Neumann KH 810 II – 10" DSP Active Studio Subwoofer

Product Overview

The Neumann KH 810 II is a DSP-controlled active studio subwoofer built for professional recording, mixing, mastering, and post-production environments. It extends low-frequency reproduction to 16 Hz using a long-throw 10" ELFF driver and delivers approximately twice the maximum SPL of the KH 750 DSP, making it a proper bass extension partner for mid-sized monitors such as the KH 150 and KH 310. Analog XLR and Sub-D25 I/O, plus seven AES3 BNC digital outputs, provide flexible connectivity to up to 11 studio monitors in stereo, surround, or immersive configurations up to 7.1.4. MA 1 Automatic Monitor Alignment integration (sold separately) enables full-system room correction and FIR phase linearization for connected analog KH-line monitors.

Product Description

The KH 810 II is the analog/AES3 variant of Neumann's flagship 10" studio subwoofer platform. It uses the same internal DSP engine, woofer design, and bass management architecture as the AES67 network audio version, without the network audio input hardware. This makes it the correct choice for studios that route audio over traditional analog or AES3 infrastructure and do not require Audio over IP.

The internal DSP operates at 32-bit audio with 64-bit double-precision processing. A 4th-order 24 dB/octave crossover at 80 Hz handles bass management for systems from stereo through 7.1.4, distributing high-pass filtered signals to connected monitors while the subwoofer handles the LFE and redirected bass content. Two analog XLR inputs and outputs handle stereo connections. For multichannel operation, two Sub-D25 connectors accept up to 12 analog input channels and two additional Sub-D25 connectors distribute up to 11 analog output channels (Tascam pinout). Seven BNC connectors provide AES3 digital outputs to connected studio monitors with 24-bit, 48 kHz conversion; a daisy-chain BNC input allows cascading additional subwoofers in large-format configurations.

The 265 mm (10") ELFF long-throw woofer maintains low harmonic distortion at full excursion, achieving 109 dB maximum SPL at 1 m in half space (115 dB corner-loaded). The 180 W woofer amplifier is a high-efficiency design with soft-clip, excursion, and thermal protection limiters. The cabinet is constructed from ultra-stiff wood with an aluminum electronics panel, finished in metallic anthracite (RAL 7021) with integrated rubber feet for floor decoupling.

Key Features

• ELFF Long-Throw 10" Driver — Neumann's in-house Extremely Linear Force Factor woofer design holds harmonic distortion low across the full excursion range, with maximum SPL of 109 dB at 1 m rising to 115 dB when corner-loaded.
• 16 Hz Low-Frequency Extension — Front-ported bass reflex design extends usable response to 16 Hz (±6 dB), covering the LFE channel bandwidth required for film scoring, post-production, and immersive audio work.
• Multichannel DSP Bass Management to 7.1.4 — 64-bit double-precision processing handles bass management for configurations from stereo through 7.1.4 with a 4th-order 80 Hz crossover and precision high-pass filtering for connected monitors.
• Analog and AES3 Multichannel I/O — Sub-D25 connectors (Tascam pinout) accept up to 12 analog input channels and distribute up to 11 analog output channels; seven BNC AES3 outputs provide digital connections to Neumann monitors including S/P-DIF-compatible inputs via BNC-to-RCA cable.
• 120 dB(A) Analog Dynamic Range — High-quality AD/DA conversion (120 dB(A) on main channels) and 2 ms A-D-A latency keep the signal path transparent in professional monitoring chains.
• MA 1 Room Correction Ready — Compatible with Neumann MA 1 Automatic Monitor Alignment (sold separately) for full-system acoustic correction, including FIR phase linearization for analog KH-line monitors connected to the subwoofer outputs.
• Ethernet Control via MA 1 — The KH 810 II includes a network connector for MA 1 remote control and calibration; this is a control-only port, not an audio transport port (audio uses analog/AES3 I/O).
• Up to 115 ms Adjustable Delay — Time-of-flight delay alignment is adjustable in 20.8 µs steps (0.71 mm spatial resolution) to synchronize the subwoofer with any monitor position in the room.
• Universal SMPS with Auto Standby — 100–240 V switched-mode supply draws under 300 mW in standby; 20-minute auto-standby is configurable or disableable via MA 1.
• Comprehensive Protection — Soft-clip, peak, excursion, and thermal limiters protect the woofer voice coil, power amplifier, and electronics without interrupting program audio.

Typical Applications

• Post-Production Studio — 16 Hz bass extension and full 7.1.4 bass management support film, television, and immersive audio mixing on analog and AES3 signal chains.
• Mastering Studio — Low self-noise (<20 dB(A) at 10 cm), high dynamic range, and MA 1 room correction provide the precision required for commercial music and film mastering.
• Music Recording Studio — Pairs with KH 150, KH 310, or KH 420 monitors to extend monitoring system low-frequency response for tracking and mixing sessions.
• Broadcast Studio — Supports analog and AES3 signal routing for broadcast monitoring environments that have not migrated to IP audio infrastructure.

Technical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions