[Arcamera]

Personally I can only speak about the older Odin aside from the Vali (and spent time with a recent Fischer model that I liked): The Odin is more refined, and delightful for acoustic musics (Classical, Jazz, etc). Eric and others here can (and do) speak more about the more recent models...

 

[eric65]

Is it me or do these Kennerton headphones look like the old Russian Fischer headphones?

Hi.

Fischer Audio brand and Kennerton brand : Description and philosophy written on this packaging of the Kennerton Thekk headphones.

 

[eric65]

Is all Kennerton headphones tuned for rock. It sounds like that from all the tests even though most is through google translate... With a bit recessed treble so you can play way to loud . Hard attack. Everything awesome forward like drums and guitarrs

Personally I can only speak about the older Odin aside from the Vali (and spent time with a recent Fischer model that I liked): The Odin is more refined, and delightful for acoustic musics (Classical, Jazz, etc). Eric and others here can (and do) speak more about the more recent models...

Hi,

All Kennerton headphones are good for listening to the Rock and the electric guitar (not to mention bass guitar and percussions (drums)).

The Odin mk1 and mk2 are the most dynamic, but also the most colorful (the most saturated for the restitution of the distortion of the the electric guitar), and also with a little more SPL in the high frequencies.
The Vali (which is not a planar headphones) is less defined than the Odin, perhaps even more dynamic in the bass, and has less level in the treble (than the Odin mk1).
The Thror is more detailed, precise and airy than the Odin, softer (less dynamic), more just in the tone of the electric guitar (less saturated but more detailed in the timbres); it has less treble, less peak in the treble than the Odin. It is very well suited to symphonic rock / symphonic metal (and complex music), and also classical music (best tone, with the Thekk).
Thekk is like Thror, for smoothness, precision, details, aeration, but has a little more level in the bass, and a high-medium - low-high (3-3.5 KHz) a little less put forward than the Thror; it has a sound more complete and full, more engaging than that of the Thror, and still has this attenuation in the treble (roll-off) found with the Thror, but also the Thridi and Vali.
All these headphones are pleasant to listen to the Rock, either fun (the Odin), or more detailed and rigorous (just for tone) (the Thror and the Thekk, this last with a even more pleasant and welcoming sound than the Thror).

 

[eric65]

Sorry, I forgot to speak about the closed-back headphones, the Kennerton Magni, also very good for the Rock: very dynamic headphones, but less colorful than the Odin, at least as detailed as the Odin, with a little more level in the treble than the Thror and the Thekk, but without to be for all that a shiny headphones (signature however slightly in V compared to the Thror: a little more bass, and a little more treble ; medium a little less forward).
The Kennerton Magni remains a relatively neutral headphones; no particulary bass-head for a closed-back headphones; it is airy enough for a closed-back headphones.

Note: you can read again the very good review of the Kennerton Magni (electrodynamic closed-back headphones) made by @cleg.

Here: https://porta.fi/kennerton-magni-headphone-review-very-unusual-dynamic-headphones/

and for those who haven't seen it yet at the previous page, you can seen this very good video of the Kennerton Vali (former Vali) (open electrodynamic headphones).

 

[eric65]

Hello everyone.

Here's a much-anticipated video from William Murdock about the Kennerton ECL-02 ear pads, recently supplied with the Kennerton Thror headphones in addition to the stock ear pads (1), and aimed above all at boosting (reinforcing) the mid-bass and sub-bass levels from +3 to +5 dB for the Thror, according to William.
(1) https://kennerton.com/shop/thror-bog-oak/

These ECL-02 ear pads are also available at a very reasonable retail price of 56 Euros ($ 62 USD) (duty free) on the Kennerton website https://kennerton.com/shop/ecl-02/?currency=USD .

This video of William is very interesting and informative.



We learn, for example, that the bass level (with the stock pads) are classified in presence level (SPL level) as follows: SPL bass level of the Vali (original) > SPL bass level of the new Vali 2019 > SPL bass level of the Odin > SPL bass level of the Thror (judged for this last headphones as the most neutral and balanced of all, but having the least level SPL in the bass).

But with the ECL-02 ear pads used with the Thror (and raising the bass level from +3 to +5 dB), the bass level of the Thror (+ ECL-02 ear pads) would be > at bass level of the Odin (with the stock pads).

The ECL-02 ear pads have also been tested with the new Vali 2019 to boost the bass, but there is too much bass, and especially these bass lack precision and control with the new Vali, especially compared to Thror and Odin.
William does not advise this combination of these ECL-02 ear pads with the new Vali, unlike the Kennerton Thror headphones + ECL-002 ear pads, which for him, remedies the main defect of the Thror, the lack of bass for listening to very dynamic music as the Rock.

Otherwise, like me, William has been difficulty to change the pads ...

Finally, how to recognize the stock ear pads of the Odin mk2, the new Odin 2019, the Thridi, the Thror, the Thekk, and the new Vali 2019 (which are all alike) with the ECL-02 ear pads ?
Well it is the size of the holes, smaller with the ECL-02 ear pads than the ear pad holes of all the other headphones listed above.

 

[oqvist]

Thanks for the comparisons. Would love to hear the Threkk and Thror but will likely never happen. No audio stores nearby. Kennerton Magni has killed my lust listening to all my other headphones I have to say. To me it´s not vshaped but ever so slightly increased bass and ever so slightly recessed treble. It plays bigger then it should be able to which is great for somebody that can never use speakers

 

[eric65]

Hi all.

New Kennerton Odin 2019.

First impressions, by William Murdock.

 

[Leondinas]

Hi there,
Are there any comparisons between Magni and new Odin (Mk2 or Thridi) and the Thekk ?

 

[eric65]

Hi there,
Are there any comparisons between Magni and new Odin (Mk2 or Thridi) and the Thekk ?

Hello.

The old Odin mk2 is no longer produced; it had his own drivers (the debugged and reliable version of the drivers of the old Odin mk1); the membranes of the former Odin mk1 and mk2 drivers were different from those used in current Kennerton planar headphones productions: Odin Thridi (mk3); Thror; Thekk and new Odin 2019.
All these last planar headphones are equipped with the new high-tech honeycomb membrane (that is reinforced by a hexagonal internal structure); the new Odin 2019 and the Odin Thridi (mk3) having a metal drivers framework (like the old Odin mk1 and mk2), while the framework of the Thror and Thekk drivers are lightened, in carbon fiber.

The new Odin 2019 and the Odin Thridi (mk3) therefore share the same drivers (metal frame and new honeycomb membrane) and therefore differ from the old Odin mk1 and mk2 for the drivers (also with a metal frame, but with the old membrane).

What differentiates the Odin Thridi (mk3) from the new Odin 2019 is two things: the new headband taken from the Magni for the new Odin 2019, and lighter grids in composite material, with a specific design, for the Odin Thridi (mk3) ; while the new Odin 2019 takes on the heavy chevron grids in Zinc of the old Odin mk1 and mk2, 100 g heavier than those made of Thridi composite material.
In the end, the old Odin (mk1 and mk2) weighed 680 g (without cable).
The Odin Thridi (mk3) weighs 580 g.
The New Odin 2019 weighs about 640 g.

The sound of the new Odin 2019 should be very close to that of the Odin Thridi (mk3), itself quite close to the old Odin mk2, but with a little more detailed (more precise), and smoother in the treble, with also a roll-off in the treble more important than the Odin mk2 and especially mk1, which are (for this last) comparatively more brilliant in the treble (and also more granular in the treble because of a peak in the treble more pronounced).
The Odin mk2, Odin Thridi (mk3) and new Odin 2019 bass are a little more prominent (are more present) than the Kennerton Thekk, which is the most neutral, the most detailed, and the fastest all planar headphones (with the Thekk of the same technicality as Thror).

The Odin mk2, Odin Thridi (mk3) and the new Odin 2019 sound like warmer than the Thror (but this last is more neutral, mor rigorous and also more precise, faster and more airy).
Thekk, while being as detailed as the Thror, has a even better tonal balance, because more complete, without this little peak of presence of the Thror around 3-3.5 KHz, and being a little warmer than the Thror, with a level of bass a little more important than the Thror: a kind of intermediary in tone between the Thror and the Odin mk2 and/or the Odin mk3 (Thridi), but still a little better for the level of detail and finesse, as well as for accuracy and aeration.

For the weight, the Thror, with its carbon driver framework and external grids made of composite material weighs only 480 g (200 g less than the Odin mk2 and 100 g less than the Odin Thridi (mk3)) .
The Thekk is even lighter than the Thror (thanks to the new headband taken from the Magni, its framework of carbon fiber for his drivers, and ultra-light external aluminum grids): it weighs only 370-390 g according to the essence of wood ; it's the lightest Kennerton planar headphones.

The Kennerton Magni, which is a closed back electrodynamic headphones, weighs 440 g; it has a fairly neutral sound (like that of the Thror, but with a little more bass and a little more treble than the Thror: sound signature less flat, slightly in V).
The Kennerton Magni is a very detailed headphones thanks to its drivers with composite membrane mixed mylar / graphene (it resolution is intermediate resolution between that of the Odin mk2 and the Thror), but it has a soundstage less broad and less precise than that of the Thror which is for the latter much more precise and detailed, in 3D layers (better depth with the Thror) ; comparatively the sound is more 2D with the Magni, even if the soundstage is very correct for a closed-back headphones.

Here are the main objective and subjective differences between these different headphones of this new and very rich range of Kennerton headphones, at least for those I know.

 

[oqvist]

How do you hear the v-shape in the Magni. I tried pan flute and its slightly recessed in the mix. But that is perhaps upper mid range. Also cymbals is less forward

 

[eric65]

How do you hear the v-shape in the Magni. I tried pan flute and its slightly recessed in the mix. But that is perhaps upper mid range. Also cymbals is less forward

Yes I think.

More bass with the Magni and more treble at 5.5 KHz with the Magni, even if this peak frequency at 5.5 KHz is exaggerated in the RAA measurements; in reality this 5.5 KHz pic is not as important when listening; moreover, we find this peak of measurements at 5.5 KHz systematically with all the headphones from Focal for example, in the RAA measurements.
Otherwise, as the Kennerton Thror (and even more with the Odin mk2), the 2 KHz frequency (high-mids) of the Magni is a bit recessive.

 

[oqvist]

Just watched the Odin 19 video. Described it almost like an open back Magni. But being open back and planar magnetic can it match the dynamics I wonder. All planar I listened to has been kind of polite with lcd-2 the one that att least tries when given the watts. I have big issues with hifiman Anandas dynamics. Very great sounding but not dynamic.

 

[eric65]

Just watched the Odin 19 video. Described it almost like an open back Magni. But being open back and planar magnetic can it match the dynamics I wonder. All planar I listened to has been kind of polite with lcd-2 the one that att least tries when given the watts. I have big issues with hifiman Anandas dynamics. Very great sounding but not dynamic.

Regarding the dynamics: the electrodynamic headphones like the Kennerton Vali (an open back headphones) and the Magni (a closed back headphones) will always have more dynamics (see brutality) than planar headphones (except the JPS Abyss).
Concerning the planar Kennerton headphones (and not the electrodynamics Kennerton headphones like the Vali and the Magni): the Odin mk2 is the most dynamic Kennerton planar headphones in the low frequency, probably followed by the new Odin 2019, then the Odin Thridi (mk3), then the Thror and the Thekk.

At Kennerton, the more the headphones weighs heavy (and has inertia in the weight of the earcups and drivers, and also the membrane), the more it is felt as dynamic (heavy, hitting and brutal), but at the expense of speed, precision and texture of the bass! (at least for the planar Kennerton headphones).

If not, if that can help you.

Otherwise, an open-back headphones (like the new Odin 2019, the Odin Thridi and the old Odin mk2 will always sound more open than a closed-back headphones, including the Magni ; the soundstage will be more 3 D and deeper than that of the Magni, more 2D.

The Kennerton Thror headphones followed by the Kennerton Thekk are the most detailed of all Kennerton planar headphones, more precise (3D in layered), more airy and deep for the soundstage.

 

[Arcamera]

Eric, you are an encyclopedia of all things Kennerton!

I've been spending more time lately with my Odin's-- they still sound great. In part because I agree that a lot of planars can be a little too polite for my tastes (some headphones I have by Audeze, HiFi Man, etc), so when I want to hear orchestral dynamics, like a tympani or bass drum wallop, I still prefer my Odins. (That said, I'm sure I'll eventually get another Kennerton).

 

[eric65]

Eric, you are an encyclopedia of all things Kennerton!