[WDitters]

Thank you very everyone much for your helpful comments and suggestions!

Is there any new information if T+A will update the firmware on the Solitaire T to enable the LDAC codec?

John

Months ago T+A already officially informed us that they abandoned their efforts to include LDAC. Only remaining thing to hope for is manual EQ capabilities.

 

[John1948]

Months ago T+A already officially informed us that they abandoned their efforts to include LDAC. Only remaining thing to hope for is manual EQ capabilities.

Thank you! Did T+A provide a reason for this decision to abandon LDAC?

 

[WDitters]

Thank you! Did T+A provide a reason for this decision to abandon LDAC?

Most of the conversation took place under NDA, but in essence they could not get it to work without compromising on quality and stability, so the efforts were abandoned

 

[Scrye]

Most of the conversation took place under NDA, but in essence they could not get it to work without compromising on quality and stability, so the efforts were abandoned

Really? The way I remember it, the reason was that the chip was simply not compatible.

 

[Daniel Johnston]

Most of the conversation took place under NDA, but in essence they could not get it to work without compromising on quality and stability, so the efforts were abandoned

I can understand that logic. I've never had an easy time with locking in 990kbs LDAC and have reliable stability. Then you have to revert to adaptive which gives you anywhere from worse than SBC to equal to AptX. I recall other sites confirming the rarity of LDAC going anywhere near 990kbs in real life usage.

I want to believe in LDAC being near lossless, but it seems you trade theoretical sound quality for usability.

 

[FlatListener]

Hi all, I picked up a ST before reading this thread, now crawling through 110 pages of interesting read. Funny how this HP grows on some early adopters.

I have FiiO X5 1st gen (with the grammophone style physical wheel) for passive and iPhone 14 pro for BT.

My question: in passive mode, is there a lot to gain by getting a higher end DAP? I suppose AnK SP3000 for example is overkill and ST is the bottle neck so it’s waste of money. Very heavy as well. But there may be other DAPs more in the middle? Any specific model you could recommend that makes the ST fly even higher (higher than with X5)?

Or even just an amp? For the record I find max volume plenty okay, usually play the FiiO at volume level 60 (of 120) so 50%.

My goal is neutral but transparent sound, hearing fine details.

Thanks!

 

[Frabera]

I am using it with the new flagship Shanling M9 +, it is absolutely great, I confirm the difference between a mid range DAP like the iBasso DX240 is really noticed, I have a few good closed back like the ZMF VC, I have never heard such well balanced headphone, with a true realism, it is worthwhile to use the Solitaire T wired with a good DAP.

 

[avkauppi]

Hi all, I picked up a ST before reading this thread, now crawling through 110 pages of interesting read. Funny how this HP grows on some early adopters.

I have FiiO X5 1st gen (with the grammophone style physical wheel) for passive and iPhone 14 pro for BT.

My question: in passive mode, is there a lot to gain by getting a higher end DAP? I suppose AnK SP3000 for example is overkill and ST is the bottle neck so it’s waste of money. Very heavy as well. But there may be other DAPs more in the middle? Any specific model you could recommend that makes the ST fly even higher (higher than with X5)?

Or even just an amp? For the record I find max volume plenty okay, usually play the FiiO at volume level 60 (of 120) so 50%.

My goal is neutral but transparent sound, hearing fine details.

Thanks!

I have ibasso dx320 with amp12 at the moment, Ifi Gryphon as portable dac and Gold Note DS-10 on the desktop. I think that ST scales well meaning that the more you give it the more you get. There are differences between DAPs though and with ibasso also between amps you use with it.

 

[Frabera]

It will sound better with a warm DAP, the iBasso DX240 is much too punchy and not relax at all with the T.

 

[WDitters]

It will sound better with a warm DAP, the iBasso DX240 is much too punchy and not relax at all with the T.

The Sol T are magical with with Hiby RS6 as well as the Cayin C9

 

[FlatListener]

@Frabera @avkauppi @WDitters thank you for your quick and on point replies. I absolutely appreciate that.
When you say "better", "magical", "the more you give it the more you get", could you be a bit more precise in what aspect of the Sol T experience improves with a better DAP?
My aim is true/realism, but I like it more to lean (a bit) to the warmish side than on the harsh side.
Also, I want the price of any additional gear (such as a DAP) to stay reasonable.
Hiby RS6: 1299
Cayin C9: 1999
For my taste a 1000 bucks is a lot already to go with a 1299 headphone.

From a practical point of view, while traveling it's convenient to hold just one device in hand, so it has to be a DAP. And it would be nice if it could use Apple Music or Qobuz if need be.

Another option could be to use iPhone and Amp and velcro them together.

So just a question @WDitters : the cabin c9 is an amp, not a DAP. Do you use a phone - C9 - Sol T? Or do you also use a separate DAP to go with the C9?

Also: the FiiO X5 gen1 was very highly praised at time of launch, in its price range. Has technology moved forward significantly and are the new generation of DAP's (in the same price range) significantly better?

 

[WDitters]

@Frabera @avkauppi @WDitters thank you for your quick and on point replies. I absolutely appreciate that.
When you say "better", "magical", "the more you give it the more you get", could you be a bit more precise in what aspect of the Sol T experience improves with a better DAP?
My aim is true/realism, but I like it more to lean (a bit) to the warmish side than on the harsh side.
Also, I want the price of any additional gear (such as a DAP) to stay reasonable.
Hiby RS6: 1299
Cayin C9: 1999
For my taste a 1000 bucks is a lot already to go with a 1299 headphone.

From a practical point of view, while traveling it's convenient to hold just one device in hand, so it has to be a DAP. And it would be nice if it could use Apple Music or Qobuz if need be.

So just a question @WDitters : the cabin c9 is an amp, not a DAP. Do you use a phone - C9 - Sol T? Or do you also use a separate DAP to go with the C9?

So the Hiby is an R2-R DAP, perfectly capable of driving the SolT alone. This pairing sounds liquid and engaging. Not the last word on resolution and transparency, but in exchange very musical and analog (if such a thing exists).

The C9 is a Class-A/AB amp with Korg Nutubes. It cannot operate without DAP to drive it, but when I connect it as an additional amp to the RS6 it it brings a completely new dimension.

With the Solitaire T connected to the RS6 there is no real need to further tweak the sound. It already sounds great as is. With the SolT connected to the C9 however, you can experiment with Class-A/AB settings as well as line-out/PRE and Tube/Solid state modes. I personally am inclined to go for Class A in Solid State mode when using the Solitaire T. That pairing however is awesome. For me the Solitaire T definitely improves on an wired connection and proper amplification, because it scales up beautifully. Better imaging, wider soundstage, better transparency.

PS ditch the included cables and get yourself a proper aftermarket cable. Even if only to get rid of the microphonics.

Note: The C9 is not really portable but rather transportable. I only use it at home, at my desk really, and only take the RS6 when I go on (business) trips

 

[avkauppi]

I can comment only through the experience that I have which is not much. I think ST is very good also wireless with HQ mode, so wired you want to have something more. You might also want to look for used higher quality DAPs to fit your budget. That’s what I did.

 

[Daniel Johnston]

@Frabera @avkauppi @WDitters thank you for your quick and on point replies. I absolutely appreciate that.
When you say "better", "magical", "the more you give it the more you get", could you be a bit more precise in what aspect of the Sol T experience improves with a better DAP?
My aim is true/realism, but I like it more to lean (a bit) to the warmish side than on the harsh side.
Also, I want the price of any additional gear (such as a DAP) to stay reasonable.
Hiby RS6: 1299
Cayin C9: 1999
For my taste a 1000 bucks is a lot already to go with a 1299 headphone.

From a practical point of view, while traveling it's convenient to hold just one device in hand, so it has to be a DAP. And it would be nice if it could use Apple Music or Qobuz if need be.

Another option could be to use iPhone and Amp and velcro them together.

So just a question @WDitters : the cabin c9 is an amp, not a DAP. Do you use a phone - C9 - Sol T? Or do you also use a separate DAP to go with the C9?

Also: the FiiO X5 gen1 was very highly praised at time of launch, in its price range. Has technology moved forward significantly and are the new generation of DAP's (in the same price range) significantly better?

The ST scale very well. You can easily spend twice the cost of the ST for wired performance. Yesterday I was using Roon to stream to my SoTM Neo>Ygdrassil OG>Folkvangr. Every bit as enjoyable as my Focal Stellia. Today it’s Roon to Mojo2/Poly>Woo WA8. This is going to be my new transportable setup. The iBasso DX320/amp 14 is very nice as well for a DAP.

For BT, I like the Sony NW-A306 with the ST in HQ mode as well. You aren’t losing too much because the quad DAC and onboard balanced amplifiers on the ST is really good. Plus, the Sony fits in the T+A case.

I wouldn’t be to quick to drop large money on portable DAC/amps specifically for ST. Unless, you have or are planning to buy additional headphones that would use that setup.

 

[Edon]

Hi,

Perhaps someone has had the opportunity to compare the Solitaire T to the Focal Bathys? Do the Solitaire T sound noticeably better than the Bathys? I had Bathys for a while and was satisfied, but I wonder if it is possible to achieve even better sound quality over Bluetooth.