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Kennerton at Audio46
Kennerton Gjallarhorn GH 50 JM Edition LIMITED Baltic Sea Dynamic Closed Back Over-Ear Headphones 2023 Revision
WIRED HEADPHONE
Closed-Back
over-ear
studio/professional
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✓ 1 year limited Kennerton warranty
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Product Details
↓ Details provided by Kennerton ↓
(Specifications and appearance of this product are subject to change without notice)
GJALLARHORN JM Edition Baltic Sea
HORN-TYPE HEADPHONES with HIGH PERFORMING
GRAPHENE MEMBRANES
“When the sound completely captures you”
Kennerton Gjallarhorn – the first in the world horn-loaded headphones!
Horn-type headphones are musicality, integrity of perception, overall harmony, natural sound and the ability to completely capture the listener.
--
JM Edition is an acoustic modification of Gjallarhorn headphones, which was made by John Massaria, one of the first owners of Gjallarhorns.
We considered it quite worth to be a separate model and now we are offering you the official Kennerton workshop version of it.
You can read in depth about the modification from the first hand, from the author himself.
The main differences touched the bullhorn form and change of phase inverter. It did significantly changed the accent of the sound of the headphones without dropping any quality at all.
We named the model after the author, JM Edition.
--
The most important advantage of horn headphones is the ability to develop a good sound pressure and give excellent dynamics from the first milliwatts with minimal distortions.
Horn Headphones reproduce the most subtle musical nuances and most fully and accurately convey the emotions of performers.
The horn in the headphones creates a full presence effect, gives outstanding micro-macro dynamics and a wide directional pattern in the horizontal plane.
High and medium frequencies played through a horn have a completely different energy and transparency. Low frequencies, reproduced through a horn, have a natural fullness and power.
HIGH PERFORMING GRAPHENE MEMBRANES
It all started with the development of a new high-tech material called “Graphene”.
Graphene – if to explain in simple terms, is a two-dimensional sheet of carbon that is only one atom thick. Its physical properties are truly unique:
- It is 300 times stronger than steel
- It has no internal resistance
- It is incredibly light
As currently the production of pure graphene membrane is very hard and time-consuming and can cost a fortune, we decided to create a hybrid of mylar and powdered graphene applied by thermal method. Thus, we were able to significantly improve the characteristics of the classic dynamic driver, such as the strength of the membrane, its rigidity and the absorption of parasitic resonances. This high-tech membrane required the corresponding uncompromising “engine”. Therefore, we have equipped the speaker with an ultra-light aluminum voice coil (CCAW), covered with a very thin layer of copper to increase its conductivity. And the coil is set in action by a powerful magnet made of NdFeB alloy, which in size and power of the magnetic field is exceeding 3-4 times the magnets of similar speakers from competitors. All these engineering solutions gave the speaker a high dynamic range, stunning detailing of sound, very low distortion, and brought the sound quality of the speaker close to the representatives of the planar-magnetic technology.
Over the past year we have created several promising headphone prototypes based on these developments, and one of them was even released for one of our partners projects. But it was only through long research and experimentation that we were able to get the concept of sound, which we have been pursuing for a long time and which fits most fully into the framework of Kennerton products.
Our new driver is a compression type system, i.e., its membrane has an extremely soft suspension and additionally relies on the elasticity of the air volume of the acoustic chamber, represented by the earphone cup.
This is done in order to lower the resonant frequency of the dynamics, and accordingly the depth of reproduced low frequencies. This feature makes the speaker extremely responsive to any slightest change in acoustic design, its volume and filling. In addition, the membrane “warms up” (it enters the nominal mode of operation, gets rid of internal stresses, gets softer in places of suspension bending) for quite a long time – at least 72 hours of work according to the results of our tests. And for a complete “warm-up” it usually takes up to a week of the total time the headphones should work. All this made our engineers work very hard, but everyone who could listen to the headphones sound finally was amazed by the great result.
We were able to achieve high compatibility both with hi-end systems and with low-end devices, while maintaining a consistently high level of sound, limited by the capabilities of the source, rather than the headphones themselves.
For Kennerton Gjallarhorn, we use a steel headband with a minimum of moving parts, which means maximum reliability. Headphone cups made of precious wood are not only beautiful and just pleasant to touch, but also bring warm and natural notes to the sound of the headphones, eliminating the intrusive “plastic” overtones of competitors’ models. Lightweight design, self-adapting to the user’s head and genuine leather ear cushions provide the highest comfort for long-time listening.
HIGH QUALITY 2 METERS OFC CABLE
WITH 3.5 MM RHODIUM PLATED CONNECTORS AND GOLD PLATED 6.3 TRS CONNECTOR.
Ear cushions are hand-made from soft lambskin from a remote highland region in Northern Caucasus.
All spares are genuine Kennerton products and match the quality and craftsmanship that embodies Kennerton.
LAMBSKIN LEATHER CUSHIONS
Soft ear cushions for maximum comfort.
The design places driver at optimum distance from ear, improves soundstage/imaging, and musical coherence.
Kennerton Gjallarhorn is a new level in its segment – classic design solutions with the spirit of “old school”, the best natural materials and modern high technologies make this model an outstanding one to be highly appreciated both by audiophiles and professional audio industry.
The kit includes a comfortable eco-leather case for a safe storing and carrying the headphones.
Specifications:
| Driver |
Graphene Membrane |
|---|---|
| Driver Unit |
50 mm |
| Frequency Response |
10-50000 Hz |
| Sensitivity |
116 dB |
| Impedance |
33 Ohm |
| Maximum Input Power |
250 mW |
| Cord length |
High quality 2 meters length detachable cable made from OFC wires is terminated with high quality gold plated 6.3 mm TRS connector |
| Weight |
406 g ( w/o cable) |
Product Reviews
- Reviews
- Questions
Great sound
I spoke to a customer rep. for 30 seconds, got off the phone ordered online and 21 hours later the headphones were at my door. How is that for service? There is a lot for me to say about these phones but i will try to keep it as short as possible. I have to admit while opening the box i had the same excited feeling i had in the early seventies when i recieved my Koss pro 4 aa headphones for Christmas. But when i listened to them it took me back to the sound of my families high end horn speakers in the late sixties. I've been listening mainly to a Fostex th 900 mk2 for 7 years so i will be making comparisons between the two. First off the treble on these is much smoother, lacking the harshness of the Fostex but still retains the crisp top end that love. The midrange is actually more coherent than Fostex, lacking the occasional muddiness. The bass is also much better, tighter and less boomy. The soundstage of the Kennerton is ever so slightly smaller than the Fostex but the overall sound to my ears is much better. These headphones are extremely musical, fun, and revealing. I think that most people will really enjoy the sweet sound of horn headphones with the exception of some in the high end community. These have massive bass and we know how some of those so called audiophiles feel about that. The only complaint i have is with either the headband, the ear cushions or both. It's difficult to get a good seal for maximum sound impact. It's also somewhat uncomfortable. I suspect the culprit is the ear cushions rather than the headband. I have had replacement ear cushions of similar texture for my other headphones and have had the same issues. The Kennertons also take a while to burn in. I noticed a substantial change somewhere between 12 and 14 hours. The combination of uncomfortable head band and very long burn in time to get to the sweet horn sound to me was definitely worth it, but maybe not so much for others in todays faster paced world. To be fair the problems with the fit might just be with me. I'm getting old and my body is changing, maybe my head is shrinking, up top. Seriously these headphones offer a warm, full, rich extreme musical experience but it takes time and of course is somewhat source dependent. Sound quality is the most important thing to these ears so despite my minor quibbles these are now my go to headphones. Thanks Audio 46.
loving me some Kennertons
Really like my new Ghorns. 46 did ship quickly and they arrived on schedule. Only wonder why no price drop as the euro devaluation?? But I will definitely consider 46 in all future purchases. Overall awesome experience!
Gjallarhorn GH 50 JM Stabilized Maple Blue LE - articulate, authoritative, beautiful, superbly comfortable, and offering a compellingly wide soundstage (esp for closed-backs)
I took a chance w/a blind-buy after reading so much positive buzz; I'm definitely glad I did--these cans are keepers! For starters, I can't imagine anyone NOT finding them extremely comfortable, even for longer listening sessions. The padded suspension system works incredibly well to distribute what little weight there is across a wide swathe of scalp real estate. The deep, buttery soft earpads are large enough to absorb what little clamping force you might feel against your ears/face. Unlike some users, I didn't find it necessary to bend the headband for optimum comfort or sonics--fitment & clamping force was gentle, but not egregiously so...I could move my head freely & not feel like they were going to slip off, nor did I need to readjust them when I settled down. For comparison, many regard the Meze Empyrean as one of the more comfortable HPs you can don...IMO, this isn't hyperbole--the Empy's suspension system puts them at (or at least near) the top of the HP comfort pile. The GH 50 JMs come in 24 grams lighter & would probably tie (or even beat) the Empy for comfort if the earpads were just a hair larger. At least in my case, the Empy's anatomical earpad shape fully encircles my entire ear; the GH 50 JM's earpads overlap some of my lower earlobes just slightly. Now, those earpads are still soft and thick enough that they don't really create any appreciable discomfort in use, but if you have larger ears, the Gjallarhorn's circular earpads might not provide a totally, pressure-free, over-the-ears fitment. That said, you'd still be VERY hard-pressed to find a set of HPs of this caliber (and at this price) feeling quite so pillow-soft & comfortable overall. Construction is something of a statement, especially in this price-range. There is no cheap-looking plastic anywhere to be found; metal, leather, & polished wood greet you from all directions. Leather accents on the outside of the earpads, with their inlaid Kennerton medallions, are a striking complement to the blue stabilized maple cups. The finish/stain on the cups is something pretty special as well, with the color taking on a slightly chameleon-esque quality...or at least this is so on the set I have--individual wood grain & variations in finish obviously makes each set unique, which is also part of the appeal, IMO. It's hard to get a photo of the effect, but off-angle, the color on my set has a darker, almost stormy sea-blue color, but as you rotate the HPs and look straight-on at either the sides or front-facing edging, the color changes to a brilliant, nearly indigo blue, w/some creamy beige wood grain highlights thrown in for good measure. The metal collars around the 3.5mm plugs on each earcup are slightly raised, rather than recessed into the cups, so you don't have to worry about dinging up the beautiful wood finish while struggling to hit the holes with your cable connectors. In all, the Gjallarhorns look & feel like a serious bit of audiophile kit that definitely warrant the price you pay. Finally, the sound quality was simply superb, definitely befitting HPs that command a price north of a grand. I found them to be very articulate & airy up high, especially rendering things like female vocals or acoustic guitars with a sense of realism, speed, & detail that rivaled the performance of the similarly outstanding (& similarly priced) Focal Radiance. Yet despite this apparent sense of increased clarity or resolution, a cappella and simple string/piano-backed recordings still had a pleasant, organic sound--they did not present as something feeling overly bright, laser-polished, or supremely analytical. Yes, they are probably still revealing enough to be somewhat unforgiving of lower-quality recordings, but if you're looking to spend this much for a pair of HPs, my guess is you probably don't spend a lot of time seriously consuming 128kbps MP3s or highly compressed videos anyway. Honestly though, even my older 192kbps MP3s sounded wonderful while I was sashaying through some early CD rips last night. Bass performance was taut, snappy, & responsive while still offering a kick of visceral, almost palpable "oomph" that didn't feel muddy or bloated. Again, up against the Radiance, the Gjallarhorn satisfied my penchant for glam, gothic, nu & other flavors of metal without falling into the trap of feeling like an overblown bass-head's HP that was more about quantity than quality. But where the Gjallarhorn really excelled against the competition was imaging and soundstage. Compared to the Radiance, the GH 50 JM offered a wider soundstage with instruments & vocals feeling more clearly defined, even amidst complex/layered performances. And although the Focal Stellia turned in a technically superior performance that was simply a bit "more" of everything overall (I should hope so for double the price), the GH 50 JM's soundstage & imaging was *nearly* as convincing & refined as Focal's much pricier TOTL closed-back cans--definitely no small feat!
