[shurealltheway]

@shurealltheway
 you can always buy a pair of Classic pads if you decide to take a walk on the wild side

That's funny. That's exactly how Z Reviews described the original Nighthawks. He basically called them crazy. I'm intrigued. We shall see.

 

[Venture Guy]

That's funny. That's exactly how Z Reviews described the original Nighthawks. He basically called them crazy. I'm intrigued. We shall see.

I think the original tuning was a hard sell, so AQ went for the Boost and US pads with the Carbons to create more conventional sonics...

 

[shurealltheway]

I think the original tuning was a hard sell, so AQ went for the Boost and US pads with the Carbons to create more conventional sonics...

Doesn't that mean we all win then? Just swap out pads to suit your desired tuning. Good for Audioquest for allowing so many options. I'd say it's a brilliant move. If the drivers are technically sound, then you get awesome tech that can easily be fine tuned by merely swapping out relatively low cost earpads instead of feeling like you're forced to have to buy new headphones. Drinks all around!

 

[Venture Guy]

Doesn't that mean we all win then? Just swap out pads to suit your desired tuning. Good for Audioquest for allowing so many options. I'd say it's a brilliant move. If the drivers are technically sound, then you get awesome tech that can easily be fine tuned by merely swapping out relatively low cost earpads instead of feeling like you're forced to have to buy new headphones. Drinks all around!

The tunability is very cool... Skylar really nailed it. 

 

[MattRG]

Fair enough, thank you both for your input.  As I continue to spend time in this hobby and invest in to it I learn more about, well, everything.  But I also continue to learn about my own preferences and the things that I like.  And so far I have enjoyed the 99 Classics although as I said above I don't have many points of comparison.
 
I now have the Massdrop Th-X00 on the way and I will be very interested to compare them back to back to the 99 Classics (and an eventual Nighthawk, maybe).  I do listen to a lot of electronica and EDM but I've also enjoyed the 99 Classics on some classic rock like Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold".
 
Again, thank you for your input.

 

[shurealltheway]

Fair enough, thank you both for your input.  As I continue to spend time in this hobby and invest in to it I learn more about, well, everything.  But I also continue to learn about my own preferences and the things that I like.  And so far I have enjoyed the 99 Classics although as I said above I don't have many points of comparison.

I now have the Massdrop Th-X00 on the way and I will be very interested to compare them back to back to the 99 Classics (and an eventual Nighthawk, maybe).  I do listen to a lot of electronica and EDM but I've also enjoyed the 99 Classics on some classic rock like Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold".

Again, thank you for your input.

Hey Matt, how would you characterize the bass, especially the mid bass, on the Meze? Would you call it controlled, exaggerated, neutral? And what would you say is your preference for bass? That would help create a reference point for others to discern your impressions compared to their preferences. Thanks.

 

[MattRG]

Hey Matt, how would you characterize the bass, especially the mid bass, on the Meze? Would you call it controlled, exaggerated, neutral? And what would you say is your preference for bass? That would help create a reference point for others to discern your impressions compared to their preferences. Thanks.

Allow me to apologize in advance.  Being fairly new to all of this I don't have a good vocabulary for how certain headphones sound.  I do own the Sony MA900's and certainly in comparison to those the mid bass on the 99 Classics is more apparent.  The 99 Classics have more "thump" and present deeper tones.  Is it exaggerated?  Based on measurements I have seen, probably, yes.  But I don't find it bothersome or unnatural sounding.
 
The tradeoff, in comparison to the MA900's, is the relatively tiny sound stage (I do have a good handle on that term, at least) and lack of space in and around the music.  
 
I guess if I had to use a couple of words to describe the type of sound that the 99 Classics have they would be: visceral, close, punchy, and aggressive.  About my only complaint is how the sound seems to be right between my ears (again, the tiny soundstage).  Otherwise I enjoy them.

 

[Venture Guy]

  Allow me to apologize in advance.  Being fairly new to all of this I don't have a good vocabulary for how certain headphones sound.  I do own the Sony MA900's and certainly in comparison to those the mid bass on the 99 Classics is more apparent.  The 99 Classics have more "thump" and present deeper tones.  Is it exaggerated?  Based on measurements I have seen, probably, yes.  But I don't find it bothersome or unnatural sounding.
 
The tradeoff, in comparison to the MA900's, is the relatively tiny sound stage (I do have a good handle on that term, at least) and lack of space in and around the music.  
 
I guess if I had to use a couple of words to describe the type of sound that the 99 Classics have they would be: visceral, close, punchy, and aggressive.  About my only complaint is how the sound seems to be right between my ears (again, the tiny soundstage).  Otherwise I enjoy them.

What you are describing is a mid-bass hump. It is what headphone tuners do when they can't get real low frequency performance. It usually ends up bleeding into the mids, causing a sonic weasel-fest. The NH family is flat down to 10Hz, which reads out as natural to most ears...

 

[MattRG]

Ok, good to know.  Sounds like I need to demo a Nighthawk as soon as I can!

 

[Venture Guy]

  Ok, good to know.  Sounds like I need to demo a Nighthawk as soon as I can!

Classic pads create an amazing dimensionality, which takes a while to get used to. US pads are more of reference tuning...

 

[MattRG]

Also good to know.  My plan was to try and find an original Nighthawk and then order the US pads in order to have both.  I have heard very good things about the US pads but of course you never know until you hear them in person.

 

[ngoshawk]

Ok, good to know.  Sounds like I need to demo a Nighthawk as soon as I can!

I have not been able to listen to mine nearly enough, lately due to review units; but when I do it is a treat. I did the 150hr recommended burn in, and whether it was brain burn/actual burn/placebo, I do enjoy the sound better than when new.

Just a very pleasant sound, with deeper bass than a much more costly review unit I just finished. I'm now saving my pennies for the Nightowl. The NH is just a really nice sound. Well worth a listen.

 

[Venture Guy]

  Also good to know.  My plan was to try and find an original Nighthawk and then order the US pads in order to have both.  I have heard very good things about the US pads but of course you never know until you hear them in person.

... the wild and wooly adventure called audiophilia

 

[knowhatimean]

It's pretty rare that you can change the set of sound characteristics to a different set of sound characteristics as effectively by using a different type of Earpads as it is with these AQ headphones ! They might have to start referring to the pads as 'Filters' . & the only way this works as well as it does is due to the true Neutrality of the 'phones.
 
Yeah ,Skylar knows a little about what he's doing, doesn't he ?

 

[Venture Guy]

  It's pretty rare that you can change the set of sound characteristics to a different set of sound characteristics as effectively by using a different type of Earpads as it is with these AQ headphones ! They might have to start referring to the pads as 'Filters' . & the only way this works as well as it does is due to the true Neutrality of the 'phones.
 
Yeah ,Skylar knows a little about what he's doing, doesn't he ?

AQ is the only company I know of that does it... by design. People swap pads on inferior cans all the time in an attempt to compensate for deficiencies. I won't name names. The term for the activity is modding