Audioquest Nighthawk 30 Day 

Dekoni makes replacement pads now $100

Hysterical. Great video.

Interesting review of these fine cans, They are very comfortable, very image and sound staging for headphones, Cables can be easily demonstrated to have a small to even sometimes huge difference and yes they can be stupidly expensive, and subject to the laws of diminishing returns on investment.. the first time I got to experience the positive difference speaker cables make was back in 1989 when hawthorne Stereo in Bellevue WA sent me home with 3 different very unimpressive looking (actually FUGLY looking ) speaker cables from Tara labs and said the then ridiculous " they are directional the arrows go towards the speakers" and the he said "after you find the the ones you like listen to it for a while and for grins and giggles flip the directions of the cable so the arrows point to the amp and see what it sound like". yep me, girlfriend, 3 audio buddies all pick the same most expensive cables blind and yes we switch them end for end and yep they then sounded like shit. Next was audioquest brought 4 JVC deluxe boomboxes with detachable speakers with stock and 3 levels of their speakers cables to Puget Sound Audio Society yes even on a them $300-$400 compact stereo they make a very noticeable improvements. there is more physics than electrons moving from here to there, try getting and old decent FM receiver and connect various speaker cables to the FM antenna and use the tuning meter to see the RF levels for starters. T The angled plug actually make a small amount of compromise sense : if the plug stick straight out in horizonal socket it goes downward putting a strain on cable plug connection and the jack. if it is 90 degrees it may not be able to point down or to the sides. Burn in? yes in stereo, electronics , speakers yes, yes yes acoustic instrument even more, but on these or headphones in general I think so but I have not had much personal experience with new ones. Green sharpie on the edge of CD's yes, it's cheap try it, it's well worth it. Snake Oil? "No animals were harmed in the manufacturing of these fine $3000 Speaker Spikey Things" and these fine $60 headphone stands! happy listening, ear candles anyone?

Hi, I got a duct tape fix to work! Not pretty, but it does suspend.

The Nighthawk is a magical headphone. You did a good job describing what it sounds like, but you have to hear it to understand.

Another excellent review! I hate all the snake oil around cables but Audioquest showed with their headphones that when they want to they can make some impressive equipment. These are very different in every way, I suspect that a lot of the criticism stems from this as they do have a particular sound signature. I admit that I found it odd at first but if you acclimatise to it then it is indeed a very relaxing, smooth and you might say luxurious experience. The odd physical design does work in terms of being wonderfully comfortable. I love these and probably rate them alongside my Denon D7200s as my favourite headphones. Well accessorise too with a nice case, dual pads and cables. The heavy cable is an Audioquest trick to con people into believing cables make a difference as it has a significantly lower resistance than the lightweight one. Very sneaky. Weirdly I also love my Etymotic ER4 SR IEMs which are polar opposites of the Nighthawk signature in being very neutral and accurate.

I've just got the Meze 99 and I primarily listen to metal music, and they give me the colourful in your face bass and raw feel of a live performance. I had been using some XM3 sonys for a year or so and for this style of music the bass signature matched what I wanted, however wanted some wired with a bit more clarity and less muddy around the bass hence the meze 99 purchase. With them being closed back too they sound great and the bass signature great to what Sony offered but with more clarity in highs and mids, sound great. I've ordered these too as I can still send the meze back, would you say these are as colourful as the meze for bass and are they a bit more detailed than the meze? I like their overexaggerated signatures, hate neutrals personally. I tried dt1990 pro and 660s and quickly realised they aren't suited for my genre of music. At first I put it down to open back and there wasn't the tight sound of the closed back my xm3 had and music felt too wide for my taste. Would you say these being semi open offer the tight sound and bass of the meze but with maybe a little better soundstage to it? Or would you say meze for my sound may still be the better option?

You described the way these headphones sound very well. They're so comfortable in sound and wear for a very long time. It's like you're in a room listening to great bookshelf speakers.

I found the review to be informative, and have subscribed. However I do think your rant on the suspension system was a bit excessive. As far as the acoustic benefits go, it is remotely possible that there is a benefit to decoupling the driver from the ridged metal connector, which does have a resonance when you flick it. But it is very likely that the comfort you couldn’t stop raving about is due in large part to this suspension system. It allows the angle of the cups to easily move in all planes, and, along with the top strap, they just float on your head. And you are overlooking the aesthetic/industrial design appeal of this suspension. Headphones (other than stax) are about more than just function. The look of the suspension really adds to the uniqueness of this headphone, differentiating it from the ubiquitous gimbal found on nearly every other headphone.

Darn You! You jinxed my Nighthawks and me. Haven't tried listening to my Nighthawks for over a year, but came across your video and pulled them out. I too got a pair for approximately $150. I still like them a lot. However, I just noticed one of the rubber suspension teeth has broken and part of it disappeared. Might you have any idea/advice on how to gerry rig a repair? I have reached out to Audioquest, but not expecting much help. I'm thinking if I could come up with a material that would work, I may be able to super glue it to repair. But, I'm not coming up with a proper material. Rubber band is too flexible. Anyway, thoughts? Thanks either way Neil Thegratefuldad

It's a crime Audioquest completely stopped making headphones to "focus more on making cables."

Getting these headphones on Saturday and the sound signature is something I am beyond excited about. I am worried about the cable being garbage however. Do you have a link to the cable you purchased? Nice review by the way, pretty much covered all the bases!

How would these stack up against today's (Sep 2021), watching your reviews made over the last few months (thanks BTW, super helpful) I haven't heard you compare anything against these, have you found a new love 😁

You wouldn't happen to be related to zeos would you?

Thanks for the review. You could have condensed it down to about 10 minutes and spared us the repetitive and intrusive commercials.

Did you ever try the hybrid pads. They are by far the oddest (best?) pads for the Nighthawks. The ultrasuede's are by far the most comfortable though.

It took you 27 minutes into your RANT before you commented on the sound quality of these hawks! All in all; a waste of 47 minutes that I can't retrieve! You should "relax"....as you say the cans make you feel!

Hey, man, good stuff here. What pads you using for these? I'm looking to get some different pads just to check them out. I'm with you. Couldn't be more fascinated with these. Also bought mine for the same price as yourself.

subscribed

Thanks for the great review. BTW your voice sounds just like Tom Cruise lol

I love the Z review type style of video!!!

Thank you for your experiment and honest review. It was intresting to know. Pls recommend me headphones for Blues Rock (not clear Blues) /Jazz Rock/Instrumental where is bass gitar will sound dеtail and tasty, aslo clear.

First off let me say your commentary (for the most part{whence not on an oblique rant}) is intelligent and informative. However, for the love of Jobe (or whomever) enough with the shaking head cam,....I feel as if motion sickness is a certain eventuality after about 2 to 3 minutes! Also, the rather large, black, phallic, microphone on screen lower left IS a bit MUCH,...don't you think? Yes we're all impressed with your professional grade vocal conveyance but really friend! Enough! C'mon now,...we have enough narcissistic, attention needy, bedwetters on the news EVERY day. I watch your channel to be essentially be informed and informally entertained NOT physically challenged! Sorry but it IS annoying as hell from such an erudite, obviously well educated fellow, such as yourself! BTW....too much time on looks, ...we're all here for the SOUND man! That's what this predilection is all about ne c'est pas, mon frere?? Who gives a fiddlers fart if you're not in love with the way they look?? I think my HiFiMan edition X V2's are stupid and gawky looking as hell but when I hear ANYTHING on them I am transcended by the sound not how they look or are even made (which could be a lot better, BTW) but they sound EXQUISITE! Also, the 150 hours burn in DID make a difference with the hawks! I distinctly remember them sounding "meh"...before the extended burn in! Regards.....