[Greggo]

There is no way I am buying into the idea that price point wasn't a major factor in design and materials, but that doesn't take away from the achievement in my opinion and in fact only makes it more impressive.

 

[knowhatimean]

Really?

I love my NHs, but when I want to listen to classical music, I still put on the HD-700s, which are in the shade of the HD-800 from my limited listening experience.

I found the 700s to sound quite different from the 800s. After using the Hawks for a while I realised how soul-less my music was sounding with the HD800s. There's no doubt that the 800s can sound great in their own way, but they can't compare (for me) to the soulful, lifelike sound that the Nighthawks provide.

+1

Yeah, I have to agree that the NH's have a much higher degree of soulfulness to their sound simply for the fact that they have a more complete frequency response in terms of being able to seemingly reach more easily & further into the lower frequencies. To myself, this gives wide dynamics music (like Orchestral) a much easier time reaching the fundamentals of the played notes.

Now whether you can get this particular type of playback response using the NH's stock earpads is something I'm not sure about ( & some of the Sennheiser's "advantages" can be attributed to the earpads they're using)
I listen to Orchestral music at least 97% of the time, I'm currently listening to some Richard Arnell / Symphony #3 that is just wonderfully lush & detailed sounding that has always been a struggle to make it to the end of the first movement (due to overly strident sounding brass section playing) when listening through my HD800. Or so. I thought. I'm not having the same difficulties listening to this Symphony through my NHs ( w/ Audeze Microsuede earpads).

I realize that the addition of these particular earpads raises the cost of NH to a bit over $700 , but my HD800 has'nt seen any playtime in several weeks now. I had a pair of HD700 for awhile & I can't remember ever being that impressed with their sound. I guess I'll have to see how much more Arnell I can find as his musical "inventions" are quite appealing , as a number of other 20th century Enlish composers have been for myself.

 

[kman1211]

+1

Yeah, I have to agree that the NH's have a much higher degree of soulfulness to their sound simply for the fact that they have a more complete frequency response in terms of being able to seemingly reach more easily & further into the lower frequencies. To myself, this gives wide dynamics music (like Orchestral) a much easier time reaching the fundamentals of the played notes.

Now whether you can get this particular type of playback response using the NH's stock earpads is something I'm not sure about ( & some of the Sennheiser's "advantages" can be attributed to the earpads they're using)
I listen to Orchestral music at least 97% of the time, I'm currently listening to some Richard Arnell / Symphony #3 that is just wonderfully lush & detailed sounding that has always been a struggle to make it to the end of the first movement (due to overly strident sounding brass section playing) when listening through my HD800. Or so. I thought. I'm not having the same difficulties listening to this Symphony through my NHs ( w/ Audeze Microsuede earpads).

I realize that the addition of these particular earpads raises the cost of NH to a bit over $700 , but my HD800 has'nt seen any playtime in several weeks now. I had a pair of HD700 for awhile & I can't remember ever being that impressed with their sound. I guess I'll have to see how much more Arnell I can find as his musical "inventions" are quite appealing , as a number of other 20th century Enlish composers have been for myself.

That's my problem with the HD 800, it lacks soul, I've heard phones just as bright as the HD 800 I have no problem getting engaged with. The Nighthawk doesn't lack soul at all, I have heard headphones with more soul than the Hawks, but they are usually more expensive, discontinued, finicky with the system, and/or have some offensive flaws. One of the only headphones I like as much as the Nighthawk around it's price is the DT 1770(euphoric and unoffensive to my ears). The king of soul in headphones is the R10 though, that headphone has the most grain-free, natural, and beautiful sound I've ever heard from a headphone, it's the only headphone I thought that truly captured the beauty and soul of music in whole. I'm a bit sad I'll likely never own a pair though, way too rare and expensive.

 

[TenMoonsNorth]

Hope to see a Nighthawk that aims for the mids and treble of Harman Listener Target Curve in the future.
 

 
It would be as popular as the HD 600 and HD 650.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

A Nighthawk with a radically different curve wouldn't be a Nighthawk.

 

[Greggo]

OK, I am now somewhere north of 60 hrs with these things. I have only listened to them a very very small portion of that time, still getting more time on my MDR-1a at work and occasional K7XX, EL-8 Open and HD700 around the house or at my desk. I was planning on keeping a few headphones, but now they can all just get the F out and find a new home. I am not even sure if I am going to go forward with a new HD800S at some point but I will be listening closely if I can get a few minutes on one at the Minneapolis meet up tomorrow afternoon. I have really enjoyed owning a variety of headphones over the last few years, but this Nighthawk really is a game changer as far as I am concerned. I know I will definitely want at least one other headphone so I can switch off when things get hot and itchy after a while, so I hope the HD800S impresses the hell out of me. Maybe I end up waiting for yet another new generation of planar designs to come out next year. These Nighthawks are just what I have been waiting for, awesome sound and comfort, and after factoring in the price they are simply amazing.

 

[gikigill]

Joining the team this weekend. Powering these off a Cavalli Kan Kumisa III and a PPA V2.

 

[vaibhavp]

  Here is my take on the Nighthawk. Quick version: The recessed mids and over emphasized bass make them almost unlistenable  - they sound like somebody put a wool blanket over everything. This together with the semi-closed nature of the headphones lead to a cramped/dark tonality with a lot of oomph. So why am i keeping them? First, they are supremely comfortable - the new suspension mechanism is a fantastic innovation. In fact they are the most comfortable HP in their weight class and even more comfortable than a lot of HPs weighing a lot less. Second,  i suspect that the driver - without any proof -  is OEMed by Fostex and is identical/nearly identical to the TH600, TH-X00, Teac etc.This means low-distortion (see innerfidelities measurements), great sub-bass extention (negliable less than the fostex cans due less pressure from the suspension mechanism for sealing the ears) and possibility for insane SPL levels. This makes them very good for equalisation. And low-and-behold once you raise the presence range to more conventional (HK curve or Sennheisers House Curve) levels and reduce the bass a little - they sound great. They are still semi-closed, so a little (10%) crossfeed takes the edge of studio recordings where instruments are placed in exactly one channel. One could also equalise the Fostex Family of HP but i found the Audioquest much more comfortable to wear. I have measures a number of rooms (including the AIX studios) with the realiser A8. This allows me to compare tonality of a virtualised room with the pure headphone sound, both over headphones. I find that the classical tunings (HK, Senn) sound much more than real loudspeakers (decent ones) in real rooms than audioquests nighthawk. This was consistent over a number of PRIRs i testet. On a plus side they make music from the 70s and also some of the dreaded 80s CDs listenable without any fatigue.
 
Bottom line - the bad:
very dark, bass heavy headphones with extremely recessed mids (to much for almost any taste i would dare to say),
 
Bottom line - the good:
supremely comfortable with innovative suspension mechanism,
low distortion, good sub-bass ->  very good for equalizing
 
I kept them, because after equalization they are fantastic, comfortable headphones and i prefer them to the Fostex TH-XXX (which are likely based on the same driver). For people who do not want to equalize i would say AVOID, except if you want to posess a real differently tuned headphone that gives you that muffled, small jazz club from the 60s kind of sound.

how are mids on nighthawks compared to sennheiser hd700?
 
are they spacious thus recessed or do they lack detail?

 

[SomeGuyDude]

No, not at all. Everything on the NH is incredibly smooth, but to the audiophile world where overly sharp headphones are the norm, people are going to be saying they're awful.
 
The NH will sound muddy at first, but give them time to open up and for your brain to sort of readjust to not expecting artificial detail in everything you listen to. The first time I auditioned them, I started laughing and couldn't believe they cost as much as they do. Went back for another one a while later. Walked out with a pair.
 
Again, it all comes down to how you listen to headphones. I really, truly hope that AQ and now the popularity of the TH-X00 will sort of break everyone from the phony-baloney nonsense of "detail" that only comes about from cranking the treble up.
 
I often hear people praising this or that headphone because you can hear the spit in the throat of the singer. You're not SUPPOSED to hear that. It's a minor crackly sound that only comes up if someone seriously messed up what they're doing. Hell you can't hear that if you're in the room with a singer.

 

[inthere]

Mids and vocals on the Nighthawk are NOT recessed, no way no how. 
 
Vocals and guitars SOAR on these headphones. Sax solo? Magical. 
 
I hear all detail. I hear more treble and mid detail with my Nighthawk than with my Sennheiser HD 650, my Oppo PM-1, and also my Audeze Sine, but the Sine is clooooooooose. Nighthawk has way better bass, soundstage, and imagery though. Not beating mid and treble detail on my EL-8C or my Ether C, but those two headphones are very weak with bass. 
 
Switching from my Liquid Carbon amp to my QP1R, the bass breaks up if I try to give myself some volume or bass EQ on most of my headphones. Nighthawk takes everything thrown at it with no distortion, even at max volume. 
 
I love all of my headphones, each sounds different and I love the differences. But professionally, I'm taking Nighthawks to the studio with me. True bass, true mids, true treble when mixing, translates everywhere and on everything. 

 

[Videodr0me]

  how are mids on nighthawks compared to sennheiser hd700?
 
are they spacious thus recessed or do they lack detail?

 
The Nighthawk is a semi-closed headphone with boosted bass and recessed mids -> so it's the opposite of spacious (without equalization/crossfeed processing). It severely lacks detail in vocals due to the recessed mids in the presence range. The high freq parts are pretty solid though - some would call this spacious, i personally find the recessed mids suffocate the sound to much. In my opinion these characterics are beyond what can be explained through taste -> maybe this is the reason they now come out with new pads that may reduce the bass boost and bring out the mids a little bit more. I can only recommend these headphones for use with equalization/processing, then they are really good!
 
In a nutshell they are the opposite that sennheiser thrives for with the HD700.

 

[inthere]

Perhaps radically different sized pinnae/ear canals are playing a part in this because I don't hear recessed mids and vocals or anything remotely resembling it.

 

[waynes world]

Perhaps radically different sized pinnae/ear canals are playing a part in this because I don't hear recessed mids and vocals or anything remotely resembling it.

+1

 

[Jackpot77]

Perhaps radically different sized pinnae/ear canals are playing a part in this because I don't hear recessed mids and vocals or anything remotely resembling it.

+2

 

[all999]

Perhaps radically different sized pinnae/ear canals are playing a part in this because I don't hear recessed mids and vocals or anything remotely resembling it.

 
After 30 minutes of adjusting, that I can agree. After that period I love them.