Neumann KH 310A Review (Powered Monitor)

[pozz]

Hello,
did I miss some data or measurements about phase or time coherency?

These are not shown as part of the regular suite of measurements.

 

[MarsianC#]

did I miss some data or measurements about phase or time coherency?

Take a look at S&R's measurements.

 

[ehabheikal]

Distortion looks lower in KH310 than KH80 to me:

View attachment 94889

Note especially that, below 100Hz, 2nd 3rd harmonic dominates in the case of the KH310, whereas a spray of higher-order harmonics are present in the case of KH80.

After the bass region ok, in my mind i was always planning on a sub to take that part. Still seeing how to integrate a sub well
But if you look after 5k why is the kh310 not as good as the smaller one?

Both are amazing, but value for money would go to the smaller ones. I would even myself prefer the smaller with a good sub to the larger ones given the above graph and the ruler flat response of both

To get a similar quality sound for example the kef ls50 meta and and purifi amp would get you into the 3k$ region when in 1000$ you get the kh 80 dsp! amazing value for money
but there are downsides for home use, namely having to power each speaker from behind every time you use it and their stand by power is not low since they get warm to the touch even when left in without music for a time.

 

[andreasmaaan]

After the bass region ok, in my mind i was always planning on a sub to take that part. Still seeing how to integrate a sub well
But if you look after 5k why is the kh310 not as good as the smaller one?

Both are amazing, but value for money would go to the smaller ones. I would even myself prefer the smaller with a good sub to the larger ones given the above graph and the ruler flat response of both

To get a similar quality sound for example the kef ls50 meta and and purifi amp would get you into the 3k$ region when in 1000$ you get the kh 80 dsp! amazing value for money
but there are downsides for home use, namely having to power each speaker from behind every time you use it and their stand by power is not low since they get warm to the touch even when left in without music for a time.

I completely agree that the KH80 is incredible value for money, but keep in mind that the distortion performance we're looking at here is at 85dB. Even with a sub, I think you'd see major differences in distortion performance in the lower range of the woofer's passband at higher levels than this (of course we don't have direct evidence of this as we only have one KH80 distortion measurement, and that is at 85dB).

So I'd recommend KH80 + subs for someone who doesn't generally listen very loud. For higher-SPL requirements, you'd want something a bit bigger (even with a sub).

It's obviously a great speaker though, and seems to have excellent distortion performance for its size.

 

[DJBonoBobo]

KH120+ KH750 sub vs KH310
Which will sound better?

You already started a thread about this question and got 3 pages of answers (https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s/big-monitors-vs-small-monitors-a-sub.17276/).

 

[Jinjuku]

These or JBL 705P with subs for $4400 all in?

 

[lashto]

speaking about the KH310, these are the best speakers I ever heard.
Admittedly the room was was pretty much perfect for such speakers, a small amateur 'studio' with the walls covered in shelves of books/CDs/LPs. The singers kind of materialized in the middle of the room with wow clarity. No walls-shaking bass but it did not feel like anything was missing either. Everything I tried for a few hours did sound just right (for lack of a better word). We shared some cigars in an adjacent room and I had the eerie impression that someone was singing live in the studio (some female audiophile jazz was playing). Ok his cognac was also really good, maybe that's why

That was quite some years ago and I lost count of how many other speakers I heard/tried, especially if you consider audio shows. Never had a similar 'feeling'. In terms of clean/clear/uncolored sound, I'd say the big Geithein 801 were the only ones I heard in the same league. But those I only heard in showroom conditions and long after. Would be really curious to see ASR measurements of Geithains (some on their page, click "acoustic diagrams"). Not holding my breath on that, those are quite rare and expensive...

 

[lashto]

This is what i currently have, so i need to know before i upgrade View attachment 95276

I assume that is not your room

As you can read above, I would recommend the KH310. A friend has a smaller version, not sure if those are KH120 or KH80. Similar 'clean' sound but not the same 'feeling' as KH310. Maybe cause the little ones do not have the 'oomph', maybe cause his room setup is not particularly good, maybe whatever else...
Anyway, that's just one, 100% subjective impression and none of us can help you much with that decision. You should be able to try all Neumanns, any serious pro-audio store has a few pairs on display. Just grab your favorite music and go visit. Or use Amazon to try at home.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Yes, $4,400 for a pair of these speakers is a lot of money.

Is it? What would be not a lot or about right for a pair of speakers like these?

I think he just meant in general. Here in the US, the average savings account balance is $3,500.

Time to take out a Neumann SpeakerCredit loan.

 

[BDE]

These or JBL 705P with subs for $4400 all in?

For your comparison following a test/ some measurements of:
the JBL 705P -> https://www.soundandrecording.de/equipment/jbl-705p-nahfeldmonitor-im-test/
and in the same format the KH310 -> https://www.soundandrecording.de/equipment/studiomonitor-neumann-kh-310-im-test/

 

[DJBonoBobo]

I assume that is not your room

As you can read above, I would recommend the KH310. A friend has a smaller version, not sure if those are KH120 or KH80. Similar 'clean' sound but not the same 'feeling' as KH310. Maybe cause the little ones do not have the 'oomph', maybe cause his room setup is not particularly good, maybe whatever else...
Anyway, that's just one, 100% subjective impression and none of us can help you much with that decision. You should be able to try all Neumanns, any serious pro-audio store has a few pairs on display. Just grab your favorite music and go visit. Or use Amazon to try at home.

If I remember correctly it is a 3x3 meter room in this case (sorry, if i confused it). In such a small room you have all the bass problems you can imagine. Without intensive room acoustic measures every speaker in it will sound bad - at least that's my experience. So please don't order the entire Neumann portfolio until the room problems have been tackled! In my 3x4.8-meter room, I was only able to set up the KH310 with a sub (not even my PSI AVAA helped avoiding a sub), and I still have difficulties finding a good set-up and at the same time keeping a distance of at least 1.50 meters (I think something is missing if the distance is less). In an even smaller room all this becomes even more difficult, you have to get even closer, and all the possible differences between speakers are then more or less irrelevant. As I said, at least that's my experience.

 

[thefsb]

I think he just meant in general. Here in the US, the average savings account balance is $3,500.
Time to take out a Neumann SpeakerCredit loan.

I know that for many people that would be a lot to spend on a pair of loudspeakers. But for what you get here it seems fair, no? You get confidence that it is going to work for critical listening (meaning studio work, not home entertainment) with comfortable headroom and reference level transparency for virtually any program material. Knowing you never have to factor in how your monitors are behaving is valuable.

 

[Bear123]

I think he just meant in general. Here in the US, the average savings account balance is $3,500.

Time to take out a Neumann SpeakerCredit loan.

Sadly, I'm afraid even this is a misleading statement as the small percentage of Americans who have a lot of money in savings falsely inflates this average number(even though it is mathematically correct). I think it would be more accurate to say that around 60% of Americans do not have $1,000 in savings.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

I am not adverse to EQ in the context of headphones. They are fixed on my head and look at my ear canals, more or less the same way, meaning that head movements do not affect the sound, furthermore, in headphones , we deal with one-driver affairs.
Speakers OTOH reside in a room and are often far from our ears and do not move with our ears or head. Speakers with good directivity may tolerate EQ outside the bass (<=300 Hz) but I prefer a "sound" transducer to start with, this Neumann qualifies.
I maintain that coupled with a pair of $500 subs in a medium-sized room, say up to 40 square meters and with an appliance capable of providing EQ, crossover and perhaps Time Alignment, ( a serious question in itself) this Neumann represents a superb value. It is by no means the only solution. It remains nevertheless, one of the best and at a more than sane price.

P.S>

Just saw Post 326. Prices are similar but I would think a larger woofer more capable in the mid-bass than the 5 incher used in the JBL705 ... And the noise in the street is that , reliability is sometime an issue...

 

[thefsb]

For your comparison following a test/ some measurements of:
the JBL 705P -> https://www.soundandrecording.de/equipment/jbl-705p-nahfeldmonitor-im-test/
and in the same format the KH310 -> https://www.soundandrecording.de/equipment/studiomonitor-neumann-kh-310-im-test/

Looks like they both perform very well within their limits. JBL will fit in some installations where Neumann won't and JBL is less money and less headroom, just based on a quick look.

 

[thefsb]

Maybe this should be a different thread but is roughly true that good near-field monitors should work well in the far field too but one shouldn't expect the reverse?

 

[AnalogSteph]

Maybe this should be a different thread but is roughly true that good near-field monitors should work well in the far field too but one shouldn't expect the reverse?

Sort of. Nearfields need reasonably broad dispersion, so may end up being tonally good but mushy. Conversely, anything that doesn't even sum correctly up to moderate distances won't be very useful in nearfield.

 

[lashto]

If I remember correctly it is a 3x3 meter room in this case (sorry, if i confused it). In such a small room you have all the bass problems you can imagine. Without intensive room acoustic measures every speaker in it will sound bad - at least that's my experience. So please don't order the entire Neumann portfolio until the room problems have been tackled! In my 3x4.8-meter room, I was only able to set up the KH310 with a sub (not even my PSI AVAA helped avoiding a sub), and I still have difficulties finding a good set-up and at the same time keeping a distance of at least 1.50 meters (I think something is missing if the distance is less). In an even smaller room all this becomes even more difficult, you have to get even closer, and all the possible differences between speakers are then more or less irrelevant. As I said, at least that's my experience.

second that. An untreated, quadratic 3x3m room sounds like an acoustic catastrophe, especially with a sub.

The 'magic' I heard from those KH310 surely had a lot to do with that room. Not sure about dimensions but I'd say in the same 3x4m ballpark and taller than usual rooms nowadays, probably over 3m. Speakers were at ~1m from the room front/window and ~1m between them, listening chair at ~1.5m. Those thick and full bookshelves surely did a great acoustic job, no noticeable room reverb/effects.

 

[Robbo99999]

Sadly, I'm afraid even this is a misleading statement as the small percentage of Americans who have a lot of money in savings falsely inflates this average number(even though it is mathematically correct). I think it would be more accurate to say that around 60% of Americans do not have $1,000 in savings.

They should stop buying Neumanns then! (That's a bit like the "let them eat cake" saying)

 

[infinitesymphony]

I know that for many people that would be a lot to spend on a pair of loudspeakers. But for what you get here it seems fair, no? You get confidence that it is going to work for critical listening (meaning studio work, not home entertainment) with comfortable headroom and reference level transparency for virtually any program material. Knowing you never have to factor in how your monitors are behaving is valuable.

Definitely, the price to performance ratio for the KH310s is easy to justify if you compare them with their direct competition which is mostly in the $6K range (~31% more expensive). But are the KH310s 1000% better than the JBL LSR308P MkII for example? Depends on the use case and bank account. As you say, if you're a studio engineer relying on these for income, then the answer becomes a clearer yes.

Sadly, I'm afraid even this is a misleading statement as the small percentage of Americans who have a lot of money in savings falsely inflates this average number(even though it is mathematically correct). I think it would be more accurate to say that around 60% of Americans do not have $1,000 in savings.

$3,500 is the median, $26.6K is the mean (average, thanks to very rich people), but the rest of what you say is correct -- 39% of Americans don't even have $400 in liquid cash for an emergency, let alone for a pair of speakers. While I know here at ASR we're all well-heeled audio gurus (or like to imagine ourselves that way), I just want to acknowledge that these speakers are outside the range of most people's life savings, which makes them expensive. And now I'll step off my soapbox.