T+A Solitaire T Wireless Headphone

[ZzBOG]

Guys how is the app on Solitaire T? Can I EQ it? I usually do the parametric EQ on all my headphones

 

[WDitters]

Guys how is the app on Solitaire T? Can I EQ it? I usually do the parametric EQ on all my headphones

Only a few standard presets. Full manual EQ is supposed ot be scheduled for a future release. Personally I have nothing with any of the current presets. So I am playing flat for now. Which I happen to find just perfect

 

[Frabera]

I just love the VC and I am looking for less bulky and lighter headphone on the go and for the office which might be close to the VC, will the ST could be a good option ?

 

[ddlo]

I just love the VC and I am looking for less bulky and lighter headphone on the go and for the office which might be close to the VC, will the ST could be a good option ?

i just took out my VC, VO and ST to compare on the same track (Aimer - Zankyosanka 残響散歌/ THE FIRST TAKE) on tidal several times.

i didn't vol match them and just put them on my comfortable listening level. the VO and VC (both with leather perforated pads) both sounds much wider and renders much more details (driven by my D90/A90 combo) than ST (in BT HQ mode without EQ). Both ZMF sounds warm to me while the ST is quite neutral. It's like Aimer sounds next to my ear with ST while both VC and VO projects aimer singing from a stage further away from me. when i listened to ST after 5909, i found it bass light. But strangely when I came from ST to VC, I found the ST has more mid-bass impact!

for the vast price difference, i don't think it's all that reasonable to expect ST suppressing or matching the sonic performance of VC/VO (wired to dedicated DAC/AMP). i also don't find the sound signature of the ST close to VC or VO but i don't feel anything major missing or wanting for anything more when enjoying music with the ST either. the ST actually sounds more akin to SN-1 i just got (but again the resolution and details are better in the SN-1). for wireless headphones, my personal recommendations are 5909 or ST (and probably these are already the best wireless options available - i demod WB2022 just recently too and it didn't sound better than 5909 or ST to my ears; PX8's resolution and details lagged behind 5909/ST a few steps). But 5909 could be even farther away from the VC sound signature. i suspects bathys may sound more similar to VC (though still very remotely). as always, the best way, if possible, is to demo in person yourself to determine which suits you more; preference could vary between listeners a great deal!

​

 

[Daniel Johnston]

i just took out my VC, VO and ST to compare on the same track (Aimer - Zankyosanka 残響散歌/ THE FIRST TAKE) on tidal several times.

i didn't vol match them and just put them on my comfortable listening level. the VO and VC (both with leather perforated pads) both sounds much wider and renders much more detailed (driven by my D90/A90 combo) than ST (in BT HQ mode without EQ). Both ZMF sounds warm to me while the ST is quite neutral. It's like Aimer sounds next to my ear with ST while both VC and VO projects aimer singing from a stage further away from me. when i listened to ST after 5909, i found it bass light. But strangely when I came from ST to VC, I found the ST has more mid-bass impact!

for the vast price difference, i don't think it's not all that reasonable to expect ST to suppress or match the sonic performance of VC/VO (wired to dedicated DAC/AMP). i also don't find the sound signature of the ST close to VC or VO but i don't feel anything major missing or wanting for anything more when enjoying music with the ST either. the ST actually sounds more akin to SN-1 i just got (but again the resolution and details are better in the SN-1). for wireless headphones, my personal recommendations are 5909 or ST (and probably these are already the best wireless options available - i demod WB2022 just recently too and it didn't sound better than 5909 or ST to my ears; PX8's resolution and details lagged behind 5909/ST a few steps). But 5909 could be even farther away from the VC sound signature. i suspects bathys may sound more similar to VC (though still very remotely). as always, the best way, if possible, is to demo in person yourself to determine which suits you more; preference could vary between listeners a great deal!

​

To be clear, you used the ST in BT HQ mode and not wired like the VC/VO? Or did you do both wired and BT in the ST?

 

[ddlo]

To be clear, you used the ST in BT HQ mode and not wired like the VC/VO? Or did you do both wired and BT in the ST?

may not be the best comparison, i used ST in BT HQ mode only.

 

[Daniel Johnston]

may not be the best comparison, i used ST in BT HQ mode only.

I personally would re-evaluate with them in wired mode.

 

[TheOneInYellow]

Well, I finally traded out three headphones for the mighty FiiO M17, from the same dealer where I got my T+A Solitaire T; Premium Sound!

Got a great trade-in value, and, with the additional £99 in credit with the dealer due to an overspend for the Solitaire T, got the M17 at a wonderful price!

Headphones now permanently leaving (and absolutely because of the Solitaire T) are:
- Focal Elear
- Audeze EL8 Ti, with two aftermarket custom high-gauge cables (copper nd silver, from Double Helix Cables*), and the official case which was both a later release and purchase
- AKG K 712 Pro with gel-earpads.

The Focal Elear is the only one I'll be a little sad about, as that has been an ol' faithful since 2016, but my Solitaire T are just closer to what I want, with only a few concessions.
Or, to put another way, that visceral impact enjoyment is shortlived for listening sessions, but not enough to beat the constant, long-session enjoyment of the Solitaire T's remarkable voicing.

The EL8 Ti was hype purchase, and, unfortunately, I will admit, just not satisfactory.
From weird planar flexes when moving, to a slightly plastic tone, they were good, but not at the cost paid.
*The very expensive Double Helix Cables cables fixed some core issues, but, alongside the EL8 Ti, are amongst my more regretful purchases; the money spent absolutely should have gone to a better product at the time. Short used (two years or less?), this was an expensive rabbit hole. Love the looks, but not the end result.
Very happy to finally move on from them!

AKG K 712 Pro; bought as a replacement to my (in storage, never to be sold, and a tad damaged) AKG K 701 Pro, my very first audiophile circumaural headphones.
Yes, improvements were more than noticeable, actually highly perceptive, and later purchased gel earpads, though improved both cans (can be fitted to either headphones), were superior on the K 712 sonically.
However, long unused, and directly compared to the Solitaire T unfairly outclassed.
No longer required.

That means I have downsized my future desktop system to an almost three-piece system, with two headphones (Meze Audio 99 Classics and T+A Solitaire T), and the FiiO M17- the most powerful digital audio player on earth, with desktop grade dual DAC's and dual amps, and by its own nature a high-end streamer.
Yes, it's not really a DAP because it's colossal and heavy, and can be likened to that of desktop replacement laptops. Indeed, it is transportable more than portable.
Yet, for home use, this is perfect, with extreme power output if I ever need it, especially with MOAR power via DC mode (Solitaire T will almost never be used at those extreme 6W+ balanced output, that's crazy!).
However, if I wanted to, I could use the M17 as a DAC/preamp and connect it to my 2x NuForce HA-200 monoblock class A balanced headphone amps. Not sure if that is really necessary for the Solitaire T, but doable.
Essentially put, I'll finally hear the Solitaire T in balanced mode with something special!

To put together an equivalent system with separates would be far too costly, so M17 will hopefully be used for a good number of years.
Purchased a new SanDisk MicroSD XC Extreme 1Tb** card too, and will copy over my existing yet-crippled library (library is much smaller due to years ago disaster of damaged storage devices; regularly backup or have redundancies!).
**SanDisk 1TB Extreme microSDXC card + SD adapter + RescuePRO Deluxe, up to 190MB/s, with A2 App Performance, UHS-I, Class 10, U3, V30

Final upgrades in the future are, still, an aftermarket balanced cable, and better DC power conditioners/etc (such as iFi Power Elite or equivalent).

Anyway, enough rambling, going to create a playlist of albums ready for when my M17 arrives, which could be tomorrow (very excited , though I'm in the office tomorrow ).

That's two very expensive purchases within two months, and I absolutely blame this forum

 

[ddlo]

I personally would re-evaluate with them in wired mode.

yes . it's a great benefit and flexibility to have passive mode for sure but my own use case for wireless headphones is mostly in wireless mode and i seldom wired them. and from many feedbacks in this thread, it seems ST's sound quality between passive and wireless modes are pretty close (i never tried though). but anyway, for fine differences or preference between headphones, it's always the best to demo in person. the main point i wish to make is VC and ST do not have a similar tunning/sound signature in my listening conditions for Frabera's reference. maybe some other users could share their experience too.

 

[Daniel Johnston]

yes . it's a great benefit and flexibility to have passive mode for sure but my own use case for wireless headphones is mostly in wireless mode and i seldom wired them. and from many feedbacks in this thread, it seems ST's sound quality between passive and wireless mode are pretty close (i never tried though). but anyway, for fine difference or preference between headphones, it's always the best to demo in person. the main point i wish to make is VC and ST do not have a similar tunning/sound signature in my listening conditions for Frabera's reference. maybe some other users could share their experience too.

Got it. That makes sense.

 

[angelom]

I personally would re-evaluate with them in wired mode.

I'm agree. This is a very pertinent and fair comment, specially when the other person is asking for a comparison of a (very) expensive wired headphone with the ST. Even when I think that the ST in BT (High Quality) mode is offering absolutely superb sound, and comparing very favourably with wired mode, is still more correct and fair using the same wired sources for comparing this headphones...then is a good idea and useful adding an opinion of how this is comparing with the ST in BT HQ mode.

 

[ddlo]

I personally would re-evaluate with them in wired mode.

I'm agree. This is a very pertinent and fair comment, specially when the other person is asking for a comparison of a (very) expensive wired headphone with the ST. Even when I think that the ST in BT (High Quality) mode is offering absolutely superb sound, and comparing very favourably with wired mode, is still more correct and fair using the same wired sources for comparing this headphones...then is a good idea and useful adding an opinion of how this is comparing with the ST in BT HQ mode.

I thought most ST users will mostly use it in BT modes but obviously I'm wrong

I'm a casual listener and not good at identifying subtle differences between gears so please take my comments with a grain of salt. I plugged the ST (using the stock 2.5mm-4.4mm cable) to my desktop combo (and then BT mode) listening briefly again. The sound signature of ST seems very consistent in wired or bt modes to me as many have commented (i'm not sure if the bass quantity is a bit less in the wired mode, even if that's true, it's very subtle). So my personal impressions remain the same even in wired mode. I feel the soundstage is much smaller in ST driven by my same desktop setup while VC's treble is quite a bit more detailed/resolving. bass impact level is similar between the two. It's worthy to note that l don't volume match them (VC is much less sensitive, i need to dial up the vol a few steps) and the tracks i used are not known for very high recording quality.

my unreliable opinion is that, if the requirement is to get a portable wireless headphones, ST should be amongst the top choices for portable use. But even then, it's still not equivalent to totl wired headphones in some aspects if the purpose is to use it as a wired headphone connected to desktop gears. i guess if no wireless functionality is required at ST's price level, there're alternatives that sound closer to the VC (maybe used adx5000 but that's not intended for portable use ).

probably there're more ST users also have experience with VC and may chime in to share their view too.

 

[angelom]

I thought most ST users will mostly use it in BT modes but obviously I'm wrong

Remember that the plan from T+A is first designing a very good / excellent wired headphone, and then adding a very unique and excellent BT feature with ANC too, and the price is reflecting this, a price some people thinking is very fair and maybe more cheap than is should be. So, for T+A the wired aspect of the ST is very, very important, and is one reason they also offering a balance cable.

 

[WDitters]

I thought most ST users will mostly use it in BT modes but obviously I'm wrong

I'm a casual listener and not good at identifying subtle differences between gears so please take my comments with a grain of salt. I plugged the ST (using the stock 2.5mm-4.4mm cable) to my desktop combo (and then BT mode) listening briefly again. The sound signature of ST seems very consistent in wired or bt modes to me as many have commented (i'm not sure if the bass quantity is a bit less in the wired mode, even if that's true, it's very subtle). So my personal impressions remain the same even in wired mode. I feel the soundstage is much smaller in ST driven by my same desktop setup while VC's treble is quite a bit more detailed/resolving. bass impact level is similar between the two. It's worthy to note that l don't volume match them (VC is much less sensitive, i need to dial up the vol a few steps) and the tracks i used are not known for very high recording quality.

my unreliable opinion is that, if the requirement is to get a portable wireless headphones, ST should be amongst the top choices for portable use. But even then, it's still not equivalent to totl wired headphones in some aspects if the purpose is to use it as a wired headphone connected to desktop gears. i guess if no wireless functionality is required at ST's price level, there're alternatives that sound closer to the VC (maybe used adx5000?).

probably there're more ST users also have experience with VC and may chime in to share their view too.

As @angelom noted, the charm of the ST is that they have been acoustically tuned for passive use first, and that wireless functionality has been added later, keeping the tuning chosen by T+A intact as much as possible. That alone shows that T+A had more ambitions with these headphones than other manufacturers. That would definitely warrant a proper comparison with other wired headphones.

I must however concur with @ddlo that the ST in passive wired mode is no match for headphones such as the ZMF Verite Closed. I would rather compare them with Focal Celestee, Dan Clark Aeon closed and a few others in the €500-€1000 price bracket. The ST offer much better competition at that level. And that's nothing to be ashamed of. After all the VC are €3200 headphones. They are supposed to sound better for that money

 

[ddlo]

Remember that the plan from T+A is first designing a very good / excellent wired headphone, and then adding a very unique and excellent BT feature with ANC too, and the price is reflecting this, a price some people thinking is very fair and maybe more cheap than is should be. So, for T+A the wired aspect of the ST is very, very important, and is one reason they also offering a balance cable.

As @angelom noted, the charm of the ST is that they have been acoustically tuned for passive use first, and that wireless functionality has been added later, keeping the tuning chosen by T+A intact as much as possible. That alone shows that T+A had more ambitions with these headphones than other manufacturers. That would definitely warrant a proper comparison with other wired headohones.

I must however concur with @ddlo that the ST in passive wired mode is no match for headphones such as the ZMF Verite Closed. I would rather compare them with FOcal Celestee, Dan Clark Aeon closed and a few others in the €500-€1000 price bracket. The ST offer much better competition at that level. And that's nothing to be ashamed of. After all the VC are €3200 headphones. They are supposed to sound better for that money

Yes, it's a bit unfair to ST to compete with much more expensive gears. even if they're at the same price level, i think it's still unfair considering that the BT and ANC parts must take up quite a bit of the development/production cost. making comparison with wired headphones in €500-€1000 price bracket seems more realistic to me too. but sometimes audio gears are more a matter of personal preference so at the end of the day the best way is still to demo and determine by ourselves