[FastAndClean]

You are the first who says that the treble is rough, so yes, there are something with your ears, go to the doctor, or just get some overly congested and dark headphones

 

[SomeGuyDude]

If you think the NH treble is "rough" something is either ridiculously wrong with your Hawks or your ears. 

 

[ChookJones1987]

  You are the first who says that the treble is rough, so yes, there are something with your ears, go to the doctor, or just get some overly congested and dark headphones

If you ventured outside of headfi you'd find quite a lot of comments. My ears are actually fine, I can resolve difference in headphones FR. I think it's more your experience level with sound and hifi in general that is preventing you from seprating the differences.  
 
I'd struggle to find headphones as congested as the Nighthawk with the stock ear pads. 
 
I'll make this easier, I really can't be bothered to argue with people that don't have an understanding of headphones, no offence, honestly it's just tiresome. 
 
I'll let you guys get on with it, have a good one!

 

[inthere]

And here we go again, lol. Tried to explain to a TH900 owner that the Nighthawk didn't have weak recessed bass. Tried to explain to a HD650 owner that the Nighthawk didn't have overpowering bass. Tried to explain to a EL-8 owner that the Nighthawk didn't have recessed mids, and tried to explain to a H6 owner that the NH didn't have boosted mids. 
 
I love Audioquests philosophy of refusing to tune their headphone with boosted treble and rolled off bass when they could've doubled the price of their headphone if they did............Skylar has over 100 headphones and he knows like I know that the most expensive headphones ALL have intentionally boosted treble because "audiophiles" want to hear more detail. The thing is I hear detail just fine on Nighthawk and as the record was mixed. If you want to hear spittle between words go ahead, I prefer to listen to the song!

 

[DoctaCosmos]

I'll try to put it in order as to what caught my attention initially. It might better help explain
Comfortable
Non forcefull sound with boosted bass. Overall smallish sound
Very clean and non resonate but rich. Once again non resonate. I found that to be very important
Majorly recessed midrange but could still see into them just fine because of the lack of resonance
Highs that aren't peaky and pesky. What is this? These highs have got a beautiful sheen to them that is
Very very pleasing to my ears
Detail and overall resolution meh,.....probably a $200 headphone ability but because of what it does
Do it does nicely and the comfort I would buy at $400 and be in love with it. I will not buy if more than that though.

 

[Loquah]

I'll try to put it in order as to what caught my attention initially. It might better help explain
Comfortable
Non forcefull sound with boosted bass. Overall smallish sound
Very clean and non resonate but rich. Once again non resonate. I found that to be very important
Majorly recessed midrange but could still see into them just fine because of the lack of resonance
Highs that aren't peaky and pesky. What is this? These highs have got a beautiful sheen to them that is
Very very pleasing to my ears
Detail and overall resolution meh,.....probably a $200 headphone ability but because of what it does
Do it does nicely and the comfort I would buy at $400 and be in love with it. I will not buy if more than that though.

 
That sounds quite similar to my first impressions too, but they honestly changed with burn-in. I listened briefly and thought similar thoughts to yours then I left them playing overnight, came back in the morning and had a completely different experience. Mids had opened up, detail and sense of transparency was great.
 
If I switched directly between my HD800s and Nighthawks, the Hawks WOULD sound a bit lacking in the upper mids / lower treble (maybe 1000-3000Hz? I never tested to confirm exact location), but when I then went back to the HD800s, they would sound dull and lifeless in the bass and a bit fragile in the treble so which was 'correct' (if there is such a thing)?
 
So, I kept listening to each headphone for extended periods to prevent bias created by rapid switching and I quickly noticed my deciding factor. With the HD800s I just listened and sometimes marvelled at the recording quality. With the Nighthawks I consistently became engrossed in the music, bobbed my head or tapped my foot to the music, and still noticed details in the mids and could thoroughly appreciate great recordings, but it was all about the complete musical experience. That's why I decided that the Nighthawks are correct FOR ME.
 
They might not be right for everyone, but I would encourage everyone to give them a chance by suspending their expectations based on other headphones because it's easy to create unconscious prejudices based on what we're used to and think is good. Relax, listen to them for an extended period (a few hours or a few days) without trying other headphones or other signatures that you might be more familiar with and then decide. They still might not be your "cup of tea", but if they are you'll be in for a treat!

 

[e28m30a]

I will start with my standard disclaimer that, as I am an AudioQuest dealer, you may feel free to skip my post on the assumption that I am merely a shameless shill for the brand.  I also wrote the “After 40 years, I am listening to headphones again” review here about my early experiences with NightHawk.  As you may guess, if you haven’t read it, it ends up as a rave, but it doesn’t begin that way.  Subsequent to that, I posted the following on my web site which I think is germane to the discussion at this point.  (there was a photo of one of my cats investigating the two pairs of NightHawk accompanying this piece on my web site, hence the opening reference):
 
“That Old Devil Break-In
 
In the photo, Gloria is observing, "These two headphones appear to be identical, down to the aroma.  How can they sound SO different?"  I wondered the same thing until I remembered "break-in."
 
 
You may have read my long piece about my journey of discovery with AudioQuest NightHawk headphones.  In it, I wonder how much of my change of opinion (to the absurdly positive) was due to the headphones changing and how much to my own change, that being in my expectations of what a headphone is supposed to do, supposed to sound like.
 
This past Saturday, FedEx delivered my own pair, purchased via the AQ salesman accommodation program, to my house.  Finally, my opportunity to compare a brand new pair to a well-oiled pair.  Wow!  The new pair sounds like a strong reminder of why I, we, didn't initially like NightHawk.  The old pair is addictively difficult to remove from my head.
 
I know what's going on, but I tend to require reminders from time to time of just how significant it can be.  It's called either "break-in" or "burn-in," the latter more appropriate for devices with no moving parts save electrons.
 
Everything in audio, and even video, needs time-in-use to come around to its true state of glory.  Since Saturday, I have been playing my new 'phones continuously.  This morning, 60 hours later, I again compared my new pair to the well-used one on Ken Peplowski's gorgeous "Memories Of You" CD ripped to my NAS and played via modified Sonos Connect and AQ cables into the wonderful new Questyle CMA 800i DAC/Headphone Amp.  The salient feature of the 800i here is two 1/4" headphone jacks so I can have both NightHawks plugged in simultaneously and simply move one off and the other on.
 
Two things I notice.  One, my new ones are a good deal improved by their 60 hour bath.  But, two, Ken's beautiful reed intonation and touch on the keys are way more real sounding and present on the old pair.  And the rest of the quartet on this recording of very trad jazz is bigger, more 3D and more properly liquid, in both tonality and interplay.  Quite a bit, actually.
 
So the lesson, once again, is don't judge a book by the first chapter.  In fact, to bust the analogy, here you have the ability to skip the first few chapters.  If you are weak of character and resolve, try to let new gear break, or burn, in without engaging with it too much.  NightHawk now comes with a card saying to allow 150 hours.  I'll wager I was at least there a few months ago on the pair I finally fell in love with.  And it needn't be spent with them on your head making you wonder if you erred.
 
Also, remember this applies to everything from cables to televisions.  Audio Research recommends, in writing, 600 hours on everything they make.  The Moon gear is acknowledged to take hundreds.  (section removed not germane to this thread.)”
 
I will add to this that I now take a pair of NightHawks home and run them for one week, sign and date the card, and put them in inventory to sell to my customers who would prefer not to learn the lesson the more painful way.  Every time I sell a pair of those, I take another home for the process. My view is, if you haven't got at least 150 hours on your NightHawks, either because you haven't done it yet or because you don't believe it will make a difference, you have not heard them.

 

[waynes world]

 
With the Nighthawks I consistently became engrossed in the music, bobbed my head or tapped my foot to the music, and still noticed details in the mids and could thoroughly appreciate great recordings, but it was all about the complete musical experience. That's why I decided that the Nighthawks are correct FOR ME.

 
Well said! That was exactly my experience last night on my way to bed with the NH's on my head listening to PT's In Abstenia... I stopped mid-step and got completely engrossed with the music (head bobbing away, drumming and throwing down air-guitar licks like I was a rock star lol). I almost listened to the entire album standing there. So yeah, something tells me that the NH's are right for me as well!

 

 

[FastAndClean]

NH are interesting, people really like them (like me) or don't like them at all, there is nothing in the middle, is plus or minus for them

 

[Loquah]

  NH are interesting, people really like them (like me) or don't like them at all, there is nothing in the middle, is plus or minus for them

 
Resistance to / fear of change perhaps? I don't know, but you're right and it's an interesting phenomenon. It's like only one can be right when actually there are lots of different headphones with great characteristics - just depends what you like and what you're looking for.

 

[YtseJamer]

   
I listen to a lot of rock (not metal though) and love the Hawks for rock (and everything else), but that's a hard question to really answer because what is forward to you might not be forward to someone else (or vice versa)

 
Thanks for your feedback 

 
I'm a little bit nervous about the mids but I will try to find a store where I could audition them before I make my purchase.

 

[inthere]

  Resistance to / fear of change perhaps? I don't know, but you're right and it's an interesting phenomenon. It's like only one can be right when actually there are lots of different headphones with great characteristics - just depends what you like and what you're looking for.

 
 I think everyone just has their own preferences for sound...........when you get used to one sound signature that you love, it's natural to compare it with something that sounds different, for better or worse.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

  If you ventured outside of headfi you'd find quite a lot of comments. My ears are actually fine, I can resolve difference in headphones FR. I think it's more your experience level with sound and hifi in general that is preventing you from seprating the differences.  
 
I'd struggle to find headphones as congested as the Nighthawk with the stock ear pads. 
 
I'll make this easier, I really can't be bothered to argue with people that don't have an understanding of headphones, no offence, honestly it's just tiresome. 
 
I'll let you guys get on with it, have a good one!

 
no one will miss you. Goodbye.

 

[disastermouse]

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

No way, man - best and most comfortable portable I've ever owned!

 

[FastAndClean]

 I really can't be bothered to argue with people that don't have an understanding of headphones, no offence, honestly it's just tiresome.   
 

wow, are you a headphone god or something, are you the only one here that understands headphones?