[Hansotek]

Fiio X5 on Buysonic today for $315. https://www.buysonic.com/products/fiio-x5/

Thanks!  Do these guys ship right away or are like Massdrop where you have to wait a while before they ship?

4-10 business days for US customers, according to their site.

I don't know if I answered your question there... No, you don't have to wait like massdrop. Buysonic is just Sonic Electronics' Audio-Deal-of-the-Day site, not a group buy site like MD, so you don't have to deal with that long wait.

 

[Change is Good]

Sonic Electronix also has a 60 day "hassle free" return policy. Not sure if it applies to their Buysonic deals, though...

 

[money4me247]

Sonic Electronix also has a 60 day "hassle free" return policy. Not sure if it applies to their Buysonic deals, though...

buysonic has a 7 day return window only for defective products. they are a flash sale site, so they don't have that kind of margin for returns.
 
only buy if you are sure you want it.

 

[scizzro]

Sonic Electronix also has a 60 day "hassle free" return policy. Not sure if it applies to their Buysonic deals, though...

It does not. You can't return stuff to Buysonic if you don't like it.
 
"Due to the nature of our sales and agreements with manufacturers, we can only accept returns for credit on unopened, manufacturer sealed items within 7 days of receipt of the item. Once you open your item, you may return it only if the item has a manufacturer’s defect and we are notified within 7 days of receipt of the item. In the event your item is defective, we will gladly exchange the item for the same item or issue store credit if the item is not available to be exchanged. All returns must include everything that was included with the item, including all accessories and packaging. If your item is defective after 7 days, you must contact the manufacturer for a repair or replacement request. It is up to you the buyer to pay for return shipping to transport the item to our facility.  If you simply do not like your item, chances are one of your friends will! You can always be a nice friend and gift it too!"

 

[Stillhart]

Well fortunately the price tends to be good enough that I can resell it for not much loss if I don't like it.  
 
I jumped on the X5.  It's the only DAP that also works as a USB DAC/Amp (other than the X3, of course).  I'll use it at work to replace my D3 and then I can have it available for portable use on the somewhat rare occasions when I need it.  It's a pretty good selling point IMO and I'm surprised more DAP's don't have that option.

 

[AxelCloris]

  Well fortunately the price tends to be good enough that I can resell it for not much loss if I don't like it.  
 
I jumped on the X5.  It's the only DAP that also works as a USB DAC/Amp (other than the X3, of course).  I'll use it at work to replace my D3 and then I can have it available for portable use on the somewhat rare occasions when I need it.  It's a pretty good selling point IMO and I'm surprised more DAP's don't have that option.

 
Don't the AK100, AK120, AK240, HM-602, HM-801, and others also function as a USB DAC/amp?

 

[Stillhart]

   
Don't the AK100, AK120, AK240, HM-602, HM-801, and others also function as a USB DAC/amp?

 
Those are all are way out of my price range for a DAP so I can't say as I didn't actually research them.  I was thinking more along the lines of the iBasso and such.
 
Honestly, I really wanted the new X3k (or X3 II or whatever they're calling it now) but it's not going to be out before the next time I travel.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

I have to check but i don't think those do.

Looks like the ak120 does and 240 might but that's totl realms.

Don't the AK100, AK120, AK240, HM-602, HM-801, and others also function as a USB DAC/amp?

 

[esteebin]

http://www.nhthifi.com/
 
President's Day sale 20% off NHT SuperBuds with coupon code: $uperbud$
 
These are warm and smooth headphones. So far only a few reviews available (Wired and Forbes to name a few) and IjokerI might have a review up by the end of the month.
 
Edit: may be a USA only sale (or free shipping to USA only...)
Edit2: Introductory sale price was $50...

 

[Hifihedgehog]

I was blown away by the Etymotic ER•6i at the Macworld Expo '05, I got to side-by-side compare the Ety and Shure lineup. The Shures at that time were easy for me not to like... The olive tips were hard to fit and all sizes fell out after a few minutes, isolation was good but Ety's were great, and the first three tiers all exhibited distortion off of my iPod, while the Ety's blew me away with their isolation and revealing character. I actually really liked the more flat ER•6 model for it's honesty, the salesman and my dad talked me into the more bass-lifted ER•6i model. My first Hi-Fi headphone.
That said, the foam insertion ritual was annoying if I wasn't going to leave them in, and mostly I had moved on to on-ear headphones a few years later. I did just buy a pair of Audeo, the higher-end model was out of stock unfortunately but I simply couldn't resist the $40 deal.

Sorry for not getting back earlier to reply about filters. You can get them cheapest from Earphone Solutions. Just go to the Audeo Earphones by Phonak section and pick your poison. If you have basshead tendencies, get the blacks. I haven't heard them but that seems to be the consensus. If you like clarity and neutrality (self included!) which judging by your fondness towards Etymotic seems to be the case, get the grays. You also will need to get the greens in either case so you have the changing tool. Unfortunately, you can get the tool only by getting the greens these days. By the way, this description from AnythingButIpod gives a perfect summary of the Phonak sound:
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

[size=1.8em]Sound[/size]

Phonak sent me a prototype version of their Audéo PFE a few months ago. Back then I wasn’t overly pleased with the small amount of bass this preproduction unit delivered. Now, a few months later I was quite surprised when I put the bass-enhancing filters onto my new final-version Audéo, started listening, and noticed these things now actually got some of the desired “oomph” going on. The prototypes had about as little bass as Etymotic ER-6, and the various filters didn’t really help much. Now they have about as much as the q-Jays, but with slightly deeper bass extension and less roll-off. Furthermore, none of that silly midbass exaggeration that can be found in cheap boomy phones is present in the Audéo’s sound; it’s all the real deal, all the way down to 20 Hz, tight and punchy. However, as good as the quality is, the quantity certainly won’t please a diehard basshead – at least not without some EQ tweaking.
Midrange is very neutral, detailed, and smooth. Where phones like the q-Jays might sound “hollow” and Etymotic “too forward” with certain audio material, the Audéo sound very natural and balanced. They’re not quite up to the glorious smoothness of the SE530’s midrange, but considering the Audéo’s price range, they’re more than fine. Even very complex music like orchestral pieces or dense heavy metal tracks sound good and are reproduced with ease. It seems as if Phonak’s history in creating hearing aids shows here as well, as human voices seem to have a particularly great intelligibility on the PFE. I would say the Audéo fit well in the noble “ear monitor” category; a mere “earphone” denomination is a bit of an understatement.
Treble quantity is just about right – less than the q-Jays, more than the SE530, about as much as the UE11. The actual quantity depends a bit on the acoustic filters used, but I didn’t notice as much difference between the two filter varieties as with the bass response. Treble quality is great, in every way. It’s never harsh or sibilant, yet there’s no detail missing in the music. They sparkle without hurting, so to speak – and that’s a good thing. I didn’t notice any significant roll-off, which isn’t the norm with single armatures trying to reproduce the whole audible frequency range, but the Audéo don’t disappoint; right up to my hearing’s limits (ca. 16.5 kHz).
From the above paragraphs you might already have guessed that the PFE’s clarity, resolution, and instrument separation is nothing to sneer at. Usually you find this kind of precision only in a higher price segment, but the Audéo take on the big boys with ease. The PFE do match the clarity of my personal reference – the Ultimate Ears UE11 – to a certain extent, so that’s probably as good as it gets for earphones (to the best of my knowledge). They stomp all over dynamic driver IEMs when it comes to detail and precision. They even make some of the medium-priced “benchmark” armature phones like the Etymotic ER-6 or Super.Fi 5 Pro sound a little muddy and anemic in comparison.
The Audéo’s armatures are “edge-firing”; they are mounted at a right angle to the nozzle that leads into the ear canal. I can’t be certain this has anything to do with the rather decent stereo imaging (“soundstage”) the PFE’s deliver, but it might be a contributing factor. As it is the case with all other ear monitors, the soundstage is pretty much in your head and doesn’t psychoacoustically expand beyond the physical limitations. However, I’ve certainly heard worse ones. The Audéo’s soundstage isn’t as wide as the SE530’s, the V-Moda Vibe’s, or similar phones, but it is wider than the Etymotic’s, Super.Fi 5’s, and even the UE11’s. However, it doesn’t deliver the pinpoint accuracy and 3D feeling of the UE11; the PFE is more of the usual “three blob” soundstage.
- See more at: http://anythingbutipod.com/2008/11/phonak-audeo-pfe-perfect-fit-earphone-review/#sthash.oA4bNrX6.dpuf
Read more at http://anythingbutipod.com/2008/11/phonak-audeo-pfe-perfect-fit-earphone-review/#t6YgTrXEiffsoh4l.99

 

[bikerboy94]

  Sorry for not getting back earlier to reply about filters. You can get them cheapest from Earphone Solutions. Just go to the Audeo Earphones by Phonak section and pick your poison. If you have basshead tendencies, get the blacks. I haven't heard them but that seems to be the consensus. If you like clarity and neutrality (self included!) which judging by your fondness towards Etymotic seems to be the case, get the grays. You also will need to get the greens in either case so you have the changing tool. Unfortunately, you can get the tool only by getting the greens these days. By the way, this description from AnythingButIpod gives a perfect summary of the Phonak sound:
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

[size=1.8em]Sound[/size]

Phonak sent me a prototype version of their Audéo PFE a few months ago. Back then I wasn’t overly pleased with the small amount of bass this preproduction unit delivered. Now, a few months later I was quite surprised when I put the bass-enhancing filters onto my new final-version Audéo, started listening, and noticed these things now actually got some of the desired “oomph” going on. The prototypes had about as little bass as Etymotic ER-6, and the various filters didn’t really help much. Now they have about as much as the q-Jays, but with slightly deeper bass extension and less roll-off. Furthermore, none of that silly midbass exaggeration that can be found in cheap boomy phones is present in the Audéo’s sound; it’s all the real deal, all the way down to 20 Hz, tight and punchy. However, as good as the quality is, the quantity certainly won’t please a diehard basshead – at least not without some EQ tweaking.
Midrange is very neutral, detailed, and smooth. Where phones like the q-Jays might sound “hollow” and Etymotic “too forward” with certain audio material, the Audéo sound very natural and balanced. They’re not quite up to the glorious smoothness of the SE530’s midrange, but considering the Audéo’s price range, they’re more than fine. Even very complex music like orchestral pieces or dense heavy metal tracks sound good and are reproduced with ease. It seems as if Phonak’s history in creating hearing aids shows here as well, as human voices seem to have a particularly great intelligibility on the PFE. I would say the Audéo fit well in the noble “ear monitor” category; a mere “earphone” denomination is a bit of an understatement.
Treble quantity is just about right – less than the q-Jays, more than the SE530, about as much as the UE11. The actual quantity depends a bit on the acoustic filters used, but I didn’t notice as much difference between the two filter varieties as with the bass response. Treble quality is great, in every way. It’s never harsh or sibilant, yet there’s no detail missing in the music. They sparkle without hurting, so to speak – and that’s a good thing. I didn’t notice any significant roll-off, which isn’t the norm with single armatures trying to reproduce the whole audible frequency range, but the Audéo don’t disappoint; right up to my hearing’s limits (ca. 16.5 kHz).
From the above paragraphs you might already have guessed that the PFE’s clarity, resolution, and instrument separation is nothing to sneer at. Usually you find this kind of precision only in a higher price segment, but the Audéo take on the big boys with ease. The PFE do match the clarity of my personal reference – the Ultimate Ears UE11 – to a certain extent, so that’s probably as good as it gets for earphones (to the best of my knowledge). They stomp all over dynamic driver IEMs when it comes to detail and precision. They even make some of the medium-priced “benchmark” armature phones like the Etymotic ER-6 or Super.Fi 5 Pro sound a little muddy and anemic in comparison.
The Audéo’s armatures are “edge-firing”; they are mounted at a right angle to the nozzle that leads into the ear canal. I can’t be certain this has anything to do with the rather decent stereo imaging (“soundstage”) the PFE’s deliver, but it might be a contributing factor. As it is the case with all other ear monitors, the soundstage is pretty much in your head and doesn’t psychoacoustically expand beyond the physical limitations. However, I’ve certainly heard worse ones. The Audéo’s soundstage isn’t as wide as the SE530’s, the V-Moda Vibe’s, or similar phones, but it is wider than the Etymotic’s, Super.Fi 5’s, and even the UE11’s. However, it doesn’t deliver the pinpoint accuracy and 3D feeling of the UE11; the PFE is more of the usual “three blob” soundstage.
- See more at: http://anythingbutipod.com/2008/11/phonak-audeo-pfe-perfect-fit-earphone-review/#sthash.oA4bNrX6.dpuf
Read more at http://anythingbutipod.com/2008/11/phonak-audeo-pfe-perfect-fit-earphone-review/#t6YgTrXEiffsoh4l.99

A really good deal with the code AU50. PFE012 IEMs with set green filters with tool ($8.00 w/ code) set of gray filters total $66.54 shipped.
http://www.earphonesolutions.com/audeo-phonak.html
Mine should be here tomorrow. 

 

[bikerboy94]

Lightning deal at Amazon VMODA M-80 $79.99 prob won't last long. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I9UKKS0/ref=gb1h_tit_c-2_6282_9425f3c7?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_s=center-new-2&pf_rd_r=0F88TYRV5MJKWVZAQ36T&pf_rd_i=20&pf_rd_p=1980506282

 

[esteebin]

Only 21% claimed as of 7:25 with 1hr35min left

Lightning deal at Amazon VMODA M-80 $79.99 prob won't last long. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I9UKKS0/ref=gb1h_tit_c-2_6282_9425f3c7?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_s=center-new-2&pf_rd_r=0F88TYRV5MJKWVZAQ36T&pf_rd_i=20&pf_rd_p=1980506282

 

[Don Lehrer]

  Lightning deal at Amazon VMODA M-80 $79.99 prob won't last long. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I9UKKS0/ref=gb1h_tit_c-2_6282_9425f3c7?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_s=center-new-2&pf_rd_r=0F88TYRV5MJKWVZAQ36T&pf_rd_i=20&pf_rd_p=1980506282

Those are great for the price, I got them from last time and use them for traveling. Thanks for sharing

 

[bikerboy94]

Only 21% claimed as of 7:25 with 1hr35min left

71% at 11am EST