All prices here are in Canadian dollars unless stated otherwise.
Avoid buying from big stores like Best Buy or Walmart unless you’re sure they have a good price. These stores often increase the prices of popular items by 10-20%.
Imports can save you money. Many high-end headphones are not sold directly by the manufacturers in Canada, which can make them cost twice as much here. When importing headphones to Canada, you need to pay for shipping, provincial tax, and a handling fee (usually $5-10).
Amazon is a good place to find used headphones. You can check “Amazon Warehouse” for used items and filter for headphones. Sort the results from high to low price. Look for “like new” or “very good” condition headphones. If you’re not happy with your purchase, you can return them or contact customer service for a possible partial refund. Be careful with headphones that often go on sale. For example, the Sennheiser HD599 costs $329, so you might think $220 is a good price for a used pair. But these headphones go on sale for $129, making $220 too high.
Sometimes computer stores like Canada Computers or Memory Express have great deals on headphones, especially when they’re clearing out old stock.
Check out CanuckAudioMart.com. It’s a classified site for audio gear, and you can find some of the best deals there if you’re patient. Also, look at r/AVexchange.
AliExpress is a good place for affordable Chinese headphones. For example, the Moondrop Blessing 2 goes on sale several times a year, and the Blon BL03 costs about $20. The Dunu Sa6 is $550, but you can often find it for $450 on sale. Keep in mind that sellers on AliExpress may lower the amount they report for customs fees (when using regular mail) so you won’t have to pay taxes. While this may not be completely ethical, it’s common practice among sellers.