[arielext]

So after 5 days of ~ 12h+ music through the Magni v3 it's time for my proper first impressions.
I like these, a lot! After my messy adventure with the Gjallarhorn I was a bit reluctant about the Magni when they hit my desk. This time around the headphones came in perfect working condition.

I got them in palisander wood as pictured above.
Hooked them up to my Corda Classic FF and let it play the music at an above average volume for the last few days. During the evening I listened to them on a normal volume and was pleasantly surprised from day 0 by their overall frequency response. Lows, mids and highs are in harmony without any of them taking the real upper hand. Width is OK for a closed back but nothing to write home about. The imaging is spot on though but they lose out a bit in the 3D imaging if compared to the Beyerdynamic T5p gen.2.
I have a few albums I test my gear with, like 10,000 days by Tool and Thirteenth step by a Perfect Circle but thé test remains How to measure a planet? by the dutch band the Gathering.

This song picks up speed and emotion somewhere around the 6:00 mark. ... and that is wen I realized that Magni was the correct choice. I'm still blown away and searching for words to describe the feeling I had when I heard it with this headphone. I know the song by heart in and out. I was listening, searching for flaws. Trying to find reasons to debate my latest purchase ... but I was lost in the music, lost in the flow of the song and lost because I had forgotten I was wearing a headphone, a closed-back headphone!

Perhaps other headphones are technically better and boy I have heard and owned quite a few of the totl headphones, including Sennheiser HE60, Stax SR-007mk2 and Focal Stellia. The HE60 and SR-007mk2 are open back and cannot be compared to the intimacy of a true closed-back. Stellia ... though it might be technically superior it's not from an enjoyment point of view in my opinion.

I know the journey never ends but I am happy mine has taken me to St. Petersburg.

 

[Frabera]

Regarding the 3D imaging your Magni needs some more burned in after over 75 hours up 100 hours it will be above the T5P.2 It needs also some little warm up to give its best.

 

[eric65]

This song picks up speed and emotion somewhere around the 6:00 mark. ... and that is wen I realized that Magni was the correct choice. I'm still blown away and searching for words to describe the feeling I had when I heard it with this headphone. I know the song by heart in and out. I was listening, searching for flaws. Trying to find reasons to debate my latest purchase ... but I was lost in the music, lost in the flow of the song and lost because I had forgotten I was wearing a headphone, a closed-back headphone!

Perhaps other headphones are technically better and boy I have heard and owned quite a few of the totl headphones, including Sennheiser HE60, Stax SR-007mk2 and Focal Stellia. The HE60 and SR-007mk2 are open back and cannot be compared to the intimacy of a true closed-back. Stellia ... though it might be technically superior it's not from an enjoyment point of view in my opinion.

I know the journey never ends but I am happy mine has taken me to St. Petersburg.

How well said!

That's all that matters, that you've found a headphones (here closed-back) that you really like, no questions asked, just to enjoy the music played.

You see, as far as I'm concerned, but this time with open headphones (the Thekk), I have the same pleasure, and the same think; that to fully enjoy the music I'm listening to, and to savour the voices of singers that I love; what a pleasure!

And yet, just like you, I have listened to many totl headphones (Stax, Sennheiser, Hifiman, Meze, Audeze ...).

 

[arielext]

An open back is true-er to the music but a sealed closed-back intimate experience is breath taking as well.
Most closed-backs have some resonance frequencies that get over accentuated or the reverbs sound too plastic-y, none of that is happening with the Magni.

 

[eric65]

Hi all.

The Thror's last stand, before he takes his leave, to make way for the Thekk.

The Thror, the current flagship of the Kennerton brand, is a deserving, technical headphones.

You will find abe appreciation of this headphones by L7 (@levap?) (in russian), especially compared to the Odin and the Abyss.

http://player.ru/showthread.php?t=142284&page=115&p=3062071&viewfull=1#post3062071


EDIT: In spoiler, below, an attempt to translate @levap's article into English (Note, I'm not English-speaking, let alone Russian-speaking! )

Spoiler

Kennerton Thror

For some reason, these headphones are still somewhat under-exploited and undervalued. Let's try to make things right.

On the first listen, there was an analogy - Thror is a cross (an average) between the Kennerton Odin and the Abyss. And with closer listening, the analogy only burst deeper into the subcortex.
The HF (treble) is clear, but not sharp. ... In detail, the purity and refinement of the peaks are far from the level of the Abyss, but also a huge step away from the Odins.
The middle (mids) is fashionable, clean, like an electrostat (again, the Abyss family is much more so than the warm Odin).
The LF (bass) is already a fairly uniform blend of Odins' cheerful presentation and the Abyss' higher resolution and speed.
From what I've heard today (for the Thror) - the second most honourable place for the bass - with crazy speed and more than impressive volume, without excess or too much weight in that direction, though.
The soundstage - inherited from the Odins, it is relatively compact, and not open like the "Abyss".

In general - fairly well-balanced and relatively flat headphones (not to the "regularity" of the studio though). This can be described by some as "boring". I didn't agree with similar evaluations for ears with a similar profile earlier (for the same HE-6, for example), I don't agree here either.
The absence of marked colouring is more likely a guarantee of the opportunity to enjoy the music, not the artificial colouring (which, let's add, was not in the original recording). And don't get tired of this color (or rather lack of coloring of the Thror) with a desire to quickly change headphones for others.

A talent review on the Thror's metal music genre can be cataloged in comparison with the Odin.
gallery_11574_186_30513.jpg

Let's start with the tastiest On Black and Death, the two headphones (Odin and Thror) (each in its own way) are the best, the best I've ever listened to. Odin is full of character, a flood of emotions and crazy detachment. Thror - exceptional technicality, precision and cold anger (yes, remember, Abyss may be even better, but there is no great desire to remember in the process immersed in Thror).

And if you go deeper into the abyss of technical and ultra-fast Grindcore, against the backdrop of Thror, Odins begins to be perceived as a bit slowed down. Glade is as technical and fierce as can be - definitely for Thror.

But if you move on to something more cheerful (more fun) (Alternative, Thrash), Thror's technicality does not pull up ; the clear leadership is in Odins, less serious.

And once again, we're going to change the polarity - Progressive, Symphonic, for those, great rigor, harmony, authenticity and neutrality are definitely on Thror's side. For ultimate leadership, I would still like to have more stage volume, but better than them in this category are just individual super-tops (Utopia, Abyss, and maybe almost everything we've heard so far).

Let's keep the swing going. Heavy metal, Stoner - once again Odin's warm soul is doing its job. Here they're half a body ahead of the Thror.

Let's put one more point, in the passage through the genres, on the leadership of the Thror. On Industrial, the icy freshness and superb speed resonate with the electronic moments of the genre. On Goth, the same coldness of Thror is much more appropriate than Odin's warm complacency.

In short, Thror vs Odin. Both have their qualities of clarity and power. But... Thror is even more technical. And you can optimize both Thror and Odin (multi-bit DAC, warm and linked amplifier, "fat" cable). Reverse handling, unfortunately, won't work.

Jazz. The ears of the ECM. Sadness of late autumn Andy Sheppard - Movements in colour. The universal oriental sadness of Anouar Brahem - Rita's amazing eyes. Charles Lloyd's Current Madness - Tales Of Rumi. Kenny Wheeler's subtle spring fantasies - Songs for Quintet. Stefano Bollani's Elegant Release - Joy at Any Price. All these genres of music are performed impeccably by the Thror.

So, if you need an isodynamic sound close to the Abyss archetype, for a relatively lower price, you absolutely have to pay attention to Thror. If you want to dilute the icy purity of the Abyss with a drop of Odin's enthusiasm, you should grab the Thror and escape with it to listen to the music.

 

[levap]

You will find abe appreciation of this headphones by L7 (@levap?) (in russian), especially compared to the Odin and the Abyss.

Yes, L7 = levap )
Have some plans to try Thekk next week and to give a feedback on a Thror vs Thekk vs Odin

 

[eric65]

Yes, L7 = levap )
Have some plans to try Thekk next week and to give a feedback on a Thror vs Thekk vs Odin

Great !

 

[John Massaria]

Ok my final review is complete for the Wodan - It's a long read since it took me a few days to write- I hope it helps many curious headphone lovers -
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/kennerton-wodan.24558/

 

[eric65]

Hello to all.

For the fans of (or rather the) "Metal" music genres, here is a summary table composed by @levap concerning the planar (and electrodynamic) headphones that would be the best adapted for listening to the different genres of "Metal" music.

Note : you will find the Kennerton Thror and the Odin, in the first lines, in this table.

General thoughts on cans features / genre demands mapping.

Source: http://forum.doctorhead.ru/index.php?showtopic=26832&st=2275

 

[levap]

Good news - this thread is head-fi resident also )
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/headphones-for-metal-music-ultimate-solution.715478/

 

[skylinekursk]

Yes, L7 = levap )
Have some plans to try Thekk next week and to give a feedback on a Thror vs Thekk vs Odin

How about Thridi?

 

[eric65]

How about Thridi?

Hi.

For listening to the Metal genre(s), according to @levap, the Thror would be an intermediate headphone between the Odin and the Abyss 1266 (V1) ; a kind of middle way, including for the price.

Concerning the Odin Thridi and the Thekk, compared to the Thror, one could say (for my appreciation):
The Odin Thridi would be an intermediary between the Odin mk2 and the Thror, however closer to the Odin mk2 (than to the Thror) for the width of the soundstage (average for the Odin Thridi, as the Odin mk2, while the soundstage for the Thror is wider and airy), and also for the resolution (better for the Thror).
The Odin Thridi is warmer than the Thror (like the Odin), but has slightly less treble than the Odin (and the Thror).
The Thror gives a clearer, more detailed and airy sound than the Odin Thridi and the Odin mk2.

As for the Thekk, it is a different headphone, probably an intermediate between the Odin Thridi and the Thror, taking a little bit the best of these two headphones: the precision, the aeration of the Thror, but with a tone richer, darker (less clear), denser than the Thror, while having treble more present, and finer, than those of the Odin Thridi, and even those of the Thror.

It's (the Thekk) a very versatile headphone: it should be quite good for the global listening of the different genres of Metal music, but its lack of specialization means that it won't be the best in all the genres of Metal music; this is not possible, as demonstrate by the genre tables made by @levap (Nb: see my post above or here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ken...hror-discussion.732814/page-219#post-15822207)

 

[levap]

How about Thridi?

Thridi - in more distant plans. Currently this is priority numer one.

 

[eric65]

Hello to all.

When the Chinese passion frees itself from the Covid 19 (or almost ...)

Shanghai Show 2020, Aug 15-16

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

I have an M12S Purple Heart on the way. Very interested to see how it compares to other value-minded open cans.