Today Kennerton engineer posted interesting post into their russian blog. I've decided to translate it and post here, as it have pretty lot of interesting insights. Also, it's very honest blog post, so I hope it will be interesting. It's not 100% precise translation, and I'm sorry for possible mistakes.
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Good evening, ladies and gentleman. I am product engineer in Fischer Audio and Kennertno company, and I'm responsible for development of highly appreciated Odin. I'd like to tell about our current progress.
So, to start with, out top — Kennerton ODIN.
We've got a lot of questions, why ODINs aren't in stock. Our first batch was only 50 items, and it was sold out very quickly. In this batch we've debugged some small nuances and eliminated minor bugs. Yep, even $2000 headphones can have them. When we first launched our model, I had one testing exemplar that I've used to tune and fine-polish it. We've decided to participate in exhibition in Germany and show this copy of Odin there. We've expected it to come back in a week or two, so I'll be able to continue tuning. But this doesn't happened, and I've faced a fact, that we have to launch Odin "as is", without 100% tested driver. And guess what? Yes, we've faced faults with driver. They've started just dying, which is pretty often happened in top-tier plannars. Before the first issue happened, we've sold about 30 headphones, so we had to call them back and explore reasons of issue. We think that we've found the root cause and eliminated it, for now, we have 0 issues with "fixed" drivers.
This showed us, that despite great appreciation, we can't relax and we should spend even more time improving Odins, and we're doing it actively.
As for second batch, unfortunately it's delayed more then we've expected. We're also pissed with this and it hurts our morale and financial situation. Production of spare parts for drivers is really slow process. We've ordered necessary parts about a month before running out of first batch, but a month wasn't enough. Our supplier told us that we should wait at least one month more. We've waited, waited, waited… We're making our drivers "in-house", but we have 1 part that we're purchasing in China, it's magnets. And our magnets supplier gave us absolutely wasted batch. We're ordering magnets non-magnetised, and magnetise the ourself, in Saint-Petersburg, as chinese factories can't make magnet field uniform enough for our needs. So, we've got a batch of workpieces, and started magnetising process. And they didn't magnetised at all! It was pretty shocking. After interrogating with supplier (we thought that he sent us ferrite instead of neodymium), we've found out that there was some issue during neodymium powder baking on factory. We've requested re-making of this batch. This will take about 2 weeks, and 2-3 weeks will take delivery from China. We're expecting new parts to come until the end of the March. We really hope it will be OK, and in April we'll have new fresh Odins.
And a few words about our future plans. During production of first batch we've changed technology of manufacturing and finishing of cups, so they've became both in quality and in outlook. Now, we can experiment with different kinds of wood and it's finishing. Besides of stock sapele cups with matted finish, we're planning to make limited run of kyrgyzian walnut with glossy finish (about 12 items) and 2 items of absolutely stunning karelian birch in piano lacquer. Those 2 will be most unique, with special engravement on headband and different custom litz cable in stock. May they will even come in another boxes. 2 exclusive sets with appropriate exclusive price.
Recently, we refused to use a glue for mounting driver and different dampers. Now we're using self-glued applicators that is cut by laser (hooray, we've bought laser cutter!). So we can, if necessary, remove and mount back those parts without loss in look and functionality.
Also, in new batch we'll make internal wiring using soviet military litz in silk isolation (made in 1982). It's looking nice, and improves sound pretty noticeable. We've gave one client in our showroom 2 pairs of Odins with different wiring (without telling him). He'd definitely noticed difference, but he thought that new pair had more burn-in. But actually, this is the magic of USSR.
And one more thing. We (when I'm saying "we", I mean "I", just to satisfy my egoism) have developed new custom cables for Odin. They are lighter, thinner and more flexible then stock ones. But they'll have more copper inside and will be made from that military litz. I have options with 84 wires, 240 and 480. I think they'll be differently priced, but we didn't decided yet. Those cables sounds fantastically, making sound more "adult" and "correct". Our french friends already tested those cables, and were
very satisfied.
So it goes, we're waiting for magnets, braiding cables and feeding pigeon that recently walked in out office kitchen.
And briefly about other news.
Soon we'll release Odin's younger brother Vali. It's dynamic drivers headphones, using very good drivers, that we developed in cooperation with Tymphany (their brands are Vifa, Peerless, Scan Speak). That drivers have coil with deep immersion into magnetic field, biocellulose dome and powerful magnets. Design we've showed before. Headband will we similar with Odins, cable too, and cups will have smaller size and different look. Sound will be intetesting. Of course, it's not isodynamic, but they'll have great sound. My colleague Drakkard already spent few month, polishing Valis to make them perfect.
Also, we're planning to release new version of popular FA-011. It will be 10'th Anniversary Edition. Ther are pretty the same, but will have even better capacitor in filters scheme (audiophiliac propylene by Panaconic), cups will be almost like Vali's, and new FA-011 will have detachable cable, leather headband and slightly tuned driver. Sound is really interesting. We've demoed new FA-011 on recent exhibition in Singapore.
Also, we're planning to release new top model in "Renaissance" serie. This will be more mature model with thick metall-casted details of headband, better cable and so on. On the photo is early prototype, final release will have different look.
And also we're preparing new, final edition of FA-003Ti that will be renamed to Titanium Pro. Why so much pathos? Our experience showed us that FA-003Ti is popular among recording professionals, working in studios because of it's uncolorated tonality. But our current wooden cups are too big and clumsy for usage in studio. So we (yet agan, I, yes, I love myself!) have designed new cups, more compact and lightweight then others, but they have more internal volume. I'm a genius, can say it without false modesty
. Hope we'll release it in late spring.
That's all for now, hope I've managed to give explanation about current situation. I'll be happy to answer a questions, If you'll have any.
