[Docterror]

It's impressive how these have remained so many people's top pick for so long. I know Mim still loves them. And They came in 2nd place in the Fit for a Bat shootout.

If it weren't for my abiding love of warm, bassy headphones, I'd probably own a set. I'd still like to hear them, some day.

The truth is, there has never been a better time to buy one. The prices of TOTLs have kept on increasing while the SE5 way has stayed the same, the Euro currency exchange has changed a lot (since its intro) more likely in the favour of non-Euro currency buyer than not, and since no one smart sells them, they retain their value extremely well.

It really is impressive that despite an ever increasing battle of driver numbers, the 5 driver and 6 driver (NT6P) is kicking a lot of derrières. It is all about the tuning and while the Katana makes up for my ex-NT6P, nothing still has replaced the 5way's exquisite tonality. Even the highly resolving 14 driver Zeus-R, which is my best IEM to date, cannot capture the naturality that the 5way does.

All this makes Nic's shoot out even harder to wait for. I think I am going to unsubscribe, deactivate the account and self induce a coma till end of May. Yes, I am that terrible at staying put!

 

[Docterror]

P.S: At 1200 Euros, the Ref cannot be branded as anything but a bargain.

 

[Kerouac]

All this makes Nic's shoot out even harder to wait for. I think I am going to unsubscribe, deactivate the account and self induce a coma till end of May. Yes, I am that terrible at staying put!

 
Well, here's some company for you in the meantime (till end of May)

 

[flinkenick]

Could they possibly be referring to Binaural recordings? They would most definitely allow you to hear instruments behind you.

Yes this could be the case, and I apologise to anyone if I came across harsh. I have just personally never heard it this way, even with the MSB Stax setup. But it could be something in certain tracks.

 

[CraftyClown]

Yes this could be the case, and I apologise to anyone if I came across harsh. I have just personally never heard it this way, even with the MSB Stax setup. But it could be something in certain tracks.

 
Ohhh, if you've not heard binaural recordings then you sir are in for a treat 

 
I highly recommend the Chesky Ultimate headphone demo disk 
 
http://www.chesky.com/album/ultimate-headphone-demonstration-disc-jd361
 
It contains all sorts of binauraly recorded spacial tests including people walking around the microphone playing instruments etc.
 
You will definitely hear instruments seemingly behind you.

 

[Incarnation]

Hey guys, is rhapsodio's solar one of the lower end of the TOTL iems or a TOTL not really worth considering? haha, was hoping to see em on this list but am a little sad that it's not
 
I have a pair on the way already and hoping it's not a wrong decision! (nervous nervous, my first pair of ciems ><) Cuz I kinda liked its sweet sweet treble when I tried it heh. Chosen the solar as I preferred it over the earwerks omega and the roxanne

 

[CraftyClown]

  Hey guys, is rhapsodio's solar one of the lower end of the TOTL iems or a TOTL not really worth considering? haha, was hoping to see em on this list but am a little sad that it's not
 
I have a pair on the way already and hoping it's not a wrong decision! (nervous nervous, my first pair of ciems ><) Cuz I kinda liked its sweet sweet treble when I tried it heh. Chosen the solar as I preferred it over the earwerks omega and the roxanne

 
The problem is the Galaxy is already on the list and if I'm not mistaken Nick is only including 1 IEM from any company.
 
The Solar is still a TOTL IEM loved by many so unless you don't like it's sig when it arrives, then I doubt you will find you've made a wrong decision.

 

[Kerouac]

  Hey guys, is rhapsodio's solar one of the lower end of the TOTL iems or a TOTL not really worth considering? haha, was hoping to see em on this list but am a little sad that it's not
 
I have a pair on the way already and hoping it's not a wrong decision! (nervous nervous, my first pair of ciems ><) Cuz I kinda liked its sweet sweet treble when I tried it heh. Chosen the solar as I preferred it over the earwerks omega and the roxanne

 
Don't worry! Solar is an excellent (more fun than reference though) totl iem imo. I would have sold it (instead of reshelling it into a custom) a long time ago if I would have thought otherwise. I'm sure it wouldn't have ended in the top 5 over here with these contenders, but I still use/enjoy it on a regular basis.
 
Found out that it also has pretty good synergy with the last dap that I picked up,

and it will always keep a soft spot in my heart...
 
But hey, that's just my opinion

 

 

[CraftyClown]

   
Don't worry! Solar is an excellent (more fun than reference though) totl iem imo. I would have sold it (instead of reshelling it into a custom) a long time ago if I would have thought otherwise. I'm sure it wouldn't have ended in the top 5 over here with these contenders, but I still use/enjoy it on a regular basis.
 
Found out that it also has pretty good synergy with the last dap that I picked up,

and it will always keep a soft spot in my heart...
 
But hey, that's just my opinion

 

 
 
Goodness, that is a lovely looking DAP you have there Erik 

 

[Kerouac]

Goodness, that is a lovely looking DAP you have there Erik 

 
Yeah...I guess the first owner took pretty good care of it, before I picked it up.
 
Something like this

 

[flinkenick]

Solar was my first TOTL so I would have liked to include it, but the list was severely lacking dynamic drivers

 

[CraftyClown]

   
Yeah...I guess the first owner took pretty good care of it, before I picked it up.
 
Something like this

 
Let's be honest, the way it's built it would probably handle that kind of a beating without a sweat 

 

[flinkenick]

Let's be honest, the way it's built it would probably handle that kind of a beating without a sweat 

For non LPG owners this might seem like a joke, but its scary how true this is.

 

[EagleWings]

Yes this could be the case, and I apologise to anyone if I came across harsh. I have just personally never heard it this way, even with the MSB Stax setup. But it could be something in certain tracks.

 
You are right. It's not the gear, but rather the virtue of the track itself, or the way it was recorded. Meaning, you can hear sound coming from behind you, even when using an average headphone/IEM like a Sennheiser IE80.
 
It doesn't exactly provide a 3D feel, because it seems to come from within the periphery of your head, around the spot where your head meets your neck. I see it as more of a flaw or just the nature of the recording, because it doesn't have the natural spatial cues, that binaural recordings possess.

 

[Docterror]

Hey guys, is rhapsodio's solar one of the lower end of the TOTL iems or a TOTL not really worth considering? haha, was hoping to see em on this list but am a little sad that it's not

I have a pair on the way already and hoping it's not a wrong decision! (nervous nervous, my first pair of ciems ><) Cuz I kinda liked its sweet sweet treble when I tried it heh. Chosen the solar as I preferred it over the earwerks omega and the roxanne

The problem is the Galaxy is already on the list and if I'm not mistaken Nick is only including 1 IEM from any company.

The Solar is still a TOTL IEM loved by many so unless you don't like it's unless you don't like it's sigubt you will find you've made a wrong decision.

There in lies the rub. I liked the Solar's sound when I picked it up pre-owned. So, instead of selling it on, I got it reshelled by Sammy as the seal wasn't great but I loved it's fun sound and treble. When I got the Solar back, the seal was perfect. But... it was a bit too sub bass heavy for my tastes. I know I am not a bass head but I enjoy a good bass. I love the proportionate bass of the K10, the silky bass of the 5way, and the bass of the Galaxy I can feel vibrate in my sinuses. These terminologies I state are rough approximations of how I hear the sound and enjoy it. I cannot dissect or hear a sound, much less describe it with the analytical accuracy that Nic does, in a thousand years. Even though Nic is a constant encouragement behind the scenes, every time I read a review/article of his, in actuality I get discouraged because I cannot even articulate a 'Hello' remotely as coherently as he can.

My IE8 is lying around, and I hated the AW500 when I heard it because it isn't my kind of bass. I have had fellow users swear that Solar isn't bassy. But, for me, it was. It was the kind of bass I didn't enjoy. It's more thumping and I felt it disproportionate to the rest of the music spectrum. As far as Rhapsodio is concerned, the V2 has been the best tuning I have heard from Sammy yet... And the best pick for this shoot out. With the completion it has, I still doubt it will crack into the top 3 though.