Neumann NDH20 Closed-Back Studio Headphone

Okay, I was looking for a good high end closed back set of cans. Was shopping around and ordered this, the fostex 610 and Audeze LCD2 closed. I didn't even consider the beyer 1990 because I do not like bright/sharp cans, and the beyer sound is all about that bright V shape, and the 1990s are no exception. Ultimate I chose the ndh 20 over the other 2, and since there is not a lot of information about these headphones, let me give a little insight. So I am an audiophile from a musician background (elec guitar, sax, clarinet ~ 18 years) and I was looking for a nice set of closed backs with a warm/neutral sound (if that makes sense to you) with good bass extension. Now all 3 headphones are very amazing headphones. Clearly the LCD2 sounded the best to my ears, but I really did not think it was worth double the ndh 20s. I would have gotten them if they were $700 (and I personally don't like to buy used speakers or headphones). So it was between the fostex and the neumanns. Let me be upfront with you, the neumanns are very good at reproducing natural sound of instruments, for instrumental tracks. But when I started listening to electro or dubstep music, the neumanns are VERY critical of poorly recorded/mastered tracks. These cans made me stop listening to Californication by the chilli peppers. That being said, these are amazing cans. Words alone cannot describe the full extent of the presence these cans have. Depth is bottomless with even decent amp/dac setups (I also tested with the more budget-friendly fiio K5 pro vs thx 789) and clarity is exceptional...perhaps too exceptional that it reveals the incompetency of the recording artists and audio engineers of the songs when they are present. Why did I choose these over the fostex? It really just boiled down to the looks. The silver machined finish is just beautiful. FYI these are definitely NOT for studio use if you are pursuing neutrality at its highest. They are ever so slightly colored, but imo are less colored than other studio powerhouses like mdr7506 or ath m50x. Finally the comfort. Minus 1 star for comfort. I definitely have a larger than average head size going by my hat and helmet sizes. But my head is not very wide, sort of like a reverse football-head arnold, and my ears are on the smaller side. My ears do NOT reach the drivers, and I have no comfort issues. I can still consciously feel the weight of the cans on my head, but it's not too bad especially if you get additional headband or padding. As for the earpads, again my ears are more round than oval, and are on the smaller side. The cans are not uncomfortable, but are not as comfortable as say hd6xx or he4xx. But the isolation that the pads provide really, (and I stress this part) REALLY adds to the sound.

I do EDM genre mixing and mastering, and these are the end-game when it comes to clarity, dynamic range, and response. I read some of the reviews on here before ordering and paid close attention to others who indicated they do mastering, and I'm glad I did. These are it. Period. The sound stage is absolutely mind blowing. Very wide, very deep, and there's zero latency and absolute clarity to sounds. (No "mushiness", which is critical to precise editing) The frequency response is outstanding. Whether it's subs at the far bottom end rattling your brain (which my last expensive headphones couldn't even render at all) or the absolute high end of the audio spectrum, it's got it. I wouldn't say it's perfectly "flat" across the entire audio spectrum, no headphones are, but it's the closest you are going to get without calibrated, matched studio monitors. For guys like me stuck home during a pandemic doing mastering, with kids and other noise, the sound isolation these provide, and the sound stage and clarity, makes these headphones worth their weight in gold. So stop second guessing yourself and just pull the trigger on them. They are THAT good, from an audio perspective. Be aware that they may not be the most comfortable headphones - I have big ears and wear glasses, they're a tight fit - but they are absolutely solid for the job they need to do for me and I'm willing to put up with a bit of a tight fit for this astonishing level of audio quality. If you are looking for something ultra-comfortable for casual listening, maybe look elsewhere; if you are looking for professional grade precision and clarity and have a job to do... well, these are it.

First I would like to say Amazon gave me hell ordering this item. First two debit cards kept declining with money on there and lastly the Driver delivered the package to the wrong house! After $533 dollars spent and a long headache I finally got to burn in these headphones for a few hours. The Soundstage and seal on these are so immersive to the point that I feel I am escaping reality. Sounds pan across from left to right and you hear details in records you've never heard before. I hear every mistake and I can actually hear mixes not just the song itself. Each Record does not sound the same where in my old AKG Cans every mix sounds like they mesh together. I actually prefer the AKG sound signature because they reveal things that are either good or bad in a more basic and I am not overwhelmed by every detail when I am mixing. I can't really hear the reverb trails and delays that I do but that is because if the engineer blended the mix correctly it sounds perfectly balanced on the Neumanns. These cans are like a movie experience very high quality the bass hits you in the face but is not overblown (if its there) and everything just sounds so warm and like velvet. Vocals kind of sit back in the mix and insturments POP out the mix for an exciting experience. These cans teleport you to an different place where you can enjoy your music and relax. I don't think I would track or mix mainly with these but use them as a final mix reference and for movies and when I want to enjoy music.. The only cons I have is that the price which is expensive and the comfort level isn't that great. The band at the top hugs your head and the speakers are very heavy on your ears...I guess this is intended for engineers to take breaks between sessions to avoid listening fatigue.

Soy un entusiasta del audio y de la música, tanto el escucharla como el interpretarla. Estos son los únicos audífonos cerrados de mi colección por el momento, y han estado conmigo por unos meses durante este año. Los compré porque detesto usar IEMs pero a la vez necesito unos audífonos que no generen el ruido que generan los audífonos abiertos, de los cuales tengo varios, y la razón por la que no quiero que generen ruido es porque actualmente estoy aprendiendo a tocar el bajo eléctrico por las noches y no quiero despertar a mi familia. Para ese propósito cumplen de maravilla, los uso en mis sesiones diarias de práctica de bajo y/o guitarra, conectándolos directamente a la interfaz de audio o al amplificador, según toque, y no me han decepcionado. Aislan lo suficiente, tiene la resolución suficiente, y los graves que son capaces de expresar son admirables. Ahora las cosas negativas que les encuentro, sin entrar en detalles únicamente relevantes para los audiófilos: * No son cómodos, son pesados, pero tengo audífonos incluso más pesados pero no los puedo usar por tanto tiempo de manera contínua sin tomarme unos descansos periódicos. * No entiendo por qué decidieron ponerle el cable de ese lado, se me hace antinatural. * Hay razones de peso para el material del que están hechos los pads dadas sus propiedades, pero combinados con la estructura en general de los audífonos, y la presión que ejerce la banda, me provocan calor y sudoración. A mi favor, no los utilizo más de dos horas al día, en sesiones de una hora, entonces pues todo lo anterior lo he aprendido a sobrellevar, sin embarlo lo menciono porque lo creo relevante. Comparados con otros de los audífonos de mi colección, como el HD 800S, el Hifiman 1000se, el Audeze LCD-2 o mis amados Dark Clan Audio STEALTH, estos no son audífonos que considere disfrutables para escuchar música. Esto es completamente razonable creo yo porque se trata más bien de herramientas de trabajo, no necesariamente de entretenimiento, pero honestamente esperaba un poquito más, pues al final las capacidades de la escucha son una sola cosa, y creo que esperaba que no me resultaran tan fatigosos. En resumen le dejo las 5 estrellas porque los considero una herramienta maravillosa, por lo tanto los recomiendo como tal, una herramienta de uso profesional.

German engineering at it's finest. What a solid pair of headphones with deep and clean bass. Perfect for hip hop and electronic music producing.

Un gran audífono cerrado, tiene un gran sonido, muy nítido, graves gustos, agudos no sibilantes y medios claros y cómodos. Buen material de construcción.

Comprados para uso personal y no para uso en estudio o ambiente "profesional". Funcionan bien con amplificador y desde dispositivos móviles. Las almohadillas contribuyen a un buen aislamiento de ruido externo y a mantener un sonido definido a distintos volúmenes. En mi caso continuan siendo cómodos después de un par de horas de uso, pero la diadema y diseño pueden resultar incómodos para otras personas

First use, I was able to get optimal instrument mic placement because the headphones isolated the sound well. In addition, the sound separation is exceptional. They’re comfortable, no worries. These are a very high quality headphones and are a great value.