Neumann KH 80 DSP

Sources split, but lopsidedly. Erin's Audio Corner, Sound On Sound, The Next Web, Mix, AMAZONA and delamar all describe a neutral, honest balance, and most owners agree; one former studio owner calls it 'grey and unexciting, but not boring'. A minority finds the same neutrality dull or odd: Classical Guitar Tones returned its loan pair calling it 'a bit boring sounding', and an ASR member who first preferred it to a Genelec 8030 later called it bizarre. ASR's Amir measured it flat but preferred a JBL 305P for listening.

Sources split along a size line, and both sides can be true. Sound On Sound, Mix, AMAZONA, delamar and even the critical Classical Guitar Tones found the bass tight, well-defined and surprisingly deep for a 4-inch woofer, Sound On Sound saying most small-room users won't need a sub. Others say it simply runs out: ASR heard more bass from a JBL 305P, and owners mixing organ, trap or electronic music, or listening beyond the nearfield, found they needed a subwoofer. Erin's measurements show a sharp roll-off below about 57 Hz, right at kick-drum and bass-guitar fundamentals.

Sources split. Sound On Sound heard a slightly forward, very clear midrange and an owner praises its detail on vocals. More sources hear something missing or clouded: ASR found less midrange detail than a JBL 305P, Classical Guitar Tones called it boxy, an ASR member called it a mess next to Genelecs, and two Thomann owners hear a little too much low-mid or slightly less midrange resolution, which they say improves with a subwoofer. Mix's reviewer heard cloudy lower mids that the rear 'large desk' switch cleaned up.

Sources split, mostly one way. Mix, delamar and several owners hear clear, unforced treble that stays comfortable through long sessions, and one owner prefers it to Genelec tweeters. Classical Guitar Tones heard the upper mids and highs as slightly more laid back than it wanted. Setup matters: Erin notes the treble may sound a little hot from a metre or more in a reflective room, and one owner found it bright until the MA 1 calibration was redone carefully.

Sources split between depth and scale. Sound On Sound, AMAZONA and delamar praise a deep, finely layered stage with an almost 3D stability — delamar's matched its pricier Genelec 8050s — and a KH310 owner thinks its spatial information may be better than his larger Neumanns. Others hear a small presentation: ASR said it sounded more like a computer speaker than the larger JBL, Classical Guitar Tones that it 'sounds as big as it looks', and a Reddit owner that it doesn't present scale.

The strongest agreement in the record. Every source that discusses it — Sound On Sound, AMAZONA, delamar, Classical Guitar Tones, Z Reviews and many owners — describes a sharp, stable phantom centre and precise placement. Sound On Sound and an owner credit the linear-phase crossover.

“Stereo imaging and depth is extremely precise, and arguably had the edge over the KH310s”

Hugh Robjohns, Sound On Sound

“The imaging of the KH 80 is very good for the price and offers plenty of localization from left to right, as well as useful front to back information.”

Classical Guitar Tones (an otherwise critical review)

“I have to say one of the things that blows me away is the centre imaging, it's almost scary how well these monitors present the sound.”

matttera, Thomann owner review (bedroom studio)

Sources split. Sound On Sound calls its clarity and resolution startling for the size, AMAZONA and delamar praise its transparency, and owners say it shows them what isn't working in a mix. On the other side, ASR heard more 'zing' and clarity from a cheaper JBL 305P, Classical Guitar Tones found it hid problems another system revealed, and a Reddit user calls it honest but a little grainy.

Loud and clean enough for a desk, with limits beyond it. Mix drove a pair 'very hard' without resonances, The Next Web and Z Reviews say it plays louder than a desk needs, and delamar rates its punch first-class. Measurements put the ceiling at about 95 dB at 1 m for one speaker before compression, which owners feel at 2–3 m: an ASR owner using a pair with subwoofers at 2 m calls it SPL-limited in the upper bass, and another, listening at 3 m in a living room, says it plays 'not very loudly'.

“I drove the 80s hard—very hard—until I got uncomfortable, but they were still clean and not jumping with resonances.”

Rob Tavaglione, Mix

“Was die Mikrodynamik betrifft, spielt der Neumann KH 80 DSP in der ersten Liga.”

Marius Schweitzer, delamar.de ("for micro-dynamics it plays in the first league"; 1.5 m)

“You can only get about 95dB@1m out of them from 100-300hz before distortion rises uncomfortably far.”

Sancus, ASR thread (owner; surround use at 2 m with subwoofers)

Easy to place for a monitor. The waveguide gives wide, even dispersion — ASR saw essentially no directivity problem and Erin measured a vertical window of about ±40°, generous for the nearfield — and owners report a large sweet spot. The front ports and M6 inserts suit walls, stands and tight desks. In untreated rooms owners lean on the rear low-mid switch and, more often, MA 1 calibration to tame desk and room bass.

“Since the "woofer" is so small, and the waveguide so large, there is essentially no directivity issue.”

amirm, Audio Science Review

“It offers very good linear response within ±1.50dB and good vertical dispersion at about ±40°, making it suitable for nearfield listening.”

Erin's Audio Corner

“Directivity is good, meaning you can have more freedom in positioning relative to speakers without losing neutral sound.”

560S, Thomann owner review

Sources split, mostly positive. Sound On Sound found its low end informative enough to make mixing decisions reliable, Mike Senior calls the KH80+KH750 system capable of pro-grade results, and a former studio owner says mixes on it rarely surprise him on phones, laptops or TVs. The dissent is about the bottom octave: a KH150 owner returned a pair for KH 120s because an organ's 32-foot pedal didn't come through properly, and a Reddit engineer says it isn't enough on its own for professional mixing without a subwoofer.

Very quiet. Reviewers and owners agree it is among the quietest active monitors at a desk — inaudible at a metre for most, audible only with an ear near the tweeter or in a very quiet room. Owners note the hiss rises if the rear output-level switch is set above the 100 dB position, and one heard a very faint tweeter hiss that disappeared after MA 1 calibration.

“it has virtually no hiss”

Napier Lopez, The Next Web (months on his desk)

“It's by far the quietest active speaker I've heard. Nothing at 1m at home.”

pozz, ASR 'Hiss List' thread (owner)

“Neumanns are one of the best in terms of self noise although if they are close in a quiet room you can still hear the slight hiss.”

560S, Thomann owner review (returned two other pairs for hiss)

Unusually capable for its size: a linear-phase DSP crossover, factory-matched units, up to 70 ms of delay, a network port for remote control, and MA 1 room alignment that owners and reviewers say transforms it in untreated rooms. The caveats are that the MA 1 kit costs about $280 extra, the speaker takes analogue input only, and a KH 750 DSP subwoofer is the natural partner for full-range work.

“They are, however, the most advanced, the most flexible, and quite likely the best sounding.”

Rob Tavaglione, Mix (on micro-monitors around $1,000 a pair)

“Even without the calibration they're great, but it's a big help in my room, which has some pretty big issues with standing waves in the low and lower-mid range.”

WillO, Thomann owner review (small treated room, MA 1)

The weak spot. For years the control app ran only on an iPad, which reviewers from ASR to Sound On Sound criticised; the Mac/PC MA 1 software replaced it but can't be used alongside the old app, and a long-term owner found its Windows version unreliable. The most common hardware-side complaint is auto-standby: several owners report one speaker sleeping or waking before the other, or units that won't wake at all. The rear connectors sit in a tight recess, and the two-pin mains lead feels flimsy to some.

“Sometimes, one monitor would go on standby first, or one monitor would need a louder signal to wake up.”

Classical Guitar Tones

“The Neumann MA-1 app, at least in its Windows form, is not good.”

Drew Stephenson, SOS forum (owner since 2019, with a KH 750 and MA 1)

“It's full of bugs, sometimes rendering these speakers temporaly unusable and not turning on again.”

Dennyz, Thomann owner review

Sources split, mostly positive. Sound On Sound calls the build superb, delamar praises the sturdy metal grilles, Erin found it robust despite the plastic shell, and one owner's KH80 survived a 1.2 m fall onto a hard floor with only a scratch. Critics find the polycarbonate cabinet plasticky — Classical Guitar Tones also disliked the thin mains cable — and an ASR member felt the case vibrate. Two Thomann owners report a unit failing after about six years.

Sources split close to evenly. Sound On Sound says you could spend twice as much elsewhere without matching it, Mix calls it the most advanced micro-monitor around $1,000 a pair, and The Next Web says that with a subwoofer it outclasses speakers several times its size or price. The other side: ASR called it pricey for a small speaker and preferred a cheaper JBL, Classical Guitar Tones would buy a KH 120 for a little more or a Focal Shape 40 for less, and owners who needed more bass traded up to the KH 120.