Three-deal Thursday: Headphones, Obihai, and Roku
First up: Monoprice shaves a few bucks off the price of its popular over-the-ear headphones.
It's hard to be glib on this particular day, so I'm going to skip my usual opening wisecrackery and jump right to the deals. Except to say that this is the perfect time to tell the people you love that you love them. To do something nice for a stranger. To appreciate everything you have. And to remember what's really important in life. Because it's short, you know?
1. Premium 'phones
Monoprice is best known as a seller of quality cables and other tech accessories (tech-cessories?), but the company also makes a few popular audio products.
Like this one: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Monoprice (via Ebay) has the Premium Hi-Fi DJ Style Over-the-Ear Pro Headphone for $19.99 shipped. They're already a pretty amazing deal at $23.98, their regular price, but this is, well, better.
But how good could $20 headphones possibly be? According to nearly 1,000 user reviews, which average out to about 4.5 stars, pretty damn good. For those who think it's ludicrous to drop $200 or more on a pair of cans, here's your chance to enjoy "hands-down, the best full-size, over-the-ear headphones you can buy on the cheap," according to CNET.
2. Landline no more
Whenever I mention a voice-over-IP gizmo like the MagicJack or Ooma, something designed to replace your landline telephone, at least a few readers chime in about Obihai.
So, this: for a limited time, and while supplies last, Newegg has the Obihai OBi200 VoIP telephone adapter for $29.99 shipped when you apply coupon code EMCPAWW99 at checkout.
The OBi boxes have long been popular among Google Voice users, as it allows you to tap that free-calling service using your existing cordless home-phone system. (Whether or not Google Voice will remain free remains to be seen, but so far, so good. If that gravy train pulls into the station, you can still use the box with any number of other VoIP services -- some free, many dirt-cheap.)
3. Roku for you?
While you're at Newegg, check out what is perhaps the least-expensive current-generation Roku box ever. Specifically, the refurbished Roku 1 for $29.99 shipped.
Although this is Roku's "low end" box, it offers full 1080p streaming and the updated Roku remote with shortcut buttons for Amazon, Netflix, Vudu, and the service no one uses, M-GO.
What's the difference between this and, say, the Roku Streaming Stick or Roku 2? There's really just one: the 1 lacks dual-band wireless. I'm honestly not sure if that's a big deal or not, but I do know my older Rokus (which also lacked it) work just fine.
Check out CNET's review of the Roku 1 if you want to learn more. And have a peaceful day (by which I mean a day of peace).