Neumann KH 150 Monitor Review

[VTKZ]

Haha :- D

I planned the enclosure with the help of my home theater forum. Additionally, I used ChatGPT for the necessary calculations and compared them with official subwoofer calculators. After that, I just passed the measurements on to my carpenter, and that was it.

Building a subwoofer is actually easy. Of course, you need to know how to solder, but anyone can manage drilling two holes for the connectors and securing the chassis with sealing tape and screws.

Not even 2000 € for four finished subwoofers with everything included (without the amplifier, of course) – where else can you find something like that? If you're interested in the chassis: Scan-Speak Discovery 30W/4558T00

*And when it don't go as planned, you have at least the coffee machine

 

[40th Anniversary]

Haha :- D

I planned the enclosure with the help of my home theater forum. Additionally, I used ChatGPT for the necessary calculations and compared them with official subwoofer calculators. After that, I just passed the measurements on to my carpenter, and that was it.

Building a subwoofer is actually easy. Of course, you need to know how to solder, but anyone can manage drilling two holes for the connectors and securing the chassis with sealing tape and screws.

Not even 2000 € for four finished subwoofers with everything included (without the amplifier, of course) – where else can you find something like that? If you're interested in the chassis: Scan-Speak Discovery 30W/4558T00

*And when it don't go as planned, you have at least the coffee machine

View attachment 491005

Just looked at the price of the driver: with taxes almost $600 Can. Then add an amp + get a box built. Yours looks beautiful! I like!

 

[VTKZ]

Just looked at the price of the driver: with taxes almost $600 Can. Then add an amp + get a box built. Yours looks beautiful! I like!

You can of course also use different ones. I think a good 200,- one will also give an great result.

I paid 1180,- € = 295,- per Driver

 

[40th Anniversary]

Ok! I give up!
I decided to move my KH150 here and there in the house all the while respecting the 'near field' monitor position.
Executing outside the box so to speak.....but thinking inside the box as Neumann suggests.....and as others did on this forum.

Result(s): it sounds amazing in every room from 6 or so feet away from the speakers.

It is currently in my basement system where I listen to music and watch TV (movies, etc).
Sony TV is not huge, 40 inches, circa 2007 and still going strong - I'd like it to fail so I can get a newer bigger TV. But I digress.

The speakers are sitting way closer than "my" convention would suggests, but within distances as suggested by Neumann and others on this post (sorry for repeating myself). Not sure what the wife will think in time.

Result: I'm not bound by room interactions as much. It sounds awesome to my ears with everything going through my RME ADI-2 DAC. And as I was discussing my SEAS A26 clones on other forums, I discovered this setup manages the disappear act (material dependant) as I don't hear 'boxes' emanating sound, just a soundstage of sorts. What a discovery as my advanced age.

A friend of mine has Diptyque speakers and it truly is a wall of sound, sort of like a live concert in your sound room. I love them.
If I get rid of most of my gear, I would settle on the KH 150s and a pair of Diptyque planar speakers = both of these speakers literally impress me so much.

Things are going soooo well with the KH150 that I may delay my purchase of the MA-1 calibration microphone @ $400 + taxes Canadian. For now....

 

[Pearljam5000]

Ok! I give up!
I decided to move my KH150 here and there in the house all the while respecting the 'near field' monitor position.
Executing outside the box so to speak.....but thinking inside the box as Neumann suggests.....and as others did on this forum.

Result(s): it sounds amazing in every room from 6 or so feet away from the speakers.

It is currently in my basement system where I listen to music and watch TV (movies, etc).
Sony TV is not huge, 40 inches, circa 2007 and still going strong - I'd like it to fail so I can get a newer bigger TV. But I digress.

The speakers are sitting way closer than "my" convention would suggests, but within distances as suggested by Neumann and others on this post (sorry for repeating myself). Not sure what the wife will think in time.

Result: I'm not bound by room interactions as much. It sounds awesome to my ears with everything going through my RME ADI-2 DAC. And as I was discussing my SEAS A26 clones on other forums, I discovered this setup manages the disappear act (material dependant) as I don't hear 'boxes' emanating sound, just a soundstage of sorts. What a discovery as my advanced age.

A friend of mine has Diptyque speakers and it truly is a wall of sound, sort of like a live concert in your sound room. I love them.
If I get rid of most of my gear, I would settle on the KH 150s and a pair of Diptyque planar speakers = both of these speakers literally impress me so much.

Things are going soooo well with the KH150 that I may delay my purchase of the MA-1 calibration microphone @ $400 + taxes Canadian. For now....

Add subs and you're done

 

[40th Anniversary]

Add subs and you're done

Frig...you are reading my mind as I make my way up the mine field.

Now, mind you, in my smaller office, no sub(s) needed. The walls are a shaking with the right material. It is uncanny how the KH150 improves in a smaller room.

In my basement system I must concur, with the speakers out in the open, a sub is needed.

Do I splurge on a KH750 with MA-1 or simply get an REL T7x and call it a day?
There is a huge différence between in price as you can guess!

 

[Ktacos]

Frig...you are reading my mind as I make my way up the mine field.

Now, mind you, in my smaller office, no sub(s) needed. The walls are a shaking with the right material. It is uncanny how the KH150 improves in a smaller room.

In my basement system I must concur, with the speakers out in the open, a sub is needed.

Do I splurge on a KH750 with MA-1 or simply get an REL T7x and call it a day?
There is a huge différence between in price as you can guess!

I wouldn't put REL in the same conversation as Neumann or really any other modern sub manufacturer. Idk how but REL has managed to continue their legacy of massively overpriced subs that are stuck in the past thanks to audiophool nonsense. $1200 for an 8" sub with no DSP is bonkers. You can buy multiple subwoofers from other companies that will have larger cones, more amplification power, and DSP for the cost of one T7X.

You can read their feelings on DSP here, it's just the same drivel every other scummy company uses. Not to mention their stacked subs seem to imply they don't really know how bass in rooms works. Oh well.

What is DSP?

What is DSP? Learn how Digital Signal Processing improves bass and clarity. Discover applications today—enhance your listening experience.

rel.net

MA-1's corrections are very good, very transparent. I wouldn't say Neumanns subs present the best value either, but you paying extra to know everything in your chain works exceptionally well together through an automated EQ system which is definitely worth it for many.

 

[VTKZ]

Frig...you are reading my mind as I make my way up the mine field.

Now, mind you, in my smaller office, no sub(s) needed. The walls are a shaking with the right material. It is uncanny how the KH150 improves in a smaller room.

In my basement system I must concur, with the speakers out in the open, a sub is needed.

Do I splurge on a KH750 with MA-1 or simply get an REL T7x and call it a day?
There is a huge différence between in price as you can guess!

REL are good in one thing : marketing and giving Reviewers free pieces to say just the nicest things about it. Nearly all Sub reviews on YT are from REL.

The Prices of their subs are way too much for what the are, i mean everyone can build a closed, sealed Sub. Thats no magic with nowadays calculators and available build plans
As written before, 1200 eur for an 8" and 200 W and nothing else... How people fell for this..
there are no musical subs out there (what their saying) or other nonsense whatever is said in connection with REL. And without DSP you cant get an perfect performance anyway. The KH750 is also expensive but got at least the MA1.

DIY Subs (+ external DSP & Amp) are always cheaper where get more quality for less money. Specially because one sub alone is (imo) not a good option, at least two.

But everyone has to decide that for themselves. I'm always very skeptical of products that every reviewer on YouTube gets sent to them. Whether it's Valerion projectors, REL subwoofers, or other products that can be found on multiple YouTube channels...
Simply question things from time to time and consider what other options are available. Anyone can buy ready-made products, of course, but whether that's always the "best" option... I don't know, especially when it comes to subwoofers.

 

[40th Anniversary]

Well, sub.....
It will be a next step sooner or later.
I did try an REL T5i a few years ago and it was magical how it expanded the soundstage with my 'then' system.

The issue I had was that it worked well with one song, then it felt over boosted on the next song; then dead flat as the playlist progressed: it just seemed like it was all over the place. But when a song was dialled in, it was very nice.
Now overpriced? Ok. In Canada I haven't priced them lately but they seemed affordable a few years ago...like $700 or $800 Cdn.
Neuman KH 750 is $2695 list price.

With Black Friday sales coming up, I'll see what discounts will be offered. As I write this, I've spent time trying different things with speaker placement in my home.
Tonight I took out an old CD from '88, a Windham Hill compilation of sorts and listened to a few tunes. WOW....my system has really improved over the years. I remember listening to this in '88 and it sounded ok. But now it is so much better with the newer gear, I'm so smitten.

I may put the 'sub' on pause for now and just enjoy the Neumanns as they are.
And honestly, in my office room, I would not add a sub: the KH150s are plenty on their own!

 

[staticV3]

The issue I had was that it worked well with one song, then it felt over boosted on the next song; then dead flat as the playlist progressed: it just seemed like it was all over the place.

That's not an issue specific to a certain subwoofer model:

Elac debut 2.0 6.2 bass question.

Hey all, long time reader and I've finally had something that's been bothering me so I made an account for some hopeful insight. I have the elac debut 2.0 in my kitchen set up. I have a Sony av320 stereo receiver hooked to it. Almost every song sounds great through it. I let my phone play...

www.audiosciencereview.com

The issue was likely lack of sub integration and room correction.

 

[Trangbar]

I am considering using the KH150 (along with 2 subs) with my miniDSP SHD. Would it be best to use the digital out of the SHD to the KH150 rather than the analog? Or, is the resolution so good, it does not matter if KH150 signals go through two digital conversions?

Thanks for any insight on this.

 

[VTKZ]

I am considering using the KH150 (along with 2 subs) with my miniDSP SHD. Would it be best to use the digital out of the SHD to the KH150 rather than the analog? Or, is the resolution so good, it does not matter if KH150 signals go through two digital conversions?

Thanks for any insight on this.

This is somewhat a matter of belief - you really have to try it out for yourself. Some say the monitors are too revealing and will directly expose such double conversions as a negative - on the other hand, a friend of mine sent his signal through two processors/converters before his Genelecs, and it still sounds flawless. Personally, I think that a good subwoofer integration has far greater benefits, and that this two conversions arent realy an issue / it’s definitely worth it to test it out.

I personally would just use all he 4x XLR outputs from the SHD and do all the alignment in the mini dsp

 

[tmtomh]

This is somewhat a matter of belief - you really have to try it out for yourself. Some say the monitors are too revealing and will directly expose such double conversions as a negative - on the other hand, a friend of mine sent his signal through two processors/converters before his Genelecs, and it still sounds flawless. Personally, I think that a good subwoofer integration has far greater benefits, and that this two conversions arent realy an issue / it’s definitely worth it to test it out.

I personally would just use all he 4x XLR outputs from the SHD and do all the alignment in the mini dsp

I agree - although I'd add that this is a matter of belief, unless or until you properly test it. After that it's usually pretty clear-cut.

 

[markstein]

I am considering using the KH150 (along with 2 subs) with my miniDSP SHD. Would it be best to use the digital out of the SHD to the KH150 rather than the analog? Or, is the resolution so good, it does not matter if KH150 signals go through two digital conversions?

Thanks for any insight on this.

Why use the analog instead of the digital out? No conversion is always better than two conversions.

Are there any functionality constraints when using digital out?

As the SHD samples all content to 96kHz there should be no timing issue between mixed digital/analog outputs when using input signals with different sample rates.

 

[Trangbar]

Why use the analog instead of the digital out? No conversion is always better than two conversions.

Are there any functionality constraints when using digital out?

As the SHD samples all content to 96kHz there should be no timing issue between mixed digital/analog outputs when using input signals with different sample rates.

No real reason - I just wondered if I needed to buy some longer digital cables! Lol! Yeah the SHD sends out the DSP'd digital out so I think that is the "better" option.

 

[Pritaudio]

Has the firmware been fixed.
Do the speakers still not turn on.

 

[mcochris]

I'm really enjoying them paired with a KH 805 II:

And the MA 1 worked it's magic:

Mini PC -> USB -> Yamaha CD-S3000 DAC -> Yamaha C-5000 preamp -> Blue Jeans XLR balanced cables -> KH 805 II -> XLR -> KH 150 -> ears

Eye candy provided by Minimeters and MAAT go

 

[40th Anniversary]

Has the firmware been fixed.
Do the speakers still not turn on.

My KH150, about 1 year old, turn on and off automatically. Never had an issue....fingers crossed.

 

[Karmacoma]

My KH150, about 1 year old, turn on and off automatically. Never had an issue....fingers crossed.

2 years in still in love with them, never had an issue but I'm using XLR's, and the issue was reported with the digital input.

 

[40th Anniversary]

2 years in still in love with them, never had an issue but I'm using XLR's, and the issue was reported with the digital input.

Ah....! I'm on XLR input as well. Thanks for the clarification