[paradoxper]

Most of the Focals, some Fostex, some ZMF, three models of Stax two I owned, the sr-lambda and omega originals, I’ve listened and owned and still own most of the Kennerton line except Odin and Thror. I used to go to the hifi shows every year, I used to own a website called exoticaudio.org so I needed to audition or just sample almost everything out there- but then I began producing videos and live audio recording and that’s when I got more serious with head gear during mixing and mastering. I never use hyperbole unless I’m drunk. You can read my reviews somewhere here on headfi. You can also find me on IMDb.

Cool.

So direct-competition, you never heard the RAAL SR1a let alone, say, Orpheus, 009, Susvara, TC to supplement for like nothing else I've ever heard in a headphone.

Gotcha.

 

[John Massaria]

Cool.

So direct-competition, you never heard the RAAL SR1a let alone, say, Orpheus, 009, Susvara, TC to supplement for like nothing else I've ever heard in a headphone.

Gotcha.

nope never heard the Raal- it was not something I would want to own (I always thought it was a cool design as I love ribbons but the RAAL is a bit too weird and way too open and pricey for the limitations in my opinion- but I wouldn't mind listening to it for comaprison maybe after Covid is over normal shows will open up again so we can all get back to sampling at shows). As far as the $40K+ Orpheus original I never heard... the Orpheus jr I did hear before. 009 Stax a friend had and the Omega- thats why I bought it for a while- 009 original was better imho. The orginal mk1 of the Abyss Phi yes I heard and laughed at how heavy they were- The TC no never heard. I don't like how heavy the Phi is so it's not a headphone I would own if I was given it maybe but it was too heavy for eveyday - the GL1200 is much lighter and you can wear it for hours- album after album no problem. The gl1200 is not nearly as resolving and revealing as say a phi- but it isn’t a bad thing. It’s not a microscope headphone. It’s a fun crazy over the top headphone few can touch for 3D stage and pleasure on so many tracks- others not so much at all and some people will be disappointed- the Gl1200 is not a do everything amazing headphone like say my Gh50Jm edition (I helped helped tune the GH50 for Kennerton which is one of my all time favorite headphones of all time... If I had only one that would be my choice for daily over the ear closed back no doubt.) For IEM I like my Kinera Nanna 2 and for critical sensitive IEMs - my Etymotic ER4P/S original have a sensitivity few can match for being brutal and honest but not for musical pleasure- thats the Nanna 2 for me... who can honestly say they heard everything everywhere? lol that's silly. I didn't need to hear to much when shopping for speakers- I do not like clinical monitors unless I am in the studio. When I began searching for speakers- I knew what I liked and didn't nearly immediately after hearing so much through the years. I remember hearing all kinds of speakers- but when I heard the KEFs (owned) I thought I love them but then I heard Theils (owned) and then Vandesteens (still own) and then Magnepans (still own). I knew I disliked B&W's and Focals almost immediately- they were not a sit back and listen and melt into the music kind of sound like my Magnepans or my Vandersteens. The speakers for me need to be time +phase coherent/accurate. I would take a Vandersteen or Magnepan or a Perfect Eight over a Magico or Rockport or a Wilson speaker for example. I am sensitive more to time and phase and 3d space in addition to frequency linearity - probably why I don't like most IEMs with multiple drivers. That's what is so great about this hobby - some like B&W+Focals and that's fine- I do not. I loath them for listening pleasure. I tried to like B&W speakers - I spent months with them and I never lost myself in the music with clinical 'wrong' phase/time speakers. For me if I find hours and hours going by while I am listening to a headphone or speakers- this is doing it for me. If I find myself always saying, "I wonder what else I can do to make this sound much better" then I know something is wrong- one of the reasons I modded the GH50 from Kennerton and why I suggested the headband bend so much to all buyers- they need to have a very tight seal. The B&W, the Rockports, the Wilsons they drive me crazy because they always can sound better but never good enough to loose yourself in the music. Thats because no amp, no dac and no wire can fix wrong phase or time accuracy among drivers. Those people who own such gear are always hunting for something to fix whats wrong but they never can unless they fix whats really wrong- and that's again the cross over and the interaction of drivers in space. If I find some headphones that literately make me loose hours and hours of time- loose myself in the music - I know that's a winner for me...

 

[ithilienrp]

in a short comment - like nothing else I ever heard in a headphone. Its a crazy purchase that makes you question your sanity. The requirements of long break in, the amplifier needed to drive them the fact that they do not work with all types of music but when they do work they sound addictive and captivating because of their insane ability to re-create 3d space like nothing else short from my Magnepans. The GL1200 have a place in my collection because they are so over the top nuts, and lately I have been getting a lot of use of of them simply because I want to hear all my music all over again. They are huge, ugly (doofy really) while wearing them and they leak sound like small mini monitors but they have their rewards that make crazy worth while. https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/gold-planar-gl1200.25000/

Thanks for your opinion, mate.
I always curious about the ribbon driver technology (and any 'different' tech for that matter).

An opinion from someone I know I can trust matters a lot.

 

[ehjie]

nope never heard the Raal- it was not something I would want to own (I always thought it was a cool design as I love ribbons but the RAAL is a bit too weird and way too open and pricey for the limitations in my opinion- but I wouldn't mind listening to it for comaprison maybe after Covid is over normal shows will open up again so we can all get back to sampling at shows). As far as the $40K+ Orpheus original I never heard... the Orpheus jr I did hear before. 009 Stax a friend had and the Omega- thats why I bought it for a while- 009 original was better imho. The orginal mk1 of the Abyss Phi yes I heard and laughed at how heavy they were- The TC no never heard. I don't like how heavy the Phi is so it's not a headphone I would own if I was given it maybe but it was too heavy for eveyday - the GL1200 is much lighter and you can wear it for hours- album after album no problem. To understand my preferences- I also helped tune the GH50 for Kennerton called the JM Edition which is one of my all time favorite headphones of all time... If I had only one that would be my choice for daily over the ear closed back no doubt. For IEM I like my Kinera Nanna 2 and for critical sensitive IEMs - my Etymotic ER4P/S original have a sensitivity few can match for being brutal and honest but not for musical pleasure- thats the Nanna 2 for me... who can honestly say they heard everything everywhere? lol that's silly. I didn't need to hear to much when shopping for speakers- I do not like clinical monitors unless I am in the studio. When I began searching for speakers- I knew what I liked and didn't nearly immediately after hearing so much through the years. I remember hearing all kinds of speakers- but when I heard the KEFs (owned) I thought I love them but then I heard Theils (owned) and then Vandesteens (still own) and then Magnepans (still own). I knew I disliked B&W's and Focals almost immediately- they were not a sit back and listen and melt into the music kind of sound like my Magnepans or my Vandersteens. The speakers for me need to be time +phase coherent/accurate. I would take a Vandersteen or Magnepan or a Perfect Eight over a Magico or Rockport or a Wilson speaker for example. I am sensitive more to time and phase and 3d space in addition to frequency linearity - probably why I don't like most IEMs with multiple drivers. That's what is so great about this hobby - some like B&W+Focals and that's fine- I do not. I loath them for listening pleasure. I tried to like B&W speakers - I spent months with them and I never lost myself in the music with clinical 'wrong' phase/time speakers. For me if I find hours and hours going by while I am listening to a headphone or speakers- this is doing it for me. If I find myself always saying, "I wonder what else I can do to make this sound much better" then I know something is wrong- one of the reasons I modded the GH50 from Kennerton and why I suggested the headband bend so much to all buyers- they need to have a very tight seal. The B&W, the Rockports, the Wilsons they drive me crazy because they always can sound better but never good enough to loose yourself in the music. Thats because no amp, no dac and no wire can fix wrong phase or time accuracy among drivers. Those people who own such gear are always hunting for something to fix whats wrong but they never can unless they fix whats really wrong- and that's again the cross over and the interaction of drivers in space. If I find some headphones that literately make me loose hours and hours of time- loose myself in the music - I know that's a winner for me...

Having extensive horn loaded, design & building loudspeakers during my early years in this hobby, to find out a unique HP design is exciting news for me.
Thanks @John Massaria...

 

[ithilienrp]

After many days with the Rognir.
This thing rocks. Really addictive.
I can say that it is now my favorite headphones.

 

[godmax]

After many days with the Rognir.
This thing rocks. Really addictive.
I can say that it is now my favorite headphones.

What does the Rognir better compared to your previous top 5 headphones in your impressive collection?

 

[NewDevilman]

After many days with the Rognir.
This thing rocks. Really addictive.
I can say that it is now my favorite headphones.

Mine just arrived but I am away on biz trip
I was listening to Focal Stellia earlier with Mcintosh MHA150 to compare it with Rognir.
what systems are you using with and what kind of music are you listening to with Rognir?

 

[eric65]

Hello to all.

Eighth wood species proposed for the Kennerton Rögnir, my favorite wood: Karelian birch (natural).

Kennerton Rognir “Karelian Birch”.
Special custom order. (not (yet) mine, alas ; perhaps, a day?)

Il like very much.

 

[ithilienrp]

What does the Rognir better compared to your previous top 5 headphones in your impressive collection?

In short: I always like Kennerton's mid. However, the bass always left me wanting a bit more.
That's why I'd been using ECL-02 with many of the cans, but at the expense of that magical mid somewhat.
The Rognir is, to me, like the Odin Mk2 with the bass done right. Not just quantity but also details, texture, and quality.
And, to my ears, not a single bleed to ruin the mid.

Mine just arrived but I am away on biz trip
I was listening to Focal Stellia earlier with Mcintosh MHA150 to compare it with Rognir.
what systems are you using with and what kind of music are you listening to with Rognir?

I threw everything at the Rognir. Symphonic Metals (only with female vocalist), Japanese-Rock with insanely fast percussion, Pops, Orchestral, Classical, Instrumental (mostly Violin), Oldies, Soundtrack, ..... I don't really listen to Jazz but I tried some as well.

I'm using it mostly at working corner. So, desktop stack of Topping D90Q DAC and A90 Amp.

 

[YanaMJ]

In short: I always like Kennerton's mid. However, the bass always left me wanting a bit more.
That's why I'd been using ECL-02 with many of the cans, but at the expense of that magical mid somewhat.
The Rognir is, to me, like the Odin Mk2 with the bass done right. Not just quantity but also details, texture, and quality.
And, to my ears, not a single bleed to ruin the mid.



I threw everything at the Rognir. Symphonic Metals (only with female vocalist), Japanese-Rock with insanely fast percussion, Pops, Orchestral, Classical, Instrumental (mostly Violin), Oldies, Soundtrack, ..... I don't really listen to Jazz but I tried some as well.

I'm using it mostly at working corner. So, desktop stack of Topping D90Q DAC and A90 Amp.

Do you think a A50s Amp can drive the Rögnir ?

 

[Tano]

Do you think a A50s Amp can drive the Rögnir ?

Don't have neither of those but looking at the specs, the A50s can easily drive the Rögnir.

 

[ithilienrp]

Do you think a A50s Amp can drive the Rögnir ?

I have no idea as I never use it nor look at its spec of that amp.

However, as a reference, I'm using mid-gain with less-than-50% vol. on the A90.
It's not power-hungry at all (with 42 Ohm and 100 dB .... it shouldn't).

 

[YanaMJ]

Thanks for your answers

 

[ithilienrp]

Thanks for your answers

You're welcome.

 

[ThanatosVI]

Hello to all.

Eighth wood species proposed for the Kennerton Rögnir, my favorite wood: Karelian birch (natural).

Kennerton Rognir “Karelian Birch”.
Special custom order. (not (yet) mine, alas ; perhaps, a day?)

Il like very much.

Even better than Bog Oak.
Does every Rögnir come with two cables and the 4pin xlr -> 6.3mm Adapter?