Open back headphones for 200$

Some other comments about the NightHawks sound and imaging.

The NightHawks present the sound "out there" outside of your head. Which means that even sounds that are close in or forward in the mix get pulled out and positioned farther away. If everything is farther away then there is less near. If you are listening to a recording that has imaging depth and layers all those layers and all that depth is going to get pulled out and be more mushy in their depth imaging precision.

My Audeze LCD-2 headphones do really well with presenting the imaging depth and layering. My Senn HD600/HD650 also do well, but the Audeze do better. And combined with the Cabvalli amps (Liquid Fire, Liquid Platinum, Liquid Glass) and good DAC I'm able to get the out-of-your-headness. If you're used to listening to the Audezes or Senns with a good amp and source that are able to do the depth imaging and then switch to listening to the NightHawks you will find the NightHawks to present the imaging depth with less precision and sort of merge those layers together. So while the NightHawks do present a big bubble of sound around the head the imaging layers within that bubble are less defined and more mushy than I'm accustomed to listening to the Cavalli amps and HD600/HD650 and Audeze LCD-2.

 

I can only comment on what I own and that is the Audio Technica ATH-M50S and Sennheiser HD598SE. I think the Sennheiser is way more comfortable and that's the one I use most. Neither one requires an external headphone amp. I mostly am listening on my FiiO X1 or iPhone SE. Yes, the HD6XX/HD600/HD650 is better, but will require an external headphone amp and will cost more.

 

Until Ham Sandwich mentioned it, I had forgotten the whole "out of head" experience with the Nighthawks. But it is quite true, very uncanny and one of the things I like about them. The Nighthawks are the only over the ear headphones I tend to wear these days and I guess I had started taking the "out of head" sound stage experience for granted. I now look forward to trying some binaural recordings with them.

I tried a dozen other models in the $500-$1200 price range before deciding on the Nighthawks. This includes some to the ones Ham Sandwich and others have mentioned. I did not share the some of the same positive or negative experiences in my listening tests. But with headphones, like speakers: YMMV. This is why it is important to try them out on your system with your music. If you like the sound, you can't beat the current fire sale price. When I bought my first pair, they were full price at that time. Plus I have never experienced a more comfortable headphone at any price.

 

As someone mentioned already, usage with a phone and laptop isn't the same as with a headphone amp. I would suggest phones with impedance of no more than 50-55 Ohm to the OP. Sennheiser 598SE would be a great choice, but may be above budget. Also AKG M220, that would stay within budget (Massdrop product).

 

Not sure if the HD-6xx would be good with soundcards or cell phones. They have a high impedance,300 ohms. The Grado headphones are much easier to drive. I had a pair of the Grado 60’s, sadly having been destroyed while packed away, and the Sennheiser HD-6xx. The Sennheiser phones need a good powerful amp to drive them to their full potential

 

Another vote for either the Massdrop HD-58X or HD-6XX here. The Hifiman HE4XX are also worth a look, and I also like the HE400S from them.

But the Sennheisers are classics for a reason. Not the very last word in resolution, but still good in that realm, and absolutely spot on for tonality. Instead of spending more on another pair of headphones, I would match either Senn with a Schiit Magni amp.

 

Samson sr 850

 

Here's my fleet, and approximate street prices:
(open(o)) Grado SR-80i (100)
(o) Sennheiser HD 558 (~150, newer model is HD 579)
(o) Sennheiser HD 598 (~175, newer model is HD 599)
(closed (c)) Audio Technica ATH-M50x (150)
(c) Focal Spirit One S (~80, down from much more)
(o) HiFiMan (I really hate that name) HE-400i ($180, down from 500)
(o) Sennheiser HD 650 (~350)
(c) Shure 1540 (400)

Of those, the Sennys are my preferred. The 650s are just the most-balanced yet detailed 'phone of the bunch, like a good tube amp. But the 598s and even the 558s get you ~85% there and are easier to drive without an amp. That's the key factor, I'd say. Amp, get the HD 6xx, no amp, get the 579/599, although with this crazy Massdrop deal, the 6xx is a killer bet. It sounds like the 58x splits the difference.

I do like the Hifimans (Hifimen?) but they are a different sound. Faster, quicker, more zippy without being bright. Easy to drive from a phone or laptop jack. I like them for classical.

The Grados are nice, but uncomfortable. I leave them at work usually.

You've got a lot of great choices there, and I doubt you'd go wrong with any of them.

 

And some more comments about the NightHawks.
I'm having fun with them. They are certainly different and interesting. A new take on the Chinese curse, "may you always listen to interesting headphones."

One additional factor that I've discovered is that they don't allow me to hear a change in absolute polarity (a.k.a. absolute phase). My Audeze LCD-2 headphones allow me to hear a change in absolute polarity. My HD600/HD650 also allow me to hear a change in absolute polarity, but not as well as the Audeze. With the NightHawks I flip the absolute polarity on tracks that I know have an audible change and I hear no change at all. No change. None. The NightHawks are hiding or masking whatever it is that I hear when the absolute polarity gets flipped.

That's a bummer because that takes them out of the running for any critical listening duties. Any gear that I use for critical listening needs to allow me to hear absolute phase among other things. The headphone's issues with absolute polarity, bass bloom, weird imaging and soundstage, weird tonality, and other issues all combine to make the NightHawk's completely unsuitable for any critical listening or for evaluating recordings. They're strictly a headphone to listen to for fun and to wallow in their weirdness.

 

Ham, great writeups. Learned somethingstuff about these headphones - and I own them.

 

If you like the out-of-your-head style of sound the way the NightHawks do that then there are very few other headphone and headphone setups that can do that like that. That style of out-of-your-head sound from headphones is usually something you'll only get with select high-end headphone systems. The kind of setup with a carefully selected $2000+ tube amp, carefully selected headphone, and carefully selected DAC/source. The NightHawk is able to do that style of out-of-your-head sound with any amp/source I've tried and all for the low price of $250-$300 at their current sale/clearance price. An amazing bargain if you want to experience/try that style of headphone soundstage presentation.

As a comparison, a headphone setup that can offer a somewhat similar out-of-your-head presentation as the NightHawks and somewhat similar (but not as extreme) tonality would be a Monoprice Cavalli Liquid Platinum amp ($770), Audeze LCD2 Classic ($800), balanced Audeze cable ($150), Schiit Modi multibit DAC ($250). Total price around $2000 and up. That setup will do a somewhat similar, but less extreme out-of-your-head sound, a similar smooth sound like the NightHawks, and similar but much less extreme tonality like the NightHawks. But will also do that style of sound without the weirdness and disorientation I hear with the NightHawks.

If you like what the NightHawks do, that is they type of system you have to move up to to get something somewhat similar. If someone likes the NightHawks but wants something less odd sounding, that is the system I would suggest someone try. It's quite a step up in cost. But also a big step up in sound quality.

It's funny. You can spend $300 on the NightHawks and plug them into your laptop and get that sound. Or you can spend $2K+ on the system I mentioned to get that sound (but better).

There are many headphone system that cost more and will get rave reviews. But they likely will not do that out-of-your-head style of sound. I've heard $10K+ headphone systems that don't do that style of out-of-your-head style of sound. To get this style of sound you need to carefully select the gear and intentionally choose gear that is able to do get you there.

 

Hi there. Looking for headphone advice.
Currently use ATHM50x with a schiit magni, for vinyl only listening (pioneer plx-1000 with a lounge Lcr III and at-vm740ml cart)

Looking to get into open back headphones for late night listening. I listen to everything from Music Matters Blue Notes to indie rock and everythingfrom the 50s to today.

I was in a Best Buy yesterday out of town and ready to buy. They had a set of Sennheiser HD660s , they let me try them plugged into a $5000 McIntosh amp and skimmed through the Wish You Were Here cd. I have to say I was disappointed. They seemed muted or muffled or something I couldn’t put my finger on. I wasn’t blown away at all and I had expectations that it’d be a noticeable difference between those and what I use today, especially since they have a wider frequency range.

Any advice or recommendations? With all the love for Senns I’m still considering getting the massdrop HD6xx’s and maybe my ears need to get used to their sound. Or maybe the AKG 7xx massdrop. Looking to spend $200-400ish.

I’m looking for accurate and detail to hear what’s on the vinyl for those late night concentrated sessions. And while I don’t need EDM deep throbbing skrillex bass, I would like realistic natural bass especially from kick drums. I don’t plan to use these for cd or digital

Thanks! I have very limited experience with headphones and love nowhere near anywhere with audio equipment to try stuff out before buying.

 

If you're comparing to ATHM50x, just know that they are a pretty 'hot' headphone in every department- bass, dynamics, and especially treble. I have a pair, and am wearing them now, and I see why I don;t use them for much but plane rides. I'm switching between them and my Senn 650's and the latter are 1000% better- still super tight bass, all the detail I could want, space and air around the instruments, without the faults of the ATs. If I were you, I'd try the Massdrop 6XX, but set you ATs aside for at least a month to wean yourself off of their jacked-up sound. The Sennies will start to sound so good that you'll wonder what to do with the ATs. Really, I've started collecting a number of good to great headphones (but nothing n the super crazy realm) and I really am wondering where the ATHM50x fits in the fleet. (Full disclosure, I am an AT cartridge fan, and I do think that their headphones have a place, just that the 50s are too hot for everyday listening).
Another I've been liking is the Shure 1540. It's closed-back, but has the Senn 650 tuning. Rather pricey, too, but very detailed and smoth, and reportedly built better than most.

 

Thanks, a direct comparison is very helpful