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Lets just get right to it.

15 hr burn in, minimum, and you have to give them a bit of power.
I like them the best with a good Balanced XLR copper cable.


Currently Driving them : FiiO K9 Pro & Questyle CMA 12 : Master Edition.

Audeze SE LCD-5 Cable

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Comfort : 8.0 Out the box the clamp is slightly firm. Headband is good. Headphone weight is comfy.

Leather Cups : These are the cups that the "new" Diana V2 need, and do not offer. So, if you have purchased the "new edition" DV-2 '2021 cups with your Diana V2, then you noticed they are not quite good. Well, the LCD-5 cups, are softer, very similar in shape, but deeper and feel better.

SE Cable : Impressive.... Longer than i like, pretty, upgraded copper and transmits more warmth than you're going to get if you use a Silver/Copper, instead.


SOUND :


Treble : Fatigue Free, clear as a bell, and extended towards precision vs air. This is a treble that is found in no other Audeze Headphones. Its rich, its sweet, and its effortless. Its a perfect extension and compliment to the LCD-5's Bass and the Mids.
The LCD 5's Treble is extremely revealing, yet free of etch, and never rolled off.

Midrange : Lively .....generously provided inside the best sounding headphones that Audeze has thus created.
Some reviewers stated that the LCD-5's midrange is too forward. I'd agree that they are slightly forward, especially when new..... yet overall the mids are engineered to sound very detailed yet not clinical, cold, or dark.

Bass : With Audeze, we have learned that their Sound Sig was designed long ago to be thumpy and powerful regarding the low end. With the LCD-5, they have uniquely retooled the Bass response to be detailed and definitely not the overarching sonic highlight of the Gear. Instead, the LCD-5's Bass is all about balanced presentation and layering with very good extension.
Its not a sub bass canon, and the upper bass is slightly reserved.

Soundstage : How it is presented is much a result of the pads that are not extremely deep. The result is that the LCD-5's SS. surrounds you, yet definitely does not immerse you inside a huge room. Its designed to feel generous vs overtly spacious, and always keeps your ears positioned directly in the center of the music.

Instrument Separation : I'd say it equals the best Tot'l's.

Vocal Clarity : A true highlight of this gear.

Detail Retrieval : Digs deep. Easily achieves the same level as the Hifiman HEKSE

Resolution: If the LCD-5 offered any more detail and resolution, then it would be producing it falsely, vs revealing it wonderfully.

Timbre : Precision Machine Crystal Clean

Recording Studio : Sonically, the LCD-5's will work much better regarding the Mixing process vs the Mastering room.


So, what is the LCD-5?
Its a gear that is first and foremost all about """"Resolution, Transparency, and Speed"", says the Audeze Website, and that is a fact revealed upon hearing it.
What it's not is the evolution of the last 4 LCD's, tho, i dont count the LCD-1 in this group, as that's just a different situation.
This means that if you spend the $4000.00+ USD expecting more of the same Audeze sound, or hoping for the evolution of the LCD-4, then you wont find it in the LCD-5.
The LCD-5 is its own thing going on.
Full stop.

The 5, is a new sonic blue-print, a new Audeze sonic statement, and a quite different Audeze sound.
If i was the CEO of Audeze, i would have given this gear a brand new name....like....>"Zenith", or "Ultra".
Follow me?, as its THAT Audeze, vs a refinement of the previous, or an evolution of the most recent.
It is good, and it is a NEW Sound from Audeze, and does not try to evolve previous Audeze Audiophile sound.

Why is it good?
Its because of its re-designed Audeze tonality combined with its resolution and overall precision sonic balance.
Its extremely detailed, and its Signature Sound, sonically speaking, is clarity.
The LCD-5 is the true redesigning of the Audeze Audiophile Sound... delivered as very detailed, yet never fatiguing.
This is the sweetly lush & balanced Audeze FR that offers you a newly designed Audeze "house" sound.



Final analysis : If Audeze had refined the Abyss Diana V2's sound..... to sound like a "new product" Audeze, then the LCD-5 is the result.

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For the person who wants a good sound in a set of closed cans, but not an expensive purchase, then the 422's may fit that bill.
They are aesthetically pleasing, and they offer a nice overall FS.
Their dynamic range is good for a closed, they are basically accurate tonally, and are quite non-fatiguing.
Pads are better then decent, and the claming pressure is snug right out of the box.
Cable is cloth and lightly microphonic.
Cups are wooden and visually appealing

Specs. .......

Soundstage is average + not too shallow and imparts a nice sense of linear space.

Timbre is : Warmish and pleasant.

Instrument separation : Average ++

Detail retrieval : Impressive

Bass : Digs fairly deep and is accurate.

Midrange : Warm and wide.

Treble : Not sharp and not lacking.

Resolution : Quite revealing, but not clinical or extremely analytical.

Currently these are on sale from ESS : for $159, and this is a deal.

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Kennerton HP-LS1 : Mini Review.. 1-15-2021

These are Planar Headphones with wooded cups.

Right out of the box and strapped on, my initial impression is that these are impressive headphones.

The LSA's sound open, clear, & stunningly detailed.
They exhibit No pandering regarding any part of the frequency chain.
They are a sonic boon for those who love tube amps.

One of the first thoughts i had upon hearing them is...."this is the Focal Clear married to the Hifiman Arya, yet better, smoother, better mids, more resolving, more balanced, more natural, more transparent".
There is a blissful naturalness to the presentation, a fine overall sonic balance.
Perhaps this is the sonic trademark of the Kennerton sound.????????? I would have no idea about that, as ive never heard one of their products before this one showed up.

Im right now on my Youtube music channel and im listening to snippets of videos i created there for Headphone users, and every video im hearing is offering me beautiful sound with more details then im use to noticing.
Thats a good thing...
As im listening to SADE perform "Hold on to your love" Live, the bass has impact yet utter clarity. As i listen to Natasha Borzilova perform "White noise", her electric guitar being fingerpicked is elegant, warm, perfect.
Im noticing sound in layers, yet carefully presented in utter synchronicity.
There is a beautiful pristine neutrality being presented inside these shiny wooden cups that is a feast for the ears..
The Kennerton LSA HP-1's offer a clarity of presentation that is riveting.
Vocals pop.


Ok, let me break it all down for you....

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Box is as plan as the color brown, but there is a nice soft case that contains these sonic gems found inside the box.

Comfort : The headphones are light, the genuine Leather pads are best for small to medium ears, and if you have large ears, you will probably feel them slightly touch your ears,...However, the clamping force is light..
Id rate their comfort as an : 8

Cable is about the best ive ever seen that comes standard. Its thick, no jank.. It soft, its cloth, its completely quiet.. no micro-phonics.
I'd pay $100+ for this cable to have it for all my other headphones. Its a fine cable.

Soundstage : Its wider then medium, and somewhat holographic. It has good depth, and very accurate presentation.

Detail retrieval : Superb. Worth $3000, and you only pay $1300 shipped.. And why is the detail retrieval so good? Because this finely crafted gear literally accesses inner detail via clarity.... vs etched treble pretending to access it.

Instrument separation : Outstanding

Resolution : Its genuinely excellent. One of the hallmarks of this headphone's presentation. I'd rate the headphone as being just a touch clinical, but...this is right out of the box. Give it some burn in, and it's going to relax and be even better.

Bass : Accurate, Full....very balanced. Impressive depth and extension.

Midrange : Sparklingly transparent, layered and excellent.

Treble : Beautiful and beautifully extended. Not sibilant but definitely extended and airy.

Timbre : Accuracy .

Dynamics : Class Leading

Presentation : Speaker like.

How would i describe this Gear so that you can understand its purpose : = Reference Transparency.
Very accurate to the source.

Who will love this headphone : An audiophile will love this headphone because they will recognize its magic that is found when a set of headphones basically disappears.

Who will not love this headphone : Lovers of big bigger biggest bass, and those who need a wet and thick sound.

Added Bonus.... The LSA HP-1's sound quite full at lower volume.
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This review made possible by the folks at : Hi-Fi Heaven

Audeze LCD-XC - Mini Review

Gear Used :

Marantz CD-1
RME ADI-2 FS
Oppo BDP SE-93
FiiO BTr5

Music :

Sierra Hull : "25 Trips"
Jana Kramer : "I wont give up on You"
Sade : "The Sweetest Taboo"
Sade : "No Ordinary Lover"
Bryan Bennett : "Voyage"
Aleah Stanbridge : " Sinking Ships"
Ilya Toshinskiy : "Train Station"
Sarah Jarosz : "House of Mercy"
Kacey Musgraves : "Slow Burn"
Limperatrice : "Error 404"
Limperatrice : "Parfum Theremine"
Keane : "Thread"
Katie Melua : A Love Like That"
Vulfpeck : "Love is a Beautiful Thing"

Impressions :

At first blush, you are swept away into the world of world-class ultra detailed high resolution sound Q.
Amazing Resolution.
Quite possibly the most detailed sound, the most resolved sound, you can buy for $4000.00 + USD, and these cost less then $1300 shipped.
Simply stunning detail retrieval.
Its so immaculate that you will at first be listening to all the new newly revealed aspects found in your music that you didnt know were there before you listened to the XC's.
You'll need to lower the volume early on as this is one of those sets of headphones whose sound offers such insightful clarity, you'll be playing it too loud, at first.

These are Headphones which provided deep insight, vivid details, and astounding clarity.
They present the music as analytical and present and clear.

Listening to this set of Audiophile Headphones is to be delivered all the music, right down to the core, right down to the last nano-fibre of its being.
Every atom of tone, sound, and feel, is retrieved and delivered with a sense of pristine clarity.
The XC gives the detail seeker = full sonic extraction.
And the best part, is that the XC's deliver it with musicality that allows the listening experience to be much more then just an analytical point of view..

Specs.:

Mine are the Black Carbon version.

Box : Its a box, no frills = white cardboard functional generic.

Comfort : Pads are comfy, Cans are weighty, similar to Heddphones.

Build Quality : Graceful and practical and substantial.

Cable : Its good.

Treble :

This headphone's sound is slightly bright and slightly clinical. So, expect Treble detail that presents this quality.
You'll hear supreme clarity regarding the Treble frequency, no matter where you listen.
Some reviewers are seemingly stunned by such detail accuracy combined with a slightly bright & clinical sound presentation, so they perceive it as really bright , but the XC's Treble is engineered to work synergistically with the mids and the low end.
Now, typical of a headphone that is designed first and foremost to offer precision analytics, the XC's are not designed to offer super abundant low mids, and this perfectly reduces any appearance of a too warm tone.


Mids :

You can see for miles inside the music.
Mids are pristine, and reside slightly on the clinical side, and are not recessed.
When you listen to an acoustic guitar, you can hear the guitar pick.
Snares are perfect, Vocals are lifelike.
When you listen to a Flute, you can hear the Artist shift their lips to blow.
When you listen to a movie soundtrack, you are watching it from inside the orchestra's soundstage..

Lower Mids :

Controlled. Very organized. Never ever dominate.

Bass :

Its carefully designed to be impactful without robbing the midrange of its purity and precise detail. The XC's Bass is musical and solid and extended and very very good.

Soundstage :

Its effortless and honest and immersive.. The sense of soundstage depth the Closed XC is able to convey regarding a live concert, for example a Rock Concert or a large Orchestra playing Classical Music, is very impressive.

Instrument Separation :

The XC perfectly shows you all the parts of the musical puzzle perfectly positioned.

Resolution + Detail Retrieval :

This is why the XC's exist.
You get $4000 USD worth of amazing sonic analytics, for about $1300 shipped.

Timbre :

Sonic Precision, and the absolute total opposite of dry sound.
These amazing headphones are not designed to offer thick warm fuzzy relaxed sound..
The XC's are highly accurate headphones that are all about hearning details.
They are tonally balanced, not lacking warmth or smoothness, and their overall presentation of sound is their ability to show contrast and analytical dazzle.

Audeze created a surperb analytical experience inside these 2 beautiful Carbon Cups.
I recently purchased and reviewed the Hifiman Arya, and those offer excellent detail retrieval, however, as compared to the XC's , they can't match the Audeze.

Few Headphones can match the XC's ability to pull back the veil and show you the precise inner depths of the music you love with both elegant finesse and visceral impact.

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* 12/28 - update. :

After extended listening i can say that as burn-in has been occurring, the headphones, tonally, have improved. The soundstage has also widened a bit, and their initially overall too crisp sound has lost some edge and seems to be settling down.
Upper midrange bump is still in place, but not annoyingly so.
They offer better sound then their cost should allow.
On Ear clamping pressure is never invisible.
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Over the years, ive owned 4 sets of Grado's.
Never been a fan.
I have always found them to be similar in Treble and upper Treble, to BeyerDynamics or Hifiman
That is to say, somewhat sizzly,
I decided to try these because of my recent success with the Beyer Amiron "wireless".
This is the first Beyer that ive even been able to stand, and in this case, i like it a lot.
Its sort of an Anti-Beyer sound, as they rounded the tone, made it lush, controlled the Treble sizzle, and thus created a really good sound.
So, i was hoping the wireless version of the Grado 325, (Is what i think it is) might offer something different then the usual grating Grado Treble and upper mids.

Build quality of the gear, is generic and does not feel expensive.
Box is small, plain, unimpressive.
INcluded are the Wire and the Charging Wire.

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Music used :

Sarah Jarosz
Sarah McLaughlin
Kandace Springs
Omnia
Simon Phillips
Kacey Musgraves
Lari Basilio
Aldous Harding

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Equipment used :

Centrance Dacport Pro

Marantz HD-CD1

Monolith THX 788

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First, i only use the wire. I didn't even charge the battery. So, this little review can't offer you any commentary regarding how Grado's sound using Blu-T.
I dont listen to BTooth, i dont use or swap inner pads, and i dont listen to MP3s.

So. What about that Treble? As this is the only thing that matters with a Grado, as they all seem to be designed to offer enhanced brightness as their sole reason to exist on the planet.
Some people love this, as proven by the fact that Grado continues to exist as a headphone manufacturing business.
Well....what about that treble?
You'll recognize it as Grado Treble the instant any song is played thru them, no matter the genre, if you are familiar with Grado Headphones.
The Grado Trademark : Too Much Bright.

For me, regarding these, its only a little bit too much, but, as compared to all the other Grado's, ive ever heard, it is less of a concern.
Will burn in mellow them? If so, that would make these a truly unique Grado sound.
I hope so.

Do you remember the super heavy Original Hifiman HE400s? Remember that sound? Quite open, quite bright, yet, unique?
You'll find much of that inside these Grado's, tho not quite as much Treble response.
Some folks believe that Fang's best sound is that very Hifiman headphone, and i always thought it was good, but, kinda bright. Very heavy tho.

Now, what about the rest of the frequencies found inside this newest Grado design?
Well, this is why most reviews found online, are liking this Grado wireless headphone.
Grado has put some time in dialing in a bass that is snappy and not too small. Its actually a great Grado Bass sound, as compared to what is usually a (no bass) sound found as the Grado Bass. This one has Very decent extension, its quite resolute, and well balanced.

Mids are slightly in your face, do to the close proximity of the speakers themselves, which sit right on your ears.
It could very well be that had Grado created this as an over ears set, He would have created a masterstroke.
Its perhaps a setback sonically, to ever have the Grado sound pressing against your ears, as all Grado Headphones, these included, are microscopes. Mid here are dynamic, detailed, and suffer just a little bit, typical of Grado, as there is just a bit of over-emphesis of the upper mids as they join the lower Treble.
Fang would love these Grados, as they have a bit of the Hifiman sound regarding their upper frequencies.
Fang likes Bright.
Grado likes Bright.
These Grado's are less bright then i expected.
Soundstage is impressive for a Grado. There actually is one. Its not miles wide, but its available, and of course detail retrieval, dynamics, instrument separation, are all very good, typical of a typical Grado.
You'll hear new stuff in your music with these... typical of Grado.

The End Wrap...:

What we have here is a good sounding Grado Headphone, that has been designed with a slightly dialed back overall "presence" ..vs.. the typical Grado "house" sound. There is less of that here.
They have also dialed in some Bass response and kept the mids under control, tho they are quite dynamic.
Overall this is a nicer kinder Grado sound, slightly bright and quite analytical.
This might be the Grado you can enjoy if your previous history with Grado was not fruitful because you found them too bright and harsh.

My ratings reflect MY enjoyment of the frequencies. :

Treble : 7
Midrange : 8
Bass : 8
Soundstage : 8
Comfort : 7
Build Quality : 7

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I was in no hurry to review this gear, as there are so many reviews, extant.
I think there are about 16 pages of "for sale" of this gear on this Forum, so, apparently everyone has owned it, at least once.....
And why not.
So, no need to talk about its sound, as the reason for this little write up.
Instead let me just offer my opinion regarding.......why should you buy this one, and not the Ananda.
And there are a few reasons for this, but first let me address my thoughts on why this gear has been discontinued.
I think the reason is.....its too good, for the price, and so they had to get rid of it.
Now, im sure that Fang has some sort of reason that this headphone is off the sale page, but, i think its because he created something that would harm other sales.

So what about that Ananda, vs the V2.
My 2 - cents is very simple.....the V2 has a much more accurate and natural tonality.
It has better mids.
It has a treble that is going to sound, to most listeners, more pleasant, sweeter, and much more natural-musical.
It has a better frame that allows the cups to adjust.
So, where does the V2 not win, in its duel with the Ananda?
Soundstage, as the Ananda is a bit more holographic and presents a wider soundstage, overall.

Now, lets say you asked me........."what 3 headphones could i buy, that would keep me engaged and probably very happy forever"..
At this point in time, i'd send you to the LCD-X, the Stax SRS-3100, and the HE-V2.
Others, would send you to other places.
Its all good.
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After spending some time with my new Oppo PM-2s today, and yes i know im late to the party as these have been around for a while and are no longer in production...... Yet, ive wanted to own them and just have not pulled the purchase trigger until recently...
(nothing tried, nothing gained)
(don't wait for life to find you, instead, take your talent and your dreams and your time and build the life you want.).
So, after spending some time with them, i thought to post a few photos, and write a few comments regarding what they offer the ears and also the pleasure center within my brain.
And on both accounts, they offer quite a bit.

On the ears, they are 8.5 in comfort, feel pleasant and have no unreasonable pressure issues/points with the band or the cups.
They are not light as a feather, but this is owning to their stylish tho industrial design & materials.
Ear cups are medium-sized and will never be too large. Which all together means, wearing them is not a hardship and admiring their build quality is a certainty.
If Apple made a designer set of headphones that mattered, then these would be the evolution of that blueprint.
They are sleek and expertly crafted, with a hint of aesthetic elegance.
And that is exactly how they sound..... They sound exactly like they look......sleek, expertly crafted, with a hint of aesthetic sonic elegance.

When i first connected them to signal and my ears became their focus i felt they were very tonally smooth, and a tad polite.
But as my brain/ears began to sync with their sound, i realized that their smooth was their resolution and their polite was the way they manifest a lot of micro detail without sounding at all harsh within their upper treble frequency.
There is no 6-8kHz glare to be found.
Also, and something unusual for a set of headphones, is that the PM-2s have the ability to let your ears see all the detail in the music, yet, not because of anything related to treble frequency "crutch".
(TFC) is : when a badly designed headphone sound that is lacking resolution is overcompensated by..... jacking up/overcooking/hyper-extending.....the treble response.
Well, no such sin is being committed inside these high tech'd aluminum framed beauties......as they have all the resolution you want, and have a somewhat smooth tonality as well.
Now, if you are into something like the recent HiFiman Ananda or similar, and are looking for that extra not truly natural insight detail that some headphones can give you at the expense of musical beauty, then the PM-2s will get you about 94% of this type of hyper-realism, yet, not so much of it that the music falsely glitters and shines at the expense of naturalness regarding overall tonality.

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Soundstage / Soundstage depth : Better then average, with very nice instrument separation.

Bass : Somewhat extended, slightly round yet authentic. Kick drums kick and bass guitar pumps, but this is a bass response that respects the midrange and sounds very balanced.

Midrange : fluid, polished, elegant.

Treble : Not rolled off & not overextended. Cymbals are clean without sizzle, and acoustic guitars sparkle without sounding thin. Once again, very balanced, nicely detailed without anything harsh or edgy.
Tyll felt the treble was a bit "artificial", but i perceive it to be very controlled/balanced and not compensated by 6-8kHz over-extension.
I can't think of any other headphones that sound like the PM-2s.
They have their own thing going on., and i like it.
Maybe you will also if you reach for a pair with your bank account, someday.


Overall Tonality : Controlled, polished, refined, expertly designed.

Who will love them? : Discerning Listeners who can afford to love and appreciate more then just a few sets of very good sounding headphones, and enjoy a well made attractive product.

Who will hate them ? : Buyers who are looking for only "one great headphone" and the "where is the extra treble, these don't sound like Beyers or AudioTech's", crowd.
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As im waiting for my Klipsch Heritage HP-3 to arrive in a day or 2, i had the Monoprice "M" Retro C's arrive today.
Ive been listening to them and thought i'd give you a quick idea of how i hear them, so that perhaps you would be helped to make a purchase decision if you are thinking about them......or have been.. (or should be).

So, lets jump in....

Box is generic B/W, and houses the gear. Nothing special, nothing sacred, just a supportive package entitled "Box"..

Headphone Comfort .... 7.9.. better then average... Headphones are light, pads are pleather and soften as you wear them.

The look of the headphones do not qualify as elegant but does qualify as functional as expected @this price.

Build quality is : 7.9

You get one gold adapter and the cable will remind you of basic Sennheiser HD600 wire. The connection is gold plated.

Sound Quality Overall Value rating : $199 USD

Who will like them? Everyone, as they are actually better sounding then i expected, and how so???

First all, the bass quality, is real quality, it extends, its warm, and its quite detailed.

Overall, the design of the freq response, is a (Consumer Profile) mild "V" shape, and i suspect with 10hr of burn + .... this is going to change as these dynamic drivers's overall sound will bloom a bit toward more MIDS.

Soundstage: Its quite impressive. There is no "claustrophobia" inside these headphone's sound, as the soundstage is much wider then you would estimate could be possible, regarding the cost of these headphones.

Midrange is pleasant & functional, but not overabundant, and i suspect that with a little break in, the MIDS will pop and what is already a nice sound will become a very nice sound....@this price.

Treble : Right out of the box its slightly etched but not sibilant. A bit of burn in is going to finesse the treble's upper edges.

I feel that its safe to say that for $25 USD, these are not going to disappoint the majority, and in fact will probably have you call into question why it cost so little to make good sound when everything else costs so much and you are lucky if it sounds good to YOU.

Also, if you are not thinking correctly and decide to have these compete with your collection of very expensive headphones, then you are making a mistake.
Dont do that.
Just let what they do quite well impress you, and be happy.

Final Tally......You want to know......."what do these sound like"..........And here is the answer.
They sound .... sorta.......like if you took the HD600 and mixed in a bit of Sony MDR-7506, then added the HD650's entire bass response, and finally adjusted all this into a mild "V" shape, and THEN you put all this (like magic) inside a closed set of $25 USD headphones.
Sounds kinda like that.
Buy them, enjoy them, and be glad Audio-Technica didn't make them and charge you $199 USD.
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AudioQuest Carbon Nighthawks.


What Best describes their sound :

Like holding satin sheets against your body.

As if headphone sound could be rich dark chocolate but better..

Have you ever felt a cool relaxing breeze on a mild Spring afternoon ?
The wind, the air, the breeze, as you feel it float past you and wrap around you and meld into you, its an ahhhhhhhhh.....
Well, that is how the Nighthawk's sound.
Its what they deliver.
Its what they are designed to do.
They are designed to rescue your ears from faux treble response, and wrap them instead in golden honey-sound.
This specific sound is the sweetness of sound that discerning ears love regarding "earlier" Audeze gear, while presented in a spectacular highest of tech set of "carbon" headphones.

When i first saw them, i fell in love with the fact that they look in person like a gleaming midnight black Porsche 911 Turbo.
Simplistic aesthetic design, yet the sculpted futuristic lines of the headphone's design are elegant and refined.
Interestingly, the HE1000 & Ananda (and similar) copied the same shape, yet, all of these are much much larger.
These are pretty headphones, and their comfort as provided by their fit, is to make $3000 USD headphones, envious.

Ok, all gushing aside, let me respond to what you are curious about, if you are thinking about a purchase.

It seems that all reviews, nearly all that you will discover, refer to their treble response as being soft, recessed, rolled off, lacking.
And the other reviews say their bass is just not balanced, it could be, too much.

Ok, well, here is the reality........we live surrounded by a hifi world of headphones which are created by, driven by, and immersed within this unfortunate idea that treble is the main reason for headphone sound.

"""i dont care about how good they sound, just tell me about the TREBLE !! """"""

Many are affected with this obsession, regarding how they assess the quality of a headphone's sound.
And we as long term tone-addicts - headphone-users have become use to this, ourselves... and have adjusted our listening criteria-preference to relate to this concept.
These headphones deny all that.
They rebuke it.
They are the polar opposite of that agenda, criteria, as their reason to exist.
They create a velvety sound, smooth, rich, tonally quite accurate, but they do not qualify as a "modern" sounding headphone.
"Modern" is : too much high end, too much separation of instruments, too much over-focus on resolution, and not enough focus on overall beauty.
The AudioQuest NightHawks are, according to MY ears... entirely created to push back against dry, bright, sterile, cold, $3000 USD headphone "analysis sound".
They gloriously succeed by offering all the sound and not of the shrill.
Soundstage is wide, mids are plentiful, treble is accurate but not sharp-edged, and the bass is in full bloom.

What do they sound like?
They sound, (first impression).... a bit like.... > early Audeze sweet deep tone married to the Aeon C, is what came to my mind upon first encounter within their sound.

Treble addicts, will not love these.
Bass addicts, wil not love these.
Beautiful sound addicts, .... = give them a try.

There is one more thing i can tell you, if you have found this review and own these or are thinking about a purchase.
There is a simple 10 second mod you can do to these headphones that will change their dynamic presentation substantially, and basically recreate their sound as "modern", including increasing their resolution and treble response.
When i tried this, i realized that these good headphones, would have been great if they had been simply designed exactly as they are, but closed.
Here is the MOD. Get 2 pieces of wide clear plastic tape that you would use for shipping, and put them over the open part of the headphones.... right over the grills, and you'll have all the treble you want and a tighter and actually better sound.
One thing tho......because you are now compressing the sound and sound pressure inside the headphone, you have to adjust your volume LOWER, or things will get weird inside the headphones.......
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Ok,
i have to send these back..
The bass response went from less then zero, to grainy noise the more i played them.
Can't determine if its QC or some shipping issue, but nevertheless, i deleted my mini-review as its possible these were a malfunctioning set.



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Recently i received a new set of HE-400s and took them for a spin.
I never made it past the first lap, so its time for the review.
I found their sound to be a combination of overly flat mids and spiky distant trebles awash in a sea of syrupy bloated
bass response with a touch of darkness throne in to hide any hint of presence or clarity.
I use a Woo Audio Fireflies and a ResonEssence Concero HP and a Maxxed out version of the discontinued Headroom Max as my sources, so, im not under-powering the HE-400s.
If you prefer overly flat mids and thick bass, then these are your best buy.
On a positive note, as i define the HE-400s sound as bassy with muddy mids, , they can also be described
as lush, rich, incredibly thick and wide, and very very warm......like a bear hug of low mids around your ears.
Sound-stage is impressive.
One thing is for certain, after you use the HE-400s for a while then change to any other headphones you own, your other headphones will ALL sound smaller.
Much smaller.
So, consider that as the other impressive caveat that the HE-400s can truly offer you along with the very nice sound-staging.
Do they sound bad?......No, not at all.......they just sound thick, flat, and wide.
Another way to think of their sound is if tubes in a headphone amp are very old and worn out and soft sounding..., that would be a way of describing the sound of the HE-400s...... very soft, very smooth, very round, very old analog.
You keep thinking, "wow, these could be so great if i could just add some upper mids and some treble".
And somehow the HE-400s are able to make their flatish - thickish- soft and round type of EQ tonality work, ,,,but that does not mean you have to like it.
I suspect that as these phones need power to make them speak, that many of the reviews you read whereby they are described as "bright" or "shrill" can be explained by the user trying to power these with an Iphone or some similar type device
which is starving the HE-400s and in that state they are going to sound brittle, especially at the top end.
However, if you give them the power they need and crave so that they can produce as they should, then you are will discover that they sound quite buttery smooth and very warm and thick and dark.
I like them, and i appreciate their sound, but my particular need is for more clarity in the mids and upper mids so that the music does not sound laid back and creamy smooth.
The HE-400s are nice cans, and worth the money, but be certain you are looking for their sound, which is nothing at all like a set of good dynamic open back headphones like the wonderful Sony MDR -MA900s.

The AKG 712 Pro engineers decided to  create a  newly designed headphone rebut to all the critics of the AKG sound which they say tends towards  treble extension at the expense of the rest of the sound.
The problem is, the engineers forgot to put the treble back into the new design after they warmed up the overall tone with more low mids and bass extension..
The AKG 712 Pro box says......'"Now with 3db more bass", and after listening to these for a few days, ive concluded that perhaps 2 db would have been the answer, as these headphone are just too soft/dull/relaxed sounding.
Im not certain if the treble and mids are just too dialed back by design,  or if they are just being covered up by that "3 db" of "added bass".
Whichever, or whatever, these phones have no zing or sparkle in the treble and the mids need an air pump.