Neumann KH 80 DSP Studio Monitor

Neumann KH 80 DSP Studio Monitor

The Neumann KH 80 DSP is a compact two-way nearfield monitor that brings Neumann’s reference monitoring philosophy to desktop studios, edit suites and broadcast trucks. A 4-inch long-throw woofer and a 1-inch tweeter sit behind protective metal grilles in a front-ported composite polycarbonate cabinet, and a digital signal processing engine controls the crossover and filtering. The result is a monitor that measures flat, images precisely and stays consistent when the room is less than ideal.

Key features

• Free-field frequency response of 57 Hz to 21 kHz within +/-3 dB
• Maximum SPL of 108.8 dB at 1 m from a cabinet just 233 mm tall
• DSP engine with linear-phase FIR crossover at 1.8 kHz, 48 dB per octave
• Mathematically Modeled Dispersion (MMD) waveguide for a wide, stable sweet spot
• Room alignment via the Neumann.Control app and compatibility with the MA 1 system
• Bi-amped power: 90 W for the woofer and 50 W for the tweeter
• Balanced XLR/TRS combo input and Ethernet control connection

Accuracy before character

A studio monitor should add nothing of its own, and the KH 80 DSP is engineered around that idea. The pass band holds within +/-2 dB from 59 Hz to 20 kHz, self-generated noise is below 20 dB(A) at 10 cm, and the computer-modeled drivers and cabinet keep nonlinear distortion low from the outset. The MMD waveguide shapes horizontal dispersion so mixes stay balanced as you move at the desk, rather than collapsing the moment you lean sideways. Bass is honest for a 4-inch driver — tight and readable, without the artificial lift that flatters a mix in the room and betrays it everywhere else.

DSP that works on the room

The DSP engine handles the crossover with FIR filtering, so frequencies arrive correctly timed, and it gives the monitor a second job: adapting to the space. Rear-panel acoustical controls compensate for placement near walls or on desks, output level can be set in defined steps of 94, 100, 108 or 114 dB SPL, and standby behaviour is configurable. Connected over a standard IP network, the monitor can be aligned from the listening position with the Neumann.Control app, using guided or manual alignment with parametric EQ. With the optional MA 1 measurement microphone and software, alignment becomes automatic, measuring the room and correcting the monitors to it.

Small footprint, professional connections

At 233 x 154 x 194 mm and 3.5 kg, the KH 80 DSP fits on a meter bridge, a desktop or a broadcast desk where larger monitors cannot go. Two M6 threaded inserts on the back panel accept mounting hardware, the balanced analogue input takes XLR or 6.3 mm jack, and the universal 100-240 V power supply works anywhere. For project studios, mobile rigs and post-production rooms that need mixes to translate, it is a reference in miniature.