The Solitaire P represents the first step in an all-embracing headphone series on the part of T+A, and is accompanied by the headphone amplifier HA 200. Like the Solitaire series of loudspeakers the new Solitaire P symbolises the experience, expertise and commitment in the design and development of sound transducers which has been the hallmark of the Herford-based company for 41 years. These new corded Over-Ear headphones have been developed by a team of young engineers and experienced physicists who share a deep passion for music.
The minimalist design of the Solitaire P references the iconic T+A High-End series, and – like all T+A devices – addresses aesthetes just as much as those who appreciate music, innovation and craftsmanship. In technical terms the Solitaire P represents a milestone: the sophisticated planar-magnetostatic design philosophy, with its ultra-lightweight cone and planar drive, offers enormous physical advantages and concomitant sonic benefits.
With the new Solitaire P T+A presents headphones which celebrate music. In technical terms the Solitaire P represents a milestone: the sophisticated planar-magnetostatic design philosophy, with its ultra-lightweight cone and planar drive, offers enormous physical advantages and concomitant sonic benefits. The entire surface of the cone is driven by a unique magnet design, developing a spacious, airy feel which is unique even for planar headphones. The Solitaire P is hand-made at the main factory in Herford using the finest available materials.
Technology
Many planar-magnetic headphones exhibit significant inherent disadvantages, including low efficiency, high weight and – very often – very low impedance. From the outset we designed our headphones to avoid these problems. A crucial factor in this purpose was the adoption of a new approach to the problems. We invested considerable effort in the design, and insisted on the use of the finest materials. The headphones incorporate several close-tolerance sub-assemblies which fit together pefectly; they can only be manufactured using precision tools. These parts consist of high-strength plastics or carbon in accordance with their function, and are made to tolerances of a few hundredths of a millimetre in order to guarantee a perfect fit.
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.
Specifications
Solitaire P Headphones
Version 1: unbalanced cable with 6.3 mm connector and balanced cable with 4.4 mm pentaconn connector
Version 2: unbalanced cable with 6.3 mm connector and blanced cable with 4-pin XLR connector