Neumann KH120 II Monitor Review

[lordhumungous]

Before you send them back you may want to switch either the cables or the speakers to make sure the issue stays with the same speaker and that it is not an input issue.

I did .

 

[dl95]

I did .

I did not try again after updating the firmware on the monitors but maybe you can try that as well. Mine were originally version 1.0.0 and I think the new firmware was 1.1.12 or something.

 

[dl95]

Ok I ended up solving my issue with the volume randomly dropping on both sides. For some reason setting the sample rate to 96k fixed the problems. I thought that the KH120 II internally sample to 48k so 48k would be the optimal sample rate but for some reason that doesn't seem to be the case..

 

[unpluggged]

I thought that the KH120 II internally sample to 48k so 48k would be the optimal sample rate but for some reason that doesn't seem to be the case..

Not necessarily. AFAIR, SRC is always active regardless of the input signal's sampling rate, acting as a clock decoupler, so there is nothing wrong in feeding them 96 kHz signal compared to 48 kHz. Glad you found a workaround.

 

[dl95]

Not necessarily. AFAIR, SRC is always active regardless of the input signal's sampling rate, acting as a clock decoupler, so there is nothing wrong in feeding them 96 kHz signal compared to 48 kHz. Glad you found a workaround.

Thanks. I guess maybe an explanation would be that there's signal degradation somewhere and setting a higher sampling rate provided some redundancy.

Now I just need to get the MA-1 and a sub to complete the setup. KH 750 price tag is a little painful, more than I paid for the 2 monitors combined so I'm going to need to think long and hard whether I want to put up that much money for the KH 750 or get something that is half the price and integrate it without MA-1.

 

[unpluggged]

Thanks. I guess maybe an explanation would be that there's signal degradation somewhere and setting a higher sampling rate provided some redundancy.

Now I just need to get the MA-1 and a sub to complete the setup. KH 750 price tag is a little painful, more than I paid for the 2 monitors combined so I'm going to need to think long and hard whether I want to put up that much money for the KH 750 or get something that is half the price and integrate it without MA-1.

It's worth it. In my case, with the KH 120, it was the additional benefit of adding DSP to the monitors, including room calibration and phase alignment. But with the KH 120 II the KH 750 is the natural choice, too, especially that you don't have to fiddle with external bass management and sub integration. All is done natively and automatically by the MA 1 software.

I think the effortlessness of integration and the resulting coherence you will get by going for the Neumann sub are worth the several hundred of extra dollars/euro. Also take into account the cost of a third-party bass management/room correction solution (you want to do it in hardware, after all). In the case of my HEDD speakers that I now use in my living room setup, I ended up going for miniDSP Flex with Dirac Live license that I could have done without had I went for the KH 150s (but they were released only a year after I got my HEDDs, and back then I did not consider the benefits of room EQ), so in the end my system cost me about the same despite the speakers alone were significantly cheaper back then than a pair of KH 150s (they went up in price since). I did get a nice digital volume control in the miniDSP, though

 

[starfly]

I picked up a pair of the KH120 II along with a KH750 with MA1 mic.

One thing that stood out to me immediately is there’s a noticeable amount of hiss coming from the tweeters. I can hear it from my seating position (about 1.2 meters away from the speakers). A google search revealed it’s not an uncommon issue.

Anyone else having this issue? It really bugs me, especially given the price point. This issue doesn’t appear to be common on the KH150.

 

[dl95]

I picked up a pair of the KH120 II along with a KH750 with MA1 mic.

One thing that stood out to me immediately is there’s a noticeable amount of hiss coming from the tweeters. I can hear it from my seating position (about 1.2 meters away from the speakers). A google search revealed it’s not an uncommon issue.

Anyone else having this issue? It really bugs me, especially given the price point. This issue doesn’t appear to be common on the KH150.

I have not noticed anything sitting about 2-3 feet away

 

[starfly]

I have not noticed anything sitting about 2-3 feet away

Even with everything unplugged it still makes a hiss. When I put my ear next to it I can clearly hear it, and then at my seating position I still faintly hear it. I partly bought these as they allegedly have a reputation for being dead quiet, even with ear right next to the tweeter.

 

[jhaider]

they allegedly have a reputation for being dead quiet, even with ear right next to the tweeter.

That’s my experience with them. Could it be a weird power thing?

 

[starfly]

That’s my experience with them. Could it be a weird power thing?

Not sure. They’re connected to a power strip which is connected to a UPS with sine wave output, so that should deliver pretty clean power.

 

[Blockader]

Even with everything unplugged it still makes a hiss. When I put my ear next to it I can clearly hear it, and then at my seating position I still faintly hear it. I partly bought these as they allegedly have a reputation for being dead quiet, even with ear right next to the tweeter.

Reduce the gain.

set the output level to 94db and input gain to 0db.

 

[starfly]

Reduce the gain.

View attachment 453410

set the output level to 94db and input gain to 0db.

This setting is ignored when the monitor is in Network mode. Already tried this. In Local mode the Output level doesn’t affect the hiss, but the input gain does slightly change the amount of hiss I hear (but either way doesn’t fully eliminate it).

 

[unpluggged]

This setting is ignored when the monitor is in Network mode. Already tried this. In Local mode the Output level doesn’t affect the hiss, but the input gain does slightly change the amount of hiss I hear (but either way doesn’t fully eliminate it).

Their self-noise was measured at 15 dB(A) at 10 cm, which is near silent. What is the distance you hear the hiss at?

 

[starfly]

Their self-noise was measured at 15 dB(A) at 10 cm, which is near silent. What is the distance you hear the hiss at?

I can still hear the noise at about 120cm (4 feet). It’s faint, but I can’t unhear it now.

Later today I’ll try to measure the self-noise using a UMIK-1 at 10cm, maybe I have a couple units out of spec?

 

[lordhumungous]

I can still hear the noise at about 120cm (4 feet). It’s faint, but I can’t unhear it now.

Later today I’ll try to measure the self-noise using a UMIK-1 at 10cm, maybe I have a couple units out of spec?

I just turned my 120 II on and I dont hear anything . I Put my ear up to the tweeter and I could barely make out a little noise.

 

[starfly]

I just turned my 120 II on and I dont hear anything . I Put my ear up to the tweeter and I could barely make out a little noise.

I did test with a SPL at 10cm away and the difference is barely measurable. But I however do hear some weird slight crackling noise coming from the tweeter on one of the KH120 II's, while the other one is just a steady faint hiss. I'm in contact with Neumann support about this.

 

[Lilith]

I did test with a SPL at 10cm away and the difference is barely measurable. But I however do hear some weird slight crackling noise coming from the tweeter on one of the KH120 II's, while the other one is just a steady faint hiss. I'm in contact with Neumann support about this.

Curious what they say. I once had this with two KH80 and I think I also heard it very slightly and sporadically on my KH120. None of the speakers had any issue though.
Maybe some interference from other devices like smartphones of routers?

 

[starfly]

Curious what they say. I once had this with two KH80 and I think I also heard it very slightly and sporadically on my KH120. None of the speakers had any issue though.
Maybe some interference from other devices like smartphones of routers?

I swapped places with the other speaker, and cables and such, but still the same crackling noise, so it’s likely not interference. I suspect it’s just the device itself, but waiting on final word from Neumann.

I’m either way very tempted to swap these out for the KH150 to future proof it from a SPL perspective. I know SQ will be about the same, and I’m using a KH750 sub anyway for the low end.

 

[Lilith]

I swapped places with the other speaker, and cables and such, but still the same crackling noise, so it’s likely not interference. I suspect it’s just the device itself, but waiting on final word from Neumann.

I’m either way very tempted to swap these out for the KH150 to future proof it from a SPL perspective. I know SQ will be about the same, and I’m using a KH750 sub anyway for the low end.

ok. Could it maybe be a kind of coil whine from the board?