[Terriero]

Eric, was so funny when you said to the brand in the Kennerton thread to include some Sennie headphones with their flagships for people to know how a headphone should sound

 

[eric65]

Eric, was so funny when you said to the brand in the Kennerton thread to include some Sennie headphones with their flagships for people to know how a headphone should sound

Hi Terriero.

Indeed, Kennerton would have a lot to learn from Sennheiser to know how headphones should sound, for their tonal accuracy.

I'll drive home the point: my preference for headphones (based on the criteria of tonality and technicality of the headphones) remains unchanged:
Moondrop VENUS > Moondrop PARA = Sennheiser HD-58X > Kennerton Thror.

 

[eric65]

Hello everyone.

In our quest for a high-performance open headphone (technically and tonally speaking), I suggest you take a look at these three FR curves (in spoiler below) of 3 open headphones (two electrodynamic and one planar) that many will consider technically very high-performance (very resolute and defined) and tonally "acceptable".

. The Focal Utopia 2022 (a high-end open-back electrodynamic at 5000 Euros; 40 mm driver).
. The Sennheiser HD-800S (an open, high-end electrodynamic, currently 1385 Euros; 56 mm driver).
. Moondrop VENUS (high-end open planar, 600 Euros; 100 mm driver).

Spoiler

I'd also ask you to consider your age when choosing these headphones, because unfortunately, with age, the sensitivity of the ear decreases in the high frequency range (presbycusis), which is a natural, physiological phenomenon.

To be diplomatic, I would divide those interested in these headphones into two categories:
1- "young" people under 50.
2- the "not so young" over 50.

I think that for (wealthy) young people under 50, the Focal Utopia 2022 will be better suited to their (younger) ears than the HD-800S and Moondrop VENUS, which are brighter in the treble than the Focal Utopia 2022, and which imho are better suited to "less young" ears (over 50), physiologically less sensitive to treble than "younger" ears under 50.

I will also say, to smile a little, if you haven't bought a Focal Utopia 2022 by the time you're 50, you haven't made a success of your life . All you'll have to do after you're 50 is buy a Sennheiser HD-800S or a Moondrop VENUS, which are considerably cheaper (and better suited to the high-frequency hearing of people over 50).

Otherwise, for those who are sensitive to the volume of the soundstage (more or less spacious), regardless of age, we can rank these 3 headphones for soundstage volume as follows: Sennheiser HD-800S (XXL) > Moondrop VENUS (XL) > Focal Utopia 2022 (M).

 

[navii]

After a while of not using my headphones I put on some Trance tunes on the Venus, forgot how wonderful the bass sounds. I always though it was their weak point, but it definitely isnt.

 

[eric65]

After a while of not using my headphones I put on some Trance tunes on the Venus, forgot how wonderful the bass sounds. I always though it was their weak point, but it definitely isnt.

I confirm.

I spend my time listening to YouTube videos on my main audio system with the VENUS planar headphones + Viva 2A3 tube amp (2 x 3 Watt) (via the streaming function of my Blu-Ray player connected to the internet).
The bass level of the VENUS (slightly loosened pads on the front) is significantly higher (by at least 3 dB) compared to the Moondrop PARA headphones (which I also own), with a fuller and warmer sound than the PARA. , and of the same order of magnitude as my Sennheiser HD-400 Pro (a little more bassy than my HD-560S).
The bass is more detailed and textured (with the VENUS) than that of the HD-400 Pro/HD 560S.

 

[tomjacob]

I think the Moondrop Venus is built like a tank but the tuning just didn't do it for me. Fantastic first attempt though

 

[eric65]

Hello everyone.

I've got a little game for you.

If you were to go to a desert island equipped with a home cinema system, but with only one DVD or Blu-ray of a film of your choice, and with only one song to take with you, and if you were only allowed to take two pairs of headphones (from your collection), which pair or pairs of headphones would you take with you to the desert island?

I've found the film to take with me to this desert island, and the music too: it's Skyfall, and the music is by Adele.

All that's left is to choose two headphones from my meagre headphone collection; that's what I've just done, listening to 4 headphones on my Viva 2A3 tube amp, connected to my Audiomat Maestro Reference dac, itself connected to my high-end Panasonic Blu-ray player (DP-UB9000), itself connected to my Internet box for streaming YouTube videos on my main channel.

So which headphones should I choose while watching (and listening to) this YouTube video of Adele from Skyfall (below) on my main Hi-Fi system?



The headphones in competition (in ascending order of price, and almost by weight) are as follows :

. Sennheiser HD-560S (150 Euros)
. Moondrop PARA (300 Euros)
. Moondrop VENUS (600 Euros)
. Kennerton Thror (3000 Euros).

Photo of the system

At the end of the headphone comparisons, I established a rating out of 10 for the four headphones compared, based above all on the pleasure derived from listening to these four headphones on Adele's mezzo-soprano voice, which I believe is not lacking in character, but also accompanying instruments, including a piano, and also applause at the very beginning of the video.

Results of this ranking

. Sennheiser HD-560S : 6/10
. Moondrop PARA : 8/10
. Moondrop VENUS : 9/10
. Kennerton Thror : 4/10


Kennerton Thror (4/10): the least pleasant to hear of the four headphones compared: everything is weird (sounds weird) and truncated with these headphones, starting with the applause at the very beginning of the video (unnatural), then with the piano, also unnatural, then with Adèle's voice, also unnatural as it is husked, truncated in its upper harmonics, causing a good part of the voice's timbre to be lost (amputated in the upper midrange and treble); the voice thus loses all richness and a good part of its ability to touch feelings and convey emotion. I won't be taking it with me to my desert island (off the coast of Brittany).

Sennheiser HD-560S (6/10): compared to the Thror, the HD-560S sounds much more natural, and this is immediately identifiable by listening to the applause at the very beginning of the video, then the piano (not truncated in the treble), then Adele's voice, not truncated in the upper mids and treble and its upper harmonics: the voice is beautiful, recovering the timbre lost with the Thror; we'll criticize the HD-560S for a sound, and in particular the treble, that's a little grainy (not the finest) with a voice and instruments that are a little thin and lacking in body; a little more warmth, body, expressiveness and finesse to the sound would have made these Sennheiser headphones even more enjoyable to listen to.

Moondrop PARA (8/10): compared with the Sennheiser HD-560S, we've gained on all fronts, with even more natural applause at the entrance, a more accurate (and natural) piano, Adele's voice even more accurate, natural and emotional, in no way husked or cut off in its upper harmonics; the emotion is there; the instruments too (no amputation of the treble, nor over-presence of the treble); also (compared with the Sennheiser HD-560S), the sound is much smoother (the opposite of grainy), finer and more defined; this also contributes to the listening pleasure, superior (by 2 points) to that of the Sennheiser HD-560S. I'd take it with me to a desert island.

Moondrop VENUS (9/10): for me, the best listening experience, not necessarily for tonal accuracy (the PARA's is already very good), but for the extra warmth, body and three-dimensional effect of the sound, superior to that of the PARA: listening is also more dynamic, more contrasted, with more body, for the applause at the start, then the piano, then Adele's voice, which moves me the most, convey most emotion (with these headphones). Otherwise, the finesse, fluidity and expressiveness of the VENUS are top-notch. These are the headphones that give me the most thrills, the most pleasure; I'll be taking them with me to that desert island too.

If not, which headphone might deserve (in my opinion) the maximum score of 10/10?

Probably electrostatic headphones; but I can only think of one (having already listened to it), the Sennheiser HE-1.
It's probably very expensive to go from 9/10 to 10/10, but for the wealthy, why not.


EDIT:

Hello again.

Have I been too harsh on the Kennerton Thror while listening to Adele (on Skyfall) and comparing it to my other three headphones (Sennheiser HD-560S, Moondrop PARA and VENUS)?

I've just listened to another Adele live video this evening, more upbeat and swinging than the very beautiful Skyfall live.

Kennerton Thror versus Moondrop VENUS

On this live video from Adele.



The contrast between the two headphones is striking.

On this live video, the Thror's rendition appears "flat" and boring, without swing; the rhythm of the percussion in the bass and treble is "castrated"; the mezzo-soprano singer's voice "amputated" of its upper harmonics, depriving it of richness, warmth and capacity to move. For me, it's a fiasco.

The VENUS rendition, in this live video, is quite the opposite, swinging and lively, making you want to tap your feet and follow the rhythm communicated by the singer to her audience. Bravo.

 

[eric65]

I think the Moondrop Venus is built like a tank but the tuning just didn't do it for me. Fantastic first attempt though

Why ?

 

[drummerman1]

I've found the film to take with me to this desert island, and the music too: it's Skyfall, and the music is by Adele.

That would be a reason to feed myself to the sharks

 

[eric65]

That would be a reason to feed myself to the sharks

Hi, it would be a shame not to be able to hear Adele's mezzo-sporano voice on a desert island with the VENUS (which excels in this area).

I realize that I love warm, deep mezzo-soprano voices, like that of the Englishwoman, Adèle, as well as that of the Frenchwoman, Nolwenn Leroy; a sensibility shared with my wife.
It would be a shame to do without it, or not to reproduce it properly, with headphones that couldn't reproduce the full range of a mezzo-soprano voice, like Adele's or Nolwenn's, with the necessary depth and tonal accuracy, including in the upper harmonics.

 

[eric65]

Hello everyone.

To be able to compare my headphones, I chose this video (below) extracted from this Adele's live concert; obviously, the sound will be much better on the original concert blu-ray (DTS-HD Master audio track; audio stream at 2.7 Mbps), rather than on this YouTube video (below) (audio stream of only 0.128 Mbs).

The interesting thing about this video is that it contains a rhythmic bass line, a rich and varied mezzo moprano voice (that of the singer Adèle) and percussion, and backing vocals, all of which must form a harmonious, rhythmic and swinging whole to be successful.



Here, the VENUS stands out from the PARA for its better reproduction of the bass line, rhythm (swing), and better tonal balance for Adèle's voice, which is less prominent (than with the PARA) and better integrated with the accompaniment (backing vocals and percussions).

Amusingly, my wife, who listened to Adele's voice in this live concert, described it as "African", probably because black African (and American) singers are known to have a sense of rhythm.



Less amusingly (for my wife), the Moondrop PARA headphones were too big for her small head; even with the headband set to the minimum notch (1/5), she had to support both cups of the PARA by hand to prevent it from dropping below her ears.

 

[eric65]

https://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum/post181347846.html#p181347846

 

[navii]

https://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum/post181347846.html#p181347846

That's ugly.

 

[eric65]

It will be formidable for the competition, probably for its performance compared to its price.

 

[acclimatise]

Hello everyone.

I've got a little game for you.

If you were to go to a desert island equipped with a home cinema system, but with only one DVD or Blu-ray of a film of your choice, and with only one song to take with you, and if you were only allowed to take two pairs of headphones (from your collection), which pair or pairs of headphones would you take with you to the desert island?

I've found the film to take with me to this desert island, and the music too: it's Skyfall, and the music is by Adele.

All that's left is to choose two headphones from my meagre headphone collection; that's what I've just done, listening to 4 headphones on my Viva 2A3 tube amp, connected to my Audiomat Maestro Reference dac, itself connected to my high-end Panasonic Blu-ray player (DP-UB9000), itself connected to my Internet box for streaming YouTube videos on my main channel.

So which headphones should I choose while watching (and listening to) this YouTube video of Adele from Skyfall (below) on my main Hi-Fi system?



The headphones in competition (in ascending order of price, and almost by weight) are as follows :

. Sennheiser HD-560S (150 Euros)
. Moondrop PARA (300 Euros)
. Moondrop VENUS (600 Euros)
. Kennerton Thror (3000 Euros).

Photo of the system

At the end of the headphone comparisons, I established a rating out of 10 for the four headphones compared, based above all on the pleasure derived from listening to these four headphones on Adele's mezzo-soprano voice, which I believe is not lacking in character, but also accompanying instruments, including a piano, and also applause at the very beginning of the video.

Results of this ranking

. Sennheiser HD-560S : 6/10
. Moondrop PARA : 8/10
. Moondrop VENUS : 9/10
. Kennerton Thror : 4/10


Kennerton Thror (4/10): the least pleasant to hear of the four headphones compared: everything is weird (sounds weird) and truncated with these headphones, starting with the applause at the very beginning of the video (unnatural), then with the piano, also unnatural, then with Adèle's voice, also unnatural as it is husked, truncated in its upper harmonics, causing a good part of the voice's timbre to be lost (amputated in the upper midrange and treble); the voice thus loses all richness and a good part of its ability to touch feelings and convey emotion. I won't be taking it with me to my desert island (off the coast of Brittany).

Sennheiser HD-560S (6/10): compared to the Thror, the HD-560S sounds much more natural, and this is immediately identifiable by listening to the applause at the very beginning of the video, then the piano (not truncated in the treble), then Adele's voice, not truncated in the upper mids and treble and its upper harmonics: the voice is beautiful, recovering the timbre lost with the Thror; we'll criticize the HD-560S for a sound, and in particular the treble, that's a little grainy (not the finest) with a voice and instruments that are a little thin and lacking in body; a little more warmth, body, expressiveness and finesse to the sound would have made these Sennheiser headphones even more enjoyable to listen to.

Moondrop PARA (8/10): compared with the Sennheiser HD-560S, we've gained on all fronts, with even more natural applause at the entrance, a more accurate (and natural) piano, Adele's voice even more accurate, natural and emotional, in no way husked or cut off in its upper harmonics; the emotion is there; the instruments too (no amputation of the treble, nor over-presence of the treble); also (compared with the Sennheiser HD-560S), the sound is much smoother (the opposite of grainy), finer and more defined; this also contributes to the listening pleasure, superior (by 2 points) to that of the Sennheiser HD-560S. I'd take it with me to a desert island.

Moondrop VENUS (9/10): for me, the best listening experience, not necessarily for tonal accuracy (the PARA's is already very good), but for the extra warmth, body and three-dimensional effect of the sound, superior to that of the PARA: listening is also more dynamic, more contrasted, with more body, for the applause at the start, then the piano, then Adele's voice, which moves me the most, convey most emotion (with these headphones). Otherwise, the finesse, fluidity and expressiveness of the VENUS are top-notch. These are the headphones that give me the most thrills, the most pleasure; I'll be taking them with me to that desert island too.

If not, which headphone might deserve (in my opinion) the maximum score of 10/10?

Probably electrostatic headphones; but I can only think of one (having already listened to it), the Sennheiser HE-1.
It's probably very expensive to go from 9/10 to 10/10, but for the wealthy, why not.


EDIT:

Hello again.

Have I been too harsh on the Kennerton Thror while listening to Adele (on Skyfall) and comparing it to my other three headphones (Sennheiser HD-560S, Moondrop PARA and VENUS)?

I've just listened to another Adele live video this evening, more upbeat and swinging than the very beautiful Skyfall live.

Kennerton Thror versus Moondrop VENUS

On this live video from Adele.



The contrast between the two headphones is striking.

On this live video, the Thror's rendition appears "flat" and boring, without swing; the rhythm of the percussion in the bass and treble is "castrated"; the mezzo-soprano singer's voice "amputated" of its upper harmonics, depriving it of richness, warmth and capacity to move. For me, it's a fiasco.

The VENUS rendition, in this live video, is quite the opposite, swinging and lively, making you want to tap your feet and follow the rhythm communicated by the singer to her audience. Bravo.

The score of 4 on the thror is too low. Recently, I tried the thror under the speaker amplifier, and I think it has many advantages similar to closed headphones. It reminds me of a replica R10, and the sound is even better