[jonathan c]

Regarding bass: I haven't heard any of the Rognir models so I don't know its bass signature and it may well be fine, but what is it with modern headphones and their bass tuning? I find most headphones entirely too bass oriented to the point that the sound is overwhelmed with bass weight. The bass quality (weight, dynamics, speed, pitch definition, and extension) may be good but tuned toward too much bass. Back in the day almost all headphones had too little bass and sounded tinny and unnatural, but now we usually have the opposite. I was reminded of this a couple of months ago at a wedding reception featuring a deejay and a sound system that had absolutely overwhelming bass where almost everything sounded the same and became fatiguing after a short while. And we have all heard the prototypical 1985 Honda Civic containing a sound system whose amp has more power than the engine and a subwoofer that thumps along at exactly the same frequency and pitch no matter what the bass note is. In physics this is known as a Helmholtz Resonator and you can calculate the bass frequency if you know the driver characteristics and the volume of the space holding the subwoofer.

So are we merely being conditioned to this type of sound through being constantly barraged with this type of sound? I remember attending a Peter and the Rabbit concert with my kids in a park here in town that was completely unamplified. It featured a great acoustic band and you could hear the string bass and bass drum underpinning the music but it was the antithesis of overamplified music complete with overwhelming bass. I am sure many in the crowd wondered what was wrong with the sound, particularly the natural bass.

When I pondered which tuning I wanted with my Gjallarhorn MH50s I saw frequency curves of the two models: the regular GH50 and the GH50 JM Edition. The curves showed a +4 dB bass shelf below 200 Hz or so for the regular GH50. So I took a gamble knowing how most modern headphones sound, like my 1More Triple-Driver Over-Ears headphones with way too much bass, and I ordered the JM Edition. And I am glad I did as I could not imagine needing more bass than these. Recently John Massaria performed his mods on my JMEs and there is more bass but not overwhelming.

Anyway, that is my rant on bass. Hope I didn't offend anyone. Thanks.

What…we couldn’t hear….

 

[jandrese]

I recently had my Kennerton Gjallarhorn JM edition upgraded to Mk II status by John Massaria and wanted to add my two cents. First, John is great to work with and has both reasonable fees and super fast turn around. Second, is the fit. Third, is the sound.

Regarding the fit, I have a warning (?--something to consider) for those with large ears. John changed the ear pads to a softer pad and adjusted the clamp force to be as strong as possible. These, combined with the addition of fiberglass fractal pattern driver screens made the headphone uncomfortable for my big ears. The new pads collapsed onto my ear lobes to rub up against the fiberglass, which was irritating enough to make the headphone too uncomfortable to use. John was, however, ready with a solution and after only one day back in his shop the headphones were retuned to me with a couple of changes that restored comfort to the headphones. This may not be an issue for those with small ears but just know that John will take care of you if it is.

As far as the sound goes the summary is the the Mk II mod turns everything good about the the Gjallarhorn up to 11. The specifics of the initial impression is that the midrange has enhanced immediacy and the soundstage is even wider. The soundstage actually does something interesting on some recordings. The stage can seem to take right angle turns around my head folding into the headphone cups. It's kind of weird but not unpleasant. Other headphones that image widely may also do this but I don't own a comparison. The perspective is close to the action, more front row than back of the audience, which brings a lot of energy and also detail. Bass is strong enough to be satisfying and is more detailed but not necessarily deeper. High frequencies are present, energetic, and detailed without being bright. Drums, guitars, cymbals, and vocals seem especially notable with this version of the Gjallarhorn.

There is sometimes a sensation of resonance from inside the cups that detracts from the musical experience. The headband is also curiously microphonic. To that last bit I might wrap the metal parts with acoustic dampening tape-that might help. The energy of this headphone can be a bit much at times and the emotional engagement (whatever goes into that!) is not amongst the best. My ZMF Verite Closed, for example, is more natural, engaging, better balanced, and more comfortable to wear; it's a super premium experience all around. The Verite Closed is a lot more money of course and can't be driven off just anything; it needs a powerful amp. To that end the Gjallarhorn is much more usable but does require more power than one might think. Off a cell phone the experience is only ok, but add a Audioquest Dragonfly and all is well. Can't do that with any satisfaction with the Verite Closed.

I'm super happy to have the unique Gjallarhorn in general and the JM edition Mk II mods in particular. I reckon there is not much more performance to be squeezed out this headphone.

 

[rlawry]

I recently had my Kennerton Gjallarhorn JM edition upgraded to Mk II status by John Massaria and wanted to add my two cents. First, John is great to work with and has both reasonable fees and super fast turn around. Second, is the fit. Third, is the sound.

Regarding the fit, I have a warning (?--something to consider) for those with large ears. John changed the ear pads to a softer pad and adjusted the clamp force to be as strong as possible. These, combined with the addition of fiberglass fractal pattern driver screens made the headphone uncomfortable for my big ears. The new pads collapsed onto my ear lobes to rub up against the fiberglass, which was irritating enough to make the headphone too uncomfortable to use. John was, however, ready with a solution and after only one day back in his shop the headphones were retuned to me with a couple of changes that restored comfort to the headphones. This may not be an issue for those with small ears but just know that John will take care of you if it is.

As far as the sound goes the summary is the the Mk II mod turns everything good about the the Gjallarhorn up to 11. The specifics of the initial impression is that the midrange has enhanced immediacy and the soundstage is even wider. The soundstage actually does something interesting on some recordings. The stage can seem to take right angle turns around my head folding into the headphone cups. It's kind of weird but not unpleasant. Other headphones that image widely may also do this but I don't own a comparison. The perspective is close to the action, more front row than back of the audience, which brings a lot of energy and also detail. Bass is strong enough to be satisfying and is more detailed but not necessarily deeper. High frequencies are present, energetic, and detailed without being bright. Drums, guitars, cymbals, and vocals seem especially notable with this version of the Gjallarhorn.

There is sometimes a sensation of resonance from inside the cups that detracts from the musical experience. The headband is also curiously microphonic. To that last bit I might wrap the metal parts with acoustic dampening tape-that might help. The energy of this headphone can be a bit much at times and the emotional engagement (whatever goes into that!) is not amongst the best. My ZMF Verite Closed, for example, is more natural, engaging, better balanced, and more comfortable to wear; it's a super premium experience all around. The Verite Closed is a lot more money of course and can't be driven off just anything; it needs a powerful amp. To that end the Gjallarhorn is much more usable but does require more power than one might think. Off a cell phone the experience is only ok, but add a Audioquest Dragonfly and all is well. Can't do that with any satisfaction with the Verite Closed.

I'm super happy to have the unique Gjallarhorn in general and the JM edition Mk II mods in particular. I reckon there is not much more performance to be squeezed out this headphone.

Agreed with all said but I did not have the personal discomfort you experienced as my Gjallarhorn GH50 JME stock pads were less dense and stiff than the memory foam pads John attached. He did say that the stiffer pads improved dynamic range and bass as well.

There are numerous posts here about the microphonic headband, which in my experience was far less problematic than the stock OFC cable that produced loud thumps through the phones when bumped or dragging across your shirt. I joked that I could drum out a bass foundation on the cable with bass-shy recordings. Going to an aftermarket cable from Forza Audioworks eliminated the cable microphonic problem and you can easily get an inexpensive headband cover like the one in the Amazon link below which costs around $12. This cover alleviated much of the headband microphonics.

Thanks.

https://www.amazon.com/Geekria-Head...over+turtle+beach+elite&qid=1636163725&sr=8-3

 

[John Massaria]

I wanted to thank all the users of the GH50 who upgraded to Mk2 and taking the time to express honest opinions on the SQ- for me it does squeeze every last detail out of the Gh50 and I am thankful to those who did the upgrade and mostly that they love it as much as I do... on another note another head-fi user sent me this image of his GH50JM Edition Mk1 with Rognir headband with upgraded stabilized Karelian Birch equipped with ECL-SR MF hybrid memory foam ear pads w/ genuine suede rings that touch the skin and all leather every where else in custom matching color. Stunning! lots of luck with that new pair- I will not mention the owners name but I hope he’s cool with me sharing this pic

 

[Ryokan]

Thank you Kennerton the silicone tips, with red sleeve, bundled with the Ikiz not only give the best fit but also bring out the best sound on my Andromeda's , I would love to know who makes them.

 

[eugene2]

I wanted to thank all the users of the GH50 who upgraded to Mk2 and taking the time to express honest opinions on the SQ- for me it does squeeze every last detail out of the Gh50 and I am thankful to those who did the upgrade and mostly that they love it as much as I do... on another note another head-fi user sent me this image of his GH50JM Edition Mk1 with Rognir headband with upgraded stabilized Karelian Birch equipped with ECL-SR MF hybrid memory foam ear pads w/ genuine suede rings that touch the skin and all leather every where else in custom matching color. Stunning! lots of luck with that new pair- I will not mention the owners name but I hope he’s cool with me sharing this pic

Really nice! I had emailed Ivan Gopienko about the potential of obtaining a Rognir headband on 11/12 and received no response. Kind of disappointing no one bothered to respond…

 

[Audio Addict]

Really nice! I had emailed Ivan Gopienko about the potential of obtaining a Rognir headband on 11/12 and received no response. Kind of disappointing no one bothered to respond…

Kennerton posted this today on their Facebook page:

You asked, we listened!
We are exited to announce, that all Thekk headphones will now come with a special eco/leather headband, which you have so warmly received. Great to look, pleasant to touch and very useful for eliminating the microphonic effect!

What is more important, at the same time we’re announcing the "Special Headband Upgrade" for our beloved customers!
All Kennerton headphone owners now have a great opportunity to refine their “long time companions” for only 87 EUR! Write us at info@kennerton.com , send us your headphones and within a month get enhanced piece of art that suits your nowadays needs better!

All Kennerton headphones are available to be customized according to your personal preferences at info@kennerton.com

 

[paradoxper]

You are required to send your headphones back to Kennerton for a headband upgrade.

LMAO. This brand does the darndest things.

 

[jonathan c]

Some time ago, months ago, I asked Ivan about the possibility of mailing, at my expense, a “kit” Rognir headband that I could use to replace the headband on my Gjallarhorn JM Edition. The concept appeared to be alien…nothing happened.

 

[VKazanzhi]

Let me intervene here. Once again, I want to point out that it is possible to upgrade the headband on your own, but it is not as easy as it may seem. Moreover, it is very likely that after such attempts, we will start to receive a lot of angry demands to provide new headband parts to replace the broken ones! Believe me, it will be just like that! Therefore, the safest way is to send the headband to us for an upgrade.
Regarding Ivan not responding to emails. I personally checked all incoming emails for the last 2 months today (and the spam box too). The unanswered emails mentioned above... They are gone! I'm not surprised, as technical glitches are very common lately. I'm sorry, but I don't know how to fix the situation. This is happening everywhere and more and more often. I'm sure many of you have experienced this kind of problem before.
On the subject of the brand doing horrible things. Yes, possible. I guess we have to do what many others do: release a model, sell it for years, and change nothing about it, try not to improve anything about it, don't hear the opinions and wishes of customers. That's probably the right thing to do. But we think differently. If we can be better, we have to do everything we can to make it better.

 

[Gayron]

Hi @VKazanzhi, could you comment on my recent concern about Kennerton modifying their unsold Magni V1 stock and selling these as full-fledged V3? Because some Magni units have different cups, but still labeled as V3. I would like to hear a senior brand representative about it because your guy on a Russian hi-fi forum gave me loads of incoherent bull; also, responding to my concern he decided for some reason to disclose my personal details from our private correspondence, and unreasonably blamed me in trying to blackmail the brand into replacing my unit. Thanks!

 

[VKazanzhi]

Hi @VKazanzhi, could you comment on my recent concern about Kennerton modifying their unsold Magni V1 stock and selling these as full-fledged V3? Because some Magni units have different cups, but still labeled as V3. I would like to hear a senior brand representative about it because your guy on a Russian hi-fi forum gave me loads of incoherent bull; also, responding to my concern he decided for some reason to disclose my personal details from our private correspondence, and unreasonably blamed me in trying to blackmail the brand into replacing my unit. Thanks!

1. There is no way to convert the Kennerton Magni V.1 to V.3. Moreover, it would be a pointless waste of time.
2. It is POSSIBLE to turn the Magni V.2 into a V.3. The point is that the difference between them is not that big.
3. We did at one time upgrade the Magni V.2 to V.3. it was done with the last MAGNI V.2 in 12 pieces. This is absolutely normal practice with all manufacturers.
As an example - I bought a Lincoln Navigator in the mid-2000s. I didn't buy it new, but it was fresh enough. My surprise was very great when I found out during maintenance that it was a transitional model between the 1st version and the 2nd version: some parts in it were from the first generation and other parts were from the next generation. That didn't stop me from using this car for many years. In fact, I remember it and love it to this day (I love big American cars! They have their own special charm and charisma!). Did Ford cheat me by producing my Lincoln? I think not. It is a normal practice. Moreover, after buying a Mercedes GL500 I encountered the same situation !!! The inside of this Mercedes was ALL ABOUT the previous generation Mercedes AMG GL53 ! Did Mercedes cheat me? No! And I don't want to part with this car until now!!! It turns out that before every new version of a car is released, at the end of the year, manufacturers almost always produce similar transitional models.
And you won't see any information about it anywhere! Because in any manual, you will find a phrase like, "The manufacturer reserves the right to make changes to the product without notice to consumers."
4. All 12 units of transitional Magni V.3 were sold out in Russian market only with a big discount price. Also, if you remember the differences between the RRP in Russia and other countries was too big, all in Russia was in times cheaper! But for the lust couple of months, the difference between the prices has become minimal. So all is very simple and clear.
5. As i know, you bought used Magni from a private person. And tell me please how we can control the information about your unit he shared with you? We are always honest with our own customers, keeping no secrets, and always takes responsibility for our products.
P.S. Sorry for my awful English and for such a long text...

 

[Alien HP]

It turns out that before every new version of a car is released, at the end of the year, manufacturers almost always produce similar transitional models.
And you won't see any information about it anywhere! Because in any manual, you will find a phrase like, "The manufacturer reserves the right to make changes to the product without notice to consumers."

That seems like a shady practice. I think consumers should have a right to know this information.

 

[krenky]

1. There is no way to convert the Kennerton Magni V.1 to V.3. Moreover, it would be a pointless waste of time.
2. It is POSSIBLE to turn the Magni V.2 into a V.3. The point is that the difference between them is not that big.
3. We did at one time upgrade the Magni V.2 to V.3. it was done with the last MAGNI V.2 in 12 pieces. This is absolutely normal practice with all manufacturers.
As an example - I bought a Lincoln Navigator in the mid-2000s. I didn't buy it new, but it was fresh enough. My surprise was very great when I found out during maintenance that it was a transitional model between the 1st version and the 2nd version: some parts in it were from the first generation and other parts were from the next generation. That didn't stop me from using this car for many years. In fact, I remember it and love it to this day (I love big American cars! They have their own special charm and charisma!). Did Ford cheat me by producing my Lincoln? I think not. It is a normal practice. Moreover, after buying a Mercedes GL500 I encountered the same situation !!! The inside of this Mercedes was ALL ABOUT the previous generation Mercedes AMG GL53 ! Did Mercedes cheat me? No! And I don't want to part with this car until now!!! It turns out that before every new version of a car is released, at the end of the year, manufacturers almost always produce similar transitional models.
And you won't see any information about it anywhere! Because in any manual, you will find a phrase like, "The manufacturer reserves the right to make changes to the product without notice to consumers."
4. All 12 units of transitional Magni V.3 were sold out in Russian market only with a big discount price. Also, if you remember the differences between the RRP in Russia and other countries was too big, all in Russia was in times cheaper! But for the lust couple of months, the difference between the prices has become minimal. So all is very simple and clear.
5. As i know, you bought used Magni from a private person. And tell me please how we can control the information about your unit he shared with you? We are always honest with our own customers, keeping no secrets, and always takes responsibility for our products.
P.S. Sorry for my awful English and for such a long text...

I think it is understandable but it would be fair if:

* Customers of these (new) products would be informed

* These products would have a slight discount

When this is covered then there is no problem at all.

If I am paying the full price for a pair of headphones marked as the newest model then I would really expect the top quality / parts used in those.
In matter of fact I am aiming to buy new Magni models soon and I am thinking of contacting the Kennerton first and ensure I will get the very latest and best technology / tweaks those guys have right now (as I know you are constantly improving your sound

I think its a good thing that you (as a company) are able to discuss and admit these things in open as many many other companies would not do so.
You have my respect but again I think the right thing to do here is to inform the customer what exactly he is buying.

I hope you share my opinion. Thank you

 

[VKazanzhi]

I think it is understandable but it would be fair if:

* Customers of these (new) products would be informed

* These products would have a slight discount

When this is covered then there is no problem at all.

If I am paying the full price for a pair of headphones marked as the newest model then I would really expect the top quality / parts used in those.
In matter of fact I am aiming to buy new Magni models soon and I am thinking of contacting the Kennerton first and ensure I will get the very latest and best technology / tweaks those guys have right now (as I know you are constantly improving your sound

I think its a good thing that you (as a company) are able to discuss and admit these things in open as many many other companies would not do so.
You have my respect but again I think the right thing to do here is to inform the customer what exactly he is buying.

I hope you share my opinion. Thank you

I totally agree with you! This is the only right way! And we ALWAYS do it that way. You can see on our website in the B-STOCK section for example Magni v.2 Bog Oak (Discontinued) with a 25% discount. Everything is clear. But note that when you buy something second-hand, you can't be sure about everything. Although, even in this situation we can help you if you send a photo of the headphones, its serial number or warranty card. In this case we can tell you exactly which version it is, whether it was sold as B-Stock at a discount or brand new. And we'll even be able to tell you what country these headphones were originally sold to. This is all possible because we keep all the statistics on the serial numbers of the models. But in the case of Magni that I was asked about - I don't understand what our fault is? WE DIDN'T SELL THIS PARTICULAR HEADPHONE TO THIS PARTICULAR PERSON! He bought it used from a private owner. And you all know how sometimes private sellers get a little tricky when selling their lots. Each of us has encountered such cases at least once in our lives. Once again, ALL Kennerton products are only the current models of the latest versions. Everything else is either B-Stock at significant discounts, or sold by private owners (second hand). There can't be a third!