Based on my positive experience with the HD650, I'm hoping the same.

When it comes to those crazy upper-registers, I suppose we all have different sensitivities and vulnerabilities. I used to absolutely love the Hifiman He400, but the 10k treble spike not only caused my tinnitus but also, in time, a mysterious earache that lingered for many months.

This sounds great! When you say "haze," however, do you mean that the bass sounds less wooly? Or that the treble sounds less veiled?

Wow. Your experience is nearly the polar opposite of my own. Both iterations of the Beyerdynamic T1 (along with the DT 880) are hot enough to severely exacerbate my tinnitus. The same for the HD800, to a lesser extent. Even the HD580 bothers me a bit, and yet I can use the Nighthawk for hours...

Boy oh boy, I'm sure eager to get my hands on the HD660S. I'm a big fan of the Sennheiser house-sound and still own a good number of Sennheiser headphones, including the HD800, HD700, and HD650, to name just a few. Lately, however, I've been using the Audioquest Nighthawk quite a bit, mostly...

Chalk this up to hearing or gear variance, but I rarely notice sibilance with the Nighthawk.

I took advantage of a similar sale a year ago, and for a year now, I've used the Nighthawk almost exclusively (and I still own many quality headphones too). I couldn't be more pleased with these birds and I don't see myself falling out of love with them anytime soon. Though I must admit, the new...

I discovered the same thing; initially, I wanted to clean up the NIghhawk's mid-bass, but the US pads robbed the Nighthawk of its sumptuous, full-bodied voicing. I tried the Protein pads too, but in the end, I went back to the OEM pads. I now accept that a smooth, full-bodied, analogesque...

Agreed! The Nighthawk is a stellar choice for gamers; it projects a full, visceral, nuanced sound. Spatial cues seem natural to me and well-balanced; its soundstage is neither too wide (like the Hd800), nor is it in the least bit constricted (like many closed-back headphones.) Moreover, the...

Oh, sorry about that. I own the hybrid, the leather, and the microsuede, but I haven't tried the latter yet. I need to do a little a/b testing tomorrow and post some of my impressions on all three. 

 Same here. To my ears, they produce way less bass than the classic hybrid pads. 

The Nighthawk is definitely not for everyone, but at least you now have the Nighthawk/"dark" headphone reference. The headphone game requires experimentation, sometimes a lot of experimentation. And with each new headphone venture (or misadventure), you'll refine and redefine your preferences...

I wholeheartedly agree: the classic pads strongly contribute to the Nighthawk's magic. I've been using the boost pads for a few days now and they affect the Nighthawk dramatically; they sort of straighten out the Nighthawk's mid-bass bump and strip it of its sumptuously rich and dark character...

I'm excited. It looks like Audioquest finally processed my order for the boost and Ultra Suede pads! (Thank you, Alex!) I'm looking forward to evaluating how these pads alter the Nighthawk's stock sound signature, which is just a tad too bassy for my preferences. Subtract a little mid-bass and...

When I think of brave, I think of that famous woman in Tenimum Square staring down a row of military tanks. Music Alchemist's behavior smacked of petulance. Figuratively speaking, he entered our high-end audio shop (our shop of thoughtful opinions) with a bat and started to smash up the place...

This is a great point. I read somewhere that some folks possess inner-ear structures that can amplify treble perception by a good 6 db; this observation goes a long way in explaining why communicating headphone sound (objectively and subjectively) is so inherently problematic. I like to listen...

 

Music Alchemist, do you still own the Nighthawk? If so, I want to ask you a big favor. Since we all know that you don't like the Nighthawk, I was wondering (for the sake of posterity and science), if you might be willing to put all other headphones aside for three or four days. Why? I'm...

  I was more taken aback than upset. Personally,  I think dissenting opinions are critical to an honest debate, and I heartily welcome all opposing viewpoints.  But if you're at all familiar with the ongoing American political fracas, then I'm sure you understand that "dissenting opinions" are...

My sensitivity to treble is fickle. I don't hear any harshness with the Nighthawk at all, and I can say the same, believe it or not, about the HD800. But most Beyerdynamic headphones (and many others) cause me tinnitus and headaches, so I have to enjoy this hobby with caution, which means...

I agree, all posts are welcome, but if folks with strong opinions are going to post highly critical, negatively charged impressions, they should expect a little push back. And there is a difference between critical and negative feedback. For the record, my post was critical (I was expressing my...

Ditto.

Wow. This post was penned from an inkwell of the blackest negativity. If you had couched your criticisms with a few thoughtful qualifiers and caveats, I might have shrugged and conjured forth that popular platitude here on Head-Fi. (You know: “We all hear things differently.”) But, boy-oh-boy...

Guys! Last night I stole some time and hunkered down in my mantuary for a serious gaming session and discovered that the Nighthawk is an absolutely amazing headphone for gamers. I'm playing the Last of Us remastered, and the Nighthawk pushed the experience from great to exceptional.