Tentatively, I have narrowed my iem choices down to the following two: Final E5000 and Periodic Audio Be. Would very much appreciate any input comparing and contrasting these two.

Thank you.

I guess I should have been more clear. I intend to use these iem's with an iPhone 6s in a mobile scenario with or without a dragonfly red.

Thanks for the recommendation, but, unfortunately, it may not work well with just my iPhone 6s. It may require a minimum of something like a dragonfly red with my 6s to drive them adequately.

Thank you.

It may be too much to ask or may not even exist, what iem's equal or less than $300 have a similar sound signature to the NH's with hybrid pads? Any input would be very much appreciated.

I agree with the former.

You are very welcome.

For those of you that find the Nighthawks(original wood circa 2015) overly warm and lacking in treble, you may want to consider swapping in the protein leather earpads(original equipment with Nighthawk Carbon model) that can be bought in the U.S. at the following link below. They may provide...

For those who are evaluating the Nighthawks or Nightowls for the very first time, I highly recommend that they be broken-in for 200-hrs.(min.) to 300-hrs.(max.). After break-in, give yourself a minimum of 3-9 hrs. of brain burn-in time to condition your ears. After doing all of the previously...

Because the NO is a bit brighter than the NH, details are a touch better and the bass is a little tighter. In the end, it is just a different flavor. Despite this, I still love my NH woods.

Yes, comparing the NH wood's with the NO's, I do find that the former is bit warmer than the latter when using the same hybrid earpads.

I am quite pleased with the Blue Dragon. FYI, I use the 5-ft. version. Please see post #44 in the the following link below. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/thoughts-on-the-audioquest-nightowl.853781/page-3#post-14230567

I couldn't agree more. I am currently using the said Blue Dragon cables with my Nighthawks(original wood circa 2015).

Thank you. I already placed an order for the lambskin Pilot Pad for my old school NH's.

Thanks for posting pics of the Pilot Pad and sharing your experiences with them. If anything, at the very least the ZMF pad will preserve the stock headband and prolong it's life. Is your pad the protein or lambskin?

Thank you. I have a relatively small head as well.

Member "philmarcus8" in the link below claims that the mere addition of ZMF's Pilot Pad to the existing Nightowl headband results in a noticeable improvement in sound quality. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/thoughts-on-the-audioquest-nightowl.853781/page-3#post-14226706

Member "philmarcus8" in the link below claims that the mere addition of ZMF's Pilot Pad to the existing Nightowl headband results in a noticeable improvement in sound quality. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/thoughts-on-the-audioquest-nightowl.853781/page-3#post-14226706

Member "philmarcus8" in the link below claims that the mere addition of ZMF's Pilot Pad to the existing Nightowl headband results in a noticeable improvement in sound quality. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/thoughts-on-the-audioquest-nightowl.853781/page-3#post-14226706

The ZMF pilot pad is offered in two cover materials: protein and lambskin. Please confirm that the former is the cow leather.

I am more than just a little bit skeptical of a headband modification that improves sound quality. If it involved a change in earpads, that would be believable. Despite my skepticism, I am open to the possibility.

I decided to stick with the NH's and free up a little disposable income.

The best sounding usb cable that connects my Mojo>CCK 3>iPhone 6s that I have come across is the Curious Cables 280mm Hugo Link for $160. To my ears, it adds just enough detail without being excessive, a bit more clarity and presents sound in a musical and relatively full-bodied manner.

For those who are interested, I am selling my NO's.