[orudne]

OK. I see what you mean I think. The tonal balance of NH is less tilted toward upper mids and treble as compared to the "traditional" hi-end headphone signature. This gives the impression of a warmer sound when compared against a bright headphone. I tuned NH to a signature that I think is more natural and musical than most hi-end stuff out there. I would not call it a warmth boost, personally, but that's just me. Everyone has slightly different terminology when describing sound.

Thank you so much for this wonderful headphone!
It has the tonal balance i was searching for, even i didn't knew what i was searching for!


I was somehow trapped in an "audiophile trap", trusting measurements and graphs more than my ears.
Taking the "traditional" hi-end sound philosophy as a rule.

With the NH i can listen to the music for hours and hours without pain from the highs.
Now i enjoy my music completeley new!

 

[FelixSG]

I believe some of you own the Nighthawk and the HD800/HD800S , how would you compare or describe the 2 ? To be honest I felt that the HD800S has a better soundstage, it is also more open, detailed, better separation and imaging. Overall , it just sounds "bigger" , like listening to small speakers vs big speakers.
However, bass impact felt better on the Nighthawks. Both equally musical.
Can I say that since the price differs greatly between the 2 , it is expected that the HD800S to be superior ?

 

[Bern2]

I believe some of you own the Nighthawk and the HD800/HD800S , how would you compare or describe the 2 ? To be honest I felt that the HD800S has a better soundstage, it is also more open, detailed, better separation and imaging. Overall , it just sounds "bigger" , like listening to small speakers vs big speakers.
However, bass impact felt better on the Nighthawks. Both equally musical.
Can I say that since the price differs greatly between the 2 , it is expected that the HD800S to be superior ?

Heading out to church..so will give my 2 cents quickly.
Have both the 800 and the NH.  (Along with others I need to weed out).  I use Sonarworks with the 800's.  It was the only thing that could save them for me.  The NH's I EQ the lower mids down a few db.  Will agree with your assessment of soundstage..but not imaging.  NH's at time have the ability to surprise me in that category.
 
I like the NH's so much...bought a second pair on sale to use from the Sony A-17.  Home amp is a Teac HA-501.  
 
Bern

 

[Airlight]

 
Nighthawks in a nocturnal setting.

(Full: http://i.imgur.com/QdCYEfi.jpg)

 

[eeagle]

I believe some of you own the Nighthawk and the HD800/HD800S , how would you compare or describe the 2 ? To be honest I felt that the HD800S has a better soundstage, it is also more open, detailed, better separation and imaging. Overall , it just sounds "bigger" , like listening to small speakers vs big speakers.
However, bass impact felt better on the Nighthawks. Both equally musical.
Can I say that since the price differs greatly between the 2 , it is expected that the HD800S to be superior ?

I fully agree with your assessment.  I have both, and the HD800 is just amazing; there is a reason most compare its sound to other headphones.
 
That said, my reason for reaching for the Nighthawk is usually comfort;   the ear pads and headband design is outstanding.  The low impedance makes them easy to drive with a portable device, and the sound is like entering my own intimate small jazz club.....a nice pleasant calming experience for me.
 
Now if I put on the HD800 or even my TH-X00 after listening to the NH it is like stepping out into the big arena or musical stage, get ready for the symphony sound.
 
Guess that is why we get hooked on so many HPs

 

[EdwardPL]

I always reach for the NH over my HD800 for music. The HD800's sound too disconnected which I think is the result of the upper mid dip and 6K peak causing weirdness.

The NH are very narrow and cramped sounding so switching to open phones can be a bit of a shock. I need a few mins to adjust.

 

[ninetylol]

Any advide for DAC/AMP combo with the Nighthawks? I was leaning towards the Dragonfly Red, but since i only use them at my desktop PC i dont really want a device which has its focus on portable use . 

 

[bugeyed]

Any advide for DAC/AMP combo with the Nighthawks? I was leaning towards the Dragonfly Red, but since i only use them at my desktop PC i dont really want a device which has its focus on portable use . 

 

Save some money & get the DF Black. You don't need the Red's low power requirement.

kev

 

[eeagle]

  Any advide for DAC/AMP combo with the Nighthawks? I was leaning towards the Dragonfly Red, but since i only use them at my desktop PC i dont really want a device which has its focus on portable use . 

I like the SMSL M6 DAC/Amp which happens to be on MD right now.
 
or the Grace Design m9XX DAC/Amp if you want one of the best IMO desktop rigs.

 

[inthere]

  Any advide for DAC/AMP combo with the Nighthawks? I was leaning towards the Dragonfly Red, but since i only use them at my desktop PC i dont really want a device which has its focus on portable use . 

in the Dragonfly Red's price range Schiit Fulla is great for $99.
 
For about $399 the Chord Mojo is sensational even though it was designed with portability in mind. 
 
For about over $500 the Schiit Jotunheim is excellent and tough to beat at any price however.......
 
As previously mentioned, the Grace Design m9xx is awesome and basically a stripped-down version of the m920. which is $1800. The m9xx price is under $1000, but I don't know how much under $1000.
 
A sleeper I found is the $899 Dangerous Music Source, which has the same DA quality as their $2999 2 Bus plus. If you decide to pick up an amp later, this is sensational. 
 
Both Grace Designs and Dangerous Music stuff is used a lot by professionals for recording, mixing, and mastering.

 

[orudne]

Any advide for DAC/AMP combo with the Nighthawks? I was leaning towards the Dragonfly Red, but since i only use them at my desktop PC i dont really want a device which has its focus on portable use . 

I run my NH with a ifi iDSD nano, and i like it very much. (source: Notebook or iPhone)
iDSD micro matches great too, sounds better than the nano but about 3x the price.

Depends on what you want to spend.
(But, more expensive doesn't need to be better)

 

[ninetylol]

I run my NH with a ifi iDSD nano, and i like it very much. (source: Notebook or iPhone)
iDSD micro matches great too, sounds better than the nano but about 3x the price.

Depends on what you want to spend.
(But, more expensive doesn't need to be better)

Yeh i had a look on the micro/nano, theres a LE Edition of the nano too, which misses SPDIF out and digital filter selection... dont really know i need those filters 

 
 
Thanks for the input so far!

 

[Kazekeil]

Hey. I love my Nighthawk with HM5 Hybrids out of my Creative X7 Limited desktop dac/amp. It's a very neutral, if not bright, amp that really works well with the HM5 pads to turn the nighthawk into a very airy beast of imaging with great bass control and texture. The X7 also has a nice (optional) dsp that mixes 5.1 channel signals into binaural audio to give a virtual surround effect for video games which is also awesome with the nighthawk.
 
If you search Head-fi there's a very thorough review that compares the X7 with the micro idsd and micro ican

 

[suziegon]

Thank you so much for this wonderful headphone!
It has the tonal balance i was searching for, even i didn't knew what i was searching for!


I was somehow trapped in an "audiophile trap", trusting measurements and graphs more than my ears.
Taking the "traditional" hi-end sound philosophy as a rule.

With the NH i can listen to the music for hours and hours without pain from the highs.
Now i enjoy my music completeley new!

​Agreed! When I have days off, I'm usually wearing headphones for most of the day and into the night. The NightHawk is so easy​ to listen to and so comfortable, it's my go-to for long sessions. It doesn't demand my attention the way some headphones do, so I can tune it out a little if I want music playing in the background while I do other things. At the same time, it's fun and satisfying enough to enjoy when I am​ paying attention to what I'm listening to.
 
My only complaint - and it's a minor one - is that the headband could be a bit wider to even out the weight more. I start to notice it after a few hours and move it around to adjust where it's pressing on my head. It's not a big issue at all though, especially compared to other headphones, because of its light weight and those ear-shaped earpads.

 

[13DoW]

  Yeh i had a look on the micro/nano, theres a LE Edition of the nano too, which misses SPDIF out and digital filter selection... dont really know i need those filters 

 
 
Thanks for the input so far!

I second the iDSD, though I have nothing to directly compare it too. The LE version will certainly be a steal (I have not found a difference between the filter settings and, I'm sure, iFi fixed the LE in what they think is the best sounding setting).
By day the iDSD lives in my office system and by night I take it home to listen via the Nighthawks. There is something magical about the NH's with chamber and baroque music though I mused that, maybe, they could do with a tad more treble energy for rock. So, I bought the boost pads thinking they might make a 'tad' of difference, well they make more than a 'tad'. With the boost pads the NHs they sound much more open but, I think, some of that magic is gone. With the boost pads I listen more with my head, with the hybrid pads I listen more with my heart (which is what attracted me to them - less fussing about sound quality and more enjoying tunes). Still, nice to have the tuning option.