This months HifiChoice ... Headphone shoot-out

[drummerman]

Tested: AudioQuest Night Hawk/Audio-Technica ATH-W1000Z/Fostex TH500RP/Grado SR-325e/Oppo PM-2/Sony MDR-27

As HifiChoice dont perform measurements anymore, the above is simply a subjective review by Choice's Lee Dunkley. The cost of the headphones varies considerably. There is also no listing of what headphone system has been used nor what, if any, reference has been used so take with a pinch of salt but anyhow, here is the podium:

Winner: Oppo PM-2, Runner-up: Fostex TH500RP, Third: ATH-W1000Z

Also's ... : Sony, Audioquest, Grado (4th to 6th)

If anyone is interested in any particular detail of the review I'd happily post it.

 

[dalethorn]

Tested: AudioQuest Night Hawk/Audio-Technica ATH-W1000Z/Fostex TH500RP/Grado SR-325e/Oppo PM-2/Sony MDR-27

As HifiChoice dont perform measurements anymore, the above is simply a subjective review by Choice's Lee Dunkley. The cost of the headphones varies considerably. There is also no listing of what headphone system has been used nor what, if any, reference has been used so take with a pinch of salt but anyhow, here is the podium:

Winner: Oppo PM-2, Runner-up: Fostex TH500RP, Third: ATH-W1000Z

Also's ... : Sony, Audioquest, Grado (4th to 6th)

If anyone is interested in any particular detail of the review I'd happily post it.

I went to their site - can't find a thing. I'd like to read it. Not surprised about the Nighthawk - I found that Audioquest was not willing to discuss their sound - they're convinced that it's right and the rest of the world is wrong. It was the same thing with the Flare Audio R1.

 

[matthewpiano]

Heard some Fostex headphones today, with a little Fostex DAC/head amp. Very nice headphones - well made, impressive clarity, but not harsh or tiring to listen to. Worth investigating!

 

[Frank Harvey]

I'm surprised about the Nighthawks. I heard them at Bristol, although I wasn't initially enamoured by them when hearing the ones that were plugged into a £600 hi-if amp, but the pair plugged into the Oppo HA1 sounded stunning. Looking at a pair of headphones myself very shortly, and the Nighthawks are definitely on my radar.

 

[spiny norman]

There is also no listing of what headphone system has been used

That's covered off on the opening page of the test, isn't it? It says:

REFERENCE SYSTEM
SOURCES
MacBook Pro running Audirvana Plus
Sony HAP-S1 HDD Audio Player

HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER
HM Labs Geek Out 720
Sony HAP-S1

 

[drummerman]

There is also no listing of what headphone system has been used

That's covered off on the opening page of the test, isn't it? It says:

REFERENCE SYSTEMSOURCESMacBook Pro running Audirvana PlusSony HAP-S1 HDD Audio Player

HEADPHONE AMPLIFIERHM Labs Geek Out 720Sony HAP-S1

Ah ... oh ... uhh ... me apologies, didn't see that but as I wrote the above I didn't have my reading glasses which ... well, wasn't easy. Old age and all that

As regards the Audioquest, another new review in HifiNews (this time with measurement plots) show a pronounced suck-out between the region of 120hz to 3khz in the corrected output which amounts to a total difference of 18db ... 'meaning that the NightHawk will inevitably sound distinctly reticent at upper-midrange and treble frequencies'. - On the other hand 'it's impendance versus frequency trace is virtually flat, like that of a planar magnetic design which make the headphone virtually immune to any frequency response changes resulting from any finite headphone amp source resistance it is likely to encounter' KH HifiNews Sept 15

It then goes on to score very well (86%) subjectively with KK of HifiNews.

So, not perfect then but what headphone is?

 

[dalethorn]

There is also no listing of what headphone system has been used

That's covered off on the opening page of the test, isn't it? It says:

REFERENCE SYSTEMSOURCESMacBook Pro running Audirvana PlusSony HAP-S1 HDD Audio Player

HEADPHONE AMPLIFIERHM Labs Geek Out 720Sony HAP-S1

Ah ... oh ... uhh ... me apologies, didn't see that but as I wrote the above I didn't have my reading glasses which ... well, wasn't easy. Old age and all that

As regards the Audioquest, another new review in HifiNews (this time with measurement plots) show a pronounced suck-out between the region of 120hz to 3khz in the corrected output which amounts to a total difference of 18db ... 'meaning that the NightHawk will inevitably sound distinctly reticent at upper-midrange and treble frequencies'. - On the other hand 'it's impendance versus frequency trace is virtually flat, like that of a planar magnetic design which make the headphone virtually immune to any frequency response changes resulting from any finite headphone amp source resistance it is likely to encounter' KH HifiNews Sept 15

It then goes on to score very well (86%) subjectively with KK of HifiNews.

So, not perfect then but what headphone is?

I EQ everything, since indeed nothing is perfect. But as a rule, those headphones needing much greater EQ will inevitably sound rougher. The Nighthawk OTOH EQ's to an ultra-smooth response that's very endearing. And the amount of EQ is variable depending on the source and amp. The most remarkable thing I've found is how small the freq. adjustments I make with the Nighthawk make such a large difference in the result sound, and that's unique among my 135 or so headphones.

 

[Kramer01]

Tested: AudioQuest Night Hawk/Audio-Technica ATH-W1000Z/Fostex TH500RP/Grado SR-325e/Oppo PM-2/Sony MDR-27

As HifiChoice dont perform measurements anymore, the above is simply a subjective review by Choice's Lee Dunkley. The cost of the headphones varies considerably. There is also no listing of what headphone system has been used nor what, if any, reference has been used so take with a pinch of salt but anyhow, here is the podium:

Winner: Oppo PM-2, Runner-up: Fostex TH500RP, Third: ATH-W1000Z

Also's ... : Sony, Audioquest, Grado (4th to 6th)

If anyone is interested in any particular detail of the review I'd happily post it.

@drummerman

Did you mean the September 2015 issue of Hi-Fi choice? There was no such test in the september issue.

Could you please tell me the issue number or the month in which this test was published.

 

[chebby]

Tested: AudioQuest Night Hawk/Audio-Technica ATH-W1000Z/Fostex TH500RP/Grado SR-325e/Oppo PM-2/Sony MDR-27

As HifiChoice dont perform measurements anymore, the above is simply a subjective review by Choice's Lee Dunkley. The cost of the headphones varies considerably. There is also no listing of what headphone system has been used nor what, if any, reference has been used so take with a pinch of salt but anyhow, here is the podium:

Winner: Oppo PM-2, Runner-up: Fostex TH500RP, Third: ATH-W1000Z

Also's ... : Sony, Audioquest, Grado (4th to 6th)

If anyone is interested in any particular detail of the review I'd happily post it.

@drummerman

Did you mean the September 2015 issue of Hi-Fi choice? There was no such test in the september issue.

Could you please tell me the issue number or the month in which this test was published.

Issue 402 according to this ...

http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/news/article/luxury-headphones-group-test/22286

... 402 was the October 2015 issue on sale in September.

You can buy it here ...

http://www.myhobbystore.co.uk/product/323495/hi-fi-choice-october-2015