[Jackson9696]

You're not alone, I was impressed with them the first time I heard them as well and I listened to them numerous times afterwards and realized I just had to get them. I do plan on doing a review of them compared to the DT 150, HD 650, and K712, but I have some new gear coming in(Schiit Lisst Solid State tubes for my Lyr 2 and a Creative E5) and I want to spend more time with them first. I personally don't like reviewing gear until I've had roughly a month with it, helps me get acquainted with the gear, eliminates potential honeymoon periods, and makes sure the review and comparisons I do are hopefully more accurate. 

I look forward to that review! I think that comparing these to other headphones is somewhat hard because I don't even want to take them off but I think comparisons to the highly regarded headphones you listed(especially the hd650) could really put the nighthawks on the map.

 

[grizzlybeast]

Can we have some comparisons:
Soundstage and bass vs custom vibros
Vs mh40, etc

First, I should not that I do not own either of these headphones at the moment so cannot give a direct compairson but will do my best from memory.
The custom vibro was one of the best headphones I've owned, though compared to the nighthawk it has sort of a orange aviator tinge to it with a bit of boost in the upper mids that makes it sound hashy and grainy. It's bass response was not as punchy nor as emphasised as the nighthawk, especially not in the mid bass. I do believe it was a bit tighter overall though. As far as sound stage the vibro was quite a bit deeper, but almost too deep for my tastes and it would sound a bit distant at times. The nighthawk is not as deep but has better center image and width with comparable height.
The mh40 was honestly disappointing IMO as most portables are when you've been spoiled by full size home use phones.

The Mh40 can be dissapointing in many ways. I really liked its attack though the decay was a bit much.

Thanks for the response.

 

[kman1211]

I look forward to that review! I think that comparing these to other headphones is somewhat hard because I don't even want to take them off but I think comparisons to the highly regarded headphones you listed(especially the hd650) could really put the nighthawks on the map.

I don't think anyone has reviewed them against the Senns yet. It will be hard for me too as I do have trouble going back to any of them, but will try. I did have an HD 600 I could of reviewed as well but I sold it last month, but I felt it was somewhat below the HD 650, K712, and DT 150 sonically and honestly had a love/hate relationship with it and felt it was overrated and also decided not to review the HD 600 as my review would be quite mixed and my reasons for giving it a mixed review would ruffle some feathers, there were a few things that ruined the HD 600 for me despite it's excellence in certain areas. What's odd these things that ruined it for me are what is often said it is better at than the HD 650, turned out the HD 650 were better in these aspects to my ears.

 

[grizzlybeast]

I have got to hear a pair of these. ughgh why do I have to be dedicated elsehwere now. 

 

[wnmnkh]

Finally, enough of measurements and target response... I have obtained a pair recently and been listening to it.
 

My impressions are follows. Mostly compared to HD650.
 
1.) At first several hours, it is very dark and boomy.
2.) At about 20-ish hours of play. It is just slightly more darker than HD650 in totality now.
3.) Except orthos, Nighthawk has the cleanest bass I've ever heard from dynamic headphones. Kind of feel weird to hear a headphone which has a strong bass response yet super clean at the same time.
4.) Despite being slightly darker than HD650, I feel Nighthawk actually has more information at treble than HD650.
5.) I don't feel any particular problem with mid. At worst it is rather dull at sometimes. Supposed to be there should be a dip at mid according to Audioquest's site, but I just can't detect it.
6.) Completely fatigue free. Truly amazing. Even HD650 becomes tiresome even with low volume, but I have no problem with Nighthawk for very long-listening session.
7.) Weakness is probably soundstage. It is smaller than HD650, and sometimes I feel I am wearing closed-back. I think this can be easily solved by doing some modification on pads.
8.) Taking off/on pads from the headphone is super easy. Audioquest indeed took care on maintenance. However, headband seems to be difficult to take off. I am not also sure if the suspension at cups can last long.

Compared to those at CES and recent meet ones, my current pair at 20-ish mark is definitely brighter, at least to my ears.

 

[Mark Up]

 How much break in time have you given them?

The dealer told me they were pretty well burned in. Changes I expect are subtle usually in refinement. These are refined, but to me the huge dip, what 10-20 db at 1 khz, which I can't find on any headphone I've ever seen or heard before, is not going to be fixed by even more extended extreme burn in or the finest amps. Only EQ, which I never like using to solve headphone problems. The very enclosed sound, the others speak of, I heard also, and the boxiness. It's a product of the outside ear cup design, openness and damping. Again, the above will not make that go away, a driver that's well conditioned with burn in or driven by pristine high voltage with tubes and an amazing DAC won't either. It is a design issue. I still think it has potential.

 

[leomitch]

 

I have had the Nighthawks since June 11th and have been listening very deeply and critically a lot of the time and I can't find the boxiness you refer to. Having listened now for hundreds of hours, I believe even more than earlier, that these headphones are providing, me at least, the finest sound I have ever heard from any device over the years. Smooth and musical with a wide and deep airy soundstage. I am addicted to the Digital Concert Hall by the Berlin Philharmonic and I find that this huge orchestra which is very difficult to reproduce faithfully, is beautifully handled by the NH...my Shure 1840's were excellent for this too, but not like this. I also listen to a lot of jazz, especially by small groups...trios, quartets, etc. A joy for me, especially the tight bass response which is capable of diving fathoms deep into the bass clef. Boring eh! Sorry, but I am a fanboy of these fine ear goggles.  Being a shut in means a great deal of my time is spent listening to my music. This is what keeps me from going nuts! I loved the Shure 1840's and still do, but Skylar Gray's baby is magic for this old coot!
 
Cheers 

Leo

 

[longbowbbs]

 How much break in time have you given them?


The dealer told me they were pretty well burned in. Changes I expect are subtle usually in refinement. These are refined, but to me the huge dip, what 10-20 db at 1 khz, which I can't find on any headphone I've ever seen or heard before, is not going to be fixed by even more extended extreme burn in or the finest amps. Only EQ, which I never like using to solve headphone problems. The very enclosed sound, the others speak of, I heard also, and the boxiness. It's a product of the outside ear cup design, openness and damping. Again, the above will not make that go away, a driver that's well conditioned with burn in or driven by pristine high voltage with tubes and an amazing DAC won't either. It is a design issue. I still think it has potential.

The Nighthawks are a very unique headphone. They blaze their own sonic path. It makes comparisons challenging but the use of them very enjoyable. My review will discuss how they compare but it will focus more on what they offer. I think Skylar hit a home run given their price point. Very cool design and meticulously thought out.

 

[kman1211]

  Finally, enough of measurements and target response... I have obtained a pair recently and been listening to it.
 

My impressions are follows. Mostly compared to HD650.
 
1.) At first several hours, it is very dark and boomy.
2.) At about 20-ish hours of play. It is just slightly more darker than HD650 in totality now.
3.) Except orthos, Nighthawk has the cleanest bass I've ever heard from dynamic headphones. Kind of feel weird to hear a headphone which has a strong bass response yet super clean at the same time.
4.) Despite being slightly darker than HD650, I feel Nighthawk actually has more information at treble than HD650.
5.) I don't feel any particular problem with mid. At worst it is rather dull at sometimes. Supposed to be there should be a dip at mid according to Audioquest's site, but I just can't detect it.
6.) Completely fatigue free. Truly amazing. Even HD650 becomes tiresome even with low volume, but I have no problem with Nighthawk for very long-listening session.
7.) Weakness is probably soundstage. It is smaller than HD650, and sometimes I feel I am wearing closed-back. I think this can be easily solved by doing some modification on pads.
8.) Taking off/on pads from the headphone is super easy. Audioquest indeed took care on maintenance. However, headband seems to be difficult to take off. I am not also sure if the suspension at cups can last long.

Compared to those at CES and recent meet ones, my current pair at 20-ish mark is definitely brighter, at least to my ears.

I agree with pretty much everything about the comparison, though I do find the Nighthawks soundstage somewhat larger than my HD 650's to my ears. I have about 40ish hours on my pair. The super clean yet powerful impact of the bass is something truly special with these phones.

 

[Mediahound]

I've run these balanced and the soundstage does improve that way. You however lose some vocal focus given that the frequency response of these is U-shaped  and a bit upper mids lean. 

 

[Hachiko270296]

So I've had the NH for about 2 weeks and listened to them solidly. It's a beautiful product but the V shaped nature isn't enjoyable for the price. They sound lile a smoother Philips X2 with the same ability technically.

Compared to my HD650 they are inferior but the HD650 competes wth the higher end stuff so it's kind of an unfair conparison but the NH is twice the price! To be twice the price and lesser than the 650 is not acceptable. They have a sligjtly grainy treble compared to the smooth 650.

I love the look though! But these are going up for sale.

 

[leomitch]

So I've had the NH for about 2 weeks and listened to them solidly. It's a beautiful product but the V shaped nature isn't enjoyable for the price. They sound lile a smoother Philips X2 with the same ability technically.

Compared to my HD650 they are inferior but the HD650 competes wth the higher end stuff so it's kind of an unfair conparison but the NH is twice the price! To be twice the price and lesser than the 650 is not acceptable. They have a sligjtly grainy treble compared to the smooth 650.

I love the look though! But these are going up for sale.

One says V shaped response and a previous one says U shaped response...which is it?  

 
Leo

 

[Hachiko270296]

Well they can mean the same thing to some. For me a V shaped in an obvious dip in the mids but this usually comes woth aggressive treble and bass. The NH isn't aggressive at all. It sounds like a Philips Fidelio but smoother and more closed in.

 

[Luckbad]

People keep talking about a huge 1kHz dip on the Nighthawk. That perception appears to be driven from some really terrible independent measurements taken from a particular source.
 
There isn't a 1kHz notch. Do sine sweeps yourself. Use a tone generator and sweep up and down to find the peaks and valleys. If there is a 1kHz dip, it is almost imperceptible, and is nowhere near the 10-15dB that some people are claiming.
 
I don't actually own these headphones, I just have them on loan to review them, but I feel like I have to defend them from some of the crazy comments pervading various threads about them. I don't get to keep them at the end, and I'm probably not going to buy them (my ears are bigger than the pads), but the "massive 1kHz dip" claim is just objectively and measurably false.
 
My pair are completely burned in, but I can't imagine burn-in is responsible for removing a canyon of a dip. They've improved and brightened a bit over time, but it's not like I have a different pair of headphones on my head than I did 200 hours ago.

 

[richbass]

Any comparisons with the Paradox Slants ?