I haven’t heard the 2020 yet but here are some interesting impressions from MajorHifi. Their article on the Andromeda vs Andromeda 2020 seemed to nail the differences pretty well and what they’re describing here sounds a lot like how I’d describe the differences between the OG and the SE, both of which I’ve owned:
Most people I’ve talked to consider the 2020 an improvement but perhaps not as noteworthy as with the Andromeda or really worth losing sleep over. I’ll get to hear it soon myself so I’ll be able to chime in more meaningfully later.
I have not heard it unfortunately, sorry. I have a few friends who have tried it and they thought the OG was still better, even though it is a flawed IEM. One friend even received a DOA unit, so that’s not very good as far as quality control goes. I really hope this was a one off, but it’s still a bit worrisome in my opinion.
I didn’t particularily like the bass response on the OG (it felt lacking to me, both in quality and quantity), but maybe they have fixed this on the 2020.
Anyway, looking forward to @jrockwell’s thoughts. If there’s one guy who knows the Solaris (OG and SE) well, it’s him !
That’s relative…I had a couple nitpicks with the OG but nothing I couldn’t live with whereas I found the IER Z1R to have some more fundamental flaws. YMMV etc. No IEM is perfect, it all depends on what you value and what you’re willing to live with.
I haven’t heard the OG or SE Solaris to compare with the 2020; but to my untrained ears, the 2020 bass is undeniably present and dynamic, and clean and noninvasive of the other frequencies. I am very satisfied with it and should stay that way but my curiosity is piqued after rave reviews of the Andro 2020.
You’re preaching to the choir here man Solaris has some of the nicest bass I’ve ever heard in an IEM. When you analyze it from the perspective of how it blends in with the rest of the signature it’s better than the bass on the Z1R imho.
I am returning once again as I’ve tried several new pairs of IEMs. However I’m still waiting for my IEC-711 to get here, so no graphs for now I’m afraid. Good news is, however, that these pairs are a bit easier to relate to rather than all the generic chi-fi that exists in the audio industry. My isolation needs have also changed, as it’s much quieter here recently.
Sony MDR-EX1000 (S= Tier) - My favourite IEM so far. Good tuning, and fantastic tech. Very wide staging, best bass response I’ve heard out of an IEM. 5.5 kHz spike can cause added intensity, so watch out for that.
Empire Ears Spartan-IV (A- Tier) - Good-ish tuning, fantastic tech. Somewhat intense due to treble peak. Lack of proper pinna causes them to sound dead.
Etymotic ER2XR (B+/A- tier) - Great tuning, good tech. Slightly shouty.
CFA Solaris SE (B+ tier) - Decent tuning, but is missing a lot of 3-4 kHz. Coherency issues abound. Thin sounding, stupidly sensitive to sources and cables. Shells barely fit. Detail retrieval and staging are highlights. Too expensive. Should not be 1900 USD. Should be closer to 900 due to the coherency issues and tonal oddities. Thank god I only borrowed these.
Samsung Galaxy Buds (B+ Tier) - About the same as last time I mentioned, I give these B+. Great tuning (Good example of Harman tuning), decent tech. Very convenient and works seamlessly with any Android smartphone.
Sony MDR-EX800ST (B+ Tier) - My opinion on these have changed since the beginning of the year. I now lean towards fast drivers, so the EX800 has fallen out of use for me. Such a shame as they’re still a great pair of IEMs, but the driver speed disappoints me. Still, if you’re not looking for fast drivers, they’re still quite the formidable pair. Very warm. Good tuning and great tech.
Sony MH755/MH750 (B= Tier) - Hype of these may be over, but I definitely still enjoy them. They have okay tech, and good tuning, especially for the price. I’d say they’re the golden standard of modding, as you can put any cable or termination you desire on these, given that you have the tools required. They still get like B= from me.
QKZ VK4 (C+ Tier) - These are currently riding the hype train as we speak. I’ve had my pair since around March, so I guess I can say I’m a little ahead of the curve? These have some really good tuning, especially for the price. You can throw these in your pocket and not worry about breaking them. They’ve got a pretty heavy V-shape tuning, but I’ve never found it to be unbearable. The treble isn’t good, it’s just grainy and barely audible. It’s fine for beaters, and I’d give these a lower rank if it wasn’t for the good tuning. They have zero detail or staging, they’re just cheap IEMs. Can’t expect much from $10.
TFZ T2 Galaxy (C=) - Okay tuning, good tech, somewhat fast dd. Unfortunately they have a lot of pierce and sibilance. Probably shell resonance of some sort.
KZ ZS10 Pro (C-) - these have meh tuning, better tech than the VK4, but not by much. I used to enjoy these but now when I try to use them, they just don’t sound right. I’d get the QKZ VK4 or Sony MH755 over these in a heartbeat.
Never personally found that with the Solaris SE. The bass response leaves a lot to be desired, especially for someone coming from a 16mm DD. I found the entire experience to sound shallow, and just sounded…strange. Idk. Not a pair I’d buy personally.
I dunno man sometimes someone’s impressions of a piece of gear are so fundamentally different than your own as to render discussion nearly impossible. That seems to be the case here. Sorry it didn’t work out for you and I hope you find something that meets your needs
Synergy is huge but it’s just as much a function of your own tastes and preferences as it is a statement about gear. My personal source for everything is the Cayin n6ii with the E01 board-- I have found it plays well with everything.
I second, third, and fourth this. Granted I only had the U12T for one full day before submitting for an RMA repair/exchange, but I enjoy the Solaris 2020 exponentially more than the technically superior U12T using the same source. Best I think for folks to find a reviewer that has similar sonic/tuning preference (and perhaps gear) as you and heed their advice closer than you would someone else’s. Conversely, probably wise to follow someone opposite your preference and don’t heed their advice as much. Music is universal but the way we hear it and enjoy it is not.
I’m happy to see lots of VX discussion here - it’s one of my favorite IEMs these days. It seems to be forgotten by youtube reviewers. I have heard a few of the mainstays of the IEM world, so here are my rankings:
Etymotic ER4XR - Easily the best tuned treble and mids of everything I’ve heard. On the other hand, there’s only so much that single BA can do - distortion is audible and things sound a bit cold as a result - the bass especially so.
Moondrop Blessing 2 - I hear a mild peak at around 6.5K on this set, but apart from that flaw it’s about perfect, tuning-wise. I also hear some BA timbre in this pair. Kind of small soundstage.
Moondrop KXXS - Almost as good as the Blessings, with no BA timbre but less detail.
Etymotic ER2XR - I don’t find the treble of these to be as well done as the ER4’s, but the bass is better. Loses due to the treble lacking detail and texture.
Moondrop SSR - A bit thin sounding, lacks bass. Nothing really wrong with it for a lot of my library though. Also has good soundstage, and better detail than the KXXS. Tiny and comfortable.
Sony IER-Z1R - Weird upper mid dip that pulls vocals back, and a treble peak at 6Khz. I value vocals and detail a lot and I hate sibilance or harshness, which is why they’re ranked this low. Incredible bass, massive stage. I can’t say how much I love the bass on this set, it’s so good it’s distracting. Comfort sucks.
QDC Anole VX - Also has recessed upper mids, along with a 7K treble peak which causes some harshness. Massive stage, amazing imaging and detail. Don’t hear any BA timbre, surprisingly. The switches are really cool, and useful for changing up the sound when you feel like it.
Dunu DK2001 - Tuning is off, kind of muddy with a treble peak somewhere. Doesn’t suffer from BA timbre as much as the Blessings, but the tuning isn’t nearly as good. Better bass than the B2s.
BLON BL-03 - It’s an above average tuned budget IEM, slightly muddy, overly warm. Uneven treble. Avoids the sibilant piercing V shape that a lot of budget stuff has. Great for the price.
Shuoer Tape - Hyper shoutcannons, decent detail but the upper mids are excessively boosted and are painful with almost every song. Good bass though.
A lot of my gripes are tuning or frequency response related, which can be fixed with EQ. Consequently, my most enjoyable IEMs are the Z1R and VX at this point in time. Probably going to get the Thieaudio Monarch and 64 Audio A12t sometime soon.
2020 Year-end Update-- I reserve the right to retract or modify any of this indiscriminantly, at my leisure:
Heavenly Tier-- The “the only reason I don’t own one of these is because I haven’t yet figured out which of my vital organs i can do without” tier.
Vision Ears Elysium- -WOW…so the Elysium has, in a couple hours, totally and completely won me over. The presentation was a bit weird at first, especially after days of rapid fire jumps from the MEST to the Andro to the Solaris…but once I upped the gain on my n6ii and just sat back and let the Ely do its thing it wasn’t long before I was swept up in its beautiful textures and gentle nuances. The bass (or comparative lack thereof) was a bit jarring at first but once I forgot about trying to break things into pieces and isolate and compare and instead focused on the signature as a unity I found myself immersed in a blissful and beautiful world of sound-- I’ve thrown a wide variety of my music at it-- even some drum and bass-- and, while often different than what I am used to the Ely brings enough of its charm to the fore that, instead of lamenting change I find myself finding new things to love about old favorites. The Elysium is the first IEM I’ve heard that sounds a tier above everything else I’ve heard and it’s the first IEM I have heard that constitutes a clear and decisive upgrade from the Andromeda 2020 at doing what I most love about the Andromeda, namely its ability to connect and engage me emotionally with what I am listening to.
Elite Tier-- the “I could live with one of these as my only IEM” tier
Campfire Audio Andromeda MW10 => I can’t say for sure if the MW10’s completely capturing my heart in the few hours since I got them is due to how much I’ve missed the “Andro sound” since selling my 2020 vs. whatever “secret sauce” the MW10 may have over other versions of the Andromeda…but holy balls are these utterly captivating to listen to.
Campfire Audio Solaris SE/OG => Balalnced and highly engaging all rounder with solid technicalities across the board and wonderful natural timbre. There are other IEMs that excel them at certain things but I haven’t found anything that does “everything” as well to my ears. I’ve never crossed the $3K threshold either yet, so there’s that. The SE and OG are way more similar than different to my ears. The SE feels like a slightly refined and polished OG with some more presence in the mids.
Campfire Andromeda 2020/Vision Ears VE8 => These comprise much of the essential DNA of my #2, but a little more coherent and minus the dynamic bass. The VE8 evokes a similar emotional response to the Andromeda and differ a wee bit in that they sacrifice a bit of space between notes/instruments for a lusher, slightly thicker sound.
Unique Melody MEST => Addicting sub-bass, peerless staging and technicalities relative to what I have heard, and an airy top end sparkle. Ultimately they are a little more “v-shaped” than I like and on the whole I prefer the more forward and organic mids and balanced sound of IEMs like the Andromeda and Solaris.
Excellence Tier-- the “each of these do something better than anything else in its class but ultimately don’t work as well for me as an all rounder” tier.
Legend X => Bass of the gods…peerless with certain genres, but not really an all-rounder.
Anole VX => My favorite bass from a BA set…a little fatiguing in the upper mids/lower treble…but that’s its only real drawback. Superbly detailed, vibrant and (imho) highly engaging.
u12t => I understand the love for these but I can’t relate to it. They’re simply not exciting enough to engage me for long.
IER Z1R => Delicious bass but imho not worth the sacrifice to the lower mids. Signature wowed me at first but on the whole I found it a little fatiguing and disjointed between the highs and lows.
Atlas => Loads of fun but treble can be intense at times and didn’t really succeed as an all-rounder for me.ampfire Audio
Have you heard the Vision Ears Elysium? It’s totally caught me off guard and emerged as a new benchmark for me-- not since I heard the Campfire Solaris for the first time has my concept of what was capable with IEMs been as broadened as it was today. Absolutely amazing IEM.
I haven’t unfortunately but over the last few weeks I have been enamoured by firstly the EE Hero and after a week or so with it I just had to get the Odin. It came yesterday. Both fantastic iems. Far too soon to give much away about them. But I will say the Hero is a more fun listen. However, it cannot compete with the odin in any department. The Odin is a technical tour de force. Were talking small differences though (I tend to get carried away). Really love them both, I do wish they had a little wider soundstage though. Although not small it just isn’t as open as my U18t. Though I need to get used to the new sound though. Further Impressions will follow in the correct threads.
Back on track I have heard that the Vision Ears iems are top quality subject to personal tastes of course. Is the Elysium the $5000 one?
I’ve heard the Odin is amazing…I haven’t yet had the opportunity to hear one yet though. Congrats on the purchase :).
No the $5000 IEM is the Erlkonig. The Elysium is their hybrid. It’s got a very unusual driver configuration-- Sonion Electrostats for highs, a DD for the mids and a single BA for the bass. It sounds crazy but it works.
Ah that’s the one. I knew it had a funny name. Yes I have sold most of my Over Ear Headphones. I just don’t use them enough and I say let someone else enjoy them. Though sad to see them go it makes sense. I have just the HD650 and HD58X headphone wise. Iem wise I really need to sort out too. I have far too many great iems. Though can’t part with any. Sad I know. Though I may let the Hero go. I had it on Ebay but only got a low ball offer. Taken them off now. I know that you have always been a Hybrid fan. I can see why now. That Dynamic driver down below makes a great difference. Happy Christmas @jrockwell.
