[OlosAftia]

Hifiheadphones.co.uk have the original gen solaris down to £811.44 in the uk for those interested.

Just saw this! Are OG worth purchasing now that S2020 is out there?

 

[Spie1904]

Just saw this! Are OG worth purchasing now that S2020 is out there?

If you have extremely large ears and can fit them, I guess the OG are still a great pick up at that price compared to the price of the new models. It’s just that mostly anyone with non gigantic ears would probably benefit hugely in terms of comfort from the 2020 version

 

[Scorpio1957]

It might just be their demo model they are trying to get rid off, I would check with them before purchasing to actually see if they are selling any brand new versions of that Solaris model at that price. Selfridges in London haven't even got any of the newer models in and are still trying to flog their demo model of the Andromeda with the brown case for about £850 that is I think two versions older.

 

[Tristy]

They should be the new as they are listed as ex-demo / refurb. They also have the SE at a greatly reduced price which I highly recommend over the OG. Again, size may be an issue and it is also £200 over the OG so some things to consider.

 

[chickenmcnug]

Just saw this! Are OG worth purchasing now that S2020 is out there?

I still prefer the OG out of the 3 models but everyone has their preference, whether if its worth it is up to you to decide.

 

[domiji]

They should be the new as they are listed as ex-demo / refurb. They also have the SE at a greatly reduced price which I highly recommend over the OG. Again, size may be an issue and it is also £200 over the OG so some things to consider.

Can you please explain why you prefer the SE version? Thansk a lot

 

[Tristy]

I did a detailed comparison when I first got it, not much has changed. One second i'll attempt to find it.

 

[Tristy]

VERY early impressions... Mirrors a lot of what has already been said. Seems like a HD Solaris Who would have thought? Dynamics definitely seem better.... and by god have I missed that holographic soundstage. I'll leave more in-depth impression for when I get more ear time.

I've got to say though, the treble on this SE is quite different from the original! I don't know what's different but I'm definitely getting some Andro vibes which I didn't get from the OG.

I don’t think Campfire give you the whole story with some of these releases... I don’t think this is purely a chamber material change and it seems like some tuning changes are at play here as well. The treble definitely feels slightly less forward leaning as well. I have to say whatever they have chosen to do certain works better for me anyway so I’m not complaining. Any sign of that midrange hollowness is gone too.

I would try to audition the Solaris SE as I find the high end more defined and satisfying and it comes across as a more resolving and sure-footed version of the Solaris imo. Also, the Sony IER Z1R has a big following on here so it might be worth giving it a try if you have the chance.

I have been writing down my thoughts while listening to the SE's since I received them on the 15th. I guess now is as good a time as any to give my impressions after your prompt! To start, I In no way feel qualified enough to write a review but I'll give an overview of the notes I've jotted down for those who, like me, were looking to gain a consensus on the changes between the SE and OG before pulling the trigger. Obviously as a Special Edition, running into difficulty trying to get a good consensus was to be expected (besides the few Head-fier's who've had experience with both versions and a few foreign reviews) but it was a little frustrating as a few conflicting statements were made.

After 10 days with the SE, clocking in at least 6 hours of listening time per day (60 hours+) I can safely say that I'm happy with my purchase (especially with that lovely £300 discount - thank you Hifi Headphones). Judging from previous experience with the Atlas and the original Solaris I still have some time to go before they're fully burned in but at this point I don't think much will change. I had the original Solaris pretty much since its release and listened to it nearly every day which I believe makes me somewhat qualified to give impressions on both (despite selling the OG after acquiring the U12t earlier this year). I had sold the original due to finally hearing what others may have been describing as the 'nasally' or 'hollow' mids when going back and forth between the Legend X, U12t and OG Solaris. Prior to owning other totl IEM's I didn't understand what people meant when they mentioned this which goes to show the level of obscurity on this subject. I personally wouldn't have called it 'hollowness' it seemed like more of a slight smearing effect or like the sound is slightly stretched and it only seemed to occur on certain tracks. Either way, once I had heard it, It couldn't be unheard so I parted ways.

Since I sold it I have to admit that I missed its spacious and holographic soundstage which can't be matched by either the U12t or the Legend X and it's great build quality and presentation (looking at you U12t). The SE was always a tantalising proposition made even more tantalising of reports of the issues I heard with the OG being ironed out. So I pulled the trigger during the Easter sales.

So straight to the good stuff

Sound
- On first listen I was greeted by that airy, spacious and holographic soundstage that I missed. I love the way the Solaris presents music which I think is due to the use of chambers instead of sound tubes.
- It sounded like a Solaris... a Solaris with more space around notes and slightly better dynamic range. It sounded like a Solaris HD (I could have said it sounded more refined but I didn't want to sound too cliché... and I feel there's more going on here than just a refinement of the OG).
- The more time I spent with it the more I was able to get a grasp of the changes, the SE seems more sure-footed than the original with better imaging. It’s like Campfire knew what they wanted to achieve with the original Solaris, heard the few criticisms of the original and took them onboard, tweaked the OG's scrutinised areas and voila! The SE was born.
- The Treble is quite different. I thinks it's due to the overall signature tweaks that contribute to this more-so than direct tweaks, but the most obvious change is that it's more laidback. This makes it a lot more versatile and easier to listen to for longer periods, this change also seems to work well in conjunction with the other changes that are going on.
- The Bass is more controlled and less 'bloomy' but has the same quantity as the original with a perception of slightly greater impact. I believe this contributes to the changes in the treble as well with the balanced signature now tilting slightly toward the Treble region. There is now a hint of that Andro shimmer about it which I'm very grateful for (by no means the same quantity however, but there's a hint of that sparkly treble that the Andromeda is famous for with the SE).
- The Mids.... the big question for me, had the smearing effect been resolved? A resounding yes. The mids, and especially vocals, sound more bodied and sure-footed as mentioned earlier BUT this comes at a price, the soundstage width is a smidgen less than that of the original. It still projects out wider than practically every other IEM I've heard and it's presentation is just as holographic as the original. Depth also seems to have slightly increased which I'm attributing to better dynamics but the SE, to my ears, seems very slightly narrower in soundstage width than the original. If this is the price I have to pay for a better treble (imo), more bodied mids and a more resolute signature while being just as holographic as the original then it’s a price I’m more than happy to pay.
- Just as engaging as the original which is nice after periods of listening to the U12t. I'm not saying the U12t isn't a great listen but it's missing that dynamic signature and DD bass.

Build
- This LOOKS and FEELS how a £1600 IEM should look and feel in the hand, feeling slightly heavier than the OG - I think people underestimate how important this is, the U12t (I need to stop picking on the U12t - it's a f*cking great IEM) is constructed well but its bland in appearance and looks like more of a tool, the Solaris is made like a piece of jewellery and also sounds pretty damn good.
- Seems to fit more securely in the ear but it doesn’t feel any bigger / smaller - I think this may be due to weight distribution changes.
- The black case is really nice but I wish it came with a hard case like the one Campfire provided with introduction of the Original Solaris.
- The earpieces and Abalone looks a lot nicer in person (despite mine possibly having the ugliest abalone faceplates I’ve seen so far…. Good thing it sounds alright).

Change of perspective
When I bought the SE I knew what I was going to get in terms of detail retrieval and the overall characteristics when coming from the likes of the more detail orientated U12t and Legend X. I used to believe that an IEM was not technically competent if it didn’t have amazing detail retrieval that lets you hear every tiny nuance or inaccuracy in a recording, but the SE has changed that. I think I now understand what Campfire were aiming to achieve when they made the original Solaris and the SE. It took selling the original and missing certain aspects of it for me to appreciate this and realising that it's more than competent in what it sets out to achieve. Both Solaris' force you to take a step back and enjoy the music as a whole rather than scrutinising every detail. When going between the Solaris SE and U12t It's like going from a micro view to a macro view, not feeling like you're sacrificed a lot but gaining a whole lot of enjoyment and engagement. I think if Campfire imbued any more detail retrieval it would take away from what they were trying to achieve with the Solaris.

 

[justsomesonyfan]

selling a solaris SE for 1k usd if anyone's interested, dm

 

[pyrexia]

Hey everyone - I’m struggling a bit in deciding between the 64 Audio U12t and the Solaris.

I listen to a wide range of music (metal, prog, jazz, synth based electronic) and am looking for a hopeful endgame iem that can handle those genres well.

I lean towards less “fun” and more soundstage/accuracy/clarity.

Anyone else is a similar listening boat and compare the two? Where did you net out?

 

[fokta]

Dropping by just to mention...
new Hiby R2 and FD1.. no hiss detected either plug direct to R2 or Stack R2 + FD1...
NICE Hiby...
Fly away...


edit, stupid me,

fly away again

 

[gnahra]

Hey everyone - I’m struggling a bit in deciding between the 64 Audio U12t and the Solaris.

I listen to a wide range of music (metal, prog, jazz, synth based electronic) and am looking for a hopeful endgame iem that can handle those genres well.

I lean towards less “fun” and more soundstage/accuracy/clarity.

Anyone else is a similar listening boat and compare the two? Where did you net out?

Happy to weigh in on this, and I'm sure others will have their own opinions.
I own the Solaris 2020 and had it side-by-side with a 12t.
In my opinion, they're quite different from one another and in many ways complementary, which is why I owned them both.
Based on your brief preferences, however, I'd think the 12t may be better suited for you - relative to the 2020, I found it to be more analytical, precise, and superior with regards to instrument separation and detail retrieval.
IMO, the Solaris beats the 12t in a few areas: it has the advantage of a DD for bass, and while the 12t has excellent bass for a BA, I still preferred the 2020's bass overall; the Solaris has a wider stage and is more holographic IMO, and overall is the more "musical" of the two. What i mean by "musical" is that I find myself more easily just enjoying the music versus the more analytical/detailed 12t, which I prefer if I'm more interested in hearing specific aspects of songs and/or specific instruments...hopefully that makes sense.

 

[Bozz_Keren]

Burning in new cable 21AWG SPC litz, cable feels sturdy yet light

 

[Louisda]

Imaging on this model is the best I’ve ever heard.

 

[justsomesonyfan]

tried a cheap 16core pure copper cable from aliexpress on my solaris SE, it really rekindled their sound. really surprised me, helped seperation greatly, got the sound closer and more forward, which was great, soundstage didn't really suffer however it felt like being in the music rather than sitting in a front row.

bass weight is much better, overall warmth works really well with the neutrality of the n6ii E02.

i'd recc everyone that's wondering about cables to get the very basic 16core super cheap (sometimes even sub-20 usd) cables on aliexpress to first see which material they like better.

copper gang.