Neumann NDH 20 Closed Back Monitoring Professional Studio Headphones Gaming, Mixing, Mastering, Video or Audio Production, Performing,  3M straight cable w 1’8” stereo connector and 1/4” adaptor

Product Information

On paper, these Neumann headphones promise a relatively high impedance. In practice, a high sensitivity ensures this is fit for task even with lower spec headphone amplifiers such as the tech found within your favourite smartphone. I would also like to give a special thanks to Jeff Jent at sweet water for his help though out the many years. There is less roll-off than on the HD6XX series headphones, and deep notes carry almost no distortion or noise. Just like with the NDH 20, Neumann engineers are doing wonders with the Sennheiser 40mm (or 38mm?) driver.

Not so with the Neumann's, as the bass is crystal clear, yet small, as that is the sound of this Album, regarding the bass. Fitment on the fixture was VERY difficult. It would not fully surround the artificial ear, and I could not get it to fully seal no matter what I did. Slight movements and changes would vary the levels but in practice, I noticed frequency response did not substantially change. Still, be on notice that my confidence in measurements are not super high (although EQ settings verified that they were good enough for that purpose). The NDH 30 owes its superior linearity, among other things, to frequency-selective absorbers that eliminate the overemphasis in the high frequencies that leads to incorrect mixing decisions in many other headphones. For example, the NDH 30 will accurately reveal whether a voice sounds muffled or needs a de-esser. Mids...........Neutral, yet, because the tone of the overall sound of the headphone is so flat, there is a perception of dryness to the presentation, as would be expected.

DEALER FINDER

Delivery prices are subject to change and delivery is not guaranteed due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control. One final thing I have to touch upon is the excellent sound insulation properties of these headphones. The NDH 20 delivers and then some in this respect. I really appreciated the superb suppression of external noise while there’s very little leakage of audio from the listeners themselves. Areas of Application The NDH 30 was developed with the aim of making the reference sound of a Neumann studio monitor setup, perfectly calibrated via MA-1, available everywhere in the form of an easily transportable headphone. At the same time, the NDH 30 forms its own sound reference in terms of headphone reproduction, which has become a key to success with the consumer. Its superior sound characteristics make the NDH 30 the first choice for mixing and mastering. Thanks to its high long-term comfort, it is just as excellently suited to high-precision editing. In my opinion, this headphone is exactly what its designed to be.........a studio monitor on your head, first and foremost, and an Audiophile tool for those who prefer flat and clear, vs sweet, or rich, or overly extended. Overall Tone of this headphone? > Flat and very clear with ample resolution and a nice soundstage for a closed set of headphones.

Let me tell you exactly the sound of these headphones, as when i first started listening hours ago, i recognized such a similarity with another set of headphones. Versteht mich nicht falsch, auch ohne die Monitore machen die Kopfhörer einen hervorragenden Job. Sie sitzen bequem, trotz des Gewichts, sie sind absolut tadellos verarbeitet und der Sound ist so präzise, wie ich es noch nie vorher gehört habe. Jede kleine Veränderung am Mix stellen diese Kopfhörer direkt dar. PS My new record that I just finished working on in a professional studio for the last 3 years sounds AWESOME with these phones However, if there's one other part that rivals the microphone in significance, it's the monitoring system. No self‑respecting studio can afford to skimp in this area either, and in 2005, Neumann's parent company Sennheiser acquired German loudspeaker manufacturers Klein+Hummel. Four years later, the studio monitor arm of K+H was folded into the Neumann stable, and since then, there have been numerous loudspeaker releases under the Neumann brand. These have built on K+H's already strong reputation to develop a very highly regarded product portfolio.

Customer Reviews

The spatial resolution is impressive. The NDH 30 allows razor-sharp localization in the stereo panorama and makes the depth of the mix evident. To minimize channel crosstalk, the NDH 30 is supplied with a high-quality, cloth covered cable that is internally balanced. Part of a Successful Family In short, as long as your work has the bass response you're after then it should come across, especially since the isolation on NDH 20 is close to anechoic but in a good way. As for mids-proper – wonderful! Clean, linear, and very detailed. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter how spectacular is any other aspect of a headphone if the mids aren’t right. And “right” is an understatement here. With the right recording, the Neumann NDH 30 deliver the goods here. Treble I had to play a lot with these dials as the sound wound up being too bright after my initial correction. I was mostly happy with it but not quite there. It is possible some would prefer the heavier bass response.

There is one credible video review online and the reviewer cites their sound as dead flat and amazing. The NDH 20 uses newly designed drivers (38 mm/1.5”) with high-gauss neodymium magnets to ensure high sensitivity and minimized distortion, thus allowing the user to listen to the pure audio signal without unwanted coloration. The mechanical construction, too, meets the highest standards. The adjustable headband is made of flexible steel while the ear cup covers are machined from lightweight aluminum. For easy transportation the headphone is foldable and can be placed into the supplied soft cloth bag. Two detachable cables (one straight, one coiled) and a 6.3 mm (1/4”) adapter are also included. Applications The removable headphone cable is light but has this spring action to it that was annoying. I literally had to put something on top of it on my desk to keep it from interfering with my mouse. Neumann states that these headphones sound like their monitor speakers calibrated to flat in a treated control room. The NDH 30 can be folded flat for transportation, but there is no hard case. The Neumann acoustic engineers took the historically awesome Sennheiser HD 650 as their sonic reference point, re-balancing the sound to squeeze out the added bass warmth from the 650s and achieve a balanced tuning that’s as faithful as possible to the original recording. This is where the “pro” element of these headphones comes through."""Warum nun sind Sie eine tolle Ergänzung zum KH120 (oder die KH120 eine tolle Ergänzung zu diesen Kopfhörern) ? Weil Frequenzgang, die Charakteristik der Wiedergabe, fast identisch ist. Mische ich etwa auf den Kopfhörern, kann ich mir sicher sein, dass auf den Monitoren nichts überspitzt oder zu unterschwellig wird, ohne das ich es möchte. Genauso geht es auch anders herum. Kann ich aus verschiedenen Gründen nicht über die Monitore mischen, dann sind es die Kopfhörer, die mir genau zeigen, wie es auf den Monitoren klingen würde, addiert mit etwas mehr Tiefen. Das bringt mir vor allem Kontrolle im Low-End, wenn ich keinen Subwoofer habe. In the world of microphones, Neumann's reputation is unmatched. Does their first‑ever pair of headphones live up to the name? Sie haben einen sehr linearen Klang, manch einer würde sagen, Sie wummern sehr, weil sie untenrum ebenso stark klingen, wie obenrum präzise. Aber bei aller Stärke sind sie nie ungenau, ich kann immer genau hören, wo etwas brummt, überschneidet oder unsauber klingt. In the case of these headphones, you have a very (perceived) flat response, yet, the clarity is almost hyped.

Transients are reproduced in a powerful way with these headphones, but don’t demonstrate the same level of precision as headphones at a similar level of technical spec. Also, the stereo image suffers a little from the more muted sound character of the NDH 20. The stereo stage comes across a little limited and seems somewhat narrow, even when playing productions that are synonymous with extreme stereo expansion. Think for example current EDM songs. I suspect that once again, this is totally related to the gear being used, with the "treble enhanced" reviewer using something that is SS and bass lean.While most of the frequency spectrum on the NDH 30 is faithfully reproduced, they have a curious upper-mid scoop starting at 1.5kHz right up to 3.5kHz. Audibly, it makes the overall tonality calmer and inoffensive but also robs voices, strings, and synths of their bite. Thus the listening experience is very easy on the ears but also quite uninvolving. Technicalities Note: The measurements you are about to see are made using a standardized Gras 45C. Headphone measurements by definition are approximate and variable so don't be surprised if other measurements even if performed with the same fixtures as mine, differ in end results. Protocols vary such as headband pressure and averaging (which I don't do). As you will see, I confirm the approximate accuracy of the measurements using Equalization and listening tests. Ultimately headphone measurements are less exact than speakers mostly in bass and above a few kilohertz so keep that in mind as you read these tests. If you think you have an exact idea of a headphone performance, you are likely wrong! As with many things, your opinion of the NDH 30 will depend on your expectations. No, they aren’t the second coming of HD650. We can all settle down and resume dreaming. They are, however, a pair of decently proficient modern headphones – with one serious flaw. If you have owned the HiFiMann HE - 300s, then you will recognize much of what the Neumann is presenting. So, if you liked that set of headphones, but found them bass lite and a bit veiled, then you will love these Neumann's.