Game changing headphones - NDH30
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Lost to the Void
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Game changing headphones - NDH30
Ok, TLDR these are a strong recommend from me.
If your production abilities are strong but you are still having problems, and you think it might be down to monitoring, and you are at that stage where you are facing massive investment and assache from room treatment and/or much more expensive monitoring, these are the solution. They are very expensive, but perform at a level close the stuff like Audeze MM500`s at 3 times the price.
They give a TRUE full range sound with accurate transient response and you can make confident mix decisions with them that will translate to reference level monitoring.
Long version, I spent this year upgrading my mastering room. This involved a rather fundamental change in the arrangement of the room, from a Bob Katz style Digital Domain Room 1 mastering space to a configuration of my own making, a sort of blend of the Katz style and traditional analog mastering room. Anyway, once doing this it meant the listening position had changed someone, and the acoustics of the room needed adjustment.
Along with this the company that makes my mastering speakers sent me the new v2 amps and crossovers to fit, which also changed the audible performance of the room. I also bought a lot of bucket list analogue processing, but that`s less relevant to the monitoring.
Anyway, the result of all of this, once all the acoustics had been adjusted and I learned what was effectively an entirely new space and sound, I realised I
was getting a much more detailed sound. Any mix issues became immediately obvious.
I produce in a separate room, and as some of you probably know, although I have good monitoring there, I generally prefer to produce on headphones, as I like to be fully immersed in the music. Anyway, I was starting to notice more issues with my productions when taking them into the mastering room.
Checking back and forth between the mastering and production room I realised I couldn`t really fully hear these problems on the headphones I was using, though they became more obvious on the monitors.
Now my headphones were OLLO S4X, which are exceedingly good headphones, easily leaders at that price point. But they fall slightly short in transient accuracy in the mids and lows, mainly when you are straining their capabilities with a very dynamic bassy music (I`m doing drum and bass mostly).
So I had to face the fact that my ears were used to the new mastering room, where I spend most of my audio time. And thus I needed to upgrade my headphones.
I really didn`t want to, I`ve spent a ridiculous amount of money on the studio this year. Riiiidiculous.
However. After some demos and research I settled on the Neumann NDH30`s. And they are perfect.
They are truly a reference level headphone, and game changer in that the low end extension is both full range AND transient accurate. The holy grail of monitoring. Moreover they remain transient accurate under bass load.
I can now hear the problems with those troublesome mixes IMMEDIATELY. Which is great, but also despairing as I need to step up my production, luckily the solutions are also immediately obvious.
No hype, no sponsorship, these are fucking good. Really the only direct competition I have tried would be the Audeze MM500. Those things are stunning, and also £1500. There are also the Focal Clear MG Professional, but actually they don`t quite have the low end transient accuracy of the NDH30`s.
Now they ARE expensive, but compared to a set of reference nearfields and room treatment, they suddenly look more affordable.
However the fact of the matter is, with a set of these, providing you have the skills to match the fidelity of the sound, you will be able to make accurate mix decisions without worrying if you are getting accurate monitoring.
You can also run them quiet, as you don`t need to push them to get the transients to punch at you.
No more guesswork!
If your production abilities are strong but you are still having problems, and you think it might be down to monitoring, and you are at that stage where you are facing massive investment and assache from room treatment and/or much more expensive monitoring, these are the solution. They are very expensive, but perform at a level close the stuff like Audeze MM500`s at 3 times the price.
They give a TRUE full range sound with accurate transient response and you can make confident mix decisions with them that will translate to reference level monitoring.
Long version, I spent this year upgrading my mastering room. This involved a rather fundamental change in the arrangement of the room, from a Bob Katz style Digital Domain Room 1 mastering space to a configuration of my own making, a sort of blend of the Katz style and traditional analog mastering room. Anyway, once doing this it meant the listening position had changed someone, and the acoustics of the room needed adjustment.
Along with this the company that makes my mastering speakers sent me the new v2 amps and crossovers to fit, which also changed the audible performance of the room. I also bought a lot of bucket list analogue processing, but that`s less relevant to the monitoring.
Anyway, the result of all of this, once all the acoustics had been adjusted and I learned what was effectively an entirely new space and sound, I realised I
was getting a much more detailed sound. Any mix issues became immediately obvious.
I produce in a separate room, and as some of you probably know, although I have good monitoring there, I generally prefer to produce on headphones, as I like to be fully immersed in the music. Anyway, I was starting to notice more issues with my productions when taking them into the mastering room.
Checking back and forth between the mastering and production room I realised I couldn`t really fully hear these problems on the headphones I was using, though they became more obvious on the monitors.
Now my headphones were OLLO S4X, which are exceedingly good headphones, easily leaders at that price point. But they fall slightly short in transient accuracy in the mids and lows, mainly when you are straining their capabilities with a very dynamic bassy music (I`m doing drum and bass mostly).
So I had to face the fact that my ears were used to the new mastering room, where I spend most of my audio time. And thus I needed to upgrade my headphones.
I really didn`t want to, I`ve spent a ridiculous amount of money on the studio this year. Riiiidiculous.
However. After some demos and research I settled on the Neumann NDH30`s. And they are perfect.
They are truly a reference level headphone, and game changer in that the low end extension is both full range AND transient accurate. The holy grail of monitoring. Moreover they remain transient accurate under bass load.
I can now hear the problems with those troublesome mixes IMMEDIATELY. Which is great, but also despairing as I need to step up my production, luckily the solutions are also immediately obvious.
No hype, no sponsorship, these are fucking good. Really the only direct competition I have tried would be the Audeze MM500. Those things are stunning, and also £1500. There are also the Focal Clear MG Professional, but actually they don`t quite have the low end transient accuracy of the NDH30`s.
Now they ARE expensive, but compared to a set of reference nearfields and room treatment, they suddenly look more affordable.
However the fact of the matter is, with a set of these, providing you have the skills to match the fidelity of the sound, you will be able to make accurate mix decisions without worrying if you are getting accurate monitoring.
You can also run them quiet, as you don`t need to push them to get the transients to punch at you.
No more guesswork!
Re: Game changing headphones - NDH30
Interesting! I'll go check them out as a few local dealers sell them.
Would your recommend a separate headphone amp with them or is the soundcard amp enough? My current soundcard (SSL2) has a pretty good amp though.
Would your recommend a separate headphone amp with them or is the soundcard amp enough? My current soundcard (SSL2) has a pretty good amp though.
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Re: Game changing headphones - NDH30
Neumann really make some excellent products.
Steve, did you try the closed back version of them?
Steve, did you try the closed back version of them?
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Lost to the Void
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Re: Game changing headphones - NDH30
No, I don't like closed back headphones, have no need of them either.
Apparently they are good though.
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Re: Game changing headphones - NDH30
I actually have the closed back version, NDH-20, in house right now. My first impression is that they have a very very weird midrange: thin, and somehow simultaneously recessed and too loud. Possibly this is due to some weird peaks and valleys resulting from being closed. I’m going to spend some more time with them (and trying EQ) hoping for a revelation, but so far I wouldn’t recommend them.
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Re: Game changing headphones - NDH30
A month later I still can’t recommend the NDH-20, sadly. Even with EQ the mods are recessed - in the sense of sounding distant, not just quiet. A related issue, I believe is something weird where they portray the stereo field in an extreme way, and the center is thinned out somehow. It’s very odd.
They also don’t have sufficient bass, although what’s there is quite clear.
They do portray dynamics extremely well though, better than any headphone I’ve heard. I was listening to some jazz and was taken aback by the dynamics of the sax and trumpet on a song I know well.
Hopefully when my new studio is done and I don’t need closed back phones any more, I can try the NDH-30, which apparently are fantastic.
They also don’t have sufficient bass, although what’s there is quite clear.
They do portray dynamics extremely well though, better than any headphone I’ve heard. I was listening to some jazz and was taken aback by the dynamics of the sax and trumpet on a song I know well.
Hopefully when my new studio is done and I don’t need closed back phones any more, I can try the NDH-30, which apparently are fantastic.