[gazzington]

Solaris?

 

[Podster]

Solaris?

Sir yes sir This may have been a better shot of them Gazz!

 

[gazzington]

Sir yes sir This may have been a better shot of them Gazz!

What are they like?

 

[Podster]

What are they like?

Like Den said in Heavy Metal when he looked down into his britches.......................................Um BIG LOL



Can't say for sure since I don't have another $1.5K iem to compare them too, they sound really nice with a good source but like crap out of an iPhone! Gorgeous to look at, touch, build is awesome but IMHO not worth $1460 more than my KZ-ZS7's I guess if you have the clout and want some bragging rights they are very nice universals but for me anything other than maybe a really nice CIEM I have trouble going over $350 of my hard earned cash. Now with that said I'm sure they are many a reviewers dream but I have a conscience I have to live with and we won't even bring the SWMBO into this I'm just test driving these along with the Atlas and Polaris II from a friend, I just have a very hard time taking a portable iem leap past the $350/$500 mark as I don't hear nor can justify the asking price on either the Solaris or Atlas. Even the Polaris II (My personal fave of the three) which you can get for $399 is pushing it for me when I have a sweet sounding 12 BA that cost me less than $300. Guess it's all in what one can afford and justify to themselves really For me 15% better does not equate to 5 times as much! As always this is such a subjective hobby, we all hear them differently and of course I may not know #*$% from shinola

Team CA

 

[gazzington]

Like Den said in Heavy Metal when he looked down into his britches.......................................Um BIG LOL



Can't say for sure since I don't have another $1.5K iem to compare them too, they sound really nice with a good source but like crap out of an iPhone! Gorgeous to look at, touch, build is awesome but IMHO not worth $1460 more than my KZ7's I guess if you have the clout and want some bragging rights they are very nice universals but for me anything other than maybe a really nice CIEM I have trouble going over $350 of my hard earned cash. Now with that said I'm sure they are many a reviewers dream but I have a conscience I have to live with and we won't even bring the SWMBO into this I'm just test driving these along with the Atlas and Polaris II from a friend, I just have a very hard time taking a portable iem leap past the $350/$500 mark as I don't hear nor can justify the asking price on either the Solaris or Atlas. Even the Polaris II (My personal fave of the three) which you can get for $399 is pushing it for me when I have a sweet sounding 12 BA that cost me less than $300. Guess it's all in what one can afford and justify to themselves really For me 15% better does not equate to 5 times as much.! As always this is such a subjective hobby, we all hear them differently and of course I may not know #*$% from shinola

Team CA

That's really useful information thanks. I have expensive daps but find it hard to blow big money on iems. I was considering Solaris, Andromeda and atlas but it's so much money. I spent fair bit on my zeniths and s8 freedoms but equally have £30 blon 03 which sound great. Out of all your budget models which sound closest to the Solaris and atlas?

 

[Podster]

That's really useful information thanks. I have expensive daps but find it hard to blow big money on iems. I was considering Solaris, Andromeda and atlas but it's so much money. I spent fair bit on my zeniths and s8 freedoms but equally have £30 blon 03 which sound great. Out of all your budget models which sound closest to the Solaris and atlas?

Now you are really going to get me into deep water with the Big Boys around here For my old ears I prefer my Zenith's to these Solaris's and my M5-1D's, A4's, 9 Tail's, IDUN's and HQ-12's all romp the $1300 Atlas (Not to mention I find them to be ugly and cheap looking and yes of course I know everyone's MMV) but your just asking me, my I Come to think of it you can have all 5 I mentioned for about $200 less than the Atlas I do prefer the build and finish on the Polaris II compared to my ZS7's but once again I don't feel they are worth 6-7 times as much either. OK guys, Flame On

 

[gazzington]

Now you are really going to get me into deep water with the Big Boys around here For my old ears I prefer my Zenith's to these Solaris's and my M5-1D's, A4's, 9 Tail's, IDUN's and HQ-12's all romp the $1300 Atlas (Not to mention I find them to be ugly and cheap looking and yes of course I know everyone's MMV) but your just asking me, my I Come to think of it you can have all 5 I mentioned for about $200 less than the Atlas I do prefer the build and finish on the Polaris II compared to my ZS7's but once again I don't feel they are worth 6-7 times as much either. OK guys, Flame On

It's good to read this as it can save a fortune.

 

[40lb]

Now you are really going to get me into deep water with the Big Boys around here For my old ears I prefer my Zenith's to these Solaris's and my M5-1D's, A4's, 9 Tail's, IDUN's and HQ-12's all romp the $1300 Atlas (Not to mention I find them to be ugly and cheap looking and yes of course I know everyone's MMV) but your just asking me, my I Come to think of it you can have all 5 I mentioned for about $200 less than the Atlas I do prefer the build and finish on the Polaris II compared to my ZS7's but once again I don't feel they are worth 6-7 times as much either. OK guys, Flame On

Honestly my first thought was this, "oh hey it's Podster again... Wait is that the Solaris? Who are you what have you done with Podster?"

 

[kukkurovaca]

Now you are really going to get me into deep water with the Big Boys around here For my old ears I prefer my Zenith's to these Solaris's and my M5-1D's, A4's, 9 Tail's, IDUN's and HQ-12's all romp the $1300 Atlas (Not to mention I find them to be ugly and cheap looking and yes of course I know everyone's MMV) but your just asking me, my I Come to think of it you can have all 5 I mentioned for about $200 less than the Atlas I do prefer the build and finish on the Polaris II compared to my ZS7's but once again I don't feel they are worth 6-7 times as much either. OK guys, Flame On

As you've already stepped in it, do you have a take on sounstage specifically on the Solaris vs. your less expensive IEMs? : )

 

[gazzington]

Honestly my first thought was this, "oh hey it's Podster again... Wait is that the Solaris? Who are you what have you done with Podster?"

Lol that's what I first thought too!

 

[Podster]

As you've already stepped in it, do you have a take on sounstage specifically on the Solaris vs. your less expensive IEMs? : )

Let's remember these are 63 year old ears with some serious miles on them (flight lines can be murder on them, Air Force '76 to '80), the Solaris is extremely efficient with a killer top end so for many a bass lover you could call them bright but they are actually precise, accurate and require little juice to drive. As far as sound stage I don't find them any wider, deeper or taller than my Kinera's, actually the five I mentioned can get very close to the Solaris if not match it with those that give filter options (A4's/9 Tail's). I'm in them right now being fed by my Tomahawk off my Shanling M2 and for my (let me stress 4 MY) ears they are no better sounding than my R1 Zenith's at 1/3rd the price or better for those that may have gotten a Bob (last Chance) deal LOL

For Pod followers (I should be flattered but then again you could be needing to find a better way to spend yo time) I have not lost my mind or sense of getting the best for less besides I find great joy in any and all portable sub $350, take my 5 mentioned and throw in a ZSX and Brain Wavz B400 and IMHO for the same Solaris $1500 have 7 times as much fun Pod logic, go figure

Let me reiterate I am extremely grateful to get the chance to hear these and Pod was very close to actually taking the Rai Penta plunge but these CA's have brought me to the realization I'm just a non-reviewing working stiff who already borders on silly/crazy with what I've already collected.

So as not to keep straying this will really raise some hairs but I will say these sure make a $36 DAP sound a lot more expensive

 

[blockchainhero]

Really more (trans)portable -

 

[Mega7766]

Fiio X1 plugged into an A3 amp, powering a pair of HD6XX

 

[jmills8]

 

[Podster]

I'm not 100% sure but I think there is some kind of penalty or Cardinal Rule about putting these together as a rig