T+A Solitaire P planar magnetostatic
Feb 26, 2021 at 5:09 PM Post #691 of 3,162
The HA-200 is ridiculously engineered. The unit is rock solid no funky wobbly buttons, the volume control has a loud clicking noise very German
I mentioned earlier it's military grade. It was not only a joke. 😄
The volume control clicking is coming from the relays.
It worth to read the manual about the menus. It is short and clear. Does not take long.
 
Feb 26, 2021 at 5:59 PM Post #692 of 3,162
I hate manuals I learn by blowing things up. I even have a reading comprehension problem I don’t create images in my mind due to my dyslexia. It’s big reason I don’t read novels I can listen to audible books and develop what people look like from a voice. Anyways I love the volume knob every click is strong but it feels correct volume is gradually getting louder not that it’s low and one more click it’s too loud on some headphone amps. Bass control isn’t over done and I’m not using it. Have no need for treble boost. I don’t think the reviewers are able to put their thoughts away about how the Solitaire P should sound and just except that it does sound perfect. I believe my music is super dynamic and the ha200 shows no signs of trouble in keeping up. If you are looking the 1 and 1 ultimate setup I’d get the Solitaire P with HA200. If you are like me and like a verity of equipment still add this setup to the collection. I can’t describe how the amp sounds, only my brain knows it sounds really good. I can say it isn’t a warm sound or neutral not even v or u shaped. It’s super clarity, bass smacks at 0 treble has air at 0. You are not hit with ear piercing highs. It just gets loud in a good way. I will say I’m more use to the Well Audio and Woo WA33 warm/neutral holographic nature. The HA200 gives me a different sound that is high energy.
I changed the color of the vu a bit. Lowered the brightness on the blue leds there’s a lot to this amp you can go in and shut disable features like turning off the xlr input. So you can control little things that you would never have thought of. So they really thought about the end user when designing this headphone device. If this had XLR and RCA outs it would be the ultimate all in one. I guess that goes to the Bartok. I disabled all the inputs but usb. So only one button works on the front face plate. Changed the meters to show power output. The meters can be set for 4 or 5 options like temperature is another choice. You can make the meters pink if you want. I made my meters purple I’d show it but need special camera.
 
Feb 26, 2021 at 6:03 PM Post #693 of 3,162
This best I can do it’s actually deeper in color.
 

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Feb 26, 2021 at 6:12 PM Post #694 of 3,162
I hate manuals I learn by blowing things up. I even have a reading comprehension problem I don’t create images in my mind due to my dyslexia. It’s big reason I don’t read novels I can listen to audible books and develop what people look like from a voice. Anyways I love the volume knob every click is strong but it feels correct volume is gradually getting louder not that it’s low and one more click it’s too loud on some headphone amps. Bass control isn’t over done and I’m not using it. Have no need for treble boost. I don’t think the reviewers are able to put their thoughts away about how the Solitaire P should sound and just except that it does sound perfect. I believe my music is super dynamic and the ha200 shows no signs of trouble in keeping up. If you are looking the 1 and 1 ultimate setup I’d get the Solitaire P with HA200. If you are like me and like a verity of equipment still add this setup to the collection. I can’t describe how the amp sounds, only my brain knows it sounds really good. I can say it isn’t a warm sound or neutral not even v or u shaped. It’s super clarity, bass smacks at 0 treble has air at 0. You are not hit with ear piercing highs. It just gets loud in a good way. I will say I’m more use to the Well Audio and Woo WA33 warm/neutral holographic nature. The HA200 gives me a different sound that is high energy.
I changed the color of the vu a bit. Lowered the brightness on the blue leds there’s a lot to this amp you can go in and shut disable features like turning off the xlr input. So you can control little things that you would never have thought of. So they really thought about the end user when designing this headphone device. If this had XLR and RCA outs it would be the ultimate all in one. I guess that goes to the Bartok. I disabled all the inputs but usb. So only one button works on the front face plate. Changed the meters to show power output. The meters can be set for 4 or 5 options like temperature is another choice. You can make the meters pink if you want. I made my meters purple I’d show it but need special camera.
If it had pre outs, I would have gotten one as well
 
Feb 27, 2021 at 12:02 AM Post #695 of 3,162
I got curious and took the 1266 TC and connected to Ha200. I was not expecting it to push them. Bass is good with no tone control used. Have volume at -11 and impedance at 8 ohms. The sound quality is good. This amp has speed the electronic sounds loose no resolution. It's behind the HeadTrip but beats the WA33 in resolution. The WA33 wins in low frequency bombardment. The WA33 is lush and romantic which is a nice way of saying boy you got noise. The amp is loosing harmonics due to the balanced design. HA-200 keeps the sweetness in highs.
 
Mar 2, 2021 at 12:30 PM Post #697 of 3,162
What impedance are you all using on HA200? I find 8 ohm sounds best on the majority. Picking one close or on the spot as the headphone reduces dynamics and bass.
 
Mar 2, 2021 at 12:47 PM Post #698 of 3,162
What impedance are you all using on HA200? I find 8 ohm sounds best on the majority. Picking one close or on the spot as the headphone reduces dynamics and bass.
Well considering that you want a damping factor of roughly 8, most of the settings are too high for the majority of headphones.
 
Mar 2, 2021 at 12:55 PM Post #699 of 3,162
What impedance are you all using on HA200? I find 8 ohm sounds best on the majority. Picking one close or on the spot as the headphone reduces dynamics and bass.
Actually because the planar headphones are theoretically resistive only, the output impedance should be affecting mostly the volume - of course the frequency to resistance graph might not be flat, then the volume might be effected differently for different frequency regions. But otherwise, as far as I remember, I found the effects to dynamics very subtle compared to a dynamic headphone.
 
Mar 2, 2021 at 4:05 PM Post #700 of 3,162
Actually because the planar headphones are theoretically resistive only, the output impedance should be affecting mostly the volume - of course the frequency to resistance graph might not be flat, then the volume might be effected differently for different frequency regions. But otherwise, as far as I remember, I found the effects to dynamics very subtle compared to a dynamic headphone.
I was wondering why there was no difference but volume. My WA33 hi and low impedance effects my planars positively or negatively.
 
Mar 2, 2021 at 8:16 PM Post #701 of 3,162
Have you tried the Fostex TH900 or Denon D7000? I have heard that the D9200 is kind of a return to performance for that sort of "line" of headphones and I wonder how the D9200 compare to the previous top dogs there.

As for the Stellia, I'm sorry about that one. I actually chanced upon a quiet demo of them at a show a couple years ago and couldn't believe how terrible they were. Especially so given the rave reviews for its open-back sister, the Utopia, and the fresh reviews calling it the best closed back ever. But, in hearing that you also found the D9200 is promising~
9200 is an overall more balanced headphone than the TH900. TH900 has spectacular soundstage and bass at the cost of a weird tonality and an uninspiring timbre.

9200 doesn't do anything particulary wrong which is already an achievement for a closed back.

Overall both get outperformed by the HD250 Linear 600 ohm imo.

P-SE reviews seem pretty weird here. First one speaks about impeccable build quality and another one says worse than Hifiman.

Crinacle pls i need you.
 
Mar 3, 2021 at 9:54 AM Post #703 of 3,162
I own the T+A PA2000R since yesterday.
The EQ and loudness implementations are great.

If the ones on the HA200 are similar, I'm sure it's the best all in one box on the market.
Too Bad it's missing the pre Outs.
 
Mar 8, 2021 at 7:57 AM Post #705 of 3,162
Yet another review in Korean:
http://www.schezade.co.kr/board/preview/board_view.html?no=792&page=1&no_list=

German audio maker T+A (Theory + Application) has released'Solitaire P SE', a lightweight headphone that has lowered the price burden.

Even if I lower the burden like that... The price is not light at all. (-_-)...

If you've never seen T+A's high-end headphones'Solitaire P'and high-end headphone amplifier'HA200', let me briefly explain. In hi-fi audio systems, T+A develops both source devices and speakers, and tends to make a heavy (...) model worth tens of thousands of won and a light (.....) model costing millions of won together. The company launched a headphone system at an end-to-end price to see if it was going to take an end to the headphone field, and having actually used them, I found that the quality and sound were amazingly excellent. However, if you want to purchase Solitaire P and HA200 as a set, you will need about 20 million won even if you get a discount. It will be the price you pay with the thought of listening to the sound of 200 million won hi-fi audio through headphones. T+A applied the technology of Headphone Solitaire P to create the Solitaire P SE because it is a price that is difficult to access even for the middle-aged headphone enthusiast group. It's about half the price, so you've only come to a place where you can approach it.

Like the Solitaire P, the Solitaire P SE is a flat magnetic driver headphone that sounds great (not exaggeration) to me. However, no matter what strength you describe, it will be evaluated as'less than Solitaire P'. That's how these headphones were born. (-_-)a In terms of headphone enthusiasts, it is a mass-produced (?) Solitaire P that is really worth buying and using. It's like making a mass-produced car for shooting the fastest on the Autobahn by using the technology of a race car that is too fast to get the fastest outside the circuit. Few people ride a race car, but the street version of a race car can still be tested or owned by quite a few people.

If you want to see the end of headphone audio in a simple way, aim for the'T+A set' of Solitaire P and HA200. I think'Solitaire P SE' will be the product of choice for enthusiasts who can't or don't need to go to the T+A set when they want to buy one of the best-in-class headphones. For example, the Audigy LCD-4, Final D8000, and Mezze Empyrean headphones are competitors of the Solitaire P SE. But... There are privileges that T+A has in this competition. It is the fact that Solitaire P is the root of Solitaire P SE. The other multi-million won flat magnet driver headphones each have great strengths, but I heard the Solitaire P has reached a different level of sound. And the Solitaire P SE reaches a similar level. Even in headphones that range from KRW 4 to 5 million, the selection is made according to each individual's taste preferences. If only'transparency of sound' is used, the Solitaire P SE is expected to occupy an almost unrivaled position.

Q: The lite version of Solitaire P is released. Would it be okay?

A: Solitaire P SE is a'universal solitaire P'designed to be connected to players and headphone amplifiers of various companies. It is a product that allows you to enjoy the sound that is less than the Solitaire P, but close to the Solitaire P at half price, and in a wider range.


Same design and structure, lighter weight material

After a long time, I went to a regular cafe and took a picture of the product. But I couldn't shoot the box of Solitaire P SE. Because it is too big. (...) It is shipped in the same large box as Solitaire P. When I ordered the headphones, I thought that the pre-amplifier was shipped, and the box is double-packed. Still, this box is a great storage space when holding headphones. Inside the box lies the Solitaire P SE body and contains a 3 meter long 6.3mm unbalanced cable and one 4.4mm balanced cable on each side. There is also a balanced cable with a 4-pin XLR connector, which is sold separately, so you only need to purchase it. The connector on the headphone ear cup side is actually a dedicated standard for the Solitaire P, but the Solitaire P SE uses a typical 3.5mm connector.

The Solitaire P SE has the same appearance as the P and is black. In this way, it looks like a black version of the P, but the material of the P SE is different. The ear pads and headband are made of a combination of artificial leather and velor materials, and the earcups (housing) and headband yoke are made of plastic. Solitaire P, made by cutting out a block of aluminum, should be careful not to scratch, but the Solitaire P SE should be careful not to break the plastic parts. Still, it is said that T+A paid attention to plastic materials. The plastic of the ear cups is a material with good damping properties, so it plays a role in controlling the resonance, and the plastic of the headband yoke is a material with high rigidity, so it will not be damaged easily.

Full-size, open-ended headphones covered with a metal grill. The outer area of the earcups looks the same as the Solitaire P, but the Solitaire P SE also has a very wide diaphragm and a waveguide design in the shape of a metal wing. The sound performance of the driver itself is also great, but the design of the metal panel placed on the rear of the driver also contributes significantly to sound optimization. The airflow radiated to the outside of the headphones is as strong as the sound the user hears, so if you lean your head against the sofa, let the left and right sides of the headphones open. For example, if the headrests are too soft to cover the left and right sides of the headphones, you cannot hear the sound of the Solitaire P SE properly. You can see what I mean by moving your palms near the headphones while playing music. This works for both open headphones, but even more important for the Solitaire P and P SE.

Solitaire P SE is a headphone that you listen to in the room instead of a speaker, and the headband and earpads are so comfortable that you can listen to music for a long time. In addition, the size of the headband is large, so even people with large heads can use it. The aluminum Solitaire P weighs 530g, while the lightweight Solitaire P SE weighs 440g. Earlier, it was said that these headphones compete with other companies' high-end headphones, but we need to put the appropriate weight and comfortable fit as an advantage.
SOUND

*Easily sound even on small headphone amps

Solitaire P SE is equipped with a new driver TPM2500 that applies the driver TPM3100 developed by Solitaire P. The driver has the same sensitivity, but the impedance value is half, making it easier to drive. (P is 80 ohms, P SE is 45 ohms) This is because most headphone amplifiers are designed to produce high output at low impedance. For example, I use the Grace Design M900 as a DAC and plug in a small analog headphone amplifier, the Bakun CAP-1003. At this time, by turning the M900's volume up to its maximum and setting the CAP-1003's volume knob to 11 o'clock, I could hear the solitaire P SE's reassuring and magnificent sound. In the Sennheiser HDVD800 connected with a 6.3mm connector, the vibration plate was evenly driven from the USB input of the PC to the 10-11 o'clock position of the volume knob. (At 9-10 o'clock in a 4-pin XLR balanced connection) In short, it means that it can be easily sounded from either a mini headphone amplifier or a stationary headphone amplifier. The main appreciation was the use of HDVD800 linked to Audirvana (Mac OS X) and Fuva 2000 (Windows 7) on the Mac Mini.

In this impression, I connected the Solitaire P SE to the T+A HA200 and wrote without listening. I don't think anyone who sees this product will use a headphone amplifier that exceeds 12 million won. (-_-); The most obvious way to understand the sound difference between the Solitaire P and P SE is to connect it to the HA200 and listen to it for comparison. (One can be connected to a 4.4mm, the other with a 4-pin XLR connector and compared and listened in a balanced driving state. There is a difference in volume between the two headphones, so you need to listen while adjusting it...) I want to leave it. It was said to be the light version of the P, but the sound transparency is incredibly high, so the source characteristics are conveyed as it is. Some of the statements in this sentiment are not characteristic of the Solitaire P SE, but there is a possibility that the player and amplifiers I use have influenced them. Please read while referring to this point.

*Note : If the Solitaire P SE is also balanced, the sound becomes louder and the mid/bass sound is much thicker. Other headphones also produce a stronger and thicker sound in balanced drive. I think an unbalanced connection is good for the naturalness of the sound. Balanced connection is not always good, but individual preferences differ due to changes in sound. If you want strong sound from the Solitaire P SE, you can also use a 4.4mm or 4-pin XLR cable to balance the connection.

*Sound field effect created by wide diaphragm

An extremely thin diaphragm with a large area covers the entire area of the user's ear. Obviously, it's an open headphone, but when you play the music, you feel as if the transparent field of sound blocks out background noise. In short, the Solitaire P SE is a headphone with a large physical scale of sound. When I look at myself wearing these headphones, the headband protrudes from the top of my head, so I want something, but the sound field effect created by the wide diaphragm is always satisfactory. If you want to wear headphones and look great outside, choose a product like Montblanc MB01. Audiophiles with headphones in the room only need to sound good. (It's better if the headphones are light and comfortable.)

*Transparent ultra-high resolution sound

I don't think there is a need to elaborate on the sound of these headphones. The sound is very transparent. You can feel the transparency where the veil has completely disappeared. You'll experience ultra-high-definition sound with no barrier between the listener and the sound. Instead, it only expands slightly less treble and bass than Solitaire P. (The Solitaire P SE has a very wide frequency response range of 8 to 45,000 Hz, but less than the Solitaire P.) For example, the solitaire P SE's ultra-bass starts to vibrate from around the ear, not from the bottom of the ear. When it comes to loudspeakers, a very low-pitched layer is formed at the listener's knee level, not the floor of the audio room. The super treble area should be checked by connecting both headphones at the same time, but as mentioned earlier, I only listened to the P SE. However, the ultra-high pitch of the Solitaire P SE easily demonstrates its ability to shape the air in the field. It is similar to the Solitaire P in that it has a pyramidal shape from the bass to the treble and has an expansive dynamic range.

*Experienced linear base

If you dare to compare it with the sound memory of other headphones... Solitaire P SE usually produces a cozy and comfortable sound with thick mid and low tones. However, I was overwhelmed from the start because of the massive scale and deep vibrations of the bass coming like waves. The transparency of the sound is so high that it creates a tsunami even in the bass, so there is no time for the listener to rest comfortably. The bass of the Solitaire P SE will come out flat when measuring the frequency response, but in actual listening, it can be said that it is a tangible linear bass that spreads out in a straight line without any loss to the ultra-bass. If the bass is strong in the music, the bass of these headphones will reflect the reverberation as accurate as possible, but will survive louder, wider and very hard. Due to the large width of the diaphragm that covers the listener's ears, the area of the bass itself is very large. Of course, these bass characteristics may vary depending on the type and output of the connected headphone amplifier, so please refer to them only. The Solitaire P SE is easy to drive due to its high driver sensitivity and low impedance, but the power difference between headphone amplifiers is obvious.

* Break down sound into micrograms

The detailed description of the sound is superb. It's creepy, but it reproduces the notes of all instruments, from low mid to mid, treble, and super treble sharply and clearly. It shows a degree of separation that seems to break down every component of sound into micrograms. You can experience discovering new sounds in the music you always listen to. The phrase'I change my earphones or headphones and I hear a sound I couldn't hear' is an accurate description of the characteristics in the Solitaire P SE. Due to the incredible expansion of the frequency response range and the super-high resolution, I even wonder if the DAC amplifiers I've been using have been able to do this to this extent. This point will be evident even if you listen to it compared to high-end headphones of similar price range at the listening store.

One of the great things about the Solitaire P SE is that you can enjoy listening to it on a wide range of headphone amplifiers. But let's take care of the quality of music files. (-_-);; This product can be enjoyed by plugging it directly into the DAP's headphone jack, but most will be connected to a stationary headphone amplifier. At this time, the quality of the DAC and analog amplifiers is revealed by the Solitaire P SE. If you are a user who decides to buy headphones worth millions of won or is already collecting several, there will be no problem as the source device side is well equipped. However, you need to be careful because differences in the quality of music files can hinder your listening. If you started a Spotify subscription, even if you set the sound quality option up to 320 kbps, the cut off treble would be so clear that it would be difficult to bear. At the very least, you need to listen with a Tidal Hi-Fi subscription to get your hearing rest. In other words, CD resolution files or lossless compressed files are recommended, and of course, high-resolution recordings are best.

*Flat sound with reinforced bass + extension of super treble and super bass

There is still no way to know what sounds really smooth to hear. The metrics are changing, and people's tastes are changing. However, I believe that electrostatic headphones and flat-type headphones have a consistent flat sound. If you reflect the loudspeaker and room effect, the bass should be stronger, but everyone feels basically reinforcing the bass to a flat sound. In this respect, the Solitaire P SE is also a flat sound with reinforced bass. And in actual listening, the super treble and super bass may be heard as an expanded and reinforced U-shaped sound. In my standards, the Audigy LCD-24 was the headphone that produced a radically neutral tone, but compared to this, the Solitaire P SE has a more glamorous and magnificent aspect, so the appreciation was very enjoyable.

*There is no way not to compare with Solitaire P (-_-)

We've already been comparing P and P SE several times, but now let's do it openly. There are two times the price difference, but in the end the two are brothers and some may want to choose between the two. Let's summarize it into a few items.

1) The sound image is different

Solitaire P SE has a sound image centered inside the head. The wide openness of the open headphones is good, but the sound image seems to be smaller than the Solitaire P. However, the sound field that spreads evenly on a huge diaphragm gives you the feeling of exploring the world of music without limit. It also has the advantage of observing sounds closer together. These headphones can be used well in studio monitoring situations where a sense of space needs to be checked. It is almost the same as Solitaire P in that the sound image is not scattered at all and is formed very uniformly. You can see crystal-clear shapes that are difficult to experience with other brands of flat magnetic driver headphones as well as electrostatic headphone systems.

2) It feels so dry because it is very neat

There is no reverberation of the sound, so it feels very clean and dry, almost the same as the Solitaire P. The product specification table also shows a total harmonic distortion value of 0.015% based on 100dB. It is also a major cause of the'uniform sound image' that stands out especially in these headphones. Despite the high performance of the driver, the waveguide structure that perfectly controls the airflow creates a more precise sound.

3) A little more refreshing treble

Recalling the listening memory of the Solitaire P, the P SE has a bit more tingling and sharper high notes. This does not mean that the treble is more emphasized, but it means that it is a slightly coarse high-pitched tone with a slightly lower density, so it gives a refreshing feeling to the hearing. In addition, the high-pitched tone is fine and clear, so it feels sweet. It is a phenomenon that my brain is satisfied with because the tone is not bright, but the timing of reproduction of high notes is accurate. Even when listening to the Sennheiser HDVD800, where the sound is really dry, it feels moist and sweet at high frequencies. After the launch of the Solitaire P, T+A reported that quite a few headphone users found a tendency to pursue details with slightly brighter highs. Therefore,'UWE Ear Pads' are sold separately, which expand the inside of the ear pads and increase the treble by perforating the inside. But I'm not sure if the UWE earpads will match the sound of the Solitaire P SE. I'm thinking it's a refreshing treble enough for a basic ear pad.

4) Good for watching movies...?

It's so expensive that I didn't even think about it when I reviewed the Solitaire P, but the Solitaire P SE sounds great even when watching movies. Even when listening to Netflix with relatively low audio quality, the sound of the movie was brought to life thanks to the reassuring super lows and the gruesomely clear highs and mids. It delivers cinematic sound that is different in concept from gaming headsets with sound effects such as Dolby and DTS. Gaming headsets actively apply high-pitched and low-pitched emphasis for the excitement of the sound, but the Solitaire P SE has so high transparency in the sound that itself acts as an exhilarating sense of reality. Since the standard cable is 3 meters long, it can be used when sitting on the sofa and watching TV, and the headphones are lighter than Solitaire P and have less scratches, so you can use them more comfortably in your life. It's a really expensive headphone at half the price, but it's also a universal headphone. â– 
 

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