I use the Hawks in my second system and think highly of them. They communicate well, have a great mid range and a surprising amount of bass.
To get the most out of the Hawks (due to their inefficiency) i would recommend around 100w of amplification. Surprisingly, the addition of 'Beaks" was also helpful. The beaks can be placed on the inner or outer edge depending on whether you want more focus or a wider soundstage.
Re Hawks vs. Forest - the Forest is clearly superior in the bass arena, but for the mid range i liked the Hawks better. Audiobroke mentioned mid range 'liquidity' which i feel is on the money.
To get the most out of the Hawks (due to their inefficiency) i would recommend around 100w of amplification. Surprisingly, the addition of 'Beaks" was also helpful. The beaks can be placed on the inner or outer edge depending on whether you want more focus or a wider soundstage.
Re Hawks vs. Forest - the Forest is clearly superior in the bass arena, but for the mid range i liked the Hawks better. Audiobroke mentioned mid range 'liquidity' which i feel is on the money.