The German brand specialising in high-end electronics, T+A, is not exactly a beginner when it comes to headphones, at least not for the past year. Its Solitaire P planar headphones are indeed one of the most ambitious models we have ever seen. Its little brother, the Solitaire P-SE, was also a very high-end hi-fi model. The Solitaire T is a change of universe, as it breaks the nomadic barrier. This Bluetooth model with noise reduction is one of the most expensive in its class. An exceptional product? It's a bit early to say.

The height of luxury and audiophilia?

On the surface, the Solitaire T is an almost wise headphone. Here, the manufacturer is moving to a nomadic form that forces it to respect certain codes, certain shapes, while largely preserving the visuals of the old Solitaire P and P-SE. Not many details are given about the design, but we know that this helmet mixes machined aluminium (part of the shells) with high quality leatherette, in a fully foldable structure.
Above all, the use of switch-like buttons on the ribbed surface gives the whole thing a very 70's/80's feel. Modernity obliges, tactile buttons are also present on the external face of the shells. The rest is fairly classic, since T+A has chosen circumaural ear pads.

The technological part is one of the main points that make the Solitaire T stand out. Instead of simply equipping it with a Bluetooth chip and letting it handle the digital-to-analog conversion, T+A opts for a high-end Bluetooth chip from Qualcomm, the QCC5127 (LDAC and AptX HD compatible), which it complements with a dedicated converter, the ESS Sabre ES9218, a DAC usually found on audiophile players. On the other hand, practically nothing is specified about active noise reduction.

The acoustic part is based on a single 42 mm dynamic transducer, with a "special" membrane made of bio-cellulose. On this point, we can imagine anything. Some bio-cellulose transducers are barely correct, while others provide a truly Hifi quality. Of course, you'll have to put an ear to the headphones to make up your mind.