Good to know!

Yes, the Neumann cans are super smooth and although they are smooth in the upper and high frequencies all of those fine upper frequency details are still there and super clear and unlike other headphones, the upper bands don’t sound forced or harsh. They are amazing and once you buy them they are for life - you’ll never need another pair of headphones after these ;)

​​@@tecraven How is their instrument separation?With my 880 I struggle when the mix becomes crowded especially with orchestras.I tend to turn the volume up when I write every instrument separately because I don t hear it properly.Are these cans a clear step up, or I have to go for hd 800, audeze , or hifiman ?

@@anatol1204 Not sure about the Sennheiser cans as I haven't used them. I've used other cheaper Sennheiser cans, loads of Beyer (including their more expensive ones) and AT and Sony etc. The Neumann's have specific frequency absorption material inside them to soak up certain unwanted frequencies creating space for others. For me they area really quite clear in regard to instrument separation. I'd try and get a demo if you have a dealer nearby or, these days, with the internet (in the UK at least) you have min of 14 days, typically 28, to return them if you are not happy - as long as they are in the condition with all the packaging perfectly in tact, i.e. as new, when/if you return them.

@@tecraven Unfortunately ilive in an island (Corfu) I don t have serious shops here..Thanks for the reply..

@@anatol1204 Ah, lovely place! Enquire about return policy with whatever 'reputable' online shop you purchase from to make sure you can return them if you are not happy.

You won’t regret it. You’ll probably never have to buy another pair of monitoring open back headphones ever again :-)

@@tecraven the type of investment I want to make. The last one!

Bought the headphones and love the product. 😁✨ Love to listen to ASMR with them lol.

@@g.o.9513 Haha. Yeah, ASMR would come across pretty darn well in these cans for sure. For those who don't know (ASMR = autonomous sensory meridian response), check this out: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gchiarF5tMXZkps.html

Well, as flat as I've ever heard.

definitely flat as a ruler not on specs but on your listening experience. I even thought I invented the phrase for them "flat as a ruler" and laughed hard hearing a dozen other reviewers use the same phrase. that says something. I love them both 20 and 30 although they are very different.

Both. People often get confused about 'flat response' studio grade headphones. They can absolutely be used for regular music listening and here is why. Firstly, flat response headphones does not mean they will sound flat, it simply means they are as natural as they possibly can be. An example of non-flat headphones would be those awful things that Apple do called Beats. Beats headphones bring a load of extra bass to the party, which is fine if you just want to listen to Rap music all day, or you enjoy extra bass thumping in your ears. But recording engineers mix and master music to perfection and they would be annoyed knowing that Beats are messing with their work by adding extra bass. The engineer added the perfect amount of bass for any given song so by listening to that song on Beats headphones you are not hearing what the engineer mixed and mastered and, thus, intended for you to hear, you are hearing a bass-heavy version. By listening to that same song on these Neumann NDH-30 headphones you will be hearing exactly what the recording engineer mixed and mastered, just as it should be. It's for this very reason that I also hate graphic equalisers, especially those horrible things that you could buy for your hi-fi back in the 1980s from the likes of Marantz, why would you want to mess with the sound that a Deutsche Grammophon engineer spent weeks perfecting in a recording studio. Just Google the Marantz EQ-20 to see what I mean. Sliding those EQ sliders up and down is sacrilege and recording engineers all over the world would cringe at the thought of an end user screwing up the sound they intended. Listening to music at home on perfectly neutral headphones like these Neumann NDH-30's is the perfect way to listen to music as they don't bring anything to the party, just what the engineer intended. The flip side to this coin is that domestic Hi-Fi and headphones (unlike studio near field monitors and studio headphones) are coloured, meaning they add something to the sound, to give it their signature, which is why some folk like Linn speakers and others like B&W, for example. Same with domestic headphones, they are all coloured and add something to the sound to make them sound a certain way, which you'll either like or hate which, again, is why a home music lover might like a certain model of Sony headphones over say some Grado ones. Anyway, long answer to a sort question ;)

@@tecraven Thanks alot for such an in depth answer, which is everything I needed to hear. I currently own several headphones, of which Sennheiser HD 598 is my favorite one. It is rather neutral, especially compared to Beyerdynamic and Ultrasone headphones Ive heard. The Neumann NDH30 seems to be an excellent option, especially since my favorite pick Hifiman Arya, is twice as expensive. Anyway, I hope to get a Neumann in the future. Many thanks again, for such an effort.

@@margroningen just one more thing, they are by far the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn. Totally encapsulating your ears and super soft and comfortable. You just don’t want to take them off.

Hahaha ;)

No. I thought the HD600 were more a 'Hi-Fi' headphones that out-and-out monitoring headphones for mixing and mastering, but I might be wrong about this.

Definitely NOT. I have the Sonarworks mike system, but these headphones are engineered to be about as flat as you can get - reflected in the price, why would you want to screw with that with a Sonarworks system. If anything, I can only imagine that Sonarworks would make them worse. No, Sonarworks might work with £100 headphones like Beyer DT770 Pro, but definitely not these - leave perfection well alone.

I’ve actually heard people use Snoarworks and gently corrects the highs and lows to be balanced in areas it lacks. Or eq’ing themselves. No headphones are perfect.

Thanks. No, not heard the AKG so can't comment I'm afraid.

@@tecraven Thanks! How about compared to Sennheiser HD-600 or HD-650? Thanks again!

@@stefanhansen5882 Sennheiser 600 and 650 are ok, but they are not in the same league as the Neumann NDH 30, the latter are better in every area.

@@tecraven They better be, since they cost a lot more. But how are they better? And are they better by 5 %, 10 %, 30 %, 100 % or...?

@@stefanhansen5882 Can't really comment on the percentage as it's been a while since I heard the Senny cans. All I can really tell you is compared to many makes/models of cans from £100 to around £800 when I heard the NDH 30 cans I was simply blown away and I've never heard such clarity while retaining total smoothness at the top end. They are simply the best open back cans I've ever heard in my life, and the most comfortable for sure. If possible you could buy them (along with the Senny) online and return the ones you don't want within 28 days (might be 14 days, depending where you are) for a refund. This way you get to try a few pairs and evaluate them at home.

Strange that the NDH-30 cans would sound bad via the ID14. Not sure about the Motu or RME as I've never tried them. I can vouch for the SSL 2 plus though - it's amazing for the price and the NDH-30 cans should should great via them.I use a Focusrite Clarett 8 pre, but the 4-pre has same pre-amps and headphone circuitry so that would work too.

@@tecraven Thank you)

wow, why do they sound bad? how the sound sounds specifically? I have a iD14 MKII and I am willing to buy these or the DT 1990. But if the NDH30 sounds bad with the iD14 MKII, I don't know what to do...

@@raphabmroque The Neumann NDH 30 cans are better than the DT 1990 in my opinion, top end is super smooth, but revealing at the same time. The DT-1990 are a tad bright to my ears so for mixing you might end up adjusting the high frequencies to compensate for this leaving your final mix on other systems sounding a trifle lacking in the upper frequencies. But, the 1990's I tried were brand new and the upper frequencies could settle when they burn in a little. Neumann's all day long for me though, more comfortable on the head than the Beyer too, which are a little too snug and tight, which is fine for closed back, but Beyer have their open back tight too. You could fall asleep wearing the Neumann's, they are that comfy.

@@tecraven no wonder they sound great and are confortable, my question was about the iD14 MKII headphone amp and why it sounded bad with the NDH30 for him @wmusic9903 One of my main fear is that loud treble on the 1990s, because I have listened to the 1770s (sounded awesome for my ears) and to one of the Focals, but these Focals were too bright for me... I also wonder if they have the 1990s treble, you know?

I've never heard of these, but I've just sent them an email to make the enquiry. If I get my hands on a pair I'll review them so subscribe and hit the bell icon to get a notification - if it happens. Not sure what sort of a company they are to deal with, but I guess I'll find out, hopefully, quite soon.

@@tecraven thanks I will I’ll be checking your videos

@@songbeater3796 I heard back from Steven Slate Audio and I’m not going to be reviewing their VSX headphones for the foreseeable future I’m afraid.

@@tecraven oh wao ok,,,but thanks for trying.

why?

Yes, because these are an open back design so, like all open back headphones, they sound more natural and open than the closed back versions with more detail.

ndh20 are more interesting to listen to music in. especially vinyl, I'm just crazy in love how they sound with balanced vinyl system, they have more bass at around 160 hz and midrange is like a crystal bell, when you play piano sample library in them you wanna cry tears of joy. Ndh30 are as neutral as it can get, so I'd say analytical and for sound surgery. but I have fun listening to music in them too, it's just that punchy bass of ndh 20 will make you jump around and bob your head, but they are not muddy in any way, don't get me wrong.