Lavricables Ultimate line v4 for T+A Solitaire T

Introduction:

Coming from a long-standing philosophy of tuning sound first, aesthetics later, T+A have succeeded in designing a pair of headphones that were capable of ticking almost all the boxes listed above. Not only that, but the Solitaire T also quickly proved to be an excellent choice for audiophiles that want to limit themselves to a single fit-all solution. The Solitaire T scale quite well with better amplification. It therefore was only a matter of time before the desire arose to see what more could be gotten out of the Solitaire T.

So, the cable rolling started.

Why review a cable for a pair of wireless headphones? Good question. Being a frequent business traveller, I have spent years and years finding a pair of travel headphones that would be able to fit all the requirements that I could possibly have.

• Excellent sound while wireless
• Excellent sound while wired (single-ended and balanced)
• Capability to be driven in analogue passive mode
• Capability to be driven digitally in USB mode
• Decent to good ANC Noise Cancelling

After having been through just about everything north of the Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless, going through critically acclaimed headphones such as the B&W PX8, Focal Bathys, Mark Levinson ML 5909 I ended up settling for the T+A Solitaire T.

Cable rolling for the Solitaire T proved to be easier said than done … First, with the Solitaire T, T+A have opted for a proprietary wiring scheme. This meant that ordering upgrade cables would only be possible from cable builders who were willing to custom build these. To date, only Audiophile Ninja and Lavricables decided to list the T+A Solitaire T upgrade cable as a standard offering. No issue though as most builders proved willing to build a custom cable if the correct specs were shared. Secondly .. With the Solitaire T having a proprietary wiring scheme and a 2.5mm TRRS connection on the cup, there was no room for experimentation in terms of trying out multiple cables and materials. Every single trial and review was going to involve a personal investment in a purpose-built cable.

Enter @lavricables with their Ultimate V4 Silver Cable. When Konstantin from Lavricables asked me whether I wanted to give his new Ultimate V4 Silver cable a spin, I could only gladly accept the honour. Happily using and preferring the Lavricables Grand Silver cable with my Focal Utopia 2002, ZMF Caldera Closed and Focal “Stelliance” I immediately had high hopes for what a silver cable could potentially bring to the Solitaire T.

The step from the stock T+A cables to higher-end OFC alternatives was already quite significant, adding a good degree of warmth to the otherwise neutral Solitaire T. Transparency and detail in the upper regions however remained comparatively conservative so the thought of bringing in a touch of silver was appealing.



Disclaimer:
All opinions in this write-up are mine, and only mine.

Lavricables:

The Lavricables brand was created in 2012 as a hobby by a group of passionate audiophiles. Dissatisfied with the high prices in the audio industry, this group decided to create their own cables. Based in Latvia, Lavricables stands out for its use of pure silver wire. Their range of products is backed by strong philosophy and experience, and they offer limitless customization options. Their range includes headphone cables, speaker cables, USB cables, interconnects, and more..


Lavricables Line-up:

Lavricables has divided its cables into four different categories. The first and most budget-oriented one is called Reference Line. Reference Line is made of solid-core silver and has a purity rating of 5N. This line-up utilizes Teflon for RFI and EMI rejection.

Next is the Ultimate Line. In this range, the cable geometry is different, and the cable thickness is increased along with several other improvements. The Ultimate Line uses AWG24 5N multistrand litz silver wire and Lavricables states that it has a softer, more flexible cable jacket featuring zero microphonics. Additionally, the Reference and Ultimate Line cables are soldered with Mundorf 4% fine silver audio solder.

The Master Line and Lavricables’ TOTL offering, the Grand Line, use even thicker silver cables. Here, we see cables with both litz configurations and solid core configurations. Of course, there is improvement in specifications such as purity, wire geometry, and material quality compared to the other two categories.

Lavricables is not one of those companies that have been producing and selling the same cable for years. They constantly improve and update their designs based on user feedback and in-house testing. The Ultimate cable that I have been sent to review represents its 4th iteration in the Ultimate line.


Lavricables Ultimate Silver v4:

The cable that I have been evaluating is the 4th iteration of the Ultimate line. This line is the first line above the entry-level Reference line and has been through a fair degree of developments since its introduction. The specfic configuration that I tested was 1m20 and came with a 2.5mm gold-plated plug on the headphones end and a gold plated 4.4mm plug on the source end and costs €215,00 ex VAT. Other options exist however and can simply be selected when ordering from Lavricables. https://www.lavricables.com/cables/ultimate-silver-headphone-upgrade-cable/



Originally it started as an awg25 cable that for its 2nd iteration was reduced in thickness to awg24, and to which damping material was added. Its 3rd iteration came in 2022 when a complete redesign was introduced, bringing it closer to the Grand line. Individually enamelled silver cores were introduced that were double twisted with addition of even more damping material in the centre.

Finally in 2024 the 4th and current iteration was introduced. This time a gold plated OCC copper group was introduced in the in the centre leading to an increased low end register that strikes with a bit more energy and slam. This change improved the overall wire smoothness and bass character. With this improvement the highs also became more velvet, leading to a richer tone, while keeping an overall natural and revealing sound. Visually the wire has the same geometry as v3, only slightly thicker.


Build:

Stock cables often come as an afterthought. In case of the Solitaire T unfortunately this adage also applies. Compare a lacklustre sound with hard to ignore microphonics and you have a valid reason to upgrade away from these stock cables as soon as possible.

While not as visually appealing as for instance Forza AudioWorks cables, Lavricables cables feel and sound much better, and for starters the Ultimate line excels in portability and flexibility. I found Konstantins bold statement that the Ultimate line has virtually no microphonics to be absolutely true, and you would be hard pressed to find a better cable in that respect. An absolute key quality for a cable that is positioned to support mobile use as much as home use. The fact that I unconsciously found myself packing the Lavricables Ultimate v4 cable for business trips more and more often, combined with my Hiby RS6 or Hiby RS8 pretty much confirmed this. Even better, contrary to some cables, the Ultimate is so flexible that it seamlessly fits inside the small T+A cable box that can be found inside the headphone case.


Build 5/5 (light, flexible, sexy, quality plugs, no microphonics)


Sound:

Having settled for silver cables as my preference for all my other headphones, the Solitaire T has always been the odd one out. The Solitaire are relatively neutral sounding headphones with a somewhat flatter FR, and this made me hesitant when unpacking the Ultimate V4 cable. Until then the (custom) Forza Audioworks Claire HPC mk2 had been the cable to pack when going on a work trip, and frankly, these had always managed to keep me completely satisfied.

Granted, since the Solitaire T are predominantly meant to be used in noisy environments such as airplanes and open offices, this seldom allows for true critical listening. The comfort and quiet of a good hotel room, however, lend itself much better to this. And this is where having a high-quality DAP, a pair of stellar portable headphones and the right cable along for the trip makes much more sense.

And I must say, this is where the Lavricables Ultimate V4 surprised me by surpassing most of my expectations. Owning a few Lavricables Grand cables for my other headphones already shaped my thoughts in terms of what to expect. I therefore felt I should cross my fingers that with the slightly flatter and harsher tuning of the Solitaire T, the Ultimate V4 would not push the Solitaire T over the edge.

It didn’t .. In fact what the Ultimate V4 did was lifting a proverbial veil and provide more transparency, micro-details and ultimately a more coherent presentation. Even the sound stage, which the Solaire T slightly lacks compared to the Dali IO-12 and Mark Levinson ML 5909, did improve. Not massively, but the stage did spread out a little over the horizontal axis. And that without a hint of sibilance!

The initial leap from the stock T+A cables to the Forza Claire HPC Mk2 on itself was a bigger step than the one from Forza to Lavricables, but the Lavricables Ultimate v4 definitely brought the Solitaire T even further.

The lower registers cleaned up a little, where the increased transparency provided a little more insight and layering, as well as more slam. Bass became a little leaner but at the same time extended more downwards, tightened up a little and became more impactful. In comparison I found the Forza to be a little rounder but also a little less layered and definitely bit more fuzzy in the lower registers.

If there would be one area where I could perhaps see myself wanting a little bit more improvement, it would be the mids. With male vocals, and to a lesser extent with female vocals I still found the T+A Solitaire T somewhat recessed and perhaps even muffled, even with a silver cable thrown into the mix. This however should be attributed to the Solitaire T’s tuning, something that the Ultimate V4 slightly improved but never fully corrected or compensated.

Part of this can be attributed to the simple fact of choosing silver over copper, but you must remember that the cable is never the only factor in this. In the end it all comes down to synergy between the tuning of the DAP, the cable and the headphones.

I especially liked the improvement that the Ultimate V4 cable brought in the pairing between the Solitaire T and the R2R based Hiby RS8. The RS8 really benefits from the Ultimate V4. With the FiiO R9 the improvement is a little less obvious as the R9 has more driving power and is almost ruthlessly transparent, but also there the match with the Lavricables Ultimate V4 was heavenly. Compared to the Forza cable, you feel yourself almost teleported into the middle of the scene in front of you. An absolutely great combination!

(A special recommendation in this respect is to sit down and listen to the Blues SInger by Buddy Guy. The snares in the track Anna Lee are a joy to listen to, but with the Lavricables they become absolutely tactile and visceral)

Sound 5/5 (transparency, slam, bass extension, resolution, no microphonics)


Final Thoughts:

The Solitaire T is a fantastic pair of headphones that caters for many use cases. The aspect tested here is to what extent the Solitaire T, when driven by a proper source with sufficient driving power can benefit from an upgrade cable. The way the Solitaire T was designed by T+A (acoustic tuning first, wireless capabilities second, the first wireless headphones to offer fully balanced wiring) shows the firm’s audiophile ambitions with these headphones … The included cabling unfortunately contradicts that ambition, and this means that the Solitaire T definitely benefit by upgrading these cables.

The question however whether that should be a copper or a silver cable is less obvious. Silver cables sometimes risk pushing the pairing slightly over the edge when it comes to pronounced treble and edginess. So it all comes down to the pairing and personal taste of the listener.

Personally however, although for a while I was perfectly happy with a copper cable for my Solitaire T, the Lavricables Ultimate V4 silver cable definitely earned its top spot and has become my go-to cable for the Solitaire T.


Verdict:

I would like to thank Lavricables for letting me try the Ultimate V4 cable. The Solitaire T represents a rare breed of headphones that caters both for a discerning wireless audience and for serious music lovers that have high expectations from their wired audio setup. The Solitaire T comes with the right set of skills to cater for both types of listening, but unfortunately does not make the most of the latter. The stock cables simply do not suffice. With the Lavricables Ultimate V4 for Solitaire T, Lavricables really complete the Solitaire T package. What a joy to listen to these headphones with a cable that allows you to bring out everything that these headphones are capable of.

Conclusion: A highly recommended upgrade for anyone who wants to extract the last bit of performance out of the Solitaire T.


Equipment used for testing:

Headphones: T+A Solitaire T
Sources: Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition, FiiO K9 All-in-One, Hiby RS8 + Cayin C9
Cables: Lavricables Ultimate V4, Forza AudioWorks Claire HPC mk2
Test Albums: Nils Lofgren / Acoustic Live (DSD256)
Buddy Guy / Blues Singer (DSD256)
Dominique Fils-Aimée / Dominique Fils-Aimée (FLAC 24/28)
Keb Mo’ / Just Like You (DSD256)