[EtRec]

Such varying opinions. First off, my audiophile lingo is just not there so in layman terms......

Out of the box I absolutely loved them because they were so different. Then I started headphone swapping one right after the other (Cardinal sin) and I REALLY disliked them immensely.
I decided to just put them on the stand and let them burn well over the recommended 150 hours without listening to them again. Wholly crap, what I night and day difference. It's critical that these are fully burned in before making a decision if you like them or not.
Actually last week I put them up for trade for a tube amp on this site but have decided no way, I'm keeping them. I now absolutely love these HP's.
I believe I have some very nice mid-fi gear (of course IMO ) and have recently compared against all my other cans. They hold their own against every other set of cans. They all have their pro's and cons with different sound signature, but man I'm loving these and they're keepers.

I'm truly not hearing the "veiled" sound where I've read close to a hundred times in all the reviews I've checked out. I believe the treble is bright versus subdued. I don't hear any sibilance at all...it's just right. I now love the sound of the crash, high hat, etc. Sounds natural. If anything, I believe they're on the bright side. Not THX-00 PH bright but bright versus the HP 650's and even the M1060's. The bass hits hard when called for and is tight and fast...no bloat at all. Love the sound of the kick. These can go deep in sub bass if the track calls for it. The mids are spot on except for a bit too much mid-bass. Nothing Equalify can't handle. I also don't like the suede pads and prefer the leather stock pads as they keep the bass right where it should be. They also bring the treble up a bit where I don't believe it's needed.

The amp and DAC plays a huge part in my opinion. My Jot has a brighter signature and paired with the Mimby, I'm in musical bliss. Perfect combo for these cans. I usually run low gain at 12 O'clock high and it rocks. They're so easy to drive. I'll go balanced one of these days. I mostly listen to progressive metal ( Dream Theater, Symphony X, Threshold, Haken) and progressive metal instrumental (Animal's as Leaders, Blotted Science, etc.) with a spattering of progressive jazz...think Jazz Pistols, Chimp Spanner, etc.

One last thing I noticed, I never had a good seal over my ears. They where just sounding thin to me. All I did was start moving the cups in different positions and that made all the difference in the world. Just make sure there's a good seal and the cups are positioned correctly for your ears. The bass impact really made the biggest difference once I got these on my head correctly. I believe the way they're positioned now, my ears are closer to the driver. Huge difference.

I love these HP's guys.

Can you compare the Nightowls, which I also love to the Sennheiser HD650, especially on the Jot. I have the Jot with interenal DAC (had the Bitfrost Multibit, sent it back - heard little improvement over internal DAC, at least not $600 worth) . I'm thinking of getting the Massdrop SennXXX (on going drop) in addition to my Nightowls and Shure SE535 inears . It's said more then once that the Jot and SennHD650 are a perfect match on the Jot thread. Better then the Nightowls and Jot? Thanks

 

[007shark76]

I have the Audioquest DragonFly Red arriving Monday for portable use with my Android phone. Got only rave reviews and am looking forward to hear how they sound with the Nightowls as they are from the same company (tuned too each other, hopefully). The price of the "ifi" is within my range, but seems to need a DAC , which is internal in my Schiit Jotunheim Amp.. May I ask what headphone amp you were using for the Nightowls before the "ifi". Thanks for your quick reply

I was using the Fiio K5 and Pangea Audio HP101 both being fed from my Mimby. Now I am feeding ifi micro ican se and HP101 from Mimby. Night and day difference comparing K5 to ifi micro ican se. I tried the Nightowls with the HP101 hybrid tube amp that I have with a NOS Amperex tube and didn't like the pairing. It seems to me the NightOwls work best with Solid State amps. However, my Hifiman 400S pairs beautifully with the hybrid tube amp.
Right now I am using the suede earpads on my NightOwls being fed from Mimby to iCan SE with XBass set at 1 listening to Loreena McKennit - An Ancient Muse. I am in love. Marry me Loreena! LOL!

 

[EtRec]

Loreena McKennit

Never heard of her. Will try. Thanks

 

[007shark76]

Also, I have been looking at the Jot. Seems like a good choice for trying a balanced setup at a reasonable price. I had the Lyr 2 on order, but cancelled because it was out of stock and the expected ship date kept getting pushed.

 

[koover]

Man, that's tough. Short answer is Yes (edit, misread and initially put no)...IMO. The long answer?
They're so different, obviously one's closed and the other open. The NO's are so easy to drive, especially on the Jot.
The NO's are brighter, by a LOT and the bass is tighter compared to the 650's by a smidgen. The treble on the 650's sound so close to what a real cymbal sounds like, but more in the background/recessed versus the NO's. The NO's treble sounds really good but they're enhanced and brighter versus the 650's. The bass on both are solid but the NO's just hit a little harder and I think they're tighter and a tad faster. The sub bass is especially surprising when out of nowhere it hits you from your knees up. I was surprised when a track called for some really low end that it actually slammed pretty hard. I'm listening to them right now and I'm telling you they sound nice.

But the 650's mids are just so smooth and hard to beat. The Jot does the 650's justice as it's a bright amp and pairs well with the 650's. It's hard to beat the 650's for the money. I was lucky as I have a friend who get's 80% off of all Audioquest products. I got these cans new in box with a DFR for under $300 so I'm biased. LOL

They're both great for what they do on the Jot + Mimby. The biggest difference I heard between the 2 was when I upgraded from a standard Modi 2 DAC to the Mimby. I think the NO's benefited the most from the new DAC where the 650's always sounded incredible. I really like them both for what they are.

Me? I wouldn't haven't bought the NO's for retail. If I didn't pay what I did, I'd be happy with the 650's all day long. But....I love the NO's...now! Tough call man as YMMV. Hope that helped a bit as I'm no expert by any means.

 

[koover]

Also, I have been looking at the Jot. Seems like a good choice for trying a balanced setup at a reasonable price. I had the Lyr 2 on order, but cancelled because it was out of stock and the expected ship date kept getting pushed.

Funny, that's what I put the NO's up for...a LYR 2. I'm keeping the Owls though. I just like them too much after thorough burn in. The Jot is just a killer for the price. If you do get the Jot, get the Mimby instead of internal DAC. Just go to the Mimby thread (if you haven't yet) and just read all the hype. It lives up to it.

 

[007shark76]

@koover Yes, I already have the Mimby and it is a great DAC. Had to pair it with ifi iSilencer and iPurifier to get the most out of it on my system, though. Of course, the Schiit Wyrd may have worked in my system, but never tried it. I probably will get the Jot before my Massdrop 6XXs arrive in Dec or if the Lyr 2 comes back in stock I may go that way. In the meantime, I was thinking of trying out the Emotiva BasX A-100 on my stereo system as a headphone amp.

 

[EtRec]

Me? I wouldn't haven't bought the NO's for retail. If I didn't pay what I did, I'd be happy with the 650's all day long. But....I love the NO's...now! Tough call man as YMMV. Hope that helped a bit as I'm no expert by any means.

Thanks for your impressions. I did get 10% off the Nightowls, but nowhere near the price you did. Still I love them and don't regret buying. The Massdrop 6XXX is going for $200, so at least I'll save some on them as Amazon has the Senn HD650 for $315. I agree with you that the high's on the NO sound a bit chirpy for my liking, which the Jot, IMO, probably doesn't help in the high's. I'm not a bass-head and I think the lows are just beautiful on the Nightowls. The Jot as pre-amp also gives my Audioengine N22 amp and P4 passive speakers a great tone to the bass and separation. Thanks again

PS: getting Audioquest's Dragonfly Red Monday and will post my impressions with the Nightowls compared to the Jot

 

[koover]

Could be the source. I'm using the Schiit Jotunheim witn internal DAC and a (balanced 4pin cable). Many find the Jotunheim sounds bright on the high end but gives the lows a warmness. I'm not a bass head and find the Nightowl low end to be clear and complex. It rumbles when the music calls for it, but stays tame. Mostly I listen to Jazz and Classical, which might make a difference. Voices shine, even harder to image female voices. I'm using the protein leather earpads (standard) and have gone way over the 150 hours of recommended burn in. My friend, said before burn in, that they sounded v shaped (lacking much mids). I don't agree, but I can see where he's coming from a mostly Sennheiser HD650 (good Mids), he would hear it that way. Personally I love the Nightowls. If anything the high's sometimes seem a bit bright, but not unpleasant. The Bass is just beautiful and detailed to my ears.

What balanced cable are you using?

 

[EtRec]

What balanced cable are you using?

Ordered these from "ImpactAudioCables" on Etsey. It's been a long time since I've used a soldering iron and I doubt very much I could have done as good a job, even if I had the time to order the parts. Very happy with this cable. You can read about the cables and parts he uses here on Etsy. There is slight microphonics when the split part rubs against my clothes, when I move without music playing, near the headphone end. Doesn't bother me as these are for home use only ( chose the E-T4PR 4-PIN-XLR termination). I really hate the cable that came with the Nightowl . The NO's original cable is stiff, short and sometimes one channel flickers off and on when I touch the plug that goes into the amp. If I ever decide to use the NO's as my portable headphones (I prefer earplugs on the go), which I doubt, I will be ordering a shorter version with a different termination plug from ImpactAudio again. As to the question of how much do balanced cables improve on sound, there are ton's of discussions by those who have bothered to test that out. I really like this cable from ImpactAudio. Hope that helped.

 

[koover]

Ordered these from "ImpactAudioCables" on Etsey. It's been a long time since I've used a soldering iron and I doubt very much I could have done as good a job, even if I had the time to order the parts. Very happy with this cable. You can read about the cables and parts he uses here " https://www.etsy.com/transaction/1276222554 " . There is slight microphonics when the split part rubs against my clothes, when I move without music playing, at split cables near the headphone end. Doesn't bother me as these are for home use only ( chose the E-T4PR 4-PIN-XLR termination). I really hate the cable that came with the Nightowl . The NO's original cable is stiff, short and sometimes one channel flickers off and on when I touch the plug that goes into the amp. If I ever decide to use the NO's as my portable headphones (I prefer earplugs on the go), which I doubt, I will be ordering a shorter version with a different termination plug from ImpactAudio again. As to the question of how much do balanced cables improve on sound, there are ton's of discussions by those who have bothered to test that out. I really like this cable from ImpactAudio. Hope that helped.

Thank you sir

 

[swallace]

https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/audioquest-nightowl-a-closed-back-nighthawk.817227/

 

[koover]

https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/audioquest-nightowl-a-closed-back-nighthawk.817227/

Lol. Thanx. I get it. Just the thread is dead and I like to engage with members.

 

[EtRec]

Man, that's tough. Short answer is Yes (edit, misread and initially put no)...IMO. The long answer?
They're so different, obviously one's closed and the other open. The NO's are so easy to drive, especially on the Jot.
The NO's are brighter, by a LOT and the bass is tighter compared to the 650's by a smidgen. The treble on the 650's sound so close to what a real cymbal sounds like, but more in the background/recessed versus the NO's. The NO's treble sounds really good but they're enhanced and brighter versus the 650's. The bass on both are solid but the NO's just hit a little harder and I think they're tighter and a tad faster. The sub bass is especially surprising when out of nowhere it hits you from your knees up. I was surprised when a track called for some really low end that it actually slammed pretty hard. I'm listening to them right now and I'm telling you they sound nice.

But the 650's mids are just so smooth and hard to beat. The Jot does the 650's justice as it's a bright amp and pairs well with the 650's. It's hard to beat the 650's for the money. I was lucky as I have a friend who get's 80% off of all Audioquest products. I got these cans new in box with a DFR for under $300 so I'm biased. LOL

They're both great for what they do on the Jot + Mimby. The biggest difference I heard between the 2 was when I upgraded from a standard Modi 2 DAC to the Mimby. I think the NO's benefited the most from the new DAC where the 650's always sounded incredible. I really like them both for what they are.

Me? I wouldn't haven't bought the NO's for retail. If I didn't pay what I did, I'd be happy with the 650's all day long. But....I love the NO's...now! Tough call man as YMMV. Hope that helped a bit as I'm no expert by any means.

Thanks Koover,
The last weekend Massdrops Senn HD 6xx were up for $200, I asked my friend to bring over his Senn HD650 for a final hearing before deciding to order. Balanced cables for both from my Schiit Jotunheim (internal DAC) . My friend is a long time fan and owner of the 650's, but he heard a lot more detail from the NO's. He thought the mids were better on the 650's...I think the sound of the NO's are just beautiful. I love the separation (detail- I guess) and Bass. My favorite instruments, the guitar and piano, just sounded so much more present (hard for me to find the right words to describe in audiophile speak, which I'm not) on the Nightowl.The No's just sounded fuller then the 650. It's understandable why some would call the NO dark. At first I thought the things like snare drums are more realistic on the 650, but after listening to "Duke Ellington Meets Count Basie (1962)" flac and the new Diana Krall - All For You - 24-bit_96kHz - Flac, I just decided, being a 65 year old and trying to cut back on possessions that just accumulate dust, too pass on the Massdrop Senn HD6xx. The downsizing is also the reason I sent back the Schiit Bitfrost Multibit before the 2 week trial expired. Yes it sounded more authoritative then the Jotunheim internal DAC, but not by much, and I could stay balanced through the entire chain with the internal DAC. . You did write that you like talking to Head-fi members, so I'm answering you. I love the Nightowls. Comfortable and beautiful, enjoyable sound. Can't wait for my 20 month old granddaughter to grow up a little bit too share in some great music. Just wondering when it's safe to put a headphone on a child? Thanks for the input

 

[Old Music Lover]

Thought I would put my 1 cent worth (Canadian currency) in here. I am thinking of getting the Nightowl and auditioned them in Toronto. They played them with a sony dap and it sounded bad. The bass was muddy. I then attached them to my Iphone 6s through Onkyo HF player and to my surprise the bass tightened up. They had good separation of instruments and the vocals were superb. Going to wait for my Hiby to be delivered and try them again. Has anyone else noticed a big difference in sound when using different sources?