Q: I was all set to order an AOGNY skin-tightening machine on Amazon, but found that it's "currently unavailable" and "We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock." Any idea what's going on?
A: The machine still is available, but the AOGNY brand name has been discontinued. As good as the product is, it is pretty easy to see why the name was not a great fit for English-speaking markets. It is hard to pronounce, sounds unappealing and resembles a word that means excruciating pain.
The AOGNY brand name has been retired and replaced by WarmDerm, and the machine is now the WarmDerm Professional Home Grooming Device for Face and Body. (I would say they have the brand name right with WarmDerm, though the rest could be shortened a bit.) The device itself has not changed. It still uses radio-frequency energy to penetrate and warm deep in the skin, stimulating collagen production to improve skin quality, smooth over wrinkles and tighten up skin on the face, as well as removing stretch marks on the body. It is available now for the same $339 after a checkbox coupon, exclusively on Amazon.
Coupon confusion
Q: I saw your encouraging review of the Tribit StormBox Blast speaker. You said there was a $50 coupon bringing the $199.99 price down to $149.99, but all I can find is a $20 discount. Am I doing something wrong, or is your information out of date?
A: I received several emails like yours and did some investigating. The final price of $149.99 is still available, but you must now use the code BTS50FF at checkout at tribit.com to activate the discount.
I am still evaluating my test unit StormBox Blast, and it continues to wow me with how it fills a room with beautiful, captivating sound. It might look like a boombox, but it is a spectacularly good portable speaker independent of price, with sonic capabilities rivaling expensive high-end Bluetooth speakers and even quality component systems with bookshelf speakers.
Bargain alert
I plan to write in more depth about the Hifiman HE400se planar magnetic wired headphones in the future, but with the holiday gift-buying season upon us, I wanted to share the news about this impressive product that's available for only $109 from headphones.com.
Planar magnetic headphones use exotic driver technology, and many consider them to be the ultimate in sound quality. Hifiman is a highly regarded brand specializing in planar magnetic headphones, some costing as much as $50,000. Hifiman has worked hard to make planar magnetic headphones affordable. I never thought I would see quality planar magnetic headphones from an audiophile brand for just over $100, yet here we are.
Not only is the sound impressive and the price eye-popping, but there's also free shipping and an industry-leading 365-day return policy. This offer is sure to make a lot of people happy this year.
Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.
