[geagle]

I just got my Andromeda S and now I am in for a Solaris. You guys are killing me!!

I look forward to reading a comparison between both, the S is compelling as well...

+1 on what David said ... though I won't be buying the Solaris right now (already got way too much new stuff in October, lol, INCLUDING the Andromeda S), I'm definitely interested in how they compare to the S.

 

[davidmolliere]

I have a question for those who have put the Solaris through the burn in process. My question is regarding the bass quantity of the Solaris. Has the bass “quantity” increased or decreased after burn in of let say 50 to 60 hours? If so by how much? I asked this because of my experience with Vegas and Atlas (I own both), and the Solaris also use the same material (ADLC) as in the Vegas and Atlas, but the consensus from the Vegas\Atlas users is that bass impact and quantity decreased after burn in. This seems in contradiction to some report on the Solaris that the bass hits harder after burn in. BA in general does not need burn in. So besides the crossover, I would assume that most of the changes come from the DD.

Good point, but to be fair Vega (and Apparently Atlas) are tuned with massive bass while as @seamon says the Solaris is much more balanced although it's not bass light by any means. And I wouldn't say the Vega (can't speak for the Atlas never owned it) had less bass after burn in, it just had much better control, tighter, which made it appear as the bass was less overpowering.

I think what Solaris gained during burn in is also control and tightness but since they're tuned differently there is the apparent contradiction that it provides more bass because the attack and decay is sharper. Keep in mind, the Solaris bass attack is not of the hard hitting kind like Vega but rather smoothly tuned. It's progressive, deep and textured.

Just a theory...

 

[Kitechaser]

Good point, but to be fair Vega (and Apparently Atlas) are tuned with massive bass while as @seamon says the Solaris is much more balanced although it's not bass light by any means. And I wouldn't say the Vega (can't speak for the Atlas never owned it) had less bass after burn in, it just had much better control, tighter, which made it appear as the bass was less overpowering.

I think what Solaris gained during burn in is also control and tightness but since they're tuned differently there is the apparent contradiction that it provides more bass because the attack and decay is sharper. Keep in mind, the Solaris bass attack is not of the hard hitting kind like Vega but rather smoothly tuned. It's progressive, deep and textured.

Just a theory...

Yup. Same thing happened with the CL2.
It is now one of the best bass I have ever heard. 500 hours in, and it kicks like a mule, the control is phenomenal.
I don't know if the quantity has increased, or the response is so spot on, that it feels like it did.

 

[seamon]

Good point, but to be fair Vega (and Apparently Atlas) are tuned with massive bass while as @seamon says the Solaris is much more balanced although it's not bass light by any means. And I wouldn't say the Vega (can't speak for the Atlas never owned it) had less bass after burn in, it just had much better control, tighter, which made it appear as the bass was less overpowering.

I think what Solaris gained during burn in is also control and tightness but since they're tuned differently there is the apparent contradiction that it provides more bass because the attack and decay is sharper. Keep in mind, the Solaris bass attack is not of the hard hitting kind like Vega but rather smoothly tuned. It's progressive, deep and textured.

Just a theory...

Seriously tho, the Vega was like a drug for my bass addiction. However, it's a shame the rest of the FR was so garbage.

 

[Kitechaser]

Seriously though. How bulky is the solaris?
Is it an iem I can use at the gym, or out and about?

 

[davidmolliere]

Seriously though. How bulky is the solaris?
Is it an iem I can use at the gym, or out and about?

At the gym I wouldn't, out and about of course the shells are big but it's lightweight and if you manage a deep fit it shouldn't move at all.
The gold plating is not too shiny, but it might attract attention in the metro depending on where you're located well, maybe be careful

 

[davidmolliere]

So I have finally come to test the Solaris with the Mojo. I had only listened through the WM1Z so far.

First thing : there is more significantly more mid bass than 1Z (firmware 3.0), this makes the Solaris much bassier and on some tracks it’s too much. There is more weight but at the detriment of balance. Texture remain very good but you loose a lot of detail in the bass department. It’s less nuanced and I think sub extension is no as good or this gets muddied by too much mid bass.

The mids are a tad thicker with more lower mids presence and less upper mids articulation but still quite beautiful and balanced. Overall though between bass and mids Solaris becomes warmer and looses quite a bit of balance. It’s a more relaxed listen but you loose a lot of the excitement.

That’s also because the treble performance is way less mesmerizing than it is with the 1Z (again, 3.0 firmware). You loose a lot of air and the treble have less weight and shimmer. Hi hats are no longer the joyful experience they have proven to be with the 1Z. Don’t misread this, the treble is already pretty good with Mojo, just not crazy special as they are on the 1Z. I think the 1Z treble is totally under rated in general. You always hear about bass on 1Z but my own take is that treble are something special on the 1Z. It’s not surgical SP1000 treble but lively treble with a lot of micro dynamics, a rich treble with beautiful decay.

Last but not least, separation and imaging is not as good as 1Z. You loose the grandiose feeling of the Solaris with 1Z. IMHO soundstage and imaging are loosing out to the 1Z by a great margin (25% smaller approx) which makes the Solaris just good but nothing to rave about.

The conclusion of this source swapping is that the Solaris will scale well and depending on which source you’re listening from it will be or not a special experience like I am experimenting. I am fairly sure DX200 with AMP8 sounds superb with Solaris, and SP1000 will as well. I’d be curious to get feedback from people who own either, and of other sources as well. I’ll make sure to share what I think of the Oriolus BA300S tube amp I’ll be getting soon. This is going to be interesting

 

[BananaOoyoo]

On that note, given Solaris’s low OI (10 ohms), we should expect this to be very source dependent, right? As much, if not more so than the Andromeda (12.8)?

 

[emptymt]

Found something I don't like about the Solaris: the "Left" and "Right" markings. It looks funky to begin with, but the full word on each lid looks out of place with the rest of the sleek design. As far as sound goes, still looking. Got the lack of getting a good deep seal with Spiral Dots, and the sound is enveloping, with a great deep bass.

Sure we'll see more comments in due time about people not liking certain aspects of the sound, but for me these really pull together the various strands of tuning that CA have previously produced into one whole. Sound is big but not overbearing, solid without being bloated and able to extend at both ends as needed.

Started the preliminary work on my review, but like the other guys who had the really units, imagine it will be a while before I'm comfortable putting final conclusions down on paper. Still having fun trying the Solaris with different genres - it is a true all rounder.

I don't like that too, the etching is way too big and takes away the beauty of the IEM shell.
It feels like seeing a big fake vent in a sport car.
Due to the shape, i think it can make do without it.

 

[davidmolliere]

On that note, given Solaris’s low OI (10 ohms), we should expect this to be very source dependent, right? As much, if not more so than the Andromeda (12.8)?

You mean given the Solaris impedance of 10ohm, yes you need a source with low output impedance preferably 1ohm or lower given the law of 1/8th. Otherwise it will affect the signature... first time I have experienced it is with the SE846 a long time ago back when it was unusual to have such low impedance with IEMs.

WM1Z falls into that category with 0.94 ohms, not the best value around but still good enough.
Luckily the Oriolus BA300S tube amp I am getting is 0.3ohm.

One thing to keep in mind is, low impedance / high sensitivity gear is easy to drive loud enough so no power requirement, but on the flipside it needs a lot of current to be driven well enough. This means that source ability to provide enough and quality current will be key and it will scale with better sources.

 

[candlejack]

You mean given the Solaris impedance of 10ohm, yes you need a source with low output impedance preferably 1ohm or lower given the law of 1/8th. Otherwise it will affect the signature. [...].

Could you please elaborate on this rule, or maybe provide some links. I'm interested to learn more.

 

[davidmolliere]

Could you please elaborate on this rule, or maybe provide some links. I'm interested to learn more.

This should help : http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/headphone-amp-impedance.html
and https://www.head-fi.org/threads/impact-of-1-8th-impedance-rule-on-sound.629673/

 

[crinacle]

You mean given the Solaris impedance of 10ohm, yes you need a source with low output impedance preferably 1ohm or lower given the law of 1/8th. Otherwise it will affect the signature... first time I have experienced it is with the SE846 a long time ago back when it was unusual to have such low impedance with IEMs.

WM1Z falls into that category with 0.94 ohms, not the best value around but still good enough.
Luckily the Oriolus BA300S tube amp I am getting is 0.3ohm.

One thing to keep in mind is, low impedance / high sensitivity gear is easy to drive loud enough so no power requirement, but on the flipside it needs a lot of current to be driven well enough. This means that source ability to provide enough and quality current will be key and it will scale with better sources.

Could you please elaborate on this rule, or maybe provide some links. I'm interested to learn more.

To clarify, the impedance of the Solaris is about 3ohms <100Hz and about 9ohms beyond 1kHz. This means that you'll get a little extra upper mids and treble with a higher output impedance (or a reduction in bass depending on your perspective), though in the grand scheme of things the impedance curve of the Solaris is relatively linear and so shouldn't change as drastically with source Z-out as the Andromeda.

In general though (for porta-fi at least) you want to be aiming for an OI as close to 0 as possible for the "ideal response" (unless the manufacturer specifically tunes for a specific OI). Anything beyond that will be source-matching based on preference.

 

[davidmolliere]

As I listen to the Solaris with the Mojo, I understand how powerfully magic the 1Z / Solaris pairing is...
I wouldn't be half as enthusiastic with the Mojo as source...

To clarify, the impedance of the Solaris is about 3ohms <100Hz and about 9ohms beyond 1kHz. This means that you'll get a little extra upper mids and treble with a higher output impedance (or a reduction in bass depending on your perspective), though in the grand scheme of things the impedance curve of the Solaris is relatively linear and so shouldn't change as drastically with source Z-out as the Andromeda. In general though (for porta-fi at least) you want to be aiming for an OI as close to 0 as possible for the "ideal response" (unless the manufacturer specifically tunes for a specific OI). Anything beyond that will be source-matching based on preference.

Great thanks for this detailed update

 

[Redcarmoose]

So I have finally come to test the Solaris with the Mojo. I had only listened through the WM1Z so far.

First thing : there is more significantly more mid bass than 1Z (firmware 3.0), this makes the Solaris much bassier and on some tracks it’s too much. There is more weight but at the detriment of balance. Texture remain very good but you loose a lot of detail in the bass department. It’s less nuanced and I think sub extension is no as good or this gets muddied by too much mid bass.

The mids are a tad thicker with more lower mids presence and less upper mids articulation but still quite beautiful and balanced. Overall though between bass and mids Solaris becomes warmer and looses quite a bit of balance. It’s a more relaxed listen but you loose a lot of the excitement.

That’s also because the treble performance is way less mesmerizing than it is with the 1Z (again, 3.0 firmware). You loose a lot of air and the treble have less weight and shimmer. Hi hats are no longer the joyful experience they have proven to be with the 1Z. Don’t misread this, the treble is already pretty good with Mojo, just not crazy special as they are on the 1Z. I think the 1Z treble is totally under rated in general. You always hear about bass on 1Z but my own take is that treble are something special on the 1Z. It’s not surgical SP1000 treble but lively treble with a lot of micro dynamics, a rich treble with beautiful decay.

Last but not least, separation and imaging is not as good as 1Z. You loose the grandiose feeling of the Solaris with 1Z. IMHO soundstage and imaging are loosing out to the 1Z by a great margin (25% smaller approx) which makes the Solaris just good but nothing to rave about.

The conclusion of this source swapping is that the Solaris will scale well and depending on which source you’re listening from it will be or not a special experience like I am experimenting. I am fairly sure DX200 with AMP8 sounds superb with Solaris, and SP1000 will as well. I’d be curious to get feedback from people who own either, and of other sources as well. I’ll make sure to share what I think of the Oriolus BA300S tube amp I’ll be getting soon. This is going to be interesting

I have had the 1Z for a year. It’s reputation is mostly about tube warmth and folks reinforce the 1Z bass capabilities. Though I have to admit with firmware 2.0 and 3.0 the highs are definitely accentuated; almost to the point of reaching hot. It seems as though (from reading) it’s a great combo with the Solaris treble........making it everything you like, so far.

Even the 1A has attenuated treble in comparison to the 1Z, yet it’s reputation is colder..... lol.