[Rob80b]

........

And I already wrote that Neumann NDH 30 is not HD800

Still curious about the 30's...would you say they are more a professional mastering/monitor tool somewhat like the AKG K812/872s....or maybe in between those and the HD800/S? Having spent more than a few decades, 70s, 80s and 90s in Electro-acoustic music production and recording...I'm always torn between studio (precision) and general musical enjoyment, which I get with the HD660S.

 

[SHAMuuu]

Still curious about the 30's...would you say they are more a professional mastering/monitor tool somewhat like the AKG K812/872s....or maybe in between those and the HD800/S? Having spent more than a few decades, 70s, 80s and 90s in Electro-acoustic music production and recording...I'm always torn between studio (precision) and general musical enjoyment, which I get with the HD660S.

Regarding the precision and enjoyment, I cannot help but remember some of the content from the RMAF panel talks.

The engineer from SOny (Naotaka Tsunodo) said something about studio precision headphone bringing the listener closer to the instruments and voices, and the ones for music listening were not as close. Something along those lines, and why there is a difference for application/purpose. Which makes sense as some people want to be in the front row, and not necessarily be the microphone XD If you get too close to the instruments and voices, it's not always enjoyable (relatively speaking) .

From my experience when I am enjoying some music, and then I hear something weird (like a pop, buzz or something odd) is when I run to the can bin and grab of the "tools" to see if I can hear deeper/closer. I feel like the "tools" I generally acquire were more on the thinner side with blacker backgrounds and speed to catch any oddities so I know the "enjoyment" one is not broken / defective.

I cannot confidently say the 660 is the best "tool" out there, thought it's not bad per se. It seems more in line with the "enjoyment" side.

And sometimes the key word is "tools" , to check different aspects (like bass, imaging, soundstage etc) which are not necessarily best to check on one paticular tool.

Perhaps why there is no one perfect holy grail for everything, perhaps there is a holy grail studio, and one for enjoyment.

YMMV

 

[indigogo]

Still curious about the 30's...would you say they are more a professional mastering/monitor tool somewhat like the AKG K812/872s....or maybe in between those and the HD800/S? Having spent more than a few decades, 70s, 80s and 90s in Electro-acoustic music production and recording...I'm always torn between studio (precision) and general musical enjoyment, which I get with the HD660S.

As for the Neumann NDH 30 - as I wrote on gearspace - they have only one significant minus - after buying them and listening, you will never want to deal with your other headphones ever!!! It's the satisfaction of music and the precision for professional work in one powerful and modern solution!
Several people on gearspace have already bought these headphones on my recommendation and will never look back!
Yes, it will be better and completely different than the AKG K812 - here is a review confirming this if my words are not enough:
https://www.thomann.de/intl/neumann_ndh_30.htm#bewertung
This is a conditional review but it largely agrees with my opinion.

 

[indigogo]

Regarding the precision and enjoyment, I cannot help but remember some of the content from the RMAF panel talks.

The engineer from SOny (Naotaka Tsunodo) said something about studio precision headphone bringing the listener closer to the instruments and voices, and the ones for music listening were not as close. Something along those lines, and why there is a difference for application/purpose. Which makes sense as some people want to be in the front row, and not necessarily be the microphone XD If you get too close to the instruments and voices, it's not always enjoyable (relatively speaking) .

From my experience when I am enjoying some music, and then I hear something weird (like a pop, buzz or something odd) is when I run to the can bin and grab of the "tools" to see if I can hear deeper/closer. I feel like the "tools" I generally acquire were more on the thinner side with blacker backgrounds and speed to catch any oddities so I know the "enjoyment" one is not broken / defective.

I cannot confidently say the 660 is the best "tool" out there, thought it's not bad per se. It seems more in line with the "enjoyment" side.

And sometimes the key word is "tools" , to check different aspects (like bass, imaging, soundstage etc) which are not necessarily best to check on one paticular tool.

Perhaps why there is no one perfect holy grail for everything, perhaps there is a holy grail studio, and one for enjoyment.

YMMV

Real sound stage and accuracy is available only for very expensive mid-field studio monitors in an acoustically prepared room and now also in NDH 30
Everything else, especially when it comes to headphones, is an approximate conditional sound presentation of the scene and other characteristics that have nothing to do with the exact sound

This is just an approximate and conditional sound delivery - you may like it or not, but this is not accuracy.

 

[SHAMuuu]

Real sound stage and accuracy is available only for very expensive mid-field studio monitors in an acoustically prepared room and now also in NDH 30
Everything else, especially when it comes to headphones, is an approximate conditional sound presentation of the scene and other characteristics that have nothing to do with the exact sound

This is just an approximate and conditional sound delivery - you may like it or not, but this is not accuracy.

I try not to think too deeply into soundstage, but I've heard some interesting ones like the k1k, sigma, and mdr-f1 etc . Its not an aspect that is most critical for a person like myself, but I can see why some people might prioritize it.

I would say midrange naturalness and especially vocal realism is important. And the 660S does that.

Could the treble be better? Yes. The bass? Yes. But it's good enough. The mids are excellent.

Its a very easy long session headphone. And super easy to power.

I wouldn't describe them as you have, but there is a slight haze relative to some of the older ones like early models of the 6 series (particularly 580s). I say haze in the context of warmth. There is a tad more warmth, and it's not the blackest of backgrounds (perhaps my chain) but this has been my view. It's not bothersome. Its smooth. Inoffensive.

 

[Rob80b]

As for the Neumann NDH 30 - as I wrote on gearspace - they have only one significant minus - after buying them and listening, you will never want to deal with your other headphones ever!!! It's the satisfaction of music and the precision for professional work in one powerful and modern solution!
Several people on gearspace have already bought these headphones on my recommendation and will never look back!
Yes, it will be better and completely different than the AKG K812 - here is a review confirming this if my words are not enough:
https://www.thomann.de/intl/neumann_ndh_30.htm#bewertung
This is a conditional review but it largely agrees with my opinion.

Definitely conditional as the majority of Headfiers will confess, having personally been in the hobby since the early 70s and on here since 2003 I've gone down that path a few times, lol...... and thousands of comments and reviews have stated similar comments and observations, "you will never want to deal with your other headphones ever!!!".....nature of the business.
If I get the chance I will give the NDH 30 a listen...anyway, for now this is the HD660S thread, take it or leave it.

 

[Rob80b]

................

I cannot confidently say the 660 is the best "tool" out there, thought it's not bad per se. It seems more in line with the "enjoyment" side.

............

YMMV

Yep....Not too big and not too small just satisfying enough to cover them all. : )

With my current roster, the HD800S, AKG K872s, Focal Elegia....the HD660S (also currently) are still my safe harbour for most if not all genres and moods

 

[Opalius]

After about 2 weeks of reading posts about the NDH 30, I vote for we change the name of this thread....?? Any idea??

Or am I just

 

[indigogo]

That's all for a warm-up - I just listened two wide tracks with a good panorama on my studio monitors, and then for fun, having nothing to do, I took the 660 and listened to the same tracks ... A very unpleasant design error of the 660 was discovered
Pan and stereo enter each other and intersect in the middle by about 50%
This creates an unpleasant feeling as if you want to enter a doorway of normal width - and it turns out to be twice as narrow And impossible to squeeze into it except sideways
In general, if no jokes - here's a serious flaw!
And by the way, in NDH 30 - there is no such trouble!

 

[indigogo]

Just checked on SP-5 - everything is ok too...

 

[indigogo]

Even in Shure se846 there is no such trouble...
Now I understand what was the essence of the problem and why the sound from the 660 always felt defective unnatural

 

[indigogo]

I am almost 100% sure that this is due to the idiotic ellipse design!!!
It's a pity I can't test it on 800s, sold

It's good that no one has yet come up with the idea of making square or rectangular headphones - It would be really funny!

 

[equalspeace]

Real sound stage and accuracy is available only for very expensive mid-field studio monitors in an acoustically prepared room and now also in NDH 30
Everything else, especially when it comes to headphones, is an approximate conditional sound presentation of the scene and other characteristics that have nothing to do with the exact sound

This is just an approximate and conditional sound delivery - you may like it or not, but this is not accuracy.

Isn't there a NDH 30 thread where you could share all of this love for that headphone?? Don't mean to be rude but this has nothing do with the 660s.

 

[Opalius]

 

[fordski]

Isn't there a NDH 30 thread where you could share all of this love for that headphone?? Don't mean to be rude but this has nothing do with the 660s.

Let’s all go over there and profess our love for the 660s!