Hi all,
Here is the link to a review (unfortunately paying) concerning a great comparison of the best planar headphones of the moment:
https://www.magzter.com/SG/SPH-Magazines-Pte-Ltd/HWM-Singapore/Lifestyle/293235
Concerning the Kennerton Thror, I allowed myself to make a partial quote from this review (see below) as well as a summary of the positive and negative points of the headphones compared in this review.
ABYSS AB-1266 PHI CC
42 Ohm
88 dB/mW
620 g
+ : Stellar imaging and wide soundstage. Head-shaking bass.
- : Uncorfortable to wear for long periods. Uneven tonality.
AUDEZE LCD-4
200 Ohm
97 dB/mW
600 g
+ : Great look, lush signature, out-of-the-world bass response.
- : Uneven treble makes it less than ideal wich some music genres.
FINAL D8000
60 Ohm
98 dB / mW
523 g
+ : Well built, excellent tonality accros the entire frequency response.
- : Heavy cable and does not look that special.
HIFIMAN SUSVARA
60 Ohm
83 dB / mW
450 g
+ : Magnificent sound, super comfortable to wear .
- : Build quality is less than ideal ; requires high-end gear to sound its best.
MRSPEAKERS ETHER FLOW
23 Ohm
96 dB / mW
400 g
+ : Great tonality, immensly comfortable, great value.
- : Sound lack the refinement and resolution of some of its rivals.
KENNERTON THROR
42 Ohm
100 dB / mW
480 g
+ : Excellent sound, easy to drive, charming looks.
- : Hard to wear, some sizzle in the treble.
... and even more in this review concerning the
KennertonThror (partial quote below)
" Thror is the successor to Odin and has numerous improvements mostly to the driver to improve its sound and to its design to reduce weight and improve comfort.
The driver is made in-house and remains 80 mm large but it has been tweaked for a better tonal balance and higher resolution. Impedance remains at 42 Ohm but sensitivity has dipped from 104 dB/mW in the Odin to 100 dB/mW in the Thror. Nevertheless, it remains to be the only headphones here with a three digit sensitivity rating. The other major improvement is weight. At 480 g, the Thror is still fairly heavy, but this actually represents a 200 g reduction or nearly 30% compared to the Odin.
Kennerton has also made improvements in other areas. The Thror commes packaged in a beautiful wooden case and is accompanied by a 2-meter long detachable single-ended braided cable that terminates in a 6.35 mm plug. The cable is quite stiff but at least it is light and not as cumbersome as the Abyss.
The Thror itself feels solidly put together with quality materials. Aerospace-grade aluminium and steel are used for the yokes and headband adjustement system, the ears cups are made out of exotic bog oak wood, while the ears pads are soft lambskin leather.
The headband adjustement system bears mention because it is incredibly fussy to use. The idea is to give owners the freedom to adjust the height and position of the cups and then use the fasteners to secure it in place. In practice, it took me a quite good number of attempts before I got the Thror properly sized. Once the Thror is sized, it is actually surprisingly comfortable. Much of this is due to the well-padded leather strap of the suspension headband, and also because of the Thror's reduced weight.
Underneath that cumbersome headband adjustement system is actually a very good sounding headphones.
Whiles the Audeze is a tad dark and the Abyss too bright, the Thror treads a very good middle ground alongside peers like the Final and Hifiman. Like the Final and Hifiman, the Thror's tonality is mostly even. The bass is emphatic but well controlled with no signs of bloat. On the other hand, the mids and treble are both well portrayed and have a fairly good transition.
My only complaint is that I hear a slight spike in the treble which manifests are somme sizzle and sibilance. But Otherwise, vocals sound natural with the right amount of body, while pianos are delivered with life-like realism.
Because of its very balanced sound, the Thror excels in all genres of music like a good headphone should. Audio performance certainly commensurates with its asking price, and so does its build quality.
At the end of it all, the only major letdown of the Thror is its frustrating headband adjustement system. If that doesn't bother you, there is a good chance you will find the Thror to be a thoroughly charming and enjoyable headphone. "
EDIT :
... and even more in this review concerning the
Abyss AB-1266 Phi CC (partial quote below).
" The sound is expansive and the soundstage is one of the widest of the headphones assembled here. Imaging is good too and you can clearly make out the position of instruments in the mix. Also excellent is the bass response, which is typical of planar magnetics, but AB-1266 Phi CC renders them excellentely and with so much authoritary that they almost appear tangible. However, the overall tonality is uneven. The mids are forward but have a hollow quality to them, causing vocals to lack foundation and sound breathy. The upper mids to treble has too much energy, causing snare drums, cymbals, and the like to have a crinkly and sizzling sound.
If it reads like AB-1266 Phi CC sounds bad, it doesn't. Its soundstage is impressive and its imaging abilities are second to none. Its speed, clarity, and bass performance are also exemplary. But in this compagny of world-class headphones, its less than ideal tonality and other shortcomings are amplified and glaring. "
... and even more in this review concerning the
AUDEZE LCD-4 (partial quote below).
"While earlier LCD headphones were noted for their dark sound signature, recent revisions have gravitated toward a more neutral and even tone. Still, the LCD-4 retains the awesome bass response they've been known for. Bass extends incredibly deep and is amazingly texturated and clean. The midrange is crystalline, buttery smooth, and present, which gives vocals and guitars a lush and almost gooey presentation.
Past LCD headphones were slightly rolled off in the treble, but the LCD-4 sounds far more neutral. As a result, the LCD-4 is brighter than its predecessors. Treble is clear and non-fatiguing, but therie is some unevenness that makes it sound unnatural. There also seems to be some elevation in the treble, causing a bit of harshness on some tracks.
Objectively, I do not regard the LCD-4 as the most technically competent headphones, but its signature is so alluring and easy to listen to that I think a lot of music lovers won't mind. It excels in all modern genres of music but struggles with classical and some forms of instrumentals because of its less than ideal treble presentation. Still, the upside to this is that treble sensitive folks should find this headphone very pleasing. "
... and even more in this review concerning the
Hifiman Susvara (partial quote below).
" But once it does sing, you will find that it does a great many things well and is hard to fault. Thanks to the Susvara's ultra-thin Nanometer Grade diaphragm, the first thing I noticed about the Susvara was its amazing speed and agility. The driver sounds hyper-responsive, almost electrostatic-like. What also impressed me were its precise imaging, wide sounstage, and most of all, its amazing tonality.
The sound was extremely even throughout the entire frequency range. Bass, mids, and treble are all evenly presented and they sound powerful and unrestrained. The treble, in particular, is well articulated and very sweet. This allows pianos to be rendered very realistically in their full glory - something very hard to do because of the complexity of piano tones.
If there is anything wrong, I would say the bass is a tad soft and coul be textured, but that's only a very, very minor complaint. In terms of realism, I find the Susvara to be unmatched.
In the end, I find myself feeling conflicted about the Susvara. It isn't the best headphones to live with. Its build quality is seriously lacking for a product of its price, and its inefficient drivers necessitate the need for an equally high-end and big amplifier to get the best out of it. But if you can look past these shortcomings and have the cash to splash, what you will be getting is one of the best sounding headphones ever made. "