AudioQuest NightHawk Impressions and Discussion Thread

[Sonido]

Interesting experience, Sonido. I wonder why they sounded so different with the Bakoon given that the Nighthawk impedance curve is close enough to flat that 'electrical EQ' wouldn't have a significant impact (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AudioQuestNightHawk2015.pdf). Current drive amps are more about distortion figures than anything else. You're right that they do essentially "ignore" impedance characteristics, but that's not going to be a significant factor here. Still, it's enough to know that the Bakoon is a good pair with the Hawks regardless of the reason.

What else have you tried the 'Hawks with?

Yeah it was surprising considering the impedance curve is mostly flat. Others agreed to the change in the frequency response. In fact, it was the biggest change I've heard out of the bakoon current mode outside of high impedance sennheisers or beyers that have that huge bump in the impedance in the mid bass. Other than bakoon, I only got to hear it out of my phone and some DAPs. Also compared it to the bakoon voltage output. Those all pretty much sound the same as far as the frequency response curve goes. I know the owner of the nighthawk also had the Mojo, but I can't remember if I got to hear it out of it, but he did say he liked the sound of it out of the bakoon current mode the best from he's heard the nighthawk from, which is assume that includes his Mojo. That said he still didn't seem wowed by the nighthawk even through the bakoon. He seemed mostly regretful that he purchased the nighthawk and had other headphones he was listening to :/

 

[inthere]

 I was never quite sure where you got that the used it to tune the Mojo.

 
 I think someone else mentioned it in this thread

 

[elnero]

   
 I think someone else mentioned it in this thread

 
Ahh yes, it wasn't you, it was SearchOfSub that mentioned it numerous times. Sorry.

 

[bettyn]

Thanks. I'll get in touch with them. Keep hearing they are putting out some better "balanced" cables for the Nighthawks. Hope they're not as fragile.

 

[waynes world]

 
Ok, I like these things! Gorgeous looking, incredibly comfortable, and they sound amazing. Not too dark, not too bright.. just right! Soundstage, imaging and resolution is gorgeous as well.
 
I am listening to this Steven Wilson tune on them at the moment, and wow. The entire track is genius, but Adam Hozman's moog playing at 6:25, followed by Guthrie Govan's guitar magic at 8:54 is mind blowing with the NH's..
 

 
Yup, I never had a doubt that I would love these puppies!

 

[disastermouse]

I'm really curious to try these. The closest thing I have to a 'fun, colored' headphone is my girlfriend' X2. I have some Grado SR80s and the HD650, but one is engaging but bad (Grado) and the other is colored, but not engaging (HD650).

 

[SearchOfSub]

Ahh yes, it wasn't you, it was SearchOfSub that mentioned it numerous times. Sorry.

My mistake if that was the case, BUT I myself heard it from someone else on the Mojo thread when the thread was just getting started up. So you can't completely blame me - the only thing I directly heard from Rob Watts regarding the NH were, "The Nighthawks are lovely headphones". Everything else, I myself heard from someone else - just to clarify .

 

[SomeGuyDude]

  I'm really curious to try these. The closest thing I have to a 'fun, colored' headphone is my girlfriend' X2. I have some Grado SR80s and the HD650, but one is engaging but bad (Grado) and the other is colored, but not engaging (HD650).

 
The X2 is a decently close analogy actually, though the Nighthawk is orders of magnitude smoother thanks to the total lack of distortion. 

 

[disastermouse]

   
The X2 is a decently close analogy actually, though the Nighthawk is orders of magnitude smoother thanks to the total lack of distortion. 

Arg...that totally makes me want to try them. You ***hole!

 

[SomeGuyDude]

 
Arg...that totally makes me want to try them. You ***hole!

LMAO the Hawk actually completely changed how I approach headphones. I'd been on the slow march toward "neutral" for a while, with a slight warm bend. I was getting wrapped up in the idea of "clarity" and wanted to move away from boomy headphones. I got so amped up by the EL-8 (which I still adore BTW) because of what I interpreted as their incredibly uncolored and well extended sound.
 
The NH turned everything upside down. I saw some live music, listened to some full range speakers, and began to realize how most headphones, even if they do tout measurements of having boosted bass, give the experience of a much more treble-heavy sound. The NIghthawk suddenly had me listening to MUSIC again, not details. I wasn't sitting around marveling at tiny bits of clarity (or what I assumed to be clarity), I was just enjoying the hell out of my music.
 
Hell in one of the deals I did before I snagged a set of RE-400s that I was really liking.... until the Hawk had me totally re-examine the role of bass and how a musical headphone sounds. Now I listen to my Pistons and the RE's just sit on a table when I cant use the Hawk. If you're willing to take the leap on what Skylar says in terms of the philosophy behind the Nighthawk, I'm pretty close to declaring them a giant killer just because thus far I haven't found anything like them. If there is, I want to hear them, because I'll end up buying them.

 

[disastermouse]

  LMAO the Hawk actually completely changed how I approach headphones. I'd been on the slow march toward "neutral" for a while, with a slight warm bend. I was getting wrapped up in the idea of "clarity" and wanted to move away from boomy headphones. I got so amped up by the EL-8 (which I still adore BTW) because of what I interpreted as their incredibly uncolored and well extended sound.
 
The NH turned everything upside down. I saw some live music, listened to some full range speakers, and began to realize how most headphones, even if they do tout measurements of having boosted bass, give the experience of a much more treble-heavy sound. The NIghthawk suddenly had me listening to MUSIC again, not details. I wasn't sitting around marveling at tiny bits of clarity (or what I assumed to be clarity), I was just enjoying the hell out of my music.
 
Hell in one of the deals I did before I snagged a set of RE-400s that I was really liking.... until the Hawk had me totally re-examine the role of bass and how a musical headphone sounds. Now I listen to my Pistons and the RE's just sit on a table when I cant use the Hawk. If you're willing to take the leap on what Skylar says in terms of the philosophy behind the Nighthawk, I'm pretty close to declaring them a giant killer just because thus far I haven't found anything like them. If there is, I want to hear them, because I'll end up buying them.

Dude, you can't do this to me! In the last month or so I've purchased a Polaris Amp, a Bifrost Multibit DAC, and a set of Oppo PM-3. I. can't. spend. any. more. on. headphones. for. a. while!!!

 

[Krutsch]

 
I. can't. spend. any. more. on. headphones. for. a. while!!!

 
That sounds like your spouse talking ... if you really believed that, you wouldn't be cruising Head-Fi, looking for a fix. 

 

[inthere]

  Dude, you can't do this to me! In the last month or so I've purchased a Polaris Amp, a Bifrost Multibit DAC, and a set of Oppo PM-3. I. can't. spend. any. more. on. headphones. for. a. while!!!

 
 Easy solution, sell the PM-3, buy the Nighthawk, you're set.

 

[elnero]

  Ok, I like these things! Gorgeous looking, incredibly comfortable, and they sound amazing. Not too dark, not too bright.. just right! Soundstage, imaging and resolution is gorgeous as well.
 
I am listening to this Steven Wilson tune on them at the moment, and wow. The entire track is genius, but Adam Hozman's moog playing at 6:25, followed by Guthrie Govan's guitar magic at 8:54 is mind blowing with the NH's..
 
Yup, I never had a doubt that I would love these puppies!
 

 
I'm really glad to hear you're liking them. 

 
 
Quote:

 
The NH turned everything upside down. I saw some live music, listened to some full range speakers, and began to realize how most headphones, even if they do tout measurements of having boosted bass, give the experience of a much more treble-heavy sound. The NIghthawk suddenly had me listening to MUSIC again, not details. I wasn't sitting around marveling at tiny bits of clarity (or what I assumed to be clarity), I was just enjoying the hell out of my music.

 
For awhile now I've been feeling like measurements have been a big problem in the headphone industry. I don't think the compensation curves that have been typically been used are giving an accurate picture to what's going on. This is one of the things Skylar has tried to address when designing the NightHawk, I honestly don't know enough about the technical details involved to say whether he's completely hit the mark but the sound from the NightHawk tells me he's on the right track.
 

 
Dude, you can't do this to me! In the last month or so I've purchased a Polaris Amp, a Bifrost Multibit DAC, and a set of Oppo PM-3. I. can't. spend. any. more. on. headphones. for. a. while!!!

 
I used to have a Bifrost Multibit DAC and an Asgard 2 until I spent a week a Chord Mojo.
 
I've been on Head-Fi since 2002 and this setup of Chord Mojo --> Moon Audio Blue Dragon --> AudioQuest NightHawk has me enjoying music more than anything I've heard previously. IMO, the Mojo and the NightHawk are the two products of 2015 and they're working to set the headphone industry on its ear.

 

[inthere]

   the Mojo and the NightHawk are the two products of 2015 and they're working to set the headphone industry on its ear.

 
 I'd like that to happen but I think there's too much resistance to the Nighthawks sound sig because it's too different  but we'll see. The Mojo should have a lot more success.