Hello everyone.
My impressions, this time in English, of this memorable day of April 28, during the second anniversary of the Pierre Paya's showroom (in France), probably one of the showroom of the most prestigious headphones and amps for headphones in the world (NB: you can review the Youtube video below of this event).
I came to compare my Kennerton Thror headphones with the best headphones available on the market today (or at least present at this showroom) .
To begin, I was very disappointed by listening to the beautiful headphones (for design) Meze Empyrean, listened on the amplifier Viva 2A3; the listening is very unbalanced with an excessive level of bass that covers the medium (not enough present); the sound of this headphones is not natural (ie artificial); moreover, it quickly becomes confused when the sound message becomes more complex. This headphones is not worth its price and is not in the same league as for example an HE-1000 V2, an Odin, a Stellia, a Utopia, a Thror, and of course the Susvara.
The Hifiman Susvara is probably one of the best dynamic headphones (combining the electrodynamic and orthodynamic headphones) of the market, on the express condition that it is extremely well amplified to take advantage of all its potential (huge), but there , the price of the set (headphone + amplifier) begins to become really important (huge also) .
I met two passionate, "absolutists" of headphones, who to fully exploit their Susvara have invested, for one in a tube amplifier for high-performance speakers, the Viva Solista (2 x 25 W) (4 tubes 845) (amplifier of 17.4 K Euros), and for the other (passionate), to the future version (coming soon), for headphones, of the speaker Solista amp, that will most likely be produced by Viva.
Otherwise, during demonstrations of Pierre Paya's Show-room, last weekend, the Hi-fiman Susvara (and the He-6 SE, also extremely demanding in amplification to hold and wake the bass) were driver by two huge mono blocks Auris audio tube amplifiers of 150 W each, via an impedance adapter (Hi-Fiman box).
In short, to fully exploit the Susvara (and also the HE-6 SE) to unleash them in bass and make them sufficiently dynamic, you need very powerful amplifiers; the most obvious solution is that of an excellent amplifier for loudspeakers.
I did not listen this year the electrostatic headphones present at this showroom (no enough time), the Stax SR-009 S, the Stax 007 mk2 and Shangri-La. Last year I had listened to the Shangri-La and the Sennheiser HE-1, and I had preferred the Sennheiser HE-1, more just in timbre, even if slightly dull in treble; for me, the sound of Shangri-la is not natural, with too high on treble (it is too bright), even if the dynamics is very good and aeration excellent.
According of some forum presents at this showroom, these people liked the Stax SR-007 mk2 listening with the amplifier Viva STX (which uses 300 B tubes); listening more natural than with the SR-009S; this last is undoubtedly more comfortable with the current amp references which are the BHSE and the T2 and the DIY amp of Frank Cooter. (Nb the Stax amps are not terrible with their own Stax headphones ....).
After the Susvara (listened at thise showroom with "monstrous" amplifications (for the weight, power and prices)), and well, the two best dynamic headsets present at this showroom (at equal) are the Focal Utopia and the Kennerton Thror headphones, each of these two headphones having points strong (and disadvantages) ; both headphones should have its audience.
Unlike the Susvara (even very well amplified), which is a specialized (*) headphone for listening to classical music (and symphonic in particular) by the beauty and refinement of its timbres, its aeration, not to mention its accuracy (intermediate between the Thror and that of a very good electrostatic headphones), the two dynamic headphones, Focal Utopia (electrodynamics) and and Kennerton Thror (orthodynamics) are much more versatile, open to all musical genres (classical, jazz, rock, electro ...) by their very good tonal balance, and their dynamics; in addition, with their high sensitivity (of the order of 100-104 dB / mW, against 83 dB / mW for Susvara) ; these two dynamic headphones are content with headphone amplifiers of much lower power (of the order of at least one Watt on the load of these headphones (42 and 80 Ohm) ; power that would not be suitable for the Susvara and the HE-6 SE with 17 to 20 dB less sensitivity).
(*) (note: the Susvara is not the best headphone to listen to rock or metal : the Abyss (or Odin mk2) will be more dynamic with more impact and slam, to listen to these very dynamic music genres).
These two headphones (Thror and Utopia) were compared on the same amplifier, the Viva 2A3 and were both wired with the cable Vectura C (Litz wire) which softens a little headphones (compared to the original cable) with better finesse (and softness) in the treble.
So, for the amplification of these two headphone , I heard both on the amplifier Viva 2A3, a superb tube amplifier with timbres both warm and refined, exceptional for the medium and treble (with a slight attenuation of the treble); but these two headphones are listened equally well with the big brother of the Viva 2A3, the Viva Egoista 845, with timbres (and coloring) probably fairer, but also colder (less warm and euphonic), and with, for my taste , a presence in the treble more important (too important?) regarding the Utopia with this last amp.
For my tastes, the synergy of the Viva2A3 amplifier is excellent, with the Thror (very neutral headphones, which should avoid if possible the very neutral amplifiers see cold, like the Viva 845 or the XI audio Formula S amp) and also with the Utopia (who otherwise risk of being too bright in the treble, especially with its stock cable, with the Viva 845 or the XI audio Formula S amp).
What is common to these two headphones, of the same class (they play in the same league, that of the premium headphones), is their versatility (open to all musical genres), their neutrality and the naturalness of the timbres (tone), especially on the voices and instruments of classical music: these two headphones have a relatively fair and credible tone (quite the opposite of Meze Empyrean, for example).
Regarding the differences between these two headphones (Thror and Utopia); as already said, both headphones should have its audience : the Utopia is more dynamic than the Thror (which in comparison sounds like softer); the Utopia is more incisive, more contrasted, more brilliant in the treble than the Thror, and probably even more detailed, but this brilliance in the treble, this hyper-sharpness, and this great dynamics, can tire you in the long run, and gives to the listening of the Utopia a very demonstrative character, to see slightly analytical.
In comparison, listening to Thror is softer, more streamlined, and from my point of view a little more natural, because we get more easily into music: we listen to music (with Thror), while it is more likely to analyze it (and to notice the defects of the recording) with the Utopia, especially with its stock cable).
The Utopia needs softness, with a euphonic and softer amp (like the Viva 2A3) and a cable softening the headphones and making it more euphonic, like the Vectura C cable, the Entreq cable or the Dana-cable).
Thror's stock cable is already very satisfying, but it can be improved (for the finer, softer and more refined treble), with Pierre's Vectura C cable (in Litz wire).
Another difference, for me quite clear (and also noted by Milan), is the opening (aeration) of the Thror, which, with my Thror headphones (+ Vectura C cable + Viva 2A3 amp), seemed better than the one the Utopia (+ Vectura C cable + Viva 2A3 amp).
The Utopia has a more closed sound stage, more confined than the Thror, it was obvious to me, at least in this configuration.
The aeration of the Thror is of the same order as the Susvara that I could listen on the same amplifier (the Viva 2A3), even if this amplifier is undersized for the Susvara and the flange for dynamics.
Another difference, the bass of Thror is slightly better than that of Utopia for definition and texture.
Otherwise, a last difference, the Thror (and also the Susvara) headphones give a sound stage with more distance from the interpreters than the Odin and even the Utopia (these last two headphones give a more proximity listening).
Once again, each of his two headphones (Thror and Utopia) will have his audience.
The Focal Stellia (closed-back headphones) is a very good headphones, with a remarkable finish (it is a very beautiful headphones) although some people have liked it less by finding it less natural than its elder, the Utopia): it is sure, the sound of Stellia is more colorful than Utopia, even more confined (with less airy than Utopia), but it is also more euphonic than Utopia, with less brilliance and hyper-sharpness than Utopia. As a result, Milan had preferred it to Utopia.
The Abyss Diana (latest version with the drivers of his older brother) retains a very particular aesthetic, headphones "jewelry", but nomadic nothing (because it is open); it remains uncomfortable (for my big head, but a little less uncomfortable than the first version because of the improvement of the pads, deeper); but these continue to squeeze me on top of my ear, with a free space under my ear ...
The sound is good (much better than that of Empyrean), but I prefer that of Thror (and Utopia).
To conclude, after having discussed it with Claude (
@cladane) also present, I think that an "absolutist" passionate wanting to have the best sound will have to use specialized headphones:
For the dynamic modern music: the Abyss, with the appropriate amplifiers (and also the Odin mk2) (NB: provide a powerful amp for the Abyss) will probably be the best for dynamics and bass impact, for these musical genres.
For classical, baroque, and symphonic music, for the accuracy of timbres and refinement, the Susvara (with a very substantial amplification, often from amplifiers for loudspeaker) seems to me unequaled (at least for dynamic technology headphones) ) (NB: for electrostatic technology, my reference for classical music is the Sennheiser HE-1).
If you want a single, versatile, non-specialized headphone, open to all musical genres, with a more modest amplification (or less excessive ...
), and well, in dynamic technology headphones, Thror and Utopia are for me in the top of the basket; each of these two excellent headphones will have its audience.
Important thing to note: the wearing comfort of the Thror can be excellent, provided to reduce its clamping (which requires twisting the arch: double steel blade of the primary headband) (Nb: see the photo below of my Thror which finally looks more like to an Abyss headphones from the modified form of the arch
); the weight of Thror (470 g) is very similar to stax SR-009 and Utopia.
Last point, about hyper-specialized headphones, during this second anniversary of Pierre's Showroom, I was able to listen to the Mysphère 3 headphones, an extreme open headphones (it is the most open and airy headphones I have could listen, much more than the Abyss and Sennheiser HD-800): it sounds pretty "light", like a HD-800, very detailed in the treble, with a beautiful medium, but no peak in the treble; however, the timbres (tone) are much less full than the Thror, but not ethereal (like a 009); the aeration is excellent; only, I think it takes a little time for my brain to reconstruct a sound image in 2 or eventually 3 dimensions, which is probably intermediate between that of a good speakers and those of a good headphones .
This interesting headphones is very open, it must be listened to in the utmost silence.
