T+A Solitaire P Headphones

The high-performance neodymium magnets are made with an accurately calculated segment shape as well as being precisely matched in length to suit the oval outline of the diaphragm; this ensures that the magnetic field lines generated have a homogeneous course, and that no air turbulence occurs; the airflow remains laminar at all times. The precise design of the retaining rings and the magnet mount maintains the diaphragm’s position accurately in the linear part of the magnetic field, ensuring that it is able to generate high sound pressures without distortion and with an enormous dynamic range, virtually devoid of inertia. This design also eliminates the need for supplementary opposed magnets, helping to keep the headphones’ weight low. The diaphragm is able to oscillate freely in the direction of the ear cushions, since there is no acoustic hindrance between the transducer diaphragm and the ear. The diaphragm itself consists of a special ultra-thin – and therefore ultra-lightweight – film, coated with an accurately routed and calculated conductor array whose impedance is around 80 Ohm. The open construction of the Solitaire P avoids the resonance problems of closed systems, and allows the diaphragm to vibrate unimpeded.
All sub-assemblies are attached to solid aluminium cups which are machined from solid using a precision 5-axis milling machine. The machining of a single cup takes more than an hour, starting from a 35 mm thick solid aluminium plate. The yokes and yoke connections are also machined from the solid. Although these sub-assemblies are very complex and difficult to produce, we decided to employ aluminium for them because it does not suffer from ageing problems, and always maintains its shape and strength.
The ear and head cushions are hand-made, and manufactured for us by a specialist company here in Germany, They consist of allergen-free synthetic leather and Alcántara. For this reason they are very pleasant in contact with the skin even when the headphones are worn for long periods.
Of particular interest to us is the sound quality of the connecting cables. Ours are of symmetrical construction, with very low inductivity and capacitance, and designed with the optimum impedance. They consist of ultra-pure copper (OFC) conductors with a carefully defined silver layer. The four signal conductors are embedded in cotton threads, and permanently wrapped in a silver-plated woven shield. This construction isolates electro-magnetic influences, and damps mechanical resonances. The connectors are of the highest quality. Professional military-grade two-pole connectors are used in the headphones. The entire cable harness, including connectors and splitters, is encased and sheathed in a single manufacturing process, resulting in an extremely robust, durable cable which remains very flexible. The cable insulators consist of high-quality Hytrel® and TPE; these elastomers are free of PVC and latex, and are manufactured without the addition of toxic softening agents. Two cable sets are supplied with the headphones: one with a 6.3 mm barrel connector, and the second with a symmetrical 4.4 mm Pentaconn connector which offers optimum transfer resistance for the best possible sound quality. As you would expect, all contacts are gold-plated.