[Rockwell75]

Example... if I’m standing in front of a drum set.. the bass drum doesn’t sound flat like it does in SE. It sounds closer in presentation to the Legend X... you feel it... that resonance in your body is real.

Sorry that it's not working out for you man...but unfortunately that's a reality of this hobby sometimes. I know what you're getting at though...I have a Legend X myself and know what you mean by the visceral resonance you feel in your body. This is one of my favorite qualities of the mighty Legend X. The thing is though I also get this with Solaris too, just less of it. When I wrote down my own impressions and comparisons between the Legend X and Solaris I likened the Legend X to listening to music in a club where the sound is contained by the walls and it reverberates around you. The Solaris, by comparison, sounds more "out in the open", as though you were listening outside instead of the more club like sound the Legend X puts out. The bass and impact are there they're just spread over a larger space and thus a bit more dispersed and not as in your face as they are with the Legend X. The trade-off is that on the Solaris greater sense of air and space and (to my ears) layering. I'm currently listening to Virginia in the Rain by the Dave Matthews Band and every time the bass drum hits I feel it in my chest just a little...but admittedly nowhere near the level I would with the Legend X. The song is sublime sounding though...the Solaris creates an airy and spacious soundscape (grounded by just the right amount of dynamic bass impact) that is just right for this song, The sense of grandeur, space, layering, separation and intrinsic unity of the Solaris' signature is outstanding to me...but I get that it's not for everyone, or for every type of music.

How is the fit? I know many people struggle with fit (and finding the right tips) with this IEM and unfortunately the low end impact is usually the first thing to go if the fit is off.

On the other hand maybe it's just not your thing. Preference and sensitivities are a huge factor in finding the right IEM and we all hear things differently. Further to your comment that many audiophiles prefer a more "flat signature" I know many people who find the Legend X borderline unlistenable due to what they describe as an almost suffocating amount of bass. I actually put off looking into it for a long time because of comments like that, but when I eventually got around to demoing it I fell in love right away. Even still for me it's a bit of a guilty pleasure IEM and one that admittedly wears me out after a while.

Despite all that aforementioned mouth diarrhea... they are amazing IEM’s. Just a bit out classed by my current offerings. Seeing you can get andromeda’s for like $700 USD... not sure if it’s worth it.

Not diarrhea at all man...I'm always interested in hearing the sincere impressions of others whether they align with mine or not. Incidentally the Andros are an IEM that have never won me over (I've demoed the OG and AG). I heard the original Andromeda and the OG Solaris each for the first time on the same day one after another and for my tastes the Solaris was the clear winner for me.

 

[CL14715]

Sorry that it's not working out for you man...but unfortunately that's a reality of this hobby sometimes. I know what you're getting at though...I have a Legend X myself and know what you mean by the visceral resonance you feel in your body. This is one of my favorite qualities of the mighty Legend X. The thing is though I also get this with Solaris too, just less of it. When I wrote down my own impressions and comparisons between the Legend X and Solaris I likened the Legend X to listening to music in a club where the sound is contained by the walls and it reverberates around you. The Solaris, by comparison, sounds more "out in the open", as though you were listening outside instead of the more club like sound the Legend X puts out. The bass and impact are there they're just spread over a larger space and thus a bit more dispersed and not as in your face as they are with the Legend X. The trade-off is that on the Solaris greater sense of air and space and (to my ears) layering. I'm currently listening to Virginia in the Rain by the Dave Matthews Band and every time the bass drum hits I feel it in my chest just a little...but admittedly nowhere near the level I would with the Legend X. The song is sublime sounding though...the Solaris creates an airy and spacious soundscape (grounded by just the right amount of dynamic bass impact) that is just right for this song, The sense of grandeur, space, layering, separation and intrinsic unity of the Solaris' signature is outstanding to me...but I get that it's not for everyone, or for every type of music.

How is the fit? I know many people struggle with fit (and finding the right tips) with this IEM and unfortunately the low end impact is usually the first thing to go if the fit is off.

On the other hand maybe it's just not your thing. Preference and sensitivities are a huge factor in finding the right IEM and we all hear things differently. Further to your comment that many audiophiles prefer a more "flat signature" I know many people who find the Legend X borderline unlistenable due to what they describe as an almost suffocating amount of bass. I actually put off looking into it for a long time because of comments like that, but when I eventually got around to demoing it I fell in love right away. Even still for me it's a bit of a guilty pleasure IEM and one that admittedly wears me out after a while.



Not diarrhea at all man...I'm always interested in hearing the sincere impressions of others whether they align with mine or not. Incidentally the Andros are an IEM that have never won me over (I've demoed the OG and AG). I heard the original Andromeda and the OG Solaris each for the first time on the same day one after another and for my tastes the Solaris was the clear winner for me.

I think my biggest issue is I’m coming from the Legend X and I’m expecting an IEM that’s largely cheaper to satisfy me as much. Truth be told, the SE is growing on me the more I listen. Also, I know the step down is the Andromeda and even being $1200 less, it’s not as special as the SE so maybe I’ll sell something to keep them anyways.

 

[CL14715]

Sorry that it's not working out for you man...but unfortunately that's a reality of this hobby sometimes. I know what you're getting at though...I have a Legend X myself and know what you mean by the visceral resonance you feel in your body. This is one of my favorite qualities of the mighty Legend X. The thing is though I also get this with Solaris too, just less of it. When I wrote down my own impressions and comparisons between the Legend X and Solaris I likened the Legend X to listening to music in a club where the sound is contained by the walls and it reverberates around you. The Solaris, by comparison, sounds more "out in the open", as though you were listening outside instead of the more club like sound the Legend X puts out. The bass and impact are there they're just spread over a larger space and thus a bit more dispersed and not as in your face as they are with the Legend X. The trade-off is that on the Solaris greater sense of air and space and (to my ears) layering. I'm currently listening to Virginia in the Rain by the Dave Matthews Band and every time the bass drum hits I feel it in my chest just a little...but admittedly nowhere near the level I would with the Legend X. The song is sublime sounding though...the Solaris creates an airy and spacious soundscape (grounded by just the right amount of dynamic bass impact) that is just right for this song, The sense of grandeur, space, layering, separation and intrinsic unity of the Solaris' signature is outstanding to me...but I get that it's not for everyone, or for every type of music.

How is the fit? I know many people struggle with fit (and finding the right tips) with this IEM and unfortunately the low end impact is usually the first thing to go if the fit is off.

On the other hand maybe it's just not your thing. Preference and sensitivities are a huge factor in finding the right IEM and we all hear things differently. Further to your comment that many audiophiles prefer a more "flat signature" I know many people who find the Legend X borderline unlistenable due to what they describe as an almost suffocating amount of bass. I actually put off looking into it for a long time because of comments like that, but when I eventually got around to demoing it I fell in love right away. Even still for me it's a bit of a guilty pleasure IEM and one that admittedly wears me out after a while.



Not diarrhea at all man...I'm always interested in hearing the sincere impressions of others whether they align with mine or not. Incidentally the Andros are an IEM that have never won me over (I've demoed the OG and AG). I heard the original Andromeda and the OG Solaris each for the first time on the same day one after another and for my tastes the Solaris was the clear winner for me.

I will admit.. listening to some Alice In Chains live unplugged on the SE... I about shat myself. Felt like I was there.

I may even sell my LCD 2C headphones to justify keeping these... about as close to an open back planar sound you can get in an isolated IEM. Not to mention, these don’t leak sound or make the lady mad. decisions, decisions.

 

[gnahra]

I will admit.. listening to some Alice In Chains live unplugged on the SE... I about shat myself. Felt like I was there.

I may even sell my LCD 2C headphones to justify keeping these... about as close to an open back planar sound you can get in an isolated IEM. Not to mention, these don’t leak sound or make the lady mad. decisions, decisions.

If you have the luxury of taking a bit of time to listen to the SE’s, my thought would be for you to take the time...enjoy the process! Based on your comments so far, I am guessing they will grow on you. And, relative to your comments versus the LX - yes, SE’s are different. Better in some ways, not as capable in others. The bass isn’t as visceral as the LX for sure, but the SE has other strengths that the LX can’t match. To me, that’s the point of having multiple IEMs, if you’re fortunate enough to be able to afford the luxury of having more than one.

 

[Lookout57]

Is that potential even going to make a tangible difference considering what I already favor in bass response?

Yes

 

[tonniyKK]

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and looking for some help on Solaris (not sure if this is the right thread to ask and let me know if I should move this to elsewhere)

I've been a long time user of UE TF10 (10 years) and love it for its timbre and didn't mind the V shape though I wasn't looking for it specifically back then. I tried Atlas (fatigue) and W80 (a bit dull/boring) for about a year each but liked neither.

I auditioned andro a few times but determined it's not for my taste (bass & fit). I also had one single short audition on Solaris when it first came out with a good impression. However, it wasn't a good timing back then for me to acquire a new iem and now I forgot how it sounds and can't go audition due to pandemic.

I recently started to do some research (lurking this thread awhile too) and so far it seems Solaris would meet my taste except some of the following:

• Aware of the OG variance topic, would you guys recommend a) new OG or b) used SE (given I can't easily or for sure find a late 2019 OG)?
• Do any of Solaris owners have any fit problem? e.g., my ear tragus hurts wearing andro and a bit on w80 (surprisingly as it supposed to be super comfy). I do not have fit problem with TF10 nor Atlas.

I'm not crazy bass head and prefer something natural & balance though nothing too boring (w80 was dull to my taste). I usually listen to music for a very long time every day (due to my work nature). I'm mostly listening to pop, some rock, a lot of vocal live & concert performance, a bit of classical (piano & violin) from apple music & youtube (lol). I have Centrance DACportable, is it good enough for Solaris or I would get problems such as hiss, etc.?

Thanks, guys!

 

[Tristy]

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and looking for some help on Solaris (not sure if this is the right thread to ask and let me know if I should move this to elsewhere)

I've been a long time user of UE TF10 (10 years) and love it for its timbre and didn't mind the V shape though I wasn't looking for it specifically back then. I tried Atlas (fatigue) and W80 (a bit dull/boring) for about a year each but liked neither.

I auditioned andro a few times but determined it's not for my taste (bass & fit). I also had one single short audition on Solaris when it first came out with a good impression. However, it wasn't a good timing back then for me to acquire a new iem and now I forgot how it sounds and can't go audition due to pandemic.

I recently started to do some research (lurking this thread awhile too) and so far it seems Solaris would meet my taste except some of the following:

• Aware of the OG variance topic, would you guys recommend a) new OG or b) used SE (given I can't easily or for sure find a late 2019 OG)?
• Do any of Solaris owners have any fit problem? e.g., my ear tragus hurts wearing andro and a bit on w80 (surprisingly as it supposed to be super comfy). I do not have fit problem with TF10 nor Atlas.

I'm not crazy bass head and prefer something natural & balance though nothing too boring (w80 was dull to my taste). I usually listen to music for a very long time every day (due to my work nature). I'm mostly listening to pop, some rock, a lot of vocal live & concert performance, a bit of classical (piano & violin) from apple music & youtube (lol). I have Centrance DACportable, is it good enough for Solaris or I would get problems such as hiss, etc.?

Thanks, guys!

Welcome to the forum! Please take everyone’s opinions / impressions with a grain of salt and consider it alongside their other gear and preferences is my top tip! Everyone has different tastes and experiences and these are the main things that you should consider when gauging impressions on here... on the topic of the Solaris vs the Solaris SE, both are great IEM’s imo and it really should be down to how much you’re Willing to spend and you’re preferences. Please have a look back at the various posts comparing the differences and determine what best suits your tastes. To me, the SE better suits my tastes and I was able to get it at a discount so it worked out great. You should be able to get the Original used for around £900 these days which is less that half of what the SE brand new. To me, the SE doesn’t warrant a two times price jump in terms of enhancements so I would look to buy a used OG if cost is an issue.

 

[40lb]

Been gone from this thread for to long, good to see it so active. Made a jump to headphones so haven't listened to the Solaris much, but did so randommy today also reminding me of this thread.
Oh man, never getting rid of them.

 

[Rockwell75]

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and looking for some help on Solaris (not sure if this is the right thread to ask and let me know if I should move this to elsewhere)

I've been a long time user of UE TF10 (10 years) and love it for its timbre and didn't mind the V shape though I wasn't looking for it specifically back then. I tried Atlas (fatigue) and W80 (a bit dull/boring) for about a year each but liked neither.

I auditioned andro a few times but determined it's not for my taste (bass & fit). I also had one single short audition on Solaris when it first came out with a good impression. However, it wasn't a good timing back then for me to acquire a new iem and now I forgot how it sounds and can't go audition due to pandemic.

I recently started to do some research (lurking this thread awhile too) and so far it seems Solaris would meet my taste except some of the following:

• Aware of the OG variance topic, would you guys recommend a) new OG or b) used SE (given I can't easily or for sure find a late 2019 OG)?
• Do any of Solaris owners have any fit problem? e.g., my ear tragus hurts wearing andro and a bit on w80 (surprisingly as it supposed to be super comfy). I do not have fit problem with TF10 nor Atlas.

I'm not crazy bass head and prefer something natural & balance though nothing too boring (w80 was dull to my taste). I usually listen to music for a very long time every day (due to my work nature). I'm mostly listening to pop, some rock, a lot of vocal live & concert performance, a bit of classical (piano & violin) from apple music & youtube (lol). I have Centrance DACportable, is it good enough for Solaris or I would get problems such as hiss, etc.?

Thanks, guys!

Variance issues were greatly exaggerated, honestly. Regarding SE vs. OG I would echo what @Tristy said above. They're both great-- I prefer the SE myself and all things being equal I would recommend going for that, however if cost is an issue or if you can get a sufficiently good deal on an OG then go for that. If you get the OG and decide you like it enough to want to upgrade to a version that's nice and fine tuned in a few key ways then you can upgrade to SE later.

 

[fokta]

Glad you came back here again...

I believe you can get more insight if asked in this thread...

• Aware of the OG variance topic, would you guys recommend a) new OG or b) used SE (given I can't easily or for sure find a late 2019 OG)?
• Do any of Solaris owners have any fit problem? e.g., my ear tragus hurts wearing andro and a bit on w80 (surprisingly as it supposed to be super comfy). I do not have fit problem with TF10 nor Atlas.

Direct to the question...

• OG Unit Variances was quitely solved, even there's a clarification from the orign issuer. the RF diagram start to be the same starting certain batch onwards... this is based on what I know, view and exp...
• I did have issued in fitting, need certain adjustments... My solution is using Custom eartip. The point is experiment urself with eartip when u receive ur OG or SE.

 

[tonniyKK]

Hey @fokta, @Rockwell75, @Tristy, thanks greatly for the advice, appreciated!

Okay, I will do a bit more research on the tips and start looking for a used OG or SE (if the price is right).

Perhaps one more question, in terms of fatigue and comfort between Solaris, IER Z1R and U12T? Which one would be better suited for long listening sessions? Thanks!

 

[Rockwell75]

Perhaps one more question, in terms of fatigue and comfort between Solaris, IER Z1R and U12T? Which one would be better suited for long listening sessions? Thanks!

The u12t wins this one just on the basis of its pressure relief technology. Personally I never listen more than 2-3 hours at a time and the Solaris SE works fine.

 

[hkpants]

Hey @fokta, @Rockwell75, @Tristy, thanks greatly for the advice, appreciated!

Okay, I will do a bit more research on the tips and start looking for a used OG or SE (if the price is right).

Perhaps one more question, in terms of fatigue and comfort between Solaris, IER Z1R and U12T? Which one would be better suited for long listening sessions? Thanks!

I have the Solaris SE and the A12t (custom version of U12t) and I don't find either of them fatiguing, but if I had to choose, the A12t would probably be the better long listen.

 

[tonniyKK]

@hkpants @Rockwell75, thanks for sharing the experience.

Does anyone have experience with Tia Trio and Solaris? Would it have the merits of both Solaris's DD (in terms of bass) and 64 Audio's pressure relief tech? Or U12T is the one to go with if considering 64 Audio?

Appreciate all, again, for the help, I am getting close to the decision but just don't want to miss out anything obvious. Thanks!

 

[Rockwell75]

@hkpants @Rockwell75, thanks for sharing the experience.

Does anyone have experience with Tia Trio and Solaris? Would it have the merits of both Solaris's DD (in terms of bass) and 64 Audio's pressure relief tech? Or U12T is the one to go with if considering 64 Audio?

Appreciate all, again, for the help, I am getting close to the decision but just don't want to miss out anything obvious. Thanks!

The Trio is more v-shaped than Solaris so yes you do get the nice DD bass but you lose a bit of the balance and there is more energy up top. DD aside the Solaris and u12t have more in common with each other. The Trio is closer to the Legend X.