[rudbeard]

Here are graphs of the Solaris 2020 v the AliExpress imitation. They sound nothing alike, but I didn't bother with recording a sound sample because they aren't nearly representative as a graph.

Didn't think I would be reviewing a fake Solaris 2020 but there is a cavernous midrange scoop, wildly spiky response, no detail or sparkle. It's like the worst KZ you can imagine.

I've gone back and found the sound impressions from the seller (they are on Reddit and on Head-Fi) who sold me a counterfeit as well as the sound impressions from the Head-Fi user they bought the counterfeit from. I wonder what they would think of the real thing if they had the opportunity to A:B test. I know that we do consider brand and price when evaluating IEMs and I think it would be provoking to see the people who experienced the Fauxlaris try to estimate performance in another shell. My overall association of the Solaris 2020 has kind of soured all but the sonic performance for me based on being burned by this fake, which is too bad since they are more comfortable than the OG.

 

[BS5711]

Please tell me about Solaris Mercury.

I have an opportunity to get a brand new set at half price but it would be blind buy.

My current favourite IEM are AuR Audio Neon Pro and IE600. I had S12 but gave it to a friend, I liked the bass and had no issues with treble that others comment on as being a bit harsh.

I like the IE600 bass and general presentation but I would not mind if the treble was dialled back just a whisker to remove the occasional sibilance on certain songs that I know to be problematic in that regard.

I enjoy Neon Pro but would not mind the more tactile bass of a DD.

If I like the above IEM am I likely to enjoy the Solaris ?

 

[OhmsClaw]

Please tell me about Solaris Mercury.

I have an opportunity to get a brand new set at half price but it would be blind buy.

My current favourite IEM are AuR Audio Neon Pro and IE600. I had S12 but gave it to a friend, I liked the bass and had no issues with treble that others comment on as being a bit harsh.

I like the IE600 bass and general presentation but I would not mind if the treble was dialled back just a whisker to remove the occasional sibilance on certain songs that I know to be problematic in that regard.

I enjoy Neon Pro but would not mind the more tactile bass of a DD.

If I like the above IEM am I likely to enjoy the Solaris ?

The Solaris on the whole is very bass light. All models are bass light. Some have more bass than others, but its all light. At this point, the Stellaris is the only one worth buying in 2023 unless you get a good deal on a used Solaris and only plan on listening to classic rock or genres which share similar "real instruments" and live recordings (blues/folk etc...). The IE600 from ~140Hz down to 20Hz has nearly 10dB+ more bass sloped significantly biasing sub-bass.

The DD in the Solaris provides DD character to the bass it reproduces over that of "BA bass". Although the 2020 and Andromeda Gold measure about the same on the low end through the mids, the Andro Gold has more perceived quantity of bass than the Solaris SE I have (SE vs 2020 is about 1.5dB difference from 20Hz to 500Hz). The Mercury is a collector piece though; it's just a mirror finish 2020 Solaris still selling for 1400-1600.

 

[BS5711]

The Solaris on the whole is very bass light. All models are bass light. Some have more bass than others, but its all light. At this point, the Stellaris is the only one worth buying in 2023 unless you get a good deal on a used Solaris and only plan on listening to classic rock or genres which share similar "real instruments" and live recordings (blues/folk etc...). The IE600 from ~140Hz down to 20Hz has nearly 10dB+ more bass sloped significantly biasing sub-bass.

The DD in the Solaris provides DD character to the bass it reproduces over that of "BA bass". Although the 2020 and Andromeda Gold measure about the same on the low end through the mids, the Andro Gold has more perceived quantity of bass than the Solaris SE I have (SE vs 2020 is about 1.5dB difference from 20Hz to 500Hz). The Mercury is a collector piece though; it's just a mirror finish 2020 Solaris still selling for 1400-1600.

OK thank you, sounds like I am better to give it a miss, I have no interest in collector value and while I don’t want really boosted bass I certainly don’t want bass light,

Many thanks
Much appreciated

 

[slumberman]

The Solaris on the whole is very bass light. All models are bass light. Some have more bass than others, but its all light. At this point, the Stellaris is the only one worth buying in 2023 unless you get a good deal on a used Solaris and only plan on listening to classic rock or genres which share similar "real instruments" and live recordings (blues/folk etc...). The IE600 from ~140Hz down to 20Hz has nearly 10dB+ more bass sloped significantly biasing sub-bass.

The DD in the Solaris provides DD character to the bass it reproduces over that of "BA bass". Although the 2020 and Andromeda Gold measure about the same on the low end through the mids, the Andro Gold has more perceived quantity of bass than the Solaris SE I have (SE vs 2020 is about 1.5dB difference from 20Hz to 500Hz). The Mercury is a collector piece though; it's just a mirror finish 2020 Solaris still selling for 1400-1600.

I still can't get over how great the Andromeda Gold/Gold Ti sounds. I am glad I was able to get one.

 

[DP42]

The Solaris on the whole is very bass light. All models are bass light. Some have more bass than others, but its all light. At this point, the Stellaris is the only one worth buying in 2023 unless you get a good deal on a used Solaris and only plan on listening to classic rock or genres which share similar "real instruments" and live recordings (blues/folk etc...). The IE600 from ~140Hz down to 20Hz has nearly 10dB+ more bass sloped significantly biasing sub-bass.

The DD in the Solaris provides DD character to the bass it reproduces over that of "BA bass". Although the 2020 and Andromeda Gold measure about the same on the low end through the mids, the Andro Gold has more perceived quantity of bass than the Solaris SE I have (SE vs 2020 is about 1.5dB difference from 20Hz to 500Hz). The Mercury is a collector piece though; it's just a mirror finish 2020 Solaris still selling for 1400-1600.

That is strange, I find my Solaris 2020 to have plenty of bass. For me it is a big step up in sound quality compared to IE600. The best part about the Solaris is that well staged music actually sounds outside the head, it is a very convincing illusion.

 

[vessel]

Please tell me about Solaris Mercury.

I have an opportunity to get a brand new set at half price but it would be blind buy.

My current favourite IEM are AuR Audio Neon Pro and IE600. I had S12 but gave it to a friend, I liked the bass and had no issues with treble that others comment on as being a bit harsh.

I like the IE600 bass and general presentation but I would not mind if the treble was dialled back just a whisker to remove the occasional sibilance on certain songs that I know to be problematic in that regard.

I enjoy Neon Pro but would not mind the more tactile bass of a DD.

If I like the above IEM am I likely to enjoy the Solaris ?

I have the IE600 and Solaris 2020 and love them both, they are my two favorite IEMs. Assuming the Solaris Mercury is similar to the 2020, and that your ears are at all similar to mine, I think you won't be disappointed with it.

 

[BS5711]

I have the IE600 and Solaris 2020 and love them both, they are my two favorite IEMs. Assuming the Solaris Mercury is similar to the 2020, and that your ears are at all similar to mine, I think you won't be disappointed with it.

Would you be so kind as to provide a brief comparison to the IE600, like how do the basic bass, mids and highs compare, do the Solaris have a bigger overall presentation of the music which seems to be what reviews indicate is their strength.

In a general sense do you feel they are a substantial improvement over the IE600 in some way or they just different ? While the price I am looking at is a good deal the normal price was 2.5 times normal retail for the IE600 so I would hope they offer something substantively better not just different.

I guess I am asking would I likely have a wow moment coming from IE600 based on your experience with both ?

 

[vessel]

Would you be so kind as to provide a brief comparison to the IE600, like how do the basic bass, mids and highs compare, do the Solaris have a bigger overall presentation of the music which seems to be what reviews indicate is their strength.

In a general sense do you feel they are a substantial improvement over the IE600 in some way or they just different ? While the price I am looking at is a good deal the normal price was 2.5 times normal retail for the IE600 so I would hope they offer something substantively better not just different.

I guess I am asking would I likely have a wow moment coming from IE600 based on your experience with both ?

I don't think I'm very good at describing sound differences. I would say the Solaris 2020 is noticeably better in various ways than the IE600, it sounds "bigger" or more "full" or "richer" to me. I've had my Solaris 2020 for a few years now and they still wow me when I use them, I have no regrets about buying them.

 

[BS5711]

deleted.

 

[DP42]

I just did a quick A/B, ie600 vs Solaris 2020. Not even close, the Solaris is waaaay better for me. Listening to Dave Gahan Tomorrow track, there is better separation and weight on everything from vocals down to Sub bass. The IE600 has plenty of bass but it doesn't have as good separation, more like just a bunch of boom. The vocals and midrange on Solaris 2020 are more forward with good dynamics and snap. I have a feeling the Solaris is heavily colored and romanticizes the sound with lots of extension to notes, kind of like an Audeze LCD-2C, it has a dreamy effect on tracks and pulls you in. The IE600 is a bit drier but does well with some sources and tracks, I have had good sessions with the IE600, but more miss than hit for me. The reason I got the Solaris 2020 was because I wasn't real happy with the IE600, I now use the Sennheisers for workouts, their DD drivers are very good at standing up to sweat (e.g. my unbreakable IE80's, BA's don't like moisture (killed a set of SE535's a while back). I several DAP's, all under $500, so not sure if IE600 scales with better DAP's.

 

[BS5711]

I just did a quick A/B, ie600 vs Solaris 2020. Not even close, the Solaris is waaaay better for me. Listening to Dave Gahan Tomorrow track, there is better separation and weight on everything from vocals down to Sub bass. The IE600 has plenty of bass but it doesn't have as good separation, more like just a bunch of boom. The vocals and midrange on Solaris 2020 are more forward with good dynamics and snap. I have a feeling the Solaris is heavily colored and romanticizes the sound with lots of extension to notes, kind of like an Audeze LCD-2C, it has a dreamy effect on tracks and pulls you in. The IE600 is a bit drier but does well with some sources and tracks, I have had good sessions with the IE600, but more miss than hit for me. The reason I got the Solaris 2020 was because I wasn't real happy with the IE600, I now use the Sennheisers for workouts, their DD drivers are very good at standing up to sweat (e.g. my unbreakable IE80's, BA's don't like moisture (killed a set of SE535's a while back). I several DAP's, all under $500, so not sure if IE600 scales with better DAP's.

Thank you for the added detail.

I am still on the fence. I am very drawn to the romantic and enjoyable sound that pulls you in but after few reviews I can’t help but feel there are safer blind buys.

 

[BS5711]

I just did a quick A/B, ie600 vs Solaris 2020. Not even close, the Solaris is waaaay better for me.

That comment and another couple of reviews tipped me over the edge, order placed.

 

[Devodonaldson]

That comment and another couple of reviews tipped me over the edge, order placed.

Good luck. I'm an original Solaris owner, and no it doesn't have that hard hitting boomy bass, but with the right tips, it can definitely be adequate. The soundstage is great, and after having not used the for awhile, I come back to them and still get shocked by how open the stage is, and though my Planar iems bass sounds deeper, the dynamic on the Solaris moves more air, so actually feels a bit more impactful than some of my Planar iems. The Solaris is a great ism, even today

 

[BS5711]

Good luck. I'm an original Solaris owner, and no it doesn't have that hard hitting boomy bass, but with the right tips, it can definitely be adequate. The soundstage is great, and after having not used the for awhile, I come back to them and still get shocked by how open the stage is, and though my Planar iems bass sounds deeper, the dynamic on the Solaris moves more air, so actually feels a bit more impactful than some of my Planar iems. The Solaris is a great ism, even today

Thank you,

I don't need thundering hard hitting bass so I imagine they will do fine for my tastes in that regard.

The open stage and other aspects of the sound that I have read about elsewhere and in the responses above sound like a perfect addition to my small collection.

The fact that the sale price makes it affordable where it would usually be about twice my self imposed budget is a huge plus, the limited run only isn't a big deal but it is kind of nice to know that specific model is not common.