[Billheiser]

Dang, that's a good price!

 

[phpp]

Yeah, I jumped on it. Curious to hear how different they are from the Nighthawks.
My (completely unfounded) guess is that AudioQuest is liquidating their stock since with Skylar out they probably won't continue their headphone line.

 

[PinkyPowers]

That is a crazy good price! Man I love these headphones.

 

[Shane D]

I just joined the club today. I got them for $349.00 (Canadian $'s) for a demo pair. They blew me away and rocked my world. Liked the Grado's, hated the NightHawks and fell in love with these phones. I threw a wide range of material at them and they were amazing with everything.
Too bad my long weekend is over. Next weekend will be dedicated to these phones.

Shane D

 

[waynes world]

I just joined the club today. I got them for $349.00 (Canadian $'s) for a demo pair. They blew me away and rocked my world. Liked the Grado's, hated the NightHawks and fell in love with these phones. I threw a wide range of material at them and they were amazing with everything.
Too bad my long weekend is over. Next weekend will be dedicated to these phones.

Shane D

What about the NightHawks did you hate? I'm just curious because I have the NightHawks and love them (after the prerequisite burn in), but I am interested in the Owls for more isolation (but I thought that they would essentially sound the same).

 

[mbwilson111]

What about the NightHawks did you hate? I'm just curious because I have the NightHawks and love them (after the prerequisite burn in), but I am interested in the Owls for more isolation (but I thought that they would essentially sound the same).

I too thought that they would be quite similar. Of course you and I both have the original wood but still....

I loved my NH right out of the box and then I did the 150 hour burn in... and still loved them. I will never know if they actually changed or not.

I like variety so I never considered getting the Night Owls because of already having the Nighthawk. I have other closed headphones. Probably too many.

 

[Shane D]

What about the NightHawks did you hate? I'm just curious because I have the NightHawks and love them (after the prerequisite burn in), but I am interested in the Owls for more isolation (but I thought that they would essentially sound the same).

The ones I tried must have needed a ton more burn-in or been defective. The sound was not clear. In a few instances, it was almost muffled. It was truly horrible.

I started with a Grado PS500e which I liked very much. Then I went to the NightHawk which went south badly. I then, reluctantly, tried out the NightOwl.

Wow! I threw everything at it and it played everything perfectly.

I had gone in to upgrade my Grado's (SR325e to PS500e) and ended up walking out with the NightOwls. Nice surprise.

Shane D

PS: both AQ 'phones were demos and the NightHawks had been around much longer, according to the sales guy.

 

[mbwilson111]

The ones I tried must have needed a ton more burn-in or been defective. The sound was not clear. In a few instances, it was almost muffled. It was truly horrible.

Maybe a customer ruined them by blasting something way too loud or something. I have not heard of burn in changing a headphone from horrible and muffled to magically wonderful. But this is a debate we should not get into or the thread will blow up

 

[waynes world]

The ones I tried must have needed a ton more burn-in or been defective. The sound was not clear. In a few instances, it was almost muffled. It was truly horrible.

I started with a Grado PS500e which I liked very much. Then I went to the NightHawk which went south badly. I then, reluctantly, tried out the NightOwl.

Wow! I threw everything at it and it played everything perfectly.

I had gone in to upgrade my Grado's (SR325e to PS500e) and ended up walking out with the NightOwls. Nice surprise.

Shane D

PS: both AQ 'phones were demos and the NightHawks had been around much longer, according to the sales guy.

Fair enough. Even though the NH's were around longer, based on your description of the sound, it seems to me that they either were defective, or that they simply were not burned in enough, because they truly do need at least 150 hours to become magical.

Either way, it's great that you love the Owls so much. I'd really want them... someday.

 

[Shane D]

The NightOwls really did blow me away.
I am selling my Oppo PM3's and my HD6XX's as both underwhelmed me in a large way all/most of the winter.

I can't wait to play these all weekend!

Shane D

 

[Natarian]

Maybe a customer ruined them by blasting something way too loud or something. I have not heard of burn in changing a headphone from horrible and muffled to magically wonderful. But this is a debate we should not get into or the thread will blow up

I've learned to take people's opinions here with a huge grain of salt. One person's "clear" is someone else's muffled mess. The nighthawks that I had (not nightowls mind you) were extremely muffled compared to my other cans.

 

[mbwilson111]

The NightOwls really did blow me away.
I am selling my Oppo PM3's and my HD6XX's as both underwhelmed me in a large way all/most of the winter.

I can't wait to play these all weekend!

Shane D

It sounds like you made a great choice. Enjoy!

I've learned to take people's opinions here with a huge grain of salt. One person's "clear" is someone else's muffled mess. The nighthawks that I had (not nightowls mind you) were extremely muffled compared to my other cans.

Maybe I should not have said anything. All along, especially in the Nighthawk thread, it has seemed to be a love it or hate it headphone. For me, after coming from years and years of mainly listening with a hifi speaker system, they just felt right. I was having a hard time adjusting to headphone listening. I was used to the "distance" of speakers. Now, because of headfi, I have fallen into the deep end and have collected too much. Now I find I enjoy all kinds of sound signatures as long as I can enjoy my music. It has always been about the music and my emotional response to it. I am now able to even appreciate iems and buds but I do still miss the system I left behind in Michigan. I couldn't really have brought it with me across the ocean.

Like I said, I did do the required 150 hour burn-in (using my desktop setup playing music continuously through foobar2000)...actually more like 200 hours. I did listen at the beginning and every time I was sitting at my PC during that week plus

 

[PinkyPowers]

It sounds like you made a great choice. Enjoy!



Maybe I should not have said anything. All along, especially in the Nighthawk thread, it has seemed to be a love it or hate it headphone. For me, after coming from years and years of mainly listening with a hifi speaker system, they just felt right. I was having a hard time adjusting to headphone listening. I was used to the "distance" of speakers. Now, because of headfi, I have fallen into the deep end and have collected too much. Now I find I enjoy all kinds of sound signatures as long as I can enjoy my music. It has always been about the music and my emotional response to it. I am now able to even appreciate iems and buds but I do still miss the system I left behind in Michigan. I couldn't really have brought it with me across the ocean.

Like I said, I did do the required 150 hour burn-in (using my desktop setup playing music continuously through foobar2000)...actually more like 200 hours. I did listen at the beginning and every time I was sitting at my PC during that week plus

The main problem you'll encounter on Head-Fi is people make snap judgements without giving themselves time to adjust to a new signature. When you are accustomed to one type of sound it can take a while before you can appreciate something different.

 

[Bern2]

Yeah, I jumped on it. Curious to hear how different they are from the Nighthawks.
My (completely unfounded) guess is that AudioQuest is liquidating their stock since with Skylar out they probably won't continue their headphone line.

Give us your thoughts after you've had a chance to give a good listen. I actually have 2 pair of Nighthawks.........and don't necessarily need closed, so I didn't pick up the Nightowl. At least not yet.

Bern

 

[Tsukuyomi]

I'm looking for an upgrade for my B&W P7s. Was thinking of getting the AudioQuest Nightowl Carbon.
Do you guys know if this would be a drastic change in sound signature, as last I listened in on the Nightowls in store, they seemed quite pushed back and bass was a big less punchy and more muddy. i was using a FiiO X5 Gen III as source.