Dynamic Headphones

Like going for a swim – best way is to just jump right in… so here we go… let’s see if I can explain the differences of two closed back headphones – one called the Magni v3 (newest version) and the other the Gjallarhorn GH50- both are hand made by Kennerton- located in Saint Petersburg Russia. Both drivers are made from cellulose and graphene membranes- … the Magni is a traditional closed back and the Gjallarhorn is according to the manufacturer – the world’s first horn-loaded headphone. Both are available in all sorts of crazy beautiful real wood & finished stains- something you would find with top of the line furniture companies and tailor-made wood finishes found in Bentley and Rolls Royce- except these aren’t veneers- these are solid wood- carved from solid blocks (see pic).

I should note this before we get started – sorry for delay in review but I need to go through this first…

Ok… after letting the Gjallarhorn and Magni break in playing non-stop for a 75hrs+ – I still was unsatisfied with sound. I decided to try something that would transform these headphones into the unbelievable high performers they could be- out of box they both were extremely comfortable (my head is large (62mm)) so I figured they were as they should be… BUT! They were not tight enough I thought- if I press the headphones inward slowly and gently- so not to deform the voice coil or membrane structure – the bass and dynamics would increase tremendously- so I decided to bend the metal band by the left and right indicators on either side evenly (see pic).

Originally I tired bending on top and that made them tighter but look unsymmetrical and a bit funny- so I reshaped the top back to original oval and bent it by the side burn area instead. Yes it’s extreme but like a suit that was off the rack… I tailored these headphones like a bespoke custom suit- they now not only fit my head better than stock- but add a transformation to the sound and dynamics that is now addicting- I can’t stop listening to the changes this small modification made- and they look completely normal on my head.

About the strap – The Kennerton logo is elegantly etched by laser on the top of the real leather strap which adjusts by tension softly on your head – I hope they applied for an international patent for that strap idea – so few headphone companies get comfort like these guys in Russia- I’m looking at you Beyerdynamic and AKG. Back to seal and fit- once I bent the metal- the headphones were never vice grip tight- they are still one of the most comfortable headphones I own- even compared to the HD600 with Dekoni custom elite hybrid velour/lambskin memory foam pads. And on that subject of ear pads- I bought the same type Dekoni ear pads to fit the Kennerton’s with velour and sheepskin but they don’t sound as good as the stock Kennerton pads- The Dekoni due to the memory foam – is too dense and don’t compress against the skin like the stock pads do- and the perforated holes inside cup cut dynamics with Dekoni- so you don’t need to waste your money on upgraded pads. Kennerton also includes a nice bag made of vegan leather to store all your rupee in or your headphones or both.

Ok – enough on that for now…Let’s-get to it- but before we do I will try and keep this review interesting- by playing music on each headphone and trying to describe what’s going on with what I hear. The music will be all over the place- to keep it interesting as you read. So I will jump from jazz to electronic, rap, rock, blues, alternative, acoustic wood guitar and anywhere in between.

Gustavo Santaolalla, a very talented musician I found engaging composed the original score for the video game “The Last of Us”, “Last of Us Vol2” and “Last Of Us Part 2. His instruments – like the acoustic wooden guitar, charango, ronroco, piano, bass, banjo are just a few of the things you will hear played to perfection through the Kennertons. They really do a wonderful job telling you everything you need to know regarding the sound signatures of the MAGNI and the GJALLARHORN headphones. The music on these albums will send you through a myriad of emotion if the sound device is up to the task- and both of these headphones bring you to a place deep in the soul of the composition. Yes there is plenty of bass on these tracks that both headphones exploit as designed – both of these headphones will fill your head with the long + short cords plucked as if Gustavo is playing in your minds eye. The solo album he released called Camino has note worthy songs: Alma at 2:36 run time and Cordon de Plata run 3mins. The Magni‘s play slightly tighter and more accurately between notes- while the Gjallarhorn is more spacious hypnotic in their space while playing these tracks- an amazing feat for closed back headphones for both- a stage wider than any other closed back I have heard to date- so organic and unforced for both… but the Gjallarhorn more spacious due to the horn wooden cup with less effort from the amp.

Allowed to be Happy (The Last of Us Part 2) at 2:48 will make the hairs on your neck tingle through the Gjallarhorn. The echo of the plucked instruments almost sounds like my solid state PASS Class A amp became a tube- yet very still revealing. All Gone (Seasons) is a trip of emotion again- the bass is tight tuneful and warm – Gjallarhorn (spacious) and Magni just a bit tighter again. Every nuance is present from the recording, no fatigue, no distortions and no bloat- allowing both headphones to transport yourself closer to the maestro like soul that is Gustavo Santaolalla.

Moving on to AC/DC Black and Black and the Gjallarhorn– the bells in the beginning develop lending itself to thunderous drums and echo of the bells lingering just enough to pull you in and then as 1:30 starts where Brian Johnson starts his lyric chant- you know these headphones can rock. Liking the Gjallarhorn to a live performance or concert hall sound- the notes linger ever so slightly longer than the Magni. On AC/DC I think I prefer the Gjallarhorn because of this fun sound characteristic- while in the back of my brain I am thinking – but the Magni sounds so smooth and rock solid too yet more accurate than the Gjallarhorn– there is a more addicting quality for rock with Gjallarhorn not present on any other headphone I know of- did I mention the Gjallarhorn is the first horn type to hit the market according to Kennerton?

On to 2Pac 2 Of Amerikaz – Magni omg I’m smitten. Love the vocals. I just resurrected 2Pac in a way – love the image straight up, very musical. If I slip on the Ghorn bass and mid bass is certainly deeper- vocals smooth – now I sound like I am listening to 2Pac in the studio live. Dang- which is better? How about – next song…

Aaron Copland- London Symphony Orchestra-“Appalachian Spring: 1 Very Slowly”- Ghorn- I’m in the hall – live again- unlike any headphone- strings all sound proper, clarinets and flutes all sound how they should- organic yet lively- the image is not as pin point as Magni. Magni needs a little more power – I can hear hiss in recording a little more w/Magni. There is more detail- placement of harp and oboe and bassoon are crystal clear and I can tell you where they are with ease- the Magnis are very romantic and enjoyable with classical while the Ghron is more playful.

Alexis Cole St. Judy’s Comet sounds better for me on Magni- vocals check! Bass Check. On the Ghorn I feel like I’m listening in distance from stage again- but live.

Alison Krauss “Stay”- Ghorn reveal a slight shimmer in her voice if played too loudly- so turn it down and you will like her voice like the angel she is- at 1:40 she hits a note most speakers and headphones will sound shrill – NOT the Ghorns. The Magni is a little more refined but need more power slightly to hit the dynamics of Ghorn. Alison sounds absolutely gorgeous on Magni. When full band comes in at :56 secs in- you will know the Magni is better than even my Sennheiser HD600’s in many ways- vocals & full bass of band. Timing is spot on- the instruments start and end tightly. These Magnis are a well tuned instrument! The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn– a must listen I don’t care if you aren’t into country – really it’s an amazing track for the first 1:58 mins- illustrating the prowess of male vocals in full vocal range- and yes the Magni’s do this very well indeed. The bass player plucking, the violin the banjo oh my! So organic!

Drake “Non Stop” Scorpion album- Magni vocals spot on articulate and bass is sub levels no distortion even at ear splitting levels- easy to dance and pop your head to- The Gjhallahorn bass much more fun bouncing and vibrating my head more- vocals very clear and pleasant. Win here – Gjhallahorn.

Eminem – “Lucky You” Kamikaze album- The Ghorn doesn’t favor the frequency of Eminem’s voice in this recording as much as Magni. Dam Eminem’s voice sounds real smooth. Bass is tight as heck on Magni. Win here- Magni.

Tyga – “Dip” (feat Nicki Mainaj) Magni makes both Tyga and Nicki sound clear- very good recordings. Timing is great- music starts and stops as it should- no ringing or bloat.

Ariana Grande Be Alright – very tuneful on Magni again- tight and articulate and fun. Do I have to stop listening to the Magni? nope… I own em! The reverb in recording is perfectly represented.

You Don’t Own Me by SAYGRACE, G-Easy- The Ghorn is detailed! More fun here. Bass is crazy awesome.

Eminem- Without Me– Ghorn hands down more fun.

Logic Everyday- Ghorns more fun than Magni.

YG 2 Chains, Big Sean, Nicki Minaj- Ghorns sound like I am listening to speakers in a room with crazy low end and mid range with articulate vocals. Super fun. YES! Magni a little closed in but still wonderful. My daughter said the Gjhorn has much more deep bass on this track she prefered the less bassy Magni! LOL! Why- must be her 17 year old ears. Too sensative or not seasoned enough to appreciate great bass like Ghorns. After all she uses her iphone with air pod pro normally- they can’t possibly compete with these two headphone giants. But it’s her opinion and I will take it…

The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again– ok I love my HD600sused with the OTL Bottlehead Crack+Speedball with the this track but they can’t do what the Gjorns do… I’m listening as if I were at the live recording season… even if it was recorded in a studio… next…

Bonnie Raitt ” Baby Mine ” Magni is like absolutely gorgeous sounding on this well done recording- more so than the Ghorn. It’s like they were made for each other. Baby Mine Bonnie Raitt

The Orb’s Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld – the Gjallarhorn through my PASS Class A amp sound more fun.

L7 “$hit List” – hell yea… this track will get cha pumped with the Ghorns. And you don’t need to turn the dial up since they are horns- oh so many headphones are on my $hit list- not these.

On to TCM or The Crystal Method – The Crystal Method – SMILE all the way and back again- the Ghorn.

The Crystal Method -nearly every track on each of these albums need to be heard- Tweekend, Vegas and Legion Of Boom- Community Service 1 – oh my NOT ON AMAZON or SPOTIFY SHAME ALERT!!!! anyway- pull out your Ghorn and don’t look back…

The White Stripes- Seven Nation Army – Magni wins me here for its tight drum beats and the hard rocking of the electric guitar- man the purposeful distortion of his guitar sounds soooo good here- no distortion or peaking/over modulation at all in this track- well engineered. All sound just right on Magni.

Billie Eilish Ocean Eyes– vocals on both sound great – better on Magni. Bass better on Ghorn and they don’t need to be blasting to hear the magic.

Blue Velvet- I Wanna Be Like God – Ghorns

Jaydee Plastic Dreams – Ghorns… I’m at the night club kind of feel…

Nitzer Ebb – Join In The Chant – hummm guess…. ok you probably never heard this track but when you play it which do you think I am going to recommend? If you said Ghorn- you would be right.

Single Gun Theory- Surrender. Ghorn preferred.

Single Gun Theory – From A Million Miles – sorry but Magni sound best- vocals and drum beats do better here.

Killer Inside Me – MC 900 Ft Jesus Ghorn is much more euphoric and fun.

Revolting Cocks- Crackin’ Up– literally was made for Gjorns to strut their stuff… at low volumes or higher if you want to…

WATEVA Ping Pong Party – A real party in your head with the Ghorns by exploiting deep bass taking over separation articulation. The Magni’s are more tuneful here with pin point ping pong ball hitting- tight articulate bass- the back and forth left to right is faster on Magni. Magni much faster than Sennheiser HD600 with super clear pin point accuracy and speed. A very complex progressive back and forth left and right mix that shows up best on Magni and nothing else I own can top that on this track-period. The Magni’s are truly reference material. Bass dominates on Ghorn here for sure…

Billie Eilish When the Party Is Over– delightfully enormous stage and deep on Ghorns.

Regina Spektor – Your Honor -Ghorns made me laugh hard and have fun.

Regina Spektor – “Sampson”. Magni like being in her recording studio while they recorded this- not in the booth but right next to her in the acoustic anechoic chamber like room she recorded this track in- sounds end so quick- these headphones are so quick! The sounds stop on a dime. Very hard to do in a wooden closed back I would think- bravo Kennerton.

Regina Spektor – (Реги́нa Ильи́нична Спе́ктор )- The Old Jacket (Stariy Pidjak) – well her piano playing and vocals are clearly reproduced here and very emotional through the Magni. Thanks my Russian defector- and I could be talking about the headphones here or Regina or both. I won’t say – the KGB is listening probably.

If you ever want to test the limits of dynamic range while being transported to another world I would strongly recommend you put your system through the torture test of Hans Zimmer’s Blade Runner 2049. Nearly every track listed is a favorite of mine- the complex passages range and will reveal any inadequacies – weather it be your DAC, your amp or of course your speakers or headphones.

Very much recommended tracks for any speaker or HEADPHONE USERS– Hans Zimmer Blade Runner 2049: 2049, Sappers Tree, Flight To LAPD, Rain, Wallce, Memory, Mesa, Orphanage, Furnace, Someone Live Like This, Joi, Pilot, Hijack, That’s Why We Believe, Her Eyes were Green, All The Best Memories, Tears In The Rain, Blade Runner track #23 on the album (a true torture test track for any system), track #24 Almost Human, and the worst torture test of all few systems can play back without major difficulty- track #20 Sea Wall. Sea Wall opens with drums and escalates to a huge amount of disturbing crazy electronic madness that continues up to 30 seconds and further escalates while it continues to 1 min and clams down a bit… then picks up as the drums lead to 1:20 seconds of more craziness- a truly fanatical tune- that pays off at 1:45 with sounds that will raise your endorphins causing an almost drug like high in ecstasy (don’t do drugs do music instead kids). And at 3:17- wow! you will be transported nearly into the fourth dimension almost empowering your third eye – I can tell you I sold off many of my personal amps and many DACS after trying to perfect this track. Your speakers will show you what’s what for sure- junk from keepers. And double down that idea when it comes to headphones. Very very few can hack this track. The Magni and The Ghorns pass with valedictorian pedigree here.

(updated 7/21/20: In this review I tested the V3 of the Magni which is the latest version of the Magni in 2020)

Ok- I think we got to wrap it up. Which one is right for you? I mentioned on one forum thread that the Gjallarhorn and Magni are like two beautiful women. One who is dressed up for elegant dining who is very articulate and gorgeous in every way (the Magni) and her super twin dressed up for a dance club that will make all your fun dreams come true (The Gjallarhorn). See illustration:

I will say I do not particularly love the cable- plan on buying a new one that is more flexible- ask Kennerton which cable would fit the bill if you felt the need for more flexibility. I cannot however, recommend a better sounding cable at this time- as the included cable that come with the Kennerton is very musical and I see no need to change or alter the sound right now since they sound fine stock. I may play with cables much latter as I get to know these headphones more. I don’t feel I need to since they beat just about everything else I heard as stock.

I will next say the headband is microphonic IF you touch it or play with it while they are on your head- so don’t try to play your headphone band instead play the headphones through your amp and stop touching the metal headband- unless that’s your thing. My wife clinks on it to get my attention – so there is that feature.

Comfort- I can easily wear these for many many hours without any part of my head, neck or ears hurting at all- its balanced and light, easy to wear and comfortable.

You may or may not enjoy wearing these outside or on a plane or bus- but I can almost guarantee you someone will admire them and start talking to you about them- which could be a bad thing since these admirers will keep you from listening. If going portable- you will need an adapter 3.5mm M to 6.35mm F. Kennerton has them available.

Build is excellent on both- something to be proud of to own and behold. My Magni was finished in Bubinga also known as Guibourtia wood (in a brown red dark stain). On the janka hardness scale for wood it is rated at 2410 Lbf (10,720N (newtons) of force.

The Gjallahorn is made of either Curly Maple (1450Lbf) or Ash (1320Lbf)- you choose your wood. See scale for wood hardness if that’s your thing- it is for me since I love all things real, natural and beautiful-especially all the different types of wood species.

BTW- My Ghorns were finished in natural finish- no stain but they were protected with a clear classy satin finish from Kennerton factory. I stripped the clear away carefully myself and stained them similar to the Magni. See before and after pictures. I voided my finish warranty but I am a wood specialist – so do not try this yourself at all! It took me 3 days and my wife thought I was nuts to try this on a $1100 headphone only a few weeks old- but I took ownership after breaking them in and loving the way the sounded. I celebrated how much I liked them by being careful and making them uniquely mine. I am sure you can request a stain on the maple or ash for Ghorn if you ask Kennerton. These two woods were specially chosen for this horn speaker so other wood speicies arent avilable for Ghorn.

(My personally stained Ghorns (upper Left), (right side -Ghorn with 3 Year Waranty Card w/Inspection)( lower left- Eco Leather Case)

Lastly- I love love love the Magni they satisfy most every need for a closed back- the Gjallarhorn are something different but similar-more fun but not necessarily better- so I would say- either is a great first purchase to experience Kennerton- you certainly don’t need both- no one needs two, three or even four headphones- but when you desire something different the Ghorns fit that bill- that is the spice of life- both similar but different. If you already have headphones that are boring you and you want some fun- try the Gjallarhorn instead- either one will satisfy – neither bad – they are quality through and through. No sibilant annoyances from either, no weird humps. Nice full body from both. The Magni’s are versatile in most genres of music- female and male vocals, acoustic guitar, blues, jazz, pop, rock, and can do electronic very well. The Gjallarhorn are elevated by expanding the sound-stage through their horn shape- they sound a little more like a lively hall sound- compared to the Magni’s which are more like a recording studio. Both give excellent bass, but the Gjallarhorn a little more mid bass and some more sub bass. The Ghorn is euphoric with electronic music- and look a little more elegant with leather accent + Kennerton logo medallion in center of each cup. The Magni’s have a full realistic sound that satisfies and will not hide poorly recorded music. Neither headphone will annoy you or fatigue you. Let’s face it- closed backs can sound a little boring- if that’s your thought at all then the Ghorn is your logical step to buy. I am in no way saying Magni is boring but rather refined and a reference in every sense of the word. I will go over more in my video review….am I writing a book here or what? sorry about that… go listen to some music. Enjoy life!
Prices-
Kennerton Magni 690 € and up (limited number of units to be produced)
Kennerton Gjallarhorn 1080 €

(NOTE: I am from New York with no affiliation to Kennerton, the KGB or CIA or similar agencies – I made my own purchase here without motivation or compensation. What I say is truthful and sincere)

UPDATE: I have since made major modifications to the Gjallarhorn and discussed with the owner at Kennerton- I will have to re -do my observations and a brand new mod review as EVERYTHING IS OUT OF CONTROL DROP DEAD GORGEOUS SOUNDING now for me- the owner said he never thought to do this slight mod but he is going to do some tests – I will keep you all informed as I go through the next review for now- this is all I can say on how they sound-

7/9/20
The second part follow up on the Ghorn is ready with mods explained:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/the-kennerton-gjallarhorn-modified-review.24478/

Kennerton Gjallarhorn (custom version) – your personal Ragnarok

Since I have a custom version (this is something between the LSA HP-2 and the original Kennerton Gjallarhorn), the description below probably and most likely will differ from what you hear in the stock version. Having the same driver, the differences between the custom and the original are primarily in the design of cups, because of this the sound has tangible differences. I did not see the internal structure of the cups of the original version, but there are two holes, and in my headphones there is one hole. This hole is actually a very important tuning tool, so everything matters here.

I didn’t listen to the original version for a very long time, but the most important difference is the space and a more balanced sound. In the original Gjallarhorn, the sound is pushed away from the head and sounds a little from afar, has more air, and the overall sound is more smooth, there the bass is also very strong and percussive, but not as brutal, sledgehammer as in the custom version. Also, the subbass of the custom version is much more noticeable and thicker.

This concludes the comparison of the two versions. Further I will describe only the custom version.

Initially, I wanted a specific sound, which was slightly different from the original Gjallarhorn in the bass/subbas area. I also had wishes in the design, I wanted a custom logo, fonts and inscriptions. So the Cannon Edition version was born.

Why Gjallarhorn

The design feature of the model is the horn, which is superimposed on the driver and creates a massive, assertive sound signature. A primitive example is a gramophone that has a horn for amplifying sound, scales it. The same effect is created by the horn in these headphones.

Comfort and Fit

The headband can already be called a neoclassical Kennerton headphone. It has replaced a more aesthetic, but less comfortable previous headband with a patented regulatory mechanism. The current headband is very light, easily adapts to the size of the head and I like it much more.

According to my feelings, the pressure of the headband is slightly noticeable, the head is not squeezed by a vice, but some pressure is clearly felt. Moreover, this pressure is not even exerted by the headband, but by thick ear pads with cups. If you replace the ear pads with any velor, suede, and so on, then comfort will increase significantly. Even leather ear pads, but less thick ones, will also have a positive effect on wearing comfort. I am describing a stock kit.

The ear pads have a fairly small inner radius and keep this in mind if your ears are larger than average. My ears are quite average and they fit right into the inner space of the ear cushions, they feel quite cramped there. Naturally, this will be an additional challenge in the hot summer.

Long sessions will be contraindicated for me. Firstly, you get tired of such an assertive presentation, and secondly, you get tired of sitting in cramped ear pads for a long time. But to hear one or two albums is OK.

Reliability and noise isolation

Passive noise isolation is a trump card. Unwanted noises with great difficulty penetrate into the headphones. It will also be very difficult to hear your music from a distance of 50 centimeters, even if you listen to music at a volume higher than average.

The design of the headphones is strong, reliable, all parts are fitted flush. There is no feeling that if the headphones fall to the floor, they will be damaged. The cups are perfectly sanded; nothing hangs, no backlash, no creaks. In general, everything is created at a very high level. I would say – created with love and responsibility for their work.

Amping and Forgiving

Gjallarhorn is not very picky about amplification, and easily drives from a portable player. In comparison, the Fostex TH-900 is about 22% more demanding to gain, and Kennerton Thekk – 36%. I calculated this from the values of the volume level at which I listen to each pair of headphones.

But they do not forgive the poor quality of the recording. On bad recordings you can hear a very dirty and distorted sound. And on high-quality recordings – it’s just fantastic, you get a lot of emotions and buzz from the engaging sound.

Sounding

If critical sound is important to you, then Gjallarhorn is probably not for you. This is pure fun and engage. Hearing this sound for the first time, it was love forever. But yes, sometimes you can hear a dirty sound, and distortion of tones, and there is not the best resolution. But this is, damn it, a HORN to alert the APOCALYPSE, and not a fetish gizmo for hardened audiophiles!

Although out of the box you will get a more gentle, detailed, clear sound. Yes, the bass will be with a good impact, electric guitars will sound very aggressive and spiteful, but if you do not tune anything further, then this is a quite moderate, without any distortions, dynamic closed back sound with muscular bass, juicy midrange and slightly shooting treble. But if you want to go a little further, then you can get a powerful cannon in your hands. That’s why Cannon Edition.

So if you came to the Cannon tuning, then the drums become sledgehammers. The most dense, textured, articulated bass with a powerful beat. It resembles the bass of large speakers.

Subbass out of the box, although noticeable, but it can be made truly subwoofer with Cannon tuning.

Mids are always noticeable, not hiding anywhere. Sometimes it seems that they are even moved forward.
The stringed instruments sound great, the body feels good, everything is delicious.

Trebles can be made (with tuning) very bright or can be moderate. But I like it when they are noticeable. When you are not annoyed by a sharp trebles, and when the sound becomes biting, savory.

Soundstage is also tuned by various tools. In my tuning, it is not too spacious. Average width, average depth, everything is quite compact, chamber. But if you want, you can get a pretty decent size, it will not reach the open back headphones soundstage, but there will be no claustrophobia either.

Gjallarhorn sounds great in metal, modern rock, electronic genres. The blues, country, jazz will also sound good. Instrumental compositions with strings, organ, drums – all this will be just as good.

Sound Tuning

Let’s explain right away that nobody asks you to change or tune anything. Do this only if you want and are interested. Just when you buy Gjallarhorn, you keep in mind that using improvised methods you can get a very different sound without buying new cables for this, not using an equalizer etc.

As I said above, in my version of the headphones in the cups there is one hole for air, and in the original version there are two holes. By default, they are covered by acoustic carpet. Actually, the amount of bass, sub-bass and treble depends on how tightly closed these holes are. If you cover up the holes with adhesive tape, then the bass will go away, the treble will be most noticeable. If you remove any carpet from the holes, you get a bass sound with a maximum amount of sub bass. That is, the density of the carpet affects the amount of fat in the sound.

Ear pads. The larger the inner diameter -> the more space in the sound. The thicker the ear pads -> the deeper the sound stage. The denser leather -> the clearer the sound, the drier the bass, but here also the treble can be sharper. Soft leather will give more bass, a thicker sound.

Here is, for example, a large inner diameter on the ear pads from the Fostex TH-900

All kinds of fabric, suede, velor ear pads reduce bass and raise trebles. But they are more comfortable in a hot climate. They will also help if you went too far with the bass in your tuning. They will make the sound smoother, airly, drier bass.

I personally found the perfect to me – Dekoni Elite AKG K Series – Sheepskin

Some comparisons

I will not make a detailed in-depth comparison, but will talk about the main differences.

vs. Fostex TH-900

Fostex is lighter and more comfortable, I can spend a lot of hours in them. They are a little more demanding to amping, have a very fragile design and more fragile cups. Fostex has a more comfortable sound in overall. There is no such attack, pressure, aggression, like in Gjallarhorn. An interesting fact is that when tuning the Gjallarhorn you can achieve very close sound with the TH-900 – both in space and in sound signature. In my version of tuning, Gjallarhorn has a much stronger, more powerful, punch bass, thicker sub bass, this sound has more meat, drive, and attack. At the same time, the soundstage, of course, is smaller than that of Fostex. Also Fostex has a more balanced and all-around sound.

vs. Kennerton Thekk

These are just two different philosophies. This is not even about dynamic and isodynamic drivers, but in general about the nature of the sound. No tuning will add such a lively, emotional sound to Gjallarhorn, will not expand the soundstage to the same size, will not saturate with such rich tones, and so on. But at the same time, no equalizer, cable, device will add to Thekk the same fury and power that Gjallarhorn has. These are just two different worlds, in each of which you feel good in your own way.

vs. Campfire Audio Cascade

I remembered Cascades because they have a lot of bass. But the difference is that Gjallarhorn has a higher SQ level, their bass is clear, detailed, it does not climb to other frequencies. While in Cascade, the sound is simply saturated with primitive bubbling bass. If you are a basshead, then Gjallarhorn challenges you.

Afterword

I wanted these headphones to listen to heavy aggressive genres in which Gjallarhorn just shines and sounds fantastic. In these headphones I found thundering power, frantic pressure, uncompromisingness.

If you do not need such a subwoofer sound, then from the box you will be pleased with a very engaging sound, a juicy midrange and a beautiful impact in the lower range.

——

P.S Sorry but English is not my native language