[adeeb]

I had asked this before a couple of months back but never received a response so thought I'd ask again.

Are any of you EQ'ing your NO? If so, I'd really appreciate it if you can share your settings and also indicate which pads you are using with those settings.

I've been trying to adjust settings myself, but I have not been able to get a result that I like. I attribute that to my process rather than to issues with the NO or even the potential merits of EQ'ing. I'm trying to apply parameter EQ via Roon while looping a sine sweep, but nailing down the frequencies where I hear irregularities has been elusive.

While there is a lot to like about the NO as it is, I think applying the right EQ could improve it further -- specifically to iron out the peaks and dips.

Thanks!

 

[daddyo1973]

Just curious what are you trying to fix and in what range...upper mids, treble or ruler flat response?

 

[Soundizer]

Thanks for the tip. It is actually getting better already after 40 hours. The mecanism was maybe just a little bit stiff out of the box.
I have another question though. How do you guys hold the Nightowl in your hands ? Is it safe to hold the headphone by the earcups ? I see that the earcups are attached to the headband with a clever rubber bands system, holding it to this (metallic?) external ring. Holding the headphone by the earcups puts some pressure and strain on the rubber bands, and I am wondering if those would not deteriorte after weeks or years of handling.
Do you have any thoughts on this ? Should I just relax and enjoy the music

I have had this same concern so i hold the headphones by the cups and avoid moving/handling the rubber.

 

[shamu144]

I also try to be careful when handling them by the earcups. I find those headphones gorgeous, and I really dig for their sound. It makes for such a relaxed listen. Instruments or voices are individually separated and placed with great ease and stability, and I find this true even from a portable set up (LG G3 and Audioquest Dragonfly Black). They really impress me. I have a hard time adjusting back to my Sony MDR7520 after listening to the NO.
I also find them incredibly transparent to the upstream components, however, I have yet to try them in a set up where they sound bad
Now summer is approaching, and I am curious to see if the heat inside the earpads is not too distracting. I am so far very happy with my purchase. Sincere congratulations to all Audioquest team for this fantastic product. You have restored my faith in expensive headphones.

 

[adeeb]

Just curious what are you trying to fix and in what range...upper mids, treble or ruler flat response?

Sorry for the late response. There are times and with certain songs that I love the balance of the NO, but I feel that certain songs and music sounds unnatural to me: probably elevated upper mids that result in a harsher, less balanced sound. Maybe because of this, I also sometimes feel that there is more ear cup resonance/coloration.

I am hoping that EQ'ing will help smooth out the peaks.

I am using the protein pads and driving the NO using a Mytek Brooklyn DAC in single ended mode -- I look forward to trying them with a balanced cable once I can get my hands on one. I have tried the US pads and while I initially preferred them, I later thought that they robbed the sound of too much detail and drive. The low end was not only significantly less impactful, but I felt that key parts of the musical foundation in the lower registers were barely audible. I admit that this might be a case of not giving them enough time for my ears/brain to adjust and that I might prefer them in the long run. I am curious how the original hybrid pads would sound to me on the NO.

 

[Soundizer]

To me the original Nighthawks pads vs New Boost have slightly less lower end Base, but seem to offer wider sound stage. However i emphasise slightly and I doubt i could tell the difference in blind listening tests.

 

[sov73811]

Well, I've had these bad boys for over a month now. I'm as conflicted as ever! On one hand everything sounds absolutely amazing being so open for a (mostly) closed back while having a good bass response. I really love the treble response too with a bit of sparkle that I miss from a lot of the other headphones I have (NAD HP50, Oppo PM-3, even the Meze 99C on occasion). On the other hand, was it worth $700? Haven't quite found the answer to that yet.

 

[fitzroy]

I have recently bought a Chord Mojo and I am having a had time deciding between a NightHawk, NightOwl or an HE560 to pair it with. Unfortunately, I have limited funds so I cannot buy more than one to compare.

I am more partial to open headphones, but it I have read in several forums (like Brent mentions above) that the NighOwl sound open so that's why it is on my short list. I would really appreciate feedback from people that have had the chance to compare them.

Thank you.

 

[Soundizer]

The he560 are very different Headphones to both Nighthawks/Nightowls.

I recommend taking the Mojo to a HiFi dealers and listening to as many headphones as you can close to your budget, which is whar i did before choosing Nighthawks.

Also he560 are power hungry and not easy to drive, may be even Mojo is too light. I think he400i are a better option in my opinion only.

Any way the Nightowls is what I recommend and hopefully a dealer will have them burned in. 150hours seems to be the recommendation.

 

[fitzroy]

Did you get a chance to compare Nighthawks & Nightowls? If you did, could you tell me what you liked more form the Nightowls please?

I don't have any dealers were I am located. I will need to order them from abroad.

 

[Soundizer]

I did not compare Nighthawks with Nightowls as It is before Nightowls were launched.

I own the Nighthawks and very happy with them. I do have the new earpads that come with the Nightowls and also the Nightowls cable.

 

[Hifisnubben]

New owner of the owls here. Got the Elear:s before that wich i did like but as a father of two noisemakers i could t "hide" often enough have proper enjoyment from a open headphone.

Like my owls alot. Yes i have heard better but i enjoy the comfort, sound and the isolation i get

No issues with the cable so far but the adaptor is a disaster for me and unusable.

Picked mine up for 460$ Used wich included a dragonfly red so im quite happy

Thinking of getting a cheap sol repuplic cable that might fit or one basic from venture electronics ( monk + makers ). Im told the hd700 should fit.

Regards

 

[sov73811]

New owner of the owls here. Got the Elear:s before that wich i did like but as a father of two noisemakers i could t "hide" often enough have proper enjoyment from a open headphone.

Like my owls alot. Yes i have heard better but i enjoy the comfort, sound and the isolation i get

No issues with the cable so far but the adaptor is a disaster for me and unusable.

Picked mine up for 460$ Used wich included a dragonfly red so im quite happy

Thinking of getting a cheap sol repuplic cable that might fit or one basic from venture electronics ( monk + makers ). Im told the hd700 should fit.

Regards

http://a.co/hIePXn5

Try this cable out. It doesn't affect the sound negatively (to my ears anyway), it's cheap, and I believe it's even "balanced". Been using this one and it's much easier to manage than the stock one.

 

[Hifisnubben]

http://a.co/hIePXn5

Try this cable out. It doesn't affect the sound negatively (to my ears anyway), it's cheap, and I believe it's even "balanced". Been using this one and it's much easier to manage than the stock one.

Ah yes, i got one of those but 2xmono 3.5mm version for my Elears ( different brand for europe but same generic cable ) when i had them. Not to shabby cable.

Thanks for the suggestion

 

[esm87]

Hey guys, picked up the bowers & wilkins P7W a month ago which I absolutely love.

Anybody here able to give me a comparison of the nightowl vs the P7W model?