Neumann NDH-20 vs. NDH-30 (Best Headphones for Mixing & Mastering 2022)

Neumann NDH-20 vs. NDH-30 (Best Headphones for Mixing & Mastering 2022)

Composer Daniel Willett compares the Neumann NDH-20 headphones vs the Neumann NDH-30 headphones.

This video includes a rundown of the pros and cons both Neumann NDH20 & NDH-30 headphones.

Are these the best headphones for tracking, mixing and mastering?

From Neumann about the NDH-20's
The Neumann NDH 20 is a closed-back headphone combining excellent isolation with the carefully balanced sound image and outstanding resolution you’d expect from a Neumann product. The NDH 20 is thus ideally suited to monitoring and mixing tasks, even in loud and noisy environments. Circumaural memory foam ear pads offer high long-term comfort.

From Neumann about the NDH-30's
The NDH 30 is a circumaural, open-back headphone with outstanding detail resolution and high-precision stereo imaging with razor-sharp localization. Its linear soundstage and superior transient response recommend it for the most demanding applications such as mixing and mastering.

The NDH 30 was developed with the aim of making the reference sound of a Neumann studio monitor setup, perfectly calibrated via MA 1, available everywhere in the form of an easily transportable headphone. At the same time, the NDH 30 forms its own sound reference in terms of headphone reproduction, which has become a key to success with the consumer. Its superior sound characteristics make the NDH 30 the first choice for mixing and mastering. Thanks to its high long-term comfort, it is just as excellently suited to high-precision editing.

Its high-quality construction of spring steel and aluminum as well as its pleasant handling properties are largely the same as those of the NDH 20. However, the NDH 30 is an open-back headphone, which means that its dynamic 38 mm transducers work as acoustic dipoles. This allows their highly refined sound characteristics to unfold optimally: extremely fast transient response, dry bass, uncolored mids and transparent highs. In other words, the NDH 30 has no sound coloration, but reproduces the signal 1:1.

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[ndavies]

NDH 20 with Sonarworks correction is the bomb 💥

[rickomuzik]

Love my NDH30’s was curious about the NDH20’s for tracking and you just made my decision 👌🏼

[steviebuoy]

Thanks for the video. I'm going to trust your opinion based on your experience with the NDH 30's and your confirmation that this is not a Neumann sponsored video .

[RiverSongMusic]

Wondering if you have compared the 30s to the Sennheiser open back 600s which I have been using. I have a set of NDH-20s on the way, and perhaps the Sennheisers are just as good as the Neuman 30s for use while mastering?

[yotunheim]

I have a sennheiser HD630VB with the same frame. After about 5 years of using them (pretty light use I'd say) some of the plastic/rubber started to degrade (feel dirty and gooey, trying to clean them further damaged that plastic) and it made wearing them on my head feel pretty gross. Maybe the reason is because I wore them outside (exposed to sunlight, rain, wind and all other conditions of the world outside world) and these Neumanns won't have such problems, but I still want to share this problem with people. Also, parts are impossible to find on the market, the only source is dismantling broken headphones from ebay.

[EmilMarlindMusic]

Great video! This made me decide on going with the ND20's. Thanks, you earned a sub :)

[eddietosh]

Appreciate you, I made my purchase after watching this.

[keremeye]

i think the ndh 20 bass might feel a little higher because the headphones sits and squeeze the head a little more than usual headphones. İt is like your pushing the headphones with your hands. When you pull the headphones even a little bit the bass level dicrease.

[themastroiannis]

hey! thanks for your review! really wanted a comparison between both neumanns...from someone who works with them and knows them well. really appreciate it. just subscribed to your channel. cheers!

[billkilpatrick]

You bought your own pair to maintain your journalistic integrity. Well done!

[anatol]

Nice but you didn t say nothing about the instrument separation and soundstage for me separation is very important when the mix starts becoming busy..Maybe it would be nice make a comparison with the usual suspects dt 770 880 hd 600 etc most musicians own a pair of them..

[cuttherecords]

Thank you so much for explaining this in full details and pointing out the con.
Since you said the bass is heavy, how should the bass be leveled even though I every bass is different overall . Do you turn down bass if you have everything levels or just take out a certain frequency to make the bass be satisfied at that same level. Hope this question makes since.

[electropocalypse]

I'm definitely leaning towards the NDH 20s as a daily driver (on the bus, out and about, etc) plus it seems like it's a great tool for mixing and mastering in spite of being a little pronounced in bass. I do love that bass when I'm out though (had some Skull Candy Crushers that delivered that once). These being closed-back with a good seal is a huge pro for me too. The only con for me might be the extra long cord to tie up.
I'm curious (for anyone reading), do you know what tracking means? Is that playing an instrument and recording it in real time on a DAW? I'm a bit new to the mixing world. 😕

[EastPlanet]

Great vid! Thanks so much for this comparison, it's really helpful. I purchased the NDH 20 and have been kicking myself a bit. I love the sound, but the mid-bass muddiness is turning me away for mixing. Also, I've noticed that 3+ hours with the cans on, and my ears get sore (my ears are a bit stiff and they get squished inwards). The NDH 30 pads seem to be a bit softer/bigger... would you say they feel better? Do they put a little more distance between your ear and the headphone? I feel like that would solve both the comfort and mud on the NDH 20 for me. Which leads me to the last question here: do the NDH 30 pads fit on the NDH 20s??

[MustBMusic]

Have your earmuffs ever come off on the NDH20? If so how do you get them back on— mine have perpetually fallen off, and it has become increasingly disruptive to work. I do however like the quality and sound of them.

[dimakim-nc]

Thompson Matthew Garcia Michelle Moore Donna

[kimmossige]

Can you record vocals with these headphones without too much sound bleed? Or is this what "tracking" mean?

[levondarratt]

The 20 are great! The detailed low end - because of closed back design. AND all the DSoniq profiles include them already, so you can run with room correction software. Maybe the 30 wont be included...or take too long. Again, with a profile, it does not matter if 20's are bass heavy - it gets corrected.

[gamertedd]

Thanks for the video. Can you tell me some not very budget audio interface that is suitable for these headphones for mixing and mastering?

[BlindOpticEnt]

Awesome upload thx! Was wondering 💭 Would you happen to know how these compare to the DT 1990’s? Thx again! 🙏