Solaris has very nice bass. The impact / tonal level are both great. My issue was the timbre. I had auditioned the Atlas previously and the first thing I heard in the Solaris was that Atlas driver hiding in there. It is WAY better controlled in the Solaris and the timbre actually fits the rest of the balanced armature type timbre from the rest of the drivers. For me it was too tight and quick and reminded me of one metal cone woofers that I've used in the past. Excellent technical ability and almost transparent quality but lacks in the ways that connect with me. (ease of sound while remaining technically proficient and tonally correct) The Solaris has that hyper-real thing going on for me and it's not a relaxing listen. It really pulls you into this experience and you get that whole holographic thing that they are famous for.
That actually sounds like bass I like, tight, taut, quick, etc., with the not insignificant qualification that I also like some warmth that keeps it from sounding artificial, cold, clinical, unnatural.
As for involving, realism, and immersion into the sound stage, that's precisely what I'm looking for. I know I said I will use these mostly for more relaxing music and times, but I can actually relax (even fall asleep) with thrash metal at a moderate volume lol (something I've been able to do since I was a teenager). I don't want a boring, laid back, overly warm, etc. sound but a good all-rounder with some fun element even if I'll primarily use these for certain genres and moods.
And I particularly hate feeling suffocated, like the sound is veiled, or too congested with not enough separation between instruments, so I like a more neutral/clear tone with a wider sound stage. But I also don't want an overly clinical, cold, sharp, or thin tonality either. I especially hate when mids and particularly vocals are too distant (recessed) as a trade off for a wider and deeper sound stage. That's my main gripe with the Arya's (and also that they are somewhat clinical and uninvolving with being technically very good).
But I also don't want too intimate mids, like vocals right in my face (or ear) and a compressed sound stage. I like the balance of the vocals (and mids) in the mix that the Blessing 2's do overall, better than my Arya's (which are still much better headphones technically). I also like the somewhat warm mids of the Blessing 2's which gives them some fun or involving capacity (their highs are too low in the mix for me however) at the trade of some clarity.
Blessing2 to something Campfire is a huge change in tonality IMO. If you're used to Harman target of tuning, you might be put-off by the 4 KHz dip that's present with all three CA models, though the benefits of that dip is that the sound will envelop you like you're at the center of the stage rather than being a spectator. Only thing that you'll probably need to adjust to is that some female vocals and other instruments might sound more to the back row rather than forward due to the dip. As for neutral warm, definitely go with the Andromeda v2/v3/2020, and the v2 is the most laid-back but has the most treble sparkle out of all three. For Classical, jazz and more strings, I'd opt with Ara though since Andromeda's mid-bass can sometimes sound a bit bloomier for those genres. For rock music, nothing beats the Andromeda IMO
Well Blessing 2 to the Arya is a big change in tonality (and overall technical ability) and I still enjoy listening to both (though the Blessing 2 is far more fun/involving) so I'm not too worried about sticking with particular tunings, partly since with headphones I'm not sure exactly what I prefer yet! (With speakers, or sound overall, I have a good idea, but I find headphones/IEMs so different than speakers in presentation that I can't really compare them, partly because things that don't bother me with speakers do with headphones due to the immediacy of the presentation).
However, I don't like your description of female vocals being sort of lower in the mix as some of my favorite music involves female vocals. I do, however, like the idea of not being a spectator to the sound and being more enveloped by it, as long as that doesn't mean a small width or depth to the stage (height I'm not so worried about) which I think is not a problem with most Campfire IEMs.
I have looked at the Ara, but it seems too much like my Arya in tone (technically great, very clear and resolving, but maybe too cold, thin and uninvolving, feeling like a spectator to the music instead of more immersed in it). The Solaris 2020 seems like a good middle ground between it and the warmer Andromeda 2020.
Anyway, these posts and others itt have been a big help and I thank everyone for their time. I'm going a little nuts with IEM research, ever-broadening my scope, and now have researched dozens of IEMs on many forums/sites. I know that many will find that silly, but that's the sort of person I am with decisions overall and especially those that involve significant money: I try to make judicious ones based off research and especially time (waiting, holding the impulse to buy too soon in check) because many of my first choices with material goods which I feel great about for a day or two I later realize would have been a mistake as I find more, and better, options and I'm glad I didn't buy any of my original choices.
I also really don't want to play musical chairs with gear, buying, selling, trading, or even sending back items, because I have little tolerance for the bother and find it is a great way to lose hundreds of dollars due to the depreciation of used audio gear (and also many times great gear at good prices simply sits in "for sale" posts on different forums and never sells, so one could potentially lose quite a bit of money, stuck with gear they don't like or need, unless they sell it for a very big loss).
So, iow, I'm trying to get things right for my second real IEM (besides the Blessing 2 I only have had $100 ish IEMs from over 10 years ago that I never was very impressed with and are the reason I gave up on IEMs for over 10 years). I have it down to 3 main choices though (in no particular order): Solaris 2020, Noble Kaiser (or possibly Katana), and now again the UM MEST that I was first decided on (almost ordered it but they didn't have the color I wanted in stock) but then got turned off by the lack of wide reviews/impressions (it is still pretty new) so I find it more of a risky choice (really like the EST for the highs and bone conduction tech though...and lower price).
I think I'll try to refrain from replying to posts itt in the future because I don't want to take it over too much or make it into too much of a "shop/decide for me" thing (unless that is ok). I really should make a thread in the "Help and Recommendations" forum, but then I also don't want to try to keep up with all the different posts I'd have to reply to there (I'm not really on head-fi all that much) and people insisting on gear I, for right or wrong, have already taken out of consideration. So unless it is ok to keep discussing my options here (including with other brands), I guess I'll just say thanks again for all the help and anyone can PM me if they have any input they think might be helpful. And should I decide on the Solaris 2020, I will certainly let users in here (and elsewhere) know and what I think. Thanks!
