Neumann KH 120 II

After moving to another country I needed good monitors, at home I worked on Adam A8X. My choice fell on Neumann KH 120 II. At first I did not understand what was happening in the mid and high range, everything was so audibly transparent that good mixes looked good, while in bad ones it was clearly audible that it needed to be corrected. The difference between good and bad is so clearly audible! What else do you need from monitors? This is exactly what we are looking for in them, spending a long time in the torment of choice and comparison))) Neumann coped with the task by 90 percent, but... The only thing that can upset you is that there is absolutely no low end, especially after the 8-inch Adam, I had Iloud micro monitors, so they have more low end((( Would I recommend these monitors? Definitely yes, especially if the middle and high end are important to you, and if you buy a subwoofer for them, a completely new world of mixes will open up before you! In any case, the choice is yours, personally, I am already looking for a new sub.

I ordered these alongside the Genelec 8030s to compare. I have a small studio space, about 6x2m2. I sit about 90cm from the monitors, the studio is professionally treated and I used SoundID Reference software to calibrate both pairs of speakers in the space.

Initially, I was drawn to the Genelec's, because everything sounded so good through them. They have a lot of warmth and a great quality of cohesion to mixes. Elements just seemed to sit well together. The Neumann's I found a bit annoying and tiring in the beginning, especially something about the mids. However, after continued listening through multiple genres, I realized that I could hear SO much more detail with the Neumann's. They are transparent, they do not do you or your mixes any favors. When I didn't like listening to them, it's because a mix needed work. The Genelecs had more cushion for subpar mixes, which make them more pleasant to listen to, but not what I need in a reference monitor.

My reference software also shows that the Neumann's are much, much flatter in my space and need very little correction, whereas the Genelecs (though I have read they have a fairly flat frequency curve) needed a lot more adjustment from about 200-600hz and 2-3khz. This could be the way these speakers are responding to my specific room and their position, but the Neumann's did not have issues to be corrected here.

Both the Neumann's and Genelec's are robust and well-made. Both are outstanding options. For my needs, I decided to go with the Neumann's, as they are the most honest to my ears and that is what I am looking for. I expect that if you can make a mix sound full and vibrant on them, the mix will translate anywhere. They have a tight bass, never muddy in the mids, and the high mids and up are clear and transparent.

In the end, your decision should come down to your personal preference and what monitor works for your space and needs. Definitely audition both, if you have the chance!