AudioQuest Nighthawk Sound Review 

Anytime you dislike a headphone I seam to like that.This happened to the Hifiman review and in here as well. While I really hated the Sennheiser HD660S signature that you took as a 'standard'... I think it's just different tastes and sometimes just good to have more headphone matching your mood. :) The Nighthawk is a very interesting one. Probably the most uniquely built 'cheap' headphone I've ever owned. Not for everyone, but it's far from bad. In my opinion, a well burned pair of these can sound nice warm, relaxing and enjoyable. Also I haven't heard any open headphone with better bass than the Nighawks. With movies it sounds like having a decent subwoofer on your head. :D

Hi from Wales. Just read reviews of these on Amazon uk. They all give 5 stars. That’s what makes this hobby interesting. Love your channel.

I had a negative experience with mine when I first got them. Needed an equalizer to make them decent at all. I FINALLY burned them in to the recommended 250 hour burn time by just leaving them playing and they turned into my favorite set of headphones. Were you able to burn them in?

I've been waiting for the 4xx review man, It's been a time since you told you had them and also to insinuate they are really good.

i love the nighthawks as there so different to any headphone i own. They sound like your listening to big speakers and your in the room with them. There also extremely comfy and disappear on your head.

I love these headphones!!.. owned mine since release, and still going hard.. only head set I can wear 12 hrs straight and ears don't hurt(online gaming).

Keep it coming. You are the voice of reason haha. Also we seem to have identical ears so I need you to keep doing what you're doing.

I didn’t think the headphone sounded bad, but I agree with the way you described the bass up to 800 Hz. It is a very warm headphone. And very expensive. By the way, I am subscribing to your channel because I love your analysis. You take each headphone seriously, including the ones that aren’t that good. Thank you for all the work you put into this.

"Who cares!" Really enjoying the new format, keep up the good work!

Contrary to your negative review, I actually enjoy these headphones. They have their own sound which grew on me. Plus, they are exceedingly comfortable. By the way, I miss your reviews, please consider making a comeback. Thank you, sir.

"soundstage: who cares?" this review always cracks me up when I look for something lighthearted. GJ 👍

I have the Nighthawk Carbon which is the second version of these and they're the best headphones I've heard to date and the most comfortable too.

Yep, never liked these but to each his own of course. That’s the beauty of this hobby. Good review sir. Always respect your honesty. 👍🏻

Dang you really tore into this headphone. 😂

800Hz bass hump? Thats funy :D

I must admit that I love these. They are very different (in every sense) but I found after adjusting to them that they are wonderfully comfortable with a sound signature which while very coloured and not at all neutral makes for relaxing, fatigue free listening which I can listen to all day. I am not sure I would have paid the SRP but at 60% off they were very good. Well accessorised too. I rate these alongside my Denon D7200s as perhaps my favourite over ear headphones. Weirdly my other favourite is my Etymotic ER4 SR IEMs which are polar opposites in sound signature in being extremely neutral and accurate.

Headphonia review be like; 'perfect, must buy'

Would you ever review in-ear headphones?

Spot on!!! The most correct review of them! Love the honesty ❤️👍🏻

Hi, I like your content. One question: Do you prefer Beyerdynamic DT770Pro 80Ohm over 250 Ohm?

You're doing the consumer service when you do *negative* reviews. You're saving them money and the hassle!

Razer would be jealous of the bass boost on these

I owned k712 for a while and akg pads are just so big that your entire ear can move around in there so the self-adjusting headband ends up sliding down your head until pads just hang on your ears. Nighthawk with it's smaller pads doesn't seem to have that issue but I only tried it for maybe 10 minutes. Totally agree with your opinion on the sound, it's one big wtf.

I love my Nighthawks and so does a friend of mine. It sounds great with some music like Lana Del Rey, Muse, Bladerunner 2049ost. I understand why the Nighthawks are tuned as it is and I like it. I really like the placing of the sound and how warm and laidback it sounds. But these are not for everyone. Midbass is very thick. They are very vailed and very dark. They can sound muddy with some recordings. But these headphones shouldn't be equalized. You're missing the point of these headphones if you do. So I don't agree with Metal. But yes...demo before buying. Not for everyone. Thumbs up.

the nighthawk is whispering in the background: *"I will be heard"*

I can't lie. I really don't hate these headphones. Some people will like what they have on offer here. It is certainly not "accurate" in any way so purists will hate it (which is frankly most people), but they are ok in their own way.

Hello sir, what would be your best pick for 200 dollar headphones . I'm currently looking at the hd6xx but I'm not really into classical music. I will also buy a jds labs atom with a khadas tone board , I just need some headphone recommendations.

Was thinking about these, now not so much, (if I had the disposable income perhaps to check it out). Do you still recommend BeoPlay H6 2nd Gen, used sub $200, (own Senn 598se, Beyer Custom One Pro Plus, Fedelio M1, Sony MDRv6), or something else for a significant step up in fidelity (used). Thinking Beyer t70p, tp5, t1 dependent upon deal I can locate. Looking to not EQ. Enjoy your perspective, keep it up.

I have Nighthawks... not until I tried your recommended EQ settings did I realize how odd these are. The 5000Hz region is ridiculous.

i love the nighthawk for metal they kick ass

I've owned the NH for about 2 months last year. They sounded so congested and muddy that sometimes I physically felt suffocation while listening to them. Like if was trapped in a cave or something.

push up the 1-3kHz region and it has HD600 level mids. Remove some 200-500Hz stuff and it stops sounding hollow. Do whatever the fuck you want with the bass cause I swear these are the only headphones I've hears that don't audibly distort no matter how much of a bass boost you give them (these can easily be basshead cans) at any volume that isn't dangerous right away. I'd take these over 600s, definitely 650s, LCD-2Cs, LCD-3s, Aryas and HE1000SEs. The driver of the NHCs is among the most capable dynamic drivers in any headphone.

Although this dude is long gone, I wonder if he listened to the Nightowl carbon, the closed version - great headphone in my opionion but others may think otherwise 🤣

I want to hear your thoughts on the corsair hs50 and the hyper x cloud stinger

Can you do a review about hifiman he 560?

There's a comment on one of the Amazon review's that said "These things are heavenly" Pretty funny.

☑️ Slayer

I had a pair that I wound up selling. I didn't really hate them, but just couldn't validate keeping them. The one solid positive I can gave them was they were about the most comfortable to wear I've had. The one type of music I thought they did well was acoustic classic rock, like Neil Young or CSNY.

totally agree. I had this headphone for a while. Its so far off from neutral, just super weird. Very bloated uncontrolled bass, everything sounds bassy. And although the highs are kinda rolled of, they have some spikes that can really stand out on some songs. Like some "s" sound of singers or to trebly songs still sound shrill. I dont know, didn't like it at all. But some people love it, it doesn't sound like any other headphone. So if you never liked any headphone, maybe this one is for you.

I'm laughing at your "I'm not comfortable doing this review" reaction :-D Also I was expecting the no mercy review...

I've owned the Nighthawk Carbons for years. They've mainly just sat in my drawer because I never liked them. I decided to break them out and try them and was quickly reminded how terrible they are. They don't pair well with the Chord Mojo at all. Someone recommend I try these with a Dragonfly DAC. Luckily I have an older V 1.2 DF DAC laying around. Plugged it in and tried the Nighthawks and I must say I was surprised. The DF took out some of that darkness from the Nighthawks and the sound was pretty good. They could definitely keep up with my HD6XX on soundstage. I would actually say the vocals are better on the Nighthawks and going back and forth between both sets made me realize how tinny the vocals are on the 6XX and how bright they are. I'm sitting her stunned.

"It's just so weeird" -Metal571 circa 2019

But this headphone was def not made to be neutral and must be taken for what it is. Extremely low distortion, very easy frequency response on the ear, and from my Lyr 2 and Bifrost, the sound was resolving and smooth. The soundstage was decent, the image was actually very good, separation was very good. I did not keep it, but it was a good headphone, a good performer, and I resold it quickly. At $200 used it's very good. Are you sure you did not review a defective unit? From my memory, it also took great power to feed this headphone. The Lyr 2 did a great job. Bottom line I liked this headphone for what it is I am a bit surprised you came with such a negative review. :)

D-does anyone know what that bubbles song with the artist name? I'm trying to compile a list of good songs to test headphones with. Or if metal knows... owo!

More like MushedHawks. This review was hilarious.

nobody comes close to you in quality of these reviews

Hum... this is a pretty different way to review headphones from what I've heard, but can I ask you why you review headphones? I am asking that because it feel to me, and correct me if I am wrong, that you want headphones to sound in a specific way. Then why would you try very different headphones if you know what you want and like?

Pairing is the key. You talk about this without saying what hardware you use to test it.

Grainy... please add some synonyms to that expression. I'm having trouble knowing what you mean by grain.

Sir, please review Ultrasone Edition 15ex, they're coming to limelight in countries like India, they also have Diffusefield frequency response. Love to hear your opinion😍

Taste is important and suggestive and I'm sure there are those that will like this. However, you're description seems to verify my experience. I decided to try the Carbon version of this one which is supposed to be an improved version. If it's improved, I'm glad I didn't have to listen to this one. Your breakdown of the FR sounds exactly like what I got from the Nighthawk Carbon. Audioquest recommends 150 hours of burn in, Really?! That is asking too much. There is no way this one is getting fixed by 150 hours of use. Maybe the intended effect is that you convince yourself to like them to not feel so bad about the money you spent on these which you can't hope to get back by selling them. I gave mine away and ate the loss. They also fit funny on my head. It felt like there was more pressure applied by the pads behind my ear than the front resulting in the front seal opening up. I found myself constantly pushing the front in to seal but less than a minute latter, it was just back to sitting weirdly on my face. It felt like putting the wrong shoe on the wrong foot. This occurred also with the suede pads. They were nicely accessorized though and look quite like a modern audio work of art. Audioquest makes some nice dongle dac's and cables. They ditched headphone manufacturing. I guess they realized they bit off more than they can chew considering the serious competition out there. Maybe the intention was simply to make portable Rap headphones because that's the only thing these can measure up to.

I like these. To my ears, they aren't bad at all, just different. Say, Mini Cooper or Volkswagen Beetle different, as opposed to the universally accepted Camry or Accord sedans. I own many headphones, from lofi to hifi, and these offer a nice change of pace when I get fatigued, or tired of listening to more conventional cans. To each his own though. If we all had the exact same tastes, there would only be about ten headphones in existence, offered at various price points. So, my humble advice, with no disrespect to metal571, is to buy mainstream if you're looking for just one or two headphones. If you are an enthusiast, however, at least give these a try.

To say I disagree would be an understatement but I would need to know what equipment you used when you listened to them. These headphones take a good source and amplification. I used a 6 dollar copper digital cable between my dad and amplification that had to be replaced but after that. Great.

sounds like you didnt burn them in

The first time I bought these headphones I let them burn in for 150 hours. After the burn in process the headphones still sounded muffled/hazy. When the Nighthawk Carbons came out I decided to give them a try. Unfortunately they didn't sound any different than the first Nighthawks. I wanted these to work out but they just didn't cut it for me. They sounded pressurized, like I had glass jars over my ears if that makes any sense.

nighthawks FR refers to the semihearingloss 90s techno ravers

where is the siblince region exactly i mean at what frequency ???

Loved this review haha. I didn't think it was thaaat bad, but I don't quite get the whole "holographic" thing that Nighthawk proponents talk about. To me it just sounded loose. Maybe it's for lack of a better description? Anyway, good format going forward too.

Mod to make them sound better = Gasoline + Fire.

Do the ultrasone pro900i.

But what if i got these used for 200, used them for just metal and gaming and had the 4XX for everything else? 🤔

The only Audioquest product line that makes any sense to me at all is the Dragonfly. The rest of it is...uh...not for me. :)

I just picked those up! :) The Nighthawk has a lot of fans. We don't mind if you don't like them, that's ok, lol.

It should be noted that AudioQuest sells 1000 $ HDMI cables and other snake oil. It's shouldn't be surprising that their headphones are overpriced crap.

Why do you use a cheap amp?

I have the carbons, ok, i couldn't get used to listen to them without eq for the past few years but they are the best headphones i have ever had after eq. I enjoy my elear, aria, not so much my lcd2 classic but man, these AQs are fantastic and my first pick, then aria. They are the most comfortable, look great, easy to drive, easy to eq and they last. They sound great, dont listen to this guy😂 buy them eq them, if you dont like, sell them to me. Im afraid one day, they wont exist.

They definitely don't sound harsh and grainy I think your hearing degreded form listening to all those headphones no offence.

I used to own the nighthawk and own a zmf eikon. Eikon wipes the floor with it.

Metal571: I count on you to deliver your opinion, positive or negative, without pulling punches. This is a great example of that. Keep it up!

Never in my life have I heard something (on hold waiting phones lines music included) sounding so WRONG as the Nighthawk Carbon. It was standing side by side with hd 800s, T1, Audeze LCD series, Stax... For a moment I thought it was a prank or something. I just can’t trust a reviewer giving these a thumb up (maybe just the middle finger). WRONG, is the word for describing their sound.

They're tuned the way they are by design -- if you're trying to EQ it to sound more neutral, you bought the wrong headphones. :)

LOL! Found the one bad review by Metal571 and it seems to come from a place of bias haha dude wanted to hate these and you can tell.

Many strange. Such weird. What do. Lol I hated the NightHawk. The best analogy I could use for the bass was like thousands of little needles penetrating my ears. ON a side note: Gosh I miss your reviews. I don't think you intentionally try to be as funny as you are. I'm always lmao.

I listened to these at a local hifishop (and the owls) Was very disappointed. "Muddy" is the only thing to describe them.

I swear listening to this headphone feels like being pummeled into the ear with a boxing glove. It's so muffled and heavy.

The Nighthawks are the only expensive headphone that ever made me laugh out loud because they sounded so bad to me. Not suprised you dont like it. Surprisingly the closed version, the Nightowl is actually pretty good though. Not worth the 800 dollars they wanted at release, but in the 300-400 range not a terrible choice for a closed back headphone.

You didn't listen to them long enough for your brain to adjust. :) This is a set of cans that for probably most people requires a ton of brain burn-in time. I was actually surprised when I got mine and put them on, noted immediately that they were different, but had no difficulty adjusting to the tuning. They sound good to me. Different, but good.

I have yet to hear a good definition of "grain" -- that might be why I don't hear any.

Nighthawk, more like Shitehawk amirite?

Night hawk, how to screw up a perfectly good biocellulos driver. Sad.

I don't like the idea of calling every review "sound review". It's a headphone = it's about sound no need to explain. You want to make short reviews and I get that, but not talking about build quality etc was a mistake. It wouldn't hurt if the review was 10min instead of 8min and for that additional 2min you would briefly describe other aspects. The key is to not talking about it for half the time like you sometimes did in the past. Yeah we can check the specs ourselves, but it would be nice to hear two words about comfort.

Metal571 would describe to sounds like Audio quest was try to make open back pair of beats even though the nighthawk are semi open but it sounds like they try to make a less worse sounding beats open back headphones anyone else's Agree

Yep definitely some of the worst headphones I’ve ever heard

Audioquest products are a waste of time and money.