Short answer: the Neumann KH80 DSP. It ranks #7 of 64 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $598.98; the Devialet Phantom II 98 dB ranks #10 and costs $2998, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Neumann KH80 DSP offers: Compact 2-way nearfield monitor - a 1” tweeter in an elliptical waveguide over a 4” mid-woofer, crossed over around 1.8kHz with steep 48dB/octave slopes. Exceptionally linear on-axis response, within about ±1.5dB, with essentially nothing worth equalizing beyond a minor, likely port-related wrinkle around 800Hz. Vertical dispersion is unusually wide and consistent for a monitor this size, holding together to roughly ±40° versus the ±20° or so typical of similarly compact designs - a benefit of the steep crossover slopes and waveguide minimizing comb filtering, so listening height and seating posture matter less than on most small monitors. Back-panel switches (freestanding, small/medium/large desk) tailor the low-mid response to compensate for desk-boundary reflections. Distortion in the midrange doesn’t change when high-passed to a subwoofer at 80Hz, showing the drivers already have a clean distortion profile on their own. Maintains good composure and linearity up to about 96dB SPL down to roughly 80Hz before an active protection circuit engages; tested with dense multitone program material rather than a sine sweep, output around 96dB costs only about 1dB in the midrange, putting realistic maximum SPL near 95dB. Watch for: High price for its size, at roughly $1,000/pair. The horizontal pattern stays wide and essentially constant out to about ±30° before beaming and narrowing further out (then flattening again near 2kHz) - a wide, controlled pattern in absolute terms, but one that reflects more high-frequency energy off nearby sidewalls than a narrower design would. At greater listening distances or in more reflective rooms (tested around 6 feet away at 75-80dB), that shows up as a top end that reads a bit hot despite the speaker measuring essentially flat on-axis - a byproduct of its directivity rather than its tonal balance, and mostly moot for genuine nearfield desktop use inside about a meter. The estimated in-room response shows a shallow dip around 1-2kHz and a treble trend running 2-3dB above the midrange in that same far-field estimate. Multitone distortion for a single speaker climbs into the 3-5% range at 96dB SPL, though that’s only really relevant well above typical nearfield listening levels. Bass rolls off below its F3 of 57Hz (F10 48Hz), so the 4” mid-woofer still needs a subwoofer for real low-end content. The companion app for EQ/setup is iPad-only, with no Android or Bluetooth option despite being control-only, and the in-room calibration microphone is a separate purchase in most cases. In a separate comparison test, the smoother-measuring KH80 actually sounded smaller and less present than the cheaper JBL 305P MKII, which had more perceived bass and clarity despite measuring worse on paper.
What the Devialet Phantom II 98 dB offers: Exceptional bass for its tiny sealed enclosure measures 30Hz at -3dB, 25.8Hz at -6dB, and 22.4Hz at -12dB, with a well-damped 0.302 low-frequency Q. The 2.58 sound-power directivity-index standard deviation indicates broad, consistent dispersion, and preference scores reach 6.07 without a subwoofer and 7.15 with one. Each speaker integrates amplification, Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Roon, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and optical/analog input. Watch for: The medium-quality manufacturer measurement has a 2.3dB reference band and 0.590dB on-axis average absolute deviation, good rather than class-leading linearity. Stereo requires two individually powered network speakers and costs nearly $3,000; maximum output is rated at 98dB at 1m per speaker, and the all-in-one architecture offers less serviceability and system flexibility than conventional monitors.
Buy the Neumann KH80 DSP. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Devialet Phantom II 98 dB and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Neumann KH80 DSP | Devialet Phantom II 98 dB | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $598.98 | $2,998/pair |
| Ranked | #7 of 64 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #10 of 64 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Dimensions | 13.6"H x 10.8"W x 9.6"D (345.4 x 274.3 x 243.8 mm) | 6.6 x 6.2 x 8.6 in each |
| Frequency Response | 57 Hz - 25 kHz (+-3 dB) (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Inputs | XLR | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, UPnP, Roon Ready, analog/optical combo jack |
| Weight | 9 lbs / 4.1 kg each | 9.5 lb each |
| Drivers | 4.1" woofer, 1" fabric dome tweeter | One aluminum full-range driver; two aluminum bass drivers |
| App | Yes (MA 1 alignment) | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 51Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | approximately 22.6Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 57Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 30Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bluetooth | No | - |
| DSP | Yes | - |
| EQ | Yes (via DSP) | - |
| Max SPL | 110.7dB @ 1m | 98dB at 1m each |
| Sensitivity | 91.9dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | - |
| Output Power | 140W (90W woofer + 50W tweeter) | 400W RMS each |
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The Two Speakers In Full
Neumann KH80 DSP: $598.98 Amazon Bhphotovideo eBay
Pros: Compact 2-way nearfield monitor - a 1” tweeter in an elliptical waveguide over a 4” mid-woofer, crossed over around 1.8kHz with steep 48dB/octave slopes. Exceptionally linear on-axis response, within about ±1.5dB, with essentially nothing worth equalizing beyond a minor, likely port-related wrinkle around 800Hz. Vertical dispersion is unusually wide and consistent for a monitor this size, holding together to roughly ±40° versus the ±20° or so typical of similarly compact designs - a benefit of the steep crossover slopes and waveguide minimizing comb filtering, so listening height and seating posture matter less than on most small monitors. Back-panel switches (freestanding, small/medium/large desk) tailor the low-mid response to compensate for desk-boundary reflections. Distortion in the midrange doesn’t change when high-passed to a subwoofer at 80Hz, showing the drivers already have a clean distortion profile on their own. Maintains good composure and linearity up to about 96dB SPL down to roughly 80Hz before an active protection circuit engages; tested with dense multitone program material rather than a sine sweep, output around 96dB costs only about 1dB in the midrange, putting realistic maximum SPL near 95dB.
Cons: High price for its size, at roughly $1,000/pair. The horizontal pattern stays wide and essentially constant out to about ±30° before beaming and narrowing further out (then flattening again near 2kHz) - a wide, controlled pattern in absolute terms, but one that reflects more high-frequency energy off nearby sidewalls than a narrower design would. At greater listening distances or in more reflective rooms (tested around 6 feet away at 75-80dB), that shows up as a top end that reads a bit hot despite the speaker measuring essentially flat on-axis - a byproduct of its directivity rather than its tonal balance, and mostly moot for genuine nearfield desktop use inside about a meter. The estimated in-room response shows a shallow dip around 1-2kHz and a treble trend running 2-3dB above the midrange in that same far-field estimate. Multitone distortion for a single speaker climbs into the 3-5% range at 96dB SPL, though that’s only really relevant well above typical nearfield listening levels. Bass rolls off below its F3 of 57Hz (F10 48Hz), so the 4” mid-woofer still needs a subwoofer for real low-end content. The companion app for EQ/setup is iPad-only, with no Android or Bluetooth option despite being control-only, and the in-room calibration microphone is a separate purchase in most cases. In a separate comparison test, the smoother-measuring KH80 actually sounded smaller and less present than the cheaper JBL 305P MKII, which had more perceived bass and clarity despite measuring worse on paper.
Full Neumann KH80 DSP review and specifications →
| App | Yes (MA 1 alignment) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 51Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 57Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| DSP | Yes |
| Dimensions | 13.6"H x 10.8"W x 9.6"D (345.4 x 274.3 x 243.8 mm) |
| Drivers | 4.1" woofer, 1" fabric dome tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (via DSP) |
| Frequency Response | 57 Hz - 25 kHz (+-3 dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | XLR |
| Max SPL | 110.7dB @ 1m |
| Output Power | 140W (90W woofer + 50W tweeter) |
| Sensitivity | 91.9dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 9 lbs / 4.1 kg each |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Neumann KH 80 Studio Monitor Review. Excellent Performance. Small Size. More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- Erin’s Audio Corner Review Measurements
- Audio Science Review Measurements More from Audio Science Review →
- DSAUDIO.review: Neumann KH80 DSP vs Genelec 8020D Sound & Frequency Response Comparison More from DSAUDIOreview →
- DSAUDIO.review: Neumann KH80 DSP vs Yamaha HS8 Sound & Frequency Response Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: Neumann KH80 DSP vs Focal Shape 40 Sound & Frequency Response Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: Neumann KH80 DSP vs IK Multimedia iLoud MTM Sound & Frequency Response Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: Neumann KH80 DSP vs JBL 305P MKII Sound & Frquency Response Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: KEF LSX vs Neumann KH80 DSP Sound & Frequency Response Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: Adam Audio A3X vs Neumann KH80 DSP Sound & Frequency Response Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: Neumann KH80 DSP vs KRK Rokit 5 G4 RP5G4 Sound & Frequency Response Comparison
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: 🎃🔥 UBoom X - Halloween Rock Special 🎸🤘 More from Oluv’Sone →
- Audio Science Review Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Reddit Search for Neumann KH80 DSP Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Devialet Phantom II 98 dB: $2,998/pair Devialet eBay
Pros: Exceptional bass for its tiny sealed enclosure measures 30Hz at -3dB, 25.8Hz at -6dB, and 22.4Hz at -12dB, with a well-damped 0.302 low-frequency Q. The 2.58 sound-power directivity-index standard deviation indicates broad, consistent dispersion, and preference scores reach 6.07 without a subwoofer and 7.15 with one. Each speaker integrates amplification, Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Roon, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and optical/analog input.
Cons: The medium-quality manufacturer measurement has a 2.3dB reference band and 0.590dB on-axis average absolute deviation, good rather than class-leading linearity. Stereo requires two individually powered network speakers and costs nearly $3,000; maximum output is rated at 98dB at 1m per speaker, and the all-in-one architecture offers less serviceability and system flexibility than conventional monitors.
Full Devialet Phantom II 98 dB review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | approximately 22.6Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 30Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Dimensions | 6.6 x 6.2 x 8.6 in each |
| Drivers | One aluminum full-range driver; two aluminum bass drivers |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, UPnP, Roon Ready, analog/optical combo jack |
| Max SPL | 98dB at 1m each |
| Output Power | 400W RMS each |
| Weight | 9.5 lb each |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Devialet Phantom II 98 dB vs JBL 305P MKII
- Devialet Phantom II 98 dB vs Kali LP-UNF
- Devialet Phantom II 98 dB vs Adam Audio T5V
- Devialet Phantom II 98 dB vs Yamaha HS5
- Devialet Phantom II 98 dB vs Kali Audio IN-5
- Devialet Phantom II 98 dB vs IK Multimedia iLoud MTM MKII
- Devialet Phantom II 98 dB vs KEF LSX II LT
- Devialet Phantom II 98 dB vs Edifier S2000MKIII
- See all 10 comparisons