Black Friday is usually when I start looking at the equipment I’ve been considering all year, especially headphones, desktop audio gear, and smaller accessories that don’t always justify their regular retail prices. Plenty of discounted products compete for attention, but the best deals address a real need in your studio or listening setup rather than pushing a purchase just because the percentage looks impressive.
Apos has launched its 2026 holiday campaign with a substantial collection of discounts across more than 20 audio brands. The retailer’s promotions include headphones, in-ear monitors, DACs, amplifiers, portable audio equipment, and desktop accessories, with advertised savings of up to 65.7% on selected keyboard products.
The audio discounts are generally more modest, although there are some worthwhile reductions on established equipment from Sennheiser, TOPPING, Moondrop, and Meze Audio.
I’ve narrowed the current and upcoming offers down to five products that cover different budgets and listening requirements. Some suit producers building their first serious headphone monitoring setup, while others are better for casual listening or for someone who already owns capable studio equipment.
The sale is also launching in stages, so it’s worth watching for when individual prices become available rather than assuming every promotion is active immediately.
Sennheiser HD 600 and TOPPING DX5 II Are Worth Considering for Desktop Monitoring
The Sennheiser HD 600 is probably the first product I’d examine for producers who want a dedicated pair of open-back headphones. Apos lists the model at $329.95, down from $499.95, representing a 34% reduction. The HD 600 uses a 300-ohm dynamic driver design and has been a familiar reference among engineers and serious listeners for years. Its open-back construction makes it appropriate for critical listening in quieter environments, although it won’t provide the isolation required for recording vocals or monitoring inside a DJ booth.
Headphone choice should always begin with how the equipment will be used. In my breakdown of the best headphones for music producers, I discussed why open-back models are generally preferable for detailed mixing sessions, while closed-back headphones address different requirements.
The HD 600 remains a reasonable option for someone who wants to develop a consistent listening reference, particularly when paired with a headphone output capable of driving its relatively demanding impedance.
That leads naturally to the TOPPING DX5 II, which Apos has discounted from $299 to $254.15. This desktop DAC and headphone amplifier combines digital conversion, headphone amplification, balanced outputs, Bluetooth connectivity, and parametric EQ in one unit. It’s a different product from the TOPPING Mini 500 amplifier I covered recently, which is designed to power passive speakers.
The DX5 II is focused on desktop listening and headphone operation, making it worth considering if your existing audio interface or computer output doesn’t adequately accommodate the headphones you’re using.
Moondrop, Apos, and Meze Cover Three Different Listening Budgets
For producers who regularly listen to music away from their desks, the Moondrop Blessing 3 offers a different approach. Apos has reduced it from $359.99 to $305.99, a 15% discount. These wired in-ear monitors use a hybrid driver configuration consisting of two dynamic drivers and four balanced-armature drivers per earpiece. The design is intended to reproduce different frequency ranges through dedicated driver components, making them interesting for listeners who prefer portable equipment with a relatively sophisticated acoustic configuration.
At the opposite end of the price range, the Apos Rock Lobster IEMs are scheduled to drop from $60 to $54. I reviewed these earphones earlier this month, and they’re an interesting example of a company making specific tuning decisions rather than trying to appeal equally to every listening preference. Their warmer bass response, substantial midrange, and restrained high frequencies work particularly well with guitar-focused recordings, although I had some reservations about their presentation of finer percussion details in electronic music. At $54, they’re worth considering as a secondary listening option, especially for someone who prefers wired earphones with replaceable cables.
The most expensive selection is the Meze POET, with Apos advertising a reduction from $2,000 to $1,600. These open-back planar magnetic headphones use Rinaro’s MZ6 driver system, a magnesium chassis, and replaceable magnetic ear pads. I recently covered the limited POET Jazz Edition, which uses the same underlying acoustic design with individually painted finishes. A $400 discount is worth considering if you’ve already been shopping in this category, although I’d hesitate to recommend four-figure headphones to anyone still assembling the essential parts of their production setup.
Apos Has Additional Discounts Across More Than 20 Brands
Those five selections represent a relatively small part of the campaign.
TOPPING’s wider promotion includes the D900 DAC, A900 headphone amplifier, and selected combinations with advertised savings reaching 41.1%. SMSL and VMV have reductions of up to 25.7%, while xDuoo is discounting tube amplifiers and modular desktop audio systems by as much as 28.3%. Gustard, Singxer, Audalytic, D&A, and Ladder are also participating, with many of their early-season offers concentrating on higher-end desktop conversion and amplification.
The upcoming promotions expand the selection considerably. FiiO will have discounts on portable DACs, music players, and headphones, while iFi Audio is including products such as the ZEN Phono 3. Audio-Technica’s offers include the ATH-M50x headphones and Sound Burger portable turntable, and SJY Audio is discounting selected planar magnetic and electrostatic headphones. Auribus Acoustics is also participating with reductions on its handcrafted open-back models, while Apos’s own amplifier combinations are included in the wider campaign.
There are some less conventional additions, too. Apos Mech Keys has discounts reaching 65.7% on selected keyboard products, including keycaps from GMK and Signature Plastics. The retailer is also offering reductions on desk accessories, making this a fairly broad sale for anyone who spends a considerable amount of time working at a computer.
The APOS5 code provides an additional 5% discount on select eligible products, although it shouldn’t be assumed to work across the complete catalog.
For producers, I’d prioritize the HD 600 if accurate headphone monitoring is the main requirement, followed by the DX5 II if dedicated desktop amplification is needed. The Blessing 3 and Rock Lobster are worth examining for portable listening, while the POET is a more specialized purchase for someone already considering premium headphones. The advertised savings are appealing, but the equipment you actually need should determine where you spend your money.
Apos is running its main Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions from November 26 through November 30, with select campaigns continuing into December. Prices and availability may change as the remaining offers launch, so check the official Apos holiday deals hub before purchasing.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
