[inthere]

The EL-8 gets better with burn in, great headphone different tuning and good compliment to the Nighthawk

 

[TJ Browning]

  or this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KFWIMXO/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=299W7RZLUB50Q&coliid=I3OLIN6TIQQ4CD

Regarding replacement NH cables, I have a question... I received the Nighthawk as a Christmas gift this year, and I've been looking online for an upgrade cable... Hopefully this hasn't been addressed already, but I'm seeing sites selling cables for the Nighthawk being listed as compatible/interchangeable with the Senn HD700, Oppo PM1/PM2, Hifiman HE-1000, etc. Some of these cables have 2.5mm pins with 1 band, others have 2.5mm pins with 2 bands, some are balanced, others not, etc. Obviously the pins on the stock NH cables have 1 mono band each, but my
question is- are aftermarket cables with 2 bands on the pin compatible with the NH, and/or are the Senn HD700/Oppo PM1/PM2/HE-1000 cables really completely compatible with the NH? Can anyone who owns both the NH and one of these other cans confirm this?
 

Nighthawk

HE-1000

 

[Piperman]

The EL-8 gets better with burn in, great headphone different tuning and good compliment to the Nighthawk

Ok, good, that's very good to know. I like them but could be better, so knowing that burn in helps is good.

 

[frogmeat69]

 
Regarding replacement NH cables, I have a question... I received the Nighthawk as a Christmas gift this year, and I've been looking online for an upgrade cable... Hopefully this hasn't been addressed already, but I'm seeing sites selling cables for the Nighthawk being listed as compatible/interchangeable with the Senn HD700, Oppo PM1/PM2, Hifiman HE-1000, etc. Some of these cables have 2.5mm pins with 1 band, others have 2.5mm pins with 2 bands, some are balanced, others not, etc. Obviously the pins on the stock NH cables have 1 mono band each, but my
question is- are aftermarket cables with 2 bands on the pin compatible with the NH, and/or are the Senn HD700/Oppo PM1/PM2/HE-1000 cables really completely compatible with the NH? Can anyone who owns both the NH and one of these other cans confirm this?
 

Nighthawk

HE-1000

I have a balanced Oppo cable that I use on my PM-1, NH and HE400i, works great with all 3. But the Hawks sound fantastic with the original cable, so that's what I use most times.

 

[Badas]

 
Regarding replacement NH cables, I have a question... I received the Nighthawk as a Christmas gift this year, and I've been looking online for an upgrade cable... Hopefully this hasn't been addressed already, but I'm seeing sites selling cables for the Nighthawk being listed as compatible/interchangeable with the Senn HD700, Oppo PM1/PM2, Hifiman HE-1000, etc. Some of these cables have 2.5mm pins with 1 band, others have 2.5mm pins with 2 bands, some are balanced, others not, etc. Obviously the pins on the stock NH cables have 1 mono band each, but my
question is- are aftermarket cables with 2 bands on the pin compatible with the NH, and/or are the Senn HD700/Oppo PM1/PM2/HE-1000 cables really completely compatible with the NH? Can anyone who owns both the NH and one of these other cans confirm this?
 

Nighthawk

HE-1000

I use a balanced HD700 cable with mine. Works fine.

 

[1974]

Even the dual 2.5mm to 1/4" oxygen free copper cables on eBay from China sound good and are nice quality. Couldn't tell the difference between it and the big name brands. People put way too much faith in cables, in my opinion.

 

[apaar123]

Has anyone compared all the three?

 

[Madmollusk]

I'm excited. It looks like Audioquest finally processed my order for the boost and Ultra Suede pads! (Thank you, Alex!) I'm looking forward to evaluating how these pads alter the Nighthawk's stock sound signature, which is just a tad too bassy for my preferences. Subtract a little mid-bass and add a little extra upper midrange (especially in the presence region), and I think the Nighthawk may hit a very elusive target, one that could possibly satisfy both audiophiles and casual hobbyists alike. I'll know soon. Fingers crossed. 

 

[nwavesailor]

Very cool!
 
We'll be looking forward to your impressions of both versions Madmollusk!!!

 

[YtseJamer]

  In recent years I've bought and returned or quickly sold a Meier Concerto, Denon D5000, LCD-2, Beyerdynamic T1 gen 2, LCD-XC, SE535, Westone W50, Westone W60 and more, not necessarily because they were bad, simply because they were not best suited to me. The Z1R's are actually the first headphones in a long while that have completely satisfied me, enough to actually make me keep them without any intention of selling or returning. Evidently "new toy syndrome" escaped me the last several purchases up until the Z1R.
 
Not suggesting they'll be for everyone mind. Headphones are a very subjective thing.

 
Lots of good points here.  And I agree with you that headphones are subjective and personal.
 
I bought and returned many expensive headphones like the LCD-2/LCD-3/LCD-X/HE-560/HD800/etc and to my ears none of them are better than the NightHawk.
 
For the Z1R, I'm sure that they are great but I made a promise to myself that I will never ever spend more than $1000 for a pair of headphones.

 

[betula]

I really like the effortless presentation of the Nighthawk. Everything is just simply there, like it was the most natural thing to have all the details, bass authority when the track calls for it, voices come alive if that is what the music is focusing on, and the most lifelike treble I heard on headphones so far. (Using Mojo, bitperfect and Flac.)
I am very happy with the stock pads, but will try the new AQ pads, when they will be available in UK online stores. (I am a patient person.)
And the musicality and engagement factor these cans offer is just simply superb. (Can't be emphasized enough.) I have been in this hobby for a long time, although always on relatively tight budget. First time ever I do not feel the urge to upgrade or change anything. I am just content with what I have. Quite surreal.


 

 

[Rchandra]

To me the z1r is not worth the $2300 it costs I prefer the elear $1000 over them. The sonys use neodynium drivers (very cheap) combined with the "illusion" of great sound with its large 70 drivers. To me I would wait for the price to drop to around $1500 on the sonys to buy I will say that it does sound very lush but if you own a nighthawk I wouldn't be able to see why you would spend that much on the sonys. I own a elear and utopia and in all honesty if I could do it again I would wait for the eutopia to cost around $2800 - $3000 before I make the purchase. To each there own.

 

[YtseJamer]

  I really like the effortless presentation of the Nighthawk. Everything is just simply there, like it was the most natural thing to have all the details, bass authority when the track calls for it, voices come alive if that is what the music is focusing on, and the most lifelike treble I heard on headphones so far. And the musicality and engagement factor these cans offer is just simply superb. (Can't be emphasized enough.) I have been in this hobby for a long time, although always on relatively tight budget. First time ever I do not feel the urge to upgrade or change anything. I am just content with what I have. Quite surreal.

 
+1, I couldn't have said it better

 

[Badas]

  I really like the effortless presentation of the Nighthawk. Everything is just simply there, like it was the most natural thing to have all the details, bass authority when the track calls for it, voices come alive if that is what the music is focusing on, and the most lifelike treble I heard on headphones so far. (Using Mojo, bitperfect and Flac.)
I am very happy with the stock pads, but will try the new AQ pads, when they will be available in UK online stores. (I am a patient person.)
And the musicality and engagement factor these cans offer is just simply superb. (Can't be emphasized enough.) I have been in this hobby for a long time, although always on relatively tight budget. First time ever I do not feel the urge to upgrade or change anything. I am just content with what I have. Quite surreal.


 

Damn. I haven't listened to my Hawks for a long while. You just made me want to put them on tonight.

 

[kman1211]

To me the z1r is not worth the $2300 it costs I prefer the elear $1000 over them. The sonys use neodynium drivers (very cheap) combined with the "illusion" of great sound with its large 70 drivers. To me I would wait for the price to drop to around $1500 on the sonys to buy I will say that it does sound very lush but if you own a nighthawk I wouldn't be able to see why you would spend that much on the sonys. I own a elear and utopia and in all honesty if I could do it again I would wait for the eutopia to cost around $2800 - $3000 before I make the purchase. To each there own.

That's magnets. The Utopia uses neodymium magnets as well. In fact most dynamic headphones use neodymium magnets. I believe I read somewhere the Elear uses less powerful Ferrite magnets. The Z1R has a magnesium dome and an aluminum-plated LCP surround for it's driver. The drivers in the Z1R are not cheap or easy to make. Nor are the Focal drivers, especially the Beryllium Utopia driver.