Neumann NDH 30 – Hardware Review
We reviewed Sennheiser’s HD 400 Pro some time ago, and we can honestly say that we are still quite inexperienced when it comes to reviewing studio headphones. Nonetheless, we concluded that Sennheiser’s product was absolutely amazing and offered a premium quality experience. Today we find ourselves trying out another pair of professional headphones: Neumann’s NDH 30. We were very intrigued by the device, as it is also marketed as a device that would serve as a great gaming companion. We put the headphones to the test, and we were quite amazed by the quality – but did it pass the gaming vibe check?
Design
The NDH 30 is a very classy device. The headphones are finished with a silver metallic look, with a logo on each side of the headband. The exterior of each of the earpieces comes with a gridded black pattern, and you’ll also see soft black over-ear fabric earpads. The inside of the earpieces is done in a bright orange color, which, oddly enough, works for this device. Other than that, you’ll see the black rubber finish on the interior of the headband, together with the soft rubber-like padding. This is one of those devices that clearly looks like a premium pair of headphones and it is just a great-looking piece of studio equipment.
Comfort
Even though the NDH 30 has an over-ear design, you will not drown out all environmental noises. This is because this device is mostly meant for studio work, and thus you’ll also need to be able to hear some of the things that are going on around you. That being said, this pair of headphones are extremely comfortable thanks to the very soft earpads and of course the ample padding in the headband. Even though the device is also made out of aluminum, and not just plastic, it is still surprisingly light and comfortable to wear for longer periods of time.
Overview
Truth be told, there isn’t much in the way of having to ‘set up’ this device, as it is simply connected via a 3.5mm plug or the 6.3mm screw-on adapter. This means that this is not a USB device. This also makes the headphones a bit more ‘universal’ as they can even fit on old-school devices. Even though the NDH 30 is mainly used for artists who want to work on their music via specific software, Neumann also advertised this headset to be ideal for (VR) gaming. This is an area we have more experience in, and thus we will mainly be focusing on our gaming adventures with the NDH 30.
As this device doesn’t have a microphone, you either need an external microphone in combination with the NDH 30 when gaming online, or you can just opt to use it for solo play. We found the audio experience phenomenal, but as mentioned above, environmental noises seep in quite easily, and this might ruin the immersion for gamers who truly wish to disconnect with the world around them for a bit. Nonetheless, the audio quality is simply superb and the difference is quite high when comparing this device to standard gaming headsets. Nonetheless, if you’re used to playing online, you’ll probably opt for a device that blocks out environmental noises and perhaps one that has additional features and functions. Once again, this is an impressive pair of headphones, but you’ll be dishing out a lot of money for a device that mainly shines during single-player play.
Seeing VR was also mentioned in the press release, we also dug out our VR headset and used the NDH 30 in combination with it. Once again, we have to repeat our remarks. For those who are a bit squeamish and still want to be connected with the outside world (while residing in the VR world), then you’ll probably have the experience of a lifetime. Those who rather block themselves off completely and go nuts in the VR world of their choice might once again best opt for a device that had noise canceling. Even though VR headsets are a lot more comfortable than when they were originally released, it can still be a bit of a hassle putting on another headset on top of your VR headset.
Circling back to the fact that the NDH 30 is a device that should be used in combination with audio editing software, we are not that surprised that the gaming functionalities aren’t on par with dedicated devices. That being said, however, if you’re into audio editing, love to game on the side, and perhaps enjoy a bit of VR gaming on top of that, then this is a near-perfect companion.
Conclusion
Neumann’s NDH 30 is an absolute powerhouse for studio work. The sound quality is crisp, the device is very comfortable, and it also looks extremely stylish. We are, of course, no experts when it comes to audio editing software, but we know a thing or two about gaming peripherals. Again, the NDH 30 will present you with a great experience whilst gaming, but it does miss a few dedicated functions to make this device shine during your many gaming sessions. Normally we would not delve into gaming that much for a pair of studio headphones, but seeing it is also marketed as such, we decided to put the device to the test, and if you’re editing music, and like to game a lot (single-player), then this might be the ideal piece of hardware for you.
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