[Lookout57]

above is CEMA (prob) 187.
UP-OCC Gold plate, with a bit of Palladium material based, in 8 Core 26 AWG to TRRS 4.4mm, Custom Jobs...

cable advanture... you may look around here
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/resistance-of-cables-pics-comments-and-links.907998/

or the more budget version....
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/low-end-cheap-generic-otherwise-bang-for-buck-cable-thread.891911/

my personal choices is from Japanese, BRISE,

A gold plated copper cable can't compare to a OCC silver cable. I have the ALO Gold 16 and it neutered the sound of the Solaris. Reduced bass and details.

 

[fokta]

A gold plated copper cable can't compare to a OCC silver cable. I have the ALO Gold 16 and it neutered the sound of the Solaris. Reduced bass and details.

True...
so demo and hear it urself will be the best choice...
Sometime u need those tight fast pace bass for certain genre song...

 

[fokta]

Since you guys are talking about DD vs BA. there were discussions about it on other platforms...

About cannon test, if you have heard it... some said it differentiate between sound produce in DD or BA...



Just focus on the cannon blast, 5 times on 12:37, and 10 times on 14:41...

Disclaimer, please be wise on volume...

My opinion, this is where DD will sound more natural then BA...
it will be nice to share ur exp if you still have full BA compare to hybrid/DD...

my CIEM BA still OTW...

 

[PoSR77]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience with me. I also have a very diverse music taste and we enjoy similar music genres. I am new in head fi and in the process of deciding getting a 64 Audio Nio and the 2020 CFA Solaris and a newer dap. I would be happy with either IEM. It appears to me that the Nio probably has much deeper bass and the Solaris has a holographic sound stage. Furthermore, Solaris is much sensitive and prone to hiss as compared to the Nio. I am trying to ask other users to share their choice DAPs.

Of course, no problem. Glad to hopefully help a bit since I got a lot of help deciding on the Solaris myself.

Do note that I am a relative IEM newbie as I have only had the Moondrop Blessing 2 and now Solaris 2020 besides some 10+ year old IEMs in the $100 range.

I too looked at the Nio (and about 20 other IEMs!) before I decided on the Solaris. 3 main reasons: the Nio cost slightly more, it's new so less reviews/impressions (I wanted a safer pick and the original Solaris has been around for awhile which closely resembles the 2020 version), and I don't like the color very much. But it would almost certainly be a great choice.

As far as bass, though I am no basshead, one of my slight criticisms of the Solaris would be that it borders on having too much bass for me. I really like its bass: deep, impactful, powerful, textured and articulate, but sometimes it's almost too much. But only sometimes and it never really becomes too much. I would definitely not think of it as bass light and can hardly imagine more bass quantity (a different bass quality, yes, such as more warmer upper bass, but the sub bass on the Solaris is entirely satisfying).

Sound stage with the Solaris is very good. It mimics full over the ear headphones in many ways; in fact from memory many of my older/lesser full sized headphones, open or closed, don't have the stage it does. My Arya's have more, but they are known for their big stage. And though I haven't done a lot of direct comparisons, the Arya's don't destroy the Solaris in terms of sound stage, they are more comparable. In any case I never feel closed in or wanting more air when listening to the Solaris.

I haven't heard any background hiss with the Solaris except for out of my Cayin iHA-6. It is slight and doesn't bother me. When listening to music I don't notice it in the quiet passages, only when no music is playing.

My take so far on the Solaris is that they have a big, bold, dynamic, and almost brash sound signature. As such they might not be the last word in subtlety or nuance and they certainly aren't warm, laid back, or relaxed. Sure they have great micro detail and dynamics, and you can pretty easily focus on just one aspect of the music or instrument, but it seems to me the focus is more on the main "drive" of the music, the overall picture (the forest instead of the trees). Thus the very deep coherency of the presentation where nothing is over emphasized but simply properly placed in the mix and sound stage. This give a very realistic, organic, live type of sound even with cold and clinical recordings (such as some 80's music that was overly produced) without it being too mid-centric (overly warm/tubby mids). I'm hearing little to no "BA dryness" for one thing. They are also very clear and resolving/transparent without being fatiguing, harsh, or cold. They do basically everything right for me, but others may prefer a different presentation.

 

[VTMA8132]

Of course, no problem. Glad to hopefully help a bit since I got a lot of help deciding on the Solaris myself.

Do note that I am a relative IEM newbie as I have only had the Moondrop Blessing 2 and now Solaris 2020 besides some 10+ year old IEMs in the $100 range.

I too looked at the Nio (and about 20 other IEMs!) before I decided on the Solaris. 3 main reasons: the Nio cost slightly more, it's new so less reviews/impressions (I wanted a safer pick and the original Solaris has been around for awhile which closely resembles the 2020 version), and I don't like the color very much. But it would almost certainly be a great choice.

As far as bass, though I am no basshead, one of my slight criticisms of the Solaris would be that it borders on having too much bass for me. I really like its bass: deep, impactful, powerful, textured and articulate, but sometimes it's almost too much. But only sometimes and it never really becomes too much. I would definitely not think of it as bass light and can hardly imagine more bass quantity (a different bass quality, yes, such as more warmer upper bass, but the sub bass on the Solaris is entirely satisfying).

Sound stage with the Solaris is very good. It mimics full over the ear headphones in many ways; in fact from memory many of my older/lesser full sized headphones, open or closed, don't have the stage it does. My Arya's have more, but they are known for their big stage. And though I haven't done a lot of direct comparisons, the Arya's don't destroy the Solaris in terms of sound stage, they are more comparable. In any case I never feel closed in or wanting more air when listening to the Solaris.

I haven't heard any background hiss with the Solaris except for out of my Cayin iHA-6. It is slight and doesn't bother me. When listening to music I don't notice it in the quiet passages, only when no music is playing.

My take so far on the Solaris is that they have a big, bold, dynamic, and almost brash sound signature. As such they might not be the last word in subtlety or nuance and they certainly aren't warm, laid back, or relaxed. Sure they have great micro detail and dynamics, and you can pretty easily focus on just one aspect of the music or instrument, but it seems to me the focus is more on the main "drive" of the music, the overall picture (the forest instead of the trees). Thus the very deep coherency of the presentation where nothing is over emphasized but simply properly placed in the mix and sound stage. This give a very realistic, organic, live type of sound even with cold and clinical recordings (such as some 80's music that was overly produced) without it being too mid-centric (overly warm/tubby mids). I'm hearing little to no "BA dryness" for one thing. They are also very clear and resolving/transparent without being fatiguing, harsh, or cold. They do basically everything right for me, but others may prefer a different presentation.

Nicely elaborated. Thanks!

 

[SBranson]

My take so far on the Solaris is that they have a big, bold, dynamic, and almost brash sound signature. As such they might not be the last word in subtlety or nuance and they certainly aren't warm, laid back, or relaxed. Sure they have great micro detail and dynamics, and you can pretty easily focus on just one aspect of the music or instrument, but it seems to me the focus is more on the main "drive" of the music, the overall picture (the forest instead of the trees). Thus the very deep coherency of the presentation where nothing is over emphasized but simply properly placed in the mix and sound stage. This give a very realistic, organic, live type of sound even with cold and clinical recordings (such as some 80's music that was overly produced) without it being too mid-centric (overly warm/tubby mids). I'm hearing little to no "BA dryness" for one thing. They are also very clear and resolving/transparent without being fatiguing, harsh, or cold. They do basically everything right for me, but others may prefer a different presentation.

I like this characterization of the Solaris. Back with the discussion of the U12t, I found those really focussed on the trees. You could see the forest but that seemed to come after. I could see the U12t as a great tool for mixing.

Something I wanted to mention about the Solaris compared to other CA models... I've owned the Orion (twice), Nova, Jupiter, Andromeda (original version), and the Andromeda Gold and the main thing I always noticed with CA iems is that they always had a forward sound. The Orion was well done but sound seems quite localized in the earpieces and everything felt very close. Center image felt like it was between my ears or right in front of my eyes. The further up the $$ line, even though that up front sense was always present, the sense of space got a bigger.
When I first tried the Solaris 2020 I noticed that CA signature (for me) but as I got to know these iems, that space they have has seemed to extend as far as the recording allows. It's truly remarkable how large the space in my head can feel if the recording has that sense to it. Sometimes a vocal track can sound like I'm sitting right inside the mic, but all the nuance and realism of the voice is present and as such I feel like I'm part of that voice. The Andromeda Gold is similar in tuning but in comparison still has a sense of "viewing" the performance.
Other times the there will be a spatial cue off in the distance and I can see exactly where it's coming from and there is a palpable sense of space between me and the source of that sound.
I can't get over the realism of the Solaris 2020. These have a CA sound to me but they just go to a place no other CA iem has for me.

Really enjoying these.

 

[Layman1]

Has anyone tried Solaris (ideally 2020 version) with the Eletech Prudence cable?
Or Eletech Fortitude? Would love to hear some impressions about those pair-up's

 

[Rockwell75]

I don’t feel that anything is lacking technically in the Solaris 2020 vs the U12t, just a difference of presentation.

This is a good point.

As far as bass, though I am no basshead, one of my slight criticisms of the Solaris would be that it borders on having too much bass for me. I really like its bass: deep, impactful, powerful, textured and articulate, but sometimes it's almost too much. But only sometimes and it never really becomes too much. I would definitely not think of it as bass light and can hardly imagine more bass quantity (a different bass quality, yes, such as more warmer upper bass, but the sub bass on the Solaris is entirely satisfying).

This goes to show how differently people can hear things as some say Solaris needs more bass, and others say it has a bit too much. I've come to regard it as the "goldilocks" IEM for me in terms of bass-- it's just right. Any more and the rest of the FR will suffer and any less and something will be missing. While I would still credit the Z1R as having possibly the best bass texture I've ever heard I don't think that IEM does as good a job as Solaris as blending the bass with the rest of the signature into a coherent unity.

My take so far on the Solaris is that they have a big, bold, dynamic, and almost brash sound signature. As such they might not be the last word in subtlety or nuance and they certainly aren't warm, laid back, or relaxed. Sure they have great micro detail and dynamics, and you can pretty easily focus on just one aspect of the music or instrument, but it seems to me the focus is more on the main "drive" of the music, the overall picture (the forest instead of the trees). Thus the very deep coherency of the presentation where nothing is over emphasized but simply properly placed in the mix and sound stage. This give a very realistic, organic, live type of sound even with cold and clinical recordings (such as some 80's music that was overly produced) without it being too mid-centric (overly warm/tubby mids). I'm hearing little to no "BA dryness" for one thing. They are also very clear and resolving/transparent without being fatiguing, harsh, or cold. They do basically everything right for me, but others may prefer a different presentation.

Well said, and I agree.

Yes, thank you both for very precise and illuminating comparisons. As a result, my itching curiosity about the U12ts has gone. Love my Solaris 2020s!

The u12t is a great, but different sort of IEM. Tonally and technically I would say the two are equals, though Solaris sacrifices a bit of sheer detail for a more exciting, engaging and immersive sound...and much better bass. Still if you're after a pure reference monitor that won't be grabbing your attention all the time and has "good as it gets" BA bass...then the u12t is hard to beat.

they have such ... sophisticated yet exciting sound.

This, I think, is one of their defining qualities-- they are just analytic enough and just fun enough that they are both more interesting and more engaging than other IEMs that veer too far in either direction. In my opion CFA has attained an almost Zen level of balance with Solaris...not just with the FR but also with staging, technicalities etc.

 

[Toom]

This is a good point.



This goes to show how differently people can hear things as some say Solaris needs more bass, and others say it has a bit too much. I've come to regard it as the "goldilocks" IEM for me in terms of bass-- it's just right. Any more and the rest of the FR will suffer and any less and something will be missing. While I would still credit the Z1R as having possibly the best bass texture I've ever heard I don't think that IEM does as good a job as Solaris as blending the bass with the rest of the signature into a coherent unity.




Well said, and I agree.



The u12t is a great, but different sort of IEM. Tonally and technically I would say the two are equals, though Solaris sacrifices a bit of sheer detail for a more exciting, engaging and immersive sound...and much better bass. Still if you're after a pure reference monitor that won't be grabbing your attention all the time and has "good as it gets" BA bass...then the u12t is hard to beat.



This, I think, is one of their defining qualities-- they are just analytic enough and just fun enough that they are both more interesting and more engaging than other IEMs that veer too far in either direction. In my opion CFA has attained an almost Zen level of balance with Solaris...not just with the FR but also with staging, technicalities etc.

This makes my wallet happier. For some reason, it doesn't believe my ears.

 

[Rockwell75]

I know what you mean-- we're almost wired to believe that more $$ intrinsically means higher quality, and while that's certainly often true, it is not universally so. IMHO the Solaris (and probably the Andromeda too) pretty much rule the 1K - 2.5K mark-- while there are definitely other great IEMs in that price range I don't think there are any that constitute an upgrade across the board to CFA's offerings. For that you need to step into a higher price tier.

 

[alvinmate]

Hi Folks.... thanks to all who gave their input on cable choices... made an attempt to demo few from low range to high end cables and everything in beween.... spend few hours going back and forth and finally decided that silver is the way to go... thanks to @Lookout57 for recommending silver cable route...

For my taste I settled on EA Thor II+.
Its not super technical like its peers but does the job and differences going higher up gets more subjective in SQ change and trained ears to pick the major differences.

Also DHC Cables lead time had me thinking and with higher international shipping costs was something to consider too.

 

[vylts]

For those who like bass tight songs, here's one to explore with the solaris

 

[PoSR77]

I like this characterization of the Solaris. Back with the discussion of the U12t, I found those really focussed on the trees. You could see the forest but that seemed to come after. I could see the U12t as a great tool for mixing.

Thanks, and your description of where a listener sits in relation to the music helped me pick the Solaris 2020 over other competitors.

I can't get over the realism of the Solaris 2020. These have a CA sound to me but they just go to a place no other CA iem has for me.

Me either. They're killing my Arya's in that regard for one thing, and even rival some of my speakers in certain aspects, such as realism, which is just amazing.

This goes to show how differently people can hear things as some say Solaris needs more bass, and others say it has a bit too much. I've come to regard it as the "goldilocks" IEM for me in terms of bass-- it's just right. Any more and the rest of the FR will suffer and any less and something will be missing. While I would still credit the Z1R as having possibly the best bass texture I've ever heard I don't think that IEM does as good a job as Solaris as blending the bass with the rest of the signature into a coherent unity.

I agree: with most everything the bass amount is just about perfect for me. It certainly isn't artificially boosted with "bass light" tracks and albums, rather that more anemic material gains back the bass that I don't hear with my Arya's or Blessing 2's (but I do with my speakers). It doesn't become bass heavy (as it shouldn't), but now the bass I've been missing with other phones is restored to its proper levels and it, and the sound overall, simply sounds much more proper (and fun!).

I am using medium Final Audio E-Type tips that came with the Solaris; the Campfire Audio Marshmallow tips that came attached to the Solaris out of the box I used for about 20 seconds: way too much of a muddy, congested overly bassy sound.

Well said, and I agree.

Thanks, and I'm glad to hear it as I'm very unsure of my assessments of audio gear, especially with items I have little experience with (like IEMs).

This, I think, is one of their defining qualities-- they are just analytic enough and just fun enough that they are both more interesting and more engaging than other IEMs that veer too far in either direction. In my opion CFA has attained an almost Zen level of balance with Solaris...not just with the FR but also with staging, technicalities etc.

Yes, well put! Nothing to really add: they meld fun/engaging with high-fi technicalities just about perfectly. That's the best type of audio presentation for my preferences.

 

[DanteKH]

For those who like bass tight songs, here's one to explore with the solaris

That's one of my regular tracks for review. Great for testing drums and bass.

 

[PoSR77]

So I finally did a full session compare/contrast between the Solaris 2020 and my Arya's in the sense that I listened to this album in its entirety with both. First the Arya's, then the Solaris 2020. Both out of my RME ADI-2 DAC FS.




This is not a "reference" album for me (although the label does tend to produce well, to very well, recorded albums); in fact this is the first time I've ever listened to it.

Again, I'm not good at this sort of thing, and I'm not going to address all the various aspects of sound reproduction, but briefly my impressions were:

The Arya's take on it was more clinical and distant (and even a bit dark): a wider stage, bordering on almost too wide (hence the distant perception), with thinner, sharper instrumentation that resulted in less realism. Good instrument separation and PRaT. The presentation was somewhat cold and lifeless; an overall "here's the music, presented accurately in a clinical way, but you won't enjoy it much" which is how I have come to view this headphone after many months of having it. Technically very good, but simply not very engaging or even "naturally accurate" (lacking in realism).

The Solaris had a closer presentation with less separation between the instruments. But it didn't matter: there was still enough space in both the sound stage and between the instruments that I didn't feel closed in nor that the sound was congested. In fact, compared to the more distant reproduction on the Arya, I much preferred this more intimate sound stage; it seemed more what the producers intended (I've always found that the Arya's are too recessed in the mids in a trade off for a wider sound stage). PRaT was basically the same. The overall presentation with the Solaris was much better imo: the instruments were much fuller bodied with verve, weight, resonance (but not too much it veered into chestiness which I dislike), more bite (this is also the case on guitars, both acoustic and electric), warmth (but never too smooth), and even a touch of sweetness or romance, yet still a very clear, detailed and articulate sound. In fact, and this surprised me some, the Solaris had more easily discernible micro detail and brought out the nuances and subtleties in the performance more. With the Arya's those seemed clouded by the "darker" sound and distantness, even though its thinner more analytical tonality should have made micro details stand out more. But the Solaris also had much better layering which helped the instruments sound more "real", natural, tangible, "live", and organic.

Anyway, this is kind of stream-of-consciousness stuff so sorry for the imprecision. In a word, I much preferred the Solaris over the Ayra's here, as I do with all other music I've thrown at the Solaris, even if I'm mostly going by memory of how the Arya's have reproduced that music.

Btw, I'm not comparing the Blessing 2's to the Solaris yet because I feel they aren't in the "same league" as the Ayras and Solaris are.

PS: I'm listening to Bobby Hutcherson's "Togo Land" from his Head On album, comparing the Solaris and Ayra's, and this is a well known to me reference track. The Solaris sounds better to me in every way possible with this very interesting and complex track. Percussion is especially better: more nuanced, weighty, impactful, layered and detailed. It sounds close to perfect. Incredible.