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Note: The review used the sample Advar that is as part of a global organised by the one and only @Andykong. I was second to receive the IEM so took it as having been adequately burned in. I used the 4.4mm cable that Meze included with the review sample (an optional accessory that can be purchased separately) . Listening impressions were with my HiBy R8, as well as my Cayin C9. The opinions are my own and as unbiased as possible – no freebies or discounts were associated with the opportunity to review these.

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Take me back to Romania​

Preamble​

A few years ago, before the world went bonkers and lockdown ensued, I had the pleasure and privilege of visiting Romania for a close friend’s wedding. Many fond memories were made, and the trip left a unique imprint on me. It is a country of contrasts – from the grey and rather tired looking capital city of Bucharest to the lush, immense mountains and greenery of Sighișoara. Culturally too, it has gone through many hardships, yet a sense of perseverance and openness permeates through the land and its people.


The wedding itself was a whole day affair, and we didn’t stop partying until way past sunrise the next day. Much of that included copious amounts of the traditional tipple pálinka, and dancing in large groups of friends, families, and strangers alike – linked up and circling in the traditional Romanian hora. Which, quite befittingly, brings us to the Advar IEM from Meze, which features a hora-inspired insignia on its packaging.

Origins​

Much has been said about Meze’s history so this will be a light-touch overview. Founded in 2011, Meze Audio is a company that take a slightly different approach to others in the headphone world. Firstly, they have a borderline obsession with build quality and aesthetics. And I mean that in the best possible way. Secondly, they don’t churn through dozens of iterations and releases – they design and create long-lasting products that stand the test of time, while also avoiding overlap across their range.

Packaging​

The Advar’s box has an outer sleeve which is tastefully adorned with a black and gold geometric pattern (the hora motif). The same pattern is embossed on the box itself in a stealthy gloss black. Opening the lid reveals the two petite, shiny jewel-like earpieces nestled in a foam insert, like black pearls inside an oyster.



Underneath you’ll find the beautifully printed manual / booklet, and the protective travel case which holds the remaining accessories. This includes the stock SPC cable (MMCX to gold plated 3.5mm), 5 pairs of Final Audio Type E tips, an IEM cleaning tool, and the handy MMCX removal tool – built like the key to an exotic, luxury car.

Overall, a great unboxing experience – I can really appreciate the thought that went creating something both so elegant and so modest.



In the box
The cable is…decent. It is not the best I’ve seen as a stock cable, nor is it the worst. It’s soft, supple, and mostly tangle free (though tends to coil and twist when no earpieces are attached). It sounds fine too really. But it is quite a thin gauge, and it’s a pity the only option is 3.5mm. Meze do offer the cable in 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced but as a separate accessory that can be purchased at additional cost. Fortunately, the latter was provided with the review sample.

As for the tips – I did not use those included in the sample, and as other reviewers have pointed out, the Advar is incredibly sensitive to tip rolling. I’ll get to this later in the review.

In the hands​

The shells of the Advar are “understated statement pieces” if there is such a thing. Forged from stainless-steel, they have a piano black finish, and look and feel unquestionably solid. They have an organic nature to them – with an alluring contoured shape, which contributes to their ergonomics and isolation.



Attention to detail is terrific too, such as the finely printed “Made in Romania” around the MMCX sockets, which are also colour coded black and red for left and right earpieces respectively. A similar printing can be found on the faceplate – which features a circular bronze depression, and what looks like a tiny vent for the driver in the middle.

Speaking of drivers, the Advar utilises a single 10.2mm dynamic driver per earpiece – in line with the “single DD” resurgence we have seen of late.

In the ears​

As we know, everyone’s ears are different, and the fit and comfort of an IEM play a crucial rule in both the sound and their long term usability. My ears are generally fine with universals, but I have relatively sensitive ear canals which can become uncomfortable with the wrong shape or with IEMs that need a really deep fit.



Fortunately, the modest size of the Advar earpieces and relatively short nozzle allow for quite a shallow fit. While this can have caveats of its own, I found it easy to get a solid and stable seal, remaining intact while moving around or bobbing my head. And best of all, it didn’t trigger any pain in my concha or ear canals.

Onto the Sound​

At this juncture, let’s talk about a recurring them you’ll likely read about in other reviews. The Advar is highly sensitive to different tips. In some IEMs, tips are a useful tool to tweak nuances in sound. In this case, they can make or break your experience. With the wrong tips, I found bass to either be meek or sound boxy. Upper mid instruments and vocals could also come across as “dirty”, as if compressed, and at times could also be brighter and more anemic than they should be (though never etched or harsh).

Handily, I have a tackle-box full of tips, and eventually settled on two which worked the best (for me). These were the Elecom CAP10, and the Acoustune AET07. In both, I used the same size I’ve used in other IEMs. I strongly recommend trial and error to find what works best for you.

As a general rule, I found the Advar to work best with tips that have a soft stem, are relatively short, and have a wide rather than narrow bore. I also found slightly “fatter” or more bulbous shapes were more comfortable than more pointed bullet-shaped tips

All testing was done using my HiBy R8 and the 4.4mm cable supplied. I also tested the Advar through the Cayin C9 and have included some impressions on this pairing.

Bass​

Excellent. I could stop there really, but let’s flesh it out a bit.

The bass is wonderfully balanced between sub-bass rumble and mid-bass kick. It exhibits good texture and has a natural decay. It’s not BA quick nor is it huge-woofer slow. It is well controlled and really punchy when needed. I found it especially good with big drums and acoustic bass. Perhaps excels a little less with electronic / EDM, in particular when there are both warbling electronic tones and thumping beats.



My listening notes for bass include:

• “oh my, those drums” in Heidi Talbot’s Cathedrals
• “great intro rumble and excellent mid-bass thwack” in Lucy Rose’s Middle of the Bed
• “massive” in Missincat’s La Pistola
• “these IEMs are made for these large ominous thumps” on Danheim’s Valhal

As a side note, this was all with the CAP10 tips. Using the AET07, the bass shifts a gear down across the spectrum – sub-bass rolls off a little earlier, with mid-bass having less body and impact, noticeably so with pop like Dua Lipa and Alessia Cara. But, still admirable, and more than what I recall hearing on the lighter-weight sound of the Oriolus Isabellae that I used to own.

Midrange​

On the whole, I would describe the Advar’s midrange as well balanced, with a hint of wetness to sound. This is really the kind of sound I enjoy – having abundant detail and reasonably good energy while avoiding any semblance of being dry or clinical. Nothing feels recessed or hollow, and harshness is rare other than on really poor recordings.

Harmonics are natural and rich. Female vocals in particular are beautifully rendered, sounding organic and smooth while not being blunted or blurred. Melisma and breath are tangible and nuanced. Most importantly, they convey emotion and soul. Male vocals (which admittedly I don’t listen to much) are done well. They have solidity and weight to them, though if I nitpick, may be missing a hint of lower midrange body.

Reproduction of instruments suit my taste well – strings are splendid, especially violin and cellos, though they may not be as energetic or lively as one may expect in a live performance. Similarly, I find piano really good on these IEMs. Great body and depth, and devoid of any ringing or sharpness in the upper registers. As noted in the bass section, drums have terrific size and punch; but may lack a little bite when drumsticks hit the drumskin like you’d get in grunge, hard rock, or metal.



If you like your music in-your-face, with more sharpness and precision, it may not meet your preferences. Midrange dynamics are good, but perhaps sacrificed a little for the sake of fatigue-free listening – a tradeoff that is not easy to get right, and which Meze executed brilliantly to my ears.

My listening notes for midrange include:

• “gorgeous violin rendition, love the texture and control – quite precise but never sharp or edgy” in Winter 1 from Max Richter’s Reimagined: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
• “shakers sound so real and love that drum intro” in Bon Jovi’s Keep The Faith
• “falling in love again with her dreamy voice and the plucking of her acoustic guitar” in Meiko’s Stuck On You
• “her sultry hoarseness is spot on; awesome interplay between vocals and guitars” for Carla Bruni’s L’excessive

Treble​

The theme of balance continues in the treble capabilities of the Advar. I was pleasantly surprised actually – I was expecting more of a muted, rounded, mellow top end; instead I found it exhibited respectable levels of resolution and transparency, probably more than warranted at the price point. There’s no piercing brightness and yet the upper registers were well defined, with a sweet crispness.

With the wrong tips, I could pick up some thinness to the treble, which together with a forward vocal presentation could very occasionally get a smidge shouty - but never zingy or harsh. Granted, I did not try the stock Final Type E tips, but tried similar narrow bore tips and these normally suffered from the brighter presentation.

With the right tips, however (soft, wide bore, umbrella rather than bullet shaped), treble was well articulated with a natural tonality. It was well extended and resolving. While perhaps not the last word in air, there was enough sparkle to be distinct from the mids while maintaining a smooth transition to remain beautifully cohesive.



It came across as an area Meze spent of lot of time tuning to create listenable, realistic detail, with no intention of being a microdetail monster or analytic instrument. And rather impressively, the treble detail sounded refined and realistic. It really engaged me as a listener without anything feeling forced.

Some notes for treble included:

• “it may be missing some edge in the electronic effects but thoroughly enjoying all the elements across the stage” in Queen’s Killer Queen
• “the snap and decay of these claps are excellent” in both Ingrid Michaelson’s The Way I Am and on Catt’s Patterns
• “great speed and agility – neither aggressive nor slow” in Love Letter To Japan from The Bird and The Bee
• “achieves great clarity without the sizzle I normally hear” in Sarah Blasko’s Lost and Defeated

Technicalities​

I found Advar decently wide, though closer to an intimate sound – head stage rather than soundstage. It’s not narrow, to be fair, and when a recording has sounds stretched out, they are portrayed as such, but I’d summarise it as still being “in the head”. Admirable height – in fact really good height, with various sounds often emanating from well above the foundational elements.

That said, it’s not the last word in depth. This would probably be my own real negative across the review – as it results in not really excelling at layering, or at least proportionately not as good as other staging capabilities. And interestingly, for this reason I also felt the Advar could start to lose a little composure at really loud volumes.

There are pros and cons at play – on a sparse stage, everything is so well delineated. When a lot more is added to the mix, some elements can feel a little masked. They’re not entirely drowned out, but one needs to concentrate more to pick them out.

The Advar is capable of handling busy songs, demonstrate interplay between various components such as drums, high hats, vocals, pianos, guitar riffs, and so forth – but is not the most holographic. Bear in mind my reference points are IEMs costing multiples that of the Advar.



Imaging, fortunately, is not adversely affected by this. I found the Meze terrific in terms of instrument placement. Even in classical and orchestral pieces, the Advar holds its own, and I thoroughly enjoyed binaural recordings which really show off its imaging strengths.

The Advar has great macrodynamics, and perhaps gives in a little in terms of the intricacies of microdynamics. But that does not encroach on its rhythm and timing. Simply put, I found the Advar to be unwaveringly toe-tapping.

Scalability and Amping​

It may be exaggerated to say the Advar scales like crazy…but the Advar scales like crazy. I started off listening off my iPhone using the lightning adapter and 3.5mm cable. It was alright but nothing to get really excited about (granted the source wasn’t ideal).

Moving up to the R8 yielded a night and day transformation – power, control, precision, clarity, all while maintaining its inherently musical character.

I then added the C9 into the chain there was a notable improvement in technical performance – more spatial cues, more separation on the sage. The sound was a little more forward, lively, and energetic.

In solid state mode, compared to the R8 alone, music seemed to gain a degree of precision – it was cleaner yet and purer, especially vocals. Banjo and ukulele were more delicate. Bass drums and electronic beats had additional power, and sustained bass notes held themselves better.

Tube mode added some warmth and body. Bass was more rounded and drums hit with a little less punch. Vocals became smoother, and male vocals seemed to gain that little bit of lower midrange body I felt was missing before.

It gave back some of the technicalities, with busier songs sounding more compressed than in solid state. Vocals, while smoother, didn’t have as much air, and strings did not have as much sparkle. While these sound like downsides…in return, music was infused with an ethereal, euphonic character. It’s a case of pleasure over purity.

Comparisons​

My reference transducers cost anywhere from five to ten times that of the Advar. It may not be fair to compare them, but I actually think it showcases just how good the Advar are at their price point.

Oriolus Traillii​

I found the Traillii’s vocals to have a lighter body and are smoother. To me, vocals sounded more natural on the Traillii because they were less forward and had more room to breathe. But I can see how some may feel the Advar’s vocals are more natural given their body and comparatively romantic tone.

The stage size on the bird contributes to instruments being more delicate and layered – the massive soundstage is one of the Traillii’s best features, which gives it a true “out of head” experience more akin to full size headphones or two-channel speakers.



Electronic music on the Traillii was more detailed and layered. The precision ESTs are more nimble and crisper and exhibited better microdetail. On songs mainly featuring acoustic instruments, the sound from the bird was larger, wider, airier, and instruments tended to sound more real – such as on Karen Elson’s Green. If I had to describe the difference, in direct comparison, on the Advar the musical was more intimate, and instruments sounded like smaller versions of themselves.

Bass was not as prominent in the bird, mid-bass in particular. Sub-bass had more rumble, possibly due to having a deeper fit which allows it to directly reverberate the ear canal. But the Advar had more warmth and body. The more prominent sub-bass of Traillii worked great on Mind Games by Meggie Lennon as well as Vessel by Accidentals. And in the latter the two vocalists are separated far better. But songs like The Cranberries Wanted, Myrtille’s Murmures, and Runaway from Aurora – are perhaps more enjoyable with the mid-bass weight of Advar.

On both Perfect Crime and O Valencia from the Decemberists, it was as if a layer of haze was removed relative to Advar. Listening to Portion For Foxes from Rilo Kiley or Zombie from The Cranberries, the high hats and triangles and kick drums sounded more real on the Traillii, but the electric guitar had more grunge. Large drums had more size on the bird but were fuller on the Advar.

In terms of comfort, the Advar pips the prize. The birds go in a little deeper due to the shape of the earpiece and length and girth of the stem, which form a seal deeper in the canal. As mentioned earlier, my canals are sensitive, so the Meze’s shallower fit worked really for me.

Meze Elite​

One may question comparing diminutive dynamic driver in-ear versus full size isodynamic headphone. But I found this a rather interesting comparison – specifically because these both come from Meze.

Right off the bat, the word that springs to mind when listening to the Elite coming from the Advar is “life-size”. It goes without saying that a headphone experience is usually always going to sound larger, but it goes beyond stage and image dimensions. With the Elite I got a greater sense of the recording space. Slight reverbs and reflections and echo effects in both vocals and instruments were more than just byproducts, rather they were active and integral fragments that filled in voids in spacial cues, and by doing so, transported me deeper into the music.

Tonally, there is a musicality in the Elite which allows them to be exceptionally detailed without being fatiguing. Still, the Advar is warmer and richer. This is tip dependent, and preferences will differ from listener to listener. Fortunately one can tweak the sound of the Advar closer to neutrality or euphony with tip rolling, though the IEM always felt a little more romantic in comparison.

The common thread of smoothness and liquidity in the Meze house sound is apparent in both, but the Elite does run closer to neutral. It’s not bright, but side by side, it can sound brighter and more open than the Advar. The edges of the Elite have more sparkle and energy, adding lifelike realism. Advar in comparison is a little more muted, and perhaps sweeter.



Going back to detail, one of the other words that stood out with the Elite was “transparency”. It has incredible speed and articulation, with incredible transient response. Together with the Elite's superior layering capabilities, and its ability to space out elements on the stage, it was more holographic relative to the Advar which was more of a two dimensional experience in comparison.

Attempting an art analogy, the Advar is like a masterful painting – details are clear and precise and beautifully rendered. You can gaze upon the artwork for hours. It uses brushstrokes and gradations of light and dark to simulate a sense of three dimensionality on its flattened surface. The Elite is a marble sculpture that you can circle and view from many angles – you can explore the music and all its elements; you can see and touch them in front, behind, and all around. The three dimensionality is more palpable and believable.

Bass is bolder on the Advar, especially the body in the mid-bass. But this does come at the cost of some speed and kick relative to Elite, which has dexterous bass that can punch like a mule and decay with rapidity if called upon. It is incredibly well controlled, like a Porsche sticking to the road going down Romania's famous Transfăgărășan Highway. Sustained bass is also tighter and better defined, being a little fuzzier on Advar. These traits were evident when listening to Polo & Pan's Cœur Croisé.

All that said, if you like your eardrums being tickled by rumble, the sensation of a dynamic driver inside the ear canal is hard to match by an open over-ear headphone, and the Elite is no exception.

And a final word on scaling – as mentioned earlier in the review, the Advar does incredibly well at lower volumes, and especially well with music that is more on the sparse side. But it can sound a wee bit congested on really busy music as well as when pushing the volume high. The Elite is quite the opposite – it sounds even more dynamic and holographic as you push the volume up, and is eloquent and deft in the way it handles complex material.

Conclusion​

Being the middle child in Meze’s in-ear lineup, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d heard several single DD driver IEMs before, and their sound varied wildly from thin and dull to bombastic and thick. But…

…the Advar is simply and purely, a joy. It does many, many things right, and does these with sheer musical delight. While not the most technical, it is certainly no slouch. It is commendably resolving, rather forgiving of poorly mastered material, and – most importantly – it portrays music with a beautiful tone and charming allure.



It is well balanced and has a great sense of coherency, no doubt attributed to the use of a single driver. And I really enjoyed the detail rich yet sibilant free sound, while being composed, dynamic, and non-fatiguing. Add to that Meze’s unrivalled build quality and killer good looks, and you have what I would dub as a strong contender for top sub-$1k IEM on the market.

Closing the loop and reminiscing about my trip again, the Advar reminds me of the delightful Romanian dessert papanași – it’s not easy to make and can be made too hard, too thick, too sugary, and one needs to get the balance right between dough, jam, and cream cheese. But done right, it is unxious, sweet, poised, and makes me want to go in for seconds (and thirds).

While this is primarily a review of the Solitaire P headphones, it was undertaken in conjunction with the HA200, as a complete T+A system.

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The Dark Knight

“This is incredibly powerful”, I thought to myself the first time I heard the Hans Zimmer / James Newton Howard soundtrack to the 2008 Batman film. The brooding darkness, the raw intensity, the orchestral swells and reprieves.

”But it’s undeniably refined and oh so majestic – it’s brilliant” I concluded. And that summation is a poignant parallel to my takeaway of the two components under review.

I want to personally thank the local importer of T+A, Elektro Akustik, for their generosity in giving me the opportunity to have the components on loan for what turned out to be a rather lengthy review period. That said, the views in this write-up are my own, and they asked for nothing in return other than my honest and unadulterated opinion.

Born in North Rhine-Westphalia

Before I get ahead of myself, it’s important to set some context and describe some of the history that led to the Solitaire P headphones and HA200 DAC / amplifier.


In the lowlands between the Wiehen Hills and the Teutoburg Forest in western Germany you’ll find the town of Herford, dating all the way back to the year 789. What you will also find there is the company T+A elektroakustik (pronounced “T plus A”) – which stands for "Theorie und Anwendung," or, in English, "Theory plus Application."

Founded in 1978, T+A produces a full range of electronics and loudspeakers. The team of approximately fifteen designers and developers create every device in-house, driven by a passion for sound fused with precision engineering and innovative technical expertise. Their products are placed rather high up the ladder of high end in terms of pricing but are backed by the uncompromising performance that is the beating heart of the company’s ethos.

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The HA200

Two roads converged

While the market has many desktop headphone amps and digital sources, combination DAC /amp devices are less common. They usually take the form of small, budget-friendly systems with limited inputs and outputs. Cheap, cheerful, but rather restricted in function. But in mid-2020, a few months after the release of their first headphone offerings, the T+A HA200 headphone amplifier was launched. Its aim was to set new standards in sound quality, performance, and versatility. That brought together the two functions of DAC and headphone amp, while also merging T+A’s innovation and heritage.

The HA200 was developed to drive almost all headphone types spanning a wide range of impedances. Innovative technology and purpose-built circuit topology cater for both low-impedance transducers which draw high currents, through to the relatively low currents flowing in high-impedance headphones (which also require tremendous voltage stability. To further support optimal matching, the output impedance is independently adjustable for each of the amp’s three headphone jacks.

Modern versatility

The analogue section uses high-performance output stages operating in Class-A, deploying special MOS-FET transistors – no op-amps and no chips in sight. The digital section is fitted with T+A’s sophisticated and proprietary converters – featuring separate decoder architectures for DSD and PCM, powered by four PCM1795 DAC chips. The analogue and digital sections are galvanically isolated and each has its own dedicated toroidal power supply.

The façade of the HA200 features 3 headphone jacks (6.3mm single-ended, 4-pin XLR, and 4.4mm Pentaconn), a large monochrome display showing volume and various other settings (such as the selected digital filter, output impedance, and cross-feed), two multi-purpose VU meters, and an array of push buttons. Volume adjustment is based on precise resistors and features Japanese relays, and the large volume knob doubles as a menu navigation control. For those who prefer, the HA200’s full functionality can be controlled from the included FM8 remote.

Around back you’ll find a plethora of both digital and analogue inputs. This includes USB-B which can process up to DSD 1024 and PCM 768. Also present are AES/EBU and BNC sockets, two optical, and two co-axial S/PDIF inputs. There’s also wireless input via Bluetooth which supports aptX HD. Analog inputs include balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA. There are four Ethernet sockets, though these are not used for audio and are instead employed for connectivity to other T+A devices and system control. The HA200 can come with an optional HDMI panel (two HDMI inputs and one ARC output). As an aside, while there is no analogue output, the device can serve as a preamp using an adapter (which T+A offers separately) that connects to the XLR headphone jack and terminates in either RCA or XLR.

Built to last

The chassis has a confident heft to it, built completely from aluminium, with a thick front panel machined from a single solid plate of metal. The extruded heatsinks are recessed into the profile of the case so are cleverly hidden when viewed from the front and fulfil the important function of dissipating the immense heat that can be produced by a Class-A amplifier. Despite weighing in at a healthy 6kg, the amp has a relatively small footprint of 34x10x32cm.

There is neither a sense of opulence nor stark utilitarianism in its design, and in my eyes, it is a beauty to behold. Impeccably finished, form and function are both fulfilled with a reserved gravitas one might expect from a German component.

A finely tuned machine

The HA200 has several aces up its sleeve that I found rather useful, and at no time felt superfluous or gimmicky.

The first of these are bass and treble tone controls – for adjustment of lower and upper frequencies respectively. I found this particularly beneficial to add weight when listening to headphones such as the Sennheiser HD800, and is conveniently defeatable using one of the front-panel push buttons which toggles tone control on or off.

The second is the balance control to alter the level between left and right channels. I used this to shift a notch or two toward the right to centralise the image – especially when using IEMs, as they tend to exacerbate a slight imbalance in my hearing.

Crossfeed – the process of blending left and right channels to reduce extreme channel separation – can be enabled or disabled via the menu. This is not uncommon in headphone amps these days and aims to present the sound in a more natural manner, akin to listening to speakers. While I am not a particular fan of crossfeed in general, it has been well executed here and does not feel artificial.

The loudness setting was great when running a variety of head gear off the HA200, and there are four levels available to choose from. On the lower loudness settings, even sensitive IEMs could be played with sufficient granularity in volume adjustments and without any detectable hiss. Higher loudness settings worked a treat with harder-to-drive full size headphones.

When using a digital input, you can select from four oversampling filters, each having their own unique sound characteristics. Or if you prefer, you can select from one of the two NOS (non-oversampling) filter settings. I tended to use NOS1 for more forward and lively transducers as this renders the music slightly smoother and with more control over errant spikes in the upper registers. For everything else I defaulted to the BEZ2 filter, which per the manual aims to deliver optimal timing and dynamics.

I must add that, unlike filter settings in many modern DAPs – in which any differences are practically inaudible – sonic changes are readily apparent when cycling through the filters at your disposal on the HA200. This enhances the adaptability and thus facilitates achieving great synergy with your headphone of choice, and of course, your personal preferences.

Tell me a tale

The two analogue VU meters are multifunction and can be set to several configurations. This includes input and output levels, temperature (of the internal system and Class-A output stage), and stream quality (clock frequency of the incoming signal and error rate of the input). And if desired you can also disable the meters entirely.

The changes are made in the system settings menu, accessed by pressing and holding the menu push-button. Other settings you can adjust in that menu include enabling / disabling sources, an energy saver mode that automatically switches the HA200 to standby mode after a period of inactivity, and adjusting display brightness.

You can also choose whether the display is switched on permanently or only temporarily (e.g., after pushing one of the buttons or changing volume). Call me old school, but I really liked the latter option – it reminded me of some of my first Marantz CD players where the display could be toggled off, theoretically to reduce any electrical noise emanating from the screen.

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The Solitaire P

You mean electrostatic…

Ahem, no, it’s “magnetostatic”.

There are several transducer technologies in use across the headphone market these days – including dynamic drivers (think Sennheiser, Focal), planars (the likes of Audeze and Final Audio), and electrostatic (Stax being the most notable). In the Solitaire P, T+A built on their tradition of using planar drivers which dates back to their active speakers in the early 1980’s, while introducing some ingenious technical designs to address the inherent disadvantages in traditional planars – namely low efficiency, low impedance, and high mass.

The unique magnetostatic driver further differentiates itself from electrostats in that you can drive them using a regular headphone amp – and thus do not require a special electrostatic “energizer”. T+A achieved this by designing a unique conductor array where the entire driver has been vapor-coated with conductive material. The driver is in turn driven by nineteen neodymium magnets which produce precisely calculated magnetic field lines. In addition to achieving sound that is highly dynamic and virtually distortion free, the Solitaire P is also comparatively easy to drive given its 80-ohm impedance and sensitivity of 101dB/V (92dB/mW).

Built with purpose

Physically the headphones are beautiful and timeless, exuding precision craftsmanship. Don’t expect exotic moon rock or mirror-polished burl wood, however. The designers took the approach of using incredibly high-quality materials and treating them with the utmost respect, as a Michelin star chef would the finest ingredients. Yokes and cups are milled from solid military-grade aluminium, the latter taking over an hour each to machine. They are finished in an understated anodised matte silver with a laser-etched T+A logo.

The drivers, which make up the bulk of the weight, are seated inside the earcups, the back of which are covered in a tasteful black aluminium mesh. This protects the transducers, reduces weights, and has the added benefit of making the rear of the drivers and assembly entirely visible. Cleverly, this mesh features an opening for the headphone cable, which slides into a barrel and fits securely into a concealed socket.

The front of the driver has a red material cover that also provides dust protection, and the cups are finished off with firm but very comfortable Alcantara pads. A cushioned headband adds to the refined finish and overall comfort. Note that this is an extremely open construction – this contributes to stage size, imaging, and resonance control, but bear in mind it also means you’ll hear almost all sounds around you (so best be listening in a quiet room), and whatever you’re listening to will be audible to anyone within a COVID-compliant proximity.

As an aside, the headband and pads are hand-made by a specialist German manufacturer using high-grade Alcantara and synthetic leather. They are amongst only a very small number of components that aren’t made in-house at the Herford headquarters.

The Solitaire P is sufficiently comfortable, though not quite at the same level as some of its competitors. The earpads and headband are relatively firm rather than being plush and pillowy. I also found that the headphone exerts a solid clamping force. As a result, some pressure points may form with extended listening. While this is only readily apparent after an hour or two, some may wish for a little more give in the cushioning to conform to the contour of the head.

The Full Monty

The headphone sits neatly in a sturdy and functional presentation box. Following a similar approach to the headphones themselves, the box is neither opulent nor made of exotic material. Virtually all black, the box has a large footprint; the headphones sit flat within a moulded and padded cut-out, and the top is covered in a luxurious faux black leather. Inside the enclosure, on either side of the Solitaire P itself, are discretely hidden cavities – each holding one of the two supplied cables.

Speaking of cables, the Solitaire P comes supplied with two, with prospective buyers able to select from three possible options – 6.3mm single-ended, 4.4mm Pentaconn, and 4-pin Neutrik XLR. All are made using the same ultra-pure OFC copper and each of the conductors in the cable is embedded in cotton threads and wrapped in a silver-plated woven shield. The aim of this topology, according to T+A, is to ensure low inductivity and capacitance, and optimum impedance.

Science and alchemy aside, the cables look and feel terrific, sound wonderful, do not tangle or twist, and exhibit no microphonics. And the reserved, elegant connectors are worthy of special mention – clearly designed specifically to match the rest of the headphone’s stellar construction. No corners cut, and nothing off-the-shelf to be found here.

While I did not get to test this myself, I would be remiss in not mentioning T+A’s "Fresh-Up-Service”. Like a fine timepiece or automobile, the Solitaire P can be periodically picked up for a professional cleaning, including a replacement of the ear pads, dust cover, and headband. The headphones will then be tested for optimal performance before being returned in tip-top condition.

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And onto the sound

The write-up has up to this point perhaps been a little drawn out, albeit necessarily lengthy to provide the requisite backdrop. The nexus of heritage, build quality, and technology would mean little if the end result wasn’t any good. So now it is time to talk about the most important aspect – the sound.

Balance is not found, it is created

I will delve into the specifics shortly, but I thought it pertinent to start off by talking about what I feel is the T+A duo’s magic trick – balance. This comes through in many facets and across different planes, hence why I put it right at the top of its accomplishments. It took me some time to understand and appreciate the T+A’s presentation of music. But once my mind locked in, I became immersed.

The first of these is precision with musicality. The amp and headphones exhibit an uncanny ability to extract incredible levels of detail, permeated with texture and timbre and realism. I don’t feel like I am listening to a scientific device that belongs in a lab. I could go into analysis mode if I wish, but that is note where the system transports me. Rather, it pulls me in, and I cannot help but close my eyes and get lost in the music. I’ve heard many headphone systems that have surgical accuracy but are devoid of soul. And similarly, I have heard many that are (borrowing a Netflix term) truly “swoon-worthy” but leave me wanting for technicalities. The T+A’s somehow manage to marry both.

The second which comes to mind is detail with listenability. I differentiate this from the musicality element above, in that this balance is around how detail is presented. It is not forced, it is not aggressive, it does not call particular attention to itself. There are headphone and IEM experiences I can think of that simply overwhelmed by ears and my brain – the detail was pushed forward prominently; a spotlight shone on minutiae which come across as unnatural. The T+A approach is more reserved, far more eloquent, and undeniably refined. With highly resolving systems I can fatigue quite quickly – it all gets a little too much. Fatigue doesn’t feature in the T+A’s vocabulary. But don’t confuse this with laid back – the system can, when called for by the material, be incredibly lively and dynamic.

The third and final balance I want to mention is weight and clarity. The speed of the Solitaire P together with the sophisticated smoothness of the HA200 create a beautiful sense of space, one in which all elements are so well delineated and yet which are not light-footed or ethereal. It’s almost as if the bass is emanating from within the room by a totally different transducer, creating both the required punch and sustained body to both the bass and lower mids, while never getting in the way or, hiding, muddying, or otherwise tarnishing the midrange and treble.

I should also add that, across the frequency range, there is a subtle and intrinsic warmth that is just north of neutral. This tone is done tastefully – that is, the Solitaire P is not cold or brittle, and it certainly isn’t coloured or euphonic. What this achieves is the ability to draw you in rather than detract from the music. This type of sound is, admittedly, right up my alley.

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Diving Into Specifics

Bass

Authoritative is the first word that comes to mind. The T+A’s extend deep into the sub-bass and while they do not rumble the skull like bass oriented systems, they have noteworthy texture and a punchiness when called on (a good example is the thumping drums in Meggie Lennon’s Mind Games and The Accidentals’ Vessel).

What I truly enjoy is how they exhibit such powerful conviction while retaining sufficient discipline to not induce bloom or unwanted resonance (one of the tests which the T+A passed with flying colours is Reb Fountain’s Together). It is neither lean nor bloated. On many occasions, I was taken aback by the visceral thump of a kick drum, the weight of acoustic bass, or the dynamic body of an EDM drop (be it mainstream electro house like Deorro’s Five Hours or classic trance like Karen Overton’s Your Loving Arms).

Also worth special mention is the solidity that the bass has even at low volumes (9Bach’s Pa Bryd y Deui Eto? – the version from the album Ar y 9 – a great example of this). I think this is one of the defining characteristics of the driver used in the Solitaire P. It exhibits linearity and beautiful weight even at lower levels, which rise proportionally as you increase the volume, without a hint of distortion even at elevated volumes well beyond my loudness appetite.

Midrange

This mids of the T+A are beautifully harmonic, with an overarching sense of cohesion that is addictive. I find instruments to be expressive and nuanced, with an authentic timbre. I especially enjoyed the production of acoustic guitar (Myrtille’s Ramer), cello (Leyla McCalla’s Little Sparrow), piano (Catt’s Patterns or Hania Rani’s Glass), and violin (Hilary Han and the LSO’s Elgar: Violin Concerto In B Minor Op. 61 – 3, Allegra Molto is a spiritual journey on the T+A system). The cracking thwack of a drum is also properly impressive (such as on Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Charlie).

Vocals are natural, with eerie realism. Female singers are incredibly clear, and you are rewarded with great recordings – be it smoothness in folk (Kate Rusby’s Awkward Annie), indie pop (The Bird and the Bee’s My Love), or indie rock (Rilo Kiley’s I Never); sultriness in jazz (husky French vocals like Carla Bruni’s Raphael are among the best I’ve heard, as was Shelby Lynne’s title track for the album Just A Little Lovin’), or the exhilarating power of modern divas (illustrated by Adele’s Easy On Me). And yet, while bad recordings make themselves known, I would describe the T+A as being on the more forgiving side of the spectrum (something like Sara Blasko’s Lost & Defeated was rendered beautifully, without the harshness and shoutiness many systems produce).

While I do not listen to a lot of male vocals, these are rendered very well. I experienced this across different types of male singers – ranging from pop (like Bruno Mars’s Locked out of Heaven), to rock (Bon Jovi’s Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night a particular favorite), to melancholic folk (the impassioned and solemn performance of Mandolin Orange / Watchhouse’s Time We Made Time) to the heavy metal that is my guilty pleasure (the whole of Pantera’s Far Beyond Driven album was justly aggressive and in-my-face, one of the more powerful tracks of which is Slaughtered).

Treble

I have read several impressions that describe the T+A as “dark”. I posit that this might be the feeling you are left with after a brief demo. I too, did not experience a “wow” moment initially, and as previously alluded to, it can take some time for the true character of the system to be revealed, especially in the treble region. It may be what some would call safe, but it is unreservedly natural and controlled (as heard in Tintinnabulum from Adiemus).

I found the treble to be gracefully extended – never shouty nor aggressive. It is subtly subdued which is conducive to long, fatigue-free listening sessions. Fine detail is almost infinitely discernible; presented in a refined manner that evades excessive sibilance (A Fine Frenzy’s Liar, Liar was astoundingly well portrayed).

I would say I prefer the T+A’s sturdy yet delicate portrayal of upper frequencies, as opposed to a treble response that is inherently wispy or sparkly – these tend to accentuate brightness and in turn tire my senses. I would use the word “poised” to describe the balance struck (as discovered in Whitehorse’s Tame As the Wild Ones).

Technicalities

This probably took me the most time to figure out and articulate. I would not call the soundstage remarkably wide, but neither would I say it is restricted. Eventually, I grasped the two key capabilities that really made the T+A stand out and stand head and shoulders above other systems I have had the pleasure of hearing in my many years in the hobby.

The first is the staging – as noted above the stage has commendable width, but more impressive is the depth and height achieved. The way I describe it is like a cube – equally large along all three axes. This produces a vividly three-dimensional soundstage with perhaps the most realistic portrayal of spatial information that I have encountered. To a large extent, it is reminiscent to listening to very, very good speakers in a well-treated room (a great example is The Weather Station’s Robber)

The second is the stellar layering and separation. Somehow things never felt congested, even with particularly complex material (a must-listen on this system is The Mandalorian theme song from Ludwig Goransson). Coupled with the room-shaped stage, this sets a benchmark for immersive sound, which I attribute to the soundstage’s depth and pinpoint imaging (Morcheeba’s Women Lose Weight is a perfect example of channel separation and being surrounded by a multitude of elements flying around the head).

Adding to the sense of “cubic” dimensions is the way it highlights the details it extracts on the stage – with seemingly equal levels of volume and emphasis, whether central or at the extremities (such as on Zero 7’s Throw It All Away or Karen Elson’s The Truth is In The Dirt). This sets it apart from many of the traditional headphone systems that have more of an oval stage, with details softening and becoming less discernible the further they stretch either way.

The T+A has a few more magic tricks up its sleeve. It produces superb macrodynamics – from the quietest of strings to explosive drums and chorus and symphony (Daft Punk’s Giorgio by Moroder comes to mind); as well as nuanced microdynamics – transients such as lively hi-hats, punchy drums, and rhythmic cymbals (The Cranberries’s Zombie and Queen’s Killer Queen are good examples). And another quality that really struck me was the speed with which sound appears, as if out of nowhere, like an apparition (like in Heidi Talbot’s Bedlam Boys). It achieves this feat while somehow possessing great weight of tone and depending on what is called upon in the material, it can vanish suddenly, or linger like a fragrant perfume.

I must state that the above technicalities are achieved by both components in the T+A system. I tried running the Solitaire directly from my HiBy R8 DAP for example and, while the detail and tone was there, it came across as flatter. It lost the deep layers and holographic nature I heard when pairing the headphones with the HA200. I also found the HiBy to be slightly more forward and not quite as refined and smooth as the HA200 – possibly due to the advanced and polished DAC section, though this could be a factor of “compression” in the soundstage.

As a counterpoint to the above, I have read several impressions of the Solitaire P not having a background that is quite as dark as other similarly priced flagships. To my ears, I found it close to pitch-black and feel that any more emphasis on the edges of voices and instruments would exaggerate the contrast.

I will concede that the slightly subdued nature of the sound, notably in the upper frequencies, may leave some wanting for that final sliver of air that other high-end electrostatic and planar headphones seem to eek out. Personally, I feel this would come at the cost of some warmth and body and may push the sound closer to being sterile or harsh – two words I can neither associate with the T+A nor wish as a sonic characteristic when I listen to music.

The sight of music

There is one characteristic of the system’s sound that I thought merited carving out under its own heading. This is the insight that the T+A combo gives into the music. This is especially the case with vocals and with real instruments.

To explain: You get systems that extract a lot of detail. You get systems that create a big soundscape. And you get systems that achieve great levels of realism. What the T+A manages to do is produce a sound that is convincingly lifelike. It’s very different to, say, an 8K television on high-contrast demo mode at the electronics store, which is unnaturally saturated. Nor is it blunted or muted, appearing to be behind a fine haze, such that you know it’s a reproduction at best.

This comes across in the tone of a singer’s voice – be it natural imperfections, vibrato, melisma, grit, and the breath between words and verses. It’s the resonance in the body of an acoustic guitar. The fundamental tone of a violin and wave-like overtone of the vibration. The compression of air inside a drum or the pulsation of the surface of the skin. The shimmer of cymbal pedals striking each other. The distortion formed by the flow of excess electricity through an electric guitar amp.

What does the above achieve? It paints the image of the music in my mind. I don’t need to force it, nor pretend, to strain my imagination. It does so equally through the sound produced and the pitch-black backdrop in between notes. In a way it reminds me of a Caravaggio masterpiece – who painted with both light and darkness to create a faithful, dramatic, yet natural portrayal of reality.

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Comparisons

For this section I compared the Solitaire P to two other flagships that I use and own. To minimize the number of factors that changed, I used the HiBy R8 as digital transport, feeding the HA200 which served as DAC and amp. I only adjusted the impedance to match each headphone, keeping all other settings and filter configurations the same.

Sennheiser HD800

It’s been well over a decade since its release, and there have been a few newer iterations, but I still hold the original HD800 in high regard.

To start off with, I find the Sennheiser the most comfortable headphone available to this day to this day. It exerts less clamping force on my narrow head, and the large pads sit well away from my ears and keep them sufficiently far away from the inner mesh.

It’s also a particularly finnicky headphone. With a large dynamic driver and high 300-ohm impedance, it may be relatively easy to get it loud, but it takes careful matching to sound good (if you are into tubes, the HD800 off an OTL tube amp is a must-try). Fortunately, the HA200 is up to the task. It has great control over the driver, and the slight warmth, fuller bodied-sound, and refined upper frequencies keeps the treble from gnawing your eyes out.

That said, it is clearly a brighter-tilted transducer than the Solitaire P. Vocals are leaner in comparison, with female vocals a little drier and more pitchy. It’s a less forgiving headphone that can be etched and sibilant with poorer material. The sibilants are not as controlled, and the 8kHz spike can make its presence known. So, while ergonomically the HD800 is more comfortable, sonically it fatigues my ears a lot quicker.

I was quite surprised with the bass of the HD800 in comparison. It has great body and authority, though it cannot match the punch of the Solitaire. I also found the dynamic driver to have a quicker decay, converse to expectations. As a result, the bass was softer and cannot sustain prolonged, deep bass signals in the way the T+A can.

Staging wise the HD800 still reigns supreme in terms of width. Fortunately, on the HA200, this does not come across as too exaggerated or sparse. The Solitaire P counters this with superior depth and layering. This means that, despite being narrower, the elements on the stage are better delineated and it handles complex passages better. The HD800 stretches left to right really well, whereas the Solitaire stretches horizontally, vertically and deeply in equal measure.

Detail retrieval remains world class on the Sennheiser, but I must admit that when comparing it to the T+A, these can come across as artificial at times. They lack the absolute authenticity and realism the Solitaire P musters. The Sennheiser’s more elliptical stage size also means that detail is less apparent toward the edges.

Choice of music is important to talk about at this juncture. I you listen to a lot of classical, folk, jazz, and acoustic music, the HD800 does well. But it is less convincing when it comes to music like modern pop, classic or indie rock, and EDM. It lacks the punch and weight required, sounding comparatively too thin. In this regard, the Solitaire is more versatile.

So, if I must be brutally objective, I give an unreserved nod to the Solitaire P as being the better headphone. That said, putting into context the fact that the Sennheiser came in at about a quarter of the price, it puts up a helluva fight and performs admirably.

Meze Elite

A more recent release, the Elite is the new flagship from the Romanian brand Meze, who continued their partnership with Rinaro and use the unique “Isodynamic Hybrid Array” driver. It is without doubt one of the prettiest headphones around – intricately designed yet sturdy, the true essence of timeless appeal.

In terms of ergonomics, the Elite is up there with the HD800. The pads are a little smaller and shallower, so I can feel my ears touch them lightly, but not uncomfortably so. The headband design means the Elite almost floats, exerting very little pressure, and practically disappearing after a couple of minutes on the head.

Sound-wise, while they are both clearly flagships, I don’t think you could find a more different approach than the Meze and the T+A. The former has terrific technicalities but places more emphasis on being melodic. It has a charming sound with a hint of more warmth. Vocals are fuller and wetter, sounding a little more organic. Drums hit with more heft, and sustained bass sounds are more bodied.

That is not to say it is muddy at all. On the contrary, there is no bleed of bass into the midrange, and no bloom. In direct A/B comparison, the Solitaire P has more speed and quicker decay. The Elite is a little more rumbly and weightier, seemingly closer to what one may traditionally associate with a dynamic driver.

Stage is good on the Elite but falls short in terms of sheer size and depth compared to the Solitaire P (and width of the HD800). It does not come across as congested, but you get a sense of its limitations. I suspect the imaging contributes to this – with the Elite being a little more diffuse and “smokier”. The T+A is more accurate and focused, and it is easier to pinpoint the placement of instruments, vocals, and other elements of sound.

Detail retrieval on the Elite is excellent, I’d say as good as the HD800. However, some of the detail requires a little more attention to pick out, having a slightly smaller stage and not being quite as holographic as the Solitaire P. But the Elite is perhaps even more adaptable – it seems to sound better with a wider variety of music and is a little more pleasant sounding when tasked with playing poorer recordings.

There is one attribute though, in which I would say the Elite edges the others out on – and that is unadulterated musicality. It draws me in like a moth to a flame and fires up the “feel-good” synapses of my brain. I know in my head that it doesn’t achieve the height of technical excellence that the Solitaire P does, and truth be told that is something that is a bit of a letdown given its $4k price, but this is compensated for by the way it can feed my soul.

Without a doubt, that is a compromise that some may not wish to make, especially at flagship level. And at times, listening to what the T+A can do, it casts a shadow in my mind about whether the Elite is playing in the same league. But that I believe is, to some extent, due to doing the direct comparisons through quick flipping between headphones.

In summary, objectively, the Solitaire is the more competent headphone. It is more accurate, more resolving, more controlled, and more three-dimensional. And yet, I cannot state categorically that it is the more enjoyable headphone. That is in the eye of the beholder. And despite the shortcomings, I would not feel short-changed with the Meze. On the contrary, to me, I make more of an emotional connection to the Elite.

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In Conclusion

Mjölnir

Why the reference to the enchanted weapon wielded by an Asgardian thunder god, you may ask? Well, while it may be used as a devastating weapon, in the right hands, it is a divine instrument that provides everlasting blessings. Simply put, in my analogy, the Solitaire P is the hammer, and the HA200 is Thor. The two should not be separated, which is also why this review focused on both as a system, rather than two standalone components.

Unboxing the two T+A components was a strangely cathartic experience. I had read a lot about them but did not think I’d ever get the chance to hear them, let alone experience them for several weeks – thanks to the generosity and trust from my local dealer. And to be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

At first listen I was not blown away, but I was not disappointed either. The sound I was hearing was rather enigmatic, like a conundrum that needed solving. And with time, once it was, I was richly rewarded and nothing less than enthralled.

If you happen to be in the market and are sufficiently well-heeled, add the Solitaire P and HA200 to your shortlist. Your brand-matching OCD will love you, and you attain the rarified feat of perfect synergy in matching components. In turn, it saves you the time, effort, and tribulations of the trial and error that so many audiophile enthusiasts need to put themselves through to find the ideal combination of source, amplification, and transducer.

These components are undeniably expensive, on the upper echelon of luxury. And even so, they somehow pull off being discrete, and are neither ostentatious nor bombastic in their physical form or the sound they generate. If you are looking for alluring, lush, or a sound that is warm and fuzzy, this isn’t for you. If you want analytical, airy, and ethereal, this isn’t for you.

But, if you want a sound that is spectacularly detailed and realistic, yet organic and non-fatiguing, do yourself a favor, and demo the T+A system.

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Side note 1 - I put together a playlist on Tidal of the songs mentioned in this review. You can find it here. There are two songs that I could not find on Tidal for some reason, so I am including YouTube links for these two: Reb Fountain's "Together" and Kate Rusby's "Awkward Annie".

Side note 2 - A big thanks to @gLer for his incredible photography in capturing the images used in the review.