T+A Solitaire P planar magnetostatic
Aug 2, 2023 at 12:09 PM Post #3,031 of 3,367
Aug 2, 2023 at 12:14 PM Post #3,032 of 3,367
actually i find the solp quite engaging for me, also with monstrous sub bass with the ha200. On the other hand, i'm mostly anticipating sessions with the solp, while my caldera sounds really boring to me now.

Yea but for the pricing, would be nice to include more stuff in the retail package
Any additional thoughts on the Solitaire P versus the Caldera?

The Caldera wasn't for me, so I've been thinking about trying the Solitaire P.
 
Aug 2, 2023 at 12:19 PM Post #3,033 of 3,367
Any additional thoughts on the Solitaire P versus the Caldera?

The Caldera wasn't for me, so I've been thinking about trying the Solitaire P.
Regardless of wether you liked the Caldera you should audition the Solitaire P
 
Aug 2, 2023 at 5:57 PM Post #3,034 of 3,367
Regardless of wether you liked the Caldera you should audition the Solitaire P
ThanatosVI, what do you think of the comparison between Sol P and the Empyrean with the angled pads? I am very happy now with the Empyrean + angled pads, if this would be my endgame I wouldn’t complain, and I only would “upgrade” if the diffrence in quality would be very noticeable.
 
Aug 2, 2023 at 6:00 PM Post #3,035 of 3,367
ThanatosVI, what do you think of the comparison between Sol P and the Empyrean with the angled pads? I am very happy now with the Empyrean + angled pads, if this would be my endgame I wouldn’t complain, and I only would “upgrade” if the diffrence in quality would be very noticeable.
I'd be curious about this, too.
The Meze Empyrean can be had at an absurd price these days.
 
Aug 2, 2023 at 6:08 PM Post #3,036 of 3,367
ThanatosVI, what do you think of the comparison between Sol P and the Empyrean with the angled pads? I am very happy now with the Empyrean + angled pads, if this would be my endgame I wouldn’t complain, and I only would “upgrade” if the diffrence in quality would be very noticeable.

I'd be curious about this, too.
The Meze Empyrean can be had at an absurd price these days.
The Empyrean is an amazing headphone with a very Musical tuning, not the typical audiophile detail oriented tuning.
While I do think that it's more detailed than many give it credit for, the Solitaire P easily bests it in technicalities.

I owned both for a very long time as my only two headphones, but consider them more complementary than one being an upgrade to the other.

However, for perspective, I also don't consider the Elite a direct upgrade to the Empyrean.

Anyways, if you enjoy the Empyrean with the Angled Alcantara pads, you should try to Audition the Solitaire P
 
Aug 2, 2023 at 11:47 PM Post #3,037 of 3,367
What? are you serious about that?
yes. I'm not sure if its the Solitaire P itself or the combo with the HA200. IMO for my usage, i mainly use caldera with a fiio k9 pro ess or a fiio r7, Solitaire P is exclusively used with the HA200.

It is most probably the dac/amp mismatch of my usage scenario, but the caldera sounds boring when comparing it to the Solitaire P. Everything from dynamics, to impact, bass, subbass, separation, soundstage, imaging etc is to me, significantly superior on the Solitaire P.

Do bear in mind my opinions are purely base on Solitaire P+HA200 vs Caldera+Fiio stuff, I have yet to really have a good session on the caldera with the HA200 or an amp of equivalent performance

Any additional thoughts on the Solitaire P versus the Caldera?

The Caldera wasn't for me, so I've been thinking about trying the Solitaire P.

Regardless of wether you liked the Caldera you should audition the Solitaire P
definitely, price aside (which I think are scaring off people), the Solitaire P is a gem imo.
 
Aug 3, 2023 at 3:13 AM Post #3,038 of 3,367
ThanatosVI, what do you think of the comparison between Sol P and the Empyrean with the angled pads? I am very happy now with the Empyrean + angled pads, if this would be my endgame I wouldn’t complain, and I only would “upgrade” if the diffrence in quality would be very noticeable.
Perhaps it is ok to throw in my two cents too. As someone who owned the Empyrean for years and really like them, in my opinion the Soli P is a whole different universe when it comes to technicalities. And not in a sterile way like some other technical flagships can be, as the Soli P is still somewhat warm but from staging/resolution/detail retrieval it is just miles ahead of the Empy, a different category. That said, it doesn't necesserily make the Emply obsolete as the Meze has a very enjoyable, lush, thick and engaging sound. The Empy's mid-bass is a little overpowering though sometimes. The Soli P is a lot more evenly tuned.
As opposed to our dear @ThanatosVI I kind of consider the Elite a direct upgrade to the Empyrean, although not for everyone. It is a direct upgrade in the sense of enhanced technicalities (more space, better imaging, move even FR response, more detail/resolution) somewhat bringing it closer to the Soli P and that sense, yet the Elite keeps the Empy's addictive musical engagement factor. Some owners might love the thick and warm sound of the Empy enough, to say no for the Elite's improvements. I am not one of them.

When it comes to the Elite vs. the Soli P, the Soli P still wins on overall technicalities such as staging precision and detail retrieval, but by a lot smaller margin. To me both are fantastic headphones, and I could probably be happy with either of them. The Elite to me has some 'sweetness' in the sound which I simply love, the Soli P while it sounds marvellous, I find emotionally less engaging. Comfort is also on the Elite's side, but yeah, in technicalities the Soli P still wins. As always, ymmv and try to audition.
 
Aug 12, 2023 at 11:07 AM Post #3,039 of 3,367
I have these laying around. Like new. Anyone interested? Open for offers. Thanks.

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Aug 13, 2023 at 11:16 AM Post #3,040 of 3,367
Aug 13, 2023 at 11:20 AM Post #3,041 of 3,367
yes. I'm not sure if its the Solitaire P itself or the combo with the HA200. IMO for my usage, i mainly use caldera with a fiio k9 pro ess or a fiio r7, Solitaire P is exclusively used with the HA200.
I see, but did you not try each HP with the "other" amp?
 
Sep 4, 2023 at 5:30 AM Post #3,043 of 3,367
anyone heard both the solitaire p se and raal ca-1a/dca stealth? looking to pick between one of these but i keep going back and forth. Would appreciate any help
own all three. Since we all hear differently, and equipment is different from person to person, take my opinion with a bit of a grain of salt.

The Stealth is a nice headphone, but not what I'd call a good all-rounder. I'd pick it if you have a need for a closed back and you don't need a midbass emphasis/hump in your music.
the ca-1a is unbelievably good for the price. Unless you get a good deal on the sol-p i would go for the CA-1A.
I think the the Sol-p has better subbass than the Ca-1a though and might be a hair more detailed. the CA-1A is really resolving though.
hope that helps
 
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Sep 4, 2023 at 6:11 AM Post #3,044 of 3,367
own all three. Since we all hear differently, and equipment is different from person to person, take my opinion with a bit of a grain of salt.

The Stealth is a nice headphone, but not what I'd call a good all-rounder. I'd pick it if you have a need for a closed back and you don't need a midbass emphasis/hump in your music.
the ca-1a is unbelievably good for the price. Unless you get a good deal on the sol-p i would go for the CA-1A.
I think the the Sol-p has better subbass than the Ca-1a though and might be a hair more detailed. the CA-1A is really resolving though.
hope that helps
He mentioned the Sol P-SE which is significantly more affordable @3200€.
Unfortunately that's also why I can't really comment on it, since I never heard the P-SE
 
Sep 4, 2023 at 6:18 AM Post #3,045 of 3,367
anyone heard both the solitaire p se and raal ca-1a/dca stealth? looking to pick between one of these but i keep going back and forth. Would appreciate any help
If price is an issue, pick the Raal. If price is not an issue, get the Solitaire P. To me they are both better than the Stealth.
 

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