Neumann KU100 Dummy Head Binaural Stereo Microphone

The KU 100 dummy head microphone revolutionises binaural recording by placing two omnidirectional condenser capsules within artificial ears mounted on a human head-shaped enclosure. This innovative design creates truly immersive three-dimensional audio that surrounds listeners with stunning lateral and vertical localisation when played through quality headphones. Unlike conventional stereo recording techniques that attempt to bring acoustic events into the listener’s environment — often resulting in unsatisfactory room-within-room effects — the KU 100 transports listeners directly into the original recording space.

Head-related stereo recordings offer a significant advantage over traditional methods, which are typically limited to left-right positioning with minimal depth perception. The KU 100’s binaural approach generates a complete sonic sphere around the listener, providing an almost identical auditory sensation to being physically present at the recording location. This makes it particularly effective for music production and audio drama work, whilst maintaining compatibility with loudspeaker playback for versatile application.

The microphone’s advanced transformerless circuitry ensures exceptionally low self-noise whilst handling sound pressure levels up to 135 dB without distortion, extending to 145 dB with the −10 dB pre-attenuation switch engaged. Additional features include three low-cut filter options (150 Hz, 40 Hz, and linear response), balanced XLR 5 stereo output, unbalanced BNC outputs, and flexible powering through P48 phantom power, internal battery, or the included external PSU.