I'd like just to post a few thoughts about my experience with the AUDIOVALVE SOLARIS. All what I will right is my opinion and worth only as my opinion. I'm an audiophile music lover and not a technician, and I apologize for any non-correct info I might write. I started with a LUMINARE, but got a good deal with MR. Helmut Becker for an upgrade to the SOLARIS. By the way, Mr. Becker (owner and creator of AudioValve is a fantastic person, giving me all the info I was needing for the last months).
I'm currently using 3 phones: Abyss 1266, Stax 009, and oBravo Ra C Cu. 3 different kind of experiences to use along with my current mood.
- Stax 009 is a truthful headphone: pure and raw reveal of what you are playing; delightful sound from the Solaris, but .... maybe needing more deepness into Mids and Lows - of course some EQ "fix" this and so I do it; enough power to listen to moderate levels (as I always do) to appreciate the little micro details that the 009 gives me; IMO 009 with tube Amp is a sure go
- Abyss 1266 is a "beast" when properly driven ! A truly beast ! I use a special hand made cable by INVICTUS CABLE (Italy) the Emiliano used a Pure Neotech Silver conductor with a cryogenic treatment to both conductor and connectors (after a 200 hours burn-in, the sound is sublime and a lot more refined in all aspects against the stock cable); use it with a Furutech 4 pin XLR via OTL mode in High Gain - here I can here a little more open sound than using Normal Gain; sound speaking, I feel these Headphones as a great performer, with a natural sounding tone, layered Sub Bass, Detailed Mids, Crazy good Highs with zero hiss or harshness, and a brutal wide open Soundstage; a major downside for me is its weight, although fitting is perfect to my head
- Last but not least, my "lovely" oBravo Ra C Cu; these are a peculiar IEM's due to a sensitivity of 93dB and 182Ohm's impedance; hard to drive IEM not because of Power but because of getting the "best" balance between power and tone (I can't get the right words here, but I hope you understand this feeling); I have 2 different cables to use with it: a hand made cable by INVICTUS CABLE with Silver/Gold Neotech 7N with cryogenic treatment and a balanced 4.4 Furutech gold jack; and a 2 Mts. ROMI AUDIO Sensation cable with pure silver conductor and pure copper shield, using dual Neutrik XLR outputs; I don't have any connection with Stymax (oBravo) only as a Client, but honestly speaking these are for sure a work of Art ! Crazy detailed and expanded soundstage, with a perfect imaging placing instruments on your head as if you were ate the Hall/Studio/Theatre, fantastic creamy layered Sub Bass and Bass, the best Mids I hear so far, excellent detailed Highs - a truly 3D experience I can have with a IEM (or even almost all Headphones I have experienced); 2 major downsides: crazy expensive and can't be use portable with their best performance.
I use SOLARIS on a daily basis as my evening/night relaxing routine. I hear a lot of genres, mainly to appreciate the details and trying to feel the music and what the singer is trying to express. Honestly I couldn't do this with all my previous gear because I hadn't this kind of (perfect) balance to my tastes; I had stronger Amps, weaker Amps, SS Amps, all for Headphones purpose, but not a "Swiss Army" Amp (that I haven't yet tested all the options - Phono and Speakers).
AudioValve naive DAC is really very good (I had it at the LUMINARE), but I decided to buy the SOLARIS without that option as I already have several DAC's to use with it that I prefer.
All these opinions about Headphones/IEM are all from the SOLARIS. Great organic natural tone, layered Sub Bass, lively extra wide soundstage, fantastic detailed rounded Highs, and specially a kind of Power that I couldn't get any gear I tried with it to distort anything ! This is really amazing. A lot of inputs (XLR and RCA) and even Pre-Out option, several Headphones outputs and Speakers outputs. All of these points built with a great quality, very tight and well designed.
In Sum, this was one of the best buys I ever made and zero regrets ! It's a beast (in the best Audiophile way), it's gorgeous, it's fantastically hand made with precision German touch (!), and (this one) is mine
I try to get close (as possible) to the people that sell me or advise me on gear, so my great Thanks to Emiliano (Invictus cable), Johnny (Romi Audio), Vance (MyHeadFi), Phil (Audio Concierge), and Helmut Becker (AudioValve). I spend money but I'm HAPPY with what it gives me.