[agnostic1er]

What is the mod suppose to do to the sound?

Hi,

Answer is in my post.

 

[Mark Up]

Yes, because the plugs are silver plated and have a tendency to tarnish easier.

Thanks. In that case I would probably end up changing the cable to another, plenty available that will work with this and the HiFiMan series.

 

[Devodonaldson]

Thanks. In that case I would probably end up changing the cable to another, plenty available that will work with this and the HiFiMan series.

All you need to do is wipe them with the included cloth regularly. Takes about 10 seconds. Not sure of the possible/if any sound signature difference due to the silver plating though

 

[jaco61]

I say goodbye to this forum ...sold my Nighthawk.. Had such a pleasing time with this outstanding phone ...was enjoying conversation here, thanks a lot!

 

[waynes world]

I say goodbye to this forum ...sold my Nighthawk.. Had such a pleasing time with this outstanding phone ...was enjoying conversation here, thanks a lot!

Take care. But you'll be back some day

 

[BubbaJay]

Since getting the Schiit Magni 3 and pairing with the Modi Multibit my Nighthawk has sounded better than ever. I've been using my NH more than my Elear which is pretty much my favorite headphone I've ever had. The NH sounds so much cleaner now and is not a dark sounding with highs that have a bit of pop and sparkle to them and that's not something you hear people say about the NH. They sound like a whole new headphone and I'm loving it.

 

[dudlew]

Since getting the Schiit Magni 3 and pairing with the Modi Multibit my Nighthawk has sounded better than ever. I've been using my NH more than my Elear which is pretty much my favorite headphone I've ever had. The NH sounds so much cleaner now and is not a dark sounding with highs that have a bit of pop and sparkle to them and that's not something you hear people say about the NH. They sound like a whole new headphone and I'm loving it.

Hi.

I am just curious. How do you find the HD700 compared to the Nighthawk? The HD700 is always a phone I have always wanted to try, but I dont live in an area where that is possible

Thanks

 

[BubbaJay]

Hi.

I am just curious. How do you find the HD700 compared to the Nighthawk? The HD700 is always a phone I have always wanted to try, but I don't live in an area where that is possible

Thanks

Well, they're totally different headphones when it comes to sound signature as I'm sure your aware of. The HD700 has more micro detail for sure and a wider soundstage. The highs are crisper but I don't find them to have the sibilance that others do and I hate sibilant headphones. They also have a thinner sound when compared to the Nighthawk but it's not as thin as say the DT990 which I had and really didn't like. All in all, it's a good headphone and a nice change of pace when listening to much warmer ones like the Nighthawk.

 

[sageamagoo]

Guys I need some help. Before I get to my issue, here is some information; I have the Original Nighthawk, aka 2015 Wood edition. I HAD a Dragonfly v1.2 and a Magni 2 Uber to power it with.

The Dragonfly broke somehow, and I got a good deal on a Mojo. Problem! I genuinely don't think the Mojo synergize well at all with the Nighthawk!
The Mojo is a little device that excels in extracting detail while keeping it smooth. Where it does not excel is in soundstage and imaging. It seems to just PUSH every little detail to the forefront whether or not it belongs there and that is detrimental to the integrity of the soundstage.

The Dragonfly didn't have as much detail but it was ultimately a better match because it left the soundstage in peace, allowing the Nighthawk to showcase it's AMAZING ability to produce soundstage depth and special 3D imaging. Details that were supposed to be in the back, were actually in the back and so you could differentiate the depth distance between instruments and what not.

SO, here's the thing. I am looking for a DAC that excels in the soundstage and imaging area. Any recommendations, findings? Max $500.

I UNDERSTAND YOU.

I own both the Nighthawk and the original Dragonfly v1.0, and just purchased a CTH+SDAC to replace it. While the CTH and SDAC both sound great and do a lot of things very well, I'm disappointed with the way it treats the soundstage in my favourite recordings.

Using the Nighthawk, the soundstage coming straight from the Dragonfly's headphone out sounds like a series of curtains blanketing areas of space around you—etherial and multidimensional. The CTH+SDAC combo is more like a thick, curved brick wall—rock solid and obvious. I'm actually surprised at how much the Nighthawk chameleons based on source; I feel like I'm listening to someone else's headphones. And I mean that literally—the CTH sounds like it'd be a vital piece of gear in someone else's ideal headphone setup, but from my initial impressions I don't believe that person is me.

Mixing things up and using the Dragonfly as source for the CTH, I get back some, but not all of the spacial qualities I'm looking for, while losing out on a lot of the resolution the CTH is capable of providing. The tube colouration feels kind of strange to me, and neither setup touches my soul in quite the same way as using the Dragonfly alone, despite better tonality. I'm noticing a reduction in macro-dynamics with the SDAC as well. Overall, I'd say there are recordings that work much better with the CTH in the chain, but that gut feeling I get with certain textures through the Dragonfly alone is irreplaceable.

I need a setup that does what the Dragonfly + Nighthawk does well, but with better low-level detail retrieval and an even greater sensation of 3D layering. Can anyone with Nighthawk experience recommend an amp and/or DAC that fills this need? And maybe tell a bad story or metaphor to help me understand what that setup means to you? Thanks in advance.

 

[Devodonaldson]

I UNDERSTAND YOU.

I own both the Nighthawk and the original Dragonfly v1.0, and just purchased a CTH+SDAC to replace it. While the CTH and SDAC both sound great and do a lot of things very well, I'm disappointed with the way it treats the soundstage in my favourite recordings.

Using the Nighthawk, the soundstage coming straight from the Dragonfly's headphone out sounds like a series of curtains blanketing areas of space around you—etherial and multidimensional. The CTH+SDAC combo is more like a thick, curved brick wall—rock solid and obvious. I'm actually surprised at how much the Nighthawk chameleons based on source; I feel like I'm listening to someone else's headphones. And I mean that literally—the CTH sounds like it'd be a vital piece of gear in someone else's ideal headphone setup, but from my initial impressions I don't believe that person is me.

Mixing things up and using the Dragonfly as source for the CTH, I get back some, but not all of the spacial qualities I'm looking for, while losing out on a lot of the resolution the CTH is capable of providing. Neither setup touches my soul in quite the same way as using the Dragonfly alone, despite better tonality. I'm noticing a reduction in macro-dynamics with the SDAC as well. Overall, I'd say there are recordings that work much better with the CTH in the chain, but that gut feeling I get with certain textures through the Dragonfly alone is irreplaceable.

I need a setup that does what the Dragonfly + Nighthawk does well, but with better low-level detail retrieval and an even greater sensation of 3D layering. Can anyone with Nighthawk experience recommend an amp and/or DAC that fills this need? And maybe tell a bad story or metaphor to help me understand what that setup means to you? Thanks in advance.

IMO SMSL IDEA blows Dragonfly away.$90 SABRE 9018 Q2C. That means it's power hungry, but it sounds good. If this is for home use, a more power hungry balanced configuration, dual SABRE 9018 Q2C, The SABAJ DA3, or for portable use SMSL IQ. Same configuration, buy with sn external battery

 

[sageamagoo]

IMO SMSL IDEA blows Dragonfly away.$90 SABRE 9018 Q2C. That means it's power hungry, but it sounds good. If this is for home use, a more power hungry balanced configuration, dual SABRE 9018 Q2C, The SABAJ DA3, or for portable use SMSL IQ. Same configuration, buy with sn external battery

Took a quick look, and while these options seem good, if I'm going to spend the money I'd rather spring on a full-size no-compromises desktop amp. Though the SABAJ could probably be used for cheap balanced input into a balanced amp, so I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for the suggestions!

I should note that features like DSD and 192kHz playback don't matter to me, but after some reading I've become very curious about the stereo separation benefits of a balanced config, so based on others' impressions here I might be looking at the Jotunheim for my next purchase.

EDIT: Scratch that—got an offer to trade for an m9xx, which fits my budget way better than buying a Jot + external DAC + balanced cable, and has a very high satisfaction level among Nighthawk owners. Will report back with my own impressions after it arrives

 

[DaaDaa]

Took a quick look, and while these options seem good, if I'm going to spend the money I'd rather spring on a full-size no-compromises desktop amp. Though the SABAJ could probably be used for cheap balanced input into a balanced amp, so I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for the suggestions!

I should note that features like DSD and 192kHz playback don't matter to me, but after some reading I've become very curious about the stereo separation benefits of a balanced config, so based on others' impressions here I'll probably be looking at a Jotunheim for my next purchase.

I own the sabaj and it is good. black black background. great sound. the headphone jack a little plasticy, because im a littlke use after a few uses. still so good for the price. im amazed.

 

[MementoMori99]

For those who are new to the Nighthawks(NH's), based upon personal experience, before passing judgment on them, I highly recommend that they be burned-in for a minimum of 200-250 hours to realize their best treble output.

 

[mbwilson111]

For those who are new to the Nighthawks(NH's), based upon personal experience, before passing judgment on them, I highly recommend that they be burned-in for a minimum of 200-250 hours to realize their best treble output.

I burned mine in upon arrival for around 200 hours but I loved them straight out of the box. I had never before heard such a nice sound from a headphone. That was in October 2016 and I joined headfi so I could participate in this thread which was very active at the time....and was instrumental in my decision to buy the NH. I had been lurking for months and had visited on an off through the years.

When you say best treble output what do you mean by that? What do you feel changed?

 

[MementoMori99]

When you say best treble output what do you mean by that? What do you feel changed?

By best treble output, I mean that the quantity of treble increased to the point that I no longer felt that the NH's were too warm and lacking treble. My comments are regarding the NH original wood circa 2015 with hybrid earpads. Obviously, since we all hear things differently, YMMV.