Neumann KH 310 II R

From Klein & Hummel to Neumann: the 3-way tradition brought into the DSP era

The KH 310 II is part of a legacy that carries significant weight in the monitoring world: the active three-way speakers, initiated as early as 1967 when Klein & Hummel introduced what is often considered the first active 3-way studio monitor. Today, Neumann continues this lineage with a decidedly contemporary approach: preserving what earned the KH 310 A the trust of thousands of studios, while thoroughly rethinking the architecture to gain precision, coherence, and integration into modern workflows.
The result: the KH 310 II RIGHT (right speaker) retains the sealed enclosure philosophy and the famous midrange clarity, while advancing stability of imaging, unit-to-unit repeatability, and alignment thanks to a DSP platform common to the KH series.

A monitor designed for demanding studios, from stereo to immersive audio

The Neumann KH 310 II is designed for medium to large spaces and environments where fast and accurate judgment is required: recording, music production, post-production, broadcast, mastering, as well as multichannel and immersive audio setups (Dolby Atmos, etc.). In the RIGHT version, it serves as the right channel of a stereo pair or a larger system, with a clear goal: to deliver a stable and predictable image, essential when multiplying speakers and when channel coherence becomes as important as frequency response.
Its signature aims for clarity rather than effect: linearity, listening fatigue absence, and reliability. You can work long hours, check fine balances, hunt resonances, adjust dynamics or spatialization, without the monitor "pushing" an aesthetic. This is precisely what is expected from a main monitoring tool: a tool, not a filter.

What the KH 310 II concretely changes: more headroom, more alignment, more control

The core of the evolution is twofold: a modernized speaker mechanics (notably on the bass side) and a signal chain entirely designed around DSP. The new-generation woofer, combined with ELFF technology, targets extremely low distortion, even at high excursion. In practice, this translates to cleaner bass when raising the level, and better separation of the low spectrum elements (kick, bass, impacts, low reverb tails) without blur.

Sealed enclosure: transient precision and reduced group delay

Neumann retains a sealed enclosure design, appreciated for its transient precision and low group delay. The benefit is immediate on rhythmic placement, attack articulation, and compression reading. The bass does not "linger": it stops when the signal stops, making EQ and dynamic decisions more reproducible at the final rendering stage.

32-bit DSP and MA 1: the speaker adapts to the room, not the other way around

With a full 32-bit DSP signal chain, the KH 310 II allows precise system alignment and advanced processing, while facilitating integration of the MA 1 room correction. The goal is not to "smooth for smoothing's sake," but to secure the listening position: reduce room mode impact, stabilize tonal balance, and maintain reliable translation across other systems (headphones, car, broadcast, TV, platforms).

Modernized amplification: increased power and smarter limiters

High-efficiency Class D amplifiers are paired with an advanced limiting structure to preserve useful dynamics while protecting the system when the program becomes demanding. Compared to the KH 310 A, power increases significantly: woofer 300 W (instead of 210 W), midrange 160 W (instead of 90 W), tweeter 125 W (instead of 90 W). This reserve is felt in headroom, high-level handling, and image stability when the session becomes dense.
Finally, Neumann emphasizes better unit-to-unit consistency. For a stereo pair, this means a sharper image. For multichannel setups, it means more predictable calibration and a more "locked" panorama, particularly valuable in post-production and immersive audio.

Technical specifications

Number of channels	3 channels	Number of speakers	3
Speaker diameter	1", 8", 3"	Power output	585 W

Woofer	8.25"	Power (KH 310 A vs. KH 310 II)	woofer 210 W to 300 W
Midrange	3" (Neumann soft dome midrange driver, retained in this generation)	Improved SPL level	up to 5 dB more (half-space and free-field measurements) compared to the KH 310
Tweeter	1"	Improved linearity	+/-0.6 dB from 100 Hz to 10 kHz
New-generation woofer	increased linear excursion and reduced intermodulation distortion	External dimensions identical to the KH 310 A	integration without modification in already equipped studios
Sealed enclosure design	high transient precision and low group delay	RIGHT model	right speaker for stereo pairs or multichannel systems
Full 32-bit DSP signal chain	precise system alignment and advanced processing