Kennerton ODIN, MAGISTER, VALI, Magni, Gjallarhorn, Rögnir, Thridi, Wodan, Thekk, and Thror Discussion.

[Koren]

On the LSA Diamonds the difference between pads is not that significant. you get a couple db increase in mid and sub bass, all else remains the same. I listened to several tracks with lower register piano, kick drum and bass guitar. I could hear some bass lift, more importantly you differentiate between the instruments and they don’t appear cluttered or lumped together. I will learn how well they scale when my new equipment comes in…They are as accurate a headphone as I have heard without the fatigue that accompanies headphones with their extension. Of course when I referred to speed I’m talking about upper frequencies.
I bought the HP Diamonds based on my conversation with Walter and the trade he gave me on some Focal Celestee headphones I did not like.
sometimes I impulse buy based on what I read, never on someone’s ranking system, sometimes though on a review that makes sense to me. For instance Crinacle who has a large following trashed the Kennerton’s, especially the Thror’s which I ignore, it’s his ears and his measuremen tools. There also seems to be inconsistencies in the ranking, but it is a good reference to see what is available, so when I found out Kennerton made the LSA hp’s I called Walter and spoke to him for at least :20 minutes and made the purchase. I’m glad I did…

LSA diamond has better technical performance then do you think than Audeze mx4, he1000 v2? Or can you write a comparison about them that comes to mind? which pillow does Diamond like, ecl-01, or which has more mid and low bass, ecl-02, prefer the sound? didn’t you think about buying the “original” Kennerton wodan? in principle, he has an even bigger sound space stage than the diamond. although they have the same new 80mm aluminum driver in both, the wood design is different, I have no information about their tuning, do you have it? there is only a € 200 difference between the two headphones, which you can understand if the wodan performs better.

 

[Tarttett]

My $0.02

Hmmm…. memory of the early days of this thread …..

I guess it had to do with Kennerton was announced as luxury/higher-tier brand of Fischer Audio, and the first ones they announced was a flagship planar, the Odin, and the Magister.

Fischer Audio was known for OEM-ed models, like their FA-003Ti, which also came with wood cups. The Magister was seen, by many, as a cosmetic change, albeit with a very precious Bog Oak cup, of the FA-003, which was seen (and known) as OEM-ed model of Yoga's headphones (though Fischer might had their modifications). That particular model was OEM-ed by many other brands, and most came at the (sometimes much) lower price than FA-003.

Fischer Audio was also decidedly “higher-entry-level-tier” at best (I wouldn't even call them mid-tier, even by those days’ standard, even though they did have some models that could be classified as such).

So, an entry-level-tier brand with a track record of OEM-ed headphones entering a high-end market with a flagship planar that would be more expensive than most TOTL flagships (in those days, not today’s pricing), along side what seems like a cosmetic change of existing OEM-ed model?

Hence, it was only natural that some would play the devil advocate and suspected that the Odin must also be OEM from some Chinese factory/brand, but selling at much higher price. The first image was also a rendered one, which didn't inspire much confident.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not talking down to either Fisher Audio or Kennerton. I own more Fischer Audio and Kennerton headphones than most people. I also believe I'm the first owner of Kennerton Odin in Thailand (and probably the sole owner of some of their later models). I love their headphones.

Also, I have nothing against OEM at all. Neither do I have any problem with people modifying existing headphones and started a business in any sense. Meze OEM-ed a few Esmooth models back when he was starting and now came out with his own high-end model, the Empyrean (no, I do not own it). Zack Modified Fostex ("ZMF") became a brand in its own right. So did Dan Clark’s.

Starting one's own business isn't easy, growing it and making it sustainable is much, much more difficult. If any person choose to OEM-ing anything as a starting point for his own business, so be it. Not everyone could afford doing R&D and Product Design from ground up right from the get-go. We have to stand on some shoulders sometimes.

Now, I'm definitely very happy that Kennerton is at where they are today.

This post is solely a reflection of what I think was on people's mind back then.

Kennerton is definitely still a niche. However, their headphones are phenomenon and their continuation of expanding through recognized stores like Audio 46 is definitely the right move. Their works deserved more recognition and deserved to be heard by more people.

Oh, and Valentin and his crew are very nice people as well.

Again, just my $0.02.

I am sorry, that my post would be a little amount of off of the topic, for within this thread.

However, I would believe that ZMF had been for "Zach Merbach Films", instead of had been for "Zach Modified Fostex".

 

[ithilienrp]

I am sorry, that my post would be a little amount of off of the topic, for within this thread.

However, I would believe that ZMF had been for "Zach Merbach Films", instead of had been for "Zach Modified Fostex".

Good catch. I stand corrected. Thanks.

 

[Tarttett]

Good catch. I stand corrected. Thanks.

You are welcome, for that.

 

[Malevolent]

I am sorry, that my post would be a little amount of off of the topic, for within this thread.

However, I would believe that ZMF had been for "Zach Merbach Films", instead of had been for "Zach Modified Fostex".

Honestly, I thought that it stood for "Zach Mehrbach Fones".

 

[ithilienrp]

I should note it here a little: what I wrote wasn’t intended as the official acronym for ZMF, but rather as how ZMF got started (it started getting tractions as Zach modifying Fostex T50RP to seveal models, I own a couple), and people in some circle found “Zach’s Modified Fostex” to be nice coincidence.

The context of my post was that I had no problem with either OEMs or Mods as starting point of business, which ZMF falls into the latter group.

But it’s great to have official name noted as well, and I corrected my post to remove any misleading it could spread.

 

[Koren]

can you give me a link on where to order a kennerton ecl-02 ear pad from the european union?

 

[arielext]

can you give me a link on where to order a kennerton ecl-02 ear pad from the european union?

https://kennerton.org/shop/ecl-02/ ?

They send to the EU; nowadays only with UPS which is about a 2-3 day turn around.

 

[arielext]

LSA diamond has better technical performance then do you think than Audeze mx4, he1000 v2? Or can you write a comparison about them that comes to mind? which pillow does Diamond like, ecl-01, or which has more mid and low bass, ecl-02, prefer the sound? didn’t you think about buying the “original” Kennerton wodan? in principle, he has an even bigger sound space stage than the diamond. although they have the same new 80mm aluminum driver in both, the wood design is different, I have no information about their tuning, do you have it? there is only a € 200 difference between the two headphones, which you can understand if the wodan performs better.

The proof is by listening to both and judge for yourself. Right now not many people have heard both but going from the previous models it's either a slightly less expensive wodan or a slightly different tuned wodan (while being slightly less expensive). William (headphone experience on youtube) has both and said he might do a comparison, maybe his insights will help here. People that heard either of these share that it's totl / endgame material, just like the thekk and thror; just differently tuned.

 

[eugene2]

LSA diamond has better technical performance then do you think than Audeze mx4, he1000 v2? Or can you write a comparison about them that comes to mind? which pillow does Diamond like, ecl-01, or which has more mid and low bass, ecl-02, prefer the sound? didn’t you think about buying the “original” Kennerton wodan? in principle, he has an even bigger sound space stage than the diamond. although they have the same new 80mm aluminum driver in both, the wood design is different, I have no information about their tuning, do you have it? there is only a € 200 difference between the two headphones, which you can understand if the wodan performs better.

The MX4 is more a studio monitor with tight staging and good tonality with proper eq. The HE 1000 mk2 is more an audiophile headphone as opposed to a musicians hp. It checks boxes in terms of soundstage, tonality not impact, it was too subtle an hp for me similar to the Sennheisers. If you’re a big 6xx, 650 or 660 fan don’t listen to me.
One thing I noticed and again I need more time and movement between supporting equipment, while they are highly efficient, they seem to soak up power like a sponge. The Diamond needs more time before I can make a definitive judgement. So far so good, not sure Wodan has a bigger soundstage as I have not heard it. Walter described it as a somewhat upgraded Wodan, now remember he is selling me…. Also they are probably extremely close some reviews I read indicated that the LSA HP 1 was close to the Wodan (prior to its update) and the Diamonds are supposed to be a major upgrade over the HP 1 who knows…
The Diamonds do not have big or bloated bass, they have excellent texture and tonality sounding close to what I have heard from my speakers the Talon Firebirds and Vaporsound Joules. Especially since the Diamonds are vanishingly low in distortion, sounding much like a good electrostatic. At low playback levels, they have the kind of immediacy of top end Stax. They are undeniably coherent, add in low coloration and you will find detail previously missing from your best recordings. Instruments like the trumpet and saxophone come off clear and with fantastic detail.
If you prefer more bottom end impact ECL 02 pads will work better for you. I ordered them directly from Kennerton. Again, I’m not sure Wodan performs better, as I’ve not heard it and I’m not one to believe what others say… I can tell you early listening the Diamonds make the grade

 

[Koren]

https://kennerton.org/shop/ecl-02/ ?

They send to the EU; nowadays only with UPS which is about a 2-3 day turn around.

is it certain that the kennerton has an EU warehouse and from there the ordered ecl-02 pillow is also sent to an EU country? where is this described on the Kennerton website? because they never replied to an email that is listed on their website. does anyone possibly have an email address that is active and read-reply?

 

[arielext]

They send to the EU; from Russia.

 

[Strayngs]

Thanks, very interesting. Have you paired the Rögnir with a tube amp at all?

I use my Rognir with tubes (PrimaLuna Eve 300 Integrated) and a hybrid (Wells Audio Dragon level II). It's very very good with tubes. I don't hear any harsh brightness but I do like a little Sparkle up there so it's right up my alley. I use KT170s which are more dynamic and Powerful then the tubey sounding el34s.

 

[John Massaria]

For all (Kennerton) headphone lovers I put together a list of 100+ songs enjoy... add to your favorite hi res files latter ( I do plan on making a similar list on AmazonHD Music soon) - enjoy the music

 

[Strayngs]

For all (Kennerton) headphone lovers I put together a list of 100+ songs enjoy... add to your favorite hi res files latter ( I do plan on making a similar list on AmazonHD Music soon) - enjoy the music

I appreciate the work you put into this. I love finding new tracks.