[oatler69]

Thank you for the warm welcome, Did you notice a huge drop in sound quality moving from Hugo TT to iPad?

 

[oatler69]

Thank you for your reply, RME DAC is a bit hard to get in my country but I will try to find it.

 

[alekc]

Could you guys recommend desktop amp for Nightowls? Now I am using them with Chord Mojo and Dragonfly Red. I like the sound but I want to set up desktop gears now. Which amp sound best?

Hi,
Depends on what you like and what is your budget. Moving from Mojo I wouldn't go with Chord Hugo/Qutest since I did not like its sound signature, for me the best step up from Mojo has been TT2 instead but this is also completely different price range than Mojo and Hugo. TT2 will be both dac and amp.

Mytek DAC+/Bridge sounds fine and again this will be single box solution. You will not even need balanced connector (Mytek uses own solution based on 2 jacks) .

Another single box solution I would recommend is McIntosh MHA150.

As for amp only I have a good experience with ifi Pro iCan but if you could getaway with volume inbalance at low volume there is a cheaper option in form of ifi micro iCan SE and if you would like to add a bit of tube sound you may add iTube 2 to the chain (together it will be less that 3/4 of Pro iCan). All 3 modes of Pro iCan sounds great but with other cans it may be lacking comparing to similarly priced or more expensive amps.

 

[THGM]

Thank you for the warm welcome, Did you notice a huge drop in sound quality moving from Hugo TT to iPad?

Yes, there is a loss of detail, presence and refinement. I also noticed a remarkable increase in sound quality when changing from using the TT's Bluetooth connection with the iPad to using the TT's USB input with my MacBook. The difference isn't minimal. The Mojo is an excellent DAC/Amp, especially for its price but I noticed a difference when comparing it to the original Hugo and then again when comparing the Hugo to the TT. If you can find a pristine used TT as I did, the bang per buck is exceptional! That said, the other suggestions on this forum are well worth investigating, either if you are constrained by budget or are looking to invest in more expensive headphones later on.

 

[MellowGold]

Could you guys recommend desktop amp for Nightowls? Now I am using them with Chord Mojo and Dragonfly Red. I like the sound but I want to set up desktop gears now. Which amp sound best?

I own a Nighthawk and it sounds best to me on my AUNE X7s with a balanced cable (this amp has high output impedance but still plays well with the NH). A good but affordable desktop combo, IMO, would be the AUNE X8 Magic DAC plus the AUNE X7s Amp. I own the upgraded XP3 power supply for X7s as well.

 

[frogmeat69]

If anyone is interested, Audio Advisor still carries the ultra suede pads for the Nightowl and Nighthawk, HERE

 

[oatler69]

Only 10 days after I bought an old clearance stock of Night Owl Carbon, the headband leather started peeling off like crazy. I think its from the old stock back in 2017. So sad.

 

[n05ey]

I just received a pair of owls and I have to say they are everything and more of what I hoped they would be.

They have a smooth clear sound with plenty of detail. The treble does take a bit of a back seat but it isn't muffled or muted, the detail is there, just not at the front of the mix.

I am looking forward to spending plenty of time with these as a lovely contrast to my t90's and hd250 linear ii.

Thanks to all on this thread for an enjoyable read in the lead up to the purchase.

 

[CaptainFantastic]

I just received a pair of owls and I have to say they are everything and more of what I hoped they would be.

They have a smooth clear sound with plenty of detail. The treble does take a bit of a back seat but it isn't muffled or muted, the detail is there, just not at the front of the mix.

I am looking forward to spending plenty of time with these as a lovely contrast to my t90's and hd250 linear ii.

Thanks to all on this thread for an enjoyable read in the lead up to the purchase.

Did you find them new somewhere, still in stock? I am trying to source a backup pair.

 

[n05ey]

I picked them up with under 50hrs secondhand in Australia. Addicted to Audio has them here but they are going for the full $980aud which doesn't seem quite right...

I switched to the suede pads which are beautiful but they don't seem to seal on my head properly which means that unless I position them perfectly I lose a fair bit of bass. Do they get softer with longer use?

 

[CaptainFantastic]

They do get softer. I prefer the suede pads on mine and they do seal perfectly.

I hear you about the price, but those might be the last new Nightowls in existence. They are out everywhere else, just Hawks left. And at $980 AUD it's still below the original sale price given exchange rate / customs.

 

[Jammin72]

Dudes I haz Nighthawk. They're 32 ohms.... Just get an amp with an output imedance of 4 ohms or less and you'll be good. The rest is flavor. Love them, they're DryAF and super detailed. Don't overthink it.

 

[CaptainFantastic]

Dudes I haz Nighthawk. They're 32 ohms.... Just get an amp with an output imedance of 4 ohms or less and you'll be good. The rest is flavor. Love them, they're DryAF and super detailed. Don't overthink it.

I know. I haz 3. 1 original, 1 carbon, 1 carbon new in box - selling now.

 

[Jammin72]

I know. I haz 3.

Good work man. I'm going to be so upset when mine work no longer.

 

[n05ey]

They are a special sound. Still a new toy but they are fitting the bill well.

I didn't realise quite how beautiful and huge the case is!