Neumann KH 310A Review (Powered Monitor)

[toumpouris]

How is it possible with a smaller woofer and a 2-way vs a 3-way?

Have no idea, I was wondering the same, maybe newer tech?

 

[SlothRock]

KH 310 II will probably dominate all of them but I imagine the newer tech is what's doing it

 

[Chr1]

Looking forward to the new KH310 for sure. (Hoping it will be pricey personally having pulled the plug on current KH310s at a good price a few months ago. Don't need digital input, DSP personally.) I am very doubtful that the KH150 will play loud as well as the 310. I am using them with two 400W 12" BK subs, midfield only and am blown away by how clean they are at volume.

 

[teashea]

How is it possible with a smaller woofer and a 2-way vs a 3-way?

Interesting issue. I have KH 310's and two pairs of KH 150's in my studio. I have not directly compared them since they are at different work stations.

However, it is possible. KH 150's use different mechanical and DSP advances to control their drivers and crossovers etc. It is difficult to overstate the excellence of the KH 150. Study what Amir's measurements are and what he says about the KH 150. They set a new standard in excellence. The only thing that matches them is the KH 120 II. (bass extension noted, however).

 

[unpluggged]

How is it possible with a smaller woofer and a 2-way vs a 3-way?

Better cabinet design, better waveguide, better dispersion, and DSP that helps linearize phase response.

 

[dfuller]

Have no idea, I was wondering the same, maybe newer tech?

Well, it doesn't extend lower (LFX of 37 vs 30hz), but what it does is get louder in the range it does compete in.

The 310 is never going to keep up in terms of SPL - it's an older driver design and it's a sealed box. The KH150 doesn't use a traditional suspension system, it relies on the DSP to keep the driver from being totally destroyed at high excursion. It's also ported, so there is less excursion for a given SPL.

The 310 II will probably be a substantial improvement, but I'm not sure what they could do to improve it short of porting the thing and dropping the mid/woofer cross a hundred hertz or so.

 

[mgrobins]

I'm looking to use a set of these or the 150 at 2.5m -3m listening for movies. I'm concerned about headroom more than their actual sound given the dynamic range of modern films.

If I'm listening at a calibrated -20 on my processor for a "loud" session by my standards (I guess 80db on analyzer), are these going to be up to the task? I use multiple subs too and would plan to use the EQ in my Anthem processor not the EQ in the speakers.

The KH150 might be a better choice again since I'm using a sub? I'm simply not familiar with active monitors or the calcs to determine the achievable volume at my listening distance.

 

[LTig]

How is it possible with a smaller woofer and a 2-way vs a 3-way?

Do we know the comparison was blind and levelmatched?

 

[rrahmanucla]

Can anyone explain what the difference is between KH 310, KH 310A, KH310 ALG and KH310 ALG CCC?

 

[dped90]

I'm looking to use a set of these or the 150 at 2.5m -3m listening for movies. I'm concerned about headroom more than their actual sound given the dynamic range of modern films.

If I'm listening at a calibrated -20 on my processor for a "loud" session by my standards (I guess 80db on analyzer), are these going to be up to the task? I use multiple subs too and would plan to use the EQ in my Anthem processor not the EQ in the speakers.

The KH150 might be a better choice again since I'm using a sub? I'm simply not familiar with active monitors or the calcs to determine the achievable volume at my listening distance.

Are you planning to use one or more pair of the KH 310s to build a surround system for movies? I was thinking along these lines, where I would use the 310s with my Rythmik 12" sealed subs. My concern is how pleased I'd be with using near field monitors 1.) at ~ 8 to 10 feet away and 2.) how much these speakers would reveal the sonic flaws of my movies.

I may be wrong but I thought that near field speakers need to be not much more than 4 feet from the listener, otherwise their imaging accuracy and other performance aspects become degraded by the room size and/or acoustics.

The 310s may not deliver the incomparable transparency of most ATC speakers, not that I've ever heard any of those models. But while I might love what the 310s can do from the highs down to the midbass with https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Green-Book-Blu-ray/224356/ , much older but well recorded scores https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/PJ-Blu-ray/258849/ and some decades older soundtracks https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Bad-Day-at-Black-Rock-Blu-ray/170131/ and https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Gilda-Blu-ray/91898/ , would listening to vintage TV shows with even more compression be at all bearable through the 310s, such as https://shoutfactory.com/products/stoney-burke-the-complete-television-series ?

Or arguably even more compressed audio from this BD release? https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Outer-Limits-Season-One-Blu-ray/317882/

 

[DJBonoBobo]

Can anyone explain what the difference is between KH 310, KH 310A, KH310 ALG and KH310 ALG CCC?

No real difference.
A= analog (there is also a KH 310 D with a digital input)
G= grey (standard colour)
L= left version (there is also a right version, you need both for a stereo setup, of course).
CCC= Certified for Chinese (and Korean) market.
Google says:
"China Compulsory Certification
The China Compulsory Certification (CCC) mark is China's national safety and quality mark. The mark is required for 17 categories of 103 products, ranging from electrical fuses to toaster ovens to automobile parts to information technology equipment."

 

[teashea]

Are you planning to use one or more pair of the KH 310s to build a surround system for movies? I was thinking along these lines, where I would use the 310s with my Rythmik 12" sealed subs. My concern is how pleased I'd be with using near field monitors 1.) at ~ 8 to 10 feet away and 2.) how much these speakers would reveal the sonic flaws of my movies.

I may be wrong but I thought that near field speakers need to be not much more than 4 feet from the listener, otherwise their imaging accuracy and other performance aspects become degraded by the room size and/or acoustics.

The 310s may not deliver the incomparable transparency of most ATC speakers, not that I've ever heard any of those models. But while I might love what the 310s can do from the highs down to the midbass with https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Green-Book-Blu-ray/224356/ , much older but well recorded scores https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/PJ-Blu-ray/258849/ and some decades older soundtracks https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Bad-Day-at-Black-Rock-Blu-ray/170131/ and https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Gilda-Blu-ray/91898/ , would listening to vintage TV shows with even more compression be at all bearable through the 310s, such as https://shoutfactory.com/products/stoney-burke-the-complete-television-series ?

Or arguably even more compressed audio from this BD release? https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Outer-Limits-Season-One-Blu-ray/317882/

With the exception of the KH 420's, all Neumann monitors are designed as nearfield monitors. They are not recommended for distances of anything beyond close midfield. I have KH 120II's, KH 310's and KH 150's. I use them all at 1 meter to 1.2 meters - never any further. When I do listen to them at midfield distances, I do not like them. They are simply not designed for that use. Some people have used them at longer listening distances and think they are fine, but they are not at their best.

 

[Soria Moria]

Any words on a new version of this speaker yet?

 

[teashea]

Supposed to be next year.

 

[LTig]

With the exception of the KH 420's, all Neumann monitors are designed as nearfield monitors.

The same is true for almost all standmount speakers, even if they are not specifically designed or advertised as such.

They are not recommended for distances of anything beyond close midfield.

Nevertheless the large majority of Hifi users use such speakers, even if they are just small 5" 2-ways (e.g. LS3/5, LS50), in the midfield and are content. Not everyone wants to listen in his living room like the pros in their mastering studio ... Me for example, I'm more than satisfied with my K&H O300D (predecessor of KH310) with a Genelec 7060b sub at a listening distance of 3.5 m in a 50 sqm room.

 

[ReaderZ]

With the exception of the KH 420's, all Neumann monitors are designed as nearfield monitors. They are not recommended for distances of anything beyond close midfield. I have KH 120II's, KH 310's and KH 150's. I use them all at 1 meter to 1.2 meters - never any further. When I do listen to them at midfield distances, I do not like them. They are simply not designed for that use. Some people have used them at longer listening distances and think they are fine, but they are not at their best.

That's a bit extreme, my normal listening range for 310 can be anywhere between 1 -3 meters, and they sound just fine at 3M. Also it's not true that 310 is only meant for close distance. I think the official spec has it good up to 5 or 6 meters.

 

[CtheArgie]

That's a bit extreme, my normal listening range for 310 can be anywhere between 1 -3 meters, and they sound just fine at 3M. Also it's not true that 310 is only meant for close distance. I think the official spec has it good up to 5 or 6 meters.

Totally agree!

 

[Vinsen]

With the exception of the KH 420's, all Neumann monitors are designed as nearfield monitors.

Well you seem to have almost every other model, but not the KH420.
In my experience the 'sound degradation' is almost the same with the various models (KH310, KH150) when going to normal listening distances around 3 meters.
In other words, even with my KH420 I would say closer is better
But this doesn't at all mean the speakers don't perform at larger distances.

 

[BDE]

This white an black version is triggering me..

Neumann on Instagram: "We're still in love with these white KH 310s that @sonymusicstudiosmx has installed in Studio 3. Get familiar with our Made to Order program if you'd like a custom order, too. Link in bio! #neumann #neumannKH310 #studiomon

1,154 likes, 11 comments - neumann.berlinOctober 13, 2023 on : "We're still in love with these white KH 310s that @sonymusicstudiosmx has installed in Studio 3. Get familiar with our Made to Order pro..."

www.instagram.com

Fortunatly it is a "made to order" version from Neumann, so I guess too expensive. Maybe the next DSP version will be avilable in white as a standard option!?

 

[Pearljam5000]

They should offer it as standard color like KH120