I talked a bit about this in the IO thread but if you're a basshead, then the new Polaris may be up your alley. They aren't to the level of the Vega or Atlas (quantity or quality wise) but I was pleasantly shocked at how much air they can move. You can really hear and feel that little DD putting in work as they make any Hip Hop and EDM sound immensely fun.
Thanks for all your impressions. Really doing the community a service. If you had to choose between Vega and Atlas (sound + comfort), which would you keep? Can you compare the upper mids and presence region of Polaris V2 to the other aforementioned CA IEMs? I am sensitive to sibilance and heard both can be harsh, especially the Vega in the treble region and Atlas in the upper mids (but less so than Vega). I like as warm a sound sig as possible with lots of bass. Atticus is my ideal because it is dark but not at all veiled.
Some New CA Polaris pictures New versus Original Full set here: https://www.headpie.net/2019/04/campfire-audio-polaris-new-unboxing.html?m=1
I'm very curious about the new Polaris too. I've got the Oriveti New Primacy right now, and from the looks of things, the Polaris II seems to be similar in sound signature.
Here is my clumsy attempt to compare the Polaris II to both the Nova and Lyra II. A quick impression. iMac - Swinsian - FLAC - Mojo Driver flex is an issue like the Lyra II both with stock silicone tips and spiral dot tips that I've tried. Pretty sure it's within tolerance but my heart sinks on every click. Be warned so don't jam it in too fast. Comply foam tips works for me, no more driver flex although a hassle to put them on. Did not try the stock marshmallow tip. Stock silicone- Bass is loose hollow almost boomy. Maybe because the tips are not pushed all the way onto the base of the sprout? But the sprout is huge! Taking any of the stock tips on and off is difficult. And the silicone tips including spiral dot are very sibilance to my ears. But like on the Lyra II using Comply SmartCore Audio Pro tips manage to bring the sibilance down to an acceptable level for my ears. Compare to Nova I'm highly sensitive to sibilance but with no issue for me on the Nova (with Spiral dot tips). As already pointed out by others the bass on the Polaris II is thick with a mid-base bump and it does sound like that to me. The bass goes deep and rumbles. For those looking for a "bassier" Nova this could be it. The treble is not as smooth as the Nova. I'll prefer the nova for strings and classical because the Nova is more neutral with better highs. There is a little peak in the treble on the Polaris that could make certain vocal a little straining. Compare to Lyra II The bass of the Lyra II reminds me of the Cascade. The bass of the Polaris II did not remind me of the Lyra II, but not in a bad way it's just different. It is thick and plenty but not as details as Lyra. The mid-bass bump gets punchy with the right track and definitely beat the Lyra. Sibilance is almost the same for me on these two. Overall the Lyra II is better from bass to treble with better separation and micro details. I can do EDM to classical and anything in between on the Lyra II but not with the Polaris. However, Polaris is fun with rumbles that some times tickle my ears. The Polaris II It is a different yet familiar CA tune but as Caleb puts it the Polaris II sound is fun and spacious with a bass emphasis that is different and might need some acclimate to. The Polaris sound stage has a 3D kind of depth in volume maybe, compares to both the Nova and Lyra II. And if I can only choose one between Nova and Polaris II I can flip a coin and be happy with the result. This new cable is very nice! Softer than the silver liz braid. Might swap the cable with the Lyra II, the smoky grey looks good with Lyra.
Hmm, after reading some of these comments I'm wondering if it's worth it for me, coming from an Atlas. I was wanting something new and slightly different
Haha I've almost pulled the trigger on Solaris a few times. My only concern is that the bass would be insufficient for me, the Atlas has spoiled me lol
If you're cool with the Atlus' super-heavy bass, then there aren't many (any?) other high-end IEMs out there that can match its low bass tuning.
The question for me now is, in order to close-in on the sound signature of the Cascade’s for a more portable setup, should I go for the new Polaris or go for the discounted Lyra II before they’re gone forever. Any advice?
Oh I'm down with it haha. I realize it's a bit exaggerated but I'm a bass head at heart. I'm not saying I can't appreciate other tunings, but I need to have at least a slight elevation in the low end for me to feel stimulated at all.
Once upon a time I had the Atlas...absolutely loved it and had my eyes on either the Andromeda or the Solaris as a complement, with the Atlas staying on board as my main daily. I'd read reports that the Solaris lacked bass or that its bass lacked impact so I had the impression that its bass wouldn't be sufficient for the Solaris to satisfy me as my main or only IEM. One day a couple months ago I had the opportunity to a-b-c the Atlas, Solaris and Andromeda for over an hour. Long story short-- the Solaris totally blew me away in all respects, imho combining the best aspects of both the Atlas and the Andromeda, and I wound up buying it, selling my Atlas, and I haven't looked back since. The most common complaints about Solaris (fit issues notwithstanding) are that it lacks bass or is hollow sounding in some areas-- both of these issues only crop up for me when I use the wrong tips or am unable to get a good seal, so I can only conclude that the people who make those complaints didn't use the right tips or stick with it long enough to get a proper fit and seal. With the right tips and a good seal the Solaris' bass is tight, powerful, impactful, deep and punchy. It's not as intense as the Atlas across the board-- in recordings without bass you won't hear a lot of bass, but where bass is called for it absolutely pounds and adds a good helping of Andromeda-like loveliness dovetailed throughout. Since you live in the US my advice to you would be to grab the Solaris direct from CA, demo it, and take advantage of their return policy if you're not satisfied. I'm pretty sure you'll be pleasantly surprised-- the Solaris has totally changed the game for me. Its impeccably balanced, solid through the whole spectrum and the quality of its signature only becomes more and more apparent the more you listen to it.
That's good advice, my buddy had the Solaris briefly so I've only listened for like 5 minutes so I didn't get a good demo in. Totally agree on the seal, that's pretty essential. When I go to Canjam this year I'll give them a more thorough demo and maybe pick em up there if they offer an in-show discount of some sort haha
