Studio headphones used to be my favorite type when I was just getting started. I’ve always liked their no-nonsense look as well as how tanky they seem to be. I have long moved on from my fascination but I’m still able to try some every once in a while thanks to this website. For this edition, let’s check out the Neumann NDH 30 open-back dynamic driver headphone.
First things first. Shout out to the good folks over at Sennheiser for sending this out for review. For those not familiar with Neumann, they’ve been around for a long-time before Sennheiser acquired them in 1991 but they remained to be a separate group. They primarily make studio equipment for broadcast and music production purposes so they have microphones, studio monitors, preamplifiers, and more recently headphones.
Overview
The NDH 30 is Neumann’s second headphone next to the NDH 20 which they released back in 2019. That one is a closed version while this one is an open-back variant. It retails for $650 and you can purchase it from their website but there are also local distributors here in the Philippines that are carrying out the product.
Here are some photos of the NDH30
Packaging, Build & Accessories
The packaging box was a sturdy one. Nothing too special but it’s a step up from your average cardboard box like what the Sennheiser HD400 Pro has. It better be for a $600 headphone. The presentation box has a cut-out inside for the headphone and also a simple pouch for storing the cables and the papers that no one reads really.
It does come with a 3-meter cloth-covered cable with a quarter-inch adapter and a drawstring pouch which unfortunately seems common for studio headphones. The cable is single-sided and goes into the right earcup which is uncommon as it’s usually placed on the left side. It also has a twist-lock mechanism like most studio headphones to keep it securely plugged in.
The headphone looks very much like any studio headphone. It’s utilitarian and kind of basic in the same way as most studio headphones, the M50x comes to mind. Aesthetically it’s just ok. Not what I’d call pretty or interesting looking but that’s not the purpose of these types of headphones.
The overall build is made from high-quality materials namely stainless steel and aluminum. There are some plastic trimmings but the overall feel is pretty dense and as a result, it’s a little heavy for this type coming in at 350 grams. The pads are made of materials similar to velour but they call it cloth-covered foam. I think this is a better choice than synthetic leather since it is more durable which is handy for the beating that this headphone will take.
It does fold flat for storage but also so you can lay it flat on your neck which appears common for this application. It very much reminds me of the AKG K181 which was a DJ headphone from a decade ago.
Comfort
The NDH 30 is a fairly comfortable headphone. The rounded pads are not snug which may be good to some but for me, it always gives the feeling of being not as secure even though that may not seem to be the case. The clamp is a little tight than average but not a big problem for me. Weight distribution is ok even though the padding at the top is not the thickest.
It’s more than a wearable headphone I’d say. Not the luxurious type of comfort but it’s pretty decent and I was able to wear it for 1 week straight without having any major discomfort.
Sound Isolation
The NDH 30 is an open-headphone but it does feel more like a semi-open headphone so there’s a tiny bit of passive noise isolation though still insignificant. The leakage is not as crazy as fully-open headphones like the Hifiman Sundara for example.
I’d say it’s right about the same as Sennheiser’s HD400 Pro or even the Beyerdynamic DT880, DT990, and DT1990 in both sound leakage and passive noise isolation.
I always thought studio headphones are supposed to be closed but considering there are plenty of open ones available, maybe not all studios need that passive isolation. What do I know, I don’t really work in a studio. 😝
Page 2: Sound Quality & Conclusion