[erics75]

So the NDH-30 might be / is ‘fussy’ about noggin coordinates. So? Adjust and enjoy or get: [from post #1,612 by @erics75 ]

i forgot about that pic! for those who don't know, that's Neumann's new studio ear monitor support frame. You put that on then put the NDH30 into the headphone slot, and BAM, no more adjustment issues. The sound waves travel perfectly aligned with your ear canal. The silver frame has a brighter sonic signature, whereas the black version is warmer and more euphonic. I believe they're calling it the Neumann Pinhead. I for one will be first in line to sport the new Pinhead upon release.

And not to be outdone, the parent of Neumann, Sennheiser, is set to release their new auditory canal alignment system lovingly dubbed The Birdcage. Here you see the test subject before attaching his HD800. Such a great time to be an audiophile, so many wonderful gadgets to enhance our listening pleasure.

 

[Buckie]

NDH 30s to me are X-ray headphones. You can literally see through those walls and layers of sound, like if some kind of superpowers were bestowed onto you. I compared those side by side with LCD-3s and found the latter severely lacking in every way. Both connected to Apogee Groove if that matters. Head positioning does audibly affect the sound as has already been mentioned, but can be used to advantage. I'm beginning to think that this 'musicality' people talk about is simply coloration and controlled lack of detail, so what NDH 30 lacks in this musicality it makes up for with liveliness, sheer fun of being able to effortlessly 'see' and the sense of being there. As a professional tool it's just perfect, and it's first and foremost marketed at professionals. The price is disturbingly low too. It's also difficult to use them as a source of background noise because they demand your attention by being so life-like.

 

[Mike F]

Just had a wonderful listening session with these. Distant….. muffled……? I just don’t get it. Totally agree with everything in the above post. My experience exactly!

 

[erics75]

NDH 30s to me are X-ray headphones. You can literally see through those walls and layers of sound, like if some kind of superpowers were bestowed onto you. I compared those side by side with LCD-3s and found the latter severely lacking in every way. Both connected to Apogee Groove if that matters. Head positioning does audibly affect the sound as has already been mentioned, but can be used to advantage. I'm beginning to think that this 'musicality' people talk about is simply coloration and controlled lack of detail, so what NDH 30 lacks in this musicality it makes up for with liveliness, sheer fun of being able to effortlessly 'see' and the sense of being there. As a professional tool it's just perfect, and it's first and foremost marketed at professionals. The price is disturbingly low too. It's also difficult to use them as a source of background noise because they demand your attention by being so life-like.

If your only amp is the Apogee Groove you may want to consider something more powerful for your LCD3. I owned one years back and it was quite power hungry, especially for current. I had to upgrade my amp a bit to get the most from them. You don't need anything expensive, just something that puts a lot of current out like a Schiit Jotunheim, etc. When I ran mine on a Magni it sounded really lifeless and overly dark and harsh. But moving to the Jotunheim was transformative for it. Despite the Magni's robust power ratings, it's power supply (wall wart) is lacking for power hungry planars. The NDH30 is much much easier to drive than the LCD3 so it's not surprising the 30 sounded better on the Apogee, which isn't putting out much power. Not saying one is better than the other, just the LCD might sound better to you with a beefier amp.

 

[chesebert]

If your only amp is the Apogee Groove you may want to consider something more powerful for your LCD3. I owned one years back and it was quite power hungry, especially for current. I had to upgrade my amp a bit to get the most from them. You don't need anything expensive, just something that puts a lot of current out like a Schiit Jotunheim, etc. When I ran mine on a Magni it sounded really lifeless and overly dark and harsh. But moving to the Jotunheim was transformative for it. Despite the Magni's robust power ratings, it's power supply (wall wart) is lacking for power hungry planars. The NDH30 is much much easier to drive than the LCD3 so it's not surprising the 30 sounded better on the Apogee, which isn't putting out much power. Not saying one is better than the other, just the LCD might sound better to you with a beefier amp.

No amount of amp will make LCD3 sound natural and neutral - trust me on this one. Not saying LCD3 sounds bad, but not natural or neutral.

 

[erics75]

No amount of amp will make LCD3 sound natural and neutral - trust me on this one. Not saying LCD3 sounds bad, but not natural or neutral.

That I agree on, it's very colored sounding. But if you like that sound signature it's quite entertaining to listen to. I found it quite detailed as well. I thought it didn't give up that that much to the HD800 silver I owned at the time. Darker yeah. Softer/hazier, yeah. But close enough that I never found myself wanting more detail. Sometimes the HD800, Utopia, Estats, etc. are over the top on the detail side. I get so focused on the micro detail that I stop listening to the macro presentation. Like pixel peeping a photo and not seeing the image as a whole. I don't produce music though so I'm sure those needs are vastly different.

 

[Luckyleo]

NDH 30s to me are X-ray headphones. You can literally see through those walls and layers of sound, like if some kind of superpowers were bestowed onto you. I compared those side by side with LCD-3s and found the latter severely lacking in every way. Both connected to Apogee Groove if that matters. Head positioning does audibly affect the sound as has already been mentioned, but can be used to advantage. I'm beginning to think that this 'musicality' people talk about is simply coloration and controlled lack of detail, so what NDH 30 lacks in this musicality it makes up for with liveliness, sheer fun of being able to effortlessly 'see' and the sense of being there. As a professional tool it's just perfect, and it's first and foremost marketed at professionals. The price is disturbingly low too. It's also difficult to use them as a source of background noise because they demand your attention by being so life-like.

I don't need X-Ray headphones. I want to have fun.... Just me and my preferences.... YMMV

 

[chesebert]

"X-ray" unfortunately is not the "right" audiophile buzz word - I think what @Buckie meant was "transparent", "insightful" and "hearing deeper into the texture and complexity of instruments and voices" The words we use ...

Here is a kickass, coherent and musical system for sub $5k: NDH30 (assuming you get a good copy and you ears/head config is compatible) + Headamp Glite w/ GRPS + NewOntech Dac 07.

 

[ThEvil0nE]

To me engaging is when I listen to a soundstage that is correct and not overly stretched and spread out, instrument sound real and placement true. It's like sitting on a chair in front of a performing band in a treated recording room/studio at the most optimal listening position. The NDH 30 does that, it's natural and true. And honestly, it shouldn't take you days or weeks to get acclimated on headphone/monitor speakers characteristics to know if the sound is neutral, natural and realistic.

So is the NDH 30 the best sounding headphone? NO
Does the NDH 30 sound correct? YES

 

[jonathan c]

NDH 30s to me are X-ray headphones.

You can literally see through those walls and layers of sound, like if some kind of superpowers were bestowed onto you.

The last thing that Dr. James Xavier (played by Ray Milland) needs is a set of ‘X-ray headphones’!

[The Man With The X-Ray Eyes (1963)]

 

[ThEvil0nE]

This one's unexpectedly interesting.. got me pouring a few good dram

 

[monmon2]

did wrong post accidentally plz remove this

 

[bizkid]

Yesterday I picked up my black NDH30 and they sound truly amazing I have to say. How someone can not like this headphone for what it offers at its price is beyond me. But it doesn't matter, this will be a great tool for me personally and im happy I finally got it.

 

[chesebert]

I mean it's a $1500 sounding headphone that's being sold for $600 for the pro market.

 

[Rob80b]

Well after 2 weeks on the open market no fish were biting, not even a nibble .....Lifted my self imposed ban, so going try and give these 30s another chance once these pads I ordered arrive, may be a few weeks though.