[PaganDL]

Just got the Rai Solos after a long time with no IEMs and my god is the memory wire terrible Any suggestions for a (cheap) replacement? Also, is it normal for the MMCX connectors to swivel around its axis quite freely? Never had headphones with those before.

Hi @gkl,

Subjectively, given this is essentially your first time with IEMs after a long hiatus, perhaps Rai Solo isn't your best choice for fit though can't say for certain as I only have demo the Penta & the Solo isn't available for demo yet where I am.
Regardless, some cables do take time to get used to & how your ear tips fit & seal does also factor how well cables sit on your outer ear.
As to MMCX swivel, this is definitely a thing given the nature of the connector as this is how it was designed long before it was used as a connector for IEMs.
Some manufacturers try to mitigate this in various ways, either with proprietary connectors & or locking mechanisms though this makes cable rolling potentially annoying but still possible.
So even if you change the cable, there are some cables which swivel more than a stock cable.
It really depends on how the IEM &/or cable is designed.

For this reason is why some people prefer 2 pin as a standard which personally I find ridiculous for various reasons though I do have 2 pin cables & IEMs which support 2 pin but given a choice for aftermarket for IEM, I prefer MMCX but that's just me.

I would suggest looking into the following cables as alternatives :

Penon Orbit
ISN H 16
ISN C 16 (Bass Emphasised Cable)


Hope you find this useful & have a great day !

 

[Lurk650]

Yeah, the wire in the memory cable is terrible. I believe that Campfire had changed from this as recently after all the negative feedback. Good thing is that cheap but quality ChiFi cables are easy to find. I have an 8 Core SPC on mine.

 

[gkl]

Thanks, guys, will look into your recommendations.

@PaganDL
The shape is actually quite comfortable, but I am having a fight with the tips - just not used to IEMs anymore. Will take some time.

 

[PaganDL]

Thanks, guys, will look into your recommendations.

@PaganDL
The shape is actually quite comfortable, but I am having a fight with the tips - just not used to IEMs anymore. Will take some time.

Hi @gkl,

I suggest looking into the Periodic Audio Hydrogen Tips (On Sale, no BF necessary), especially the silicones, they work well with nearly all IEMs I've tried, especially if they have a medium to large wide bore particularly.

Be interested to know how things turn out for you.

Hope you have a great day !

 

[AlexCBSN]

Hi @gkl,

I suggest looking into the Periodic Audio Hydrogen Tips (On Sale, no BF necessary), especially the silicones, they work well with nearly all IEMs I've tried, especially if they have a medium to large wide bore particularly.

Be interested to know how things turn out for you.

Hope you have a great day !

Any link you can share?

 

[Lurk650]

Any link you can share?

https://periodic-audio.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/hydrogen

 

[cleg]

Meze Rai Solo — detailed text review by Porta.Fi​

English: https://porta.fi/meze-rai-solo-headphones-review-the-most-stylish-in-their-segment/
Russian: https://porta.fi/ru/obzor-naushnikov-meze-rai-solo-samye-stilnye-v-svoyom-segmente/

 

[davidmolliere]

So I received the Solo for review today, I had auditioned it at the Paris Audio Video Show and liked it but it's always a different story to spend quality time with an IEM... I am more impressed than I was when I listened to it at the Show and it's not even burned in yet. This is going to be a very fun time with the Solo and I already enjoy it quite a lot, but then again I have a soft spot for single dynamic and this one is special for sure. I can already tell it's fantastic value for money.

I might even go as far as saying I like it more than the Penta as I have a thing for fuller sounding signatures and the Solo is definitely fuller sounding than the Penta, there is something to me about dynamic drivers mids that I like in terms of timbre it just feels more realistic.



More detailed impressions coming up!

 

[Podster]

So I received the Solo for review today, I had auditioned it at the Paris Audio Video Show and liked it but it's always a different story to spend quality time with an IEM... I am more impressed than I was when I listened to it at the Show and it's not even burned in yet. This is going to be a very fun time with the Solo and I already enjoy it quite a lot, but then again I have a soft spot for single dynamic and this one is special for sure. I can already tell it's fantastic value for money.

I might even go as far as saying I like it more than the Penta as I have a thing for fuller sounding signatures and the Solo is definitely fuller sounding than the Penta, there is something to me about dynamic drivers mids that I like in terms of timbre it just feels more realistic.



More detailed impressions coming up!

Looking forward to your thoughts as I've got a plethora of iem's but the Solo is absolutely my go to iem now, dang thing seems to get better every time I put them on "Oh Solo Meo" and now they IMO look even more killer in this 8 core Xiaofan cable

Pretty much my favorite two single driver iem's to date Saw someone above suggesting the ISN 16 core which is what's on my Advanced M5-1D's here

 

[Currawong]

I just posted my review of these. Seems they definitely need quite a few hours before you get the Meze house sound out of them.

 

[Podster]

Nice review Currawong, guessing Aminus just did not give them the proper burn in before just throwing them under the bus in his initial impression but that is why every single DD that actually has big motion (as opposed to BA's) to it needs a thorough break in period. I have found some (with even tighter tolerances) require even more than the 150 hours I gave my Solo's to break in

 

[davidmolliere]

Yeah also why I am taking my sweet time with them before I post the review, they do change quite a bit with burn in...

 

[Lurk650]

Yeah, I'm the the Acoustune AET-07a tips with a **** 6 core balanced cable, I have no issues with the mids at all

 

[MezeTeam]

The highly durable housing of Rai Solo is raw stainless steel individually hand brushed by craftsmen, and we have, for the first time, employed MIM (Metal Injection Moulding) process to produce the housing in stainless steel.

So what exactly is MIN?

Metal injection molding (MIM) is a technology for manufacturing complex, precision, net-shape components for use in medical, automotive, industrial, firearms, and consumer industries. The potential of MIM lies in its ability to capture the shaping advantage offered by injection molding by using a starting mixture of fine metal powder and organic binder. The MIM technology provides advantages of cost reduction at volumes ranging from a few thousand to over millions of parts per year due to its ability to hold close tolerances. (ScienceDirect)

Well, we didn't expect to sell millions of Rai Solo, so we are on the extreme low side of the range in terms of total production volume. Since this involve design and making a mould before production, this is a relatively expensive process with considerable preparation work. We are glad that based on the discussion in past few pages, our users like what we have delivered,

The metal injection molding process consists of the following steps:

1. Mixing and Granulating
2. Injection molding
3. Debinding
4. Sintering

If you are interested in the detail of each step, please check HEREor HERE (The later is the part 1 of 6 of detail MIN explanation)

On top of the appealing Rai Penta family-look and top-rated workmanship (especially consider the price of $249), how do you feel about MIM stainless steel earphone shell?

(Andy)

 

[Lurk650]

^These IEMs are the most solid feeling pair I've ever had in my hands. Everything is machined beautifully.