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