Yes it does. Iâm sensitive to it.
1 Like
I did consider the LSA HP2 shouty.
I never considered Gjallarhorn shouty, I will have to reevaluate that. There are other unique sound elements going on with the Gjallarhorn that I tend to enjoy, so I may be distracted from it.
2 Likes
Definitely let us know whatâs up after listening to the gjallarhorn more as that would be something Iâm curious about
Yeah I wouldnât call the gjallarhorn shouty, but our descriptions of that term may differ. Itâs just the S region that can be a little bit much for me on certain recordings, but itâs somewhat rare.
Hi, Iâm interested in these/lsa headphones but just wondering if anyone could compare then with senn hd6x0. I like the senns for their tonality, especially for their lush vocals, so was wondering if any of the kennerton/lsa closed back sound similar to those?
Btw I have the focal elegia and they sound real poop for vocals to me.
I swear I have never suffered a âBreak-in periodâ as lengthy as what my JM GH50âs put me through, my particular set needed well past 100hrs to finally settle down, get both drivers in sync, and finally settle any worry I had about them possibly having some defect or issue. I am jealous of the rest of you who simply put them on and enjoyed, this set had the stiffest most worrisome pair of drivers ever, i swear I was a month or so away from sending them back to Russia for an exchange.
The sound signature takes a few songs or so to settle into my head, nothing else in my stable sounds anything like them. Vocal Jazz gives a sense of space and open sound no other HP I own even comes close to. There is nothing unpleasant, offensive or irksome and it is the only headphone I own which gives me a sense of listening more to speakers than HPâs.
I am embarrassed to admit I finally feel like I am properly listening to the HP for the first time in months since i received them because i have been able to get through multiple songs finally without experiencing any issues of crackle, murk, imbalance, and volume.
7 Likes
Just wanted to say how impressed I am with the Gjallarhorn GH50.
Theyâve had a very slight channel imbalance (most noticeable with bass) to date, but I think this evening itâs gone and I am not feeling like my ear is blocked or something due to muted LHS.
Iâm guessing Iâm approaching 100hrs but tbh Iâve not kept a tab of hours used.
They are my favourite headphones. I prefer them even to my ZMF VO although their entire philosophies are of course different.
My rig is Schiit Gungnir Multibit and Mjolnir 2 (low gain) and I canât recommend enough the synergy with Gjallarhorn!
Edit: Gjallarhorn also has great synergy with Feliks Audio Echo OTL amp. Even if impedance may not suggest it. Highly recommended!
1 Like
I have recently moved from the LSA HP-2 to the Gjallarhorn GH50 and while I enjoyed the LSA very much, the GH50 is a little more my preferred signature. It has a much more elevated bass overall and that leads to a thicker, warmer, more authoritative sound, while still retaining the excellent detail and natural timbre of the LSA. Echoing what @M83 has said, these are my new favorite headphones. Admittedly I havenât owned any on the level of something like the Verite but the GH50 are hitting all the right notes for me. I think these are going to be a permanent staple in my collection from here on out.
3 Likes
So I had been curious about this headphone. Finally picked one up. I purchased the JM Edition. At first I thought there was a QC issue. The right earcup was not producing any sound. After a few minutes it started working. I think a few others had mentioned this as well in the thread? Anyway doing some listening and letting it burn-in. But so far pretty impressive close-back headphone that sounds really like an open-back headphone. It really does an excellent job when it comes to live performances!
2 Likes
If anyone is looking for more neutral, more airy soundstage, then I suggest checking out the dekoni Flannel limited edition with this headphone. It pairs really well. The bass is still there and is not a s âboomyâ sounding. Its a bit more controlled. This change will make you think you are listening to an open-back headphone.
1 Like
PSA: Everybody be careful with your GH50âs and HP2âs. I recently had an issue with my set. The sound got strange and I started to notice some mild channel imbalance as well as some slight crinkling sound sometimes when I put the headphones on. Also the bass seemed like it was totally gone. I tried swapping cables, checked all my source gear, and determined it was the headphones and specifically the drivers that I suspected were the problem. I contacted Kennerton and they agreed to check on the headphones under warranty even though I purchased the set second hand (they never asked if I was the original buyer). So they sent me a UPS label and customs paperwork and I packed them up and sent them to Russia.
In a little under 2 weeks they contacted me and let me know that the headphones had arrived safely. They took them into the shop and began to investigate. After about a week I heard back again and they told me they had determined that both driver membranes had been damaged. They said that this damage occurs if you press the headphones against your head too quickly or forcefully. It is technically considered âphysical damageâ and as such is not covered under their warranty HOWEVER they offered to repair them anyway under warranty at no charge to me! Canât complain about that!
So my cost in the end was about 55 euros for the return shipping. (Kennerton covered shipping one way.) The headphones arrived back safely in about a week and they are good as new! So glad to have these babies back and Iâm in the process of burning in the new drivers.
Also, Kennerton mentioned in our email exchanges that they offer alternative pad options for the GH50. This was news to me since I had not heard of any other pad options for it. Here is the list of available options that they sent me. They said the prices range between 55 and 70 euros.
- ECL-M MF - just like the standard ones, but made with memory foam. Adds lower frequencies, more comfortable.
- ECL-M SR (suede ring) - like the standard ones, but with suede ring on top (surface, that touches your head is made of suede). Sound is almost the same, but more comfortable fit.
- ECL-MF (M12) - like the standard ones, but thinner and made with memory foam. Makes the sound more neutral (perfect for everyday use), more comfortable, due to the memory foam. Recommended
- ECL-MFC - like the standard ones, but wider inner diameter, thinner foam and made with memory foam. Makes the sound more neutral (with great subbass), more comfortable, due to the memory foam. Recommended
I ended up picking up the last option and so far Iâm very happy with them. Very premium feeling pad with nice leather and memory foam. Havenât done listening comparisons with the old pads yet but I can say these are worth looking at if you want to experiment and get a more premium feeling set of pads for your set.
6 Likes
That is some very impressive service! I do want to climb further up the Kennerton tree and this is good news. Do you have the JM version, or are you looking at doing the mod? Or just super happy stock?
1 Like
Good news, awesome from them, this company deserves more clout.
1 Like
Iâve had the GH-40 (newer portableâish version) for several weeks now. I am mos def not a headphone guy but I have come to really enjoy these used with portable sources (I have zero desktop gear; havenât had any in years after a big sell-off c.2014)
Anyway, I bought them off a guy at the other forum; he didnât say so in his listing but I know he got them free with his Roginir Dynamics (a deal Kennerton had end of '21, I think). I further know I probably overpaid for them relative to brand new price from audio46, which wouldâve come with itâs own packaging (mine were shipped in a Magni box from seller).
You know what though? I donât care that I likely overpaid. Looks like Iâd still be waiting had I pre-ordered from audio46, and the GH-40 appear to be a long term keeper for me anyway.
These will get minimal use as spring time comes and the weather heats up (and hopefully I also soon get over my ear issues that prevent me from using IEMs and thus prompted me to buy these), but for the non-warm weather months, I know Iâll be enjoying these for the long run.
3 Likes
Gjallarhorn really wasnât on my radar, though maybe it should have been. Nonetheless, this sort of customer support experience is what I love about shopping at my local expert specialty retailers over the big box clones. Definitely something to keep in mind while I consider upgrades in the future!
Thank you. Seriously. Thank you.
1 Like
Iâm very happy with the headphones stock. I donât think I would change anything. They really nail my preferences and they are my favorite headphone on my journey so far. Also with my experience I would be nervous to do anything close to the drivers since they seem to be somewhat fragile.
Itâs one that doesnât get as much attention. Probably because itâs not marketed as heavily. But itâs well worth your time if the sound seems like something you would enjoy. Itâs a very detailed and natural sounding headphone with a strong but controlled bass response and impressive stage for a closed back headphone. The build is also something I personally find very attractive and the fit and finish is high quality. What can I say, I love my horns!
3 Likes
Would sure like to hear your more detailed impressions on the GH40. I too am considering a purchase. Thanks for your time.
Cheers
Hey guys, so i have been lucky enough to be able to compare the Gjallarhorn JM edition with the original Gjallarhorn, here are my findings:
The JM edition is, as you probably know, exactly the same headphones as the original but with added furniture dots on the horns. The difference between the two is HUGE, it is not something subtle.
The original already has the fastest dynamic driver i have ever heard, but the horns (i think) create some sort of âreverbâ and a feeling of a slower decay for the bass notes. This is hard to describe because the bass is still the fastest i have heard in a dynamic set, but that reverb makes it sound like it lingers a bit, i guess that is what makes the Gjallarhorn so unique.
The JM edition in the other hand uses that super fast driver to deliver the same precise and snappy sound but with a LOT less reverb, the result is a much more precise sound. The instrument separation gets clearer, the bass hits and stops absurdly fast.
For some the JM edition will be a better set technically speaking, but that is not what i want from my Gjallarhorn, i think that âreverbâ is part of the fun, part of what makes the set unique. But i still thought the JM edition sounded very interesting, so i attempted my own mod.
Instead of adding 10 furniture dots per horn, i have added 8. This may sound like a small difference but when it comes to sound it was really not! The other thing is that the JM edition does not have the bass port mod which is part of the original mod, they only implemented the furniture dots.
Here are a few pictures of my modding process:
You can see that there is still plenty of exposed wood in the horns, my hope was that this created some of the JM qualities without removing that Gjallarhorn unique signature, and it worked!
The end result was a sound much more comparable to the original Gjallarhorn than to the JM edition, while still bringing some of that precision from the JM. I already loved my set but now there is just no way in hell i will EVER sell these, i am glad i tried this.
One is not better than the other, but it is awesome to have different variations of this incredible set.
7 Likes
These really should be talked about more. Iâm always surprised about their fun sound presentation and that they still have really good resolution compared to Aeolus.
I have had mine for quite a while and they are a nice change up from my Diana V2 every few weeks.
2 Likes