[eric65]

I do sincerely hope that Kennerton retains the "classic" design of the top-of-the-line headphones (the original Odin, Vali, Thror). I'm the fan of that design and personally like it more than the Magni's. The all-metal construction/materials is the big reason. Kennerton (and Fischer Audio)'s plastics always failed me. Almost all of them crack, and the rubberized ones become sticky.

This is the area where it worries me.



Look at my Magister. This is the 2nd pair. The 1st pair cracked at similar place, and my local dealer decided to give me a new pair, which also cracked after around two years. When it doesn't crack, it become so sticky that I don't want to touch them (the area around the wooden cup, in case of Magister).



Maybe it was supplier issue, but it is issue with most of my Kennerton & Fischer Audio headphones in the past nonetheless. Maybe it's where I live (BKK, Thailand), where it's relatively hot and more humid than many other places. Maybe it is that particular plastic formulae (most of my other "plastic" headphones, like HD800, are doing fine ...).

Just that .... well, I'm a fan of the only-metals-and-woods construction of the existing Odin, Vali, and Thror, and I also like another degree of freedom in cup rotation (the swivel inward/outward). Hope they retain this design and not moving everything in the Magni direction.

Hi Dave.

You are right.

Personally I wish that the two range of kennerton headphones coexist: the premium range preserving the "classic" headband (all metall), and the new range taking up the headband of the Magni, which, objectively, is more pratical to use than the rigid headband (indestructible) that equiping the Odin (original), the Vali, the Thridi and the Thror.

Let's hope that the new flexible headband equiping the Magni and the new range of Kennerton headphones: Magni, new Vali (2019), new Odin (2019) and future Thekk (but also other headphones brands) is aging well at the level of some plastic parts, especially in hot and humid countries.

 

[eric65]

Hello everyone: new comparisons to appear between the Magni pre-series (with its two vents on the back plate) and the Magni series (with a single vent on the back plate): stock pads (longs), but also short (alternative) pads.

Magni pre-series (with its two vents on the back plate) and with its stock pads (longs). (weight 450 g)

Magni series (with a single vent on the back plate, in the form of Kennerton's logo, in black) and with its stock pads (longs). (weight 440 g)

Magni series (equipped here with the short (alternative) pads).
Note: the stock pads (long) are placed next.

A priori to start (first listen): no significant differences between pre-series and serial Magni headphones (both equipped with the stock (longs) pads).

To follow here (in french): https://musique-o-casque.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=26&start=1290

 

[ithilienrp]

Hi Dave.

You are right.

Personally I wish that the two range of kennerton headphones coexist: the premium range preserving the "classic" headband (all metall), and the new range taking up the headband of the Magni, which, objectively, is more pratical to use than the rigid headband (indestructible) that equiping the Odin (original), the Vali, the Thridi and the Thror.

Let's hope that the new flexible headband equiping the Magni and the new range of Kennerton headphones: Magni, new Vali (2019), new Odin (2019) and future Thekk (but also other headphones brands) is aging well at the level of some plastic parts, especially in hot and humid countries.

Hi Eric,

I definitely agree with you on all points you made. A dual line is definitely what I want. Kennerton can even offer the same headphones (cup, driver, cable, etc) in both configuration, of course at differ prices. They can even make them selectable on their website. That would definitely be a big plus.

About the durability of the Magni's plastic parts ... I do keep my fingers crossed.

Dave

 

[eric65]

Hi Dave.

I follow you too.

We wish the coexistence of two ranges of Kennerton headphones, together !


Premium Kennerton range (Kennerton Vali; Odin; Thridi; Thror).
Luxury
Originality
Beauty
Solidity
Durability

Spoiler: Premium Kennerton range: Kennerton Vali; Odin; Thridi; Thror

Kennerton Thridi and Thror, in Karelian birch, stabilized and not stabilized

Kennerton Thror in natural Karelian birch

Kennerton Thridi in Karelian birch (lacquered)

Kennerton Odin and Thror - Trinity

Kennerton Odin - Trinity

Kennerton Vali - Yin and Yang

Not premium Kennerton range (Kennerton Magni; New Vali (2019); New Odin (2019); Thekk).
More accessible (for the price)
More practical
More comfortable
Lighter-weight

Spoiler: Not premium Kennerton range: Kennerton Magni; New Vali (2019); New Odin (2019); Thekk

Magni (closed back electrodynamic headphones with mylar membrane reinforced by graphene) (440 g)

New Odin 2019 (620 g)

New Vali 2019 (500 g)

Kennerton Thekk prototype (Pro version of the Thror) (400-420 g)

.

 

[eric65]

Good morning all.

At Kennerton, what should be the best headphones for Home Theater use? (ie, to watch and listen to his favorite movies on the big screen).

Well, I only see one.

The future Kennerton Thekk!

Why ?

It is the one that will best reproduce the dialogues (voices) with the greatest intelligibility. (*)

It is the one that will best respect the sub-bass, without becoming invasive in the bass. (*)

Distort (clash) in the infra-bass? This headphones will not be, even at very high volume. (*)

It is the one that will be the most open for the sound, which will give the best aeration (feeling of space). (*)

It is the one which will best respect the quality of the voice timbres of his favorite actors and actresses. (*)

It is the one that will be the most precise in the sound details and the representation of the sound scene, without being analytical and tiring over time. (*)

Not to mention, it will be an excellent headphones to listen to music alone, whatever the type of music (from Vivaldi to Stromae, from Calas to Angela!), with the greatest pleasure.

It is the one that will be the lightest and comfortable to wear.

It is the one that will adapt to all forms of head (skull) of the family, without asking questions about possible adjustments to make.


(*) (with the Thror).

Have a good day.

 

[eric65]

Hi all.

Here's a new comparative video of William Murdock this time around 3 planar headphones: Kennerton Thror, Meze Empyrean and Phobos (the latter headphones being by far the heaviest of these 3 headphones with a weight of 690g; even heavier than the Odin mk1 and 2).



The most neutral headphones, the most precise and which can best to stay on his head by moving, of these three headphones, is the Thror.

The Meze Empyrean is made for the bass-heads (those who love the powerfull bass level, to the detriment of neutrality).

The Thror is the most "neutral", but concerning the medium it is on the warm side of the neutral.

 

[Leondinas]

Hi there,
Is there any review on the New Vali ? Anyone can clarify if it is sounded "better" , as claimed ?

 

[CJG888]

I do sincerely hope that Kennerton retains the "classic" design of the top-of-the-line headphones (the original Odin, Vali, Thror). I'm the fan of that design and personally like it more than the Magni's. The all-metal construction/materials is the big reason. Kennerton (and Fischer Audio)'s plastics always failed me. Almost all of them crack, and the rubberized ones become sticky.

This is the area where it worries me.



Look at my Magister. This is the 2nd pair. The 1st pair cracked at similar place, and my local dealer decided to give me a new pair, which also cracked after around two years. When it doesn't crack, it become so sticky that I don't want to touch them (the area around the wooden cup, in case of Magister).



Maybe it was supplier issue, but it is issue with most of my Kennerton & Fischer Audio headphones in the past nonetheless. Maybe it's where I live (BKK, Thailand), where it's relatively hot and more humid than many other places. Maybe it is that particular plastic formulae (most of my other "plastic" headphones, like HD800, are doing fine ...).

Just that .... well, I'm a fan of the only-metals-and-woods construction of the existing Odin, Vali, and Thror, and I also like another degree of freedom in cup rotation (the swivel inward/outward). Hope they retain this design and not moving everything in the Magni direction.

I had the same problem with my Fischer FA-002w (and my Etymotic HF5) in Shanghai (hot and humid). The soft-touch plastics became disgustingly sticky, so that I stopped using them. In the end, I salvaged the cups and cables and fitted them to a pair of Lindy cans here in Germany. Frames and drivers are identical (pre-Ti), but the plastic components are uncoated. The Etys could not be saved...

 

[eric65]

Hi there,
Is there any review on the New Vali ? Anyone can clarify if it is sounded "better" , as claimed ?

Hi.

No review so far.
The new Vali (2019) just happened to appear.

The news available on the new Vali 2019 are on the Russian website of Fischer Audio.
https://fischeraudio.store/products/42626471

It's lighterweight with it-s 500 g than the "old" Vali (550 g)

 

[eric65]

Good morning all.

I had fun making an estimate of the power requirements of different headphones for amplification reduced to a standard load of 40 Ohm.

I started on the example of the Odin Thridi on the assumption that an amplifier delivering 1 Watt (1000 mW) on 40 Ohm was largely sufficient (and optimal) to drive this planar headphones of effective sensitivity of 97.6 dB / 1 mW (43 Ohm) (at the Russian RAA measurement site).

What about other headphones more or less demanding in power for the amplifier (for a load brought back to standard 40 Ohm)?

For the Odin Thridi (43 Ohm, 97.6 dB / 1mW) (taken as reference), it would take an amplifier delivering at least 1 Watt (1000 mW) on 40 Ohm, to be optimal at the amplification.
For the Thror (39 Ohm, 95.3 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 1.5 Watt on 40 Ohm.
For the Vali (45 Ohm, 100.4 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 0.5 Watt on 40 Ohm.
For the Magni (33 Ohm, 103.2 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 0.2 Watt on 40 Ohm.
For the Utopia (125 Ohm, 104.7 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 0.5 Watt on 40 Ohm.
For the HD-800 S (443 Ohm, 101.6 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 4 Watt on 40 Ohm.
For the LCD3-F (111 Ohm, 95.8 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 3 Watt on 40 Ohm.
For the HE-1000 V2 (35 Ohm, 86.9 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 9.5 Watt on 40 Ohm.
For the Abyss (45 Ohm, 83.5 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 27 Watt on 40 Ohm.
For the Susvara (62.5 Ohm, 80.6 dB / 1mW), it would then be an amplifier delivering at least 73 Watt! on 40 Ohm.
For the HE-6 SE (65 Ohm, 79.2 dB / 1mW), you would need an amplifier delivering at least 105 Watt! on 40 Ohm.
For the HE-6 (44 Ohm, 74 dB / 1mW), it would then be an amplifier delivering at least 230 Watt! on 40 Ohm.


Good, if you find the initial hypothesis too high concerning the amplification "necessary" to drive optimally an Odin Thridi headphones (or an Odin mk2), and that would be that of 1 Watt for the power of the amplifier "necessary" on a standard load of 40 Ohm, and well, IMHO, it is quite possible to divide this "need for amplification" by a factor 3: we would then get this new table with optimal amplifications "necessary" much more modest (and realistic?):

For the Odin Thridi (43 Ohm, 97.6 dB / 1mW) (taken as reference), it would take an amplifier delivering at least 0.33 Watt (330 mW) on 40 Ohm, to be optimal at the amplification.
For the Thror (39 Ohm, 95.3 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 0.5 Watt (500 mW) on 40 Ohm.
For the Vali (45 Ohm, 100.4 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 0.17 Watt (170 mW) on 40 Ohm.
For the Magni (33 Ohm, 103.2 dB / 1mW), it would then be an amp delivering at least 0.07 Watt (70 mW) on 40 Ohm.
For the Utopia (125 Ohm, 104.7 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 0.17 Watt (170 mW) on 40 Ohm.
For the HD-800 S (443 Ohm, 101.6 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 1.3 Watt on 40 Ohm.
For the LCD3-F (111 Ohm, 95.8 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 1 Watt on 40 Ohm.
For the HE-1000 V2 (35 Ohm, 86.9 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 3 Watt on 40 Ohm.
For the Abyss (45 Ohm, 83.5 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 9 Watt on 40 Ohm.
For the Susvara (62.5 Ohm, 80.6 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 24 Watt on 40 Ohm.
For the HE-6 SE (65 Ohm, 79.2 dB / 1mW), it would then require an amplifier delivering at least 35 Watt on 40 Ohm.
For the HE-6 (44 Ohm, 74 dB / 1mW), it would then take an amp delivering at least 77 Watt! on 40 Ohm.

Source (in french): https://musique-o-casque.com/viewtopic.php?p=3740#p3740

The Auris Euterpe amp (0.9 W RMS: 32-80 Ohm headphones) should be optimal to drive the Magni, the new Vali 2019 and the new Odin 2019, without breaking the bank.

The Viva 2A3 amp (3 W RMS on 50 Ohm?) should drive without difficulty, with the greatest distinction, with all the headphones above, including the Thror and Audeze LCD3-F, but a priori not the Abyss, neither the HE-6 nor the Susvara, to exploit to the fullest the potential of these headphones much more demanding in terms of amplification, in particular in capacity of current, than the other headphones mentioned.

The Viva 845 amp (15 W RMS on 50 Ohm?) would be perfect to drive the Abyss!

 

[Haidar]

Hello Kennerton fans,
I would like to order an unbalanced cable for the Vali.
Is the description of the Vali cable's wiring, given in the following link, correct?
https://drop.com/buy/kennerton-vali-exclusive-massdrop-edition/talk/1684084
Is there any other information I would need about the Vali's cable, in order to have one made?
Thank you!

 

[eric65]

Hello Kennerton fans,
I would like to order an unbalanced cable for the Vali.
Is the description of the Vali cable's wiring, given in the following link, correct?
https://drop.com/buy/kennerton-vali-exclusive-massdrop-edition/talk/1684084
Is there any other information I would need about the Vali's cable, in order to have one made?
Thank you!

Hi.

Yes, the description of the Vali cable's wiring, given in this following link is correct.

It was written by drakkard (Nikita), one of Kennerton Vali's design engineers.

quote (drakkard) in your link : "
Drakkard
49
MAY 13, 2017

Audeze are using pins 1 and 4 connected together for the signal, and pins 2 and 3 for the ground. Vali are using only pins 1 for the signal, and 3 for the ground, so, generally, most of the cables suitable for Audeze should also work with Vali. But, if such cable are using only pins 2 or 4, and they are not connected with 1 or 3 respectively - it will not work. Check this picture for reference. "

 

[Haidar]

Thank you Eric for your helpful reply!

 

[eric65]

Hi all.

I do not know if you've noticed, but the new Vali 2019 will use the same cable terminator on the headphones side as the Magni with a 3.5mm jack x2, and no longer a mini XLR terminator (as with the old Vali, the Odin, the Odin Thridi, the Thror and the new Odin 2019), and on the other side (amp side) a 6.3 mm jack (against a 3.5 mm jack for the Magni, with a 3.5 mm / 6.3 mm jack adapter).

The sound of the new Odin (2019) will be alive and massive (like that of the old odin), but the price will be much lower.

The sound of the new Vali (2019) will be a little darker, but also more detailed than that of the old Vali; the new Vali 2019 will be more practical and very much comfortable than the old Vali, and the price more enjoyable.

Source: http://player.ru/showthread.php?t=44540&page=1179&p=2894552&viewfull=1#post2894552

New Kennerton Vali (2019) (https://fischeraudio.store/products/42626471)

New Kennerton Odin (2019) (https://fischeraudio.store/products/42594891 and https://kennerton.com/shop/odin-padauk/)

 

[eric65]

Hi, all.

Here is the Kennerton Thekk's new external grid (in lightweight aluminum).

The Kennerton Thekk is the Pro version of the Thror, less luxurious but more aborable in price than the Thror, and also lighter and convenient to use thanks to its new head-band.

This is my future Kennerton Thekk headphones (Thekk TK-001), here in a special version "bi-color", variegated with blue and from yellow in Karelian birch stabilized.
Imho, the photo above is perfectible (because taken with a simple smartphone) and other angles of view are necessary to better honor this special wood for color and details.

Of course, the Thekk in series will probably use more uniform wood colors, as presented for the new 2019 Odin and the new Vali 2019 (in pictures above on my previous post).

The Kennerton Thekk will always remain a less luxurious (and original) version of headphones than the Thror (more expensive to buy).
It's a Pro version, more affordable and convenient.