[equalspeace]

Alright well.. I guess i can start talking about these NDH 30s now like I have a clue haha. Sooo these are great. The build is beautiful first of all. Haven't heard enough about that. They are just so solidly constructed but also not too heavy. The click you get while adjusting the headband is very satisfying, and I love that they can fold flat. On sound, these headphones are extremely composed with every genre I've thrown at them. There's really nothing I can pinpoint that is wrong with the sound. There's a nice balance across the frequency response, timbre's pretty great, detail retrieval is superb and these headphones layer and image like nobody's business. These can replace my 600 for classical and anything else I want to listen to. Gonna hold out a little bit longer to make sure of that, but I'm 90% there that there's no need for it any longer in my small stable.

Now, on another front regarding this headphone...

Since I'm never one to rest on my laurels with mods. I've got one that's easy enough and I think game changing. I've had a pair of Ether C angled pads laying around forever with no home. Needless to say they have new place to work and that is on these new NDH 30 beauties ha. Soundstage takes a leap, sound sig tonally is basically unchanged and the bass is a bit more thunderous when called upon with no muddiness to speak of. It just a fantastic mod, although pads swaps aren't exactly easy with this headphone. I'm very happy w the NDH30 in this config.. and in general.

 

[equalspeace]

Some pics of them w the pads swapped:

 

[bagwell359]

Some pics of them w the pads swapped:

Those are my favorite pads

 

[bagwell359]

Alright well.. I guess i can start talking about these NDH 30s now like I have a clue haha. Sooo these are great. The build is beautiful first of all. Haven't heard enough about that. They are just so solidly constructed but also not too heavy. The click you get while adjusting the headband is very satisfying, and I love that they can fold flat. On sound, these headphones are extremely composed with every genre I've thrown at them. There's really nothing I can pinpoint that is wrong with the sound. There's a nice balance across the frequency response, timbre's pretty great, detail retrieval is superb and these headphones layer and image like nobody's business. These can replace my 600 for classical and anything else I want to listen to. Gonna hold out a little bit longer to make sure of that, but I'm 90% there that there's no need for it any longer in my small stable.

Now, on another front regarding this headphone...

Since I'm never one to rest on my laurels with mods. I've got one that's easy enough and I think game changing. I've had a pair of Ether C angled pads laying around forever with no home. Needless to say they have new place to work and that is on these new NDH 30 beauties ha. Soundstage takes a leap, sound sig tonally is basically unchanged and the bass is a bit more thunderous when called upon with no muddiness to speak of. It just a fantastic mod, although pads swaps aren't exactly easy with this headphone. I'm very happy w the NDH30 in this config.. and in general.

What amps are doing it best?

 

[equalspeace]

What amps are doing it best?

Solid state. Sounds the best so far straight from the Tazzy. But I have my LP hooked up to the Modius DAC so I think i may be hearing the limitations of that DAC. LCX with Tazzy as a DAC sounds incredible too. I think these headphones are super sensitive to DAC.. Like you hear the difference right away. 6xx series headphones make inferior DACs sound better than they are.

 

[equalspeace]

Those are my favorite pads

Same

 

[Mike F]

I think these headphones are super sensitive to DAC.. Like you hear the difference right away. 6xx series headphones make inferior DACs sound better than they are.

The NDH 30 are very accurate and revealing. You hear any small change in the chain, whether it's the source, the DAC, the amp, or even (dare I say) the type of connection and cables used.

 

[Mike F]

Some pics of them w the pads swapped:

Doesn't the square interior partly cover the front of the driver? I would have thought that less than desirable.......?

 

[bagwell359]

Doesn't the square interior partly cover the front of the driver? I would have thought that less than desirable.......?

Didn't try one of my 3 DCA Ether Angled Lambskins (these) when I had the NDH-30, but it's the best of the 14 pads I tried with the HFM HE-500 and HE-6 SE, and it partially blocked those drivers - and the soundstage is immensely wider than any of the others. Apples and oranges? Don't know...

 

[equalspeace]

Doesn't the square interior partly cover the front of the driver? I would have thought that less than desirable.......?

They just work. Trust me on this. Can't go wrong w Ether angled pads

 

[equalspeace]

Didn't try one of my 3 DCA Ether Angled Lambskins (these) when I had the NDH-30, but it's the best of the 14 pads I tried with the HFM HE-500 and HE-6 SE, and it partially blocked those drivers - and the soundstage is immensely wider than any of the others. Apples and oranges? Don't know...

Had the same experience w the HE500 and the Ether pads the couple of times I owned them. Most recent time one of the drivers crapped out after having only had them for a few days . It was a helluva sad day aha. That headphone is an all time fav of mine.

Regarding the NDH 30, I now wonder why I waited so long to get this headphone. It was a mistake. These cans are so good. They actually remind me of the HE500 with how fast they are with transients, but I think they are more balanced tonally and the bass is better at producing different textures. I also think they image better than the HE500. These are serious feats. I was just sitting listening yesterday with a big grin shocked at how these HPs were presenting each song. The live version of the song "Milk It" from Nirvana, I never heard presented so vividly and in a way that really captured the scale and power of Nirvana in a live format. Stevie Wonder, who seems to accept nothing less than production from the Gods themselves, sounds jaw-droppingly good w the NDH 30. Songs that aren't produced as well you hear the contrast more sharply but they don't sound bad either. All the details that you can hear are there. These headphones are a kind of statement from Neumann. They were like "here's what we can really do when we buckle down and we can price it extremely competitively" aha. For what you get 650$ is a bargain imo. People should run to buy these headphones aha. Yea bad one by me sleeping on these... Okay I've gushed enough.

 

[Mike F]

Had the same experience w the HE500 and the Ether pads the couple of times I owned them. Most recent time one of the drivers crapped out after having only had them for a few days . It was a helluva sad day aha. That headphone is an all time fav of mine.

Regarding the NDH 30, I now wonder why I waited so long to get this headphone. It was a mistake. These cans are so good. They actually remind me of the HE500 with how fast they are with transients, but I think they are more balanced tonally and the bass is better at producing different textures. I also think they image better than the HE500. These are serious feats. I was just sitting listening yesterday with a big grin shocked at how these HPs were presenting each song. The live version of the song "Milk It" from Nirvana, I never heard presented so vividly and in a way that really captured the scale and power of Nirvana in a live format. Stevie Wonder, who seems to accept nothing less than production from the Gods themselves, sounds jaw-droppingly good w the NDH 30. Songs that aren't produced as well you hear the contrast more sharply but they don't sound bad either. All the details that you can hear are there. These headphones are kind of statement from Neumann. They were like "here's what we can really do when we buckle down and we can price it extremely competitively" aha. For what you get 650$ is a bargain imo. People should run to buy these headphones aha. Yea bad one by me sleeping on these... Okay I've gushed enough.

Having gushed about the NDH 30 you know that your reputation as a critical and discerning listener with an opinion worth listening to is now irrevocably tarnished?! (especially to anyone who happens to stray here from the S2 thread!)

Edit: I agree with your comparison to the HE500 (which admittedly I haven't heard for some time.....).

 

[equalspeace]

Having gushed about the NDH 30 you know that your reputation as a critical and discerning listener with an opinion worth listening to is now irrevocably tarnished?! (especially to anyone who happens to stray here from the S2 thread!)

Edit: I agree with your comparison to the HE500 (which admittedly I haven't heard for some time.....).

I've used all my capital for sure.. and def not touching the S2 versus NDH 30 hot stove for a while aha

 

[Mike F]

I've used all my capital for sure.. and def not touching the S2 versus NDH 30 hot stove for a while aha

You've heard/had the S2 haven't you? Can't honestly remember......

 

[equalspeace]

You've heard/had the S2 haven't you? Can't honestly remember......

Yup