[FastAndClean]

leather pads


sound signature - warm, smooth and sweet

bass - the bass is big (not too big), it can go low when the song call for it, mid and upper bass is more than the sub bass in quantity, the bass have good texture and layering, decay is moderate in speed, not the fastest out there but fast enough to sound natural.

mids - mids are thick, lower midrange is fat and smooth, you can try some songs of Barry White and you will notice extra power to his voice, middle part of the midrange is neutral, upper mids take one step back, mids are very special, they are not recessed, but the tonality is different than AKG open backs for example.

highs - highs are extended, clean and detailed, they are smooth and inoffensive, you will not find nasty peaks in the lower treble like A LOT of other headphones, sometimes i want more quantity.

imaging - imaging is top notch, instrument separation is very precise , every instrument is well defined inside the soundstage

soundstage - soundstage is good but not great, nothing special here, is better than typical closed back headphones but not close to fully open back cans.

velour pads



sound signature - neutral and detailed (but not cold or bass light)

bass - the bass is flatter, there is no huge mid bass hump, the thickness in the mid and upper bass is very reduced, with velours the bass is airy, the driver breathe, now the sub bass is in line with mid bass, is clean, texture and just beautiful, the rumble on the lower bass is a lot cleaner, is like a high quality musical subwoofer kind of bass, airy and clean.

mids - no thickness in the lower mids anymore, midrange now is more clear and detailed, there is more upper mid range, mids are smooth and beautiful, female voices sound more present and clear, amazing mids.

highs - more highs (the perception for more treble is from the shifted balance between the bass and treble), but interesting thing is that only the very upper treble feel like more, after 10 khz, that makes the sound more airy overall, i love the treble

soundstage - bigger, better, close to fully open back headphone, the soundstage now is big, not as big like my K601 but big.

imaging - the same precise imaging but with bigger soundstage now you can enjoy it more.

 

[koover]

leather pads


sound signature - warm, smooth and sweet

bass - the bass is big (not too big), it can go low when the song call for it, mid and upper bass is more than the sub bass in quantity, the bass have good texture and layering, decay is moderate in speed, not the fastest out there but fast enough to sound natural.

mids - mids are thick, lower midrange is fat and smooth, you can try some songs of Barry White and you will notice extra power to his voice, middle part of the midrange is neutral, upper mids take one step back, mids are very special, they are not recessed, but the tonality is different than AKG open backs for example.

highs - highs are extended, clean and detailed, they are smooth and inoffensive, you will not find nasty peaks in the lower treble like A LOT of other headphones, sometimes i want more quantity.

imaging - imaging is top notch, instrument separation is very precise , every instrument is well defined inside the soundstage

soundstage - soundstage is good but not great, nothing special here, is better than typical closed back headphones but not close to fully open back cans.

velour pads



sound signature - neutral and detailed (but not cold or bass light)

bass - the bass is flatter, there is no huge mid bass hump, the thickness in the mid and upper bass is very reduced, with velours the bass is airy, the driver breathe, now the sub bass is in line with mid bass, is clean, texture and just beautiful, the rumble on the lower bass is a lot cleaner, is like a high quality musical subwoofer kind of bass, airy and clean.

mids - no thickness in the lower mids anymore, midrange now is more clear and detailed, there is more upper mid range, mids are smooth and beautiful, female voices sound more present and clear, amazing mids.

highs - more highs (the perception for more treble is from the shifted balance between the bass and treble), but interesting thing is that only the very upper treble feel like more, after 10 khz, that makes the sound more airy overall, i love the treble

soundstage - bigger, better, close to fully open back headphone, the soundstage now is big, not as big like my K601 but big.

imaging - the same precise imaging but with bigger soundstage now you can enjoy it more.

I really appreciate your last 2 posts. It really helps someone like me out quite a big. The velour pads is something I'm going to jump on right away. Thanks for the graph and description.
As for your review on the leathers, I'm in unison with your take on all points.
I liked the sound right out of the box quite a bit but after about 80 hours of burn in, they're sounding better each day. I'm sure there's strong opinions that it's nothing more then brain burn in but I listen to these first thing when I get up before going to work (burning in all night) and it's not brain burn in. They just sound sweeter, fuller, punchier and more lush. I think these cans are a perfect compliment to my other 2 pairs. I'm still trying to figure out which ones I'll go to first.
It should be noted I have the Nightowls.
Thanks again man as I at least appreciate your time to post for a few of us!
Regards........

 

[makne]

big impact on the sound yes for the better, more airy, bigger soundstage, cleaner overall, they will not sound like a normal headphones, they will sound like high end headphones

But will they lose their dark, warm, smooth sound? Cuz I want these to be my relaxing, dark set of cans to compliment my isines (or Focal Elears that I plan on buying). If the velours just open the sound up a bit without the Nighthawks losing its unique character, then I'll probably try some velours.

 

[makne]

leather pads


sound signature - warm, smooth and sweet

bass - the bass is big (not too big), it can go low when the song call for it, mid and upper bass is more than the sub bass in quantity, the bass have good texture and layering, decay is moderate in speed, not the fastest out there but fast enough to sound natural.

mids - mids are thick, lower midrange is fat and smooth, you can try some songs of Barry White and you will notice extra power to his voice, middle part of the midrange is neutral, upper mids take one step back, mids are very special, they are not recessed, but the tonality is different than AKG open backs for example.

highs - highs are extended, clean and detailed, they are smooth and inoffensive, you will not find nasty peaks in the lower treble like A LOT of other headphones, sometimes i want more quantity.

imaging - imaging is top notch, instrument separation is very precise , every instrument is well defined inside the soundstage

soundstage - soundstage is good but not great, nothing special here, is better than typical closed back headphones but not close to fully open back cans.

velour pads



sound signature - neutral and detailed (but not cold or bass light)

bass - the bass is flatter, there is no huge mid bass hump, the thickness in the mid and upper bass is very reduced, with velours the bass is airy, the driver breathe, now the sub bass is in line with mid bass, is clean, texture and just beautiful, the rumble on the lower bass is a lot cleaner, is like a high quality musical subwoofer kind of bass, airy and clean.

mids - no thickness in the lower mids anymore, midrange now is more clear and detailed, there is more upper mid range, mids are smooth and beautiful, female voices sound more present and clear, amazing mids.

highs - more highs (the perception for more treble is from the shifted balance between the bass and treble), but interesting thing is that only the very upper treble feel like more, after 10 khz, that makes the sound more airy overall, i love the treble

soundstage - bigger, better, close to fully open back headphone, the soundstage now is big, not as big like my K601 but big.

imaging - the same precise imaging but with bigger soundstage now you can enjoy it more.

Wow thanks, great comparison. I'm a little skeptical as I don't really want to "fix" my Nighthawks, what I love about them is how different they are from other headphones. The dark, warm sound that somehow keeps the treble detail, really is quite charming. Although, sometimes I feel their unique-ness is a bit extreme, and I do wonder how good they can sound with velours. So I will probably order a pair to quench my curiosity.
Tell me, how is the comfort compared to stock pads? Any change in pad thickness/how deep the cup is, or heat build-up?

 

[FastAndClean]

Wow thanks, great comparison. I'm a little skeptical as I don't really want to "fix" my Nighthawks, what I love about them is how different they are from other headphones. The dark, warm sound that somehow keeps the treble detail, really is quite charming. Although, sometimes I feel their unique-ness is a bit extreme, and I do wonder how good they can sound with velours. So I will probably order a pair to quench my curiosity.
Tell me, how is the comfort compared to stock pads? Any change in pad thickness/how deep the cup is, or heat build-up?

you can always change the pads with stock ones if you like dark and tick sound more, but in my opinion those headphones benefit from velour ear pads, is not by accident that the new audioquest headphones include velour ear pads in the package
the velours are deeper, comfort is very good, less heat with the velours

 

[Nitreb]

leather pads


sound signature - warm, smooth and sweet

bass - the bass is big (not too big), it can go low when the song call for it, mid and upper bass is more than the sub bass in quantity, the bass have good texture and layering, decay is moderate in speed, not the fastest out there but fast enough to sound natural.

mids - mids are thick, lower midrange is fat and smooth, you can try some songs of Barry White and you will notice extra power to his voice, middle part of the midrange is neutral, upper mids take one step back, mids are very special, they are not recessed, but the tonality is different than AKG open backs for example.

highs - highs are extended, clean and detailed, they are smooth and inoffensive, you will not find nasty peaks in the lower treble like A LOT of other headphones, sometimes i want more quantity.

imaging - imaging is top notch, instrument separation is very precise , every instrument is well defined inside the soundstage

soundstage - soundstage is good but not great, nothing special here, is better than typical closed back headphones but not close to fully open back cans.

velour pads



sound signature - neutral and detailed (but not cold or bass light)

bass - the bass is flatter, there is no huge mid bass hump, the thickness in the mid and upper bass is very reduced, with velours the bass is airy, the driver breathe, now the sub bass is in line with mid bass, is clean, texture and just beautiful, the rumble on the lower bass is a lot cleaner, is like a high quality musical subwoofer kind of bass, airy and clean.

mids - no thickness in the lower mids anymore, midrange now is more clear and detailed, there is more upper mid range, mids are smooth and beautiful, female voices sound more present and clear, amazing mids.

highs - more highs (the perception for more treble is from the shifted balance between the bass and treble), but interesting thing is that only the very upper treble feel like more, after 10 khz, that makes the sound more airy overall, i love the treble

soundstage - bigger, better, close to fully open back headphone, the soundstage now is big, not as big like my K601 but big.

imaging - the same precise imaging but with bigger soundstage now you can enjoy it more.

By "leather pads", do you mean the original hybrid pad (ultrasuede inside, p-leather outside) that were fitted on the original NH?

 

[makne]

Quick update:
Just tried the angled pleather HM5 pads on my nighthawks (had them on another pair of headphones). My first imrpession was positive, wow more treble presence and wider soundstage. But after more careful listening and swapping back and forth, I don't like them.
When you increase the distance from the driver to your ear that much, yes you gain soundstage width. But you also lose a lot of the intimacy and details from the original pads. Imo you also lose some soundstage depth, inwards and back in your head.
The treble increased in volume, but imo decreased in quality. Cymbals and hi-hats sounded were less refined and lifelike. Vocals lost some smoothness and warmth, and got a harsh edge.
It may be the pads, or maybe the Nighthawks just weren't designed to have great treble presence. I feel like the angled pleathers tried to "fix" the Nighthawks and make their sound more balanced, and the result was a mediocre, "normal-sounding" headphone. I'd rather just let the Nighthawks be the Nighthawks, and let them do what they do best.

I'm still going to try the flat velour HM5 pads, but I live in Norway so it may take some time before i receive them.

 

[BubbaJay]

Quick update:
Just tried the angled pleather HM5 pads on my nighthawks (had them on another pair of headphones). My first imrpession was positive, wow more treble presence and wider soundstage. But after more careful listening and swapping back and forth, I don't like them.
When you increase the distance from the driver to your ear that much, yes you gain soundstage width. But you also lose a lot of the intimacy and details from the original pads. Imo you also lose some soundstage depth, inwards and back in your head.
The treble increased in volume, but imo decreased in quality. Cymbals and hi-hats sounded were less refined and lifelike. Vocals lost some smoothness and warmth, and got a harsh edge.
It may be the pads, or maybe the Nighthawks just weren't designed to have great treble presence. I feel like the angled pleathers tried to "fix" the Nighthawks and make their sound more balanced, and the result was a mediocre, "normal-sounding" headphone. I'd rather just let the Nighthawks be the Nighthawks, and let them do what they do best.

I'm still going to try the flat velour HM5 pads, but I live in Norway so it may take some time before i receive them.

Thanks for the little info about the HM5 pads because I was really thinking of getting a pair for my Nighthawks. I don't mind the stock pads but I was wanting to see if the HM5 pads would add some stage width but if it takes away from the intimacy and detail then its not worth it for me either. I think the treble sounds fine the way it is, I actually get quite a bit of sparkle from most of the music I listen to. When going back to my Nighthawks after using the Elear it always takes a few minutes to get use to the sound again. They always sound quite dark at first but after a few minutes they sound perfect, I actually think they are as good as the Elear, different sounding of course but just as good imo.

 

[kman1211]

Thanks for the little info about the HM5 pads because I was really thinking of getting a pair for my Nighthawks. I don't mind the stock pads but I was wanting to see if the HM5 pads would add some stage width but if it takes away from the intimacy and detail then its not worth it for me either. I think the treble sounds fine the way it is, I actually get quite a bit of sparkle from most of the music I listen to. When going back to my Nighthawks after using the Elear it always takes a few minutes to get use to the sound again. They always sound quite dark at first but after a few minutes they sound perfect, I actually think they are as good as the Elear, different sounding of course but just as good imo.

I actually felt similar about the Elear and Hawks. I felt there were things the Elears did better such as clarity, speed, and imaging but I also felt like the Hawks had a lot more body and fullness to it's midrange than the Elears. It was rather weird switching between them. I found what really changed the Nighthawks was EQing the upper midrange/lower treble up a bit.

 

[FastAndClean]

By "leather pads", do you mean the original hybrid pad (ultrasuede inside, p-leather outside) that were fitted on the original NH?

Yes, I mean the stock pads

 

[makne]

I really want to get the Elears, they're the most natural, realistic sounding headphone I've tried (what sounds natural to me that is). My isines fullfill that task atm, they actually have a very similar tonality to the Elear, just a little smaller.
As for difference between Nighthawk and Elear/isine, I agree with you two. They're so different that I can enjoy both equally. That's why I don't want to make then sound more similar, cuz then the Elear/isine would most likely win, and I wouldn't have any need for the Nighthawks.

 

[makne]

I actually felt similar about the Elear and Hawks. I felt there were things the Elears did better such as clarity, speed, and imaging but I also felt like the Hawks had a lot more body and fullness to it's midrange than the Elears. It was rather weird switching between them. I found what really changed the Nighthawks was EQing the upper midrange/lower treble up a bit.

Would you mind posting your eq? I've already tried an eq from further back in the thread, but didn't quite like it. It brought too much grain and harshness to the treble. If there's a way to raise the treble just a bit, without losing anything else, I'm very interested.

 

[Badas]

Lately I have been playing around with Yggy and the Hawks. I've only had the Yggy two weeks. The Yggy is ultra clean/clear. Natural not processed.

I have to say that if you give the Hawks a ultra clean source and amplification (V281) then they sound amazing.
It sounds next Gen to me. Some of the best HP music I have heard.

 

[Kramer01]

https://www.stereophile.com/content/are-you-experienced-0

I was reading an article on stereophile where Steve Guttenberg mentions "Audioquest's upcoming in-ears", and the following "it's going to really shake things up. The sound quality of these 'phones wasn't available at any price even a few years ago, and I haven't seen this level of innovation and new ideas with loudspeakers in ages".

No name or tech specs just an upcoming in-ear model. Does anyone know anything about these upcoming in-ears??

 

[Hi-Fi EDU]

https://www.stereophile.com/content/are-you-experienced-0

I was reading an article on stereophile where Steve Guttenberg mentions "Audioquest's upcoming in-ears", and the following "it's going to really shake things up. The sound quality of these 'phones wasn't available at any price even a few years ago, and I haven't seen this level of innovation and new ideas with loudspeakers in ages".

No name or tech specs just an upcoming in-ear model. Does anyone know anything about these upcoming in-ears??

Oh boy, I'm really looking forward to these! I'm very set with the NH's as my over-ears of choice. Now I want those Skylar/AQ in-ears so I can easily have this enjoyment on-the-go. As to your question, aside from Skylar, the AQ engineering crew and maybe a select few media folks, I don't think there's much known about their upcoming in-ears at this time. For now, the fact that its development seems to be moving along nicely is enough news for me. I'll make a bold prediction that by year's end you'll get the info you're looking for , maybe from the man himself.