T+A Elektroakustik Solitaire P Planar-Magnetostatic Open-Back Headphones

Planar-electrostatic headphones made from aluminum with synthetic leather and Alcantara. Manufactured in Germany.

It’s no coincidence that these headphones bear the name of T+A’s flagship speakers, Solitaire.

The transducer of the headphones is based on the speaker driver which is 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. T+A has over 35 years of experience in the development and manufacture of film transducers.

A Diamond of a Transducer

In every transducer – regardless of whether a loudspeaker or headphones – the diaphragm needs to be driven as evenly as possible. Planar systems – such as electrostatic or magnetostatic devices – are much more effective than dynamic drivers 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.

The transducer of the 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 millimeter. 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.

The result is a series of transducers with an enormously wide dynamic range, high peak sound pressures, and extremely impressive linearity and freedom from distortion. They are manufactured in Herford, Germany.

Construction

Many planar-magnetic headphones exhibit significant inherent disadvantages, including low efficiency, high weight, and extremely low impedance. T+A designed to Solitaire to avoid these problems.

The use of the finest materials with tight tolerances allows for a lightweight, yet rigid design. All sub-assemblies are attached to solid machined aluminum cups. The yokes and yoke connections are also machined from solid aluminum. 

The ear and head cushions are handmade by a specialist company in Germany from allergen-free synthetic leather and Alcantara. 

The cables get a lot of special attention, and are of symmetrical construction, with very low inductivity and capacitance, and designed with the optimum impedance.  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.

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. 

Specifications

Type: Open back planar-magnetostatic, elliptic 110 x 80 mm driver

Impedance: 80 ohm

Frequency Response: 5 Hz – 54 kHz

Weight: 530 g