Neumann KH 150 Monitor Review

[mj30250]

If budget allows think about a RME ADI2 DAC. It has both tone controls and an adjustable loudness and many more useful features.

Yeah, that's an awesome DAC, but the price is pretty hard to swallow in what ultimately amounts to a desktop setup for pleasure listening. I already went plenty goofy and abused my bank account with the speakers themselves.

I don't know that I'm really after straight tone controls as much as a suitable loudness curve. As I mentioned yesterday, after addressing the fact that Windows was mucking up my speaker noises, I'm quite satisfied now, but would still welcome a bit more bass cushion and presence at lower volumes. Once I have an opportunity to run through MA 1 later this week / weekend I'll see if I can come up with a suitable "set it and forget it" target curve. Otherwise, I am absolutely thrilled with the 150s for nearfield use. In this application they strike me as true reference quality speakers that put the sound quality burden completely on the recording that you're feeding them, and not on themselves.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Is it a mistake to buy the KH150 if you don't plan to buy the MA1

 

[jean-benoit]

Is it a mistake to buy the KH150 if you don't plan to buy the MA1

no, you can always add the MA1 later, if you need it.

 

[thewas]

Is it a mistake to buy the KH150 if you don't plan to buy the MA1

Room correction can be also done on a high level with other free or non-free tools.

 

[mj30250]

Is it a mistake to buy the KH150 if you don't plan to buy the MA1

I'd say no, but I suppose it depends on a few factors.

I haven't touched MA 1 yet and even if I didn't plan to (I do) I'd still be extremely pleased and satisfied with the speakers. From that standpoint, I wouldn't consider it a waste at all. The speakers are still brilliantly engineered and executed and the internal DSP is obviously a key component of that, whether you engage in room correction or not.

There are also other tools available that could work just as well with the 150s as MA 1 (or perhaps even better), they just require (much) more user input, knowledge, experience, equipment, and time to get working properly.

At that point it's a matter of performance to cost. If you plan to either perform your own 3rd party room correction or none at all, the question then becomes whether you can otherwise find as good or better speakers for your application at the same (or lower) cost.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

I think if you already made the big invest for the speakers the additional 200 bucks on the MA1 are relatively small in comparison and you make use of the built in RoomEQ DSP for which you paid for. Sure you can do RoomEQ with UMIK and RPi4 Camilla or APO for ca 100 bucks.
(And as I learned today one can use the MA1 mic also with REW and download a calibration file for it from Neumann - so the difference is really only 100 bucks. Personally I got the MA1 for my humble office KH80/KH750).

 

[J-B]

To me it would be a mistake to not invest in MA-1 when getting these speakers.
I have such good results from it (better than alternatives like Sonarworks and Dirac) + you have the convenience of having the calibration stored inside the speakers.
It always improves the speakers (most of us don't have a PERFECT room).

 

[Berlin]

To me it would be a mistake to not invest in MA-1 when getting these speakers.
I have such good results from it (better than alternatives like Sonarworks and Dirac) + you have the convenience of having the calibration stored inside the speakers.
It always improves the speakers (most of us don't have a PERFECT room).

If I understand correctly, an audio interface is needed to use MA-1. What would be a reasonable device..?

 

[enricoclaudio]

If I understand correctly, an audio interface is needed to use MA-1. What would be a reasonable device..?

Any audio interface with XLR (balanced) input and 48V phantom power would work. I use a RME Fireface UCX-II but a cheap Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen would work the same.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Any audio interface with XLR (balanced) input and 48V phantom power would work. I use a RME Fireface UCX-II but a cheap Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen would work the same.

With GLM nothing more is needed than the kit itself, no?

 

[RobL]

With GLM nothing more is needed than the kit itself, no?

Kit plus laptop

 

[enricoclaudio]

With GLM nothing more is needed than the kit itself, no?

GLM mic is exclusively for use with GLM software. The Neumann's MA1 mic can be used with third party calibration/RTA softwares, including REW.

 

[Trell]

GLM mic is exclusively for use with GLM software. The Neumann's MA1 mic can be used with third party calibration/RTA softwares, including REW.

Is a calibration file for the MA-1 available? As you write it could have a nice secondary usage for those that do not have a measurement microphone already, unlike the GLM Kit microphone that stays packed down.

 

[enricoclaudio]

Is a calibration file for the MA-1 available?

Yes, go to the link bellow and put in your MA1 mic's serial number to get the calibration file in TXT format.

MA 1

MA 1 - - KH 420,KH 310 A,KH 120 A G,KH 750 DSP,KH 80 DSP A G,KH 120 A W,KH 420 + DIM 1,KH 120 D G,KH 310 D,KH 80 DSP A W,Electronics - Sennheiser Discover True Sound

en-de.neumann.com

 

[DJBonoBobo]

Yes, go to the link bellow and put in your MA1 mic's serial number to get the calibration file in TXT format.

MA 1

MA 1 - - KH 420,KH 310 A,KH 120 A G,KH 750 DSP,KH 80 DSP A G,KH 120 A W,KH 420 + DIM 1,KH 120 D G,KH 310 D,KH 80 DSP A W,Electronics - Sennheiser Discover True Sound

en-de.neumann.com

Yes, but you have to invert the values manually to use it with REW.

 

[enricoclaudio]

Yes, but you have to invert the values manually to use it with REW.

Yes, forgot about that. You can easily do it with an Excel spreadsheet, though.

 

[enricoclaudio]

Anyone who doesn't own a MA1 mic and want to try downloading the calibration files, you can use this serial number from Sweetwater MA1 mic.

 

[Pearljam5000]

What happens if the MA1 or GLM microphone is not perfect or defective or something
Does it mean the whole calibration will be off?

 

[enricoclaudio]

What happens if the MA1 or GLM microphone is not perfect or defective or something
Does it mean the whole calibration will be off?

The only way to know if a calibrated mic is defective is taking measurements with another calibrated mic and compare results. I have miniDSP UMIK-1, UMIK-2 and Earthworks M30 mics and I get almost identical results with the three mics.

 

[neunoir]

Any audio interface with XLR (balanced) input and 48V phantom power would work. I use a RME Fireface UCX-II but a cheap Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen would work the same.

I bought a Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd gen for this. Works fine indeed.
I have to say I underestimated/was a bit disappointed by all the stuff needed to get it to work though (audio interface, network switch, ethernet cables, analog cables to subwoofer) Alle extra costs on top of the E250.