[yellowblue]

If someone might be interested. I am selling my Ultra wide pads (within EU).
https://www.head-fi.org/classifieds/t-a-solitaire-p-ultra-wide-pads.26655/

 

[ThanatosVI]

If someone might be interested. I am selling my Ultra wide pads (within EU).
https://www.head-fi.org/classifieds/t-a-solitaire-p-ultra-wide-pads.26655/

That's a bargain!

 

[Somatic]

Timbre is a hard question.
I'd say Solitaire P is located in between Susvara and TC with Susvara being more sweet and alluring, also a tad more textured and TC being dry in comparison Solitaire P appears to me as the most neutral sounding can with more seamless floating vocals with a hard rendered separation and pin point localization, more than I remember from any other can, so you can hear the voice e.g exactly at your rear left back and not like with other headphones more diffusely distributed in the stage.
Depending on equing the vocals are either a tad relaxed or with my posted ultra wides plus raised 2k peak more pronounced than both Susvaras and TCs to my ears.
The DAC-Amp synergy plays an immense role for the timbre.
My Ferrum stack is giving a slight warmth which is generally helping timbre but might sound a tad less transparent than other amps.

I will need to dive into the low level listening topic once I get listening time tonight again.
My feeling is that SolP needs less volume than Susvara as it's also easier to drive.

As I understand there is some physiological threshold for low level listening regarding the perception of tones like bass and high shelf.
That's were hifi manufacturers have introduced loudness functions to compensate.
Whereas this loudness has to my feeling become kind of a no go for hifi enthusiasts associating it with car stereo boom setups it was actually meant for low level listening.
The implementation of the RME ADI-2 DAC has impressed me with an approach to satisfy the hifi enthusiasts providing an individual way to level the loudness individually to your hearing for night time listening.
I don't own it anymore but am really wondering why no other manufacturers are covering such functions.

Did you ever try low listening levels?

 

[FooFighter]

Did you ever try low listening levels?

maybe occasionally but whenever I am listening currently I am hunting the sweet spot of using either wide or stock pads with or without eq and lower or raise the volume depending on the volume of the song.
I think that SolP doesn't need to be listened at high volumes to be enjoyed to open up as you mentioned your experiences with Susvara (and I personally share that experience too).
For real low listening volumes I think though that good loudness implementations like the RME (and maybe HA-200, haven't had it for testing) are needed to not compromise with the frequency response in relation to our hearing capability.
I want to try the HQPlayer implementation one day first before thinking of yet another gear swap

 

[Somatic]

maybe occasionally but whenever I am listening currently I am hunting the sweet spot of using either wide or stock pads with or without eq and lower or raise the volume depending on the volume of the song.
I think that SolP doesn't need to be listened at high volumes to be enjoyed to open up as you mentioned your experiences with Susvara (and I personally share that experience too).
For real low listening volumes I think though that good loudness implementations like the RME (and maybe HA-200, haven't had it for testing) are needed to not compromise with the frequency response in relation to our hearing capability.
I want to try the HQPlayer implementation one day first before thinking of yet another gear swap

Are you enjoying the cans? Can you relax with them or feel a constant need to tweak? Do you EQ the susvara as well?

 

[FooFighter]

Are you enjoying the cans? Can you relax with them or feel a constant need to tweak? Do you EQ the susvara as well?

yep, that's a price question if I am honest.
I need to do some A-B to judge better if the same songs sounding too bright on SolP with ultra wide pads are sounding too bright too on Susvara.
I had one Ed Sheeran song yesterday which was too bright with ultra wide pads for me whereas I have enjoyed other songs like the above mentioned one with the same setup.
Generally I can say that the TOTL planars are less forgiving in that regards for my ears
For that I suppose that the likes of Empyreans or Elite (which I both haven't heard personally though) will be generally more forgiving but won't reach the same technical performance sounding more blunted in direct comparison.
Generally the SolP stock pads are more forgiving and a safer choice but are for me lacking the sparcle and openness in some songs on the same volume which are provided by the ultra wide pads.
So as you said the question is if one is accepting equing depending on the songs to get the maximum listening experience or live with a more modest generic tuning (which can be still very good).

That's maybe also the issue with universal solutions in general as they sacrifice technical aspects and people are keeping different headphones for maximizing one or another technical aspect for different moods, genres, so equing could be quicker and more convenient than changing headphones or pads

 

[FooFighter]

That was the track which I found hot in the treble yesterday night especially the clapping sound in the background with Ultra Wide pads (I was quite tired and seemingly sensitive). Presentation of the singers voice and the guitar strings is quite direct in this recording and with the ultra wide pads it's kind of hyper-resolving, almost too much as if you are sitting on the strings or listening to the singers mouth with some centimetres distance only to your ears.

I was listening out Of Tidal Connect without additional PEQ
Today I don't find it that bad listening from same source, it's getting even smoother using Audirvana Studio and HQPlayer, better than direct Roon or Direct Tidal.
I have quickly compared to Susvara without PEQ and then with Susvara ORATORY1990 PEQ.
Presentation was similar with Susvara with a tad better timbre and better texture and also a tad smoother and more laid back/forgiving clapping background noise in this song.
All-in-all I found the SolP more holographic 3d with Ultra wide pads than Susvara and also a lot punchier (if no Susvara PEQ is applied) and still punchier (with Susvara PEQ applied).
Not a song with best bass example as I find the bass quite bloated in the recording as it seems.

So besides source and filters my resumee is here: mental condition is playing a big role for listening impressions. One day liking a resolving presentation can be tiring on another day. That'S an experience I have made especially with Phi TC very often in the past too.
As for the pads I think as mentioned before the stock pads are the safer choice but if longing for that extra spice and resolution upfront either ultra wide pads or adopted ORATORY PEQ is my way to go - and I am longing for that tuning often as it seems

 

[Benny-x]

Oh, I will call the dealer tomorrow where I got the P and P-SE and see if he can arrange a demo unit for the new BT headphones.

What do you mean by "the new BT headphones" ?

 

[ufospls2]

What do you mean by "the new BT headphones" ?

Solitaire T, shown at munich. Go back a couple pages for some info

 

[Benny-x]

Solitaire T, shown at munich. Go back a couple pages for some info

Thanks. I was trying to keep up, but I guess I missed that.

I just had a look at them, coming in black+silver and also white+silver, costing about $1600/£1200. I don't think they're using planar drivers this time, are they?

I bet the sound quality will be good, but I just hope they've got the ANC nailed down. Fingers crossed that they might have worked with Sony or something on that, haha. Or cloned some Airpods Max + Sony XM5s' ANC tech~ I've tried most of the speaker/audiophile/headphone company Bluetooth headphones with ANC and most of them are pretty bad, especially in v1.00. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the Solitaire T

 

[DarginMahkum]

What do you mean by "the new BT headphones" ?

I checked with the dealer and they are not even aware of it.

 

[Newsee]

Thanks. I was trying to keep up, but I guess I missed that.

I just had a look at them, coming in black+silver and also white+silver, costing about $1600/£1200. I don't think they're using planar drivers this time, are they?

I bet the sound quality will be good, but I just hope they've got the ANC nailed down. Fingers crossed that they might have worked with Sony or something on that, haha. Or cloned some Airpods Max + Sony XM5s' ANC tech~ I've tried most of the speaker/audiophile/headphone company Bluetooth headphones with ANC and most of them are pretty bad, especially in v1.00. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the Solitaire T

Dynamic drivers.
Once more some technical details for those who missed it.

 

[FooFighter]

Have just reactivated my old setup with UPGateway NAA streamer with Cardas Audio Clear High Speed USB cable (which was being replaced), Holo Spring 3 KTE and Ferrum stack on High Gain playing through Roon and HQPlayer on 1.5 MHz upsampling.
Have applied some slight PEQ (oriented at the ORATORY PEQ but with reduced decibels and without the high shelf as this is not needed with the Ultra wides)

God, SolitaireP sounds so delicious resolving, holographic especially with Ultra Wide pads with dry hitting thump (with unequed stock pads and slightly equalised wide pads) both for Electro, EDM, Pop, Rock, Metal.
Really addictive Swiss Army knife, exactly the mix of Susvara and TC I was hoping for.
It might not completely reach their respective strengths (like Susvara vocals - but very close imho! and TCs super wide stage - but the cubic 3d of SolP is impressive by itself! or the skull shattering bass - but is having the TC's dry bass tonality or the TC speed - seems slower but still decent.
Overall it is the closest mixture I can imagine up to now.

For many songs I myself need the alluring bite of vocals and shimmer on top which is reached with the ultra wide stock tuning better imho.

 

[Somatic]

Have just reactivated my old setup with UPGateway NAA streamer with Cardas Audio Clear High Speed USB cable (which was being replaced), Holo Spring 3 KTE and Ferrum stack on High Gain playing through Roon and HQPlayer on 1.5 MHz upsampling.
Have applied some slight PEQ (oriented at the ORATORY PEQ but with reduced decibels and without the high shelf as this is not needed with the Ultra wides)

God, SolitaireP sounds so delicious resolving, holographic especially with Ultra Wide pads with dry hitting thump (with unequed stock pads and slightly equalised wide pads) both for Electro, EDM, Pop, Rock, Metal.
Really addictive Swiss Army knife, exactly the mix of Susvara and TC I was hoping for.
It might not completely reach their respective strengths (like Susvara vocals - but very close imho! and TCs super wide stage - but the cubic 3d of SolP is impressive by itself! or the skull shattering bass - but is having the TC's dry bass tonality or the TC speed - seems slower but still decent.
Overall it is the closest mixture I can imagine up to now.

For many songs I myself need the alluring bite of vocals and shimmer on top which is reached with the ultra wide stock tuning better imho.

Sounds amazing. Wondering if the Sol P will be the best jack of all trades and if it makes the LCD5 redundant or not? What would be complimentary headphones for the Sol P if any? Ended up selling my TCs.

 

[FooFighter]

Sounds amazing. Wondering if the Sol P will be the best jack of all trades and if it makes the LCD5 redundant or not? What would be complimentary headphones for the Sol P if any? Ended up selling my TCs.

yep, but still it's a very personal decision.
I could never listen to LCD-5 myself, so still possible that it is the better choice for you or maybe it'S even complimentary
AS the SolP is the perfect mix for me. it's hard to tell a complementary headphone.
I have even yet thought about keeping only SolP and maybe only get an additional good closed back.
When is your SolP told to come?