Sound Quality
Pretty sure I mentioned this some time ago but studio headphones tend to be bright and edgy sounding. Not every studio headphones do mind you, but most are. I suppose it has something to do with the fact that audio pros would easily spot something wrong in the upper frequencies since it’s emphasized so much in the tuning.
The problem is I don’t do studio work. I use all headphones for music listening and having too much treble isn’t pleasurable. Maybe that’s unfair since I’m not reviewing the product for its desired purpose but what am I going to do?
Thankfully, the Neumann NDH 30’s frequency tuning is UNLIKE most studio headphones. It does have a neutral response from midbass to middle/upper midrange before it gets subdued in the treble frequencies. As a result, it doesn’t drill holes in your head but as a consequence, the highs lack bite and snappiness. More on that later as we go through the treble frequencies.
The bass does not extend all the way down and is not accentuated. In this era of Harman tuning, the NDH 30 can classify as a bass-shy headphone to some. It also does not have a mid-bass hump like the Sennheisers midrange offerings do which doesn’t help in its favor. In comparison, the Sennheiser HD6** line has the same lack of bass extension but it does ‘cheat’ by emphasizing the mid-bass frequencies which makes you hear more than what’s really there. Whether that’s a good workaround or not is up for debate.
The bass is also on the soft and bouncy side rather than dynamic and punchy. Could be a good thing for some and not for others.
The midrange is pretty well-behaved. My brain tries to tell me it is a warm-sounding headphone but comparing it to the Sennheiser HD400 Pro or even the Edition XS from Hifiman, I could tell the NDH 30 does not have that same elevated lower midrange. It does have a bit of a dry tone as it goes up to the middle to upper midrange but it thankfully doesn’t sound edgy or honky around that area.
The treble is polite. Free of any harshness and tizziness but I thought it was too much in this case. It’s as if a cloth is placed on top which filters the high frequencies. As a result, it excessively lacks that energy and shimmer which makes some cymbals sound more clangy than shimmery or sparkly. Because of this, the overall clarity suffers and I’d even use the word compressed-sounding to describe the NDH 30’s high frequencies.
The stage of the NDH 30 is not wide for an open headphone. It does sound like a semi-open headphone to me similar to Sennheiser’s midrange open-headphone offerings and the Beyers that I mentioned earlier. Imaging is pretty ok but a hair inferior to the HD400 Pro and obviously the higher-end HD6** line.
As for the other subjective stuff, I find the NDH 30 to be lacking the engagement and liveliness factor that I associate with headphones that I enjoy for music listening. Yes, this might be that audiophile BS but if you don’t really care about that, you’re free to ignore this line.
The NDH30 is a 100-ohm headphone but it sounds plenty loud on portable devices. It sounded a bit better for me with the Monoprice THX 887 but if you don’t want to invest in an amplifier, you should be ok with it unamped. The headphone responds to EQ as well and I really didn’t hear anything distorting when I increased both the sub-bass and the treble. Having said that, increasing the quantity didn’t really improve the perceived clarity of those frequencies. The bass was still soft, and the treble, was still too smoothed out.
I didn’t want to be unfair to the NDH 30 so I made sure to spend enough time AB’ing it with the HD400 Pro (a headphone made for a similar purpose) which is almost half the price of Neumann’s offering. Unfortunately, the HD400 Pro came up ahead of the NDH30 in most categories based on my subjective impressions. Maybe the HD400 Pro can sound a tiny bit bright a times but it also offers better clarity than the NDH 30.
Conclusion
So wrapping this up, the NDH 30 is an inoffensive-sounding headphone that is quite decent but it’s just expensive for what you’re getting sound-wise. The HD400 Pro is a better-sounding studio headphone overall in my opinion despite the massive price difference. The 400 Pro is more neutral with better technical performance though it being a bit brighter may not sit well with some people whose preference is on the opposite side.
The NDH 30 to its credit has more premium materials, has better passive noise isolation, and is without a doubt better in taking the daily beating of studio use. The overall aesthetics might be your cup of tea too!
Check out the Neumann NDH 30 through their website here.