[ithilienrp]

A Special 100th post

Since Kennerton has posted my custom Thror Novel on their FB page, I'm going to expand a bit on it.

Preface: I own the original Thror Bog Oak and really like the tonality of the headphones. The sound was refined, no major peaks or dips in its FR. I listened to a wide variety of music genres which I think this headphones does really well - kind of like a jack of all trades - across the board for music. Nowadays I find myself listening to more contemporary genres i.e. EDM, electronica, hip/hop, dance/pop which emphasizes a bit on the low end. While the bass extends low on the classic Thror, the sound was very neutral with tight fast bass. I enjoyed the music but was not quite emotionally involved with the experience.

With the announcement of the Thror Novel, Kennerton said they kept the same tonality of the original Thror. Since I own the original already, it would make little sense to order another unit with just the updated body styling. So I contemplated what would make a new model stand out and requested a custom tuning with my unit, still very much liking the refinement of the original sound but wanted a bit more emphasis on the lower end of the spectrum. I mentioned a bit more "Thekk-like" but not at that level of coloration in the sound. I like the Thekk for a different experience than the Thror, very energetic and fun, but I do feel a bit of fatigue after listening to it for a couple of hours.

After several weeks, Kennerton got back to me with a modified FR of the custom Thror and I was satisfied with the results. Upon receiving the headphones, I did a comparison between the classic Thror and Novel to see what was changed. I noticed the new Thror has a buttery soft leather pads same material as the Rognir while the classic has bit stiffer leather but more squishy internal foam. Wondering if the FR change was due solely to different pads, I swapped the pads of the original Thror onto the Novel but nope there was a noticeable +3-5 db throughout the bass region compare to the classic Thror depending on the pads used. Kennerton has modified the tuning/damping internally with this new unit, not just different pad materials. Its also a bit more efficient despite having the same specs to my ears. I would have to raise the volume of the original Thror by 1 notch to get the same volume level of the Novel. In conclusion, I am satisfied with the result of the new tuning as now EDM sound particularly tasteful on this model. Very musical in the bass but still a bit more refinement in the treble in comparison to the Thekk. The mids, in particular the vocals, are still upfront and crystal clear.

This project was made to build the unit around my personal musical preferences but I hope this also revive interest in the Thror line which has been a bit overshadowed by the Thekk. I may be one of the few that prefers the old headband more in looks and fitting. It has a finnicky fit and you can't share the headphones with someone else as it will need to be reconfigured each time but having the freedom of vertical axis rotation makes a difference in configuration. If you're not sharing the headphones, you just need to spend a bit of time in the beginning to get the exact fit that you want, set it, and boom it'll be a perfect fit customized to your head each time you put it on. The Thror Novel also has a wider headband despite having the same classic look. It fits a bit more comfortable and have a lesser clamp force on the head. Kennerton has done a wonderful job with this model and I would agree it still remains the top of the line in its headphones planar lineup.

Introducing the Thror Novel Version W in blue stabilized Karelian birch:

Congratulation!

Truth be told, I'm also had been talking to Kennerton (Ivan and Valentin) about a custom Thror Novel (I planned to get it for my own birthday present in November), with almost exact requirements ... namely

- Blue Stabilized Karelian Birch (I mentioned Van Gogh "Starry Night" painting as inspiration/reference).
- Different tuning, as I also own the original. I want a bassier tuning and more musical tuning than the original. Maybe something Thekk-like.

Great to see the result here first, and your description of the new tuning really give me confident that it will work out great (and really different than the original).

 

[veritg0]

Congratulation!

Truth be told, I'm also had been talking to Kennerton (Ivan and Valentin) about a custom Thror Novel (I planned to get it for my own birthday present in November), with almost exact requirements ... namely

- Blue Stabilized Karelian Birch (I mentioned Van Gogh "Starry Night" painting as inspiration/reference).
- Different tuning, as I also own the original. I want a bassier tuning and more musical tuning than the original. Maybe something Thekk-like.

Great to see the result here first, and your description of the new tuning really give me confident that it will work out great (and really different than the original).

Thank you I had a feeling my post would interest you based on your earlier posts. It seems we have similar preferences.

I mentioned to Valentin and the Kennerton team that this custom tuning may be a real winner for those wanting a bit more musical experience out of the Thror but still appreciate its overall tonality. I posted my unit to see if it will garner some interests on the alternative tuning.

I have to say the new body styling is also thicker almost to the Rognir level so thats a huge plus...you can certainly be able to appreciate the beautiful woods much more than the old cup's dimensions.

I will be looking forward to seeing your custom Thror Novel and impressions later down the road.

 

[John Massaria]

A Special 100th post

Since Kennerton has posted my custom Thror Novel on their FB page, I'm going to expand a bit on it.

Preface: I own the original Thror Bog Oak and really like the tonality of the headphones. The sound was refined, no major peaks or dips in its FR. I listened to a wide variety of music genres which I think this headphones does really well - kind of like a jack of all trades - across the board for music. Nowadays I find myself listening to more contemporary genres i.e. EDM, electronica, hip/hop, dance/pop which emphasizes a bit on the low end. While the bass extends low on the classic Thror, the sound was very neutral with tight fast bass. I enjoyed the music but was not quite emotionally involved with the experience.

With the announcement of the Thror Novel, Kennerton said they kept the same tonality of the original Thror. Since I own the original already, it would make little sense to order another unit with just the updated body styling. So I contemplated what would make a new model stand out and requested a custom tuning with my unit, still very much liking the refinement of the original sound but wanted a bit more emphasis on the lower end of the spectrum. I mentioned a bit more "Thekk-like" but not at that level of coloration in the sound. I like the Thekk for a different experience than the Thror, very energetic and fun, but I do feel a bit of fatigue after listening to it for a couple of hours.

After several weeks, Kennerton got back to me with a modified FR of the custom Thror and I was satisfied with the results. Upon receiving the headphones, I did a comparison between the classic Thror and Novel to see what was changed. I noticed the new Thror has a buttery soft leather pads same material as the Rognir while the classic has bit stiffer leather but more squishy internal foam. Wondering if the FR change was due solely to different pads, I swapped the pads of the original Thror onto the Novel but nope there was a noticeable +3-5 db throughout the bass region compare to the classic Thror depending on the pads used. Kennerton has modified the tuning/damping internally with this new unit, not just different pad materials. Its also a bit more efficient despite having the same specs to my ears. I would have to raise the volume of the original Thror by 1 notch to get the same volume level of the Novel. In conclusion, I am satisfied with the result of the new tuning as now EDM sound particularly tasteful on this model. Very musical in the bass but still a bit more refinement in the treble in comparison to the Thekk. The mids, in particular the vocals, are still upfront and crystal clear.

This project was made to build the unit around my personal musical preferences but I hope this also revive interest in the Thror line which has been a bit overshadowed by the Thekk. I may be one of the few that prefers the old headband more in looks and fitting. It has a finnicky fit and you can't share the headphones with someone else as it will need to be reconfigured each time but having the freedom of vertical axis rotation makes a difference in configuration. If you're not sharing the headphones, you just need to spend a bit of time in the beginning to get the exact fit that you want, set it, and boom it'll be a perfect fit customized to your head each time you put it on. The Thror Novel also has a wider headband despite having the same classic look. It fits a bit more comfortable and have a lesser clamp force on the head. Kennerton has done a wonderful job with this model and I would agree it still remains the top of the line in its headphones planar lineup.

Introducing the Thror Novel Version W in blue stabilized Karelian birch:

has to be one of the most gorgeous headphones on the planet -congrats stunning! Kennerton is on fire...

 

[John Massaria]

just found this on facebook- what a great way of explaining what the different woods look like- why do I like stabilized so much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I started to google I need to stop!

making these turbulent times of uncertainty and isolation more bearable

 

[veritg0]

just found this on facebook- what a great way of explaining what the different woods look like- why do I like stabilized so much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I started to google I need to stop!






making these turbulent times of uncertainty and isolation more bearable

I wish there exists stabilized maple burl option for Kennerton like ZMF...but as it turns out the birch is just as beautiful
Regular maple is nice though a bit simplistic

What a beautiful pics of the Vali...I've been searching for that specific OG version w/ silver parts

 

[Joaquin Dinero]

What a beautiful pics of the Vali...I've been searching for that specific OG version w/ silver parts

+1 on that.

I have some alnost like that but the metal parts are black. Are mine the V2, or v1.1 maybe ?

 

[immortalsoul]

+1 on that.

I have some alnost like that but the metal parts are black. Are mine the V2, or v1.1 maybe ?

You have the Massdrop version. This version is specifically made for Massdrop

 

[Joaquin Dinero]

You have the Massdrop version. This version is specifically made for Massdrop

Interesting, didnt know there was a Massdrop version. Thx.

 

[John Massaria]

now 5 play lists on Spotify for all headphone lovers
you can now add your own music as each list is collaborative

 

[eugene2]

Graph readers are not my type of reviewer tho-if that was the case you could EQ any headphone to sound similar and the pursuit for our ideal tuning would be ez- right?- graphs only tell us one part of the impression. But as for Sandu - he doesn’t outright say he doesn’t like a product too often which is kind of one red flag for me- but he does skate around that fact and is soft handed when he doesn’t like a product- you have to pay attention when he uses certain words for example. For the most part I like him as a reviewer- I try to listen and read a lot before I buy. I do like trial periods of 30 days if I don’t like a product - I am hesitant to deal with on line dealers that do not offer money back if you return item in perfect resealable condition- life is too short - that’s why people should audition before they buy I think- or both listen/read a wide blend of reviews - I love headfi for that- users ithilienrp, jonathan c, strayings and malelent and some others of course - are experienced head-fiers and I tend to appreciate their listening ability and their contributions/opinions

I appreciate your commentary, it drives me crazy when reviewers or even bloggers claim they hear every detail as portrayed in the graph. Most do not speak to the music, they use the term clear to define what they hear or over use the term fast. In your opinion how important is synergy when reviewing equipment?
Lastly, I do like learning about new products such as Kennerton from reviews or blogs.

 

[John Massaria]

Matching equipment is like matching socks or as important as matching a whole outfit- like designing feng shui in a home or adding the right ingredients for food- synergies are everything- match the music and each component right down to a/c power cleanliness and wires between - it all meshes- reviewers should acknowledge this I think

 

[Failed Engineer]

My wife is starting grad school this month and I work from home and normally listen to open headphones most of the day which she's never really had an issue with. But with her program she will need more silence when she's studying so I was on a desperate chase for a closed phone. I've been using a Stellia which I like a lot in short doses but not really much of a fan for multi-hour sessions and I already knew it wasn't going to fit the bill.

I've previously owned the VC which I didn't like at all and so I somehow became aware of the Rognir and started reading this thread and thought I'd give it a shot. I've had it for a few weeks now and short version, I am blown away with this headphone. I come from a general preference for the Focal house sound. Killer dynamics, more intimate headstaging, pinpoint imaging within the stage, fast transients, and bass extension that doesn't bleed into the midrange. I don't like sleepy headphones like the VC nor do I like bass cannons.

The Rognir gives me most of what I like about the Utopia with a tonality that is easier to listen to for 4+ hours as I often do. There are certain things it can't do in comparison to the Utopia but I chalk that up to the Utopia's dynamic driver vs. planar.

I haven't liked any headphone this much since the Utopia became my daily driver 2 years ago and I've tried most of the flagships. Open or closed the Rognir is one of the handful best headphones I have ever listed to. Closed, it has no peer anywhere near its zip code.

I'm pretty surprised as I've never heard a planar I've liked in comparison to the best dynamic or electrostat cans. I suppose the best compliment I can give it is that there are times when my wife isn't around and I decide to listen with the Rognir instead of the Utopia. I'd have never thought that day would come for any closed headphone for me.

 

[GAJA71]

My wife is starting grad school this month and I work from home and normally listen to open headphones most of the day which she's never really had an issue with. But with her program she will need more silence when she's studying so I was on a desperate chase for a closed phone. I've been using a Stellia which I like a lot in short doses but not really much of a fan for multi-hour sessions and I already knew it wasn't going to fit the bill.

I've previously owned the VC which I didn't like at all and so I somehow became aware of the Rognir and started reading this thread and thought I'd give it a shot. I've had it for a few weeks now and short version, I am blown away with this headphone. I come from a general preference for the Focal house sound. Killer dynamics, more intimate headstaging, pinpoint imaging within the stage, fast transients, and bass extension that doesn't bleed into the midrange. I don't like sleepy headphones like the VC nor do I like bass cannons.

The Rognir gives me most of what I like about the Utopia with a tonality that is easier to listen to for 4+ hours as I often do. There are certain things it can't do in comparison to the Utopia but I chalk that up to the Utopia's dynamic driver vs. planar.

I haven't liked any headphone this much since the Utopia became my daily driver 2 years ago and I've tried most of the flagships. Open or closed the Rognir is one of the handful best headphones I have ever listed to. Closed, it has no peer anywhere near its zip code.

I'm pretty surprised as I've never heard a planar I've liked in comparison to the best dynamic or electrostat cans. I suppose the best compliment I can give it is that there are times when my wife isn't around and I decide to listen with the Rognir instead of the Utopia. I'd have never thought that day would come for any closed headphone for me.

Good to hear, I've just ordered a set and feel like a child on Christmas eve...

 

[paradoxper]

My wife is starting grad school this month and I work from home and normally listen to open headphones most of the day which she's never really had an issue with. But with her program she will need more silence when she's studying so I was on a desperate chase for a closed phone. I've been using a Stellia which I like a lot in short doses but not really much of a fan for multi-hour sessions and I already knew it wasn't going to fit the bill.

I've previously owned the VC which I didn't like at all and so I somehow became aware of the Rognir and started reading this thread and thought I'd give it a shot. I've had it for a few weeks now and short version, I am blown away with this headphone. I come from a general preference for the Focal house sound. Killer dynamics, more intimate headstaging, pinpoint imaging within the stage, fast transients, and bass extension that doesn't bleed into the midrange. I don't like sleepy headphones like the VC nor do I like bass cannons.

The Rognir gives me most of what I like about the Utopia with a tonality that is easier to listen to for 4+ hours as I often do. There are certain things it can't do in comparison to the Utopia but I chalk that up to the Utopia's dynamic driver vs. planar.

I haven't liked any headphone this much since the Utopia became my daily driver 2 years ago and I've tried most of the flagships. Open or closed the Rognir is one of the handful best headphones I have ever listed to. Closed, it has no peer anywhere near its zip code.

I'm pretty surprised as I've never heard a planar I've liked in comparison to the best dynamic or electrostat cans. I suppose the best compliment I can give it is that there are times when my wife isn't around and I decide to listen with the Rognir instead of the Utopia. I'd have never thought that day would come for any closed headphone for me.

It's pretty crazy, right.

 

[Nostoi]

My wife is starting grad school this month and I work from home and normally listen to open headphones most of the day which she's never really had an issue with. But with her program she will need more silence when she's studying so I was on a desperate chase for a closed phone. I've been using a Stellia which I like a lot in short doses but not really much of a fan for multi-hour sessions and I already knew it wasn't going to fit the bill.

I've previously owned the VC which I didn't like at all and so I somehow became aware of the Rognir and started reading this thread and thought I'd give it a shot. I've had it for a few weeks now and short version, I am blown away with this headphone. I come from a general preference for the Focal house sound. Killer dynamics, more intimate headstaging, pinpoint imaging within the stage, fast transients, and bass extension that doesn't bleed into the midrange. I don't like sleepy headphones like the VC nor do I like bass cannons.

The Rognir gives me most of what I like about the Utopia with a tonality that is easier to listen to for 4+ hours as I often do. There are certain things it can't do in comparison to the Utopia but I chalk that up to the Utopia's dynamic driver vs. planar.

I haven't liked any headphone this much since the Utopia became my daily driver 2 years ago and I've tried most of the flagships. Open or closed the Rognir is one of the handful best headphones I have ever listed to. Closed, it has no peer anywhere near its zip code.

I'm pretty surprised as I've never heard a planar I've liked in comparison to the best dynamic or electrostat cans. I suppose the best compliment I can give it is that there are times when my wife isn't around and I decide to listen with the Rognir instead of the Utopia. I'd have never thought that day would come for any closed headphone for me.

Agree with everything. Except I continue to enjoy the VC.

But if I had to choose.... tricky.