Campfire Audio Solaris - raising the bar?

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by mscott58, Oct 10, 2018.

  1. Head pie

    Head pie New

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    Sorry, just familarizing myself with how things are done here in case I set a foot wrong, which I seem to have done already. Three dislikes so far.

    Apologies.

    (Trying to work out how to upload photos)
     
  2. Colgin

    Colgin Friend

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    Thanks to @Kunlun for letting me interrupt his work so that I could have a quick listen to the Solaris loaner at his office before moving it along. By way of background/disclaimer, I am not an IEM-person and don't have a lot of experience, the little of which has been mostly limited to meets. Most of my experience has been with CA products through the various loaner programs here, meets and through friends. After going back and forth for years on whether I would get enough use out of them to justify the price, I bought a used pair of CA Andromedas several months ago on here. I love it, but use it almost exclusively for portable use and not at home. Unlike many here, I am too lazy/cheap to try to optimize the sound and I currently just use the Andros straight from my Iphone 8 Plus using the ALO Lightning cable. This serves my purposes well and I enjoy it a lot and it has been one of my better purchases.

    My main interest was seeing how the Solaris compared to my Andros and whether I should be kicking myself for not having waited/spent more money for latest/greatest from CA. For listening I just used the included foam tips which seemed to be the same ones I use on my Andros and used the regular 3.5 superlitz cable connected to an old Iphone 5s that I have re-purposed as a DAP (rarely used for that purpose now that I use Andro out of my current phone). My first reaction was that the Solaris was chunkier and heavier than the Andros with a deeper insertion. It took me a second to even figure out which was right side up (I think I did finally get that correct though). Regardless of sound, my initial reaction was that these probably were not the IEMs for me and my purposes. The fit held while sitting down, but I wondered how it would do with movement and I suspected long-term comfort would be acceptable, but not great, for me. So, in this sense, I felt good about my Andro decision.

    That being said, I really like the sound of the Solaris, even out of a lowly Iphone 5s. I kept wondering when Kunlun would kick me out of his office and if it might not be a good idea to see if he would forget I was there so I could get locked in and listen to the Solaris for the whole night. Typically, I race through clips of test tracks, but here I was enjoying the music so much I had to let entire tracks finish. Overall, the sound seemed more organic with a deeper, but not necessarily wider, soundstage than the Andros. I felt that they resolved at least equally but that the Andros perhaps put more spotlight or emphasis on those details, which one might like or not, whereas the Solaris just seemed more musical/organic to me. As much as I like the Andros, I have never felt as if it would be a replacement for my over-ear headphone home setup as others have done. With the Solaris, I felt there was the potential that this could be a suitable replacement for a much more elaborate and expensive home setup. Ideally, I would have more time with these to see if one $1,500 IEM out of a phone could replace my roster of headphones, amp and DAC. As i am looking at amps now that cost more than the Solaris alone this seems like a worthwhile thing to explore, although ultimately I think for home use I will prefer the comfort and sound of my regular cans (generally, PMx2 with various Senns thrown in from time to time). I am definitely going to try to get another listen at CanJam and may possibly be in the market when used units start appearing 6-12 months from now.
     
  3. Bill-P

    Bill-P Level 42 Mad Wizard

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    So I had the chance to test out Solaris at a local VN dealer. It's one of the very few units that made it into the country amidst the holiday season.

    TL;DR: I wasn't particularly impressed. Must be the weather, or lack of burn-in.

    I brought along my trusty CK White Andromeda w/ PWAudio No.5 cable for the comparison. Also had Sony ZX2 and GOV2+ on hand for the comparison so I think I have enough variety as far as source components go.

    I can see why some may like Solaris. It definitely has a more neutral frequency response than Andromeda to my ears. Andro has always sounded like the bass is a bit boosted, middle midrange and upper midrange a bit too recessed, and anything from lower treble and up super lifted. The effect is exacerbated by sources other than ZX2 or iPhone 6 IMO. ZX2 is still "the" definitive DAP to use with Andro. But even out of ZX2, I can still tell Andro is doing "something special" to the frequency response. I find Solaris to my ears to be pretty neutral. Maybe just a hint of extra shoutiness (*) but it's not quite that. Will talk more about that later. Note: this is with silicone tips, and... will also talk about that later.

    Compared to Andro, the one thing that stood out to me immediately with Solaris is that it has a fuller sound. Vocals are more forward and organic sounding, instruments have more body, foundation, and overall what I'm hearing is that Solaris is giving everything kind of this... dimensionality, sort of 3D-holographic "imaging". I didn't really notice Andro sounding thin with ZX2 until I put on Solaris. Honestly, I still don't think Andro is thin with ZX2 (it really isn't), but Solaris is just... thicker, fuller, and more weighty than Andro overall, and it's not a slight effect.

    In terms of soundstage, it's a mixed bag for me. Solaris seemingly gives more... contrast between sounds that are further away and closer to me. But on the other hand, in terms of positioning, Andro makes everything float at a distance whereas Solaris brings vocals far closer, almost in-my-face, and yet certain sounds are still as far as Andro has pushed them, so... there's that. I hesitate to say Solaris has a deeper soundstage than Andromeda, but it certainly doesn't lag behind in terms of layering. There is one caveat though: this is only true as long as we ignore contents with lower frequencies. As soon as anything with more lower midrange hits, Andro sounds a lot cleaner whereas Solaris is a bit... more diffuse, or dirtier. I wouldn't want to say Solaris sounds congested, but it just lacks the articulation in the lower frequencies that Andro has, and that prevents it from truly achieving the separation that Andro is capable of,

    Now, back to frequency response, and I'd split the sections up like this:

    1) Bass: not slow at all. Bass is very impactful, weighty, and full with Solaris, and the amount of weight that it conveys is greater than Andromeda despite Solaris having obviously less bass to my ears. It's like... less bass but more impact, weight, and full-ness. At no point did I feel like Solaris' bass drivers were lagging behind the midrange or treble drivers. I'd dare say... Solaris actually has pretty fast bass. It's just that the "phat-ness" of that bass sometimes makes things blend together, as my ears get easily confused by the extra pressure. Andro's bass is more in quantity but sounds almost... whippy and kinda just rumbly in comparison. Solaris' bass is not necessarily hammer-to-my-face in impact but it's still a solid... thing, maybe like a boxing glove to my face? It's slightly soft but still pretty good overall.

    2) Midrange: this is where I start to dislike Solaris. It does have more midrange than Andromeda, which I like, but sometimes it just sounds... off. Solaris sounds like there's a certain region missing in the lower midrange, which may serve to lessen the overall pressure exerted by the dynamic drivers, but it makes midrange a bit disjointed. I have heard this lack of lower midrange before in the ProPhile 8, which was really bad in this regard. This is not to say Solaris sounds like ProPhile 8, but there is just a very slight hint of that. As a result, Solaris sounds a wee bit... shouty to me at times. And yet, YET, there are also certain regions missing in the upper midrange, lower treble region that makes Solaris sounds like it has both enough and not enough upper midrange, if that makes sense. Like... some vocals sound a bit more manly than I remember from HD600/650 type headphones, and then some others sound like they are a bit too... shrill, like there's just too much upper mid. This has a nice effect sometimes, like it does help smooth out Eric Clapton's voice in Tears in Heaven in the Unplugged album to me, while still keeping his voice clean and clear, and the strings still sound, well, stringy. But I'd still have to say Solaris doesn't sound like it's perfectly neutral, and it's... pretty dang close to neutral already so it kinda just annoys me a little. This uneven midrange presentation kinda sounds like a coloration of some sort.

    3) Treble: and this is where I find this particular pair of Solaris to fail miserably. Despite the upper midrange / lower treble region to be a bit recessed, thus de-emphasizing sibilance, this pair of Solaris still manages to sound... grainy. The grain in the treble region is very obvious, even when foam tips are used. It's very weird and very distracting. When the rest of the presentation is so perfectly laid back and smooth, any extra grain just stands out like a sore thumb. In direct comparison, my Andromeda does sound like it has more treble overall and yet it's far smoother. Swapping Solaris' stock Super Litz cable over to my PWAudio No.5 kinda helps a bit with this but now Solaris becomes far too tame, missing quite a bit of sparkle on top, and sounds overall a bit more congested, closed-in. The grain is obvious with ZX2 as well. Whereas Andro is perfectly liquid smooth from top to bottom, Solaris just sounds... grainy.

    Also, on that note, I didn't quite like Solaris with foam tips because it sounded very shouty in that configurtion. Even with ZX2. And yet, the same foam tips on Andro do make them more bearable with regards to the boosted treble.

    So overall, Solaris is not a bad headphone, but there is just something off about this pair. Also I feel like it's just side-grading from Andromeda, trading this for that, without truly improving on anything in particular. More specifically, in return for the more correct FR, I'm trading bass articulation, midrange coherence, and treble smoothness; and in return for the more holographic imaging, I'm trading soundstage and positioning. Will think about that more and let that sink in for a while before I decide my next purchase.

    I think I will come back to the dealer in one week or something to test out Solaris again and make sure it's something that burn-in can mitigate. But seriously, that treble is quite a deal breaker. Didn't expect it to be that grainy.

    Let's say... I'm kinda impressed, but not at the same time. Something seemed wrong.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2019
  4. Baten

    Baten Friend

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    Good that you got to audition one at a dealer at least :) really good write-up and in full agreement with your findings.
     
  5. Bill-P

    Bill-P Level 42 Mad Wizard

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    Yeah, got back to them today. They took my feedback and burned that particular Solaris in overnight using a bass track.

    Well, it got... darker. Bass bled all the way up into the lower midrange and that means it was masking midrange a little.

    The slight grain/harshness in the treble region was somewhat gone but now it just sounds way too dark, on top of the slight darkness I heard yesterday.

    I'd really like that sound (blanket for the heart test passed!) except that bass pressure was overwhelming. It wasn't subtle. My ears felt very stuffy from the buildup, and especially with bass-heavy tracks. Listening fatigue was evident, and in a weird way since I'd never thought I could get listening fatigue from too much bass, but... there it is.

    Sorry, Ken, but... they had a Z1R on display as well, and in a sense, I actually prefer that Z1R over that particular Solaris despite the higher price tag and the not-so-subtle treble boost. Z1R also had a bit more bass pressure than I'd like, but it never quite bled into the midrange, and the boosted treble helped keep clarity, whereas Solaris just got... dark, like very dark, with the tamed treble. And yet, strangely enough, I experienced some slight sibilance with Solaris that I didn't with the Z1R.

    So yeah, still thinking something is off. At this point, I think I gotta wait to get back to the US and demo a proper Solaris unit from a friend.. It must be the Asian air that's causing issues, or something.

    On that note, I can confirm that the Solaris can change very significantly with burn-in. It's quite an insane change, actually. I'd believe what Marv said to be right, and perhaps the shop should not have used a super bassy track to burn in their Solaris.
     
  6. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    @Bill-P - Thanks for the update. Out of curiosity, have you had a chance to listen to the Vega and/or Atlas? I know you have the Andro, but wondered what other points of comparison you might have across the CFA line was in terms of amount of bass energy? Having someone say the Vega or Atlas have overwhelming bass I'd understand, but am a bit surprised to have this said about the Solaris. Did that store have the full line? Again, just curious based upon my own personal experiences.

    And totally agree with your point about the amount of change in the Solaris with burn-in - it really does make a difference.

    HNY all!
     
  7. Bill-P

    Bill-P Level 42 Mad Wizard

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    Okay, so... I went back to that store again. Same Solaris.

    Couldn't just take it as it was. LOL

    This time, they told me they used a trebly track to burn it in as soon as I left the store yesterday.

    The same big change happened, but third time is the charm! I immediately loved the sound much more so than yesterday. Today, the Solaris either matched or exceeded my Andromeda in a few places, truly sounding like a worthy competitor and not just a trade-off.

    So, to be brief, the changes this time was that... treble was more exquisite, exhibiting high transparency and smoothness, with only a very slight hint of sharpness with some of the more complicated test tracks in my collection; alongside the treble, bass was now more in sync and not as stuffy as yesterday, which helped bring balance back to the whole presentation.

    Now I can say I do prefer Solaris over my Andromeda with certain recordings. More 3D holographic imaging, more explosive and dynamic bass that stopped just short of being overbearing, and less peaky treble.

    I now get why Marv said "buy this now" and "burn the dang thing in". It seems it does need burn in, and the amount of burn in is probably more than some may think. Going from what the shop told me, it's a solid... >30 hours of burn in up to the point I heard it today.

    So... yeah, tone change. Solaris went from "WTF, something sounds off" to "oh my, this is quite pleasant" to me.

    This may explain some of what is going on with people's impressions of Solaris being all over the place. It seems apparent to me now that those who like/love Solaris are those who have owned the thing for a long time and/or those who have heard well-used Solaris units.

    So, on to the strengths, now I can say the following are better on Solaris than Andromeda:

    1) 3D holographic feel
    2) Bass weight, so satisfying and no longer overwhelming. I'm actually kinda embarrassed for having used the word "overwhelming".
    3) Quantity of everything from bass to midrange to treble is just enough. Seems apparent to me now that whoever tuned Solaris probably used either an HD600 or HD650 as frequency response reference. Maybe a smidge more HD650.
    4) Tone, lack of sibilance, dat speakah response

    These things are now equal to me:

    1) Soundstage. Solaris may seem a bit more closed in at first blush but upon more careful inspection, Andro just has recessed mids. Both have equally impressive depth.
    2) Midrange and treble details. Andro has slightly thinner mids and is slightly more sibilant, which is balanced out by Solaris' better tone. I think Solaris is easier to listen to and Andro is slightly harder, so if there are more details on Andro, my ears are too confused by the ringing to notice.
    3) Bass extension. I guess this can be seen from measurements, too. Both extend far down low.

    These are still better on Andromeda to me:

    1) Airiness. Andro for some reason still sounds a bit less... suffocating to me. Must be the boosted treble, or maybe Solaris needs even more burn in. I can believe that.
    2) Bass articulation. Hotel California K2HD sounds a bit loose with Solaris, whereas Andro presents a more solid thud. Some other songs, like Zed's and Aloe Blacc's Candy Man sound far more articulated and concentrated in the nether region with Andromeda than Solaris.
    3) Overall liquidity. Andro still sounds slightly more liquid in the lower treble region to me than Solaris, despite the boosted treble. Solaris still sounds slightly... grainy, for some reason, despite this region sounding more in line with what I'd call neutral.

    So after 3 days, hours of burn in later, I finally hear Solaris as being a worthy contender. One extra plus side not related to sound signature is that Solaris seems less dependent on source impedance than Andromeda. I don't think I heard that much of a change with different sources with Solaris, whereas Andro's change is still like... night and day, and it's still only listenable to me out of iPhone 6 or ZX2. As an overall package, I think Solaris is more my preferred sound signature, even. Maybe with a little less bass, it'd be perfect but that's just nitpicking.

    Hmm... now I may pick one up when I'm back in the US, knowing what to expect.

    On the other hand, I recently got my hands on a pair of electrostatic IEMs with similar tonal balance to Solaris, but with a different presentation. Not gonna say much on it until I get more trusted ears on the thing to confirm my findings.

    For now, I can finally give the Solaris my seal of approval with one caveat: you gotta burn it in!
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2019
  8. Bill-P

    Bill-P Level 42 Mad Wizard

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    Yeah, I did listen to CFA's other IEMs. I think I gave some brief impressions of Vega and Atlas somewhere else, but to sum it up, yeah I thought both had far too much bass, and also far too much treble.

    But the amount of extra bass in the Solaris that I heard was... more than that. I think (I'm not sure) this may be due to Solaris having purdy big diaphragms with the dynamic drivers?

    The third time I heard the Solaris, they did change by quite a bit again. I did spend over an hour listening to them back and forth against my references to make sure I wasn't just using the wrong songs. It's a bit crazy, once again.

    It almost seems as if how Solaris sounds like can be "molded" initially by how they are burned in. Or maybe they just hadn't settle in yet.

    If possible, I'd love to see progressive Solaris measurements from out of the box to fully burned in. It didn't sound like the change was subtle.
     
  9. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    Copied and pasted from my thread.

     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2019
  10. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    So got my loaner pair via Fedex today. I have a lot of listening time I need to do, but I can say so far I'm enjoying them more than I thought.

    I'm curious, is it me or the Final Edge Style Tips makes the Solaris on the warmer end of things with the low end? I thought the regular Silicone tips did bring up the mids just a bit, but not too much, but it's a better all rounder, which I like as well. I do like the sound out of the Foams the best, but the pressure from them sucks for my ears.
     
  11. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    I didn’t like the narrow bore Final tips with it. Definitely warms it up by restricting treble a bit. I used Ortofon silicone tips, which sounded more balanced.
     
  12. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Thanks, my ears still work at least.
     
  13. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    I've found the Symbio W tips to be a good hybrid of foam and silicone, which makes sense seeing they're made of both. They still do give a bit of pressure like foams, but not as bad in my experience. I also used a size smaller than usual with the Symbio's when they're on the Solaris as it allows a bit deeper insertion, which seemed to help for me (and I believe Marv as well). Pain in the butt part is that the Symbio's are from Hungary, so shipping takes a bit.

    Here's the link to where you buy them on eBay (and don't pay much attention to the "last one" label, they always seem to then put up more items) - https://www.ebay.com/itm/SYMBIO-W-W...pecial-Hybrid-Universal-Ear-Tips/123585735322

    Cheers
     
  14. jowls

    jowls Never shitposts (please) - Friend

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    I struggled with tips for Solaris. Symbios with the foam removed were the best IMO, although I guess you would have to sacrifice a precious pair to try.

    It seemingly offers the performance of Spiral Dots with the comfort of Ortofons.
     
  15. AvijitS25

    AvijitS25 Acquaintance

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    They sell those under the name symbio peels I believe if you email the owner on his website he provides a slight discount vs ebay, or atleast that was my experience when ordered a few pairs 2 months ago. Additionally, the foam can be reinserted if you do remove them, again that is what I have experienced.
     
  16. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    Exactly. The Peels don't have the foam. Here's the link - https://www.ebay.com/itm/SYMBIO-W-PEEL-Simple-Single-Flange-Silicone-Universal-Eartips/123523718815
     
  17. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Looks like I'm picking up a ZX2. For those who have the ZX2 with both the Andros and the Solaris, still aim for the Andros? Like I enjoy my demo of the Solaris (but never heard of the Andros), so I was thinking about getting the Solaris and play nice with the ZX2.

    Thoughts?

    Edit: Nevermind, you will know why when I post my review in a moment.
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2019
  18. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    I’m going to be honest. I didn’t know what to expect when I receive the Solaris in a shipping briefcase that has tons of zipties. The lady at my local Fedex Office thought it was a bomb waiting to blow up.

    Instead, it was just the Solaris that’s going around the country. It’s the first pair of IEM that I ever had that retails above $1000+. My most pricy IEM that I currently have at this time, the Fiio FH5, only retails for $260. So comparing the Fiio FH5 to the Solaris will be pretty unfair, or maybe not.

    As of late I was getting sick of IEMs. Most of them have fitting issues (or user error since I’m a dork), or have something that’s really wrong in the range (on the FH5 the upper midrange peak between 1-2khz is pretty annoying, my older Fiio F9 puts a little too much focus on treble, etc.). I think it is also my fault that I keep dealing with Chi-Fi IEMs since I haven’t had the urge to really get a higher end pair. Can you blame me, carrying around pricey portable stuff wasn’t always my thing. I’m happy ATM with my Fiio X5 3rd Gen DAP that’s rooted with a custom kernel so the DAP runs better (but software still sucks).

    When I was reading this thread, the sound signature I thought could be right up my alley. So I went ahead and request a loaner to see how this would sound on both portable setups like my DAP and Phone, to my main rigs at home. Also, lets see if these are something that I might even consider in the future.


    Equipment Used

    IEMS: Fiio FH5, Fiio F9 SE, Campfire Audio Solaris

    Cans: Senn HD600, ZMK Eikon, Focal Clear, Audeze LCD2C

    Amps: Schiit Magni 3, Schiit Rev. 2 Jot, THX AAA 789

    Sources and DACs: Schiit Modi 2 Uber, Modi 3, Fiio X5 3rd Gen DAP, California Audio Labs ICON Mk-II CD Player (no upgrades), Marantz HD-CD1 CD Player, Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact

    Tips used: Medium Foam and Silicone Medium.


    The Package:

    I want it get out of the way that I like the carrying case for the Solaris. It’s nice and fluffy inside, will be more than enough to protect your ballin investment. Comes with a CA pin to put it on a jacket or shirt (I guess for fanboys), and silicone tips and form tips. The loaner did came with Final Edge Style series earpiece Type E, but I didn’t care for them (thought it sounded similar to the default silicone tips, but more bassier depending on the tip, not my thing). As stated above, for this impression review thingy I stick to the medium side foam and silicone that came with the IEM.


    Build Quality:

    What can I say, the IEM is build nicely. I think some trolls on HF were saying that Ken stuff is build like trash, but nothing wrong with this. I like the waves that were imprinted on parts of the IEM that’s in gray/black. The gold/yellow/pee color part that’s on the outside is nice but the color makes me feel like I’m a baller. I’m no baller I can say that much. It’s nice and solid, heavier than my FH5, what more I can say about it. It doesn’t feel like you been ripped off.

    I do like the default 3.5mm that came with the unit. Feel sturdy and doesn’t feel like it was made with 10 cents worth of material. MMCX connectors on the cable is good (I mean, I dunno what else to say here that it gets the job done and will handle tons of connections/disconnections).


    The Fit

    It took a while for me to get used to the fit of this IEM on both of my ears. The issue is that this is the heaviest IEM that I ever had the ability to try, and the angle Campfire recommends per the manual was odd. However, if you follow the manual and put on the right tip for your ear, it should get the job done. It isn’t the most comfortable IEM in my ears, but I can at least walk around with it and dance with it (I need to lose some belly fat, so dance with shitty Italo Disco helps). Take the time to mess around it so it will fit nicely with your ears. However, I could never get the best feeling in my ears so I always had to mess around with it for a moment. The small tips just slip out of my ears. It’s best to put them really deep in your ears, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of how they feel to be honest.



    Da Hiss

    The Solaris will hiss depending on what setup you are using. They are sensitive as f**k. For the desks amps and DAPs/Phone that I tried, almost all of them will hiss and will provide tons of volume knob control, or very little to the point that you can blow up the drivers internally.

    It’s well known that the internals of the Fiio X5 3rd DAP does hiss quite a bit when using different IEMs. On the Solaris it was no different running it both unbalanced and balanced (if running balanced in the X5, it will hiss even more). I didn’t find the hiss to be too annoying on the X5. However, you might be able to detect it on low volume recordings, so be careful on that end if you hate hiss with a passion. When no music is playing you can hear it, but it isn’t like a turntable that is not grounded correctly annoying. Maybe this might not be the best for classical fans if playing classical music on the X5. Like I didn’t have a problem with it, but I could detect the infamous IEM hiss during a recording that was done in analog. However, the hiss stays the same volume regardless of if you are on max volume on the X5 or not.

    On my desktop setup (Modi 3 > THX AAA 789) there was barely any hiss if you max out the volume at Gain one setting (which should be the setting you need to use on this IEM, not two). In matter of fact, the THX 789 gives the best amount of volume control out of my desk amps. If you have to use the Solaris on a desk amp, get the THX.

    Running the Solaris in the Rev 2 Jot will give you hiss on medium (closer to 12 o’clock on low gain) to high volume. However, the hiss is not annoying during music. Tons of volume knob so it plays well for it. Maybe if playing low volume music you might be bugged about it if having the knob at higher volume. But to be honest, the IEM doesn’t take much power to drive it nicely, so eh.

    Running music on my smartphone Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact gives me zero hiss, which I think one point of the Solaris is to run it on sources like a phone or a well matched DAP.

    My office setup with the Modi 2 Uber and Magni 3, it will hiss on all volumes. Out of all my desk amps, this one is the worse to use with the Solaris. You can be just above 6 o’clock on the knob and the Solaris is loud. Possible volume mismatch with the Solaris on the Magni 3 (I couldn’t detect it, but maybe on some units there might be a little).


    Da Tips

    Medium Foam: Gives the music a little more soundstage, I didn’t think it made the mids shouty or anything weird like that. It did provide a little more sub-bass impact than using the Medium Silicones. I can see why people prefer using the Foam on Campfire stuff, it does sound quite nice in all ranges. Not quite forward, but not quite laid-back. It’s a good in-between, or I guess some call it muddy. Minor detail loss compared to the Medium Silicone in the midrange thou. I prefer the sound of the Foam over the Silicone by a minor margin, but the Foam tips puts too much pressure on my ears. Can’t use them long term. I think for some music (for some reason Grace Jones – Nightclubbing) the Foams weren’t the best for some reason, wasn’t live enough I guess.

    Medium Silicone: Did made the mids a little forward (due to the drivers are closer to the ear than the Foam tips). Loss some of the sub-bass impact but not much to be honest. Maybe loss a little soundstage? I guess due to the drivers are closer in the ear, I can hear a little more detail in the mids. Still sounds great and it fits my ears better, but I still prefer the sound of the Foam tips just by a small margin. But goal here is to find the best fit, so Silicone wins be far.


    Equipment Scalability

    It will scale well. I notice easily the differences between the Desktop setup (Modi 3 > TXH AAA 789) to my main setup (Ayre Codex > Rev .2 Jot). I also detected differences between the Fiio and my Xperia xz1 Compact smartphone. However, as I said in my Da Hiss section, depending on what setup you are using, it will hiss or not hiss. Maybe aim for the Solaris for portable use more than desktop use in my opinion.


    Treble

    Depending on the tip, it might be too much detail for one taste. With the Medium Silicone tips the cymbals in Grace Jones – Nightclubbing Album was nice and crisp. However, at times the treble was tiring me out with all that gob of detail in that area. It’s different from being bright, because I don’t even think the Solaris is bright as f**k in all of my setups. Perhaps depending on the tip and music you can push it in that direction, but this isn’t a bright IEM. With all the details I’m hearing in the highs (I must say that I’m treble sensitive), I just need to take them off after a while.

    However, at times I love hearing the little details in this range, it makes the music feels more alive and engaging. It didn’t sound dull from the Nightclubbing album, or from the extras disc from Donald Fagen – Cheap Xmas collection. There was something about the Solaris that make me say wow, an IEM that doesn’t suck in this range and isn’t bright as f**k. Just..so..much..detail…for…me..to…handle…

    I didn’t detect too many changes on the treble with my setup, but I did notice the limitations of the Fiio X5 3rd Gen DAP when at times it was just too dry in this region in another Grace Jones – Living My Life. I can also say that this is not a treblehead IEM. It will give you the details, but it just doesn’t tilt in this direction.

    After listening for a while, is it me or the Solaris might be a little too much energy in the highs? Or maybe it’s what I’m feeding it that is making it semi-hot with energy. I dunno, I need a beer.


    Midrange

    Hits female and male vocals to me. Nothing in the midrange makes me want to pull out my hairs on female vocals. Like on some cans/IEMs Kate Bush sounds too annoying on the for some reason flat. None of this on the Solaris. With the Medium Silicone tips it does bring out the midrange forward a bit, but maybe too much. With the Silicone tips, I think this IEM becomes forward in the mids.

    I really think the midrange is more on the analytical, but not upfront and in my face about it. What this means is I can still casually listen to the Solaris, but when I want to focus on the details, I’m able to zone in. It isn’t boring, which is nice. Borderline Laidback in the mids if I have to say it, even more laidback with Foam tips.

    Going back to male vocals, David Sylvian sound wonderful. His voice is unique at least to so, with so much body and deeper on his later recordings (when he get older). Red Guitar from his first solo album Brilliant Trees is a trip. With his vocals, keyboards, the Solaris shows off a darker tone that’s what the recording demands. I know my part of the Midrange here kind of sucks, but I would say this: there’s an actual stage with range when using the Solaris. A lot of IEMs sound mostly flat and upfront. I’m not having any of that on the Solaris.

    Still, it isn’t a warm tilt sound that I normally like. Even when I’m running it with warmer sources like the Modi 3 and the Ayre Codex, it doesn’t tilt too much. It’s for the most part mostly neutral, which is pretty shocking since IEMs normally have to give up something in order to get it work. Electric Guitars in Steely Dan – Aja sounds like heaven in Black Cow with wonderful weight, very floaty which is the point. However, it’s still on the neutral side. If this IEM was warm, then the electric guitar would just be on the muddy side, maybe wouldn’t even sound right to my ears at all.

    Now I must have to say this about the soundstage. For an IEM there’s more soundstage than I thought. All the IEMs that I had had very small soundstage like a cylinder can. For me, the Solaris is like a giant cylinder can where there’s vertical space. I still think these have limited front space, but they spread far away from the ears, but not around to me. However, this doesn’t brother me that much. Just think you are in row three with no one else with you in the crowd between the left and right of you (and lets not worry about the back). While this will not win against over-ear cans, I’m still quite impressed on the staging on an IEM.

    With that being said about the soundstage, I feel the midrange has so much body and is substantial. It’s just like an over-ear can. Like my issues with IEMs is that they are not over-ear can replacements. The Solaris to me can replace some cans, I feel it’s amazing substantial in a small package.


    Bass

    Lol, bassheads go away. This is not the IEM for you. It will not make your dick wet if playing IEM or electronic. It will do Kraftwerk – Tour De France just fine. However, people would wish there would be more sub-bass. This IEM will not go that low, or would be boomy. In matter of fact, if the Solaris was boomy for the price of a pair new, then that would be a major insult to the buyer.

    However, the low end is more accurate sounding to me. So going back to Kraftwerk – Tour De France, while the sub-bass was on lacking due to the Solaris being accurate, it didn’t sound fake or overdone. It was still quite enjoyable, at least to someone who been referring warm/basser stuff, but not overdone like well-done steak.

    My god, Jaco Pastorius in Weather Report – Heavy Weather sounds fabulous. His bass guitar has that tone from his fretless guitar that I jerk off too a lot. In other words, with the Solaris you know that’s him playing the bass. With that being said, due to this is not a warm IEM, Jaco’s bass doesn’t come across as having too much bass. It’s on the tight end. If the Solaris was a warm IEM, then we would have more body on that bass guitar. Then that would default the whole purpose of the Solaris.

    To be honest, those who want heavy hitting bass for rock might find the Solaris to be disappointing. Classic Judas Priest albums from the 80s just don’t hit hard enough for me. Don’t get me wrong, the bass and drums will hit hard, but the more natural turning of this IEM won’t win with the rocker crowds. Then again, if I was running this with my main setup thru the Rev. 2 Jot, I would be able to make the Solaris hit harder, but at the cost of not being neutral.

    I love that the bass region is neutral and not boomy, but I also at times wish there was more fun at times here. In all high level things, the non-fun part of the bass isn’t a big deal breaker. It’s still a shock that an IEM can have so natural/organic (or whatever the people want to say about them) bass that doesn’t sound fake or artificial.


    Final Thoughts:

    So hear me out, I ordered a Sony ZX2 DAP and Andromedas both used while I was wrapping up this impressions. WHY? Why ordered the Andromedas when one you never heard them in your life, and two you (which is me) did enjoy the Solaris. Why Bro, Why?

    I’ll tell you why, while $1500 is a fair price for a high-end IEM that sounds godly good as the Solaris, it’s too much for me to spend for an IEM at this time. I was thinking so hard about this earlier today, but I’ll feel better if I spend like $700-$900 for a good IEM (which I don’t mind hissing that much to be honest). I travel a lot, and sometimes I run IEMs thru hell. I would be pissed if I damage the Solaris if I was traveling (and that cost). It’s a mental limit for me with regards to how much I want to carry pricey IEMs on me. I know the Andros are limited with their design against the Solaris. However, in a high-level overview of a portable setup and day to day use, I wouldn’t care too much about what things the Solaris surpassed against the Andros. The Andros doesn’t appear to be bulky, it mates well with the ZX2, and it cost less for my wallet. Also, getting Andros used is still a great value at this time (I picked one up that was only a few months old with a good size discount with warranty). I still have my main cans at home, and I don’t really need an IEM that can replace some headphones. I am aware that the Andros can tilt to the north (I prefer tilts to the south), but when you hear a lot of good things about it, just give it a shot when buying it used. I mean, people like them with the Sony DAPs. What’s to lose?

    After long periods of time, the Solaris tires me out with all that gob of details in the highs (which varies depending on the tips). Also, it made my ears sore with the fit. I can still dance to them, but after a while, the bulky nature of them just makes me want to take them off. It will really depend what type of ears you have and what you can personally stand.

    Even with the minors flaws to me, the Solaris is amazing. A Hybrid that doesn’t suck, a mostly very neutral presentation (which can become forward if you are using silicone tips), and doesn’t have any serious flaws for an IEM. Build quality is top notch, sounds like the cost of buying one new, and it scales well. It will not make bass/trebleheads happy, but they aren’t the target audience for this IEM. But for my time having them, it did make me happy. I’m still pretty gay for the Solaris, even if I won’t get one at this time. For those who are willing to pay this much for an IEM, I would really give it a shot. I think you might be surprised on how much of a home run CA gotten with this IEM. You will believe that IEMS can have real soundstage after hearing this. I’m in shocked that an IEM can sound like this after hearing them.

    I’ll spend time up to Monday with them then off to the next person in the loaner program!


    TD DR

    Love them, treble has too much detail, which cause fatigue for me. Fit while good, isn’t great. Bulky, doesn’t flush with your ears, semi-annoying on that. Even with treble fatigue, detail is amazing. Depending on the tips, midranges are forward at times, but damn that soundstage in an IEM is legit, just at over-ear can territory. Midrange still amazing with detail. Bassheads will hate this IEM, this is more neutral turning. It hisses like a bitch, but not loud. THX AAA 789 shocking good amp with little hiss with tons of volume knob. Don’t use Magni 3 on this, it will blow the drivers out to the moon. Will scale well. Can be an amazing match with the Sony DAPs. $1500 is too much for me to spend at this time. After typing this I ordered used pair of Andros and ZX2 because bang for buck for portable for work. Never heard of Andros but in high level of things I won’t be focusing on what Solaris does better over Andros. Also, that carrying case is great. Didn’t like the gold/pee color on the outside. Possible end game for IEM users.
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2019
  19. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

    Pyrate Contributor
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    So this was not expected at all. I’m still in limbo on where to send the Solaris loaner next. Luckily in a day or two I will find out more about that part. I still have the Solaris sound fresh in my mind, and the Andros also fresh in my mind as well since I received a pair of it this week.

    And then today with this post, my used ZX2 came in. Love the ZX2, and that Sony sound without the Sound Adjustment BS running. I won’t have a problem at all if I’m forced to upgrade to a WM1A, now that the WM1As can do LDAC streaming into the DAP with the newer firmware. I even ordered two discounted pairs of Sonys BS WM-Port cables and that other USB cable that allows USB Drives to hook up to it (plus you can use the ZX2 as a transport and use the WM1A as a USB-DAC). Tons of crap you can do with their DAPs, but only if you sell your soul to Sony and the “Sony-Way” of doing things.


    For this impression, we will only use the following items:

    CA Andros, CA Solaris, Sony ZX2 using Forza Audioworks 3.5 TRRS Cable that came included with the used ZX2.

    Medium Foam Tips only.

    Using the Built-In Music Player in ZX2 and the last version of Tidal before it stop supporting Android 4.2.2 (which what the ZX2 runs on, Tidal version 2.2.5 from Jan 2018).


    Fit

    Solaris: Still hasn’t changed from my last impressions post. Takes a while to get used to this IEM in your ears. I could never get the best fit with them (even following the directions that came with the Solaris). Still isn’t the most comfortable IEM, and still doesn’t fit the best after using them for hours. I think it is the bulky design of them is the reason why they aren’t the biggest fan of my ears.

    Andros: MUCH BETTER. Even if they stick out a bit, the feeling in my ears were leagues better. Foam tips feel better with the Andros than with the Solaris to me. If I have to pick one of them only on fit, Andros wins. More comfortable for me than the Solaris. Can wear them for hours with no issues. Of course, YMMV.


    Da Hiss

    Both sound the same from the ZX2. Hiss there hiss here but not high. Maybe some people will hate it, I honestly don’t give a f**k about the hiss. Sounds fine with classical to trashy pop music.


    Treble


    Solaris: Shocking, the treble tiredness that I was getting when running it on other sources isn’t happening on the ZX2. There’s slightly more detail in the range on the treble than using the Andros. Maybe extra 5% or something like that. I can hear the wonderful detail without getting fatigued. I think it is due to the relax highs the Sonys are known for. Then again, those who want more details with the Solaris would need to use a different source, since the ZX2 is not bright. Grace Jones – Nightclubbing is still not dull on the ZX2, but a little bit “recessed.” If there’s a speaker setup that sounds really like the ZX2 sound, sign me the f**k up. I did last in my last post that at times there’s a little too much energy, it isn’t a problem at least on the ZX2. Layering is better on the Solaris than the Andros, at times Andros can smear a very little in this region. Honestly, I don’t care about the smear, some do.

    Fine, maybe the Solaris is like 7% better in this region than the Andros. But at the same time, I don’t care…..

    Andros: Sounds almost the same as the Solaris, but as stated above it kind of smears here. Like butter, and I do love butter. Still sounds like a CA IEM. Do I miss the extra details that I was getting on the Solaris, ummmhhmm not really?! Layering is tad better than Solaris. I guess this is why Andros isn’t annoying on the highs for me….


    Midrange:

    Solaris: Bigger soundstage than the Andros and slightly easier to pinpoint musical instruments too. Sony’s midrange crack comes in, and the Solaris works great here. Vocals feel a little fuller than the Andros, regardless if they are male/female vocals. I think it’s due to the DD in the Solaris helping the mids at times. Very resolving through the ZX2, can be more resolving if you are using another source. Layering is better here than the Andros.

    Even with the improvements, they are minor improvements except for the soundstage.

    Andros: Soundstage is less than the Solaris. I feel like you are much closer to the stage than the Solaris (Andros is like third row seat, Solaris is like six row seat). Great midrange, very similar to the Solaris. Keep in mind some of the music instruments do “blend” in at times. Due to there’s no DD in the Andros, vocals have slightly less body. I still think the Andros are pretty resolving even with its limitations.


    Bass

    Solaris: The biggest difference between the Solaris and Andro is the bass on the ZX2. With the DD driver in the Solaris, it feels more impactful in the sub-bass. Easier to hear the bass guitars. Quite nice with Talking Heads, and sub-bass hits pretty hard in Kraftwerk The 3-D Catalog. Looking for tight bass and more natural sub-bass, do Andros. Push them hard enough and they can be considered warm for the bass. Still it isn’t a basshead IEM, but it will make people happy if they play other types of music besides electronic.

    Andros: Tight and just enough. Can still do sub-bass duty, but Solaris will have more to go around here. I still enjoy Kraftwerk with the Andros, but I did enjoy them more on the Solaris. I think the Andros and Solaris has two different goals here with the Bass. Solaris might not be consider natural at times, while Andros is neutral here.


    Final Thoughts

    Yes, Solaris > Andros by like what, 10%-15% better? But is it worth it to pay extra $400 for the improvement if buying new ($1,099 vs $1,499)? Only you can decide on that. Still bang for your buck is an used Andro. I still would try to audition the Solaris because the fit will not win with everyone. Even with the improvements in the Solaris, I’m happy with the Andros and I don’t feel like I want to upgrade from that to the Solaris. The fit on the Andros is leagues better for me than the Solaris. But the Solaris sounds good to the point they can replace some over-ear cans (which sounds good for me at first, then I realize I don’t need to do something like that).

    Let me put it to you this way: Even with the improvements of the Solaris, I wouldn’t care about the improvements over the Andros too much. It isn’t going to make me go crazy for that extra 10%. Maybe some people want that 10%, but I would use the price difference between the Solaris and the Andros on buying more music and Pho….or maybe save money away when the ZX2 breaks and time to upgrade to the newer Sony DAP. I’m happy I enjoy their house sound.
     
  20. muse

    muse Facebook Friend

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    Heard a pair of these today, and I'm starting to think that hybrids just aren't for me.

    It's a good sounding IEM, with the one flaw - and for me, fatal flaw - is how 'sucked out' the midrange sounds. Vocals sound nasal, thin, almost like listening with a bad cold. There's no good way to describe it, almost like having a gaping hole right in the middle of the FR, and I've had the same problem with every single hybrid I've ever listened to (IT03 etc.), and never once with BAs or dynamics.
     

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