Campfire Audio Solaris Battle Royale

I've had the loaner LE for a few days now. Unlike the 2020, which is a clear step back from the OG soundwise IMO, the LE is awfully similar to OG. Awfully similar, at least with the OG I have to compare it with. My notes are really just a bunch of maybes: Maybe a hair more horn presence in LE (upper midrange), maybe a hair more vocal forwardness in OG, maybe slightly brighter treble in OG, maybe this, maybe that. It's so close. All maybes were before seeing measurements. Either way, I can easily recommend the LE or OG.

Here are some comparative measurements. The OG says Take 2 b/c of the way the 1k bump shows, it makes it a little difficult for the comparative function in AudioTools, so I remeasured with a little more volume to more closely align in bass and show the slight 1k bump the OG has. Maybe there are better ways to align in AudioTools that I haven't figured out yet.

 

No, it doesn't have the metallic quality of the 2020. It's very similar to the OG; maybe a hair less present. For all I know there could be as much unit to unit variance of the OG as there is difference between OG and LE. That's how close they are. So I like LE a lot. And it looks better to boot, with its black flower designed faceplate (I'm not a fan of the gold on the OG).

 

After extended listing to the big 3 Solaris body models...
Comparisons with SE, LE and OG

I pretty much agree with what @rhythmdevils has said about the different Solaris model, particularly the LE.

Much of what he talks about in the SE I agree with too: It’s definitely the most linear sounding of the Solaris models, at least compared to the examples I have on hand (I know there have been some measured variances unit to unit of most pre 2020 models). It’s a little more forward in the upper midrange and lower treble transition area between 4k to 5k, so certain instruments sound a bit more correct versus the OG. While the SE treble doesn’t bother me as much as it seems to bother him, I do agree with the differences he’s described. The treble of the SE, at least compared to my OG, is a bit tamer, is a bit smoother but also less natural souding. In terms of sparkle and brightness, the OG I have has a bit more; the SE sounds subdued in comparison. I mostly hear that as a good thing for the OG with a more realistic brassiness, more natural treble weight, and just better overall treble timbre; although I do get an occasional increased sibilance on OG versus SE.

From brightest to darkest: 2020>>>OG>LE>SE
(2020 thrown in for kicks and grins here; I don't have one on hand at the moment)

After extended listening, what really separates the SE and OG from the LE is resolution, particularly midrange resolution. The SE and OG also have a more natural weight and heft to the overall note presentation. Both SE and OG are more nuanced through the midrange, digging deeper into low level detail. With the SE and OG, I really can’t say one is more resolving than the other. Where I do find the SE a little better is in sub bass; it has just a bit better texturing down low.

If I were to stop at frequency response, tonality and resolution, SE certainly seems to slightly come out on top with the big 3: SE>OG>LE.

But once we move on to staging and layering, this is the OG bread and butter. The SE certainly sounds above average. While the LE maybe matches it in width and possibly height, it sounds flatter front to back compared to the SE. The SE seems dimensionally similar to the OG but where the OG excels is in the vocal layering. OG vocals really seem to pop out of the blackness that surrounds it. It pushes the vocal a bit more forward from the other players with more space and air and blackness around them. To this day, it’s still the best IEM I’ve heard when it comes to staging and layering. Maybe it's the upper midrange/lower treble transition recession that aids with this?

Staging/Layering: OG>SE>LE

If money were no object, I think I’d have to own an SE. It’s abalone faceplate and black body puts the OG gold and black to shame. It’s more linear presentation also has very strong appeal to me. But at the end of the day, gaudy gold faceplate or not, I can’t give up the unique staging and laying of the OG.

SE and OG frequency response comparison: