Smartphone Accessories

Sennheiser’s MOMENTUM line of headphones have received great reviews since their release, and now the company is back with refreshed models. Not only has the well known audio device maker returned with overall hardware improvements, it has also cut the cords…

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Over at CES in Las Vegas, high-end audio maker Bang & Olufsen is taking personal home audio to a whole new level of design this year and that’s saying a lot based on what we’ve seen before. In fact, B&O is setting the stage for a showdown later this summer with the whole-home audio king, SONOS. For the time being, the focus is on a whole new way to interact with your personal music and B&O is bringing the wood with its new Beosound Moment.

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Not only is the selfie not going away, but thanks to the selfie stick, the trend is going to the next level.

Take a stroll around nearly any major city and you’re bound to see individuals and groups of people taking their pictures with iPhones affixed to poles. Just last weekend, I was at one of the biggest tourist spots in the world, Walt Disney World, and I couldn’t walk a few feet without bumping into one.

The idea of the selfie stick is to hold an iPhone further than your arms can reach to grab the perfect selfie angle. It’s also a good way to capture more scenery and people in each picture without having to hand your iPhone to a random person nearby. Aside from a few ridiculous exceptions, most of these monopods extend to around 3.5 feet.

You’ll find that the majority of selfie sticks are made by no-name companies out of China, so you’ll come across a lot of cheap options. Nicer models include a Bluetooth remote, while less expensive models connect via the headphone jack. One of these options is necessary to snap the shutter for the photo when you can’t touch the iPhone,

Here are the best selfie stick options for iPhone 6/Plus, and iPhone 5/5s/5c …
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Amazon offers the ASUS Chromebook 13-Inch HD with Gigabit WiFi, 32GB Storage & 4GB RAM (Model B00JI9HISQ) for $229 with free shipping. That’s $100 off for this recently released double RAM and double local storage configuration. Features:

• 10 Hours Incredible Battery Life.
• Gigabit Dual-Band 802.11AC ultra-fast Wi-Fi.
• Intel Dual-Core 2.16 GHz Processor with 4 GB RAM.
• 13.3″ HD LED Display. HD Webcam.
• USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, SD Card Reader, & Bluetooth 4.0.
• 32 GB local flash storage, 1TB Google Drive storage for 2 years (with recent offer).

OK with 2GB RAM, 16GB storage and Green on White? $180 please.

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Today’s Daily Steal is the Klipsch KMC 3 Wireless Music System with Bluetooth for a low $165 shipped. That’s $235 off the list price, $75 less than Amazon, and the lowest we could find. Back in June, we had a refurb model for the same price as today’s deal for a new one.

This Klipsch is a  wireless music system with built-in subwoofer. It has quick, easy Bluetooth streaming from smartphones, portable music players and computers. AptX technology allows for audiophile quality streaming. Advanced DSP equalization for accurate reproduction of all music types. Also, it come with a remote to conveniently control  volume/mute and streaming music sources while being charged. Features:

• Premium 2.1 home/portable wireless music system with built-in subwoofer
• Quick, easy Bluetooth streaming from smartphones, portable music players and computers. AptX technology allows for audiophile quality streaming. Advanced DSP equalization for accurate reproduction of all music types.
• 130 watts of digital system power. Features dual 2″ full range drivers for incredibly detailed sound and a 5.25 inch subwoofer combined with a unique, dual port system for truly deep bass
• 3.5mm input plays music from nearly any non-Bluetooth music source. USB input charges all smartphones and most portable music devices (cable not included). Portable long-life DC operation with 8 “D” cell batteries (not included)
• Remote control conveniently controls volume/mute and streaming music sources while being charged.

Amazon shoppers gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars and left great reviews.

Daily Steals also has the Klipsch KMC 1  Bluetooth Speaker in a variety of colors for a low $139 (orig. $200).

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Google just announced a free update of your Google Drive to a whopping 1TB of data with the purchase of a Chromebook. That’s normally priced out at $9.99/month over 24 months so its value is about $240 over the 2 years. What’s kind of cool about this is you can purchase a Chromebook for much less than $240. Here are your best options from around the web.

Update 2: Amazon drops the Acer Chromebook C720 to just $149.99 shipped. 

Update: Amazon takes $51 off the Acer 13 CB5-311-T9B0 Chromebook (13.3-inch Full HD, NVIDIA Tegra K1, 2GB) knocking it down to $249 shipped. This is basically as burly as it gets for an ARM Chromebook. 11 hours of battery, 192 GPU cores HD display. They also knock $20 off the C720 bringing it down to lowest ever $179.99 shipped. It has Haswell CPU, HDMI out and 8.5 hour battery.

Amazon has a great lineup of Chromebooks including ones with Touch displays with a few standouts now available.

The ASUS C300MA-DB01 Chromebook 13-inch HD with Gigabit Wifi 2GB RAM/16GB storage is $50 off at $199 shipped.  Features:

• 10 Hours Incredible Battery Life.
• Gigabit Dual-Band 802.11AC ultra-fast Wi-Fi.
• Intel Dual-Core 2.16 GHz Processor with 2 GB RAM.
• 13.3″ HD LED Display. HD Webcam.
• USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, SD Card Reader, & Bluetooth 4.0.
• 16 GB local flash storage,

HP’s 14-Inch Chromebook free T-Mobile 4G (200mb/month forever) is $349

• Intel Celeron 2955U 1.4 GHz (2 MB Cache)
• 4 GB DDR3L SDRAM
• 16 GB Solid-State Drive
• 14.0-Inch Screen, Intel HD Graphics
• Chrome. Free 4g for life

Knock $50 off an HP Chromebook 11

Other great deals:
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A4C has the Logitech UE BOOM Portable Bluetooth Speaker in Black (Bulk Packaging) for a low $129.95 shipped. That’s $70 off the regular price and $66 less than Amazon. You can also find it in new condition on Daily Steals at the same price and in Blue or Red.

The UE Boom lets you pair up to 8 Bluetooth-enabled source devices at the same time and you get 15 hours of music on a single charge.  It provides deep, rich bass with 360° sound and an LED light clearly indicates when the speaker is charging or pairing with Bluetooth.  It also allows for easy pairing via NFC for NFC-enabled devices.

Here’s a list of other great speakers we found today:

• Jawbone Mini JAMBOX  (Choice of Colors) $69 (Reg. $179) | Daily Steals
• Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker $189 (Reg. $199) | Daily Steals
• Mpow Boombag Water-resistant Speaker $45 (Reg. $80) | Amazon
• JBL Micro Ultraportable Bluetooth Speaker $29 (Reg. $70) | Daily Steals
• Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin AirPlay Speaker $399.99 (Reg. $600) | Amazon

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Kmart has the ZTE Whirl Android 4.3  smartphone (also at Best Buy) for $19.99 with free max shipping or pickup. That’s half off and the lowest price we’ve ever seen for an new Android phone. This one has a 3MP camera and front facing camera for video chatting, GPS and Bluetooth 4.0.

While not a high end phone by any stretch of the imagination, its $20 cost makes it a good backup, great kids “phone” or standalone GPS or other dedicated device.

More on the Whirl from ZTE
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Today, Jaybird is releasing their first activity tracker, Reign, which is designed by athletes for athletes. The Reign helps improve your performance, gives you insight throughout the day, and learns your body so you can perform better:

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Moving a light switch in your home is never an easy proposition, and certainly something that most home owners would not want to tackle on their own. However, the Avi-on Switch is a new product entering the home automation sector that puts the power in consumer’s hands to place a light switch wherever needed.
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Breathometer’s first smartphone breathalyzer was launched thanks to a successful Indiegogo campaign that raised $138,377 or 554% of its original goal. A little over a year later, Breathometer has introduced its latest breathalyzer, which it calls Breeze. It isn’t just a toy for college kids to see who can get more drunk, it’s a powerful tool that can help you drink responsibly…
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Verizon wireless has the Logitech UE Mini Boom for only $79.99 shipped as their “Accessory of the Month” for all of October. That’s $20 off the regular price and the best offer we could find. We gave it rave reviews at 9to5mac giving its benefits over its predecessor:

So what’s different?

1. The whole internal structure has changed to optimize the type of sound the Ultimate Ears group wanted to provide.

2. It is both louder and crisper at higher volumes as well. It is another class…to quote Spinal Tap, they’ve gone to 11 and further. As you can see in the video – the sound of the Boom at 1/3 is what the Box didn’t hit until 2/3rd of the way.

3. It has the same pairing capabilities as the more expensive, full sized Ultimate Ears Boom speaker (see video) to make stereo sound and improve the volume some more. Left/Right sound separation are a big deal here.

4. The Bluetooth range has now increased up to 50 feet from 33 which is a result of improved antenna design and power. Interesting note: The second speaker can be even further because it pairs with the first speaker, not the phone.

The UE Boom lets you pair two devices at once (the speaker remembers the last eight connected devices). You can stream music wirelessly via Bluetooth from up to 50 feet away with a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 10 hours.
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Amazon has the Urban Beatz Rockbox Bluetooth speaker for $49.99. When you enter the coupon code: ZNXNZFFR $20 drops off the price making it only $29.99 Prime shipped. That’s $70 off the original list price and the lowest price we’ve seen in months for it.

With the Rockbox you can play your music and take calls wirelessly from up to 30 feet away. The extended rechargeable battery allows you to get up to 7 hours of continuous music on a single charge.

The Rockbox received 4.3/5 stars and great reviews from Amazon shoppers.
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The GoGroove BlueSYNC SPB combines all your favorite gadgets into one compact device. It’s a Bluetooth speaker, speaker phone, FM radio and 2200mAh rechargeable battery pack. You’ll feel like a kid again taking calls and listening to music as the controls are similar to those of a walkie-talkie or FM radio from years past. On top there’s an old-style volume dial that works to change stations in FM radio mode or to play/pause your music.

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Staples offers the Jabra Revo headphones in white or gray for $59.99 shipped. Coupon code 86128 brings the price down to $49.99 shipped. That’s a savings of $150 off the original list price and the lowest we could find these highly-rated headphones. This price also beats Amazon by $40.

The Jabra Revo headphones feature “high definition” Dolby Digital Plus enhanced sound, a built-in microphone and volume control, as well as a detachable cable for easy storage. A headphone bag is included with the purchase and the accompanying iOS app is free.

Additionally, BuyDig offers the MEElectronics Air-Fi Venture Stereo Bluetooth wireless headphones for $69.99. Coupon code VENTURE takes the price to $48 shipped. This is within $8 of the lowest price we’ve seen, and is $10 better than Amazon where nearly 200 customers rate this headphones 4.5/5 stars. These headphones can be used both wirelessly or wired and feature a battery life rated for 18 hours. 

BuyDig also has the Audio-Technica ATH-PRO500 Mark II professional DJ monitor headphones for $99. Coupon code AUDIOPLATINUM saves $20 bringing the price to $79 shipped. Originally listed at $180, this price represents a savings of 56% and currently is $23 better than Amazon. The ATH-PRO500 headphones include two detachable cords (one coiled and one straight), swiveling earpieces and an elastomer frame.

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The wearable market is becoming more and more crowded each day, especially with Apple entering into the fray. The good news for consumers is that they are reaping the benefits of a competitive marketplace.

Today, Garming introduced their latest addition to the highly-rated Forerunner GPS line of products with the 920XT. While Garmin has long been known for their GPS capable devices, they have been slow to add new functionality to their line-up of wearables. Primarily focusing on location based data and heart rate monitoring, Forerunner watches have left out one key piece of the puzzle, until now.

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How’s your Russian? Apparently Rozetked who got the iPhone 6 ahead of time got their hands on what appears to be the next GoPro4 camera out there with some nice specs in tow. 4K videographers will appreciate the 30FPS and the 120FPS on the 1080P. For still images, you’ll be able to capture 12 megapixel photos at 30 frames per second.

Audio capture is also improved, with the new system capturing 2x the dynamic range.

On the front of the camera is an ultra-wide angle glass lens, and the camera can be set to three different field-of-view settings: Ultra Wide, Medium, and Narrow.

There will be new manual settings for both photography and videography — controls such as color, ISO limit, exposure, and more.

The camera is waterproof down to 131 feet (40m). Other features include built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, exposure settings for nighttime shooting, a “HiLight Tag” feature for marking key moments in footage, a QuikCapture feature for powering up and recording with one button press, and auto low light features.

A few more versions of the new round of GoPros was profiled by Petapixel earlier this week.

If you are looking for a deal on the current version: Best Buy has $50 off the Black version to $349 and  AT&T Accessories Store will give you 25% off when you buy 3 items like the below. So you can get $75 off the GoPro Hero3+ Silver and two accessories. Or you can just add 2 $5 fillers to your cart for $7.50:

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Lenovo is taking $40-$55 off some of their signature products today. We’ve highlighted a few of the best offers below:

The first, is a Bluetooth Tablet Keyboard for $69.99. When you enter the coupon code: USP1OC145122 at checkout, the price drops to only $14.99 shipped. That’s $10 less than Amazon and the lowest we could find. The keyboard lets you mount tablets vertically for a comfortable viewing experience. It works seamlessly with any Bluetooth-enabled Lenovo tablets for those times when touchscreen input alone isn’t enough. Also, the keyboard dock includes a separate battery and power supply so you won’t drain your tablet’s battery.

Next, is the Lenovo Multimedia Remote with Keyboard for $69.99. Use the coupon code: USP1OC141503 and the price will drop to only $15.99 shipped. This 2.4GHz wireless keyboard features a USB nano dongle, a range of up to 30 feet, and Windows media hotkeys. It also requires two AA batteries.

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Tintag is a new Bluetooth lost item tracker that’s taking on current trackers who fall short in the battery department. Traditionally, trackers have either had replaceable batteries or non-rechargeable permanent batteries. The first solution is a hassle because you need to keep batteries on hand and the second solution is wasteful and costly since you’ll need to replace the entire tracker.

Tintag thinks it solved both of those problems by being the first rechargeable item tracker…
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Satechi has just introduced the first Smart Selfie Arm that lets you easily and effortlessly perfect your smart phone selfies. It’s compatible with the iPhone 6/6 Plus as well as other iOS and Android phones and features Bluetooth enabled controls. It also has an adjustable ball joint for 360-degree rotation as well as various tilting angles to create unique photos. Just simply pair your phone to the monopod and use the integrated controls “to capture the perfect photo.”

The Smart Selfie Arm is available now on Amazon and from Satechi for only $39.99.

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Speakers and receivers that support Apple AirPlay streaming generally cost much more than their Bluetooth counterparts. But that’s no surprise since we’re all very well aware of Apple tax. Anways, many people, including myself, prefer AirPlay streaming over Bluetooth since it’s easier to setup and typically works at further distances.

Jump in on this deal to add AirPlay streaming to nearly any set of speakers or receiver you already have. DBROTH via Amazon offers the iReceiver Wi-Fi Music Receiver for $19.99 with free Prime shipping when you enter coupon code INH83PMX at checkout. If you aren’t a Prime member (free trial), then shipping costs will vary or you’ll have to pad your order to $35 or more to get free shipping. That’s $50 below list and a much more affordable option than buying an AirPort Express to accomplish the same task. It simply connects via the included 3.5mm aux cable.

Available in white or black. Reviews are a bit mixed at 3.3 stars but at just $20 it should be worth your time.

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Moleskine, the company behind the popular notebooks and planners, has announced that they have designed a notebook specifically for the Livescribe smartpen. While there have been many devices that have attempted to effectively carry over handwritten notes to digital devices, the new Moleskine Livescribe notebook packs a few tricks that enable a more accurate transfer.

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Satechi has released a pair of new wireless keyboards with support for up to five different Bluetooth devices. This California-based company went along with traditional stereotypes and made the Mac/iOS version silver with white keys and the PC/Android version black with black keys.

Either keyboard can technically be used with any device that supports Bluetooth keyboards, but you’ll want to pair them up with the types of devices they were intended for to take advantage of the OS-specific keys. For example, the Mac/iOS version features lock button, home button, and spotlight search keys for iDevices.

At just 0.7-inches thick, it is pretty much the same size as the standard Apple keyboard. But the Satechi’s killer feature is the ability to be synced with up to five unique Bluetooth accessories at any given time. That means you can seamlessly go from typing on your Mac to your iPad, to your iPhone, to your Apple TV, to your — never mind, I’m sure you get the idea. I have the Logitech K811 backlit keyboard and although it only syncs with three devices, I find this feature absolutely invaluable after using it for a few short months.

Unfortunately, just like the Apple keyboard, you’ll have to supply two (AAA) batteries to power it. We recommend picking up a pack of eneloop or AmazonBasics rechargeable batteries to save yourself a few bucks and headaches down the road.

The Satechi Bluetooth Wireless Smart Keyboard is now available for $54.99 at Amazon.

Full press release follows:

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Update (9/9 5:25pm): Amazon is offering the Belkin Song Stream Bluetooth Music Receiver for $23.99 again.

Update (8/22 12:45pm): Amazon also has the Belkin Hands-Free Bluetooth Car Kit for $29.55 (orig. $80).

Amazon is offering the Belkin Song Stream Bluetooth Music Receiver for $23.99 with free Prime shipping (free trial) or on orders of $35 or more. That’s $16 or 40% off the original listing and matching the lowest price we’ve seen it go for. Target still charges $40 + shipping.

It features Bluetooth with EDR for “superior wireless performance,” transmits up to 33 feet away and can easily remember pairing settings for up to 6 devices. This handy adapter can be a convenient way to get more life out of older stereo and speaker set-ups. It allows you to bring wireless Bluetooth audio streaming from your your iOS devices to any existing speaker system with a 3.5mm (or RCA) input.

It comes with a 1 year warranty and has received a 3.8/5 star rating from over 240 Amazon customers.

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Amazon is offering the Omaker Ultra Portable Metallic Mini Wireless Bluetooth Speaker in Pink or Blue for only $15.99 Prime shipped when you use the coupon code: VBM26USJ at checkout. That’s a $64 savings off the list price and the lowest we’ve seen for the speaker.

Omaker sent us a review unit this week and it works darn well for a $16 speaker.

Their words:

It has a metallic finish with simple design. It features Bluetooth 3.0+EDR and it’s “unique and compact ostrich egg fashion appearance slips easily into your bag for use on the go.” It’s high definition and surprising fullness realized through a 4W driver and bass port – outclassing other similar-sized portable speakers. Built-in big capacity Polymer Lithium Batteries allow for a playback time of up to 8 hours.

Ours:

Is it going to give something like Logitech’s Boom line a run for its money?  No, not at all. But it is pretty nice and a nice accessory for a mobile device. It pairs easily and it actually says in broken english “MOMI IS WAITING FOR YOUR CONNECTION” and then confirms your connection. Then when you lose connection, more broken English.

It sounds a little bit better than the speakers on a MacBook Pro and yet it can fit in your pocket and make speakerphone calls very nicely though we heard an echo in our testing).  It has lasted over 5 hours in our brief testing.

It received 4.6/5 stars and great reviews from Amazon customers. We’re in agreement. If you need a speaker and have $16 to spend, then go for it!
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If you have ever wanted to bring your favorite tunes to the shower with you, there is a new option coming to the marketplace. The Shower Speaker combines a built-in rechargeable Bluetooth speaker with a rainfall shower head design. This IndieGoGo project aims to combine these two previously separate items into a complete body cleansing, bass pumping experience.

The Shower Speaker features an LED backlit system which changes colors as the temperature of your shower rises, allowing you to visually see when the water is at your desired temperature. The speaker portion of the shower head is detachable, so it can also be used as a listening option away from the bathroom as well. Installation is similar to other shower heads already on the market, The Shower Speaker fits any standard 1/2-inch shower setup.

There are many other Bluetooth-enabled waterproof options, but this is the first we’ve seen that physically combines the shower head with a speaker.  For $90 shipped, you’ll be able to be one of the first to own The Shower Speaker, which currently has an estimated delivery of January 2015. If you are in need of a solid waterproof, we recommend the highly-rated ECOXGEAR ECOXBT Rugged and Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Speaker, which is available from Amazon for $87 shipped.

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Best Buy has the UE Mini Boom Wireless Bluetooth Speaker & JayBird BlueBuds X Bluetooth Headphones Package for a low $169.99 shipped. That’s more than $50 under the current value of both items and $30 under the lowest total price we’ve ever seen on either item individually. The JayBird BlueBuds feature a playtime of a solid 8 hours, offering a full week of workouts, or a full day of listening. They also have SignalPlus for skip-free music outdoors and a 3.8/5 star rating from over 1,700 Amazon customers.

The Mini Boom has a 6.5W built-in amplifier power (3.25W per channel) for high-quality audio. It carries a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with simple controls, an audio input for simple wired connectivity and a 4.5/5 star rating from nearly 500 Amazon customers.

Also, Staples is offering  the Logitech UE Boom Bluetooth Speaker for only $149.99 shipped. That’s $50 off the regular price and also $50 less than Amazon’s current listing for it. It can switch songs, adjust volume and take phone calls from up to 50 feet away. The rechargeable battery has 15 hours of playback and you can wirelessly connect two UE BOOMs together in stereo via the UE BOOM app to spread the sound and pump up the volume.

Wirecutter ranked the JayBird BlueBuds as the #2 exercise headphones and we did a detailed review of the UE Boom and Mini boom. 
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCfhdmC7oMY

The OM/One was developed by world class industrial designers and audio engineers to produce sound with no external distortion. By using the force of magnetic levitation, the speaker actually floats about an inch off its base, allowing you to spin it around in mid-air while listening to the audio.

In a world filled with speakers that look and sound the same, OM/ONE is a paradigm shift. Designed by a team of world class industrial designers and audio engineers, OM/ONE is as functional as it is beautiful.

It has 15 hours of runtime, 110db output from a 3 watt speaker, and a built-in speaker for conference calling. It features Bluetooth 4.0 that allows you to change tracks and control volume from up to 33 ft. away. It can also be taken with you and used as a portable speaker. Unfortunately, it charges by a conventional cord only and not when its in mid-air as we hoped.

If you don’t think you can wait for its release, Om Audio has launched a crowdfunding campaign on their website where you can preorder the Om/One for $179. When it hits shelves in 2015 it will have a $199 price tag and will have different color options as well.

Additional specs for the OM/One:

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Update (7/23 9:45 AM): Newegg Flash has the Monster DNA On-Ear Headphones for $109.99 shipped (reg. $229.95). That’s the lowest current price we could find, and beats Amazon by $60, where customers rated these popular headphones 4.5/5 stars.

We’ve spotted some headphones deals today starting off with the manufacturer refurbished Sony MDR-10RBT Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones in black for $104.99 shipped.

If you’re looking for a Bluetooth set that is a little less expensive, Amazon has the Mpow Bluetooth 4.0 Stereo Foldable Headphones for $33 Prime shipped (free trial) using code MPOWAPTX during checkout (-$9). That’s $47 under the original listing, $9 better than the average selling price and matching the lowest we’ve seen. They feature up to 15 hours of music and talk time as well as Play, Pause, Next, Previous, Volume buttons and the ability to “be paired with two Bluetooth-enabled devices at the same time.” They have received a 4.3/5 star rating from over 140 Amazon customers.

Lastly, we have the Scosche (RH1056M) over-ear reference headphones in white for $54.99 shipped. That’s $175 under the original price, $44 under the average selling price, $35 better than Amazon and the lowest we’ve seen this particular model go for.

More headphone deals:

• Sony DRB-TN200 Bluetooth (black) $67 shipped (Reg. $130)
• Sony MDR-10R Over-Ear w/ In-line Mic & Controls (white) $78 shipped (Reg. $150) 
• Sennheiser Momentum On Ear (ivory) $140 shipped (Reg. $200+)

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