 closed-back over-ear bluetooth “Extra Bass” (thus the XB) headphones for $98 in two color options

+ WI-C600 neckband ANC earphones for $118

+ PS-LX3-10-BT belt-drive turn-table for $148

+ various speakers and receivers

Monday: Sony Xperia Ear Duo truly wireless for $120 [L600 cinematic for $200]

Good until Monday 9/2/19 at 11:59pm eastern time, as one of the deals du jour at New York’s B&H Photo and Video, you can get the new condition Sony Xperia Ear Duo truly-wireless earphones for $120 with free US shipping in your choice of two color options.

Sony is also part of the Woot daily deals, their new condition WH-L600 Digital Wireless headphones go for $200 with free shipping for Prime members or $6 flat shipping for the rest of us mere mortals. They come with a 1-year Sony warranty and you can buy up to ten pairs per customer…

UPDATE: but wait, there’s more! Starting at 3:55pm eastern today [Monday 9/2/19] there is going to be a lightning deal on the Amazon Gold Box for this Sony WH RF400R bundle that includes the transmitter dock (TMRRF400) and cables/adapters. The price before the sale is $97. This is a marketplace seller offering it, with the order fulfilled by Amazon. They are the only ones offering this kit for sale, so they will almost certainly be the ones offering the lightning deal…

The above two are different models from the first headphone I “awarded” with the prestigious “Headphones to Avoid” award, the Sony RF-995-RK wireless… I haven’t seen or used the above two, so I can’t compare them…

Surprise Massdrop Combo: Sennheiser HD6XX _AND_ Sony WH-1000X M3 for $400 TOTAL

Well this is a surprise and a temptation that may be hard to resist for practical audiophiles. For $400 at the Massdrop website, you get two headphones, the audiophile-loved open-back over-ear Sennheiser HD-6XX, AND the utilitarian Sony WH-1000X M3 closed-back over-ear with bluetooth and ANC.

And better yet, both headphones come with a warranty. The HD-6XX comes with a 2-year manufacturer warranty, and the Sony WH-1000X M3 comes with a 1-year Sony warranty per the listing over there.

This is a pre-order with two days left to purchase (as of the time of writing of this post). The orders will ship mid-September from Massdrop.

PS: if you only want one of the two, you can always gift or sell or trade the other one. Or you can send it to me LOL 🙂

Wedn: Sony WF1000X/BM1 Truly Wireless for $70

It’s truly wireless time on Wednesday as one of the Woot deals of the day with the new condition Sony WF1000X/BM1 going for $70 with free shipping for Prime or $6 flat for non-Primes. You can buy up to ten units per shopping cart at the sale price. They come with a 1-year Sony warranty…

I don’t have a lot of experience with truly-wireless [battery life being one of the scarecrows] so I can’t tell you much about it ~ the only truly wireless I’ve used is the Jaybird Run

Monday (EU): Sony and Anker Headphone sale

It is Sony day at the Amazon Germany Gold Box or as the cool kids in Germany like to call it, the Ange Bote 😉 Among the Sony products on sale they have the following headphones on sale for Monday August 19 in 2019:

+ ZX-310 closed on-ears for 15 euro
+ I had this headphone in my to-go bag for a while, I swear this must have been tuned in a moderately busy coffee shop because it sounds very serviceable there but when you listen to it in a quiet place, it sounds quite un-audiophile

+ ZX-330BT bluetooth on-ears for 39 euro

+ MDR-XB950N1 ANC/bluetooth closed over-ears for 90 euro two color options

+ WH-H900N ANC/bluetooth closed over-ears for 160 in three color options
+ yes, Sony has a multi-tier approach for their ANC/bluetooth combos

BUT that’s not all. When you further scroll through the daily deals, there’s also a combo Anker and Soundcore sale. Soundcare is an Anker sub-brand because it sounds more audio-ish than Anker? Anyway, their offerings for Monday:

+ Soundcore Life2 closed bluetooth over-ears for 38 euro

+ Soundcore Spirit X exercise bluetooth earphones for 25 euro
+ Anker SoundBuds slim bluetooth earphones for 21 euro

+ Soundcore Liberty truly wireless earphones for 60 euro
+ mono wireless headset for 12 euro

+ and of course the obligatory handful of portable bluetooth speakers

Sony WH-1000X M3 with 20,000 mAh Power Bank for $298

It’s bundle up time, Focus Camera with the orders fulfilled by Amazon has created a bundle centered on the new condition Sony WH-1000X M3 closed over-ear headphone (with ANC and bluetooth) they are including a 20,000 Phone Energy power bank with it. The price listed is $348 BUT there is a $50 clip-on coupon [you have to be logged on to your Amazon account to clip the coupon to your Amazon account ~ obviously], which brings the price down to $298. This offer is available in either color scheme.

Meanwhile in Europe, there is no power bank bundle, but the standard headphone itself is currently on sale for 288 euro at Amazon Germany where it averages 4.4 out of 5 based on 600+ customer reviews and it has over 350 answered questions…

Sony WI-C310 bluetooth earphones for $28

Singing the same MAP song, many authorized Sony dealers have dropped the price of the new condition WI-C310 bluetooth earphones in different color schemes to $28 for the duration of this promotion, eg amazon.com with its many marketplace sellers…

EI: Used Sony MDR-Z7 closed over-ears for [Prime Deal]

The clock is ticking on this deal as there are only two hours left in the Germany timezone. For Prime members of Amazon Germany, the used closed-back over-ear Sony MDR-Z7 headphones can be yours for 294 in *Used – Good” condition to 315 euro (“Used – Very Good” condition).

Sony WH-CH700N ANC/Bluetooth Over-Ears for $90 to $100

UPDATE: this headphone is now part of the Prime Deals for $90 in either color but non-Prime members can still get it for $100…

If you are looking for a usable ANC and bluetooth over-ears combo from a name-brand but don’t want to pay the $300 to get the much talked about models, there’s a deal for you too. For just $100 you can get the new condition Sony WH-CH700N ANC/Bluetooth Over-Ears. This is sold and shipped by Amazon itself. You can buy up to three pairs at the sale price. Only the black color scheme is on sale.

NOTE: this is not a Prime Day deal ~ all Amazon customers can buy it!

And as fate would have it, we have a text and pictures unboxing of this headphone right here. I did not finish the review for it, but for $100, this is not a bad deal.

Sunday: Sony Audio sale at Woot [updated]

UPDATE: the deal is indeed the main Woot deal of the day and it features the following headphones. The refurbished headphones come with a 90-day Woot warranty:

+ refurbished XB-950-B1 “Extra Bass” closed-back over-ear bluetooths for $60

+ new condition WF-1000X-BM1 “truly wireless” for $85

+ refurbished Sony MDR-EX110AP basic earphones for $10 in two color options

+ refurbished MDR-RF912RK Wireless RF Headphone System for $25
+ NOTE this is a different model from the Sony RF headphone that I have found to be one of the Headphones to AVOID

Original post after the break…

[Read more…]

FREE Sony WH-1000X M3 ANC/BT Over-Ears with Sony Xperia 1 flagship preorder

Most smartphone manufacturers include some kind of a budget but flashy sounding earphone with their flagship purchase (eg the AKG-branded earphones of the Galaxy models). But Sony, desperate to make a dent in the smartphone now, looking at an opportunity now with the Huawei problems, is throwing in their most popular headphone for free with pre-orders of their new flagship Xperia 1 flagship smartphone.

The free headphones of the bundle are none other than the closed-back WH-1000X M3 ANC with bluetooth over-eras which range from $300 (on sale) to $350 (their default price)…

The Xperia 1 and the included headphones both support LDAC, mayhaps the ideal test setup for LDAC Audio since it is Sony’s brainchild. The phone has a 6.5 inch (21:9) OLED, Snapdragon 855, Android 9, 128GB on-board storage, 6GB RAM, microSD (up to 512GB), Bluetooth 5.0, “Hi-Res Audio”, Dolby Atmos, etc…

The price is $950 with or without the headphones and the offer is available for a limited time at select authorized Sony USA dealers such as Amazon actual and New York’s B&H Photo

NOTE that Amazon breaks down the prices of the bundle differently to prevent people from buying the bundle with the free headphones and then returning/cancelling the order and keeping the headphones 🙂

EU: Sony Extra Bass XB-550 Closed On-Ears for 29+ euro

If you need some _EXTRA_ bass in your life, and you are shopping from Amazon Germany, they currently have a sale on the various colors of the new condition closed-back Sony Extra Bass XB-550 AP headphones. Prices start at 29 euro for the red color scheme and increase slightly for the other colors…

PS: AP stands for “Android Phone” and it is the 1-button remote with mic cable. These appear to be on-ears although when I put them on at a store they felt somewhere between an over- and an on-ear. And the headband adjusted with plenty of room to spare on my big head [in comparison, I can just barely squeeze comfortably in the good old Monoprice 8323s]…

Sony WH-CH700N ANC/BT Over-Ears: $86 Used, $95 Renewed

If you want a bluetooth and ANC over-ears combo but don’t want to pay the big bucks to get the $300+ competitors from Bose and Sony and such, and you are of the Sony persuasion, the more affordable WH-CH700N model is currently available for under $100 in two different not-new-condition options:

+ $95 in Renewed condition (another name for refurbished) sold and shipped by seller “Chubbiestech” but Prime members get upgraded to faster Prime-like free shipping. It comes with a 90-day “Amazon Renewed” warranty (it is part of the Amazon “Renewed” program)

+ $86~ in “Used – Very Good” condition by Amazon Warehouse Deals

+ the prices may fluctuate dynamically, so YMMV by the time you read this

And as fate would have it, we have a text and pictures unboxing of said model at our parallel content blog. The PORG you see in the pictures is a “blog pet” ~ it is not included with the headphone 🙂

Sony XB950 Extra Bass sale: B1 for $125, N1 for $178

Also part of the previously mentioned Sony Summer Kick-Off sale you can get the following headphones as follows:

  • XB950-B1 “Extra Bass” (bluetooth, closed over-ears) for $125 to $128 in three color options
  • XB950-N1: same as above but with ANC as well, for $178 in two color schemes
  • WI-1000X neckband bluetooth earphones for $186 in black only

Sony WH-CH700N Closed ANC/Bluetooth Over-Ears for $128

The Sony Summer KickOff sale includes another headphone we didn’t mention before, it is the new condition WH-CH700N, a closed-back bluetooth with ANC over-ear model going for $128 with free shipping in your choice of black or blue. Limit up to three per color per customer at the sale price. The sale price is also available at various other participating authorized Sony USA dealers because that’s how a protectionist non-free market works 🙂

It also plays audio via 3.5mm, supports NFC for easier connectivity when there are “air wars”, works with the Sony “Headphones Connect” app, and charges through microUSB. NOTE that there are no touch controls – you have buttons on the earcups for play, pause, etc…

And as fate would have it, we have a text and pictures unboxing of this very model, going for less than half the price of the flagship WH-X1000 Mark III…

PS: the PORG is not included. It is our “blog pet” 🙂

EU: Sony CMT-SBT20B Micro System for 57 euro

And now something old school. If you don’t need a full audiophile hifi system setup but still have use for *GASP* speakers, this new condition Sony CMT-SBT20B is on sale for 57 euro at Amazon Germany by Amazon.de actual. You can buy up to three per customer at the sale price. Free shipping within Germany comes in handy because this is a 4.6kg box, so international shipping is gonna cost…

For just that, you get two speakers, and the main box which includes CD playback (with a tray, not a top loader), and USB input (eg flash drives) and bluetooth audio and of course 3.5mm audio input. There’s also NFC (pairing can be an exercise in frustration if the airwaves are congested in the area where you are trying to pair things) and a good old FM radio tuner to boot.

Wedn: Sony WH-CH500 Closed Bluetooth On-Ears for $45

Part of the latest Sony WH line-up of headphones, and good until Thursday at 1am eastern time (or earlier if they sell out) are the new condition closed-back on-ear bluetooth Sony WH-CH500 offered for $45 with free shipping for Prime members [you must needs connect your Prime account with your Woot account ~ a one-time action] or $6 flat shipping for non-members at the Woot website. They come with a 1-year Sony warranty. Up to ten per customer at the sale price…

These are only bluetooth 4.2 with NFC, there’s no ANC with them. There’s no LDAC [not to be confused with LDAP], no apt-X, but they do support AAC ~ a minimum for any bluetooth headphone going for over $10 these days 🙂

I haven’t seen these, but I have used a larger model in this line-up, the WH-CH700N (N for Noise Cancelling) of which I have a text and pictures unboxing

Monday (EU): Sony Audio Sale (headphones, DAPs), Beats X, and More!

Audio is YUGE for Monday at the Amazon Germany Gold Box that is headlined by a big Sony Audio sale that includes (among others):

+ NW-A916 A45 digital audio player for 125 euro in various color options

+ H900N ANC/bluetooth over-ears for 174 euro in many color options

+ WI-1000X neckband bluetooth earphones for 174

+ NW-WS414 waterproof mp3_player/earphones AiO for 79 euro

+ also bluetooth and other speakers and car audio options

But that’s not all when it comes to audio. There are parallel sales on Anker/Soundcare headphones and bluetooth speakers, and 49 euro Ultimate Ears bluetooth speakers in many delicious colors, and a couple of Arbily sub-50 bluetooth earphones too.

Apple too is part of the sale as their Beats X neckband bluetooth earphones are on sale for 74 euro in two color options.

Denon too is part of this sale with a couple of bluetooth speakers and a couple of receivers… And there’s a few Huawei P20/M20 type of phones of PAD interest…

Sony WIC-400/L neckband bluetooth earphones for $20 w/FS

For a limited time, as part of a spring time eBay featured-sale, eBay seller “1 Shop Direct 305” is offering the new condition Sony WIC-400/L neckband earphones for $20 with free US shipping with up to three pairs per customer at the sale price. These are bluetooth models with NFC… Optionally you can add a 3-year Square-Trade protection plan for +$2…

Tuesday Headphone Deals: Sony WH-1000X M2 for $290, and Gaming Headsets

It’s headphones day in the Tuesday daily deals, starting with the Amazon USA gold-box where there’s a big computer gaming sale that includes the HyperX Cloud II gaming headset going for $70 in two color options, and the Corsair HS70 wireless going for $60… Some of the other deals are audiophile-adjacent (eg storage, fast routers for high-quality streaming, powerful desktops for music processing, and so forth)…

Sony has been trying to break into the upper end of the smartphone market without a lot of success, but they managed to storm into the $300-ish ANC + wireless over-ear headphone category and give BOSE a serious run for its money. We are already at the third generation of this attempt, but if you are okay with the second generation, the new condition WH-1000X M2 closed over-ears with ANC and bluetooth 4.1 with LDAC is on sale for $290 with free shipping for Prime members [or $6 flat for non-members], with a 1-year Sony warranty and up to ten units per customer at the sale price.

PS: note that while LDAC is great, you also need a music source that supports this, otherwise the connection will happen at the highest common denominator protocol…

Wedn: used Sony WF-1000X truly wireless for $60

This is a used listing that is backed by a 90-day Woot warranty, running over there, until Wednesday 13-MAR-2019 at 11:59pm central time, you can get in “used – like new” condition the Sony WF-1000X truly wireless earphones for $60 with free shipping for Prime members or $6 flat calendar-day shipping for non-Prime members. Two color options are available (black or gold).

Used Sony WH-CH500 bluetooth on-ear for $33

If you are looking for Sony bluetooth on-ear headphones of a recent generation, their WH-CH500 in the black color-scheme is currently available in multiple listings for the very specific price of $32.54 in “Used – Very Good” condition and $34.29 in “Used – Like New” by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual [this link shows ONLY those listings where AWD is the actual seller].

AS it is often the case with Sony headphones, there are many more listings from other marketplace sellers with an increased risk [especially those with thin profiles and even more so the “Just Launched” fly-by-night types], especially if they are not fulfilled by Amazon. This listing shows all sellers.

They average 4 out of 5 based on 160+ customer reviews, and they were revealed at CES 2018 which feels like yesterday even those it was 13.5 months ago!

NOTE: we have here a text and pictures unboxing of a different model in this series, the over-ear WH-CH700N

Sony has over/on-ear bluetooth headphones in some of their lines of products as well, including their good old ZX-series and the basshead-friendly XB-series…

Sunday: 2pk Sennheiser PMX-684i for $20 [also Sony TW]

There are two headphone-related daily deals for Sunday February 17 in 2019. First up, B&H Photo is offering a new condition 2-pack of Sennheiser PMX-684i neckband exercise earbuds for $20 with free US shipping. That’s $10 per pair. They come with a mic/remote. Yes, they terminate in a plasticky earbud type thing, they do not go inside the ear canal. They have a 3-button remote/mic as well.

Next up we go to the land of Woot where they are offering for Sony in “Used – Like New” condition the Sony WF1000X truly wireless for $60 in your choice of black or gold color-scheme. They come with a 90-day Woot warranty..

Tue (EU): Sony, Denon, Polk Audio sale, Nuraphone, Etc

The Amazon Germany Gold Box loves audio gear deals and their Tuesday rounds of offerings is loaded with them:

+ Sony Audio Gear sale includes:
++ MDR-XB-950-N1 ANC/BT over-ears for 100 euro
++ MDR-RF-895-RK for 57 [NOTE: the newer model RF-995-RK is a total disaster]
++ WF-SP-700N truly wireless for 135
++ various speakers and car audio too; there’s also an Echo + Sony bundle

+ Denon and Pork audio sale including the closed-back Denon AH-D1200 going for 129 euro, along with various receivers and speakers

+ also on sale Medion audio gear, Anker bluetooth speakers, computer speakers from Belkin, Trust, DOSS; Nuraphone AI headphones for 320 euro, 10″ Samsung Galaxy Tab A with LTE, Microsoft Surface and other techie sales

Mon: Sony XB-950N1 ANC/BT Over-ears for $115

More bluetooth action on the Monday daily deals, this time at the Best Buy website where they are offering the new condition Sony Extra Bass XB-950-N1 (bluetooth and ANC closed-back over-ears) going for $115 with free shipping or free store pickup when/where it’s possible or available…

PS:

Thur (EU): Sony audio sale including NW-A45 DAP

A Sony Audio sale is among the numerous deals of the day for Thursday DEC-13-2018 at the Amazon Germany Gold Box and among the items offered:

+ Sony Walkman NW-A45 DAP for 139 euro

+ two Sony Sports Walkmen (DAP + music player in one) for 80 and 128 each

+ PS-HX500 turntable for 300, various stereos and speakers, car audio, and a radio too

Monday: Panasonic RP-HJE120 earphones for $6.50

There is some audio action in the Monday 12/10/18 Amazon Gold Box (USA) with the new condition Panasonic ErgoFit earphones, model RP-HJE120-K (K = black color scheme in Panasonic speak), going for $6.48. Up to three pairs per customer at the sale price. Free 2-day shipping for Prime members or as usual for non-Prime members… Also part of today’s gold box sales is a trio of music keyboards (Casio, Alesis, RockJam), and also the Sony XZ2 smartphone is bundled with the Sony EarDuo truly-wireless (with earhooks) earphones, together going for $700 with free shipping. The smartphone is available in two color options..

Monday (EU): Sony, Anker, Beatles, Etc

A very busy Cyber Monday has arrived at the Amazon Germany Gold Box with the following offers:

+ Sony headphones sale including XB-950N1 for $100, WH-H900N for 154, MDR-XB650BT for 47, RF-895RK for 57, WI-1000X neckband bluetooths for 178 euro

+ Anker Soundcore sale with a few bluetooth headphones and earphones and truly wireless too

+ JBL C45BT bluetooth on-ears for 49

+ Beatles music sale with 58 options in Vinyl and CDs

+ Lioncast gaming headsets

+ also laptops, smartphones, appliances, and lots more

Sony MDR-1AM2 Closed Over-Ears for $198

The new condition Sony MDR-1AM2 Closed Over-Ears (wired heapdhones) are down to $198 with free shipping at Adorama and B&H Photo and Amazon and other authorized Sony dealers…

Sony WH-1000X M2 BT/ANC Over-Ears for $198

If you do not object to getting a 2017 model [for a better discount], Amazon is offering the new condition Sony WH-1000X M2 bluetooth and ANC closed-back over-ears in the black color scheme for $198 with free shipping with up to three pairs per customer at the sale price.

The latest Sony model is the M3 which goes for $350 ~ unless it’s on sale.

The name-brand ANC/BT over-ears segment is a battle in the trenches these days with many and more brands trying their hand at this popular and presumably profitable segment. It’s no longer a home run for Bose.

Sony WH-CH700N bluetooth/ANC over-ears for $98

The new condition Sony WH-CH700N, with this rather goofy name, they are on sale for $98 with free shipping at select Sony authorized dealers such as B&H Photo and Adorama and various at Amazon

We actually have a text and pictures unboxing post of this very headphone at this website! PORG Funko is NOT included 🙂