Greetings mate and Welcome aboard! Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions, so…
What can I say about these beauties? Well, a lot. When I think of the NightOwl, I think about how the only constant in change is life.
Strike that, reverse it.
The only constant in life is change.
Sure, that may sound cliche, but take a moment to think about what you were doing 5 years ago. How different your mindset was.
Perhaps your focus was elsewhere. Your concerns were different. Maybe you were struggling with something that you’re not struggling with today.
It could be that you grew up a little as I have.
If you’re reading this, the NightOwl has actually been discontinued and AudioQuest no longer manufactures headphones.
Life is strange, indeed my friend.
The year was 2017.
DF Red goes to the beach.
I was in my local Audio Advice determined to demo the Audioquest Dragonfly Red (a portable USB Amp/DAC), but the sort of weird, know-it-all, half-way-friendly (but kind of arrogant), matter-of-fact old man informed me that they need time to be “broken in.”
“About 100 hours,” he says.
I was reluctant to argue with him and didn’t demand that I needed it now, while just kind nodding and smiling even though I wanted to be like “Well why did you ask me what I wanted to demo if you’re just going to dump all over it and suggest something else?” Lol.
Anyways.
I had a reason to be skeptical of his “recommendation.”
You see, I was all gung ho on trying out the Audeze EL-8 Closed-back since I had written an article on the EL-8 Open back and absolutely loved them.
The old man had better ideas. But was it a better idea to suggest the NightOwl instead?
What made me almost say no was the fact that he had recommended the Audeze LCD-X a while back and I absolutely hated them.
I’ve since come to adore them but that’s neither here nor there. I trusted his judgment this time around, but looking back, I’m not sure if it was the best recommendation.
The old man and I developed a strange, off-kilter, sort of awkward bond, but he’s since retired from the company and wholeheartedly deserves the ride off into the sunset after decades of service.
Ivan at Audio Advice was an incredibly hard worker, never complained, was extremely passionate about his job, and was always there to help.
That’s what I will always remember about him.
Common themes
I’ve found a common theme with headphones like the NightOwl.
They fall in that weird $300-$600 range where it’s not quite clear what actually represents a real improvement over headphones in the $100-300 range.
The mid-fi area has always been a sore subject for many. Some people call it mid-fi purgatory, and that sentiment isn’t too far off.
In short, there’s a reason why the people who listen to these sorts of headphones are called “Audiophiles.”
They’re just borderline special (i.e. challenged) when it comes to gear, placing way too much emphasis on it rather than the music.
I too have fallen prey to this phenomenon, but I’ve since recovered from it and now I absolutely can’t stand audiophiles.
In one sense, I could never go back to low-grade dog food type of headphones. It’s just not going to happen.
Not when I’ve heard what I’ve heard.
What has been heard, cannot be unheard, as the saying goes.
But, does it sound good? Let’s dive in and find out.
A Different Animal.
Summary
The overarching theme is that, like the NightHawk, the NightOwl is a “fun” type of sound signature, as the old man put it. He had that weird “I know everything” smirk on his face before telling me how fun they were.
Sure, they’re fun. But are they tuned correctly? That’s another question entirely.
Bass
Let’s again address the elephant in the room first.
These aren’t neutral headphones by any stretch of the imagination. There’s a bass shelf across basically the entire low end moving into the mid-range. So yeah, 20Hz – about 900 is elevated by around 5-10dB.
So the bass does jump out at you, but here’s the thing. I hated the way the NightHawk sounded. It was awful to me. Needly, overblown, in your face, etc. The NightOwl? It didn’t sound nearly as bad to me, although it’s been many years since I listened to them.
I firmly believe the source quality had a lot to do with the fact that they sounded punchy, but not sloppy. Take this with a grain of salt though as I last heard a NightOwl in 2017 and I likely would turn up my nose at it today.
That said, does it sound better than a NightHawk? In my opinion, yes.
Be aware that this type of bass generally sounds lush, warm, and inviting. And for as boosted as it is, I did find it fairly articulate, all things considered. Again, this was probably because whatever music I was listening to was recorded quite well.
Mid-Range
The mid-range, as you may well expect, is fairly subdued but does rise back up around 3kHz. By and large, I don’t have a huge issue with it although it’s still going to sound pushed back/recessed because of the extreme bass shelf.
So, vocals and instruments may sound distant and somewhat unaccounted for, which is never a good thing.
As an example, think of a headphone that’s overly boosted in the mid-range (Grado) which makes instruments and voices sound nasally and honky with an inordinate amount of resonance.
Now imagine a K702, a headphone that has a perfect amount of presence in the mid-range and sounds tonally correct.
Now consider a NightOwl, which sounds a bit overly hazy, sheeny, and lacking resolution because of its subdued nature.
Treble
The treble here follows suit, and, unfortunately, it’s also darker and dare I say veiled. It’s never going to sound sibilant, but it also doesn’t provide the sparkle and brightness that many come to expect out of a headphone in this general price range.
There’s some air after 10kHz which helps some, but overall, the main areas of concern lack zest and come across as overly laid back and lacking resolution.
Overall, and unfortunately, the NightOwl falls into the same general category as other such atrocities including the NightHawk, OneOdio A10, HarmonicDyne Black Hole, Meze 99 Neo, etc.
Overall, I’m a bit lukewarm on the NightOwl but leaning towards cold. It’s just not a headphone I’d ever consider buying nowadays.
Build & Comfort
Fortunately, the build is phenomenal.
They’re actually made of liquid wood that’s been combined with renewable materials such as plant fiber, lignin, various resins, and waxes that have been heated, liquefied, and injection molded.
This material is thicker than plastic and thus harder to break.
It’s a carbon grey metallic high gloss finish that exudes class.
This isn’t a Beats by Dre type of gloss, but rather an attractive one that won’t gather fingerprints!
The headphones themselves feel extremely solid in your hand and are a tad bulky, but it’s not a bad thing like Justin Timberlake. They’re just a bit bigger than your average-sized headphone.
The ear-cups from the outside actually do remind me of an Owl’s eye which is a nice added touch and makes sense with the name given.
Comfort is equally as excellent, with its hammock-style headband that I think more companies should implement.
No need for adjusting as it self-adjusts to the size of your big freakin’ melon.
Not only that, but you never feel the urge to take them off.
They’re light and fluffy enough to securely fasten to your head while also not clamping too hard like a Vice Grip.
I would dare say these rank as some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn.
Video Review
Credit to Z
Amp/DAC requirements
At a mere 25 Ohm Impedance and 99dB/mW Sensitivity, the NightOwl is a breeze to drive and doesn’t need amplification.
If you do invest in something, an E10K or K3 is just about right. Anything more than that and you’re wasting money.
Thoughts from Stu’s notepad
Open quality
The cool thing about the NightOwl is that they are closed-back, but have hidden vents beneath the outside of the circular enclosure that allows the sound to escape through an airflow-resistive port, even though you can’t see it.
So they’re a closed-back design with open-back qualities.
This explains the immersive Soundstage that they provide, which is definitely a highlight of the headphones and something that almost makes up for all of their shortcomings.
I got a sense of instrument placement so well that my mind could clearly map out the sounds on a piece of paper in their fixed positions. They just open up very nicely.
Indicators
The Left and Right indicators for your ears are located on the insides of the ear cups which I thought was interesting.
Cable
The cable is extremely durable, thick, and tangle-free. It terminates in your standard 3.5mm jack, is detachable, and forms a Y that plugs into both earcups.
Accessories
Accessories include Two pairs of earpads, a 51″ straight cable, a 3.5mm-to-1/4″ adapter, two cleaning cloths, and a luxuriously padded zippered storage case.
Earpads
One set of ear pads is an extremely soft protein leather which I have come to love.
These seal very well and improve the treble response. The second pair is suede, and these provide a deeper bass wallop.
If you notice, the ear-cups are shaped very similarly to that of the human ear, and fit very well, contouring with ease because they are wider at the top and narrower towards the bottom.
Final Word & Update
The NightOwl was a well-built, comfortable headphone with, objectively speaking, many issues in the frequency response and overall tuning.
I typically steer clear of sound signatures like this, and I believe you should as well. It’s just not a good long-term solution as, even if you like the bass at first, it will become problematic over time due to the overall unevenness of the soundscape, overly boosted bass, and subdued treble. Not a good combo.
In addition to that, both the NightHawk and NightOwl have been discontinued anyway, so there’s no need to seek them out anymore as second hand market prices are likely pretty high.
If you’re looking for headphones that have the right amount of bass emphasis, check out my complete guide:
NEXT: THE BEST HEADPHONES FOR HIP-HOP
Audioquest NightOwl
Price: Check Amazon! | Check eBay!
Specifications
- Type: Closed Back. Closed back vs. Open back headphones.
- Impedance: 25 Ohm. What is Headphone Impedance?
- Sensitivity: 99dB
- Weight: 12.2 Oz.
- Chord Length: 1.3m
- 1/4″ adapter: Yes
- Drivers: 50mm and angled, providing a pain-free listening experience by avoiding contact with your ears. What is a Headphone Driver?
- Volume Control: No
- Noise Cancelling: No
- Bluetooth: No
- Mic for taking calls: No
- iPhone control: No
- Lightning Control: No
- Android Connector: No
Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this Audioquest NightOwl review.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
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Any experience with the now-discontinued NightOwl? NightHawk? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…
All the best and God bless,
-Stu
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Audioquest NightOwl
Pros
- Comfort
- Build
- Soundstage
- Detail retrieval
- Bass
Cons
- Sibilant at times
2 comments
Outstanding NightOwl review… great minds obviously think alike! 🙂
This baby is definitely at the top of my list, not only for its musicality but also because it’s “Numero Uno” in comfort. A friend actually offered to GIVE me the Hifiman 400, but it started to hurt my head after half an hour’s use, so I politely declined.
That said, you recently threw out a profound comment about the 400S: “These things kind of change the way you hear music to be honest.” YES! With the 400’s I wasn’t merely grooving to the sounds but listening very intently, as if each note were hitting my eardrums for the very first time. Don’t know how long this would have kept up—or how long I would have kept listening with such intensity—because I started feeling too much pressure from the headband, and it took me away from the music.
Well, maybe the Nightowl’s aren’t quite as detailed or present, but they’re amazingly “musical,” if you’ll pardon my admittedly subjective use of the term. I’m looking for a long-term relationship with the NightOwl’s, and I expect to spend hours at a time under its spell.
Say, regarding that hint of sibilance you heard, do you think it might have originated from the source music rather than the cans themselves? Is your Spotify stream compressed at 160kbps or 320? (160 compression might very well sound a bit harsh.) I heard absolutely no sibilance using iTunes at 265kbps, but maybe I chose undemanding music.
Anyway, with cans this good I’d be inclined to listen mostly to uncompressed tracks, CD quality or better. But that’s me; your ears may vary.
Based on my admittedly subjective biases, is there another set of cans you think I should be auditioning? I’m “all ears”!
Appreciate your enthusiasm!
Hey Bart!
Yeah I agree about comfort. It’s like little pillows on your head, and that protein leather (or whatever it is), feels amazing to the touch.
I love the 400i and S, but yeah they both can get a tad uncomfortable after awhile. It’s so true about the sound of the 400S though: With this one rap song I’ve heard a bunch of times it was like hearing it for the first time. I would say the Timbre of the instruments and voices really comes through differently. It’s like stuff starts to actually have a character of it’s own.
I would definitely try out the Audeze EL8 Open backs. Amazing articulation and Timbre. Music actually sounds radically different than what I’m used to. It’s almost like a glimpse into the soul of the sound. It’s personality, etc.
-Stu