Kennerton Headphones (LSA)

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by Lickumms, Jul 29, 2022.

  1. Lickumms

    Lickumms Acquaintance

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    I didn't see a thread dedicated to the fantastic Kennerton line of headphones. So I figured I would start one. Also, all LSA headphones are made by Kennerton. So this thread can work for there headphones too.

    Feel free to post your opinions on there headphone and any questions you may have about them. I own the majority of there headphone line and will try my best to answer any questions you might have about them.

    Please no politics! I know Kennerton is a Russian company but they have nothing to do with Russia's Invasion of Ukraine!

    Starting off with my favorite Kennerton headphone and the best closed back I have ever heard, the Rognir.

    Once I got the Rognir I sold my ZMF VC closed due to the Rognir just being better in almost every way, in my opinion.

    The Rognir and ZMF VC are very different headphones. ZMF VC's sound just wasn't for me. As much as I tried to like them I just couldn't enjoy them. I completely understand why people love them cause they are technically brilliant and look incredible but just didn't work for me. But hey, ever person's ears are different.

    The Rognir has a much larger sound stage(would put it on par with the HD800s), more speed, fast and more powerful bass with tighter roll off, higher levels of detail, and higher accuracy and precission over the VC. It is more forward with micro details and seemed to give symbol's and almost endless ring that I had never heard before. It has more air and sound more similar to listening to a speaker set up than a headphone. The Rognir is all about attack, power, and in your face sound with out giving up a single detail or dropping the quality.

    The Rognir sucked me into the music more than any other headphone/speaker I had listen to or have listened to since getting them. I can listen to song I know by heart and fall in love with them all over again with the Rognir.

    They sound great on any amp, including tube amps, and are super easy to drive being only 42ohm at 100bd sensitivity. Though they really shine on higher end equipment.

    The best way I can describe the Rognir is if cocaine had a sound. The Rognir is king when it comes to EDM, Rock, dub step, basically anything with great bass and anything with high levels of micro details.

    The VC was more natural sounding with a more natural bass roll off. The VC worked slightly better with female vocals and acoustic guitar based music. Also a little more natural sounding in orchestral music though the Rognir did a better job of instrument placement and separation due mostly to its massive airy sound stage.

    I do hope to write a more coherent review and one where I ramble less in the future on the Rognir.

    Just wanted to let everyone know that right now you can get Rognir from Kennerton for ~$2800 which is about $1400 off its usual price.

    Since the Euro dropped in value compared to the USD everything on Kennerton's site is basically 15%-20% off. On top of the Euro dropping they are also giving a ~$560 discount on a few of Rognir models with the code you get from the win section. It is tic-tac-toe and you can try as many times as you like to win. I believe the additional sale only last for 24-36 hours so there may only be 12 hours left on it.

    https://kennerton.org/win-discount/
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2022
  2. Lickumms

    Lickumms Acquaintance

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    Added to the first post.
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2022
  3. loadexfa

    loadexfa MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Impressions? Posting why these are so great (tone, air, resolution, or anything else that stood out) would be useful. Also comparing against the VC, even if from memory, could help others get an idea of your taste and what we could expect from the Kennertons.
     
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  4. Lickumms

    Lickumms Acquaintance

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    That makes sense I added a comparison of the Rognir to the VC to the original post. I own most of the Kennerton line of headphone and they all have pretty different sounds and unique tuning to one another. Though most of the closed backs have very large sound stages and a great air to them.
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2022
  5. Lickumms

    Lickumms Acquaintance

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    I suppose making this a Kenenrton Headphone thread instead of just the Rognir would have been a better idea. Since there doesn't seem to be much mention of Kennerton headphones on this site. If it is possible to change the thread title I will.
     
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  6. Lickumms

    Lickumms Acquaintance

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    Gjallarhorn GH50 JM MK2 Review

    I Sent my Kennerton Gjallarhorn JM Editions into John Massaria, the guy who designed the original JM for Kennerton, to give them the full upgrade to the JM Edition MK2. Here is his website: https://www.jmaudioeditions.com/

    The mod really just awakens these headphones. Basically it takes everything about the headphones and turns it up to 11, bass gets turned to 11.5-12. Everything is just a little bigger and bolder with more snap and punch behind it.

    The mod takes the already stellar sound stage of the JM and makes it even big with out adding any hollowness to the sound. I would say the MK2 might even be getting close to the HD800s/Rognir sound stage range, especially if you are using the fuzzy pads John sells. The sound stage is at its most impressive during live recordings. It is almost like you are sitting in the audience and the band in playing in front of you and you pick out where each instrument is one the stage. I can not over state how incredible the sound stage is on these headphones. Not just for a closed back but even for the $1700(for the stabilized wood version $1500 for non stabilized wood version) John is selling them for ($175 for the mod if you already own the Gjallerhorn GH50/JM.)

    I have yet to find a song that these headphones couldn't handle. Never once I have I noticed any details missing or any song feeling crowded or congested like what can happen with some closed back headphones. Every detail is exactly where it should be nothing is missing from any song. The micro details are a little lacking in the headphones but unless you are really listening for them you won't notice they are missing.

    The highs are super clean and pleasant. Cymbals and percussion really have a fantastic and snap followed by a great ring/sizzle that is not fatiguing or lacking in any way. I can't imagine anyone would find the highs lacking or under developed.

    Bass is one of the main things that is changed on the mod. The bass is just as tight and controlled as the stock JM but it adds more impact and power behind it. With out adding so much that it becomes over bearing or bloated. There is no bleed into the mids and It also slightly increases the bass speed and its accuracy with in the sound stage. I could see that some people might find the bass to be a little to powerful especially if you are coming from a headphone like the HD800s or any highs focused headphones. Just give your ears some time to adjust and you will find that the bass is the perfect mix of power and control.

    The mids are lush and silky giving the headphones a warm and comforting sound that is hard to beat when it comes to long listening sessions.

    Plugging the bass ports really brings the bass power down from a 12 to more like 10.5.

    With the bass ports unplugged the bass in really front and center and the star of the show. It is just so impressive and fun that you tend to lose track of everything else because you are too busy jamming out to music.

    With the ports plugged everything else gets a chance to shine. It lets the highs and sound stage get more of the attention while the bass play backup in a very pleasant non intrusive way.

    Adding the ports almost makes the MK2 a 2-for-1 headphone with how drastically it changes the primary focus of the sound.

    The only real complaint I have is that adding the bass port does remove some of the isolation on the headphones allowing a little more outside noise to get in than over the stock JM.

    Looking from the out side you can see that he changed a couple of things over the stock JM Editions. He removed the black felt covering the driver and replaced the Driver guard with a 3D printed mesh diffusion grid. So you do have to be careful not to get any dust or dirt into the drivers if you are using the stock pads. He added a Bass port on the back that can be plugged to reduce the bass. Looking into the bass port you can see that he added the same 3D mess to the back of the driver and changed the the dampening to his own custom material.

    You can really tell that the MK2 is what the JM Edition is meant to be.
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2022
  7. Lickumms

    Lickumms Acquaintance

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  8. Lickumms

    Lickumms Acquaintance

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    I decided to scan the measurements that came with my headphones. They don't mean a lot to me but I understand they can be important to others. Strangely the GH40 didn't come with a scan.

    Thror Novel:
    Thror-1.png
    Lickumms · Feb 20, 2023 at 9:44 PM

    "> [​IMG]

    Rognir:
    Rognir-1.png
    Lickumms · Feb 20, 2023 at 9:44 PM

    "> [​IMG]

    Rognir Dynamic:
    Rognir Dynamic-1.png
    Lickumms · Feb 20, 2023 at 9:44 PM

    "> [​IMG]

    Vali Neoteric:
    Vali Neoteric-1.png
    Lickumms · Feb 20, 2023 at 9:44 PM

    "> [​IMG]

    Gjallarhorn GH50 JM MK1:
    GH-50-1.png
    Lickumms · Feb 20, 2023 at 9:44 PM

    "> [​IMG]
     
  9. roughroad

    roughroad formerly mephisto56

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    @Lickumms, am I correct in that you've had a listen to the Rognir Dynamic HPs? If yes, would you please write down your impressions of them? Thanks.
     
  10. Lickumms

    Lickumms Acquaintance

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    You are correct. My pair has been modified by JM. So they aren't stock anymore. I would say the stock headphones are similar to the HD800s in tone and sound signature. I can write a review on the modded sound if you are interested. Though, I just listed them for sale on Headfi. Haven't looked into how to get permission to sell stuff on this site.

    I also own the LSA HP-1 and HP-Diamond.
     

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