Created October 10, 2026 · street prices checked Oct 10, 2026. We will add confirmed deals on Nov 20, Nov 27 and Nov 30. This page keeps its address and will be retitled for Cyber Monday and Boxing Day.
This page is narrow on purpose. It does not list every discounted pair of earbuds. It covers the headphones, IEMs, amps and DACs we recommend elsewhere on AmperHeads, and for each one it gives you two numbers: what the product normally sells for in October 2026, and the price at which we would call it a real deal. When Black Friday prices land, you can check a “40% off” banner against those numbers in a few seconds.
What this page is and is not: amperheads does not own or test this gear, and we have not watched these prices through a previous Black Friday. The street prices below come from manufacturer stores and the retailer data in our product list, checked on October 10, 2026. The “real deal” thresholds are our own guidance, set roughly 15–20% under normal street price. They are not deals we have observed. The buttons take you to Amazon, where the current price is shown.
Key Dates for Black Friday 2026
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Big Deal Days | Oct 6–7, 2026 | Already over |
| Amazon Black Friday week | Expected to start ~Nov 19–20, 2026 | Estimate: 2025’s ran Nov 20 – Dec 1 |
| Thanksgiving | Nov 26, 2026 | Confirmed |
| Black Friday | Nov 27, 2026 | Confirmed |
| Cyber Monday | Nov 30, 2026 | Confirmed |
| Boxing Day (UK, Canada, Australia) | Dec 26, 2026 | Confirmed |
Amazon has not announced the 2026 start of its Black Friday week, so the Nov 19–20 date is an expectation based on last year. We will update it when Amazon confirms.
Best-Value Targets to Watch
These are the products where a Black Friday discount would matter most, either because they are already strong value at street price or because the saving in dollars is large.
The highest-value reference open-back. Already ~$350 against a $499.95 list price; below ~$300 is a buy-now price. Needs an amp for best results.
Our default amp/DAC for the HD 600, HD 650 and 250 Ω Beyerdynamics. Below ~$145 makes a complete desktop setup cheaper than ever.
The one-box DAC/amp for buyers who want more power and balanced outputs. Below ~$250 is worth acting on.
The neutral open-back most people should start with. Around $200 on sale against $279.95 list, so a real deal is below ~$170.
The default under-$100 IEM. Below ~$75 makes it an easy gift or first IEM.
The easy-to-drive closed-back (48 Ω) for phones, laptops and consoles. Below ~$165 is a good price.
Prices to Beat
“Normal street price” is what the product sold for on October 10, 2026, from the manufacturer’s store or retailer data. “A real deal is below” is our threshold for a discount worth acting on. If a Black Friday price is above our threshold, it may still be a fair price, but it is not unusual.
Headphone deals to watch
| Product | Normal street price (Oct 2026) | A real deal is below |
|---|---|---|
| Sennheiser HD 600 | ~$350 on sale ($499.95 list) | ~$300 |
| Sennheiser HD 650 | ~$380 on sale ($579.95 list) | ~$320 |
| Sennheiser HD 660S2 | ~$480 on sale ($679.95 list) | ~$400 |
| Sennheiser HD 560S | ~$200 on sale ($279.95 list) | ~$170 |
| Sennheiser HD 550 | ~$200 on sale ($349.95 list) | ~$170 |
| Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro | ~$160–180 | ~$140 |
| Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X | ~$200 | ~$165 |
| Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro | ~$170–200 | ~$145 |
| Audio-Technica ATH-M50x | ~$150–160 | ~$130 |
| Sony MDR-M1 | ~$250 | ~$210 |
See today's price for the Sennheiser HD 650 on Amazon ↗ See today's price for the Sennheiser HD 550 on Amazon ↗ See today's price for the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro on Amazon ↗ See today's price for the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x on Amazon ↗
Note the Sennheiser pattern. The US list prices rose sharply in 2025–26, and Sennheiser’s own store already sells the HD 600, HD 650, HD 560S and HD 550 well below list. A Black Friday banner that compares against the $499.95 or $579.95 list price will show a big percentage that is really just the everyday price. Judge Sennheiser deals against the sale price column, not the list price.
IEM deals to watch
| Product | Normal street price (Oct 2026) | A real deal is below |
|---|---|---|
| Moondrop Aria 2 | ~$90–100 | ~$75 |
| Simgot EA500LM | ~$90–110 | ~$80 |
| Letshuoer S12 Ultra | ~$169 | ~$140 |
| 7Hz Timeless II | ~$229 | ~$190 |
| Moondrop Blessing 3 | ~$319 | ~$270 |
| 7Hz Salnotes Zero:2 | ~$25 | Not worth waiting for |
See today's price for the Simgot EA500LM on Amazon ↗ See today's price for the Letshuoer S12 Ultra on Amazon ↗ See today's price for the Moondrop Blessing 3 on Amazon ↗
Budget IEMs move in small steps. A $5 saving on a $25 set is not a reason to wait a month. The bigger dollar savings are on the Blessing 3 and the planar sets. For the full picks, see our best IEMs under $100 and best IEMs under $200 guides.
Amp and DAC deals to watch
| Product | Normal street price (Oct 2026) | A real deal is below |
|---|---|---|
| FiiO K11 R2R | ~$170 | ~$145 |
| FiiO K13 R2R | ~$319 | ~$270 |
| Topping DX5 II | ~$299 | ~$250 |
| FiiO K7 | ~$220 | ~$185 |
| iFi Zen DAC 3 | ~$229 | ~$190 |
See today's price for the FiiO K13 R2R on Amazon ↗ See today's price for the iFi Zen DAC 3 on Amazon ↗ See today's price for the FiiO K7 on Amazon ↗
The FiiO K7 no longer appears on FiiO’s website, though it is still sold on Amazon US. A deep cut on it is more likely clearance than a seasonal deal. That can still be a good buy, but at anything near $200 the K11 R2R is the newer and cheaper choice. Our FiiO K7 review covers the trade-off, and the best DAC/amp combos under $300 guide compares the current one-box options.
Portable DAC and dongle deals
| Product | Normal street price (Oct 2026) | A real deal is below |
|---|---|---|
| FiiO BTR17 | ~$200 | ~$170 |
| FiiO KA17 | ~$200 | ~$170 |
| Apple USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter | ~$9 | Not worth waiting for |
See today's price for the FiiO BTR17 on Amazon ↗ See today's price for the FiiO KA17 on Amazon ↗
More portable options are in our best portable headphone amp guide.
What Usually Doesn’t Go on Sale: Schiit and JDS Labs
Schiit and JDS Labs sell mostly direct from their own websites. Their amps and DACs rarely show up in Amazon deal lists, and we have no information on whether either company plans a 2026 promotion. If one announces a sale, we will add it to the update log below. Until then, plan around list price:
| Product | List price (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Schiit Magni (Unity) | $119 ($199 with DAC card) |
| Schiit Modi 5 | $149 |
| Schiit Asgard X | $399 |
| JDS Labs Atom Amp 2 | ~$129 |
See today's price for the Schiit Magni (Unity) on Amazon ↗ See today's price for the Schiit Magni (Unity) from Schiit ↗ See today's price for the JDS Labs Atom Amp 2 from JDS ↗
If you see an older Schiit model (Magni Heresy, Magnius, Asgard 3, Modi Multibit) listed cheaply by a third-party seller, it is not a Schiit deal. Schiit no longer makes those models, and the current Magni (Unity) replaced them. The same applies to the JDS Labs Atom Amp+, which the Atom Amp 2 replaced.
How to Tell a Fake Deal
Most “deals” on audio gear fall into four traps. Check for each one before you buy.
1. Inflated list prices. A discount is only as honest as the price it is measured against. Sennheiser is the clearest example this year: the HD 650 lists at $579.95 but already sells for about $380, so “34% off” is the normal price. Compare a deal price against the street price column above, never against the crossed-out list price.
2. Old models in clearance. Black Friday is when retailers clear out products the maker has moved on from. On our list, the ones to watch for are:
- Topping DX3 Pro+: retailers list it as discontinued, and the DX5 II (~$299) replaced it. See our DX3 Pro+ page .
- FiiO K5 Pro ESS: discontinued by FiiO. The K11 R2R (~$170) is the current entry desktop DAC/amp. See our K5 Pro ESS page .
- FiiO BTR7: still sold, but the BTR17 is FiiO’s current Bluetooth flagship.
- Moondrop Aria, 7Hz Salnotes Zero, 7Hz Timeless AE, Truthear Hexa, Letshuoer S12: all replaced by newer versions (Aria 2, Zero:2, Timeless II, Pure, S12 Ultra).
A clearance price on an old model can be a good buy. It is only a bad one when the old model costs about the same as its replacement. As a rule, the old model should be at least 25% cheaper than the current one before it is worth considering.
3. Variant swaps. One product page can hold several versions, and the deal price often belongs to the one you did not want. The classic case is the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, sold in 32 Ω, 80 Ω and 250 Ω versions. The 250 Ω version needs a proper amp, while the 80 Ω runs from a laptop. The DT 770 Pro X is a different, newer 48 Ω model again. Check the impedance in the selected option before you click buy. Our DT 770 80 Ω vs 250 Ω comparison explains which one fits your setup. The same check applies to the HD 560S and HD 550, which look almost identical in photos.
4. Gone-retailer stock. Drop closed on March 31, 2026. The HD 58X Jubilee is gone, and the remaining HD 6XX stock is sold new only by Sennheiser US at $219.95. Treat any third-party listing of a “new” HD 58X with care, and see our HD 58X amp page for the current alternatives.
If You Buy a Headphone, Budget for the Amp
The biggest Black Friday mistake with high-impedance headphones is spending the whole budget on the headphone. The HD 600, HD 650 and 250 Ω Beyerdynamics need more voltage than most phones and many laptops supply. If the HD 600 drops below $300, add a FiiO K11 R2R (~$170) or a Schiit Magni (Unity) ($119) and the complete setup still costs less than the HD 600’s $499.95 list price. Our pairing guides do the voltage math for each:
- Best amp for the Sennheiser HD 600
- Best amp for the Sennheiser HD 650
- Best amp for the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
- Best amp for the Sennheiser HD 560S
Shopping for someone else? Our gifts for audiophiles guide groups the same products by budget.
Outside the US: Boxing Day
For readers in the UK, Canada and Australia, Boxing Day (December 26, 2026) is the other big sale to plan around. Today our links go to Amazon US only, so the buttons on this page will not show your local price. The thresholds above are US prices; use them as a rough guide to what counts as a real discount where you are.
Update Log
- Oct 10, 2026: page created; deals will be added Nov 20, Nov 27 and Nov 30.