[SearchOfSub]

Most people coming from speaker setups will tell you velour pads sound alot more like speakers than any leather/pleather pads.

 

[MattTCG]

Most people coming from speaker setups will tell you velour pads sound alot more like speakers than any leather/pleather pads.

 
Huh? Are you saying the NH with velours sounds like a speaker setup, more so that the stock NH with leather pads? That's weird because one of the most often quoted complement of the NH is that they sound similar to good speakers...with leather pads. 

 

[SearchOfSub]

It should sound even more speaker like with velour pads. Velour pads damps sound compared to leather and pleather. And most speaker setups have carpets and many acoustic foams to dampen sound. It's pretty much same concept. When I first had my heaephones (HE500) coming from 2 channel stereo setup, I was always thinking it dosent sound right until i put on velour pads. Then the he500 finally resembled speakers somewhat. Those coming from 2 channel stereo setup with room treatment should know difference.

Can't wait for the carbons!

 

[SearchOfSub]

Hopefully they got the balance right on the Nightowls and keeping the Nighthawks signature musicality. From my experience, more treble and bass always took away from musicality of a HP.

edit: also meant to say more treble and less bass. Not more bass.

 

[Badas]

edit: also meant to say more treble and less bass. Not more bass.

Nooooo! To more treble. NightHawks have it right. The others have got it wrong. Treble is perfect. I couldn't handle more.

I've also noted the more hours you use the more treble you get. With over 200 hours on a pair I have the treble has increased further than the 100 hour mark.

 

[Soundizer]

edit: also meant to say more treble and less bass. Not more bass.

Nooooo! To more treble. NightHawks have it right. The others have got it wrong. Treble is perfect. I couldn't handle more.

I've also noted the more hours you use the more treble you get. With over 200 hours on a pair I have the treble has increased further than the 100 hour mark.

I agree. Out of the box when I first listened to the Nighthawks I had EQ'd up some higher frequencies, but after about 85hours I reduced them as too much treble. After 150hours the 1khz and above for me is completely flat. JUST RIGHT.

 

[Kazekeil]

Just dropping off my impressions. Iphone 6+(Tidal/apple music) -> Creative Soundblaster E5 -> Nighthawks
 
I will have more detailed impressions after a while but these are making me sell my Audeze Sine. I don't get the "muddy" or "muffled" impressions. Coming from the Sines and Oppo PM3(sold those too), these kill them. The GF even commented that the NHs sound "so much more clear and crisp" than the Sine. She's your average consumer, enjoys her FXT-90s and Vmoda xs. She said she had issues really picking the Sine and PM3 apart but those in comparison to the NH, the NH blew them away in her opinion. 
 
Personally I agree. I found my endgame. The highs sparkle just enough, the low end is absolutely enveloping, and the soundstage is just right for me(intimate enough to enjoy the music but large enough for all the fun spacial audio cues in some genres I listen to). In comparison to the SINE(3.5mm jack), the sub-low bass feels maybe 1-2db louder but feels like it's much wider in the soundstage vs the SINE's pent up ball of bass sitting in the center. It also extends deeper. I can feel the bass earlier in low freq sweeps vs the sines(even EQd up). Mids are slightly warm and sweet, highs are definitely there with just enough sparkle to really cut through everything but they're certainly not fatiguing.
 
I also was lucky enough to not have a money bias when comparing. I got the PM3 for 320, Sine for 300, and NH for 300 new.
 
E5 Stuff:
Gaming in them with the Soundblaster E5 is a real treat. It mixes 7.1 surround signals real time into a pseudo-binaural mix and the effect really is awesome.
I tried doing some EQing and they respond well, but I ultimately preferred the NH stock.
The E5 crystalizer set to 25-30% adds a fun little boost to dynamics, sparkle, and air without sounding artificial in the slightest.
 
EDIT: I listened to quite a few genres in these. Classical, Rock, Metal, Hip-Hop, Experimental electronic music, more. They handled all of them very well.

 

[Krutsch]

Nooooo! To more treble. NightHawks have it right. The others have got it wrong. Treble is perfect. I couldn't handle more.

I've also noted the more hours you use the more treble you get. With over 200 hours on a pair I have the treble has increased further than the 100 hour mark.

 
+1 ... my experience, as well.

 

[kman1211]

   
+1 ... my experience, as well.

Honestly I don't find the Nighthawks all that dark, in fact I am finding my DT 1990's with balanced pads slightly darker than the Hawks on my current system.

 

[YtseJamer]

I'm having a lot of fun with my new pair of NightHawk!
 
The sound of the Hawks is so organic versus the HD650. The bass is deep and tight, it's the perfect amount of bass for a pair of headphones.
 
I thought that the mids were a bit recessed at the beginning but now that they've been burned in for 100 hours, the frequency response has flattened out across the range.
 
Overall I'm very happy so far.
 

 

[bavinck]

What's the Nighthawk soundstage like compared to 650?

 

[MattTCG]

Curious as to "best amp pairing" with the NH. The Jot seems to be really good. Just wondered what others are finding. 

 

[YtseJamer]

What's the Nighthawk soundstage like compared to 650?

 
The soundstage is decently wide, wider than I expected from semi-open cans, IMO on par with the HD650.  The depth and layering they achieve is also impressing, the imaging I get from them gives me a nice out-of-head experience.
 

  Curious as to "best amp pairing" with the NH. The Jot seems to be really good. Just wondered what others are finding. 

 
I'm also driving them with the Jot but I don't have a balanced cable.  I will probably buy the balanced cable from Oppo.  They also sound great with my Vali 2. (With the Electro-Harmonix 6CG7 tube)

 

[PWLSteve]

@ Kazekeil, NH's for 300 new? Where did you buy them? Thanks!

 

[Vigrith]

  Curious as to "best amp pairing" with the NH. The Jot seems to be really good. Just wondered what others are finding. 

 
My favourite pairing is the Pathos Aurium - sublime, romantic, intimate and thoroughly enjoyable, what you'd expect out of an Italian made amplifier. It doesn't make things overly smooth or hazy, it just conducts the Hawks beautifully and makes listening a very emotional experience.
 
I like them a lot out of the Jotunheim too (balanced, haven't tested them in SE really) but that's to be expected, if you love a pair of headphones you'll love them out of the Jotun as it just lets them shine through. The pairing with my MJ2 and WA7 is not transcending and outworldly like the Pathos nor is it as "textbook" and on point as it is with the Jotun but they still perform well in my opinion.
 
I'm a valve kinda guy but I'd like to hear them out of higher end solid state and see what I'd think of it. Oh and I wouldn't say no to trying them on a Zana Deux but it'll be a long while before I can afford that one (if ever); I feel the NHs scale up pretty well despite being easy to drive and sounding amazing out of my DAPs and even my Galaxy S7.