[Vitaliy Belz]

The difference between the NDH-30 and HD 560S driver is minimal, they have the same membrane, voice coil, and magnet system.

Ericpalonen disagrees with you:
"Only the diaphragm is similar, otherwise it's a different tuning and ultimately a different driver."
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sennheiser-hd-660s2-thread.966685/post-17435862

 

[kman1211]

Ericpalonen disagrees with you:
"Only the diaphragm is similar, otherwise it's a different tuning and ultimately a different driver."
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sennheiser-hd-660s2-thread.966685/post-17435862

I was told by JermoK that it was the same and gives a lot more information.

"The highest performance version of it sits in the HD 560S, with the new polymer blend diaphragm and a very light aluminium voice coil. This transducer is also implemented without changes in the NDH 30. However, Neumann is incredibly strict on tolerances for this model in a way that it's on the edge of what's possible in headphone series production, which may contribute to positive characteristics like soundstage."
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sennheiser-hd-660s2-thread.966685/post-17429121

There seems to be contradictory information floating around which does cause confusion.

 

[Vitaliy Belz]

There seems to be contradictory information floating around which does cause confusion.

The most important thing is that, despite the fact that many claim that the drivers are the same, the HD 560S, HD 400 Pro, HD 490 Pro and Neuman NDH 30 have a fairly audible difference in sound. At least that's what I hear. And to say that they have the same drivers, I think, is tantamount to saying that some different cars have the same engines and therefore there is no difference. Of course this is exaggerated, but fair.

 

[kman1211]

The most important thing is that, despite the fact that many claim that the drivers are the same, the HD 560S, HD 400 Pro, HD 490 Pro and Neuman NDH 30 have a fairly audible difference in sound. At least that's what I hear. And to say that they have the same drivers, I think, is tantamount to saying that some cars have the same engines and therefore there is no difference. Of course this is exaggerated, but fair.

No one has really been saying there is no difference though. There are likely some inherent sonic characteristics shared if the same driver is used but doesn’t mean they sound similar. If anything what this proves is the importance of implementation.

I simply care about knowing the technical stuff about a headphone and what's in it exactly. Sometimes it's just hard to get straightforward details on these things so I try to figure it out on my own if I can't really find the information easily.

 

[Vitaliy Belz]

Someone please can advise which other headphone has same deep soundstage and instrumental separation like NDH30

Maybe HD490.
It's also a studio focus headphone.

did you test it?

Same driver as the NDH-30, too.

Based on these answers, one can make a false conclusion that these headphones are the same in sound stage and instrumental separation, because the driver is the same. Does anyone else have an HD 490 Pro and an NDH 30 and agree that they are the same in terms of these characteristics?

 

[kman1211]

Based on these answers, one can make a false conclusion that these headphones are the same in sound stage and instrumental separation, because the driver is the same. Does anyone else have an HD 490 Pro and an NDH 30 and agree that they are the same in terms of these characteristics?

I think that's a case of people making an educated guess on it due to lack of information. Problem is the lack of comparisons not to mention there is going to be at least some variance in how different people perceived soundstage and separation on a given headphone. There is usually a general trend about these aspects in a headphone, but other times impressions vary wildly depending on the system and/or the persons ears.

How do you find the HD 490 and NDH 30 to compare in terms of soundstage and separation? What do you find is the biggest differences between them sonically?

 

[Vitaliy Belz]

How do you find the HD 490 and NDH 30 to compare in terms of soundstage and separation? What do you find is the biggest differences between them sonically?

I will answer you tomorrow, so the time in my time zone is already midnight.

 

[ThEvil0nE]

I was contemplating on getting the HD490 instead of the NDH30 BE anticipating that they would be tuned and voiced similarly minus the price hike of the Neumann name but nothing in all the YT reviews and personal feedback on here would closely resemble an NDH30.

So far, the NDH30 has been my personal pick vs the 660S2 and since AXPONA is happening in a week, I will get the chance to audition the HD490 and see if it has a place in my phone repertoire.

Lastly, after a 24hr burn-in on the NDH30 BE, I can say that transitioning to my monitor speakers and back has been flawless and offer no weird frequency anomalies that make want to hear twice.

 

[chesebert]

I was contemplating on getting the HD490 instead of the NDH30 BE anticipating that they would be tuned and voiced similarly minus the price hike of the Neumann name but nothing in all the YT reviews and personal feedback on here would closely resemble an NDH30.

So far, the NDH30 has been my personal pick vs the 660S2 and since AXPONA is happening in a week, I will get the chance to audition the HD490 and see if it has a place in my phone repertoire.

Lastly, after a 24hr burn-in on the NDH30 BE, I can say that transitioning to my monitor speakers and back has been flawless and offer no weird frequency anomalies that make want to hear twice.

You should bring your NDH30 and set them serendipitously next to Utopia and get people’s reaction after you tell them the price.

 

[Mike F]

You should bring your NDH30 and set them serendipitously next to Utopia and get people’s reaction after you tell them the price.

DO IT!

 

[ThEvil0nE]

You should bring your NDH30 and set them serendipitously next to Utopia and get people’s reaction after you tell them the price.

Isn’t it sacrilegious to bring an NDH30 to an audiophile show?

I already brought the NDH30 in stock form before. I’ll be bring the modded NDH30 version this time and a $180 Tago Studio T3-03.

 

[chesebert]

Isn’t it sacrilegious to bring an NDH30 to an audiophile show?

I already brought the NDH30 in stock form before. I’ll be bring the modded NDH30 version this time and a $180 Tago Studio T3-03.

I can contribute Headamp GS-1 mk2 and Sonic Frontier SFD-1 mk2 that are just sitting here. With the NDH30 the combo will blow away most of the rig at the show. Someone has to convince one of the exhibitors to get the rig set up

 

[jonathan c]

Isn’t it sacrilegious to bring to an audiophile show?

FTFY....[Reg. TM; © bcowen: 2021.]

 

[ThEvil0nE]

FTFY....[Reg. TM; © bcowen: 2021.]

Excommunicado

 

[ThEvil0nE]

I can contribute Headamp GS-1 mk2 and Sonic Frontier SFD-1 mk2 that are just sitting here. With the NDH30 the combo will blow away most of the rig at the show. Someone has to convince one of the exhibitors to get the rig set up

Gather up the Illinoisans. A booth in the back most shouldn’t be much at AXPONA