Neumann KH120 II Monitor Review

[DJBonoBobo]

Interesting. What was the price and from whom?

1315 EUR in Germany: https://www.hoerzone.de/shop/summerspecial/neumann-kh-150.html
Has been 1299 for a short while. Still the best price at the moment, i think. But some other stores have them for only a few EUR more. Thomann is not always the cheapest.

 

[Infinit0]

Whoa at that price is a no brainer

 

[DearSX]

Finally got a miniDSP microphone and measured them in my room: blue is kh120ii brown is polk r700. I EQ'd the Polk R700 after this (next picture)

green is EQed polk R700, pretty good. blue is KH120ii. The funny thing is KH120ii sounds like it has more bass than the R700 now, but the R700s sound fills the space around you more I think. It's nice that the KH120ii doesn't seem to need EQ. The KH120ii sounds more clear to me, I can understand voices better, but both sound pretty good, if not a little bit boring, the Polk more so now, then again I think most speakers sound a little boring in my room. I took the measurements from one position on my coach, next I will move the microphone around and average things out, then EQ. Polk is much much better after EQ in the room, cause it had very boomy bass before.

 

[formdissolve]

If using SPDIF, does it still resample everything to 48khz 24bit like the ADC in? Or can you send higher and it plays native in the speaker?

Edit: It looks like it upsamples everything for the DSP engine to "32 Bit Audio, Processing 64 Bit double precision"

 

[IamJF]

Pretty sure the DSP sticks with a sample rate - but don't know which one.

With bigger distance you get more sensitive to vertical off axis errors - so sweetspot narrows with vertical movements -> bigger listening distance needed. Also the speaker appears less as a point source.
But it's hard to factor in numbers ... at least I don't know if there are defined rules.

 

[Infinit0]

The DSP resamples everything to 48Khz I think there is no way to avoid this no Matter if you use analog or digital input

 

[s9_0d1n]

Hello. I see this "new version" of kh120 has a SPDIF digital input/output.

Does this mean it has an internal dac and could be used directly through the SPDIF output of a streamer (without included dac) ... much like the Genelec "The Ones" can be through their AES interface...or is this "wishful thinking" on my part?

 

[staticV3]

Hello. I see this "new version" of kh120 has a SPDIF digital input/output.

Does this mean it has an internal dac and could be used directly through the SPDIF output of a streamer (without included dac) ... much like the Genelec "The Ones" can be through their AES interface

Yes.

 

[DearSX]

How do you connect both speakers to a streamer like the Wiim Pro? It only has one coax connector out on the back.

 

[staticV3]

How do you connect both speakers to a streamer like the Wiim Pro? It only has one coax connector out on the back.

WiiM->Left KH120->Right KH120

 

[somebodyelse]

Of course that needs either a streamer that does volume control on its digital output, or control of speaker volume over the network with MA-1 or the open source alternative.

 

[DearSX]

WiiM->Left KH120->Right KH120
View attachment 303056

Thanks, I guess I could use my preamp also with coax like the topping dx3+pro

 

[DJBonoBobo]

Of course that needs either a streamer that does volume control on its digital output, or control of speaker volume over the network with MA-1 or the open source alternative.

Is there a working open source alternative yet? I know it is theoretically possible, but a working little program for dummys?

 

[s9_0d1n]

Of course that needs either a streamer that does volume control on its digital output, or control of speaker volume over the network with MA-1 or the open source alternative.

There's a remote controlled version of that WiiM Pro that was mentioned for under 200 EUR / whatever in dollars.
So that kind of control is available for cheap enough...and saves on the number of boxes one has to have in the bedroom .

Edit.
Although...that thing has a dac in it as well, not sure what functionality is provided by that remote....and for which outputs...
To be tested.

 

[staticV3]

Thanks, I guess I could use my preamp also with coax like the topping dx3+pro

?
You can't use an analog preamp with a digital S/PDIF signal.

 

[s9_0d1n]

Thanks, I guess I could use my preamp also with coax like the topping dx3+pro

Does that unit have a coax OUTPUT?
I think it has two coax, but not sure if they are inputs or outputs...although my guess would be inputs.

 

[staticV3]

Does that unit have a coax OUTPUT?
I think it has two coax, but not sure if they are inputs or outputs...although my guess would be inputs.

Yeah, they're both inputs:


@DearSX the DX3Pro+ cannot be used as a Coax in->Coax out preamp. In the configuration described above, volume would have to be controlled as described here.

 

[DearSX]

?
You can't use an analog preamp with a digital S/PDIF signal.

I see ok, makes sense. Thanks again. The KH does say you can use an RCA to XLR cable, so that is an option also for the DX3pro

 

[somebodyelse]

Is there a working open source alternative yet? I know it is theoretically possible, but a working little program for dummys?

Maybe not quite for dummies, but a Pi with a screen and a knob for doing volume on a set of speakers. I assume it works as advertised - I don't have any Neumanns.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...sound-control-protocol-ssc.38607/post-1418075

 

[D700]

These would be end game for my home office/listening room if I could find a Squeezebox 3 that supported Apple Music High Resolution passthrough.