[catom]

Just buy a DENON AH-D1100
Or go for the HPs mentioned above Beyerdynamic T1 or T5(current revisions)

Focal Headphones are not known for their bass, their known for the $$$$

Remember "audiophiles" like "audiophile bass" not probably the bass you are seeking for...

Woah there, buddy! Don't lump us all in to the "if bass just sort of exists but the treble extends to the moon then headphone is win" category. There are those of us out here hold (almost) the opposing opinion, with an "if there's no bass then it's no good" attitude. A meaty bottom end is the first item on my selection criteria - and the same for my headphones

Did you follow up on those used NightOwls, @catom? If they're in good condition then the gamble is almost certainly worth it. Even if they end up not being quite what you're looking for its unlikely you'll be out of pocket if you decide to move them on.

No, but I might. I'm still stuck between options. I'm also considering the Focal Celestee. I know not particularly in that bass head category, but I also wouldn't mind a high end all arounder so to speak.

I keep feeling like I'm side grading and want to hear a huge improvement by leaps and bounds. If the Celestee has maybe a little more bass and rumble than the Meze 99 Classics then that's probably enough for me.

Again I just kinda want to marry the HE-400i and the Meze 99 Classics and add a tiny bump on bass rumble. Thickness? Quantity? Would you call it? But kinda that. And now I don't know if I'm overcompensating for lack of bass either. Dang wish I could test in person.

 

[waveSounds]

You might find this review helpful. It contains a fairly detailed comparison between the NightOwl and the 99 Classics.

Edit: And some excerpts in case you're in a TL;DR mood.

I cannot but begin with the bass, as these headphones are all about that low-end. Not in the sense it is dominant or overpowering. It is not. Yet at the same time, the bass will wow you. It reaches well into sub-bass territory. There is such an absence of grain or distortion… liquid is the best classification, flowing into a million shapes and tones with an effortless skill. NO’s bass can pound, like the sea against the hall of a ship, or wash over you like a gentle tide. Yet it is always rich, and of the highest purity.

That low-end on the 99 Classics was one of the major selling points for me. I love it! NightOwl is better. The 99C is loose and woolly in comparison. NO has greater depth, more control, cleaner production, higher resolution and detail. There is simply no competition. They both exaggerate the bass beyond neutral, with NO going slightly further, but there’s no doubt who wears the crown in technical capability. Not to mention pure, musical opulence.

Once again, NightOwl champions the bass like no other dynamic driver I’ve heard. It does everything the HD6XX does, while delving lower, creating true sub-bass rumble, and a flowing, unblemished naturalness Sennheiser cannot match. The HD6XX’s lows are great. NO’s are ethereal.

 

[catom]

Ok some of you do a good sales job and Audioquest should hire you haha. But seriously, thank you.

I've gone with the Nightowls for now. It seems to be a bit different than many things and saves my wallet for the time being. The other headphones I was looking at are still in production so I can always revisit those later (or watch for a clearance sale).

Thanks everyone!

 

[waveSounds]

Haha good decision! I do think you wouldn't be able to find another can that can give you the same bass that you get from the Owls for the price. And as you say, the others will still be available if you want to go for one at a later date.

Keep us updated with how you get on with them!

 

[catom]

If it has a low shelf EQ and Q factor control, set the Q factor to 1.0, low shelf, then "center" freq at 120hz. Gain at +3dB. That's going to put a +3dB to everything below 120hz, then progressively lower gain above 120hz until that boost dies out.

Then apply a peak EQ at Q=1.0 at 7000hz, 8000hz, or 9000hz (see which works best for you), -3dB.

Thanks @ProtegeManiac this really helped with the Hifiman HE-400i and it sounds more like what I recall from before! I still had trouble with Peace/APO because it seems I have to keep installing stuff and restarting the windows audio service everytime I restart my computer and go back to use the thing. It's as much of as a hassle as I remember. However, I just tried out Roon on a whim and it has a pretty nice EQ (among other filters) and it was super simple to adjust, save presets, and also per output source. Absolutely killer.

 

[catom]

Got them today! Very excited. I listened to a few songs. I also got a balanced cable to use, but it unfortunately ended up being cheap quality in terms of it's insulation at least. I'll probably switch back to stock cable which is softer but also a bit thick.

The Nightowls are in like pristine condition too! Included everything with them.

So far, I don't know. They're actually pretty similar to the Meze 99 Classics to be honest. That's not a bad thing either. They definitely do extend down deeper...but I'm not so sure they slam harder. Again, this is like just a few songs.

I wonder if they haven't been run in for 150hrs+ like the info card that comes with it says you need to do. I mean that's seriously how physically clean they are. The booklet in plastic bag is still taped shut, never opened.

I also didn't know about their driver design. I didn't realize it had a rubber surround (reminds me of Focal) and whatever the "pistonic" driver is. Sounds neat and sounds like it's intended for bass.

I do like them so far. I will update when I've properly tested them...but I'm definitely excited to have such a unique headphone in my collection. I'm so happy this seller took good care of them too. I do need to go back and thank them.

Day 2: just a little more listening. These are like an upgraded Meze 99 Classics. By how much? Hard to quantify, but I'd pick them over the Meze so far. Easily.

They have low distortion, so I'm excited to tinker a little with EQ to see how they can be pushed.

Again, I'm finding a solid state amp is a better match than a tube amp for these. I think the Meze 99 Classics may pair better on a tube amp. I'll hold final judgement on that though until I get more time.

This now makes me really think about Schiit's Magnius balanced amp. Uh oh but with the savings I guess I can go for it now.

Oh and Massive Attack Angel sounds sick on these headphones.

 

[catom]

Yup. These are perfect. They EQ really well and takes a lot (more than I'd ever want) before there's any real distortion. I was surprised. I don't even know if I need to EQ for most things.

I loaded some convolution files and that was able to actually get them more neutral. I think they became less interesting when doing that though - but it was really nice to see a few from the AutoEQ project and see how people were getting them close to the Harmon curve. Interesting considering how some reviewers were so offended or put off by their tuning. To me, it seems like you can EQ them to where you want them just about. I get it though, that's not always convenience (I just discovered how convenient Roon makes it over something like Peace/APO which I used to use for years and truthfully did stop using because it was a hassle - especially when switching around gear). Things I don't think you're going to be able to change would be sound stage and imaging. For me, they have been plenty detailed. Though I'd like to A/B test some others one day. I feel and and hear how they tilt and that's exactly what I was after, you guys were totally right.

Still on my future list is the BeyerDynamic T5 or possibly T1. Also possibly Focal (and this wouldn't be for bass leaning headphones at this point), but after reading more about Focal I get a little turned off by potential QC issues and probably more importantly some support issues some people have reported. Still, Focal has an interesting driver design and I'm interested. Though I'll need to try anything in that price range first before buying (or find a good retailer with a good return policy who understands this problem where we can't try things so easily in a destroyed by Amazon retail and pandemic world).

Anyway, through this journey, I come to learn NightOwls also have a rubber surround. While not the same driver design, it's yet another interesting design. The tuning is as well. So I'm very happy to add an eclectic set of cans to my collection.

Right now, like I said, I would pick up the NightOwls every time aver the Meze 99 Classics. For my preferences, looking for more bass, sub-bass, "dark" maybe, but impact/slam ... NightOwl just has the edge over Meze 99 Classics. I think the NightOwls are just fine for the mids and highs as well. I grow tired of high pitch fatiguing headphones - no matter how resolving they are or how good everyone thinks they may be.

My first pair of higher end headphones were the Audio Technica MSR7s and those are darn near sibilant. Yes, incredibly accurate, but just fatiguing. Sure, I EQ'd them to be a bit more relaxed and I'd love to say I listened to them for hours. I could. Except the headband and clamping force. I put a cover on the band that helped the soreness on the top of my head. Ultimately, I gave up with them. It was a good lesson in why I don't exactly care for "super accurate studio neutral" headphones. I like a looser more enjoyable sound. So I went to planars for the details in the bass regions trying to stay away from the high end, but still taking consideration for vocals and treble. Perfect! Except there wasn't as much impact. Yup, again EQ'd some of it back, but not quite.

Got the Meze 99's next. Yes! These had some of what I was looking for. Again, not quite enough though. It left me wanting more. Again, you guys nailed it. The NightOwls were the missing piece. In fact, they also make me appreciate the Meze 99 Classics even more. It means I was heading in the right direction (for me).

I think, for now, I got it. I think the itch has been scratched, for a few years at least. Thank you all.

 

[moriez]

Yup. These are perfect.

Good to hear they work for you!

Regarding Focal, I was one of the people who experienced the clipping issue you might have read about. Bassy tracks at higher volume made drivers 'pop', and while those issues might be sporadic I would look at other brands first in the future. Their support.. definitely not too great either. Their rep's last action here was a year ago for example.

 

[liampanto]

Thanks @Malevolent !! I think I might increase my budget, so I'll take a look at the Beyerdynamics (and T5 is the way to go over T1?). Glad to see your note about the E-MU Teak as well. I think that price point is very attractive for me, but I also can go up a bit.

What are your thoughts on the LCD-2 Classic? I do like planar drivers, I just want a bit more bass impact/rumble than what the Hifiman's give. If those have it, then I might strongly consider those because if I'm going up on my budget then I'll want more of an all arounder. I do want something for EDM, that's what sent me down this journey...but I'm not sure if I want to dedicate that much budget toward one or two genre's specifically...But maybe.

If the LCD-2 Classic isn't going to come close to the Teak or Beyerdynamic or NightOwl -- not even half as close, then I might pass on it. Right now though, it's sounding pretty good. I just wish I could try some of these before buying

I also see a pair of Nightowls for sale in my metro area. Not sure how I feel about used headphones but it'd also keep the price down like cut in half over those top tier (well top of my tier) headphones. But I'm also so tempted to be irresponsible

Hi. May I ask how do you like XTC? And how would you compare those to Nightowls. Thanks bro!

 

[catom]

Hi. May I ask how do you like XTC? And how would you compare those to Nightowls. Thanks bro!

The XTC is probably one of the best pair of headphones I've ever owned or tried.

At a canjam two years ago I tried a bunch and actually settled on a Meze 109 Pro. This is my go to open back and XTC is my go to closed back. Literally everything else I've tried (and I've tried many) is nice and all, but just a waste of money to my ears. I don't see any major increase in quality that would justify the costs. IF some of those really top tier headphones were around $1000 mark or even $1500 instead of $2000, 3 and even $4000 now? Really? Then sure it'd be a bit harder of a choice. Maybe I'd choose a different two here for my open/closed. But even then it's close.

The reality is they're all top of the line. It just depends on what speaks to you the most. What your preferences are. Simple as that. Fortunately my preference meant I didn't need to spend more than $1000....ehh on any single pair of headphones haha. I've collectively spent more on headphones than I'd like to have.

I don't listen to the night owls as much as I should, but I also got them used so it was a good deal. This doesn't mean they are worthless to me. I'll hang on to them and revisit them one day (they are on my desk on a stand, not in a box after all). I do enjoy them particularly because they are so darn comfortable. They are more comfortable than the Meze 109 and I would challenge anyone to make a more comfortable pair of headphones (that have any kinda weight to them).

So to compare the XTC and nightowl? Pretty hard to do. Very different sounding. If you want stronger bass and a more dynamic energetic headphone then it's the XTC. If you're listening all day? Or just had a long day and want to relax at night with a nice drink? The night owls.

 

[liampanto]

Thanks a bunch! Much appreciated.