Neumann KH 120 II Black Edition

Usually, I don’t waste time writing reviews… but here we go.

I was a KRK user for years, always refusing to upgrade to a higher level, thinking: “If I master the sound of my monitors, I can mix just as well as any pro on high-end speakers.” Now that I have these babies, I only wish my KRKs had burned out much earlier! Lol.

I actually found out about this model thanks to ChatGPT. Surprisingly, there are almost no reviews on YouTube (or anywhere else) about them, so it felt like buying a cat in the bag. However, I managed to find a couple of articles showing frequency response measurements of the KH 120 II compared to more hyped competitors like Genelec, Adam, etc. The Neumanns had the most even response, so I gave them a try.

Some people say they might sound dry, even shocking to your ears because they don’t add color — but for me, that’s not the case.

Like the headline says: I fell in love with them from the first listen. Immediately, I could hear all the problem areas in my songs. You know that feeling when you check your tracks in the car and something in the mids or lows feels off, but back in the studio you can’t pinpoint it? With the Neumanns, I simply hear those areas and know exactly what to fix. Honestly, it’s hard to describe — you just need to experience it yourself.

From what I’ve learned, Neumann is a brand that doesn’t invest much in marketing. These monitors are made for musicians who value precision and honesty over looks. And if you’re considering Neumann against other brands, then you’re exactly the kind of person I just described.

I can totally recommend these speakers to anyone who values an honest sound, who’s a perfectionist, and who also has a limited workspace. The quality and precision of the low and low-mid frequencies these small speakers deliver are simply beyond expectations.

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!

It's good I waited so long before posting a review. I have had these for over a year now and both of them have failed within 3 months of each other. I have never experienced anything like it and don't believe in coincidences. I use top-of-the-line surge and overcurrent protection, in addition to voltage regulation and the wiring in my place is professionally done. The first one failed after spontaneously emitting a brief harsh transient. Next day it was just harsh noise after turning on and a red light indicating the on-board limiter was engaged. I RMA'd it under warranty and received a replacement, so thanks to Thomann for a good post purchase service. However, I had to go for a month without nearfield monitoring.

I noticed the second one failing after it began to smell like burning and then it turned the red light on and refused to play until power-cycled. Afterwards, I noticed the same smell again within 30 minutes and called it quits - I didn't want to risk a catastrophic failure nor my other gear being taken out as well. Now, again, I'm left with no monitoring.

I don't think it'd be helpful on my part to praise the sonic qualities, of which there are enough reviews out there - I don't care how good it sounds if it does not last. I expected years if not decades of life from such an established brand as Neumann, especially given the price tag.

And yeah, the back plate is consistently placed in a way that prevents you from easily selecting the bottom values of selector switches, so there's that. All 3 units have had this.