Intro

We’re back with another Campfire Audio video! So today we'll be talking about the flagship release from the brand - the Solaris Stellar Horizon. So now this 2023 release has changed and completely been built up from the ground from the classic version. It's been integrated with newer technologies, the design language has been changed and Campfire Audio with this bold move looks forward to pushing the boundaries of good sound and the ownership of a flagship IEM can be. So in this video, we'll talk about what upgrades the Solaris feature and how it sounds. So let's get started.

Build & Design Language

Before we move on to the technical upgrades and how this Stellar Horizon sounds let's talk a little bit about the build and the design language. Now the first thing that you're going to be awed by is an unboxing experience, one thing that the Solaris and the Andromedas both have in common. You're going to be greeted with this wooden box that really opens up and gives you a different sense of ownership of a flagship IEM. Now as you can see you can really place these IEMs in the box that they come in and then you can use this to Showcase or just rest your IEMs when you're not listening to them. Now the shells of these IEMs are like beautifully crafted - they are made completely out of metal - the attention to detail, the brushed finish is just fantastic. Now even if you look at the face plate it has this black and gold inlay and that colour play is really really fantastic. I mean the shells and the faceplate when they're together like when you touch them it feels really sturdy. Now one thing I will tell you is that the Stellar Horizon version is a little bit on the bulkier side so it may be a little uncomfortable for smaller years but overall this is a fantastic design executed by the Campfire Audio team.

Technical Upgrades

Alright so now having spoken about the build and the design language let's talk a little bit about the technical upgrades. So the team at Campfire Audio have really really thought through about what they want to implement on the Solaris 2023 Edition and beneath the immaculate shells you will find a hybrid driver array system that's very very unique. Now it features three balanced armature drivers and one dynamic driver. Now what's so special about these drivers is that the balance armatures that are featured here are dual diaphragm custom drivers, now these were particularly selected for their low distortion and their high end extension. Now what I mean is that these drivers barely produce any distortion and their extension over the high frequency is very natural. They don't sound tinny, they don't sound shrill. Now talking about that 10 mm dynamic driver this is something that Campfire Audio utilises in a lot of their IEMs. It's something called as a diamond like composite dynamic driver and in the Solaris it has been supported with a radial venting system. Now essentially when you look at the shells of this IEM you will see a vent. Now that is a part of that venting system and what it does it allows that low end energy to just pass through. So what essentially you're getting, you're gonna get much more comfortable listening experience even for longer listening sessions. Now this radial vending system also so does one more thing and this is something that a lot of you will love. This system really helps in terms of how the Sound Stage is set up and how the Dynamics are presented. Sound Stage is something that the Solaris is known for and loved for and with the implementation of this system it's just taken to another level.

In The Box

Now something that I really wanted to talk about is what you get right out of the box. So of course you are greeted with a beautiful wooden box when you are about to unbox the Solaris Stellar Horizon but something that I really want to talk about is the new cables so Campfire Audio bundles the Stellar Horizon with three cables and now these three cables are called time stream cables. Now you also get a 3.5, 2.5 and a 4.4 mm balance cable now this literally allows you to pair with any dongle DAC or any device of your choice right out the box. You really don't need to go out look for an aftermarket cable to get that pairing that you'd like

Sound

All right so now let's talk about how the Stellar Horizon really sounds? So the first thing when I think to myself is what are the key characteristics of the original Solaris. Now the original Solaris was natural, it was balanced and it just had a little bit of warmth. Now along with this the Solaris was known for a great size Sound Stage. This was something that was one of its biggest strengths and does the new edition the Stellar Stellar Horizon improve on it and I think it does. So the first thing that I noticed when I heard my couple of test tracks on them was that the top end presentation is just Immaculate the extension, the clarity is just phenomenal. The lower end is much more tighter than the original Solaris and I think rather than going for a little bit of warmth this Edition or this iteration of the Solaris aims for a more neutral, more textured and more detailed low end response.

Soundstage

Alright so let's talk about an aspect of the Solaris that you all might have been waiting for and it's the Sound Stage and let me tell you something the Sound Stage on these IEMs is massive. Now every instrument, every single element in the music is presented with pinpoint accuracy. The spatial dynamics is probably one of the best that I've experienced in any IEM this is something that presents a traditional stereo track and makes you believe that you're listening to it in a very holographic space The Sound Stage is just phenomenal this is an IEM that's super Dynamic and it has a Sound Stage that has just set a new standard for any IEM that's going to be released henceforth.

Conclusion

So what are my final thoughts about these Solaris 2023 Edition. The Stellar Horizon Edition succeeds at every single thing that an IEM of this stature needs to achieve. It has clear improvements in sound over its predecessors and it even refines the best characteristic that Solaris was known for this is an IEM that's highly balanced natural sounding and with a performance that will exceed every expectation. It delivers a true Flagship grade performance and a listening experience every single time you're gonna pick this up. This has quickly become one of my favourite IEM and if you'd like to try this you are more than welcome to drop by at our experience Studio here in Mumbai and if you're not from Mumbai you can join us at the headphone connect event happening at a city near you so that was it for today I'll see you in the next one