Introduction

I will start with a short explanation what these headphones and earpads are. If you are familiar with all of this, you can jump straight to the personal impressions.

Three versions of the AudiQuest headphones and three versions of earpads

Headphones

Earpads

Personal impressions of the two headphones in general

Earpad comparison

Microsuede pads

Full pleather/boost pads

Hybrid pads

My subjective list of preferred combinations:

(May depend on mood and music genre.)

1. NightHawks + boost pads



Keeps enough of the signature sound while gives more excitement without hurting your ears.



2. NightOwls + hybrid pads



Very similar to the NightHawks with boost pads, however it sounds more ‘closed’.



3. NightHawks + hybrid pads



Original signature sound, I still love it. The most relaxed sound although the least controlled.



4. NightOwls + boost pads



A bit further away from the signature sound. Slightly punchier lows and highs are sometimes too much.



5. Anything with the microsuede pads. Not really for me.



In my opinion these pads take away the fun. Trying to make something of the NightHawk/NightOwl which is against its nature. Like forcing a race horse to walk. Or putting silencer on a Lamborghini’s exhaust.

Conclusion

I own and love my original wood look NightHawk for 18 months. Out of curiosity I recently bought the NightOwl to compare the two headphones, as the price has dropped significantly since AudioQuest announced they are leaving the headphone business. Both the NightHawk and the NightOwl are available for £349. At this price both of these headphones are amazing value for money.At first I thought I will post this comparison as a NightOwl review, but I don't want to start from the basics, so decided to write this comparison for people who already are more or less familiar with either of the AudioQuest headphones or at least read about them.The sound signature of these headphones remains controversial among audio enthusiasts, people either love or hate them. I belong to the former group. They are warm and dark compared to almost any other headphones but they sound extremely natural, organic and lifelike. Beside the truly exceptional physical comfort both the NightHawk and the NightOwl offer, they also provide completely fatigue free listening. Smooth, laid back, mellow sound for hours and hours. Some people like it, some don't. I truly love their sound presentation.This is the original version of the NightHawk, it comes with the hybrid earpads only. The only difference to the Carbon versions apart of the earpads is the wood look coating of the headphones and the different cables. This version comes with two cables: a shorter thin one and a longer cable with silver plugs. The long cable tends to break easily, so I have also replaced mine with the new Carbon cable.The NightHawk Carbon comes with two new types of earpads: microsuede and full pleather. The only other differences are the Carbon coloured coating and the new cable. Instead of the two cables of the original version both Carbon versions come with a short and thick cable. (The earcup material is the same liquid wood, drivers are the same.)This is the closed version of the AudioQuest headphones, comes with the same package as the NightHawk Carbon.These earpads come with the original NightHawk only. It is a combination of pleather outside and microsuede inside the cup. According to Skylar Gray the designer of these headphones these earpads sound ‘clean, clear, naturally extended through the highs and lows.’Available with the Carbon versions, made of pleather only. According to Skylar Gray these earpads 'slightly enhance treble clarity'.Made of microsuede material. According to Skylar these pads ‘slightly reduce bass impact’.All earpads are available for £49 at retailers, although probably for a limited period only since these headphones are discontinued.As stated above I am a fan of the NightHawk sound. If they are plugged into a good quality DAC/amp and you gave time to your brain to adjust to its unique sound signature, they really open up. Initially they might sound very dark and warm with rolled off treble, but after 10-15 minutes as the brain gets used to this unusual sound presentation everything is changing. You realise, nothing is really missing from the treble it just sounds very natural just like the mids/vocals. The headphones do have slightly stronger than average bass, I wouldn’t call them neutral. These are for extended music listening, not for monitoring.When I first put the NightOwls on my head I was surprised at how small the difference is compared to the NightHawk. They are actually very similar. Same warm and smooth AudioQuest sound with slight differences.Bass is slightly better on the NightOwls due to the more closed back design. (It is not completely closed. Still leaks sound and doesn’t isolate much more than the NightHawks.) The NightOwls sound more controlled and cleaner at the low end. The closed version is also a bit more forward, almost more aggressive compared to the Hawks. Still smooth and easy compared to other closed back headphones, nothing like the X00s aggressivity. Bass impact is slightly more in general.I find the mids better on the NightHawks. Due to the semi-open design the sound is much more airy. The vocals can breathe and sound more lifelike in comparison.I also find the treble better on the NightHawks for my taste. The NightOwls stronger treble presentation can sound more piercing at times. The naturally laid back treble from the Hawks is missing, however I would still call the Owl’s treble relaxed compared to most other headphones.Due to the closed back design the upper mids and the treble sound more closed on the Owls. This is not a big surprise. Swapping for the Hawks was always like a breath of fresh air. The ‘cap’ from the sound was removed.This however was only obvious when A/B testing with the Hawks. When I used the Owls only for long time I got completely used to it. The slightly better bass impact is great on the Owls, but I wouldn’t trade off the more airy and natural approach of the Hawks. The bass is not that much better, especially not with the right earpads. (More on earpad swapping in a bit.)If you already own the Hawks or the Owls you simply do not need to buy the other version. The difference is not that big and there are compromises on both sides. There is no obvious winner here. The Hawks have the edge in my opinion, but this is absolutely subjective.These pads intended to reduce bass. To me they just made the sound boring, I found them too neutral. Bass impact, one of the main attraction of these headphones, is gone. To me these pads kill the character of both the AudioQuest headphones. Someone who likes a simple neutral sound might prefer them with orchestral music, but why does such a person bother to buy either of these headphones on the first place? There are much better alternatives out there if you want neutrality. I put these pads aside after 10 minutes of listening.The NightOwls with these pads sound a bit aggressive here. Treble peaks can be slightly too much within the AudioQuest realm. They sound more forward. Mids are slightly recessed and less natural compared to the NightHawks. (Lack of air.) Bass has more impact and clarity but together with the enhanced treble and the closed back design sometimes it is just too much to sensitive ears.The NightHawks with the boost pads however sound really exciting. In fact this might be my favourite combination. Compared to the really smooth and laid back presentation of the original hybrid pads, the boost pads slightly enhance the treble and tighten up the sound a little bit, giving the impression of enhanced overall clarity not just in the treble but everywhere. Vocals still sound slightly better with the hybrid pads, but the cleaner, clearer, more impactful sound is more exciting and fun compared to the hybrid pads.These provide the original, signature sound of the NightHawks. Very smooth, very laid back, dark and airy. The smoothest and most laid back treble, good bass quantity but less control over bass. Mid-bass bloom is more obvious. Still fun however, I still like them.The hybrid pads on the NightOwls was a pleasant surprise. In my opinion they tame down the slight aggressivity of the boost pads and give more air especially to the mids. Vocals can breathe a bit more, treble is friendlier and you hardly loose anything in the bass.Both of these headphones are unique part of audio history. It is a shame that AudioQuest decided not to sell them anymore. On current retail price (£349) they are simply a bargain, one of the best value for money these days. If you haven’t heard them, I can just encourage you to give them a try. Use a good DAC, give yourself time to adjust to the sound. They are unlike anything else out there. The sound is organic, smooth, lifelike, relaxed. Simply the most comfortable headphones I have ever tried not just on my head but to my ears too.The differences between the Hawks and the Owls and between all the three earpads are not huge at all, but present. Minor tweaks of the original AudioQuest sound. They do not make the sound better or worse, but give you the option to further tweak the sound according to your preferences.My personal conclusion is that I am selling the NightOwls but buying the boost pads for my NightHawks for times when I want a little more excitement.