[EdwardPL]

  To me the headphone with non fatigue treble is Hd 650. @EdwardPL Now my nighthawk similar level of treble smooth like hd 650.
To me nighthawk is tizzy.
 
The mod is reversible if you do not like it.
 
If you feel mid is less prominent then remove the black circular felt around the driver.
i feel there is too much midbass compared to subbass;so i removed the diffusing white paper.Now subbass has excellent punch.
Now my headphone back driver looks like fig-2.
Now the most important part ;paste surgical tape on the wooden cup;it is excellent for taming any treble issue and midbass bump reduction.
Earlier instrument slightly forward to me and now its more relaxed.
 
Thats all done. @EdwardPL i do not have measurement device;so i cannt do that.if you done a measurement after this mod;then will be great.so that we do not have to live with nighthawk unsatisfied.

Nice one! Mods seem simple enough. I'm going to give it a go soon. 

 

[EdwardPL]

  Not only do different people hear differently, but most hear what they want to hear. We can't help but interpret what our "sensors" are telling our brain. Everything we perceive is our interpretation of the input put through our physical and mental filters. It's very difficult for humans to be totally objective and the reason that freq response graphs don't always represent what we hear in a product. It's likely that many of us could choose a headphone that has promise, read a few glowing reviews, decide that we like it & live happily ever after with them. Would save a lot of money too. Not what the industry wants either. I've decided to like the NHs & hopefully they will sound better & better as I convince my brain that they are perfect. 
It's not easy living with my brain.
 
kev

FR graphs are extremely important to see what is going on inside a headphone. The NH treble issues were the first thing I picked up on and when I found some measurements which all showed what I heard I wasn't surprised. The NH is my go to headphone for musical enjoyment, I love biocellulose drivers and the sound they produce. Some things can#t be measured though like the timbre of a driver may not always show. 
 
If I looked at the FR graph of a NH before hearing it I could tell I'd enjoy it as it's the type of sound I like(Bass heavy, downward slope)

 

[Venture Guy]

@EdwardPL did you try the Ultrasuede pads? 

 

[Soundizer]

For me it is the entire audio system that matters and how each item synergises with other components:
Music tracks > Music Software > Cables > Dac/Amp > Headphones, etc.

As i use the ever popular Mojo, this review indicates the Nighthawks to be the best partner. Beating HD800 amongst others.

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2016/02/chord-electronics-mojo-lost-found

 

[Piperman]

Shallow fit are ok.  Not too bad if I can get the right tips.
 
I looked at the Meze 99, and liked what I saw, haven't heard them.
 
I was trying to not spend headphone money on earbuds, I still can't reconcile that amount. lol
 
 
Quote:

Even shallow-fit IEM?


Yup!


Nope

Wow, just wow...

 

[EdwardPL]

  @EdwardPL did you try the Ultrasuede pads? 

I've tried them on the NH, NH Carbon and Night Owl
 
 
 
NH- Better control of the leakage than the HM5 pads by a mile. The HM5 pads allowed the treble to spike bad and the bass just drops off to poo. The US pads give you more of the same effect as the boost pads except it flattens out the mid bass quite a bit more. Bass extension is still solid although it does drop off a bit before the Boost and stock pads. Treble roughness is more audible, timbre is similar to something like the D2000.
 
 
US pads have a similar effect on the other two but the bass roll off is more prominent on the Carbon. The Carbons to my ears have a inherently more treble air and forwardness although it is subtle compared to NH but I still hear it easily. I like the US pads a lot they are well built, high quality and tuned in well with the NH unlike the HM5 pads.

 

[Madmollusk]

All comments are welcome. It seems you are the negative one. I personally appreciate all comments and criticisms are always the best because it helps designers improve their products. The NH isn't perfect and I personally would love to see the NH return with a smoother treble and slightly less mid bass to show off that impressive speed for those who can't hear past the NH's mid bass.

I do think the NH Carbon fixed some issues. The Carbons do bring vocals a bit more forward and tame the bass slightly(Boost pads) but it also shows off the treble roughness a bit more. I'd characterise it has mostly a smooth listen as the treble isn't some dry peaky mess, more tizzy than harsh.


 

I agree, all posts are welcome, but if folks with strong opinions are going to post highly critical, negatively charged impressions, they should expect a little push back. And there is a difference between critical and negative feedback. For the record, my post was critical (I was expressing my disapproval), and Music Alchemist's post was laced with non-critical phrases like “It's beyond my comprehension” and “it's not even worth bothering with” and “I hope I never have to listen to it again” etc...
 
I also agree with you on this point: the Nighthawk is not perfect. I am looking forward to trying the boost pads whenever I acquire them. Question: do the boost pads make the Nighthawk more fatiguing?  I'm sensitive to treble peaks and the Nighthawk is the most non-fatiguing headphone I've ever tried. I really hope the boost pads don't change that.

 

[EdwardPL]

  I agree, all posts are welcome, but if folks with strong opinions are going to post highly critical, negatively charged impressions, they should expect a little push back. And there is a difference between critical and negative feedback. For the record, my post was critical (I was expressing my disapproval), and Music Alchemist's post was laced with non-critical phrases like “It's beyond my comprehension” and “it's not even worth bothering with” and “I hope I never have to listen to it again” etc...
 
I also agree with you on this point: the Nighthawk is not perfect. I am looking forward to trying the boost pads whenever I acquire them. Question: do the boost pads make the Nighthawk more fatiguing?  I'm sensitive to treble peaks and the Nighthawk is the most non-fatiguing headphone I've ever tried. I really hope the boost pads don't change that.

But then you could also the same about highly positive reviews. If someone really dislikes them why shouldn't they share? this is a forum for people to share experiences and he did exactly that. While I don't share his opinion on them I appreciate his comments and they are valuable to people looking at buying these.
 
 
If you are very sensitive to treble peaks stick with your old pads. The reason the NH doesn't fatigue people is because it's elevated bass will smooth over peaks. While I don't find the boost pads harsh, I can see very sensitive ears not liking them too much compared to your old pads. Play a 9K tone and see how your ears do with that as that is the main peak with these headphones. 

 

[Madmollusk]

  But then you could also the same about highly positive reviews. If someone really dislikes them why shouldn't they share? this is a forum for people to share experiences and he did exactly that. While I don't share his opinion on them I appreciate his comments and they are valuable to people looking at buying these.
 
 
If you are very sensitive to treble peaks stick with your old pads. The reason the NH doesn't fatigue people is because it's elevated bass will smooth over peaks. While I don't find the boost pads harsh, I can see very sensitive ears not liking them too much compared to your old pads. Play a 9K tone and see how your ears do with that as that is the main peak with these headphones. 

My sensitivity to treble is fickle. I don't hear any harshness with the Nighthawk at all, and I can say the same, believe it or not, about the HD800. But most Beyerdynamic headphones (and many others) cause me tinnitus and headaches, so I have to enjoy this hobby with caution, which means limiting my listening sessions to about an hour. Anyway, let's not go down the semantic rabbit hole regarding post etiquette.  Thanks for your input. I sincerely appreciate it.  

 

[kman1211]

 
To me the NH is basically the only headphone I tried so far, that does not fatigue me even after many hours of listening (4-5hrs+). I can't even imagine, how someone can call the NH harsh. Interesting.

I'm not the only person with fatigue issues on the Hawks, you will see some other people complaining about it, sometimes it's in other threads though. Some reason long-term listening causes me irritation on the Hawks, sometimes a mild ringing in my ears even at lower listening volumes than some other headphones. I can listen to my DT 1990 over 4-5 or more hours straight without fatigue or any issues, if I do that with the Hawks my ears feel fatigued and Hawks treble really irritating me as it starts coming off as sharp and a bit piercing. The Beyer DT 1990 may have more bite at first but I completely forget about it with long term listening. Not a comfort thing either as I have no issues with the Hawks comfort.

 

[nmatheis]

Piperman: A lot of IEM are shallow fit. Try looking into iBasso IT03, Oriveti Primacy V1, and TFZ Balance 2M. Our wait for Al's upcoming IEM...

 

[Soundizer]

 

 
To me the NH is basically the only headphone I tried so far, that does not fatigue me even after many hours of listening (4-5hrs+). I can't even imagine, how someone can call the NH harsh. Interesting.

I'm not the only person with fatigue issues on the Hawks, you will see some other people complaining about it, sometimes it's in other threads though. Some reason long-term listening causes me irritation on the Hawks, sometimes a mild ringing in my ears even at lower listening volumes than some other headphones. I can listen to my DT 1990 over 4-5 or more hours straight without fatigue or any issues, if I do that with the Hawks my ears feel fatigued and Hawks treble really irritating me as it starts coming off as sharp and a bit piercing. The Beyer DT 1990 may have more bite at first but I completely forget about it with long term listening. Not a comfort thing either as I have no issues with the Hawks comfort.

 
We all hear differently I guess, just like Sight and Taste varies. I did have the DT1770pro and loved them especially that Sub Base slam, but had to depart from them as High Treble sensitivity pain. Otherwise would have kept them.
No such pain from my Nighthawks or HD650 or Audeze EL8. 

 

[kman1211]

   
We all hear differently I guess, just like Sight and Taste varies. I did have the DT1770pro and loved them especially that Sub Base slam, but had to depart from them as High Treble sensitivity pain. Otherwise would have kept them.
No such pain from my Nighthawks or HD650 or Audeze EL8. 

It is interesting. Not sure why the headphones don't fatigue me one bit. Most Beyers fatigue me in the treble, but the DT 1770/1990 don't at all. They have treble energy but the energy doesn't fatigue me. A well amped HD 650 doesn't really bother my ears. Haven't heard the EL8 long enough to really tell if it would fatigue me or not.

 

[Piperman]

@Piperman: A lot of IEM are shallow fit. Try looking into iBasso IT03, Oriveti Primacy V1, and TFZ Balance 2M. Our wait for Al's upcoming IEM...

I'll look at those.  Who is AI?

 

[Venture Guy]

My theory is that Head-Fi has missed a distinction that is well understood in loudspeakers: nearfield vs. farfield. It seems to me that the norm in Head-Fi is to recreate the sound of nearfield monitors -- more or less flat at the ear. I think @SkylarGray wanted to create the experience of listening to speakers in a living room, which means there is a gentle negative slope in FR starting in the Mids. And, I think once you get your brain wrapped around that POV, everything makes sense. The trick is to set your volume level based on the bass amplitude, NOT the vocals or mids. Before I figured this out, I was setting the volume way to high and overdriving my eardrums. Comments?