[berthoud]

Can anyone comment on the isolation of the audiophile fit?

How are the mids? Have never owned an Andromeda...

 

[ryanjsoo]

Can anyone comment on the isolation of the audiophile fit?

How are the mids? Have never owned an Andromeda...

Isolation is excellent as they are solid-body so they block a bit more than normal customs. Some of my deeper fitting customs do block a bit more midrange, voices and such, but the low-frequency noise isolation on these are up there with the best. Re the midrange, they are full-bodied and slightly warm but also quite clear as the upper-midrange has good presence. Due to their fullness, they aren't the most defined but sound rich and organic, an easy sound to like.

For more in-depth comments, I just posted up my full review on Everyday Listening. Altogether, I find the Solstice to make some welcome refinements to the signature of the Andromeda and it has more technical ability too. In particular, the middle-treble is no longer so peaky and the sound is a lot cleaner as a result. The bass is also more linear, with less of a mid-bass hump and greater balance with the sub-bass. The midrange remains rich due to bolstered lower-midrange body. Bass extension also seems to be improved and the soundstage is a touch wider. Despite how the Andromeda's reception was almost unanimously positive, I really admire how Campfire Audio have made some tweaks to its sound based on frequent criticisms and it has made the Solstice a more mature and refined product by a fair degree. The audiophile fit option is also pretty great and I'd love to see this implemented by other manufacturer's, comfort is simply superlative without any sense of pressure that most CIEMs tend to produce. Enjoy the read!

 

[Visveswaran Umashankar]

Isolation is excellent as they are solid-body so they block a bit more than normal customs. Some of my deeper fitting customs do block a bit more midrange, voices and such, but the low-frequency noise isolation on these are up there with the best. Re the midrange, they are full-bodied and slightly warm but also quite clear as the upper-midrange has good presence. Due to their fullness, they aren't the most defined but sound rich and organic, an easy sound to like.

For more in-depth comments, I just posted up my full review on Everyday Listening. Altogether, I find the Solstice to make some welcome refinements to the signature of the Andromeda and it has more technical ability too. In particular, the middle-treble is no longer so peaky and the sound is a lot cleaner as a result. The bass is also more linear, with less of a mid-bass hump and greater balance with the sub-bass. The midrange remains rich due to bolstered lower-midrange body. Bass extension also seems to be improved and the soundstage is a touch wider. Despite how the Andromeda's reception was almost unanimously positive, I really admire how Campfire Audio have made some tweaks to its sound based on frequent criticisms and it has made the Solstice a more mature and refined product by a fair degree. The audiophile fit option is also pretty great and I'd love to see this implemented by other manufacturer's, comfort is simply superlative without any sense of pressure that most CIEMs tend to produce. Enjoy the read!

I had been interested in the Elysium but wanted to try the custom tips so I was planning to order one each for my Solaris and u12t to try and experience them. But when I took my impressions, I found out that the inner part of my ear canals is very very narrow, and I won't be able to use a ciem. Do you think a tip similar to the audiophile fit on the solstice will solve the issue?

Cheers,
Vishy

 

[ryanjsoo]

I had been interested in the Elysium but wanted to try the custom tips so I was planning to order one each for my Solaris and u12t to try and experience them. But when I took my impressions, I found out that the inner part of my ear canals is very very narrow, and I won't be able to use a ciem. Do you think a tip similar to the audiophile fit on the solstice will solve the issue?

Cheers,
Vishy

Hey Vishy, I can't say sorry, you're definitely best off talking to the company making the custom tips and they should be able to do something for you there. Perhaps try Piotr from Custom Art, he does some friendly work, I have an odd left ear canal and he was able to make me perfectly fitting custom tips, cheers!

 

[berthoud]

Thank you ryanjsoo for the comparison and thorough review.

I have the demo coming

Any experience with the U12t and if so can you (or anyone else) offer a comparison?

 

[Visveswaran Umashankar]

Hey Vishy, I can't say sorry, you're definitely best off talking to the company making the custom tips and they should be able to do something for you there. Perhaps try Piotr from Custom Art, he does some friendly work, I have an odd left ear canal and he was able to make me perfectly fitting custom tips, cheers!

Thanks a lot for the help Ryansjoo, I had a chat with Kamil on FB and he said that my request won't be possible. Will have to look for options.

Cheers,
Vishy

 

[ryanjsoo]

Thanks a lot for the help Ryansjoo, I had a chat with Kamil on FB and he said that my request won't be possible. Will have to look for options.

Cheers,
Vishy

Pleasure Vishy, to my knowledge Custom Art, Snugs and Adv Sound all make custom tips for unis, you may have good luck there!

 

[rstarden]

Hi folks,

New member here - acknowledging likelihood of noob mistakes, feel free to correct.

Purchased these after 4 years with 64audio A8s (which will be for sale for reshelling soon). Have used a mix of cables and bluetooth dongles, currently running on Shure BT2 with Samsung S20. Just a few brief notes to share from my last 3 months with the Solstice:

• fit - audiophile option
  • took 2 attempts - 1st left me very skeptical... and 2nd simply knocked it out of the park
    • comfort significantly better than traditional fit - can fall asleep and barely notice
    • easier in / out of ears
    • isolation even better than A8s, only breaks when my head is in "odd positions" working out
• durability
  • after numerous careless drops, look brand new
    • no faceplate cracking due to 1-piece design
• sound (*pardon lack of expert nuance*)
  • first listen after fit dialed in was night & day improvement vs. my beloved A8s, considered similar signature to their legendary A12s for reference
  • most striking feature is clarity - vocals sound simply angelic
  • bass is unsurprisingly a bit less pronounced vs. A8s - but overall prefer faster, cleaner sound
  • learned the hard way, needs very low impedance DAC / AMP (Sony, Shure) to avoid hiss / robot battle cacophony

The only real improvement I'd like to see for next generation - and this will be divisive - is fully integrated true wireless via bluetooth 5.0 with LDAC and/or aptX HD. ADVsound seems to be pioneering the way for this with their M5-TWS custom which I ordered a few weeks back... will see if "we're really there yet". Would be a dream to marry this with Campfire's solid body construction - just a thought.

Stay well,

Ryan

 

[candlejack]

Hi folks,

New member here - acknowledging likelihood of noob mistakes, feel free to correct.

Purchased these after 4 years with 64audio A8s (which will be for sale for reshelling soon). Have used a mix of cables and bluetooth dongles, currently running on Shure BT2 with Samsung S20. Just a few brief notes to share from my last 3 months with the Solstice:

• fit - audiophile option
  • took 2 attempts - 1st left me very skeptical... and 2nd simply knocked it out of the park
    • comfort significantly better than traditional fit - can fall asleep and barely notice
    • easier in / out of ears
    • isolation even better than A8s, only breaks when my head is in "odd positions" working out
• durability
  • after numerous careless drops, look brand new
    • no faceplate cracking due to 1-piece design
• sound (*pardon lack of expert nuance*)
  • first listen after fit dialed in was night & day improvement vs. my beloved A8s, considered similar signature to their legendary A12s for reference
  • most striking feature is clarity - vocals sound simply angelic
  • bass is unsurprisingly a bit less pronounced vs. A8s - but overall prefer faster, cleaner sound
  • learned the hard way, needs very low impedance DAC / AMP (Sony, Shure) to avoid hiss / robot battle cacophony

The only real improvement I'd like to see for next generation - and this will be divisive - is fully integrated true wireless via bluetooth 5.0 with LDAC and/or aptX HD. ADVsound seems to be pioneering the way for this with their M5-TWS custom which I ordered a few weeks back... will see if "we're really there yet". Would be a dream to marry this with Campfire's solid body construction - just a thought.

Stay well,

Ryan

Wireless hifi should indeed be the goal. With how efficient IEMs are these days, we're probably not that far away. But, regardless of how good they actually become, there will be people who simply will not accept them.

 

[Tristy]

Hi folks,

New member here - acknowledging likelihood of noob mistakes, feel free to correct.

Purchased these after 4 years with 64audio A8s (which will be for sale for reshelling soon). Have used a mix of cables and bluetooth dongles, currently running on Shure BT2 with Samsung S20. Just a few brief notes to share from my last 3 months with the Solstice:

• fit - audiophile option
  • took 2 attempts - 1st left me very skeptical... and 2nd simply knocked it out of the park
    • comfort significantly better than traditional fit - can fall asleep and barely notice
    • easier in / out of ears
    • isolation even better than A8s, only breaks when my head is in "odd positions" working out
• durability
  • after numerous careless drops, look brand new
    • no faceplate cracking due to 1-piece design
• sound (*pardon lack of expert nuance*)
  • first listen after fit dialed in was night & day improvement vs. my beloved A8s, considered similar signature to their legendary A12s for reference
  • most striking feature is clarity - vocals sound simply angelic
  • bass is unsurprisingly a bit less pronounced vs. A8s - but overall prefer faster, cleaner sound
  • learned the hard way, needs very low impedance DAC / AMP (Sony, Shure) to avoid hiss / robot battle cacophony

The only real improvement I'd like to see for next generation - and this will be divisive - is fully integrated true wireless via bluetooth 5.0 with LDAC and/or aptX HD. ADVsound seems to be pioneering the way for this with their M5-TWS custom which I ordered a few weeks back... will see if "we're really there yet". Would be a dream to marry this with Campfire's solid body construction - just a thought.

Stay well,

Ryan

LOL dropped them I would cry for a week.

 

[davidcotton]

a few brief notes to share from my last 3 months with the Solstice:

• fit - audiophile option
  • took 2 attempts - 1st left me very skeptical... and 2nd simply knocked it out of the park

Hi

Can I ask what was wrong with the 1st attempt? I would love a pair of audiophile option fit customs but the refit scares me. Did you need new impressions or did you just have to send them in?

 

[hkpants]

I would definitely be in the market for a Hi-Fi TWS.

I'm definitely wondering what the comfort difference is between the two fits. If the comfort is really that much better but the SQ/Fit/Isolation doesn't change, I wonder if other brands will start allowing these "comfort" option.

 

[rstarden]

The 1st set was just too little volume to fill my ear. No seal and fell out sideways.

I asked them for artist fit, and they insisted we redo audiophile - no charge until fit of course. So glad I agreed, because the resulting fit was just flawless. I've never been one to complain of comfort for CIEMs, except on really long transcontinental flights. These just snap into place with shallower penetration, and I now appreciate the mild ear fatigue I was having with traditional.

 

[rstarden]

Neglected to mention - no new impressions needed for refit, just sent back upon arrival. Imagine with their 3D printing process they just turn a dial for IEM : ear volume ratio and start out more conservative (perhaps less simple, but conceptually).

 

[rstarden]

Neglected to mention - no new impressions needed for refit, just sent back upon arrival. Imagine with their 3D printing process they just turn a dial for IEM : ear volume ratio and start out more conservative (perhaps less simple, but conceptually).

Anybody have a pair of Solstice they can compare to Equinox by chance?