By admin, on April 29th, 2010%
SuperBiiz.com has the hard to find Asus Xonar Essence STX PCI-Express x1 Sound Card
for $164.99 with free shipping and handling (with coupon “LADYBUG10″)(coupon expires 5/2/10). That’s almost $20 less (including shipping) than the PCI version (also lowest price at SuperBiiz). Most stores have been out of stock of this model for over a month. This sound card received a superlative review from Stereophile. For an even more comprehensive review, check out the write-up at Overclockers Club.
By admin, on April 12th, 2010%
SuperBiiz.com has the hard to find Asus Xonar Essence ST PCI Hi Fi Sound Card
for $175.99 (with coupon “LADYBUG10″)(coupon expires 5/2/10). Shipping starts at around $9. Although other stores purport to offer the PCI-Express version for less, most have been out of stock for over a month. This is the best price I could find for the PCI version, and the best in-stock price for either version. This sound card received a superlative review from Stereophile. For an even more comprehensive review, check out the write-up at Overclockers Club.
By admin, on March 24th, 2010%
RMC Audio Direct has the Grace Design M902 Reference Headphone Amp for $1,440.75 with free shipping and handling (after coupon “2010-1000″). That’s the best price available by at least $155 on this rarely discounted model. This high-end headphone amplifier/preamp/dac has received high praise in reviews from Stereophile, Home Theater Review, and Pro Audio Review.
By admin, on March 22nd, 2010%
AudioAdvisor (via Amazon) has the PS Audio GCHA – Headphone amplifier
for $499.99 with free shipping and handling. That’s 50% off MSRP and the lowest price I could find – other specialty dealers are still selling this now discontinued headphone amp for $995. [note: I couldn't find it on AudioAdvisor's site, so hopefully the Amazon listing is accurate in reflecting it still being in stock.] It has both USB and RCA inputs, and weighs in at 12.5 pounds, making it one of the more substantial headphone amplifiers out there. The review from Audiophile Audition is very positive, as is the review from Computer Audiophile. You can check out the product manual for more information on the specifications and functionality of this unit (it’s well written and does a better job than most at explaining the technology and design).
By admin, on February 15th, 2010%
HCM Audio (via Amazon marketplace) has the Music Hall OBH-11 Headphone Amplifier
for $188.50 $195 with free shipping and handling. I couldn’t find it elsewhere for less than $199 (and have rarely, if ever, seen it discounted). Techradar.com has a good review of the OBH-11.
PRICE INCREASED AS OF 2/17/10
By admin, on January 26th, 2010%
This thing goes for $20 just about anywhere, but I can report based on experience that Head-Direct through Amazon will honor the product warranty (granted, only 90 days, but my first one died at around 80 days, and they exchanged a new one for the broken one — only had to pay shipping one way). The product itself, the FiiO E5 Headphone Amplifier
, is of nominal build quality (though the replacement is now 9 months old and still going strong), but sound quality is excellent. I use mine hooked up to a Zen V-Plus and either Grado SR-60 or Sennheiser HD-202 headphones, and there is noticeable improvement in both bass and the clarity of the mid-range. For fans of full size headphones on a budget, you will definitely get your money’s worth (it’s also the size of a match-box, making it easier to strap to your MP3 player of choice). If anyone has seen this from a reputable dealer for less, let me know.
