I have not heard the Susvara being referred to as a fun signature, but perhaps it is and maybe that's why I like it! The level of detail and clarity that I found with the Susvara and has ruined me (so far) for other headphones.
Yes, I did like the Utopia more than the D8000 Pro!
I found the bass of the D8K nice and deep but something about it's tuning was off to me and for MY ears.
When I ran through my test tracks I had to skip some with the D8000 that sound glorious with the Susvara and very nice with the Empy (sold) and ZMF VO.
I find the T+A, P intriguing. If it is closer to the D8K sound than these other headphones, particularly the Susvara and Utopia, it might not be the headphone for me, but you never know until you actually hear it!!!!
Somehow I can see a T+A , P in my future. I can't explain it but it is oddly compelling......
My ears and preferences / Your ears and preferences
You are right, it is all preferences. My D8000 Pro is now available for sale and today I wanted to give it another try. But looks like after listening to Solitaire P in the last months my preferences shifted a lot. I am sure if I stop listening to P and just listen to D8000P for a couple of weeks, my preferences will shift towards D8000P. So adaptive is the human auditory system. I remember trying the P first time (I probably have written it here in this thread), I wouldn't say I was too impressed after listening to D8000P, but, just as you mentioned, something pulled me towards it as it was a different experience. At the time, I was also considering a Stax 009s setup, but as I also wanted to have a more mobile system, Solitaire P was, for me, as close as it gets to an e-stat system without losing musicality and maybe the best bass I have ever heard on a HP (D8000P is also great in that respect).
What I call "fun" is not TH900 fun, but rather something that makes not-the-best-recordings more enjoyable to listen to. D8000 Pro is this kind of a HP. It is very good balance of dynamics, details, tuning and compression effect. Solitaire P may not be. I guess human auditory sensitivity in the midrange is not linear, and the Solitaire P midrange tuning is close to a border attenuation after which some ears might be asking for considerably more energy in that region for more clarity perception. That border is also not a single line but rather a region, with an adaptive EQ.
The mids of D8000 is also leaner than Utopia, and probably Susvara (details, speed, punch etc. aside). So for anyone that is OK with listening to Utopia for more than an hour, occasionally (for some recordings) D8000P and for sure Solitaire P might be too lean. Whether your ears can adopt to it, how broad is the adaptive region for you, or you would like to invest the time for it, is another thing.
For me Solitaire P is a platform, rather than just a headphone. It is relatively OK in weight, very comfortable, highly capable of technicalities and can be driven well from a portable device. I listen to very different kinds of music, some old recordings and I sometimes feel the need to EQ a bit (reduce bass or bump like 2-3 dB in the midrange) but I am open minded about EQ, as I think it brings the most out of a HP - there is simply no perfect HP that would work with all types of ears, music types and recordings.
In any case, I don't think any of those TOTL HPs would be anything less than spectacular for a certain scenario and / or person. Solitaire P is just one of the options.
.
