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isma. « You have to listen to them to believe it »
Published on 10/10/11 at 08:39Which technical specifications motivated your choice?
Their size, their quality.
The KH 120 are the replacement of the K+H O110, so they already have a reputation.
What do you use them for?
Computer music, football, tennis.
Which amp/what setup do you use?... ...
Fireface 400, duet 2.
SOUNDS
Is the frequency response neutral enough?
Excellent linearity, these small monitors are very revealing,
My room has no particular acoustic treatment, but I've had no ugly surprises, my mixes sound very good on other systems.
The EQs on the rear are easy to use and effective.
Is the dynamic response faithful?
Very faithful, they even provide a sensation of depth that I had never felt with monitors this size, or even with bigger ones.
It's a treat to listen to jazz and classical music with them.
Is the stereo image good?
The stereo is impeccable and the sweet spot is very generous, allowing you to work smoothly, even with lateral movements.
Is the sound clear and accurate across the entire frequency spectrum?
The balance across the entire spectrum is very nice.
* Highs are very well defined, clear, but smooth, they are not aggressive. That said, if a song is mixed with too much highs, you'll notice it right away.
* Excellent high/low mids.
* Lows and sub lows: I wouldn't say that they are better than the mids or the highs, they are simply the continuation. They are clean and clear down to 50Hz, without muddiness; deep and punchy lows, as J-C Van Damme would say.
Finally, the lows are what impress you the most because they are usually limited with monitors this big, so you don't see them coming. If you close your eyes you could even think you have a 7-inch woofer.
Moving on, these little monitors have an incredible output power, I have really cranked them up, but the limiter has never activated so far (the Neumann logo is supposed to light up red), and they sound well-defined both at soft and loud volumes. I have found myself working at much lower volumes than before, since their definition is so good that you can't miss a single detail.
OVERALL OPINION
How would you rate its value for money?
They aren't cheap, but their value for money is excellent, I prefer them to the DB1s, which are much more expensive.
Did you try any other models before buying this one?
After moving, I found myself with a 97 sq ft home studio, so I had to sell my Bm5a and my Bm9 sub, even though I was pretty satisfied with them
So I went looking for new monitors, after having tested the cms40 for two weeks (they are great but without enough lows), I hesitated between the Bm5a compact, the cms50 and even the small PMC DB1s, which I was able to test, but they didn't convince me. I know the K+H O110 well, so I fell for the KH120s, whose low end is richer than that of the O110 and the DB1s.
I can't stand to have headphones on my ears for more than 5 minutes, so my monitors are vital to me.
Finally, thanks to their small size and their sound quality, I have now a more detailed and balanced sound (even in the bottom end) than in my old home studio, which was bigger and acoustically treated. Plus, I don't need a sub now!
Based on your experience, would you buy this product again?
I'd say yes, although I don't have enough experience with these small Neumanns to be entirely sure and objective. I bought them one and a half months ago and I use them almost every day, I'm satisfied with them and feel like a fish in a pond in my home studio.
Their size, their quality.
The KH 120 are the replacement of the K+H O110, so they already have a reputation.
What do you use them for?
Computer music, football, tennis.
Which amp/what setup do you use?... ...
Fireface 400, duet 2.
SOUNDS
Is the frequency response neutral enough?
Excellent linearity, these small monitors are very revealing,
My room has no particular acoustic treatment, but I've had no ugly surprises, my mixes sound very good on other systems.
The EQs on the rear are easy to use and effective.
Is the dynamic response faithful?
Very faithful, they even provide a sensation of depth that I had never felt with monitors this size, or even with bigger ones.
It's a treat to listen to jazz and classical music with them.
Is the stereo image good?
The stereo is impeccable and the sweet spot is very generous, allowing you to work smoothly, even with lateral movements.
Is the sound clear and accurate across the entire frequency spectrum?
The balance across the entire spectrum is very nice.
* Highs are very well defined, clear, but smooth, they are not aggressive. That said, if a song is mixed with too much highs, you'll notice it right away.
* Excellent high/low mids.
* Lows and sub lows: I wouldn't say that they are better than the mids or the highs, they are simply the continuation. They are clean and clear down to 50Hz, without muddiness; deep and punchy lows, as J-C Van Damme would say.
Finally, the lows are what impress you the most because they are usually limited with monitors this big, so you don't see them coming. If you close your eyes you could even think you have a 7-inch woofer.
Moving on, these little monitors have an incredible output power, I have really cranked them up, but the limiter has never activated so far (the Neumann logo is supposed to light up red), and they sound well-defined both at soft and loud volumes. I have found myself working at much lower volumes than before, since their definition is so good that you can't miss a single detail.
OVERALL OPINION
How would you rate its value for money?
They aren't cheap, but their value for money is excellent, I prefer them to the DB1s, which are much more expensive.
Did you try any other models before buying this one?
After moving, I found myself with a 97 sq ft home studio, so I had to sell my Bm5a and my Bm9 sub, even though I was pretty satisfied with them
So I went looking for new monitors, after having tested the cms40 for two weeks (they are great but without enough lows), I hesitated between the Bm5a compact, the cms50 and even the small PMC DB1s, which I was able to test, but they didn't convince me. I know the K+H O110 well, so I fell for the KH120s, whose low end is richer than that of the O110 and the DB1s.
I can't stand to have headphones on my ears for more than 5 minutes, so my monitors are vital to me.
Finally, thanks to their small size and their sound quality, I have now a more detailed and balanced sound (even in the bottom end) than in my old home studio, which was bigger and acoustically treated. Plus, I don't need a sub now!
Based on your experience, would you buy this product again?
I'd say yes, although I don't have enough experience with these small Neumanns to be entirely sure and objective. I bought them one and a half months ago and I use them almost every day, I'm satisfied with them and feel like a fish in a pond in my home studio.