[beholdclarity]

Alright, alright, alright!

Since I am going to be setting my Solaris up against the Legend X in the next days, I thought it wise to keep my memory fresh regarding the other contender, the VE8. That's why I took another approach at the Vision Ears Flagship (until the Elysium, that is): Another day, another playlist.
Here's my update in regards to the VE8 on its own, without A/B testing against Solaris (my singular IEM).

Technical details

Driver tech: 8 BA Setup, in three ways, 2 lows, 2 mids, 4 highs
Cable: Very standard, nothing fancy, quite pliable, straight 3.5mm termination
Playlist: Selection of Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac contrasted with Progressive Metal and EDM. Mostly female or high-pitched vocals
Equipment: SP1000Cu at Volume level 60 (lower end of my usual listening volume)

The Lows:

The VE8 has quite a substantial and deep bass, with good rumble. I find it lacks vibration and does not reverberate enough to compete with DD offerings, but still. The bass is black and deep and might satisfy those who are accustomed to BA bass. The control of the bass is very good; it's not clinical or sterile but affects the mids only minimally. I do like bass guitars and like to imagine hearing the string vibrating, which I am missing with the VE8. This is unlike the acoustic guitar, which is portrayed superbly on the VE8. You can make out each individual pluck with clarity and intent.
Detail in other spectrums are never overshadowed by the bass and make for a rich detailed experience.

The mids:

I think the VE8 has a neutral-warm tuning that only appears dry and bright when compared to a very coloured IEM like the Solaris. The presentation is quite pleasant with incredible detail and energy. This, I presume, is the reason why the VE8 gets portrayed as "musical". It makes ya foot tap without ya knowin'.

The highs:

Effortless and magical. Nothing left to be desired; not sharp, not mushed, fast and energetic. The highs are so detailed and crisp, but smooth, that high-pitched details like plucks in the strings or particular elements in vocals that were previously hidden in the relatively organic/ lush Solaris are now revealed to me.


Recommendation:

This write-up wants to at least create a little value for those who came here looking for information on the Solaris. So I would like to come back full circle. Choosing between the Solaris and the VE8 is not easy, which is a testament to the technical prowess of the Solaris with a reasonable price tag.
The choice should be between these factors:

• Custom or universal. Each is available only as one option
• Price. The VE8 is significantly more expensive
• Tuning. Both are remarkable at what they do. Are you looking for a well balanced visceral bass (not in bass-head terms) with a very relaxed and smooth presentation on the warm side? Go for the Solaris. Do you prefer a well done BA bass and need more energy in the mids and highs with better PRaT? Go with the VE8

It's time again!

The Legend X

The Legend X is a well-known hybrid with 5 BAs and 2 DD (Sub-woofers) in the following configuration:
2x lows, 2x mids, 1x high-mid, 1x high and 1x super-high in a mathematically difficult to explain 10-way setup

For some reason the LX is huuuuungry for power, I have to crank up my SP1000Cu to 90 (I use 55 for Solaris)...

The Legend X is quite a bit closer to the Solaris than the Vision Ears VE8. The LX offers thick mids with superb body, which is partly because of the notorious bass bleeding into them and less so because of the mids themselves.
I don't think the bass of the LX is extreme, I have heard much "worse", so let's get that out of the way. It is uncommonly bass-heavy, however, for it's price range.

The bass should not be reviewed by me at this point, as the IEM is not and will not be burned-in properly. But it can be safely said already that the bass is nicely done. It whoops when it has to and lends bass guitars the texture and depth they deserve. Dark instruments rock and low, vibrating piano notes strike and sound with a rich timbre more than anything I have heard so far. This will take time getting used to and probably tone down a bit, but at the first listening experience that is the key component of the LX. The bass will take away from the mids and especially from the highs when both are played simultaneously, which is meh.

The mids are soft and rich with plenty, plenty of detail. Maybe something between the vocals and the bass is recessed, though.

The highs are superbly smooth but detail rich with bad, bad extension. The LX isn't capable of high piercing treble and for some that is great. I thought I would find that great as well but I am not so sure at the moment.
I also notice a bit of listening fatigue which can only be attributed to the increase in bass at similar listening volumes. My ears are sensitive (and I listen loud) but I never had fatigue due to bass before.

On tracks where there is only little bass present the LX shines remarkably, making me wonder if the bass isn't so well-done after all. Acoustic guitar strings are remarkably detailed and vocals have emotion, clarity and intimacy. They sound better than on the Solaris but may be a teensy bit behind the VE8. Incredibly, the LX is best for music where lows and vocals but no highs, or vocals and highs but no lows are present. For many audiophile classics that is true and it is also true for EDM. But, as many stated before me, it is no allrounder.
Where the LX doesn't perform in my opinion, is when it all has to come together. When lows and mids or highs have to be equally present, the lows invariably take the cake making you go "oh, too bad" because you wanted to hear it all. The LX is just not very harmonic, in my opinion. Less so than the Solaris.

The LX goes much lower than the Solaris, with a seamlessly bottomless and thus remarkably huge soundstage, where the Solaris extends higher.
The LX is also wider than the Solaris, with a small victory for the Solaris in the positioning of instruments.

The LX rocks; meaning low instruments and drums have authority and power.
It thumps; meaning you get visceral power and immeasurable depth.
It has soul; meaning vocals are clear and full of emotion.
It sings; meaning guitar strings have soul and magic in the lower treble.
It is fun, but I fear the V-shape is too pronounced.

It doesn't clap and kick and it doesn't sparkle in the highs, because it lacks treble extension. Super-high vocals sound awkward and cymbals have no definition and sparkle.
It is not cohesive, things don't just fall together when they should.
It kind of lacks magic.

I am very surprised how well the Solaris holds up in this battle against two TOTL contenders with higher price points. Most of it comes down to personal preference with no obvious flaw for any of those, making the Solaris an excellent choice for all those who still consider purchasing it.
You're not going to get better. Just different.

 

[antdroid]

Here's some measurements on the Campfire Solaris with the iFi IEMatch2.5 using High (2-3Ohm OI) and Ultra (<1 ohm OI)

There's a small variation in bass/warmth, but not nearly as drastic of a difference as how the Campfire Andromeda behaves.

 

[Kitechaser]

I have a different opinion on the values of reviews, as it just plain made it possible to purchase blind IEMs I couldn’t audition based on reviewers I trust and I was never disappointed... you can say it’s confirmation bias and maybe it is, who knows. All I know is that it works for me because I know the reviewer’s frame of reference, a review is always relative to the person who writes it. It becomes suspicious if it refers to an absolute truth as far as I am concerned... especially when ranking is involved that doesn’t explicitly discloses the criterias for said ranking (which.... make it relative, again).

I guess it all depends on what you expect from reviews, if you expect some kind of « truth » then it will never work for you.

If you expect an honest, detailed and qualitative expression of a point of view and you get to confirm it with auditions you get reference points along time then it becomes very reliable. I happened to purchase the same IEMs as some reviewers (some of them way before they got renowned there on headfi), when they posted and reviewed, it felt like someone expressed what I was unable to put into words so very accurately. Of course, your mileage may vary and you might tune in with different reviewers I find highly reliable but that’s the beauty of relativity.

Beyond technical fundamentals and performance that are required, most of the magic of an IEM is its tuning and you liking it is very influenced by personal preferences.
That’s why I’ll never adhere to so called objective aka « I own the truth » comparisons.

Sound is subjective. That's why to me personally these reviews, especially "rankings" are completely useless.
I just spent 6 thousand dollars building a Magnepan Planar Magnetic Speaker system, hoping to recreate the sound I heard from the RHA CL2 DMP-Z1 combo.
Listen to all these reviewers here, and that iem can't even compete with its 150 dollar Chinese knockoff.
Who is right? Who owns the truth, do I trust my ears, or random measurements I see on head-fi?
You can read all the reviews you want, but you will not know what an iem sounds like until you pick it up and listen to it.
"The description is never the described." J Krishnamurti

 

[fokta]

Here's some measurements on the Campfire Solaris with the iFi IEMatch2.5 using High (2-3Ohm OI) and Ultra (<1 ohm OI)



There's a small variation in bass/warmth, but not nearly as drastic of a difference as how the Campfire Andromeda behaves.

Already being teach and direct how to read graph, but my brain just so slow when understanding this.

But I am still in process of learning....

This is the new graph right?

 

[antdroid]

Already being teach and direct how to read graph, but my brain just so slow when understanding this.

But I am still in process of learning....

This is the new graph right?

The graph is basically saying that there is a very, very small decrease in bass quantity if you use a higher impedance (2-3 Ohm), but otherwise the sound signature is the same. Tips and insertion depth and general source qualities will make a bigger difference than output impedance of your amp.

 

[fokta]

Tips and insertion depth and general source qualities will make a bigger difference than output impedance of your amp.

is this can be show also on the graph?

sorry, for the stupid question...

 

[zeroselect]

Here's some measurements on the Campfire Solaris with the iFi IEMatch2.5 using High (2-3Ohm OI) and Ultra (<1 ohm OI)



There's a small variation in bass/warmth, but not nearly as drastic of a difference as how the Campfire Andromeda behaves.

Hey antdroid, Can you also overlap the Solaris without the IEMatch 2.5 onto the graph. I think it would help people to have a full picture on what the IEMatch is doing.

 

[antdroid]

Hey antdroid, Can you also overlap the Solaris without the IEMatch 2.5 onto the graph. I think it would help people to have a full picture on what the IEMatch is doing.

My main source for measurements is the RME ADI-2 DAC which is near 0 ohm OI (according to spec).Take the upper treble region with a grain of salt as per industry standard measurement guidelines. I'm using IEC711 coupler, similar to what some other prominent users on this forum.

 

[Jackpot77]

Here's some measurements on the Campfire Solaris with the iFi IEMatch2.5 using High (2-3Ohm OI) and Ultra (<1 ohm OI)



There's a small variation in bass/warmth, but not nearly as drastic of a difference as how the Campfire Andromeda behaves.

This makes sense, given that the bass in the Solaris is actually shared between the DD and some overlap with the full range ported BA running the mids. Guessing the lions share of the sound is picked up by the dynamic, so the IEMatch will be mainly affecting the mid BA.

 

[Rockwell75]

This makes sense, given that the bass in the Solaris is actually shared between the DD and some overlap with the full range ported BA running the mids. Guessing the lions share of the sound is picked up by the dynamic, so the IEMatch will be mainly affecting the mid BA.

Do you have your N6ii yet? I might have one tomorrow

 

[Jackpot77]

Do you have your N6ii yet? I might have one tomorrow

Arrived on Tuesday. Not had chance to run it with the Solaris yet as I have s free outstanding reviews I'm trying to get done, but generally speaking it's everything I was hoping it would be in terms of general tonality and technical capabilities. Think it will make a very nice matchup with the Solaris!

 

[chickenmcnug]

Arrh.. I saw it. How about the sound quality ?

Alright, tbh I didn't hear that much of a difference when compared to normal Spiral Dots, maybe a touch better separation and clarity? Fit is better than normal Spirals though due to the softer silicone. This could explain the slight differences. Could be placebo as well. IMO not worth the premium.

 

[zeroselect]

My main source for measurements is the RME ADI-2 DAC which is near 0 ohm OI (according to spec).Take the upper treble region with a grain of salt as per industry standard measurement guidelines. I'm using IEC711 coupler, similar to what some other prominent users on this forum.

Forgot to ask. Is this going through the 3.5mm or the 1/4 inch?

The graph looks to me what i was hearing on the Solaris vs using the IEMatch.

I also have the ADI-2 DAC as well as the Monolith Desktop 788.

 

[antdroid]

3.5mm from rme

 

[zeroselect]

Just wanted give a heads up to anyone looking at the Kann Cube. It does hiss from both the 2.5mm and 3.5mm (more on the 2.5 of course). At the amount of hiss coming from the 3.5mm is so low that you really can't complain. The 2.5mm is slightly more but enough I still reach out for the IEMatch on quieter songs. Overall the Kann Cube + Solaris sounds fantastic and quite impressive how low the hiss is from such a power station player.