Neumann NDH20 Review (Headphone)

[Andreas007]

I feared that the performance of these headphones is not what we would expect from Neumann.
That‘s how you sabotage the Neumann brand.

Manager: Everyone makes $$$ with headphones, lets do some quick and dirty development!
Engineer: Maybe that is not so a good …
Manager: Ok, let’s do it! I need my project KPI in the green zone!

 

[Zensō]

I feared that the performance of these headphones is not what we would expect from Neumann.
That‘s how you sabotage the Neumann brand.

Manager: Everyone makes $$$ with headphones, lets do some quick and dirty development!
Engineer: Maybe that is not so a good …
Manager: Ok, let’s do it! I need my project KPI in the green zone!

I agree. You see the Neumann name and expect something great. I was disappointed the first time I heard them, thought maybe it was an bad sample, then tried another and had it confirmed. Now I'd be suspicious of any future offerings.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

"You don't need to follow me, you don't need to follow anybody, you've got to think for yourselves, you're all individuals"

I’m not.

 

[alekksander]

thank You

 

[Spkrdctr]

The problem is that most people read that so and so (friend, recording engineers, the Harmon janitor, or their Grandmother all say product x is a great product and sounds awesome. Other than for large differences in bass, treble etc. it is meaningless. You have to listen to a product and make up your own mind. Testing by Amir shows these products to frequency responses to all over the place. Amir keeps us from trying poorly engineered headphones or as a regular guy off the street would say "junk". Then with the decent stuff we can then pick out some and try them. Hopefully through Amazon with a nice return policy if they don't sound good to us. So, the most we can do is give out some options to try. In the end, you pay the money so you need to make the decision!

 

[JWAmerica]

Oof. This looks like a money grab banking on brand reputation. Is Neumann hurting for revenue?

 

[respice finem]

Anyone is, these days probably even more than in calmer times. Still, I hope it's not a case of "let's go milking our brand reputation".
There are few things as fragile as this...

 

[LeonidK]

As someone who owns these headphones I can only say that Amir's findings fully correlate with my impression of them. Since having bought an Audio-Technica ATH-R70x, I have stopped using the Neumanns...

 

[oratory1990]

Bummer! Someone please send in the Austrian Audio HI-X55 please

I measured that one already - lots of seating variation!

Bass response changes a lot depending on how good of a seal you're getting, more so than on other headphones, even other closed-back headphones.
And there's something very strange going on at 1.5 - 3 kHz, where resonances appear and disappear depending on how exactly you place them on the head.
Below you see ~30 individial measurements (of the same headphone), with just minimal differences on how the headphone was placed on the measurement rig. Just shifted forward/backward/up/down by a few millimeters.

 

[vkvedam]

I measured that one already - lots of seating variation!

Bass response changes a lot depending on how good of a seal you're getting, more so than on other headphones, even other closed-back headphones.
And there's something very strange going on at 1.5 - 3 kHz, where resonances appear and disappear depending on how exactly you place them on the head.
Below you see ~30 individial measurements (of the same headphone), with just minimal differences on how the headphone was placed on the measurement rig. Just shifted forward/backward/up/down by a few millimeters.
View attachment 158593

Didn't know that you are a member here , thanks for this. I really wanted to like these, doesn't seem to be the case I suppose.

 

[Robbo99999]

Bummer! Someone please send in the Austrian Audio HI-X55 please

I measured that one already - lots of seating variation!

Bass response changes a lot depending on how good of a seal you're getting, more so than on other headphones, even other closed-back headphones.
And there's something very strange going on at 1.5 - 3 kHz, where resonances appear and disappear depending on how exactly you place them on the head.
Below you see ~30 individial measurements (of the same headphone), with just minimal differences on how the headphone was placed on the measurement rig. Just shifted forward/backward/up/down by a few millimeters.
View attachment 158593

Sounds like a bit of a nightmare of a headphone to own - erratic! Is it related to the Neumann NDH20, it looks like it has some similar characteristics?

 

[oratory1990]

Is it related to the Neumann NDH20, it looks like it has some similar characteristics?

"related" as in: they are both closed headphones, yes

The NDH20 is a relatively independent development by Neumann Engineers. They were instructed to use the HD630VB ID, but the driver itself is a new design (by Neumann, not Sennheiser).
Other than reusing parts of the outer earcup and headband, the NDH20 doesn't have a lot in common with the HD630VB.
(or so I've been told by Sennheiser representatives)

 

[Robbo99999]

"related" as in: they are both closed headphones, yes

The NDH20 is a relatively independent development by Neumann Engineers. They were instructed to use the HD630VB ID, but the driver itself is a new design (by Neumann, not Sennheiser).
Other than reusing parts of the outer earcup and headband, the NDH20 doesn't have a lot in common with the HD630VB.
(or so I've been told by Sennheiser representatives)

Ha, yes, both closed headphones! I thought they might be related since @vkvedam was asking about the Austrian Audio headphones, but having looked at some quick pics of each I can see that they don't look related!

 

[GimeDsp]

This is the style all the DJs had at raves and clubs in the late 90's early 2000's. Didn't like silver then and don't now, but it did look cool with fog machines and laser light shows!

 

[sibi1865]

Or maybe Neumann representatives can come here and elaborate on this?

I'd be very interested to hear from Neumann! On another matter, I've been seeking customer support from both their UK and Germany contacts and have been unable to get a meaningful reply in around a month. If anyone has a hotline...

 

[respice finem]

Since they're restructuring, I wouldn't expect them to "engage".

 

[Sunrise]

Amirm is right!
I bought NDH20, and there is sound cancellation at 2637Hz when I tried sine wave generator.
But It matters if this is intended. Becuase a narrow dip doesn't have much of an auditory effect.

Online Tone Generator - generate pure tones of any frequency

www.szynalski.com

Try this. It's easy to tell.

 

[sennysoon]

I own these cans and use them for live monitoring application for the past two years.
It's funny because where I mix has a ringing at the same region, it's like it was made for just one venue

I do believe this notch is due to sympathetic resonance of the earcups when excited above a certain threshold, out of phase with the driver.

It could make sense of why there's a combination of both a single notch and long decay / post ringing at one frequency.
Where a simple deficiency in frequency response of the driver would not result in such a weird decay. Simply, the earcup is still ringing after the driver has stopped moving (if the driver were in an ideal rigid enclosure).

For the brave who already have this but find it 'unlistenable' due to the notch, maybe adhering a rubber lining to the flat section of the aluminium earcup (even outside for trial for those unwilling to open them up) and seeing if the notch disappears.
Theoretically, even a piece of blu-tak should resolve this, or at least provide evidence of where the issue it, which is a shame to say of such a purportedly prestigious label.

 

[DJBonoBobo]

I don´t know if this is off topic too much, but i found an "announcement" on the Neumann home page for an NDH 30, seems to be an open version of the NDH 20:

Google finds this (https://www.adorama.com/nmdh30.html):

 

[nyxnyxnyx]

I don´t know if this is off topic too much, but i found an "announcement" on the Neumann home page for an NDH 30, seems to be an open version of the NDH 20:
View attachment 196735

Google finds this (https://www.adorama.com/nmdh30.html):

View attachment 196734

I hope they change the pads into something more accessible and durable. sound quality-wise I'm not expecting much but I hope they will bring a good surprise this time.