[oghoter]

Here is Nighthawk, connected to Jade with the new cable, with Nightowl next in line.
The cable was only ca 45 USD (bought from Amazon/Sweden), is flexible and easy to use, and the sound is quite good - not clearly poorer than the sound from the Audioquest cables that came with the headphones. It was reterminated at the input end from a 4-pin xlr, to 2 large jacks, for the Jade output. BTW the speakers are Arche FR2, used with Jade as preamp when I don't listen to headphones.
The balanced operation gives the music a new dimension. I listen for longer periods. I get more involved and intrigued by the music.
And yes, maybe most effect in Nighthawk, although the effect is mainly similar.

 

[eykxas]

Hi everyone ! I’m looking to replace my headband which is currently broken. Do you have any idea ? Audioquest doesn’t have spare parts anymore.

Thx

 

[yrstruly]

These seem to have some sort of magical synergy with both the Cayin RU6 and RU7...it's quite an experience.

Have the Dekoni pads for the Nighthawk on the way currently and will share thoughts on how they sound on both the Owls and Hawk.

 

[MattTCG]

These seem to have some sort of magical synergy with both the Cayin RU6 and RU7...it's quite an experience.

Have the Dekoni pads for the Nighthawk on the way currently and will share thoughts on how they sound on both the Owls and Hawk.

Interested to get your take on the Dekoni pads.

 

[oghoter]

I have mainly been listening to speakers, some of them very sharp, but tested the new cable again, yesterday. My first thought was, this is very soft and subdued. where is the treble. This was the main impression both with the owl and the hawk. But with more listening, I got - sort of - used to it. I wondered, have these headphones been tuned to reduce digital (and other) distortion? They certainly make it less obvious than in my speakers. Like a cozy wardrobe. Very pleasant. And after awhile, I didnt think of it, and enjoyed the music instead. But I wondered if the new balanced cable made the sound even softer than with the best Audioquest short and thick version of single ended cable for the phones. So I tested it.

The answer was - no, the cables sound very similar. In fact the balanced cable seems a bit more immediate and direct sounding. Also, I wondered if the balanced cable benefit is slightly better with the hawks than the owls. It works well with both. And my impression may be due to the open construction of the hawk compared to the closed owl. It is not as "correct" but may be better for long time listening. I tested balanced vs single ended cable with both phones.

The main conclusion is that the balanced cable works very well, both phones benefit. They deserve an amp with balanced output.

 

[yrstruly]

I listened to the Owls over weekend - with the hybrid (OG nighthawk) pads they’re still one of the best sounding closed backs imo. Very 3D staging and beautiful mids.

 

[oghoter]

I agree.
I am listening to Yes - the Steven Wilson remixes download, that I bought from Qobuz. Good value, better than the ordinary streaming version.
Listening to the hawk with balanced cable from my Jade OTL preamp. Great sound. Nothing to complain about really.

 

[KaiFi]

I listened to the Owls over weekend - with the hybrid (OG nighthawk) pads they’re still one of the best sounding closed backs imo. Very 3D staging and beautiful mids.

They are. The headphone that forms the base sound on which I judge every other closed-back headphone I like. I'd kill for a reboot of the NightOwl...

 

[n05ey]

They are. The headphone that forms the base sound on which I judge every other closed-back headphone I like. I'd kill for a reboot of the NightOwl...

How do they compare to the bokeh? I'm looking at getting a pair to compliment my owls too

 

[alekc]

I really need to do a comparison between AQ cans and Focal Stellias and Meze Empys. Sounds like a great assignment for a next weekend Thank you guys for brining back this topic to life. Overall AQ NO's and NH's are wonderful headphones I wish somebody would restart their production. The very best in their price range.

 

[phthora]

They are. The headphone that forms the base sound on which I judge every other closed-back headphone I like. I'd kill for a reboot of the NightOwl...

The closest direct upgrade I've encountered is the JM Audio XTC^2.5. You can get it tuned to taste, within a range, but the general "warm, but detailed" tuning hits exactly the same itch as the NightOwls for me. Not in the same price range, sadly, but it's something.

 

[KaiFi]

To be honest, I do find the Bokeh similar. For me it is like a true successor, at least sonically. It's much heavier and not as comfortable as the NightOwl (few headphones approach the NightOwl's comfort), but "warm, but detailed" perfectly describes the Bokeh. The Bokeh's tuning can be customized a bit with the mesh and the pads. The way I have it, it is quite similar to the NightOwl, but with a bit more treble energy and more detail overall (as I would expect for a headphone of this price). I kept trying to find a successor the NightOwl in a closed-back, and I wasn't liking any of the options, but the Bokeh is the closest I've come to what feels like a true successor/upgrade.

 

[n05ey]

Great, thanks for your insight. Really appreciate it, sounds like I'm on the right path then

 

[oghoter]

yrstruly wrote "Very 3D staging and beautiful mids". Well said. The 3D staging is certainly enhanced with balanced cable. And the beautiful mids. Overall timbre and tonality improve. This goes for the Owls as much as the Hawks, although the Hawks get a little extra nod from me. Maybe my amp, Audiotailor Jade OTL, is not quite fully balanced, there has been some debate at that point, but the overall effect of using balanced cable is good. I would say, if you have an amp that supports it, try running Hawks/Owls balanced, before deciding on an eventual upgrade. Also, try top quality input (like DSD or highest rate PCM) and good recordings, before judging if the phones are 'dark' or not. Well yes they are dark! But do they hide anything? I find that, the better the input, the less I worry about that.

 

[PinkyPowers]

I'm glad the NightOwls are still getting talked about. I pulled mine out from the drawer recently, and enjoyed a session. I hadn't listened to them in years. They really are quite magical. In general I prefer my open backs or my ZMF Atticus for closed, but there's no denying the NightOwl is special and wonderful.