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Neumann KH120A or Genelec 8030C?
- Thread starter q3cpma
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not really, remember Genelec recommend to put the speakers with minimum clearance of only 5cm from the wall, which is where they actually recommend to place the speakers and use dip switches for the low frequency boundary gain. I don't think you will even want to go any closer.
By the way, how is the self noise between the 8030c and 8330?
I tried the 8030c for some time but for my usage at a desktop listening distance, the hiss annoyed me and pushed me towards the Neumann. I've heard (anecdotally) from someone who owned the 8330 who mentioned there was a marked difference in self noise between the digital and analogue inputs, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the analogue self noise is the same between both speakers.
So in short, as someone that really hates hiss, is there a self noise difference perceptible between the 8030c vs 8330 or is it the same?
I tried the 8030c for some time but for my usage at a desktop listening distance, the hiss annoyed me and pushed me towards the Neumann. I've heard (anecdotally) from someone who owned the 8330 who mentioned there was a marked difference in self noise between the digital and analogue inputs, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the analogue self noise is the same between both speakers.
So in short, as someone that really hates hiss, is there a self noise difference perceptible between the 8030c vs 8330 or is it the same?
alekksander
Active Member
Mine are about a >1m away from my head and I can notice hiss during daytime only if I want to do so, therefore it's not a problem for me, however during nighttime it can be easily noticed and might get annoying for a tired and/or sensitive person.
It's at desktop usage, so roughly 1m. I noticed the hiss during every quiet section of a song, which just annoyed the hell out of me.
And did you try the KH120? I would like to know if they are quieter than 8030C.
Did not get around to it yet, but everything I have read says they are quieter for sure, probably due to the well-built class A amps in them.
Are you sure it was not in the recording?
Believe me, I tested every parameter you could think of. It was the speakers. I'm just saying that even in normal usage I could notice it too.
KH120 are whisper quiet. But I would not recommend anybody buy them, there is no point.. KH80 or 310 only
Why KH80 only?
I was interested in them, but having no iPad for the correction + them taking out the dip switches in the back because of said inaccessible room correction is a bit of an annoyance...
KH120 is 50% more for only a tiny increase in performance - two entire semitones extra bass extension. KH120 in my experience have a hump in their bass response which I could not stand - makes them sound very dark and flabby, when combined with the high levels of distortion in the bass. Some measurements back this up but Neumann's own strangely don't when usually, they are very accurate.
There is a PC control option available for KH80 now. I'm not sure if the MA-1 software is available for free, separately from the measurement microphone. Still, a pair of KH80s plus MA-1 is less money than a pair of KH120s without MA-1. $1,617 vs. $1,898 - $281 difference, 17% more. Quite significant in my opinion.
80s with their onboard DSP handling room correction will vastly outperform the 120s. Add a KH750 and you are laughing, with a system that is absolutely ruler flat from 30hz to 20khz - no need to spend extra money on KH120.
Ok, knowing that the MA-1 exists changes things significantly, I'll give you that. I thought Neumann were still stubbornly kneecapping the KH80 to this day. That being said, where I'm from, the price difference is about 150 or so, as I'm not US based.
So the KH80 + MA1 is probably going to cost slightly more than the KH120. Still, being able to use the DSP properly (and I presume the MA-1 does it automatically like GLM? Better approach for someone like me who doesn't know the ins and outs of manually EQing) helps a lot, as my placement would be... problematic (one of them will be near a corner, hence my desire for at least bass controls if I couldn't use DSP).
MA1 allows for either manual or automatic correction, with a customizable target curve - based on what I've read in the manual, anyways. It looks very comparable to Dirac. I haven't had a chance to get hands-on with it yet as I'm saving up for the KH 750 DSP & MA-1 to go along with my 310s later this year. GLM does a bit more, I believe, because it also functions as a monitor controller for Genelec's digital monitors.
I haven't found dip switches yet that can actually handle real-world room placement problems. I'm sure what's on the KH120 would be good for use in a well treated, large control room, for handling desk reflections, etc. but in a consumer space with odd placement, they would be of pretty minimal use because your FR will be too complex for the preset frequencies & Q values.
I'm actually in Canada here. I just quickly checked prices on Thomann for both UK & Germany. It looks like a pair KH80+MA1 are cheaper than a pair of KH120 in most markets, although the pricing difference does shrink considerably.
Thanks for all the info.
I'd still love to know if the self noise of the 8330a using digital only > 8030c, though. I really did like those, and their overall design. Just, that damned hiss... (oh and the annoying sensitivity, but if I went the GLM route then I'd have that volume knob anyway).
And if you were to sort the speakers from the best, then the order would be: KH80 - 8030C - KH120A?
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Good day, dear members of the forum! I want to express my deep gratitude to Amirm and other forum participants, thanks for the measurements and other useful information, everything is very informative and understandable. I would like to figure out which monitors are really better than the Neumann kh 120 or the genelec 8030. Maybe someone had both pairs in their work? I would like the monitors to be very well suited for detailed mixing and working with sound. There is a lot of information about the genelec 8000 series that they are very good for listening and writing music, but the compression is not as audible and you will have to work very long to get the mix to translate well to other speakers. On the contrary, Neumann kh 120 is very good for mixing, sounds very neutral, detailed, even boring, but work on them goes quickly, and mixes on other systems are broadcast perfectly. I used to have genelec 8020 and 8040 monitors, I really liked everything, I listened to Neumann kh 120 in the store and did not understand anything, I really liked neumann kh310, but this is completely different money. I would be very grateful for the information. I wish you all good health and a lot of happiness every day!
I think you've answered your question already.
I read on one of the forums how the user neumann kh80 swore at them. He said that the composite from which the monitors are made is fragile. On one of his monitors, the speaker mount came off the case, and nothing could be done to fix the breakdown, the loudspeaker rattled. Therefore, at one time I did not buy a kh80, but bought a genelec 8020D.And it seems to me that the kh120 does not have such problems as the kh 80.
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