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Neumann KH 150 Monitor Review

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Those are somewhat irrelevant considerations. Ports don't have problems beyond leaking midrange if poorly damped or producing noise if pushed to produce high output, again if poorly designed (specifically about the shape size and length of the port).

The "TLs aren't resonators" comment doesn't make sense. What else happens in a speaker? http://www.t-linespeakers.org/design/MJK-for-dummies/index.html

With both ports and TLs you are effectively seeking to extend bass response. And we know that bass is room dominated and needs to be, at a minimum, EQed. So apart from looking at relative things like output capability vs. distortion and extension (where a sub is suggested anyway), the low end of a speaker is not a good place to start.

The biggest immediately audible and useful comparisons for speakers will be in MF/HF. Keeping the room in mind, and being conservative, that means >500-1kHz if we want to be fair and not bias one speaker or the other due to the problems caused by SBIR.

The PMC has an offset tweeter, which will effectively narrow the optimum listening position and unbalance off axis response. Beyond that, the single good example of measurements we have for one of their products, which has a centered tweeter, performed very poorly:

Definitely.

Don't mean to take this off topic but your comment on the offset tweeter, I have recently done some sort of ATC style thee ways with offset tweeter. I do feel like the center image is very narrow. Things sound kind of nebulous. I guess I just kinda took visual stock in troels graveson and ATC's driver placement when I should've done a bit more research. I was under impression this would help with edge diffraction. Do you have any info on driver placement on baffles in regards to imaging?

I've very much considered scrapping the boxes and building a new speaker utilizing the woofer and mid but using a waveguided tweeter.
 
Don't mean to take this off topic but your comment on the offset tweeter, I have recently done some sort of ATC style thee ways with offset tweeter. I do feel like the center image is very narrow. Things sound kind of nebulous. I guess I just kinda took visual stock in troels graveson and ATC's driver placement when I should've done a bit more research. I was under impression this would help with edge diffraction. Do you have any info on driver placement on baffles in regards to imaging?

I've very much considered scrapping the boxes and building a new speaker utilizing the woofer and mid but using a waveguided tweeter.
I apologize I don't have time to say more. I think you're on the right path.

Here is a good investigation: https://heissmann-acoustics.de/en/kantendiffraktion-sekundaerschallquellen-treiberanordnun/

The conclusions in action: https://heissmann-acoustics.de/en/dxt-mon-vs-neumann-kh-120a/

Build thread by someone who tried it: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ild-of-the-heissmann-acoustics-dxt-mon.18552/
 
By the way since I am going to get a KH150 + KH750DSP I have some "related" questions.

- About the digital output: What do you recommend for best quality into output into these speakers from the computer:
I am between: Topping D10, Matrix S-SPDIF3, Focusrite Scarlett 8i6, Clarett plus 4pre, Ifi Zen Stream, or even a WiiM Pro Receptor. Is there any other option? I love RME products but I think is an overkill (and really expensive) for just using digital output. Also between all those options should I get the cheaper one, or it could be any difference in sound quality besides I will use digital output and most of the work will be done by DAC Used in the Neumanns?

- About the cables: Any good RCA coaxial cable that should use or recommend?

- Also I am looking for floor stands since they are a bit big, I was Looking into Kanto Stands (SP26L, SX22), there are any other good looking/compatible floor stands for the KH150?

- Should I get a Isoacoustics isolation for the sub for the floor? Probably yes but just asking if worth it.

- And last one if anyone know how long are the power cables included in the neumann to know If I need to look for another ones (more length/larger), just to be prepared in case the length is not enough for where I have my power plug.

Thanks all and sorry for lot of questions.
 
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love RME products but I think is an overkill (and really expensive) for just using digital output
What about their DSP features, versatility, engineering quality, driver stability, support?
 
By the way since I am going to get a KH150 + KH750DSP I have some "related" questions.

- About the digital output: What do you recommend for best quality into output into these speakers from the computer:
I am between: Topping D10, Matrix S-SPDIF3, Focusrite Scarlett 8i6, Clarett plus 4pre, Ifi Zen Stream, or even a WiiM Pro Receptor. Is there any other option? I love RME products but I think is an overkill (and really expensive) for just using digital output. Also between all those options should I get the cheaper one, or it could be any difference in sound quality besides I will use digital output and most of the work will be done by DAC Used in the Neumanns?

- About the cables: Any good RCA coaxial cable that should use or recommend?

- Also I am looking for floor stands since they are a bit big, I was Looking into Kanto Stands (SP26L, SX22), there are any other good looking/compatible floor stands for the KH150?

- Should I get a Isoacoustics isolation for the sub for the floor? Probably yes but just asking if worth it.

- And last one if anyone know how long are the power cables included in the neumann to know If I need to look for another ones (more length/larger), just to be prepared in case the length is not enough for where I have my power plug.

Thanks all and sorry for lot of questions.
If you're purely going to listen, and don't have any need for microphone/instrument capabilities, then yes, just buy the cheapest thing that has a digital output. In the event that you're using them with a desktop computer, your motherboard may already have an optical digital output, in which case you can get an adapter for cheaper than an audio interface.

I own an RME Fireface UCX II and think it's awesome, but in your shoes I would probably trust the Neumann software and not feel a need to do further EQ tweaking.
 
By the way since I am going to get a KH150 + KH750DSP I have some "related" questions.

- About the digital output: What do you recommend for best quality into output into these speakers from the computer:
I am between: Topping D10, Matrix S-SPDIF3, Focusrite Scarlett 8i6, Clarett plus 4pre, Ifi Zen Stream, or even a WiiM Pro Receptor. Is there any other option? I love RME products but I think is an overkill (and really expensive) for just using digital output. Also between all those options should I get the cheaper one, or it could be any difference in sound quality besides I will use digital output and most of the work will be done by DAC Used in the Neumanns?

- About the cables: Any good RCA coaxial cable that should use or recommend?

- Also I am looking for floor stands since they are a bit big, I was Looking into Kanto Stands (SP26L, SX22), there are any other good looking/compatible floor stands for the KH150?

- Should I get a Isoacoustics isolation for the sub for the floor? Probably yes but just asking if worth it.

- And last one if anyone know how long are the power cables included in the neumann to know If I need to look for another ones (more length/larger), just to be prepared in case the length is not enough for where I have my power plug.

Thanks all and sorry for lot of questions.
I would not be happy without a "hardware" digital level control. But I also don't have a reasonable priced solution for that, sorry.

If your computer has an optical out just get a format converter. Otherwise choose the product with the best driver support. If you have 30m of cables in a studio complex I would think about the hardware and cable quality. For a home setup .... just get some nice looking digital cables ;-) (but also normal RCAs are working - do some tests first before you buy)
Btw - RME has some jitter rejection system which should work REALLY well. ;-)

The original Neumann acessories are pretty expensive and the stands and mounting options are made for studio use. Just get some stable ones you like.

Search for Sylomer pads.
As you can define them for your workload they work better as 99% of all these HiFi Decoupler. When you want to get better as Sylomer you need air spring damper for industrial use ... these are a bit more work to integrate :cool: (for the best ones you need a compressed air line)
You need to get the resonance frequency between load and spring of the damper low when you want to dig deeper. With sylomer you can get in the 10-15Hz area, with air spring down to 5-8Hz. If you don't get and graphs of system resonance over weight of a decoupler ... don't buy it.

Power cables are of good quality but normal length. So you will get to the floor but not 3m long.
 
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KH150(Blue) & PSI A17(Green) 's on axis Frequency Response in my listening room, Left & Right Averaged, 1/6 oct, Measured at acoustic axis' height and 1 meter away from speakers.
 
How is your subjective listening impression between these 2? They are pretty different concepts, what's your opinion?
Just comparison between these two speakers:
A17: slim, clear, compact, focused, slightly bright.
KH150: powerful, detailed, well-controled, well-layered soundstage, more bass(with obviously better general bass performance)

I prefer KH150 a bit.
 
Since the impressive results of the KH150 I wonder how good it's going to be the new Neumann KH310II if they release it next years as it supossed to with all the same improvements + DSP. I cannot wait!
 
As I'm a big fan of midrange domes I'm also looking forward to that! But it's probably not comming cheap.
 
As I'm a big fan of midrange domes I'm also looking forward to that! But it's probably not comming cheap.
Having in mind that the pair of KH150 is aprox 3000 EUR (a bit less) I would say that the pair of the new KH310 will be 4500-5000 probably
 
By the way, I was wondering...
How it will sonically affect or be a good idea to put a pair of Neumann KH150 on top of a pair of Neumann KH750? Decoupling them using iso acoustics stands.

I mean something like this:



Why I am asking? Well basically in order to avoid buying a pair of floor stands for the KH150 and also using less space in my room instead. And having in mind the tweeter will be at my ear level. I wondering if this disposition will affect the sound quality or frequency response. I will be using MA1 of course.

Dont laugh at my bad paint skills xD they are not even simetrically
 

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KH750 is not even 40cm high - how should this be ear level?
You fall short of the biggest advantage of a subwoofer system - positioning the woofer on a good spot in the room to get an even frequency response with less resonances.

So no - I would not do that.

(Sylomer decouples better as these mini stands btw.)
 
KH750 is not even 40cm high - how should this be ear level?
You fall short of the biggest advantage of a subwoofer system - positioning the woofer on a good spot in the room to get an even frequency response with less resonances.

So no - I would not do that.

(Sylomer decouples better as these mini stands btw.)
Thanks for the answer!
Sitting at my couch the ear level is about 80cm.

KH750 is 38cm high and KH150 is 34cm (I know tweeter is not at that height)
38 + 34 = 72 cm
Adding the iso 200 below the KH750 and the ISO 155 (or any other stand like kanto or even the official LH66 I will achieve the tweeter at 80cm distance aprox
 
I know tweeter is not at that height
38 + 34 = 72 cm

The tweeter is not at the acoustical axis of the monitor. The axis is about 21 cm from the bottom of the speaker, between the woofer's rim and bottom edge of the waveguide. So the calculation should look more like 38 + 21 + 7.5 + 9.5 = 76 [cm]. Might work, but I still would try to optimize the subs' position and not necessarily place them together with the monitors.
 
Wow - ear level in my studio chair is 1m30 for me. 80cm is literally sitting on the floor for me :D
An that's why the individual listening situation is so important for a setup, it can be quite different.
 
Just comparison between these two speakers:
A17: slim, clear, compact, focused, slightly bright.
KH150: powerful, detailed, well-controled, well-layered soundstage, more bass(with obviously better general bass performance)

I prefer KH150 a bit.
How about hiss?
 
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