T+A Solitaire P Headphones

• It is not a coincidence that our headphones bear the name Solitaire. Back in 1983 our founder developed T+A’s first planar-electrostatic transducer: the mid-high range unit for the Solitaire OEC active loudspeaker, which remains a legend to this day. Since that time we have continued to exploit this principle for our High-End speakers. The current Solitaire CWT range employs a planar-electrostatic mid-range / treble unit whose frequency range extends up to and beyond 50,000 Hz, and which is capable of generating sound pressure levels above 120 dB. The diaphragm of these transducers consists of a special ultra-thin film, driven by a powerful electrical field.
  
  This principle was the obvious choice for our first headphones, based on the exceptional qualities of this type of planar transducer and our thirty-five years of experience in the development and manufacture of film transducers. Planar-magnetic transducers are very similar to electrostatic devices, as their diaphragm also consists of a thin film driven by a strong magnetic field. For that reason it was therefore natural to start our headphone division by developing open planar systems for our first headphone series, and build them here in Herford. The fundamental designs of planar magnetic systems are ideally suited to High-End headphones, and are inherently superior to dynamic alternatives.
  Our flagship model bears the name of the Series: The Solitaire P was introduced in March 2020 and quickly became a references level headphone, cherished by critics and customers alike. The Solitaire P-SE brings the spirit of the Solitaire P to a new and exciting price point.
• In every transducer – regardless of whether a loudspeaker or headphones – the diaphragm needs to be driven as evenly as possible. To a limited extent dynamic systems based on voice coils are partially successful in this, but planar systems – such as electrostatic or magnetostatic devices – are much more effective in this regard, since the driving force in both these processes is distributed over the whole of the diaphragm, rather than being localised at the coil position. In principle the actual transducer of our magnetostat consists of rod-shaped high-performance neodymium magnets of varying length, with an innovative pole geometry. These magnets are held in a precise, accurately manufactured mount which guarantees the positioning of the magnetic poles to an accuracy of a few hundredths of a millimetre. This design generates a totally linear magnetic field, in which the special ultra-lightweight diaphragm moves. The diaphragm itself is only a few µm thick, and consists of a structurally stable High-Tech polymer material; it also bears an array of very light conductors – also only µm thick – which are applied in a sophisticated, highly precise photo-chemical process. This unique technology ensures that the entire surface of the diaphragm is driven absolutely evenly, thereby eliminating the partial oscillations which are unavoidable with localised drive systems. The net result is a series of transducers with an enormously wide dynamic range, high peak sound pressures and extremely impressive linearity and freedom from distortion.
  Our Solitaire P and Solitaire P-SE headphones are driven by our in house transducers TPM 3100 and TPM 2500, respectively. Both of which are manufactured in Herford, Germany.
• Our first headphones represent a new and ground-breaking development which pushes the magneto-static principle to the point of perfection. We have designed these open headphones with no hint of compromise and without regard to cost, for we had only one goal in mind: musical reproduction to the very highest standard of perfection.
  The headphone transducer systems are of sophisticated construction, and all components and sub-assemblies are manufactured to the tightest of tolerances using precision tools. Wherever possible and sensible, the headphones employ aluminium components machined from solid metal. The ingenious construction of the diaphragms, drive magnets and sound guides linearises the sound field and the dispersion characteristics. Music is reproduced without distortion: the Solitaire P adds nothing and takes nothing away. Totally natural reproduction is the first commandment for all T+A devices.
• 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.
• 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.
• Our in-house transducer TPM 3100 is the beating heart of the Solitaire P. The TPM 3100 -just like the entire Solitaire P- was developed and is built in Herford.
  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 Ohms.
• 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.
  

• Transducer principle -Planar-magnetostatic
• Impedance - 80 Ohms
• Frequency responce - 5 Hz - 54 kHz
• Distortion - < 0,015 % @ 100 dB
• Maximum sound pressure level - > 130 dB
• Transducer size - elliptic 110 x 80 mm
• Type of construction - Open, over ear
• Connectivity - Wired transmission (3m)
  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
• Material -Aluminum, steel, allergen-free synthetic leather, Alcantara
• Weight - 530 g excl. cable

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