Rhapsodio - An overlooked brand of nice IEMs
Dec 14, 2015 at 9:33 PM Post #1,201 of 2,508
Mine will be shipping to me tomorrow! :D Can't wait.
 
Dec 15, 2015 at 1:27 AM Post #1,202 of 2,508
Dec 15, 2015 at 2:14 AM Post #1,204 of 2,508
  I'm getting my impressions done by a new audiologist this Thursday, so yeah.
 
Solar train.

  Mine will be shipping to me tomorrow! :D Can't wait.

 
Nice => welcome aboard!
 
Once they're there, shared impressions/pictures would be great....and reviews would be even fantastic
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and 3D shot HD video Solar reviews with THX sound quality, well that would be...
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Certainly they are not an "overlooked brand of nice iems" anymore! 
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You're certainly right about that
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Dec 15, 2015 at 7:00 AM Post #1,206 of 2,508
Lol, I can't open this thread anymore without seeing new orders have been placed. I remember when I knew exactly how many Solar's there were and who owned them, but I've lost count.. That was 2 weeks ago.
 
:smiling_imp::smiling_imp::smiling_imp::smiling_imp:. Solar!!

 
We met briefly on the EE thread, didn't realize you are also going for a Solar after Zeus and the A12.. Those will make some nice comparisons!
 
Dec 15, 2015 at 8:16 AM Post #1,207 of 2,508
So: I've just been A/B-ing my iP6 against my Onkyo DP-X1, listening to the same Tidal tracks with the Solars, and the difference is genuinely minimal.

The iP6 has a slightly narrower soundstage, but vox and guitars sound fab. The Onkyo is smoother and a touch wider, but is genuinely not miles better using a single-ended output.

Adding the ALO CDM (using just its amp, not the DAC), takes the Onkyo up a level in terms of soundstage amd instrument separation. The iP6 needs the digital (Apple CCK) connection to the CDM - I.e.employing the CDM's DAC as well - to compete.

I'm waiting for delivery of a couple of balanced cables and will see how much it improves the Onkyo.

But my conclusion is that the Solars (I'm using a 4-braid Effect Audio copper/silver cable) make a very good pairing with both, and really show how far smartphones have come along, as well as how good the Solars are at getting the best out of the iP.
 
Dec 15, 2015 at 8:22 AM Post #1,208 of 2,508
So: I've just been A/B-ing my iP6 against my Onkyo DP-X1, listening to the same Tidal tracks with the Solars, and the difference is genuinely minimal.

The iP6 has a slightly narrower soundstage, but vox and guitars sound fab. The Onkyo is smoother and a touch wider, but is genuinely not miles better using a single-ended output.

Adding the ALO CDM (using just its amp, not the DAC), takes the Onkyo up a level in terms of soundstage amd instrument separation. The iP6 needs the digital (Apple CCK) connection to the CDM - I.e.employing the CDM's DAC as well - to compete.

I'm waiting for delivery of a couple of balanced cables and will see how much it improves the Onkyo.

But my conclusion is that the Solars (I'm using a 4-braid Effect Audio copper/silver cable) make a very good pairing with both, and really show how far smartphones have come along, as well as how good the Solars are at getting the best out of the iP.
Any good amp will improve even the worst dap.
 
Dec 15, 2015 at 8:24 AM Post #1,209 of 2,508
So: I've just been A/B-ing my iP6 against my Onkyo DP-X1, listening to the same Tidal tracks with the Solars, and the difference is genuinely minimal.

The iP6 has a slightly narrower soundstage, but vox and guitars sound fab. The Onkyo is smoother and a touch wider, but is genuinely not miles better using a single-ended output.

Adding the ALO CDM (using just its amp, not the DAC), takes the Onkyo up a level in terms of soundstage amd instrument separation. The iP6 needs the digital (Apple CCK) connection to the CDM - I.e.employing the CDM's DAC as well - to compete.

I'm waiting for delivery of a couple of balanced cables and will see how much it improves the Onkyo.

But my conclusion is that the Solars (I'm using a 4-braid Effect Audio copper/silver cable) make a very good pairing with both, and really show how far smartphones have come along, as well as how good the Solars are at getting the best out of the iP.
Any good amp will improve even the worst dap.


Agreed. But my point was that the iP sounded almost as good as the Onkyo (single-ended) without any extra amps attached to either device.
 
Dec 15, 2015 at 8:27 AM Post #1,210 of 2,508
Agreed. But my point was that the iP sounded almost as good as the Onkyo (single-ended) without any extra amps attached to either device.
To me my cheap X3 with the Arrow amp sounded better than the AK240.
 
Dec 15, 2015 at 8:31 AM Post #1,211 of 2,508
So: I've just been A/B-ing my iP6 against my Onkyo DP-X1, listening to the same Tidal tracks with the Solars, and the difference is genuinely minimal.

The iP6 has a slightly narrower soundstage, but vox and guitars sound fab. The Onkyo is smoother and a touch wider, but is genuinely not miles better using a single-ended output.

Adding the ALO CDM (using just its amp, not the DAC), takes the Onkyo up a level in terms of soundstage amd instrument separation. The iP6 needs the digital (Apple CCK) connection to the CDM - I.e.employing the CDM's DAC as well - to compete.

I'm waiting for delivery of a couple of balanced cables and will see how much it improves the Onkyo.

But my conclusion is that the Solars (I'm using a 4-braid Effect Audio copper/silver cable) make a very good pairing with both, and really show how far smartphones have come along, as well as how good the Solars are at getting the best out of the iP.

How would you compare the iP6 and DP-X1 as standalone to the Hugo and CDM?
 
If there's not a big difference between the iP6 and DP-X1, it can also be read that the DP-X1 is not that good.. I don't mean this as on offence, just curious to your thoughts. I must admit I find it a hard to believe that the iP6 would be as good as a solid midtier dap.
 
Dec 15, 2015 at 9:15 AM Post #1,212 of 2,508
So: I've just been A/B-ing my iP6 against my Onkyo DP-X1, listening to the same Tidal tracks with the Solars, and the difference is genuinely minimal.


The iP6 has a slightly narrower soundstage, but vox and guitars sound fab. The Onkyo is smoother and a touch wider, but is genuinely not miles better using a single-ended output.


Adding the ALO CDM (using just its amp, not the DAC), takes the Onkyo up a level in terms of soundstage amd instrument separation. The iP6 needs the digital (Apple CCK) connection to the CDM - I.e.employing the CDM's DAC as well - to compete.


I'm waiting for delivery of a couple of balanced cables and will see how much it improves the Onkyo.


But my conclusion is that the Solars (I'm using a 4-braid Effect Audio copper/silver cable) make a very good pairing with both, and really show how far smartphones have come along, as well as how good the Solars are at getting the best out of the iP.

How would you compare the iP6 and DP-X1 as standalone to the Hugo and CDM?

If there's not a big difference between the iP6 and DP-X1, it can also be read that the DP-X1 is not that good.. I don't mean this as on offence, just curious to your thoughts. I must admit I find it a hard to believe that the iP6 would be as good as a solid midtier dap.


You're absolutely right. And actually that's why I posted those thoughts. When I sat down quietly in the last hour to listen to the same tracks with the same IEMs and the same quality tracks (downloaded, offline Tidal music) I was quite surprised at how close the iP6 and DP-X1 were. Someone posted on another thread that they and their mates had not done better than 50% in saying which was which in blind testing.

I'm not blinded by new toy syndrome with the DP-X1, but nor am I wedded to the iPhone. This is head-fi, so we (and I include myself) tend to have a natural bias against smartphones versus dedicated DAPs. But as @flinkenick is well aware as a massive IEM junkie, it's amazing what the right pairing of IEM + good cable can drag out of any device, even a smartphone.

I own an AK120, which doesn't run Tidal, and it's not significantly better either (it's noticeably better with the Glove A1 in the same way that they all improve with the Hugo, CDM etc etc).

There's no question that the Onkyo has a wider soundstage, which is big thing for me, but it's not night and day. I've tried the AK240 and 380 which both sound good, but again, not radically using single-ended output, and they don't run Tidal.

However, apart from the obvious benefits like storage capacity, one of the reasons I went for the DP-X1 was the balanced out option, so I'll do the same thing again when I get the balanced cables delivered. I do expect the balanced SQ from the Onkyo to take it up a level.

And to your point about the Hugo and CDM, they both sound better with the iP6 as just transport - i .e. employing their DACs as well as "amps" (I know the Hugo and Mojo aren't amps as such) versus the Onkyo by itself. But I wanted a DAP that I could use by itself for portability, as well as with the Hugo or CDM, and stop having to connect and disconnect the iP from either of those two boxes all day.

edit: I'd also stress that this is just Tidal tracks. But I've had the Onkyo HF Player on the iPhone for ages, and it sounds amazing with the Hugo playing hi res.
 
Dec 15, 2015 at 9:35 AM Post #1,213 of 2,508
That's very clear, looking forward to your further impressions. I'm also very curious about balanced.. If I can sell my musical card sometime I will get a balanced card for the 901S. 
 
Think my housemate actually has an iP6.. might try it sometime 
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Dec 15, 2015 at 10:25 AM Post #1,214 of 2,508
I have been listening to the Solar for a while on my Lotoo Paw Gold, including some well mastered high res tracks and I am finding hard to find anything even slightly wrong about the Solar. It is perfectly balanced, with great stage, fast, sparkly, with no harshness. It is even to perfect at times, like the good student bragging. Or course it doesn't have the rich vocals of the Zeus, or the very engaging bass texture of the 846, or the delicacy of the SE5 ultimate. But overall, it is a top performer with nothing to fault. And tons of fun as well.
 
Dec 15, 2015 at 10:31 AM Post #1,215 of 2,508
Agreed. But my point was that the iP sounded almost as good as the Onkyo (single-ended) without any extra amps attached to either device.

 
Balanced out is the star performer of the Onkyo, according to their thread.
 

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