[RIGATIO]

Thanx! How about the detail compared to the Stellia? Is it far off?

 

[Daniel Johnston]

Thanx! How about the detail compared to the Stellia? Is it far off?

No. It isn’t. Detail retrieval is not an issue. Using them passively allows them to scale with sources. The Stellia is better overall, but the ST is the better all rounder. You aren’t getting 2x the performance from the Stellias, maybe 10-15% better.
It’s a different “flavor” than the Focal house sound. My Stellias are back in the storage drawer for reference.

 

[Daniel Johnston]

Thanx! How about the detail compared to the Stellia? Is it far off?

I just did a back to back comparison and I stand by my conclusions.

The only caveat is if the ST fit your ears. The cups are considerably smaller than the Focal non BT headphones.

 

[RIGATIO]

I just did a back to back comparison and I stand by my conclusions.

The only caveat is if the ST fit your ears. The cups are considerably smaller than the Focal non BT headphones.

Thank you very much! Still thinking about getting these or some iems in this price range. I know that its hard to compare full sized to iems but my experience tells me that iems from the same price bracket offer a better price/sq value. None of full sized ive tried performed better than the Monarch Mk2, at least to my ears and that including Aryas, HE-6, Radiance, Abyss Diana, Aeon Noire, Fostex th610 and some others. Some of them had obviously wider soudstage but most of them were higher end open planars.
But these ST really look very interesting. Having a good sounding closed back portables, with such great functionality is definitely very tempting.

 

[angelom]

So many questions about this WiFi headphone. As we all learned in our journey to the Solitaire T, specs mean very little. It’s the sound on the ears that reigns supreme.

So T+A at least has made well regarded headphones for a while now. Mark Levinson used their oem abilities to make their headphones. This company has no track record.

I’d rather bite sight unseen on the Dyson headphones with the air purifier for $900 than this. At least I’ll be prepared for the next pandemic with those.

Wow! I'm sure you're joking when yesterday I reading your post about the Dyson headphones, but my curiosity tonight making me googling this and is true that this first Dyson headphone is coming soon!

I have the Dyson V10 Absolute cordless vacuum for almost 5 years and is really one excellent product, so I share your opinion about preferring trying a new Dyson headphone, from the company that already having a history of releasing different products with new genuine good/excellent tech and proof of spending money in real R&D, than trying the HED Unity headphone. But of course only the time will saying the complete truth of this $2200 Unity headphone. And of course now I'm a bit curious about the Dyson "Zone" headphone.

 

[Daniel Johnston]

Wow! I'm sure you're joking when yesterday I reading your post about the Dyson headphones, but my curiosity tonight making me googling this and is true that this first Dyson headphone is coming soon!

I have the Dyson V10 Absolute cordless vacuum for almost 5 years and is really one excellent product, so I share your opinion about preferring trying a new Dyson headphone, from the company that already having a history of releasing different products with new genuine good/excellent tech and proof of spending money in real R&D, than trying the HED Unity headphone. But of course only the time will saying the complete truth of this $2200 Unity headphone. And of course now I'm a bit curious about the Dyson "Zone" headphone.

I’m using the HQ mode with Aptx HD from Shanling M1s. It’s pretty tough to tell the difference compared to wired mode. It’s all about the implementation.

That’s my biggest concern with the Unity. There are so many ways to screw up tuning and tonality. It doesn’t matter what you feed drivers if they are crap. HED is trying to compete in a pretty narrow market. I hope they put out an amazing product—for their sake.

I don’t think Dyson is reaching for the audiophile market. Apparently you can hear the fan noise even with ANC on. I felt weird wearing the Meze Empyrean in public let alone what Dyson is trying to pull off!

 

[angelom]

I’m using the HQ mode with Aptx HD from Shanling M1s. It’s pretty tough to tell the difference compared to wired mode. It’s all about the implementation.

Yes, implementation is critical. And is, as several ST owners confirming already in this thread, a really very remarkable aspect of the ST the quality of BT HQ mode comparing with wired mode, when already wired mode is not only very good but actually excellent when looking at the price of this headphone.

That’s my biggest concern with the Unity. There are so many ways to screw up tuning and tonality. It doesn’t matter what you feed drivers if they are crap.

And even when you have good drivers, this is not always a guarantee that the tonal balance, at least, will be very good / correct, or even simply good.

HED is trying to compete in a pretty narrow market. I hope they put out an amazing product—for their sake.

Definitely a very small market. You're right, clearly in this stage, when you're saying "for their sake".

I don’t think Dyson is reaching for the audiophile market.

Clearly not, but I watching 2 (video) 'reviews' and is looking like they actually paying attention to sound quality too. And reading in the Dyson page, I think they're doing something similar like Apple (Dyson having good financial resources for R&D too) for "on the fly" EQ or this is what I think they're saying in the product description page... The app in the videos is very interesting too, and not just a gimmick thing, but not focusing (enough yet?) in sound.

Apparently you can hear the fan noise even with ANC on.

Yes, true, this is what one video is saying, but I imagine this is only when using the feature of 'air purifying' that isn't always necessarily on. Also battery life, when 'air purifying' is on is decreasing very drastically (from 50 hours to only 2 or 3 hours, apparently).

I felt weird wearing the Meze Empyrean in public let alone what Dyson is trying to pull off!

And the Dyson Zone is very big too and extremely heavy (more than 600 gm when the already heavy AirPods Max is 385 gm!).

If Dyson, like Apple, don't having the financial resources, the Dyson Zone probably costing $3000+ for the features (including apparently excellent ANC) is offering.

 

[angelom]

For some people that maybe have interest in good / better sound...a few weeks ago I discovering the best version (this is an "Apple Digital Master" version available, of course, in Apple Music) of the excellent track 'Zombie' by the Cranberries. I always having a problem with this song because of the terrible compression (soooo typical of so much music from 1990s until today). That one of the very better (rock) songs in the history of music is having so terrible sound is always a BIG pity. This version is really better and wonderful with the ST. Is from the 1994 album 'No Need To Argue' but is the "Apple Digital Master" version from 2020.

(In a very different topic, when few years ago, before Brexit, I reading that James Dyson, founder of Dyson company, is pro Brexit, this is a very big surprise and disappointment for me because I have a high opinion of this man. When I reading later the contradictory decisions of Dyson (the company) after being so pro Brexit (and this decisions not benefitting the UK), my disappointment is even more big. I think today very many, many more people in UK, average often ignorant UK citizens, knowing that Brexit is a tremendous lie that affecting the UK economy, and obviously the lives of ordinary people, very badly. Even the reputation of the UK, at least in rest of Europe, isn't at all what is before.)

 

[WDitters]

Sweet.... Curious what this will bring... Mateusz Przychodzień did some excellent work there... Both in quality of the work and in the speedy delivery... Let the burn-in commence! (First impression larger horizontal soundstage than the Audiophile Ninja, a bit more transparent also. Slightly more coherent presentation ... )

Forza Audioworks Claire Hybrid HPC custom for Solitaire T

 

[Frabera]

Looks great, hope it will sound as good as it looks.

 

[angelom]

Sweet.... Curious what this will bring... Mateusz Przychodzień did some excellent work there... Both in quality of the work and in the speedy delivery... Let the burn-in commence! (First impression larger horizontal soundstage than the Audiophile Ninja, a bit more transparent also. Slightly more coherent presentation ... )

Forza Audioworks Claire Hybrid HPC custom for Solitaire T

When I'm looking at your Forza cable, one part of me is suddenly wanting buying a new DAP and then buying your balanced cable because is looking very nice (and I'm sure is sounding very nice too). BUT my reality, AND decision, and 'maturity' saying to me still that I only needing using only my iPhone and MacBook Pro with my ST for sources (in BT HQ mode) for great sound, so no balanced or 3.5mm cables for me.

Very nice cable, and I'm happy hearing is giving you very good sound too. (maybe I'm little jealous!)

 

[Benesyed]

Did they ever end up adding EQ to the Solt? How's the firmware update track record been?

 

[WDitters]

Did they ever end up adding EQ to the Solt? How's the firmware update track record been?

Only a number of EQ presets, lots of promises but only one firmware release so far

 

[angelom]

For people in USA that want trying the ST, here is a shop that offering a free return with "no restock fees" for 30 days (60 days for articles that are not headphones or earphones), but the buyer must paying the returning shipping costs. This is the link: https://upscaleaudio.com/products/t-a-elektroakustik-solitaire-t-closed-back-headphones

This is the refund policy from their website:

Refund policy​

RETURN & WARRANTY POLICIES​

Satisfaction Guarantee / Return Policy
If you are unhappy with your purchase, you may return your item to us in its original packaging and outer shipping box within 60 days of receipt for a complete refund. Shipping fees paid, if any, are not refundable under any circumstance. Return shipping costs are the responsibility of the buyer. Physical or cosmetic defects must be reported within 72 hours after receipt, or they become the buyer's responsibility.
Exceptions

• Headphones and in-ears must be returned within 30 days
• Special order items are non-returnable
• Turntables are non-returnable unless deemed defective and for exchange only

 

[angelom]

Because is a new 50th Anniversary edition of Pink Floyd's classic (and very excellent) 'Dark Side of the Moon' album from 1973 with a new stereo remaster, AND this is now also a Dolby Atmos master for first time, and this is now available in Apple Music in hi-res for streaming, I'm very curious and I deciding finally accepting the 2-months free trying of Apple Music they offering me for several months.

So, I trying The Dark Side of the Moon album both in BT HQ mode and in 3.5mm cabled mode. Is a very good and interesting master and version of the album in Atmos. BUT what probably is more interesting for me is the sub-bass in this Atmos version. And the ST is doing superb job in BOTH modes (BT HQ mode and 3.5mm cabled) reproducing the very, very low frequencies of the Atmos version. You can feeling the low vibrations of this low frequencies with no distortion. Excellent!

About the comparison of the normal stereo, that is always excellent too for decades, I must comparing this in more detail. What I know already is that things are sounding different in Atmos from normal stereo, and that the sub-bass, really low and almost imperceptible sounds in this Atmos master, are really brilliant.

Oh, and I must saying, one more time, that this time, again, BT HQ mode performance comparing with 3.5mm cabled is very excellent. More volume from 3.5mm cabled mode, but sufficiently good volume in BT HQ mode. Really superb job by T+A achieving this.

I'm very curious about a possible future Atmos version of "Animals", my favourite album by Pink Floyd. But now that I have 2 months free of Apple Music, I want trying the recent Atmos masters of The Talking Heads too...