Kennerton Audio Equipment Gjallarhorn GH 40
The Gjallarhorn GH 40 delivers a lively, rhythmic closed-back sound, pairing punchy mid-bass with clear upper mids and a naturally balanced treble. Reviews By WaveTheory found its energetic kick-and-snare attack, secure comfort and handsome wood-cup build especially appealing. Easy to drive and enjoy, it brings engaging dynamics and solid lateral imaging to everyday listening.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
85/100
Comfort Fit
89/100
Build Quality
86/100
Features Usability
82/100
Value for Money
85/100
Pros
Lively dynamics give kick drums and snare hits satisfying punch and an energetic overall presentation.
Treble remains naturally toned and well balanced, while the upper-mid emphasis generally avoids shoutiness or honk.
Comfortable, secure fit with moderate clamp; the 360 g design was reported free of comfort issues.
Well-built, sharp-looking construction with attractive natural wood cups and detachable-cable convenience.
Cons
Sub-bass rolls off somewhat, limiting the deepest rumble.
Isolation from outside noise is only moderate despite the closed-back design.
Soundstage depth and layering are respectable rather than holographic, and fine textural detail is price-appropriate rather than exceptional.
Slight dynamic-range compression can make quieter background details seem more forward.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 85/100
The Gjallarhorn GH 40 is described as an enjoyable, energetic listen with a slightly warm low end, clear upper-mid presence and naturally balanced treble. Its spatial presentation and detail retrieval are capable rather than exceptional, while its lively attack makes it especially engaging with rhythm-driven music.
Bass
84/100
There is a mild mid-bass lift that gives kick drums welcome weight and impact. Sub-bass rolls off somewhat, though the reviewer considers the extension good rather than seriously limited.
Midrange
88/100
The upper midrange is somewhat prominent, helping the presentation stand out clearly. Despite that emphasis, the reviewer did not find it notably shouty or honky, even with a sensitivity to those issues.
Treble
87/100
Treble is said to be close to a neutral balance rather than forward or aggressive. Cymbals retain good tonal balance and natural timbre, suggesting a smooth, non-fatiguing top end.
Resolution Detail
84/100
Detail retrieval is considered appropriate for the asking price rather than especially revelatory. Finger movements on bass strings, ghost notes, room reverb and live audience sounds remain audible, but fine textures are not rendered with exceptional richness.
Soundstage Imaging
83/100
The GH 40 offers respectable lateral separation and reasonably convincing image placement. Depth and layering are less developed, so it does not create a particularly holographic or three-dimensional stage.
Dynamics
86/100
Kick drums and snare hits have satisfying pop, and the overall sound is described as active, lively and fun. The reviewer also hears a slight compression of dynamic contrast, with quieter sounds brought somewhat forward.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Comfort Fit
89/100
The reviewer reports no comfort problems, finding the headphone secure without excessive clamp or pinching. Its 360 g weight and middle-ground fit appear suitable for extended listening.
Build Quality
86/100
The GH 40 is described as well built and sharp looking. The review offers little further detail on long-term durability, joints or replaceable parts.
Features Usability
82/100
This is a straightforward wired headphone with a detachable two-metre OFC cable terminated in 6.3 mm. The review identifies no practical fit or handling problems, though it discusses few additional ownership features.
Value for Money
85/100
At around $790, the reviewer characterizes its resolving ability as appropriate to the price rather than unusually competitive or disappointing. The overall listening experience is positive, but it is presented as a distinctive alternative rather than an obvious class leader.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
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Forum Mentions
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Specifications
- Driver
- Composite Paper
- Driver Unit
- 40 mm
- Frequency Response
- 10-43000 Hz
- Sensitivity
- 115 dB / 1 V
- Impedance
- 30 Ohm
- Maximum Input Power
- 100 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
- 360 g ( w/o cable)
- Wood
- Natural
Manufacturer's Description — Kennerton Audio Equipment
“When the sound completely captures you”
Kennerton Gjallarhorn Caliber 40mm – horn-loaded headphones!
Horn-type headphones are musicality, integrity of perception, overall harmony, natural sound and the ability to completely capture the listener.
Note: Due to specific nature of every piece of wood each pair of wood cups can not correspond precisely to the photo on the website.
HIGH PERFORMING PAPER MEMBRANES
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.
- It all started with the development of a new driver with “oldschool” paper membrane
- It is a high strength and reliability of technology proven for almost a century
- It is a charming analog warm sound without the characteristic harshness and lifelessness of synthetics materials
- It is the natural sound inherent in “Golden Era of Stereo” audio equipment
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.
LAMBSKIN LEATHER CUSHIONS
Soft ear cushions for maximum comfort.
The design places driver at optimum distance from ear, improves soundstage/imaging, and musical coherence.
Ear cushions are hand-made from soft lambskin.
All spares are genuine Kennerton products and match the quality and craftsmanship that embodies Kennerton.
THE BODY OF GH 40
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, easy-adapting to the user’s head.
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.
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Kennerton Audio Equipment Gjallarhorn GH 40
- Audio 46 — online and in-store — New York, New York, United States (website)
- Audio essence — online and in-store — Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland (website)
- Audio Magic - EU — online and in-store — Wola, Województwo mazowieckie, Poland (website)
- Audio Sanctuary — in-store — London, England, United Kingdom (website)
- CASQUES HEADPHONES — in-store — Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France (website)
- Igloo Audio — online and in-store — Royal Tunbridge Wells, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Knox Audio — in-store — New South Wales, Australia (website)
- MD Sound — online and in-store — Weyersfeld, Bayern, Germany (website)
- Patefon — online and in-store — Basmanny District, Moscow, Russia (website)
- Unilet Sound & Vision — online and in-store — London, England, United Kingdom (website)