Campfire - Solaris
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This is a ranking list I've compiled covering my "adventures in IEMs" this past year, and since Solaris SE took the top spot I thought I'd share it here. I've recently acquired an Empire Ears Legend X to fulfill my "endgame goal" of having on hand an IEM that delivers a balanced presentation (Solaris SE) and another that delivers a more fun and "basshead" presentation (Legend X). Fundamentally these two IEMs epitomize the two major pillars of my tastes. A couple caveats about the list that follows (apart from the usual preamble that audio is subjective, tastes and priorities vary, YMMV and all that).
First: The order here is simply a representation of their relative positioning in my life at this moment-- some of them are "all rounders" and others attain their position by doing a few things very very well. It is no way meant to convey any sort of absolute order of said IEMs' objective worth.
Second: IEMs, for me are more a "whole is greater than the sum of the parts" sort of deal. A superficial demo (~1 hour or less) will give you some idea of salient characteristics and certain technical features, but to really get a sense of where something fits in the grand scheme of things you need to spend some time with it. I am personally less interested in the individual characteristic components of an IEM's sound and much more interested in the overall gestalt it presents-- how everything fits together as a whole, which is often something that becomes apparent only after you've spent a good deal of time with them. As such my first list will comprise those IEMs which I have owned, spent a good deal of time with and am thus better prepared to rank them more meaningfully according to my preferences. The second list will consist of those IEMs I had a chance to demo only briefly and never owned. Anyway, on with it.
List 1-- IEMs I've owned
1) Campfire Audio Solaris Special Edition -> The top of the pyramid, for me. This IEM encapsulates everything I look for in a monitor-- natural, balanced, spacious, clear, impactful, dynamic bass, not to mention beautiful to look at. A subtle but clear step up from OG Solaris to my ears with improved clarity, more robust and forward vocals and cleaner bass. What the Solaris does better than any other IEM I have heard is provide coherent and well balanced signature within a fully rendered 3-d space combined with impeccable layering and separation-- it doesn't excel at any one thing FR wise, but it does "everything" better than anything I've heard (to my ears). I know many have cited "weirdness" in the upper midrange as an issue with Solaris...but I've never really detected it, much less been put off by it. And yes, there is a hint of the "BA texture" to the bass...but it's far and away a DD above all. What I really appreciate about this IEM more than anything is the perfect balance it brings to the spectrum-- there's just enough of everything and nothing is overwhelming...and this is something that stands out more and more as my hours on it wear on-- CFA has, imho, reached a "zen" level of balance with Solaris and done a peerless job of combining BA and DD drivers into a balanced "total package" IEM. Solaris might not be for everyone, but it's definitely for me.
2) Empire Ears Legend X -> Bass of the gods. The thundering yang to complement the ethereal yin of the Solaris. With the LX the whole signature is defined by the bass-- it's large, it's powerful and it's everywhere. Thankfully it's also very resolving and detailed so that the rest of the sound isn't drowned out in the bass. Nonetheless the bass is present and it dominates. The sheer quantity of bass makes the sound is a bit "closed in"...like you're in a club with the bass pounding...I wouldn't go so far as to say congested, as one of the great things about LX is that it somehow avoids this despite all the bass...it's why I would call it the ultimate "basshead audiophile" IEM. The key is that it's so refined and resolving. The CFA Atlas (which I also love) was described as having "get off the bus and crap yourself bass"... well by that metric the LX has "park your Mercedes and crap yourself bass". It's definitely a "guilty pleasure", but I'm ok with guilt and I love pleasure. Nonetheless, due to the robust low end on the LX it can be said to be lacking a bit of air, which I get from my #1 above. Thus the 2 are a perfect pair for me. The LX is akin to listening to music in a club-- a more confined space, with the thundering bass permeating everything, much like the oil in an olive. If the LX is like listening in a club the Solaris is like listening on a mountain top-- grounded in the bedrock of the powerful bass, but wide open up top, and to the left and right, so everything has room to breathe. Together they are a great 1-2 punch.
3) QDC Anole VX --> Clear, resolving, balanced, impactful, detailed, well executed bass, stage deep AF...if anything a little too "analytical". It's very detailed and involving but it lacks the sheer sense of space as well as the beautifully natural timbre and DD bass that the Solaris provides. When I first heard this I was very impressed with its clarity, balance and detail. Some have described it as "boring" but I would disagree with that-- it's more for the analyst and less for those who need to be "swept off their feet". It's very vivid in some regions of the treble, to the point that certain instruments, like pianos, sound a little unnatural, and just ever so slightly fatiguing on poor recordings. Still a solid top tier IEM and one I was very grateful to have spent some time with.
4) Campfire Solaris OG --> See #1. I'm really splitting hairs here with #3, but since the VX did what no other IEM was able to do-- lure me away from Solaris for a bit-- so as a respectful nod I'll give it the #3 position in this list. While I stand by my assessment of the improvements of the SE over the OG, I'm not entirely sure if Solaris SE winning me over again was a result of said improvements, or of the fact that I just was just missing the Solaris sound. In any case, here we are.
5) Sony IER Z1R --> Natural timbre (about on par with Solaris for me), excellent treble and peerless bass texture and extension, but I found this to be a bit of a double-edged sword in that I wished there was more impact in the bass-- it's about on par with Solaris in terms of sub-bass impact and less than Solaris in mid bass impact to my ears. The recessed lower mids were one of the deal breakers for me here-- I listen to a lot of male vocals (Sinatra, Knopfler, Morissey) and I found them all a tad lacking...which I could have forgiven if there was more impact in that delicious bass. Ultimately the Z1R occupies a weird sort of "no man's land" for me in that it lacks the bass impact I crave in a "v shaped" monitor but its mids were too recessed to satisfy me as a balanced one. Also, to my ears there is strange disconnect between the upper and lower drivers and once I picked up on it it more-or-less signaled the death knell of my relationship with this IEM. I understand that this IEM game is constantly a game of give and take and that some sacrifices were made in coherence to preserve the purity of the bass, which may work for some but it didn't work for me. YMMV, and all that. I think it's still a great IEM, and I know it's beloved by many-- it just doesn't float my boat in the same way that the ones above do.
6) Campfire Audio Atlas --> I'll always have a soft spot for the Atlas as it was basically my "gateway" to TOTL IEMs. Excellent bass impact, very clear and isolated, but a slight step below the LX in terms of refinement and not really an "all rounder." Still, if you had the money to spend and were after "crap yourself" bass cannon but didn't want to shell for the LX, this would get my vote in a heartbeat.
List 2-- IEMs I've demoed
1) 64 Audio U12t --> I demoed this when I owned the Solaris. Has more bass impact than Solaris but, while "good for a BA" lacks the DD texture I love. Balanced and laid back, slightly diffused mid-range but overall less vivid, detailed and layered than the VX, which might be why it totally didn't grab my attention. Treble was a little intense for me at times. Definitely one I need to try again some time.
2) Campfire Andro Gold --> In some ways like a VX with the bass switch on but not as clear or detailed,and bass a bit congested.
3) Campfire Andromeda --> Excellent and much heralded just not my thing, needs dynamic bass and more mids.
4) Shure KSE -->Overwhelming clarity and detail...but failed to move me in the slightest. Lacks bass and overall tone was a bit odd. If Mr. Spock had an IEM this would be it.
_________________My time with the IEMs below was too limited to be meaningful so I've numbered them according to when I heard them, starting with the most distant.
5) Empire Ears Phantom --> Well executed but...dull.
6) 64 Audio Tia Trio --> Same as above...I found it boring. This is one I need to try again as I heard it right after the VX and I think the VX ruined me for other IEMs that day.
7) Noble Kahn --> All mids...where is the bass? Great for some but not for me.
8) Moondrop S8 -> I really enjoyed my brief demo of the S8. It's probably tops in its price bracket but a (often slight) step down from the TOTLs elsewhere on the list. If you don't need DD bass, crave a balanced natural sound and don't want to break the bank...this would be a great place to start.
First: The order here is simply a representation of their relative positioning in my life at this moment-- some of them are "all rounders" and others attain their position by doing a few things very very well. It is no way meant to convey any sort of absolute order of said IEMs' objective worth.
Second: IEMs, for me are more a "whole is greater than the sum of the parts" sort of deal. A superficial demo (~1 hour or less) will give you some idea of salient characteristics and certain technical features, but to really get a sense of where something fits in the grand scheme of things you need to spend some time with it. I am personally less interested in the individual characteristic components of an IEM's sound and much more interested in the overall gestalt it presents-- how everything fits together as a whole, which is often something that becomes apparent only after you've spent a good deal of time with them. As such my first list will comprise those IEMs which I have owned, spent a good deal of time with and am thus better prepared to rank them more meaningfully according to my preferences. The second list will consist of those IEMs I had a chance to demo only briefly and never owned. Anyway, on with it.
List 1-- IEMs I've owned
1) Campfire Audio Solaris Special Edition -> The top of the pyramid, for me. This IEM encapsulates everything I look for in a monitor-- natural, balanced, spacious, clear, impactful, dynamic bass, not to mention beautiful to look at. A subtle but clear step up from OG Solaris to my ears with improved clarity, more robust and forward vocals and cleaner bass. What the Solaris does better than any other IEM I have heard is provide coherent and well balanced signature within a fully rendered 3-d space combined with impeccable layering and separation-- it doesn't excel at any one thing FR wise, but it does "everything" better than anything I've heard (to my ears). I know many have cited "weirdness" in the upper midrange as an issue with Solaris...but I've never really detected it, much less been put off by it. And yes, there is a hint of the "BA texture" to the bass...but it's far and away a DD above all. What I really appreciate about this IEM more than anything is the perfect balance it brings to the spectrum-- there's just enough of everything and nothing is overwhelming...and this is something that stands out more and more as my hours on it wear on-- CFA has, imho, reached a "zen" level of balance with Solaris and done a peerless job of combining BA and DD drivers into a balanced "total package" IEM. Solaris might not be for everyone, but it's definitely for me.
2) Empire Ears Legend X -> Bass of the gods. The thundering yang to complement the ethereal yin of the Solaris. With the LX the whole signature is defined by the bass-- it's large, it's powerful and it's everywhere. Thankfully it's also very resolving and detailed so that the rest of the sound isn't drowned out in the bass. Nonetheless the bass is present and it dominates. The sheer quantity of bass makes the sound is a bit "closed in"...like you're in a club with the bass pounding...I wouldn't go so far as to say congested, as one of the great things about LX is that it somehow avoids this despite all the bass...it's why I would call it the ultimate "basshead audiophile" IEM. The key is that it's so refined and resolving. The CFA Atlas (which I also love) was described as having "get off the bus and crap yourself bass"... well by that metric the LX has "park your Mercedes and crap yourself bass". It's definitely a "guilty pleasure", but I'm ok with guilt and I love pleasure. Nonetheless, due to the robust low end on the LX it can be said to be lacking a bit of air, which I get from my #1 above. Thus the 2 are a perfect pair for me. The LX is akin to listening to music in a club-- a more confined space, with the thundering bass permeating everything, much like the oil in an olive. If the LX is like listening in a club the Solaris is like listening on a mountain top-- grounded in the bedrock of the powerful bass, but wide open up top, and to the left and right, so everything has room to breathe. Together they are a great 1-2 punch.
3) QDC Anole VX --> Clear, resolving, balanced, impactful, detailed, well executed bass, stage deep AF...if anything a little too "analytical". It's very detailed and involving but it lacks the sheer sense of space as well as the beautifully natural timbre and DD bass that the Solaris provides. When I first heard this I was very impressed with its clarity, balance and detail. Some have described it as "boring" but I would disagree with that-- it's more for the analyst and less for those who need to be "swept off their feet". It's very vivid in some regions of the treble, to the point that certain instruments, like pianos, sound a little unnatural, and just ever so slightly fatiguing on poor recordings. Still a solid top tier IEM and one I was very grateful to have spent some time with.
4) Campfire Solaris OG --> See #1. I'm really splitting hairs here with #3, but since the VX did what no other IEM was able to do-- lure me away from Solaris for a bit-- so as a respectful nod I'll give it the #3 position in this list. While I stand by my assessment of the improvements of the SE over the OG, I'm not entirely sure if Solaris SE winning me over again was a result of said improvements, or of the fact that I just was just missing the Solaris sound. In any case, here we are.
5) Sony IER Z1R --> Natural timbre (about on par with Solaris for me), excellent treble and peerless bass texture and extension, but I found this to be a bit of a double-edged sword in that I wished there was more impact in the bass-- it's about on par with Solaris in terms of sub-bass impact and less than Solaris in mid bass impact to my ears. The recessed lower mids were one of the deal breakers for me here-- I listen to a lot of male vocals (Sinatra, Knopfler, Morissey) and I found them all a tad lacking...which I could have forgiven if there was more impact in that delicious bass. Ultimately the Z1R occupies a weird sort of "no man's land" for me in that it lacks the bass impact I crave in a "v shaped" monitor but its mids were too recessed to satisfy me as a balanced one. Also, to my ears there is strange disconnect between the upper and lower drivers and once I picked up on it it more-or-less signaled the death knell of my relationship with this IEM. I understand that this IEM game is constantly a game of give and take and that some sacrifices were made in coherence to preserve the purity of the bass, which may work for some but it didn't work for me. YMMV, and all that. I think it's still a great IEM, and I know it's beloved by many-- it just doesn't float my boat in the same way that the ones above do.
6) Campfire Audio Atlas --> I'll always have a soft spot for the Atlas as it was basically my "gateway" to TOTL IEMs. Excellent bass impact, very clear and isolated, but a slight step below the LX in terms of refinement and not really an "all rounder." Still, if you had the money to spend and were after "crap yourself" bass cannon but didn't want to shell for the LX, this would get my vote in a heartbeat.
List 2-- IEMs I've demoed
1) 64 Audio U12t --> I demoed this when I owned the Solaris. Has more bass impact than Solaris but, while "good for a BA" lacks the DD texture I love. Balanced and laid back, slightly diffused mid-range but overall less vivid, detailed and layered than the VX, which might be why it totally didn't grab my attention. Treble was a little intense for me at times. Definitely one I need to try again some time.
2) Campfire Andro Gold --> In some ways like a VX with the bass switch on but not as clear or detailed,and bass a bit congested.
3) Campfire Andromeda --> Excellent and much heralded just not my thing, needs dynamic bass and more mids.
4) Shure KSE -->Overwhelming clarity and detail...but failed to move me in the slightest. Lacks bass and overall tone was a bit odd. If Mr. Spock had an IEM this would be it.
_________________My time with the IEMs below was too limited to be meaningful so I've numbered them according to when I heard them, starting with the most distant.
5) Empire Ears Phantom --> Well executed but...dull.
6) 64 Audio Tia Trio --> Same as above...I found it boring. This is one I need to try again as I heard it right after the VX and I think the VX ruined me for other IEMs that day.
7) Noble Kahn --> All mids...where is the bass? Great for some but not for me.
8) Moondrop S8 -> I really enjoyed my brief demo of the S8. It's probably tops in its price bracket but a (often slight) step down from the TOTLs elsewhere on the list. If you don't need DD bass, crave a balanced natural sound and don't want to break the bank...this would be a great place to start.
Hey man...so I finally got around to checking out that track (beautiful mix by the way). I only have a 4.4mm cable for my Legend X so this inspired me to download the spotify app on my n6ii...which was a genius move and I don't know why I didn't do it earlier.
I was able to listen with both my Solaris SE as well as my Legend X. I don't have a Z1R or VX around anymore and I've only ever briefly heard the Trio. Still, the LX provides a great "upper limit" to bass extension and impact. The biggest difference to me is that the bass is a lot more powerful and dominant on the LX...but that's its nature. Still, I didn't find the quantity of bass on Solaris lacking or insufficient...it just seems to be at the centre of a large space rather than permeating every aspect of the space like it does with the LX. From memory the VX is a little tighter and punchier in the mid-bass region...but it wouldn't say it has more quantity per se, and I distinctly remember being a lot more impressed with the texture and extension of Z1R's bass than I was with its impact. YMMV, and all that. Still, in fairness, my one true niggle about OG Solaris when I owned it was that I occasionally craved just a touch more oomph down low (though I was on the whole satisfied with its bass). Still-- I don't find myself craving more bass at all with SE Solaris...it's "just right" for me. I'm not quite prepared to say I feel it has more bass quantity, but it does seem a bit tighter and cleaner...and maybe some subtle refinements up top improved the balance overall...who knows.
Well.. you really need to experience that urself... since not everyone cup of tea is the same, even with the same setup and pair...
tbh, i wishes theres no different in swapping cable...
sklonchpower
Head-Fier
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Dear all. May I ask you:
Is it good idea to use Brise Audio with Solaris?
Could you please tell in short the changes in sound signature?
Thank you in advance
Is it good idea to use Brise Audio with Solaris?
Could you please tell in short the changes in sound signature?
Thank you in advance
I like the Khan, but not everything about it. It was an insanely detailed, slightly warm-ish IEM, and its alluring mids was something I couldn't get enough of. In this aspect, it's definitely on a par with the Solaris, IMO.
Unfortunately, I am also a basshead, and I felt that it was very anemic in its low end. I had to EQ a little.. actually, quite a fair bit of boost in the lower registers to compensate for its lack of punch. It has texture, all right, but I just couldn't enjoy my dance music without that slam. In that regard, the Solaris trumps it, in the overall sense. It has a bass presence that is very close to what I would love in a hybrid, with an organic tone that brings out the best in vocals, male and female.
I'd put the Khan over the KSE1200/1500, as I found the latter even thinner, with little body and weight, as opposed to the Khan.
Great list, by the way.
quasiphoton
New Head-Fier
No problem, thanks for your impressions! I love the Anjunadeep mixes. They're the main reason I started searching for a bassier Andro. You really went all-in on the bass with the Legend X! I'd love to try them out sometime, but I'm plenty busy with my other headphones at the moment
I've been spending most of my time recently with the Trió and VX, but today I switched back to the Solaris. I think I got a better fit with the Comply foam tips this time around because the bass was definitely more present than I remembered. I think the quantity was still behind the Trió's and the VX's, but the quality was really nice. It's also coherent across the range, so I can totally see how it would be a satisfying for bass-forward tracks in a way that the Andro was never quite for me.
Hi... It depends which Brise you choose...
my suggestion is UPG001Ref, 4 core is enough, the 8 core only make it smoother sounding.
Main purpose of Brise to Solaris, IMO, is to rearrange Sounding especially the Mid/Vocal.
For my case, The female vocal is a bit overlay with the Sub Treble, so the cable can emphisaze the female vocal to be distinguish from the overlay.
Overall sounding will be warm with detail Midcentric. spark may be roll off...
If pair with non Solaris, The 3D Holographic feeling will be emphasize... but Solaris Without Brise alrd capable to do 3D space Soundstage...
additional from Brise, is the Hiss suppression, but Hiss/Noise from Jack who acting as signal Receiver... since Brise are famous for their layering
Hope you can try it...
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sklonchpower
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Thank you very much.
It helped me.
Kind regards
It helped me.
Kind regards
Ur welcome...
Btw addition info.. Brise Ref series cable is more stiff then the rest...
justsomesonyfan
Headphoneus Supremus
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even tho z1r does bass definitely better, i prefer selaris for everything else.
super comfortable too!
searching for the perfect tips rn, gonna get n6ii next month, cheers!
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got my selaris (solaris se) yesterday, pref them over z1r.
even tho z1r does bass definitely better, i prefer selaris for everything else.
super comfortable too!
searching for the perfect tips rn, gonna get n6ii next month, cheers!
I genuinely think double flange are the best, generic wide bore ones. Second are symbios and spiral dots.
spiral dots was best on solaris og
justsomesonyfan
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any specific doubleflange ones? and also are they deepfit or not?
The clear ones are the best because of the larger bore opening but the larger second flange can sometimes irritate the inner ear if you push it too deep. The middle black one has a slightly smaller bore but is also quite good and less irritating because of the smaller second flange. The last black one is not very good as it doesn’t have a long enough “stem” before the first flange, causing it to go over the Solaris body. Unfortunately I can’t find the clear ones anywhere but I managed the find the smaller bore black ones with a long stem on amazon.
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