[HatLady24]

BALLER, that's insane, congrats to you both on getting two of these engineering marvels!
When you get the chance, please ask your wife if she has any thoughts regarding using the Solitaire T (good and bad); I'm sure we all would be interested, alongside your own thoughts of course.

Enjoy your trip to Jamaica with the cans, and remember to take them off and enjoy the beautiful country and experience the culture, music, places, people, and food!
(Also, pics of you both with headphones on your travels too ha ha!).

Thank you very much! I am fortunate that I have two pairs of the Solitaire Ts.

My wife enjoys the headphones and really loves how they are over the ear instead of in-ear (she doesn't like airpods). She says they are comfortable and enjoys them very much. She didn't give me a detailed review. However I did take a photo of her wearing the Solitaire Ts.

I am responding from her profile on here.

 

[TheOneInYellow]

Thank you very much! I am fortunate that I have two pairs of the Solitaire Ts.

My wife enjoys the headphones and really loves how they are over the ear instead of in-ear (she doesn't like airpods). She says they are comfortable and enjoys them very much. She didn't give me a detailed review. However I did take a photo of her wearing the Solitaire Ts.

I am responding from her profile on here.

No worries, I'm sure we're all ecstatic that you have two pairs of these excellent cans!

I'm very happy to hear that she enjoys her headphones (and the comfort factor makes them enjoyable for her listening sessions), and that's a lovely picture too.

I'll always champion the white/silver pair because I am biased, and because they are the best white pair of headphones I have ever seen aesthetically, but the black/silver is very handsome and understated too.
Suits that you have one of each, and now...selfie of you enjoying your pair!

 

[igniter]

Can anyone let me know if these scale well, when using in passive mode?
An what amp did you use these with in passive mode?
Just trying a gauge if its worth considering.

 

[TheOneInYellow]

Can anyone let me know if these scale well, when using in passive mode?
An what amp did you use these with in passive mode?
Just trying a gauge if its worth considering.

In my setup, they scale gloriously!

I'm using the balanced cable included with the Solitaire T, and my FiiO M17 as source and amp, set to DC mode only, with external battery power providing clean 12v of output.
In this setup, the FiiO M17 can provide as much as 3W per channel @ 32 ohms, aka max ≥121dB (peak output power at 19.7 Vp-p).
Of course, this is far overkill for the Solitaire T, so my general listening volume on the FiiO music player app is between 60 - 80 steps out of 120 steps.

The difference in sound quality vs Bluetooth is more than noticeable to me, but the overall character of the sound remains the same between balanced passive and Bluetooth HQ.
The core benefits of (balanced) passive is increased resolution (better technical detail resolving prowess), greater density of bass and mids, a crisper, tighter control of the treble, and a small but enjoyable widening of the (still medium-sized) soundstage.
Though I only tested briefly months ago, single-ended also works within my system, just less pronounced above personal observations than what I gained via balanced my setup.

Hope that helps!

 

[Tiax]

I've had T+A Solitaire T for couple of days now, still have not decided if i'm keeping them or not.



They do sound very nice. But is it €1k+ sound? I'm not sure. Neither my HD600 nor DT 700 ProX are far behind it (if at all) to be honest.
I know, it's not just the closed back headphone, but the whole package with bluetooth, ANC etc
But with the weirdly small cups, these are my least comfortable phones (comfortable enough, but still), and when i really need ANC, Sony XM5 will probably do.

 

[Frabera]

For that price in fact you have 2 HP, one top wireless the best on the market and one really good closed back which can be compared easily with much more expansive ones, there for it is in fact a good deal, I own a few closed back around € 1k and had the flagships wireless from Bose and Sony, this T outclass all of them

 

[Nogoodnamesleft]

For that price in fact you have 2 HP, one top wireless the best on the market and one really good closed back which can be compared easily with much more expansive ones, there for it is in fact a good deal, I own a few closed back around € 1k and had the flagships wireless from Bose and Sony, this T outclass all of them

Agreed. It’s a DAC, noise cancelling headphone, wireless headphone, passive headphone all in one. Having owned and tried all of the BT headphones it’s the best all rounder. I’ve consolidated around the Solitaire T as well.

 

[ddlo]

Agreed. It’s a DAC, noise cancelling headphone, wireless headphone, passive headphone all in one. Having owned and tried all of the BT headphones it’s the best all rounder. I’ve consolidated around the Solitaire T as well.

glad to see another wb2022 owner here! maybe i got a big head, i found wb2022 more comfortable to wear and i found it offers a bit more resolution than S-T. just for wireless sound performance, i prefer the sound of wb2022 over S-T. but 10hrs battery life and without anc makes it not quite useful on flight or for travel (I use S-T in my last trip to Tokyo and very happy about its anc performance) . S-T has ear cups too small for my big ears though.

wonder what's your comment on 5909? i only use wireless headphones exclusively wireless and my personal favorite wireless is 5909 (i prefer the boasted bass of 5909). for pop music which i listen to most of the time, 5909 suits my personal preference the most. i think bathys and px8 both are a tad behind S-T or 5909 in terms of sound . . . But ML offers no firmware update since I got it (all others wireless overears got multiple updates for bug fixes and bring in new functions too.)

 

[Nogoodnamesleft]

glad to see another wb2022 owner here! maybe i got a big head, i found wb2022 more comfortable to wear and i found it offers a bit more resolution than S-T. just for wireless sound performance, i prefer the sound of wb2022 over S-T. but 10hrs battery life and without anc makes it not quite useful on flight or for travel (I use S-T in my last trip to Tokyo and very happy about its anc performance) . S-T has ear cups too small for my big ears though.

wonder what's your comment on 5909? i only use wireless headphones exclusively wireless and my personal favorite wireless is 5909 (i prefer the boasted bass of 5909). for pop music which i listen to most of the time, 5909 suits my personal preference the most. i think bathys and px8 both are a tad behind S-T or 5909 in terms of sound . . . But ML offers no firmware update since I got it (all others wireless overears got multiple updates for bug fixes and bring in new functions too.)

I liked the 5909. Like the Solaire T. I feel like the 5909 offered a complete package. In some ways the 5909 offered I wouldn’t say detail but separation and sound stage beyond what the ST could offer. That’s the basic advantage. However I have found some tracks where it sounds unusual. Also they don’t sound as good as the ST in wired mode. I also felt the noise cancellation was not as good as with the ST. Finally though comfortable, they shifted on my head too much if I tried to move with the music. So I chose the ST over the 5909 but without comparative listening I could certainly see myself enjoying the 5909 for a long time.

The WB2022 actually sound better to me than the ST or 5909. They sound so clean and fast. Detail is there stage is there. They sound a bit like the original Utopias. Decent stage. They respond well to EQ from the app. It’s a pity they are so limited. So even though I bought them, it would be hard for me to recommend to anyone else. Like the bathys I found them too limited despite excellent sound. The NC on the bathys simply do not work and there is no real passive wired listening.

So in the end for me, for sanity I have consolidated around the ST. I myself and trying to get away from comparative listening. I think one could be happy with any one of them but if you want excellent sound, best wired experience, best noise cancelling, light weight and comfort in a headphone the ST makes sense. Arguably you can get 3 separate headphones to fulfill these functions but I just wanted to consolidate.

 

[ddlo]

I liked the 5909. Like the Solaire T. I feel like the 5909 offered a complete package. In some ways the 5909 offered I wouldn’t say detail but separation and sound stage beyond what the ST could offer. That’s the basic advantage. However I have found some tracks where it sounds unusual. Also they don’t sound as good as the ST in wired mode. I also felt the noise cancellation was not as good as with the ST. Finally though comfortable, they shifted on my head too much if I tried to move with the music. So I chose the ST over the 5909 but without comparative listening I could certainly see myself enjoying the 5909 for a long time.

The WB2022 actually sound better to me than the ST or 5909. They sound so clean and fast. Detail is there stage is there. They sound a bit like the original Utopias. Decent stage. They respond well to EQ from the app. It’s a pity they are so limited. So even though I bought them, it would be hard for me to recommend to anyone else. Like the bathys I found them too limited despite excellent sound. The NC on the bathys simply do not work and there is no real passive wired listening.

So in the end for me, for sanity I have consolidated around the ST. I myself and trying to get away from comparative listening. I think one could be happy with any one of them but if you want excellent sound, best wired experience, best noise cancelling, light weight and comfort in a headphone the ST makes sense. Arguably you can get 3 separate headphones to fulfill these functions but I just wanted to consolidate.

Great! I share with almost all your comments but just arrived at different destinations for different preferences and use cases

I started my journey in wireless headphones from xm3 to hifiman r10d, xm5, mw4 and then 5909. At that point, it sound so great that I've little incentive to use my desktop setups (another coincidence here, i'm also a happy user of susvara) and gave me the freedom to walk around my apartment with uninterrupted music. Then i went on and bought also bathys, px8 and wb2022. I know it sounds excessive but it's a joy to switch between different sets once in a while to approach the strength and weakness of them, and most importantly, enjoying music.

 

[Nogoodnamesleft]

Great! I share with almost all your comments but just arrived at different destinations for different preferences and use cases

I started my journey in wireless headphones from xm3 to hifiman r10d, bathys, xm5, mw4 and then 5909. At that point, it sound so great that I've little incentive to use my desktop setups (another coincidence here, i'm also a happy user of susvara) and gave me the freedom to walk around my apartment with uninterrupted music. Then i went on and brough also bathys, px8 and wb2022. I know it sounds excessive but it's a joy to swtich between differnt sets once in a while to approach the strength amd weakness of them, and most importantly, enjoying music.

Your point is also so valid. I think manufacturers make products with some idea as to how people will use them. We now have so many choices but also so many different preferences. I think the important thing is to think about how you would use a headphone and how that fits in to use case and just search until you find the one or many that fit you best. Everyone won’t be the same but I’m glad we are at a point where everyone can find a headphone or headphones they love and makes them happy. So ‘if music be the food of love play on’.

 

[rammstoon]

I may come back to this, but a few days after watching Oppenheimer in IMAX 15/70mm format at the BFI IMAX cinema in London, which is an almost indescribable and transformative experience that has deeply affected me, I wanted to settle down my thoughts before listening to the soundtrack tonight (listening in full balanced mode with the T+A Solitaire T and FiiO M17 DAP with battery powered DC input).

Oppenheimer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), composed and scored by Ludwig Göransson (2023, Back Lot Music, 24 bit/48 kHz).

I don't think I have ever been so moved to intense tears to any piece of music than tonight, with powerful feelings of existentialism and dread and awe.

If you have watched the film, in my opinion nothing short of the world's best home cinema AV system can replicate the physicality of the soundtrack, which is a major character of watching the film; feeling the full IMAX 6-track audio energise the large screening room is the greatest experience I have had in watching any film, so a well-crafted AV system will need to be worthwhile for gaining a fraction of that experience.
However, with a great headphone system, the emotive power is just as awe-inspiring and terrifying, disconcerting and beautiful, thought-provoking and eerily peaceful/tranquil.
I cannot recommend enough for those who have seen the film to listen to the soundtrack as soon as possible with the Solitaire T just for that, as these headphones are capable of rendering the emotional weight of the soundtrack wonderfully.

I absolutely agree with your comments here. I've seen Oppenheimner thrice in 70MM IMAX fillm and it was an incredible experince in each viewing. Such a phenomenal film accompanied by a fantastic music score. Nolan is an amazing story teller accompanied by extremely talented composers. Ludwig Göransson did an insane job with his score and it is the backbone of the movie. I am persoanlly a diehard fan of the The Dark Knight score and routinely listen to it. These folks are masters of their craft and we are lucky to experience it. Everyone should definitely listen to the Oppeheimer score off their preferred eqipment.

 

[TheOneInYellow]

I absolutely agree with your comments here. I've seen Oppenheimner thrice in 70MM IMAX fillm and it was an incredible experince in each viewing. Such a phenomenal film accompanied by a fantastic music score. Nolan is an amazing story teller accompanied by extremely talented composers. Ludwig Göransson did an insane job with his score and it is the backbone of the movie. I am persoanlly a diehard fan of the The Dark Knight score and routinely listen to it. These folks are masters of their craft and we are lucky to experience it. Everyone should definitely listen to the Oppeheimer score off their preferred eqipment.

Absolutely agree with you here!

I watched many of Nolan's films in IMAX, with The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, and Inception being excellent highlights.
Unfortunately, I missed watching out on seeing in the cinema my other big favourites: Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Tenet. Of those, Interstellar hurts the most and I have big regret in missing that; no audio system I have used whilst watching the film conveys the power of that soundtrack, but listening to the soundtrack alone (in high-quality stereo) is a different matter. I'm readying myself to do just that in due course with my Solitaire T!

However, Oppenheimer is the first IMAX film I've seen on proper 15/70mm film, all others were digital IMAX. After experiencing the majesty of the film quality alongside IMAX 6-track audio mix, I'll absolutely watch the next Nolan film in such a format again!

Nolan's cinematic vision and storytelling is marvelous, and in Oppenheimer his principal cinematographer, Hoyte Van Hoytema, nails communicating emotion, fear, and sense of scientific discovery and the unknown in an eclectic fervour that's difficult to convey in words. The best parts of the massive IMAX shots were of the long silences of a characters face, especially Cillian Murphy, adding deep connections to the viewer that few films dare to do.
Paired with the almost relentless soundtrack by Ludwig Göransson, that feeds the viewers with character depth and dialogue via music only, is simply incredible!

Another soundtrack I'm eagerly waiting to hear via my Solitaire T is Arrival by Jóhann Jóhannsson, which ought to be another auditory spectacle!

 

[angelom]

I see many posts in last few months about quality control problems in the construction of the B&W PX8. I see, too, posts about some not great aspects of the Focal Bathys (hiss specially). This is independent of good or or not so good sound in this headphones.

I'm very happy that after almost 9 months after releasing the ST, people aren't reporting problems about quality control in construction or electronics, hiss or other similar problems. I think the only 'problem' for some people is that the earpads aren't so big like in other BT/ANC headphones, a valid concern for some, yes, but this is the design of the ST from the first day.

And is more remarkable the good quality control aspect of the ST when considering that B&W specially, but Focal too, both having very more financial resources than T+A.

 

[Daniel Johnston]

I'm finally dialing in my travel set up. I picked up the Woo Tube Mini. It is a phenomenal tube DAC/amp with the ST. Otherwise I use a Sony NW-A306 for BT streaming with the ST on HQ mode. For the airplane, I use a AirFly Duo with the ST in ANC. The heart is the ST. I have no need to pack up any other headphones when I travel. Nice job T+A.