Kennerton Rognir Dynamic Review

I recently took a look at one of the latest headphones to come from Kennerton, the Gjallarhorn GH 40, which was a follow-up to their popular GH 50 model. Now they’ve released another follow-up to one of their past models, this time from their flagship Rognir. The Rognir Dynamic is a different take on the former planar design and looks to not only change the sound, but the price as well, costing $1,641. It is a significant reduction in price, considering the last Rognir was $3,837. What differences has this new Rognir made to their flagship design?

What You Get

• Rognir Dynamic
• High quality 2 meters OFC cable with 4-Pin Balanced mini-XLR connectors and Gold Plated 6.3 TRS connector
• Soft Fabric Pouch
• Сomfortable eco-leather case

Look and Feel

The planar Rognir and dynamic Rognir have very similar wooden cup designs. With Kennerton, you know you are getting the finest wooden materials fashioned with handcrafted methods like its eco-friendly varnish and beeswax treatment that makes the Rognir fungus-proof. Their ear cups are comprised of pure wood from one solid piece, showcasing Kennertons expert craftsmanship in every crevasse of its design. It is so easy to gush about the Rognir both as a build and an aesthetic piece. Comfort is also important tough, and the Rognir also delivers on that front as well. These memory foam pads are incredibly soft and grant a fine level of support and isolation to your ears while listening for many hours. I could feel my ears getting a little hot after a while, but never fatigued.

Design 

The Rognir is equipped with a 50mm dynamic driver and uses graphene-coated diaphragms in order to achieve a more lightweight feel. Its cable uses military-grade copper Litz wire with 4-pin mini XLR headphone connectors and a gold-plated quarter-inch jack.

Soundstage

Being a closed-back headphone has never stopped Kennerton from delivering a spacious soundstage. At this point, it is almost their calling card to have a great closed-back soundstage. The original Rognir had a planar driver principle which came with its own characteristics in the imaging department. Switching to a dynamic principle changes some aspects of its response, but it still retains a great level of depth and articulation. Its greatest aspect by far is its localization. The Rognir’s ability to place its sound elements in the stereo field is so precise that it projects a great amount of air between its complex layers. This makes the Rognir a roomier soundstage, presenting the image with an intimate space like each sound is originating from a natural source, rather than from the driver itself. That is an illustration of what Kennerton can do with a dynamic driver, and with the Rognir it does not disappoint.

Low End

The Rognir gives it all in the bass, offering clear textures and tones to really sink yourself in. There’s great depth here, with a sustaining body of frequencies that help accentuate its warmth. It is a smooth timbre that doesn’t let up on impact, but the response may take its time to really resonate the way you want it to. The mid-bass lacks more defining features, but the response still accumulates this growing deepness that brings the lows to another level of feel. I find it gratifying and consistently colorful for most genres, adding growling sub-bass that lingers underneath its timbre.

Mids

If you think the bass has a lot of character, then the midrange response will also make you very happy. It takes a commanding presence in the overall sound signature, displaying a powerful drive to its frequency content. They take up the front of the soundstage, in some cases out-performing the bass and even treble ranges of the frequency spectrum. This leads to some interesting instrumental responses, clearing their path through the sound signature and presenting their detail with expressive fullness.

Highs

You may not notice the treble at first, but when it is revealed to you, the timbre is extremely colorful. The highs have a much more straightforward presence in the sound signature compared to the bass and mids. They shine where they need to, and texture their resonance with sparkle that is sure to please anyone listening to the Rognir no matter what sound profile you might prefer. They are clear and resolve themselves smoothly in a way that’s completely safe and uncompromising.

Summary

The switch from planar to dynamic has led to some interesting sonic qualities that you can’t get on the original Rognir. With its reduced price, the Rognir dynamic features a ton of interesting details and responses from its lively sound signature. Nothing is lost in its build either, as this thousand dollar headphone can be argued to be just as well constructed as its three thousand dollar predecessor. The Rognir dynamic is definitely worth trying out, as it is one of the best closed-back headphones currently available.

The Kennerton Rognir Dynamic is available at Audio46.