[flipper2gv]

   
I would just add that I think the 1000s are a little bit of a grower - they don't necessarily have the instant wow factor of some other headphones, especially if you only give them a quick listen. I had three lengthy demo sessions purchasing. The first time I demoed them, rapidly switching between the 1000s and a bunch of other phones, I was impressed immediately by their transparency, balance and detail, but I wasn't quite smitten. It was only on subsequent demos that they started to get under my skin and their quality really started to shine through. Also, the heaviness of the LCD-X was indeed off-putting for me - you say you like the weight, but that's actually been a big factor in my never purchasing any Audeze to date.
 
As for the Nighthawk - your feedback doesn't surprise me. I wouldn't even consider a pair of headphones from a company that specializes in snake oil. 

 

 
I could understand analog cable but 13500$ for a hdmi cable? That is insane.
 
http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Diamond-52-49-Braided-Cable/dp/B00IL3TZSQ

 

[WraithApe]

   
I could understand analog cable but 13500$ for a hdmi cable? That is insane.
 
http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Diamond-52-49-Braided-Cable/dp/B00IL3TZSQ

 
I would say $13.5k for any cable is insane. But we digress 

 

 

[vnmslsrbms]

   
I would say $13.5k for any cable is insane. But we digress 

 

13.5k?  The cable maker is laughing his way to the bank.  TV manufacturers spend all that money in R&D and they can only sell TVs that work very well for much less.  Then you shove a 13.5k cable up it's rear end and it becomes the TV from heaven.  Awesome.  

 

[magneto1964]

Just acquired the MHP1000 and use it for 2 hours with the MHA100 (have had this for about 8 months). A few first impressions - the highs a bit harsh at this stage but I believe this should improve with time, as the demo phone I tried at the dealers displayed none of this. I have my CD player connected via coax, and a macmini via USB. The CD music through the MHP1000 is great, but with USB i hear a lot of white noise which i never heard before with the HD600. And finally I am finding the plug connection to the cups a bit loose. The wire got pulled a few times as i moved around. Is this normal or could the connector be defective? Appreciate anyone's feedback.
 
Otherwise very comfortable and light. Hearing lots of detail that I could not hear with the HD600. I have the MHA100 on 150-600ohm NORMAL setting, which I am guessing is correct.

 

[musicman59]

  Just acquired the MHP1000 and use it for 2 hours with the MHA100 (have had this for about 8 months). A few first impressions - the highs a bit harsh at this stage but I believe this should improve with time, as the demo phone I tried at the dealers displayed none of this. I have my CD player connected via coax, and a macmini via USB. The CD music through the MHP1000 is great, but with USB i hear a lot of white noise which i never heard before with the HD600. And finally I am finding the plug connection to the cups a bit loose. The wire got pulled a few times as i moved around. Is this normal or could the connector be defective? Appreciate anyone's feedback.
 
Otherwise very comfortable and light. Hearing lots of detail that I could not hear with the HD600. I have the MHA100 on 150-600ohm NORMAL setting, which I am guessing is correct.

The cable connector at the cup should have a tight fit and even you should hear a click when it goes in all the way. If you take a look at the connector there is a top ring then a depression and then the rest of the body at the same diameter as the ring before tapering. That little depression is design to engage a little tab in the socket to secure the plug.
 
The connector looks something like below and I am referring to the 7mm area in the picture.

 
Yes your setting should be 150-600 ohms. You can use Normal or High. I personally use High all the time.

 

[magneto1964]

Musicman59 - thank you for the detailed diagram! I had taken it to the dealer before I saw your response and we did the exact same thing and all was good. After some more listening it is starting to bloom. I am amazed by the depth of the sound. And the added benefit of a closed headphone.
 
Very happy with the MHA100+MHP1000 combination.

 

[Mortalcoil]

 
Musicman59 - thank you for the detailed diagram! I had taken it to the dealer before I saw your response and we did the exact same thing and all was good. After some more listening it is starting to bloom. I am amazed by the depth of the sound. And the added benefit of a closed headphone.
 
Very happy with the MHA100+MHP1000 combination.

 
Good news indeed.
Enjoy what by all accounts seems to be a stellar combo

 
(lucky bugger ... I'm jealous lol)

 

[HiFiGuy528]

This headphone is simply amazing. Loving it!
 

 

[groovyd]

I'll probably eventually get these... just waiting to see if they revise them at all or perhaps make any changes to them in the first couple years. 

 

[NZtechfreak]

I've had my eyes on these a good long while now. Probably get them soon methinks.

EDIT: So I enquired with the McIntosh distributor here in NZ and emailed a couple of dealers who list it on their sites, had an initial reply from distributor, then silence. Thought the customer buying a $3000NZD pair of headphones wouldn't have to do all the work towards the transaction, but seems I may have been mistaken. Update: Paul Money Hifi stepped up, fantastic service, I'll have mine tomorrow. Bit of a discount, and the second last pair in the country before new stock arrives (along with a sizeable exchange-rate related price hike).

 

[NZtechfreak]

Why hello there!

 

[HiFiGuy528]

Why hello there!

 
Congratulations! You'll love, love, love it.  

 

[NZtechfreak]

Couple of questions, anyone got balanced cables for theirs, and anyone got a lead on a carry case?

 

[WraithApe]

Couple of questions, anyone got balanced cables for theirs, and anyone got a lead on a carry case?

 
No, I got a replacement cable from Moon Audio, but not balanced. There's some stuff on this thread about it though, and one guy did get a balanced cable: http://www.head-fi.org/t/718996/new-mcintosh-mch1000-headphones. They're the same headphones, not sure why the thread starter called them MCH1000... possibly the name McIntosh were going to use then changed to MHP1000 for some reason.

 

[NZtechfreak]

Thanks for the link, man that guys balanced cable is awesome. Will have to take a look at what he did, although if you can get cables for them from Moon that's possibly the path of least resistance.