[betula]

Don’t worry about the soundstage. Almost the same as NH. Honestly barely a difference. The difference is in the earcup reflexion, and very small shoutiness.

Great, my NO is arriving tomorrow so will be able to hear it soon.

 

[waynes world]

As many of you probably know I have been loving my NHs for a long time (original woody look version). I have kind of settled down with it as I didn't have the urge to look further anymore. After 18 months however and hearing the news AQ is ditching its headphone business I really started to look around to see what alternatives are available that I might like and can afford.
My main candidates were the LCD2C and the AFO, I read everything about them what's available on the web. Time to time however the NightOwl kept popping up as a comparison, some people prefer the NO to the two planars. I know, all of these headphones are quite different and AQ headphones themselves are a separate category, but still there seem to be a similarity too. All three are on the darker/warmer side aiming for musical enjoyment instead of monitoring. As usual I read tons of posts often contradicting each other. Without trying the headphones yourself you can just get a vague idea from reading how they might sound and even that is often misleading.

Anyway, to cut a long story short I will probably buy and try the LCD2C soon. I am leaving the AFO for now as in the UK they put an extra 25% on the price (£799) while the LCD2C cost the same as it does on the USA (£599). It is highly unlikely that AFO is £200 better than the 2C.

In the meantime I ordered a NightOwl. Just couldn't resist the opportunity. Many places started to sell the NH and NO for £349 which is already a great deal, but I managed to get a hardly used ex-demo pair for £259. For a pair of basically new NOs.
This way I can try the NH, NO and all 3 types of AQ pads back and forth. Can't wait to finally find out all the truth myself about everything that Skyler has created. Once I decided which one I prefer will order the LCD2C and see what I want to keep/sell in the end.

I love the NHs organic, smooth and laid back sound. Sometimes however I wouldn't mind a bit more clarity and tighter bass without turning the treble up too much. NO might cure this, but the smaller soundstage worries me just a little bit. I am also really curious to hear the LCD2C. It will probably give me the bass I am after, but I am worried about the headphone's weight and that the sound is too neutral and less organic/alive compared to the NHs.

The next few weeks I need to write a review about the xDSD and some fabulously good IEMs, but at some point I think I will write a big AQ review with both the NH NO and all three pads.
And probably share some impressions in this thread too. (NO thread is pretty dead.)

Looking forward to your impressions of the NO. Hopefully you will tell me that I don't need to get them

 

[Devodonaldson]

If anybody can can compare the NH/NO to the Eikon it would be great !!!

Listened to the Eikon at Canjam. It was a little too bright for me. The Atticus toned it down a liytle, and I preferred that to to the brighter more forward Eikon. This is all in comparison to my beloved Audioquest sound, that is. For many the Eikon is fine, but I like treble extension, but not boosted levels of it. Love the NO/NH. The Audioquest Boost pads have more than enough boosted treble for me

 

[Serge Bernamej]

Listened to the Eikon at Canjam. It was a little too bright for me. The Atticus toned it down a liytle, and I preferred that to to the brighter more forward Eikon. This is all in comparison to my beloved Audioquest sound, that is. For many the Eikon is fine, but I like treble extension, but not boosted levels of it. Love the NO/NH. The Audioquest Boost pads have more than enough boosted treble for me

Thanks a lot for that impression !
Cheers.

 

[Greendriver]

Hi. I have just bought some Nighthawk Carbons after listening to them via a Cyrus One amp (a good match). My first impressions are of a beautifully presented item, which is very comfortable to use, although the cord is a real pain. The bass is very good but it sounds like someone has thrown a carpet over the drummer! OMG that's awful. Hopefully it will get better when they are run in. Loads of detail but very veiled, which is a shame. more to follow...

 

[433521]

Night owl arrived. I like the sound (I'd better for $400) but don't like that they are not isolating at all. Why bother with closed headphones?

 

[MementoMori99]

For those who are interested, I am selling my NO's.

 

[betula]

Looking forward to your impressions of the NO. Hopefully you will tell me that I don't need to get them

The brief answer is that you don't need to get them. Sigh! The extended answer is coming soon.

 

[overhaze]

What pads are everyone using with their NHs these days? I was a original hybrid pad purist for a while but I'm really liking the ultra suede pads at the moment.

 

[mbwilson111]

What pads are everyone using with their NHs these days? I was a original hybrid pad purist for a while but I'm really liking the ultra suede pads at the moment.

I like the original hybrid most of the time but I liked the suede last summer. Seemed a bit more comfortable for hot weather and sounded good. Still, there is something about those hybrid pads... can't quite explain it.

I have had my NH since Oct. 2016. I joined headfi the week that I ordered them.

 

[betula]

My thoughts on the NightHawk vs. NightOwl + all three earpads.

 

[waynes world]

My thoughts on the NightHawk vs. NightOwl + all three earpads.

Awesome and thank you!

These are my personal takeaways:

f you already own the Hawks or the Owls you simply do not need to buy the other version. The difference is not that big and there are compromises on both sides. There is no obvious winner here. The Hawks have the edge in my opinion, but this is absolutely subjective.

The NightHawks with the boost pads however sound really exciting. In fact this might be my favourite combination. Compared to the really smooth and laid back presentation of the original hybrid pads, the boost pads slightly enhance the treble and tighten up the sound a little bit, giving the impression of enhanced overall clarity not just in the treble but everywhere. Vocals still sound slightly better with the hybrid pads, but the cleaner, clearer, more impactful sound is more exciting and fun compared to the hybrid pads.

My personal conclusion is that I am selling the NightOwls but buying the boost pads for my NightHawks for times when I want a little more excitement.

Now, where to find those boost pads!

Thanks again.

 

[mbwilson111]

My thoughts on the NightHawk vs. NightOwl + all three earpads.

Thank you for that.

I think this is the only complete comparison available in one place. Very organized. Now when people ask questions in here we can just link to that review.

oh...and I think it is time to try my boost pads on my original NH. They have been in a closet ever since I got them. For some reason I thought they would ruin the NH sound.

When I had all those troubles with the original long cable, AQ sent me the newly announced carbon cable. I had no idea they would include both new pads as well. I had just planned to save them for when my originals wear out.

 

[betula]

Thank you for that.

I think this is the only complete comparison available in one place. Very organized. Now when people ask questions in here we can just link to that review.

oh...and I think it is time to try my boost pads on my original NH. They have been in a closet ever since I got them. For some reason I thought they would ruin the NH sound.

Thank you, but it is all quite subjective. Others might have different preferences with different music and ears.

 

[mbwilson111]

Thank you, but it is all quite subjective. Others might have different preferences with different music and ears.

Of course ... but now that you have said that you found the suede ones a bit boring, I can understand why I wanted to go back to the hybrid after trying them. They did sound nice though and definitely cooler for summer.