[nealh]

@Jalo I am not saying otherwise, it's not the driver but the tuning, and I am not in the camp of those who think too much bass is a bad thing Actually I think there is plenty of bass with the Solaris just not the hard hitting kind It's all about the snap of the note attack there. The Solaris is tuned to be smooth IMHO and that extends to bass. We''ll see if the Solaris gets retuned or a new model combining Atlas and Solaris qualities. I haven't heard the Atlas, I am a bit curious there... The Vega I have owned for a long time so I see what that bass means.

Is the bass impact( the damp) improving with burn in for DD?

Also I own Lyra2 and love it.... does the bass on Solaris have same impact as Lyra2( I’m guess it’s better)?

 

[ExpatinJapan]

UPDATE:
My pair is still burning in but I wanted to correct some things I said earlier.

I made a mistake swapping to the Truth cable. The Solaris pairs much better with the stock Super Litz. Noticeable difference across the whole spectrum but very apparent improvements in male and female vocals. Perhaps the copper Truth cable would be a better pairing than the silver but I’m very happy with the performance from the Super Litz. Now I just need to figure out how to remove the memory wire cleanly.

I also said the Solaris is easily the best thing I’ve heard. This was slightly overstated. I still think the Solaris is the best I’ve heard so far but the Dream competes quite well considering it is a single DD.

I’m sure this has already been said but the Solaris does not have the final word in resolution. This is quite obvious when A/B’ing with the Dream. That said, the Solaris is so smooth, musical, and immersive. I’ve yet to find any faults with it and it’s still burning in! Fitment can be a bit tricky but I think removing the wire can help with that.

Removing memory wire.

I did a post earlier on this thread about it.

Super litz is outer plastic, metal wire, more plastic.

Triple job.

Heres an article on removing the memory wire of the ALO Audio SXC-8 cable

https://www.headpie.net/2018/06/alo-audio-sxc-8-mod-like-surgeon.html?m=1

*one also has to decide whether to clip tr metal memory wire or pull it out completely.

 

[davidmolliere]

Is the bass impact( the damp) improving with burn in for DD?
Also I own Lyra2 and love it.... does the bass on Solaris have same impact as Lyra2( I’m guess it’s better)?

I haven’t heard the Lyra 2 so I’ll let others chip in.

Yes bass is getting tighter with burn in, I didn’t hear further improvements after a 100 hours as far as I am concerned...

 

[Jackpot77]

So it just isn't pushing detail on your face like some IEMs(Zeus, U18). It's still there but not shoved in your face?

The Zeus is one of the most "naturally" resolving things I've heard - it does have a forward midrange, so these details are further accentuated, but I think even if not, it would potentially edge the Solaris in mid range micro detail. It has a way of sounding smooth but still spitting out the smallest nuance in a track which is unlike anything else I've ever heard apart from a brief audition of the Jomo Flamenco at Canjam.

With the Solaris, there is still a ton of detail in the presentation (especially in the bass - those textures are incredible), but some of it sits in the background, overshadowed slightly by the more emphasised frequency ranges. For me, it is definitely top tier in terms of resolution and clarity, but not the final word compared to some of the detail monsters out there. It trades that for the superior timbre, tone and soul that gives it its inherent musicality.

To give you a good example, I use a track called "Palladio" from Escala as one of my go to review tracks for string instrument textures. It has a little bit of clicking / room noise around the 30s mark on the lower left side from someone adjusting a chair or a music stand. On my Flares Pro or Echobox Finders, this noise is heard quite clearly in the foreground. On the Zeus and the Solaris, you have to strain to hear it, but it is still clearly there if you listen out. The first two iems are good mid-tier DDs, but in no way are they anywhere near as resolving or detailed across the spectrum as either the Zeus or Solaris. They just happen to have a particular emphasis on the cymbal ranges, which is where this particular piece of plankton seems to live.

 

[emptymt]

I haven’t heard the Lyra 2 so I’ll let others chip in.

Yes bass is getting tighter with burn in, I didn’t hear further improvements after a 100 hours as far as I am concerned...

The Lyra 2 has good bass, however I really feel that the quality is definitely lower than the higher line up from CA.
I haven't heard the Solaris, but have heard Vega, Atlas, Jupiter and currently own The Andromeda, all of them has better bass as a whole, however they are more expensive as well.

The Lyra 1 is actually my least favorite IEM by CA, Lyra 2 is a good step up but still doesn't quite cut it, at least for me.

 

[Mikelowry]

After using the vega exclusively since april I for one find I relief in the bass on the Solaris. It makes me feel the real fabric of which the bass is made without being fatiguing over longer listening sessions.

Vegas bass while very enjoyable give me the sense that I am in a nightclub standing very close to large floor speakers and sometimes you leave the club and say " man i shouldnt have stood so close to those speakers".

Dont get me wrong I love the Vegas bass in all in physicality and brute strength but sometimes I dont want my skull to vibrate when I'm listening to music.

The Solaris are simply perfect to me so far. Only thing I would say is Id love a custom fit version or a version without the gold plating.

Each song I listen to is like I am entering a new room where this song was recorded. Its difficult to explain but there is an all engulfing feeling, I think its because of the balanced sound it causes me to listen to the music as a " big picture" rather than focus on a specific aspect of a particular song. The sounds are prismatic, present, and it all feels quite tangible. Every part of songs are enjoyable and with this type of placement of instruments Ive never enjoyed or felt this level of "reality" in music like when I listen with the Solaris

These Iems are a Grand slam in my book. I cant give you comparisons to any TOTL Iems because before this the Vegas were the most expensive and best headphones I'd owned or listened to but I can tell you this, the only other Iem I am looking for are a custom fit Solaris or Solaris without gold plating. Im not sure Id get anything significantly better In Iems even if I spend spend double the money.

So until I hear of Iems or headphones that are drastically more impressive...its on to the world of high end loudspeakers for me.

( Currently listening to Keni Burke - Changes)

 

[emptymt]

The Zeus is one of the most "naturally" resolving things I've heard - it does have a forward midrange, so these details are further accentuated, but I think even if not, it would potentially edge the Solaris in mid range micro detail. It has a way of sounding smooth but still spitting out the smallest nuance in a track which is unlike anything else I've ever heard apart from a brief audition of the Jomo Flamenco at Canjam.

With the Solaris, there is still a ton of detail in the presentation (especially in the bass - those textures are incredible), but some of it sits in the background, overshadowed slightly by the more emphasised frequency ranges. For me, it is definitely top tier in terms of resolution and clarity, but not the final word compared to some of the detail monsters out there. It trades that for the superior timbre, tone and soul that gives it its inherent musicality.

To give you a good example, I use a track called "Palladio" from Escala as one of my go to review tracks for string instrument textures. It has a little bit of clicking / room noise around the 30s mark on the lower left side from someone adjusting a chair or a music stand. On my Flares Pro or Echobox Finders, this noise is heard quite clearly in the foreground. On the Zeus and the Solaris, you have to strain to hear it, but it is still clearly there if you listen out. The first two iems are good mid-tier DDs, but in no way are they anywhere near as resolving or detailed across the spectrum as either the Zeus or Solaris. They just happen to have a particular emphasis on the cymbal ranges, which is where this particular piece of plankton seems to live.

How about The Andro? Does it expose more details compared to Solaris? Is it a big difference?

I'm not a critical listener, so I actually like some details shoved at me, that way I can hear it without concentrating.

 

[Jackpot77]

How about The Andro? Does it expose more details compared to Solaris? Is it a big difference?

I'm not a critical listener, so I actually like some details shoved at me, that way I can hear it without concentrating.

I don't have the Andro any more, but from memory I'd say the Solaris is the better of the two.

Maybe someone like @Dsnuts or someone else who has both can chime in?

 

[seamon]

The Zeus is one of the most "naturally" resolving things I've heard - it does have a forward midrange, so these details are further accentuated, but I think even if not, it would potentially edge the Solaris in mid range micro detail. It has a way of sounding smooth but still spitting out the smallest nuance in a track which is unlike anything else I've ever heard apart from a brief audition of the Jomo Flamenco at Canjam.

With the Solaris, there is still a ton of detail in the presentation (especially in the bass - those textures are incredible), but some of it sits in the background, overshadowed slightly by the more emphasised frequency ranges. For me, it is definitely top tier in terms of resolution and clarity, but not the final word compared to some of the detail monsters out there. It trades that for the superior timbre, tone and soul that gives it its inherent musicality.

To give you a good example, I use a track called "Palladio" from Escala as one of my go to review tracks for string instrument textures. It has a little bit of clicking / room noise around the 30s mark on the lower left side from someone adjusting a chair or a music stand. On my Flares Pro or Echobox Finders, this noise is heard quite clearly in the foreground. On the Zeus and the Solaris, you have to strain to hear it, but it is still clearly there if you listen out. The first two iems are good mid-tier DDs, but in no way are they anywhere near as resolving or detailed across the spectrum as either the Zeus or Solaris. They just happen to have a particular emphasis on the cymbal ranges, which is where this particular piece of plankton seems to live.

Fair enough. I read Flamenco is a detail monster. Is that the final word in terms of IEM resolution?

I haven't heard a Zeus in over 1.5 years but I do remember it having a very good midrange but it was a little sibilant.

 

[Jalo]

@davidmolliere and @Jackpot77, I think we can all agree that the bass character on the Solaris is the result of tuning as we all know what that DD driver can do. Haha even though I own the Andromeda, Vega, Atlas and now the Solaris at least by now nobody is going to accuse me a Campfire fanboy. @davidmolliere, don’t worry I am not saying you are saying otherwise either, your take is pretty close to me on my book.

@seamon, don’t worrry, your constructive debate is well taken by me and there is no offense, I do enjoy many of your posts. But of course that “random guy” is me and I still remember those Vega hot debates particularly with regard to Vega and sibilance and of course we are not going there again I do know how much you are sensitive to bright phones and I am surprised and glad that you like the Solaris.

@knopi, you said it is funny how someone compares speaker vs iems, true, we should not have, because they are not the same. However in general, all headphones particularly the TOTL types wanted to claim they are so good that they can be compared to speakers. And in this case the Solaris is described by some as speaker like and even you admit that the Campfire has some speaker attributes hence iems has always been compare to speaker realistically or not and as a bench mark literally or not.

The word bass heavy is a misnomer because ones phone can be described as bass heavy while it is bass light to another person. We all know that we hear differently and I am not going to convince anyone whether a particular phone should have more or less bass. What I will compare to and use as a benchmark is the real life standard. If in the presence of a cello performance and I can physically feel the vibes going through me and If I do not get that from my phone, I will judge that phone accordingly. On a similar vein, if somebody is scratching on glass and producing a screeching sound I am not go to fault a phone for being sibilant because it merely replicating a sound in the natural world. We have all been to rock concert and it is a nonstop bass heavy event and any phone that is capable to capture and reproduce real sound should be bass heavy for that event. It is not the phone that is bass heavy it is the music. If it is not in the music and the phone is constantly producing heavy bass artificially, that is not a good phone either. On the contrary if there are rumbles in life music and the phone is not able to give me that experience, I will fault the phone for not able to do that.

 

[twister6]

Removing memory wire.

I did a post earlier on this thread about it.

Super litz is outer plastic, metal wire, more plastic.

Triple job.

Heres an article on removing the memory wire of the ALO Audio SXC-8 cable

https://www.headpie.net/2018/06/alo-audio-sxc-8-mod-like-surgeon.html?m=1

*one also has to decide whether to clip tr metal memory wire or pull it out completely.

Just to add my comments to your article where you quoted Lookout57 instructions, to remove the memory wire you need patience and I suggest NOT using a knife or a blade cause you can cut the cable. Instead, find a very small flat screwdriver, like small enough for eyeglass repair and also use nail or wire clippers.

First, try to expose/separate the edge of the metal memory wire which is under the outer hear shrink (that's where I use a small flat screwdriver). Once you do that, pull on it (metal wire) toward the housing of mmcx connector and then clip it at the base. You can't pull the wire out, it has to be clipped. Then go back and remove the remaining layer of heat shrink plastic tube, starting by finding the edge, digging with a small screwdriver to cut it open, and pulling it down toward mmcx connector.

Take your time and don't rush.

 

[MidFiMoney]

@ExpatinJapan and @twister6

I appreciate your input! I managed to the wire removed. Not the cleanest job well worth the effort. Patience is key! Haha

 

[nealh]

@ExpatinJapan and @twister6

I appreciate your input! I managed to the wire removed. Not the cleanest job well worth the effort. Patience is key! Haha

wow you have a real nice collection of IEM. which at this point is your preferred?

Sound is so subjective and means different things to different people.

I always like a good punchy bass that makes you feel the music but does not overwhelm. I love vocals to be forward and bit infront of you. I enjoy an airy sound with nice wide soundstage, to give that sense of 3 dimensional sound. Does Solaris seem to hit this?

I have not chased this too much. I don't have the opportunity to audition many IEM so I have to buy and hope. I really enjoy my Lyra2 and stopped looking as I am afraid to buy "TOTL" since returns are not really possible.

 

[twister6]

Just to add my comments to your article where you quoted Lookout57 instructions, to remove the memory wire you need patience and I suggest NOT using a knife or a blade cause you can cut the cable. Instead, find a very small flat screwdriver, like small enough for eyeglass repair and also use nail or wire clippers.

First, try to expose/separate the edge of the metal memory wire which is under the outer hear shrink (that's where I use a small flat screwdriver). Once you do that, pull on it (metal wire) toward the housing of mmcx connector and then clip it at the base. You can't pull the wire out, it has to be clipped. Then go back and remove the remaining layer of heat shrink plastic tube, starting by finding the edge, digging with a small screwdriver to cut it open, and pulling it down toward mmcx connector.

Take your time and don't rush.

Just to add, with a few close up pictures. 4.4mm still has memory wire, while 3.5mm and 2.5mm have it removed.

 

[davidmolliere]

@davidmolliere and @Jackpot77, I think we can all agree that the bass character on the Solaris is the result of tuning as we all know what that DD driver can do. Haha even though I own the Andromeda, Vega, Atlas and now the Solaris at least by now nobody is going to accuse me a Campfire fanboy. @davidmolliere, don’t worry I am not saying you are saying otherwise either, your take is pretty close to me on my book.

Yeah well if I was a fanboy I sure would have gotten the Andromeda and the Atlas as well, which I didn't
But sure I am a brand fan in the sense that I trust them to represent their own voice on the market, we can like or dislike what they do but there is something about the brand I like.

About bass, I have been listening to the EX1000 this afternoon, it also has very natural and well extended bass with a lot of detail and texture although the Solaris has more weight and body there is more meat to the bass and to me textures are just in another league altogether. I hope someone at a meetup in Paris will have an Atlas so that I measure it up to the Solaris. But still, I feel like the Solaris has a mature tuning that stayed away from the easy route. And also maybe avoid cannibalizing the Atlas sales?

So is there room for a punchier little brother? Certainly but I don't see that happening right next year... The Atlas still has good days ahead...