The Closed-Back Headphone Thread (Plus Comparisons & Reviews)

[Nostoi]

My birthday's coming up, so my wife's planning to get a headphone for me. I've been thinking of buying one of the following -

• Audio-Technica ATH-AWKT - Well, it's good, period.
• Beyerdynamic T5 (3rd Generation) - I love this, I'm just not sure if I want it enough.
• Dan Clark Audio Ether C Flow 1.1 - An oldie, but goodie. I can get this at a discounted rate, too.
• Kennerton Gjallarhorn GH50 - This has been on my radar for the last couple of months. However, I haven't been able to obtain sufficient impressions and reviews on this headphone, especially in comparison with some of the other top-end closed-back cans on the market.

I'll be heading down to my local audio store for another crack at the first 3 headphones. However, I am unable to secure a demo unit of the Gjallarhorn GH50 for testing. If anybody has experience with this headphone, I'd greatly appreciate if you could chime in with your impressions!

After getting one of these, I'll probably be barred from buying any big-ticket items for a couple of months, so I'm going to have to pass on the JVC drop.

What about yourself? What amplifiers are you looking to get?

Oh, nice selection! Obviously my preference would be with the AWKT, but you knew that already. Actually I hadn't heard of this "horn-loaded" headphone, but it looks intriguing.

For my part, I'm somehow still looking for a truly portable "audiophile" headphone. The WP900 would easily fit that bill, but I find them too nice - and too ostentatious - to take outside. Maybe the JVC would fit the bill.

On the amps, I will almost certainly get a Sparkos Labs Aries in the next month or so. I am probably going to also get the Audio-Technica AT-BHA100, especially now that I've finally found a dealer. I gather it's on the warm side, but I can't help myself - I really want to hear how it pairs with the woodies. Thanks to a kind member on this forum, I also have the Pro iCAN on its way to me for review purposes. I especially want to see how it pairs with the Hugo 2 and Vérité Closed. I'm actually listening to the VC on my BX2 Plus right now and am amazed at the synergy with this portable amp (albeit a 5.9 watt portable amp).

 

[Malevolent]

Oh, nice selection! Obviously my preference would be with the AWKT, but you knew that already. Actually I hadn't heard of this "horn-loaded" headphone, but it looks intriguing.

For my part, I'm somehow still looking for a truly portable "audiophile" headphone. The WP900 would easily fit that bill, but I find them too nice - and too ostentatious - to take outside. Maybe the JVC would fit the bill.

Yep, the ATH-AWKT is definitely a class above the rest in terms of resolution. The Ether C Flow 1.1 comes really close, though. I fear it might come down to a straight fight between these 2.

Still, the Gjallarhorn, with it's "horn-shaped" driver, is clearly an intriguing prospect! Sadly, I'm not very comfortable with purchasing blind, so I'm not sure if I'm ready to pull the trigger on these cans.

On the amps, I will almost certainly get a Sparkos Labs Aries in the next month or so. I am probably going to also get the Audio-Technica AT-BHA100, especially now that I've finally found a dealer. I gather's it on the warm side, but I can't help myself - I really want to hear how it pairs with the woodies. Thanks to a kind member on this forum, I also have the Pro iCAN on its way to me for review purposes. I especially want to see how it pairs with the Hugo 2 and Vérité Closed. I'm actually listening to the VC on my BX2 Plus right now and am amazed at the synergy with this portable amp (albeit a 5.9 watt portable amp).

Let me know how the Pro iCAN performs - it's an amplifier that I've shortlisted as a purchase for the future. I've been eyeing the Pro iDSD + Pro iCAN stack, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to drop that many dollars yet. At their combined price, they come within the vicinity of the Chord Hugo TT2, and boy, the Chord really sings!

 

[SilverEars]

Yep, the ATH-AWKT is definitely a class above the rest in terms of resolution. The Ether C Flow 1.1 comes really close, though. I fear it might come down to a straight fight between these 2.

Still, the Gjallarhorn, with it's "horn-shaped" driver, is clearly an intriguing prospect! Sadly, I'm not very comfortable with purchasing blind, so I'm not sure if I'm ready to pull the trigger on these cans.


Let me know how the Pro iCAN performs - it's an amplifier that I've shortlisted as a purchase for the future. I've been eyeing the Pro iDSD + Pro iCAN stack, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to drop that many dollars yet. At their combined price, they come within the vicinity of the Chord Hugo TT2, and boy, the Chord really sings!

I didn't find AWKT impressive in terms of resolution. I found it boosted it a bit much in the 6-7k. This perception is intensified by the lean bass. I could not understand why a closed-back has such lean bass? I generally don't find it worth it as a flagship. I don't experience high enough technicalities.

Perhaps a lot of the cost is in the wood, which doesn't have much weight for me in terms of sound. Wood or not, it has to sound the cost.

 

[elnero]

Yep, the ATH-AWKT is definitely a class above the rest in terms of resolution. The Ether C Flow 1.1 comes really close, though. I fear it might come down to a straight fight between these 2.

Still, the Gjallarhorn, with it's "horn-shaped" driver, is clearly an intriguing prospect! Sadly, I'm not very comfortable with purchasing blind, so I'm not sure if I'm ready to pull the trigger on these cans.

Living on an island with a population of about 150,000 means there's no dedicated audio shops around so buying blind has been pretty much the only way I've been able to try gear. It's why I try to do a lot of research before making a purchase but also why I end up buying and selling a lot of gear.

The Kennerton Magni / LSA HP-3 Nova is high on my list to try. Anyone know if Kennerton has ever had a Black Friday sale?

 

[Mhog55]

...and just like magic, it got a little easier to get at least the JVC HA-SW01, the Drop for them is live today, $499, shipping Dec 14:

https://drop.com/buy/jvc-ha-sw01-headphones

EDIT: maybe I missed something, but Crutchfield is also selling them for the same price and they're ready to ship by Thursday, Nov 12

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-Rr50SsITVBL/p_257HASW01/JVC-HA-SW01.html

Oh my. These look fantastic.

 

[Nostoi]

I didn't find AWKT impressive in terms of resolution. I found it boosted it a bit much in the 6-7k. This perception is intensified by the lean bass. I could not understand why a closed-back has such lean bass? I generally don't find it worth it as a flagship. I don't experience high enough technicalities.

Perhaps a lot of the cost is in the wood, which doesn't have much weight for me in terms of sound. Wood or not, it has to sound the cost.

The AWKT is not for everyone because of this sound profile. Though on a technical side, I can't really see how you came to this conclusion (maybe your source was an issue). The AWKT easily competes with my Verite Closed in terms of detail retrieval, imaging, and separation. If there's a headphone at that price point with better technicalities, I'd be keen to know. As I hear it, it's easily one of the most resolving headphones I've heard.

 

[Malevolent]

Living on an island with a population of about 150,000 means there's no dedicated audio shops around so buying blind has been pretty much the only way I've been able to try gear. It's why I try to do a lot of research before making a purchase but also why I end up buying and selling a lot of gear.

The Kennerton Magni / LSA HP-3 Nova is high on my list to try. Anyone know if Kennerton has ever had a Black Friday sale?

Yeah, I can relate to the uncertainties you face; I don't enjoy buying blind, and I try my level best to listen to a product at least once before committing to a purchase. Hopefully, this thread has helped you with some of your decisions over the past few months.

Yeah, the Magni is an interesting proposition, too. However, the Gjallarhorn's bass-focused sound has caught my (full) attention. Plus, they are some of the prettiest headphones on the market.

 

[Malevolent]

I didn't find AWKT impressive in terms of resolution. I found it boosted it a bit much in the 6-7k. This perception is intensified by the lean bass. I could not understand why a closed-back has such lean bass? I generally don't find it worth it as a flagship. I don't experience high enough technicalities.

Perhaps a lot of the cost is in the wood, which doesn't have much weight for me in terms of sound. Wood or not, it has to sound the cost.

I agree that the ATH-AWKT has a bass-lean presentation; it's certainly not one for the bassheads. However, it's one of the more resolving headphones in the closed-back side of things. There are only a few headphones that are on par with the Audio-Technica in terms of sheer resolving capabilities, IMO - the HD 820, the Vérité Closed, the AH-D9200, and possibly, the MDR-Z1R. I was very impressed with the ATH-AWKT, actually. It's bright and a little reedy at times, but boy, does it outdo many of its competitors.

 

[arielext]

Yeah, the Magni is an interesting proposition, too. However, the Gjallarhorn's bass-focused sound has caught my (full) attention. Plus, they are some of the prettiest headphones on the market.

Both share the same driver and where the Magni is a classic closed-back the Gjallarhorn is horn loaded which gives a totally different sound presentation. It's not a sound for all and strongly advised to try before you buy (or send back within the money back guaranty period).
Personally I settled for the Magni; which I compared directly to the Ollo S4R and Beyerdynamic T5p.gen2. For me Magni gave the best experience. From the beautiful wooden enclosures and the real lamb skin pads to the fit, finish and sound quality. T5p.gen2 did win the isolation contest, but that was it.

Since then (Magni) I became a real fan of Kennerton and now own a Vali and LSA HP-1 as well. If you ever are in search for a TH-900 replacement; although an open-back one: put Vali on your shortlist!
The LSA offerings have an insane price/performance ratio combined with super fast shipping (even during Covid times). Only thing you miss out on is the wood choice stress.

HP-1 has become my go-to reference headphone, Vali my bass-monster reference and Magni my closed-back of choice; so don't trust anything I just written down cause I know I sound like an add campaign for Kennerton

 

[Xero the Banana]

My birthday's coming up, so my wife's planning to get a headphone for me. I've been thinking of buying one of the following -

• Audio-Technica ATH-AWKT - Well, it's good, period.
• Beyerdynamic T5 (3rd Generation) - I love this, I'm just not sure if I want it enough.
• Dan Clark Audio Ether C Flow 1.1 - An oldie, but goodie. I can get this at a discounted rate, too.
• Kennerton Gjallarhorn GH50 - This has been on my radar for the last couple of months. However, I haven't been able to obtain sufficient impressions and reviews on this headphone, especially in comparison with some of the other top-end closed-back cans on the market.

I'll be heading down to my local audio store for another crack at the first 3 headphones. However, I am unable to secure a demo unit of the Gjallarhorn GH50 for testing. If anybody has experience with this headphone, I'd greatly appreciate if you could chime in with your impressions!

After getting one of these, I'll probably be barred from buying any big-ticket items for a couple of months, so I'm going to have to pass on the JVC drop.

What about yourself? What amplifiers are you looking to get?

Interesting choices. I've also been waiting for more reviews and impressions on the Gjallarhorn - I always love it when there's something new with the technology application on audio. Horns have been around for a while, but within headphones its an interesting idea.

 

[arielext]

Anyone know if Kennerton has ever had a Black Friday sale?

Right now all headphones are 22% off. (11 Nov)

 

[Malevolent]

Both share the same driver and where the Magni is a classic closed-back the Gjallarhorn is horn loaded which gives a totally different sound presentation. It's not a sound for all and strongly advised to try before you buy (or send back within the money back guaranty period).
Personally I settled for the Magni; which I compared directly to the Ollo S4R and Beyerdynamic T5p.gen2. For me Magni gave the best experience. From the beautiful wooden enclosures and the real lamb skin pads to the fit, finish and sound quality. T5p.gen2 did win the isolation contest, but that was it.

Since then (Magni) I became a real fan of Kennerton and now own a Vali and LSA HP-1 as well. If you ever are in search for a TH-900 replacement; although an open-back one: put Vali on your shortlist!
The LSA offerings have an insane price/performance ratio combined with super fast shipping (even during Covid times). Only thing you miss out on is the wood choice stress.

HP-1 has become my go-to reference headphone, Vali my bass-monster reference and Magni my closed-back of choice; so don't trust anything I just written down cause I know I sound like an add campaign for Kennerton

I am not intending to replace my TH900 Mk2 (or any other headphone) outright; but I'm searching for a good contemporary to add to the collection. The Gjallarhorn, with its unique assembly, is a most tempting proposition. Every review that I've read of this product has painted it in a good light, so I'm quite certain that, at the very least, I won't be getting a dud of a headphone.

The LSA variant is cheaper, yes, but the original Kennerton models are clearly superior in the looks department. The combination of leather, metal and wood was tastefully done, IMO. Certainly, Kennerton knows how to make great-looking headphones; the question is, do they sound as good as they look?

 

[limaaa]

You could try one of the following options? -

• E-MU Teak
• Fostex TR-X00
• Shure SRH1540

All of these are musical cans with decent technical capabilities.

I have read all review of E-MU Teak and Fostex TR-X00 and I want one of these cans! But I can afford them

God dammit!

 

[Malevolent]

Interesting choices. I've also been waiting for more reviews and impressions on the Gjallarhorn - I always love it when there's something new with the technology application on audio. Horns have been around for a while, but within headphones its an interesting idea.

Right now all headphones are 22% off. (11 Nov)

And now, with that huge 22% discount, I'm so tempted to pull the trigger!

 

[plakat]

@Malevolent I see you mentioning the T5.3... which, after reading some initial impressions, I decided to most likely pass on. Yet other people started saying interesting things about them, especially one German review that even included a FR graph, showing an interesting dip in the bass (around 60Hz) but rather good extension below that. But, on the other hand, a rather prominent upper bass hump as well...

I share your interest in EDM (and various other electronica), my focus is on sub bass. Mid bass makes a headphone rather unpleasant to me though... which lets me hesitate on the T5.3. Do you have any impressions that might help me?

The D5200 was quite nice in my opinion, though a bit rough in the treble and not very comfortable. Currently I mainly use the SRH1540, which is very comfortable, has a nice spacious presentation that does not forget about bass, but could go a bit deeper...