[BassicScience]

SoliP on HA200 does not need lens for focus, it is like a laser. You can pick someone who missed a note in a choir.

The HA 200 uses a Purifi-based power amp section, which is very similar sonically to what I'm using right now (NAD M22 V2). In comparison to the Susvara (on the same amp), the Soli P presents a more diffuse (and slightly larger) image. Nothing gets buried in the mix per se, but there's far less air and space between the instruments on the Soli P. The delineation of depth is also superior on the Susvara. Some people may actually prefer the Soli P's image presentation, although I don't, in general. It works better with some albums and genres than with others. To my ear.

 

[BassicScience]

great that you got a loaner set!
mine doesn't have any squeaking or creaking at all. I felt SolP pads were a lot more comfortable than the Susvara; the susvara material feels a bit "itchy" on my face after a while. also preferred size of the cups of the SolP - my ears feel space, whereas with the susvara my ears touch the driver protectors.

agree with the power comment. tried the SolP again with the Wa33 and hi gain sounds more immediate and punchier than with lo gain. I still enjoy it most via the tube pre/power combo.

If u can get adaptors and hook it up with a nice silver cable, well, I found the stock cable holds the P back, on both top and low end.

SolP definitely a darker hp than the Susvara, but truly an overall enjoyable listen. like the utopia, it's one which I can just forget about the chain and just listen to the music. but if one has the cash to spare, I would still say, TC and Susvara are must haves in the stable, with SolP as a different flavour offering and for a laid back fuss free listen. and if just one hp, for me it's a toss up between SolP and Utopia.



I love this album on the SolP. First song when the bass kicks in, that enveloping sensation is awesome!

Hey Roasty,

Turns out the squeaking/creaking was the pads rubbing against my glasses frames (thanks to @lator for alerting me to that, above). I installed Dekoni FSS pads on my Susvara around the time they came out, and haven't looked back. The leather is smooth and cool, and doesn't squeak against my frames. The Dekonis are also a bit thicker than the stock pads, and I'm not bothered by any minimal contact with my ears. The scratchiness of the Soli P pads would actually be a deal-breaker for me. I also find the clamping force of the Soli P to be a bit light, which causes a couple of pressure spots on either side of the crown of my head over time. I've ordered a knit headband cover, which should arrive tomorrow and may help with the overall feel of the headband. I'll report back on that.

Thanks for the suggestion about cabling. I probably won't have the headphones long enough to warrant ordering adapters. If I can't get the feel of the pads sorted, any other mods would be academic, anyway.

Thanks also for the music selection. Truth be told, while it (the first track) sounds very nice on the Soli P, I clearly prefer the presentation on the Susvara. The bass is certainly more enveloping and present on the Soli P, but vocals reign supreme on the Susvara, as does the layering of the soundstage. In general, acoustic guitars and cymbals often seem a bit unconvincing (as the real thing) on the Soli P. It's really in its element on something like Mezzanine by Massive Attack, in my opinion. Throbbing rock and roll is also great on the Soli P. In a nutshell, I feel like the Soli P is a headphone that speaks a bit more to the right brain than the Susvara does.

If I take off my reviewer's hat and just listen, there's no denying the Soli P does a ton of stuff well, offers a coherent presentation, and is a highly enjoyable listen, even spectacular in certain contexts. It's firmly on the warm side of neutral, but if a headphone is going to lean either way, that's the direction I'd prefer!

 

[jlbrach]

Heh, speak of the devil. I just today received a pair of Soli P cans on loan from a very generous member here. These have been around the block for awhile, so are fully broken in. As I learned at CanJam, they are more efficient than Susvara, but they still like power, so I'm running directly off my NAD M22 V2 (on lowest gain). After a few hours of listening to various genres, my early impressions are that these are great for rock and classical/symphonic (if you like a more "romantic" sound). They clearly have a more prominent low end than the Susvara, but it's also a bit slower, woolier, and less pitch-specific. Imaging on these is like the lens is slightly out of focus. I'll have more to report in a day or two, but I will say these are a very enjoyable listen overall.

The one thing that I find quite annoying is the amount of squeaking and creaking that the pads do with even minor head movements. Are these pads simply worn out, or does anyone else have the same issue? The pad and headband material is also a bit irritating to my skin after wearing the headphones for a good while. Comfort is definitely not on the level of the Susvara, unfortunately.

I have the crinkling problem if I wear glasses, when I remove the glasses the noise disappears

 

[jlbrach]

Yesterday I was listening to my abyss TC and ordinarily I do not change HP's in mid listening session because the HP's are so different but for whatever reason I decided to switch to my sol p and I put on sgt peppers and I must say I was bowled over...it just sounded so right...so 3 dimensional and deep...the imagining was so precise and the detail so fantastic...I do not say better or worse about the TOTL choices but I must say the sol p is getting more and more time lately and believe me it has plenty of competition with my other HP's

 

[ufospls2]

I wear glasses and haven't had problems with creaking or any noises. Seems strange as alcantara is a soft material. Not sure why that might be happening.

 

[jlbrach]

all I know is I was about to call my dealer because the noise disturbed me so much I thought I had a faulty pair..on a lark I decided to take off my glasses and presto the problem disappeared...I now wear my glass kind of outside of the headphones to avoid the problem

 

[BassicScience]

I wear glasses and haven't had problems with creaking or any noises. Seems strange as alcantara is a soft material. Not sure why that might be happening.

Are your frames plastic or metal? My everyday glasses are plastic, but I just tried some other metal frames I own, and didn't experience any squeaking sounds with the Soli P pads.

 

[jlbrach]

plastic

 

[ufospls2]

Are your frames plastic or metal? My everyday glasses are plastic, but I just tried some other metal frames I own, and didn't experience any squeaking sounds with the Soli P pads.

Plastic/Acetate. I hope you can figure it out, good luck man.

 

[brams]

Hey Roasty,

Turns out the squeaking/creaking was the pads rubbing against my glasses frames (thanks to @lator for alerting me to that, above). I installed Dekoni FSS pads on my Susvara around the time they came out, and haven't looked back. The leather is smooth and cool, and doesn't squeak against my frames. The Dekonis are also a bit thicker than the stock pads, and I'm not bothered by any minimal contact with my ears. The scratchiness of the Soli P pads would actually be a deal-breaker for me. I also find the clamping force of the Soli P to be a bit light, which causes a couple of pressure spots on either side of the crown of my head over time. I've ordered a knit headband cover, which should arrive tomorrow and may help with the overall feel of the headband. I'll report back on that.

Thanks for the suggestion about cabling. I probably won't have the headphones long enough to warrant ordering adapters. If I can't get the feel of the pads sorted, any other mods would be academic, anyway.

Thanks also for the music selection. Truth be told, while it (the first track) sounds very nice on the Soli P, I clearly prefer the presentation on the Susvara. The bass is certainly more enveloping and present on the Soli P, but vocals reign supreme on the Susvara, as does the layering of the soundstage. In general, acoustic guitars and cymbals often seem a bit unconvincing (as the real thing) on the Soli P. It's really in its element on something like Mezzanine by Massive Attack, in my opinion. Throbbing rock and roll is also great on the Soli P. In a nutshell, I feel like the Soli P is a headphone that speaks a bit more to the right brain than the Susvara does.

If I take off my reviewer's hat and just listen, there's no denying the Soli P does a ton of stuff well, offers a coherent presentation, and is a highly enjoyable listen, even spectacular in certain contexts. It's firmly on the warm side of neutral, but if a headphone is going to lean either way, that's the direction I'd prefer!

Try them with a bit of EQ if you're not adverse to the concept. Doesn't take much to get them to be more convincing in the areas you describe without changing what makes them special.

 

[BassicScience]

Try them with a bit of EQ if you're not adverse to the concept. Doesn't take much to get them to be more convincing in the areas you describe without changing what makes them special.

Thanks, might well do if I can mitigate the ergonomic/comfort issues. Otherwise, they aren't really under consideration for purchase anyway. Why a $7k headphone doesn't come with leather pads is somewhat beyond my comprehension.

 

[treebug]

all I know is I was about to call my dealer because the noise disturbed me so much I thought I had a faulty pair..on a lark I decided to take off my glasses and presto the problem disappeared...I now wear my glass kind of outside of the headphones to avoid the problem

I recommend these with headphones.

 

[brams]

Thanks, might well do if I can mitigate the ergonomic/comfort issues. Otherwise, they aren't really under consideration for purchase anyway. Why a $7k headphone doesn't come with leather pads is somewhat beyond my comprehension.

While full leather pads has become the accepted norm on TOTL headphones T+A likely chose the material based on the level of comfort for long term listening and a relaxed tuning. Personally, I care more about the resulting sound than the material used on the pad, however I do agree with what you are saying. At this price level all the materials used should be top of the line and comfort issues should be the rare exception.

I think most here find the existing pads comfortable while the overall fit is hit and miss based on head size, shape, etc. Having said that, although I can wear the headphones for long hours without discomfort, I have noticed that sometimes the pad can cause a slight itch to the helix of my outer ear (pinna).

In my opinion T+A to should release another alternate set of pads made of full leather that provides a tonal balance that does not reduce the upper midrange and treble to the extent that the current pads do. The level of adjustment required is not much, but for me once heard it is difficult to just accept the standard tuning. Furthermore, at this price point ALL pad options as well as a short cable option should be provided with the headphones. This would provide the best of both worlds for those who like the standard tuning and those who prefer something different. The fact that they have not done this speaks volumes about the mindset of the company and not in a very positive way in my opinion.

I see that Audio64 in New York has a listening event for T+A products coming up on the 16th of this month. I think it falls to retailers like that to provide the feedback to T+A to force them to update the offering. The more listeners that provide similar feedback the more likely it is that they will change.

If anyone is aware of a source to design custom pads let me know. Established companies like Dekoni will only create alternate pads for high volume headphones.

 

[nrbatista]

The enveloping 3D sound of the Sol P is extraordinary!

 

[audiofest2018]

Just got my Sol P this week, I read through the entire thread before placed the order and I have to say almost all the comments are spot on, especially its warm tonality compared to Susvara, TC and Utopia. I think there were are discussion earlier in the thread on ultra wide pads. Not sure if anyone has tried it recently and what do you think? Thanks!

https://www.ta-hifi.de/en/accessories/ultra-wide-earpads-2/

The Ultra Wide earpads for the Solitaire P headphones have a different tonal balance than the standard High Precision earpads due to their perforations. With the Ultra Wide earpads we want to satisfy different listening preferences:
Compared with the regular High Precision earpads the Ultra Wide ear reduce the midrange level, allowing the treble to be more pronounced, making the entire experience even more airy and a bit brighter.
The Ultra Wide earpads can be ordered as an optional accessory. The Solitaire P comes standard with the High Precision pads.