T+A Solitaire T

I waited for years dreaming that someone someday would produce a high quality ANC headphone for audiophiles.

Yes, we had AKG N90Q and I still keep them, but they have no bluetooth, offer mediocre noise cancelling, stick outside a head like Mickey Mouse's ears and provide us with harsh treble peaks. Rather neutral, but unlistenable for longer periods, however they had a nice timbre coming from a beautiful celuloze driver.

Also yes, we have Montblanc MB-01 and I have them, however not many people seem to discuss them and I wonder why. They are tuned superbly by Alex Rosson from Rosson Audio Design, who heavily EQd (or rather DSPd) them, which is easy to both measure and hear on your own, because on passive mode the drivers sound horrible. Very comfy and rather recommended, but a mid-fi solution, far from the hi-end that I want when travelling. Also there was a case of Crinacle measuring them supposedly in an active mode and they clearly had no DSP (and sucked), probably a faulty pair.

T+A is a new company on my map, although I have learned they are in business for 44 years or so. The headphones launch was postponed a few times because of some problems with sourcing components. At last, I laid my hands on them and... decided to keep. They were criticized a bit on this very forum, that's why I decided to publish my first review on Head-fi to make a case for these babies.

First, there was critique that they are expensive. Then, that there is no mobile app for them (yet) as it was a hasty launch. After that, the touch controls bother some people. And others found the build comparable to cheaper competitors. I will debunk all of this.

They are not excessively expensive when you take into account the neutrality and refinement of the tuning, and the overall sound quality. This is a headphone that you can listen on their own in your home, an alternative to your other flagships practically. And I know what I say, being one of you guys who collects wardrobes of stuff, over ear and in ear. So to me, they could even cost twice as much, if it was a package of a high-end closed back dynamic TOTL flagship. And they could be, if the frame was larger and they were designed a bit differently. The sound is worth it, but they are not as comfy as, say, DCA Stealth or LCD-5, to which I will compare them in a minute.

The controls. I just started using them intuitively. And then I saw people complaining about them. And I scratched my head. What don't you understand guys? Move finger forward = change the track. Move it upward = increase loudness. Tap to stop, double tap for transparent mode. Clearly that's a headphone for people with computer skills above orangutan level, no offense intended!

Then there is no mobile app, but you really do not need one. Everything may be easily controlled from the phones themselves, and that's pretty much it. What do you need another app for?

Build is already nicer than the "prestigious" Montblanc headphones, which are basically plastic, and here you go mostly aluminium with some plastic elements but of higher quality than the competitors. MB-01 are more comfortable though. I won't even speak of Beats or Bose, which are obviously cheap plastic again, much worse than Montblanc's. Only N90Q are comparable and their pads were more comfy also, but headband made my head hurt at longer flight sessions.

Let's move into the most important aspect: THE SOUND!

And it's astounding. Reference class. Neutral for a neutralhead like me, but with a very clean low-shelf boost to satisfy almost every normal hi-fidelity listener. And let me compare first to Focal Bathys. This one will be fast... I heard them at a local Apple Store. And I heard bass. BASS. The B.A.S.S. Lot's of it. And then there were mids. Rather nice. But the bass overpowered me and I couldn't listen to more than a few minutes.

The newest Bose are much better tuned with clear mids, imaging and great overall character, but low resolution and still quite bassy. The same goes to almost every ANC headphone, as they are catered to 80% of population. And 80% of population doesn't care about fidelity, they want the juicy bass pumpin' for their arses shakin', you know how it works. So a "no" to me.

The highlight of T+A Solitaire T? Beautiful, very detailed mids. I have heard some nuances in vocals that I had not have heard before on any other headphones. Resolution is there. Spaciousness is not the best. Image is clear, but not large. They sound intimate.

Then, the highs. Not recessed as in my Aroma Jewels. Also not highlighted as in my Noble Khans. Sitting just in the right spot and making an impression of neutrality. The highs are of high quality definitely. They do extend, and I hear no harsh peaks.

Also the bass, even if it has a clean boost, doesn't bother me. I barely can hear the boost, as it's delivered quickly and in a balanced way. They just sound neutral - or maybe just natural - to me.

See for yourself!

That's T+A Solitaire T turned completely off, in a fully passive mode. Measured on an IEC-711 coupler with ears from EARS and on a cable. Bass boost that starts long below 100 Hz is superbly clean. And they are definitely listenable without a battery!


Now check what happens when you turn them on (ANC on or off - the same). Not much changed, right?


If you'd compare these two, you'd see they just cut a treble peak out and that's it (!!!). Most companies do a havy DSP facelift here, not T+A. They just gave us a great closed back that's already tuned great even in passive form, and after that they added the ANC. No one else does this.


Funny thing though. Where they applied some heavier DSP is... the "high quality mode" actually! There is less bass now, and less lower mids, giving you a more "diffused field" tuning. Even cleaner than before and for an analytical listened. Why not? It looks and sounds great!


Here's exactly what changes when you turn HQ on. You go from neutral to even more neutral (diffused field). Reminds me of Sony MDR-R10 a bit, only with sub-bass Or maybe some Audio Technica's flagships, known for great mids.


All right, how do they stack up against some expensive boulder throwing gorillas?

A comparison with DCA Stealth will show you how nicely these graphs look. Note the similarities with one of the best closed-backs on the market ever. Can't touch this!


Then LCD-5 will show you what neutrality sounds like. This is my favorite reference, and you can use it to check how flat-tuned bass should work. Again, note the differences in the mids. LCD5's were probably updated silently because they no longer have a peak at 3 kHz that was bothering some people. Rather, it's a tamed neutral beast. And Solitaire T is coming strong in that unfair comparison.


So far I tested their ANC only in a car and it worked great.

Hard to say for me how they will work on a plane, we're yet to hear that in a few weeks, when we fly for a New Years Eve to a warmer country.

What about Bang & Olufsen H95 or other models? Heard them briefly. So colored you can't listen to them for longer than a minute (if you know how a headphone should sound like). I can't resist to say that I feel they just slapped random drivers inside to sell it to unsuspecting crowds.

Even Porshe design launched an ANC headphone recently... which is another case of MUCH BASS with almost nothing else inside. Couldn't listen to them. Almost everything sounds better than these, maybe even Focal Bathys.

If only they were a bit larger and more comfy! But still, this is the best bluetooth with ANC headphone on the market, completely declassing the competition, including your French favorites.

Highly recommended.