My votes are for porta.fi and headpie.
They are also very willing to talk through with whatever stupid questions I had.
i dont like Head pie. Too much word salad and pretty pictures.
Plus he takes too long, and his reviews are getting shorter these days. Wheres the journey!?
#headpiesucks
On a serious note i do hear people want some quick fire impressions of the Solaris 2020. So i will try to hammer out a quick generalized listen today or tomorrow (at home, but lockdown with kids means extra time but no free time).
i posted some photos already
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/campfire-solaris.891180/page-588#post-15635752 which is usually of course just out of the box. Then theres listening time and some burn in (cause people who belive in burn in need it - and others dont, dont care win/win.. everyoneS happy).
So i have 100 hours approx on Solaris 2020 now.
The photos are also a more natural setting (though contrived) and can answer some questions ‘what size are they compared to old Solaris and New Solaris 2020’, compared to the more well known Andromeda etc. Note the difference in shell size and tones. Angles of the nozzle. The different sized cables. Next to a well known dap for another size reference and to see how the cable lies. Plus whats in the package etc. People are smart and can use their eyes i believe.
Trust the reader. ‘
visual, auditory and kinesthetic’ - people learn or absorb information differently.
-Sound comes later. Join the sacred queue.
Whether its for a cheap or expensive item i go through the same process (it also provides clean first look photos for later review) of gathering sound impressions as i am ever aware its peoples money that is being spent and i dont want to mislead anyone - $100 is a lot for some, $1000 is a lot for others.
Twister did a good photo in the other thread(?) of how they look in the ears and ryanjsoo wrote some decent impressions, as did a store.
i can do quick impressions - but would rather play it safe.
I’m not here to sell a product. More an enthusiast and accidental reviewer.
Usually i would have several daps all volume matched (using a spl meter) so the earphone has the same volume from each dap attached to a headphone switcher box.
Then i would play the same song and switch between the daps to note any differences or similarities etc.
With two earphones of varying output say Solaris and Solaris 2020 the process would be more difficult.
Recording the volume setting and having to manually change it when swapping out each earphone.
Then because for the above the Superlitz cable is different. I would use the Solaris OG Superlitz on both (i have two) and also use a secondary to check - say smokey litz or og litz on both . Record findings again.
Then i would go back to the stock cable and Solaris 2020 with say stock final tips and foams and record results again.
Then after market tips.
Whilst cycling through 4 daps of the same brand say DX120, DX160, DX150, DX200 or DX220 (same songs) to finalize my thoughts.
then i might throw something different into the mix like an Andromeda and another for more information.
i might also throw the Hifi-m8 v1 with its output impedance switches 11/2/1 into the mix if a multi ba model to see how it changes also.
i used to write this all up but now just give a summary.
Its a process. But i can be confident in my results as i hear them.
Often they do match just a casual listen in the end.
But better to safer than sorry when offering opinions that someones hard earned cash might be spent on.
I also try to get at least 100 hours on them as that matters to many people.
TLDR
So anyway. I will try to hammer out something old school style ‘one dap/earphone, two ears’ brief today/tomorrow. Kids willing.
