Haiku Audio Sol I: Introduction
I have a big weakness for the Haiku brand – I liked most of the devices of Krakow’s manufacture – some more, others less, but whenever they were at my home …
This amplifier is so inconspicuous, simple, unsuccessful and so low in the price offer that it is very easy to sell it unintentionally if you want tosomethingimprove in the system.
fall into a classic audiophile trapImprovingAnd change it to something else, more expensive, stronger, more branded – in short, by chasing a bunny, you can easily forget about its qualities. Especially if we are only at the beginning of our adventure.
Haiku Audio Sol I: Sound
Sol I is not a demon of speed, he is not a master of dynamics, nor does he catch transducers by the proverbial mouth.
It doesn’t do a big wow. We play a number and just play music. There is only something about it that makes you want to listen to this music.
First of all, a delicious diameter, without which there is no good sound for me …
Well weighted down but not overloaded. Multicolored, engaging, but not overbearing. All sounds sound beautifully, appear and go out, introducing an amazing atmosphere. I perceive the nature of the game as neutral and warm.
It is not as warm as the Pass Labs Int-30A, but warm enough to sweeten and calm the slightly soulless loudspeakers.
Smyks sound great on it – they are rich in micro-details and you have the impression that there is more sound on them than usual, although I do not mean the brilliance, but generally broadly understood content.
Its top does not shine too much and is rather simple. The bass is correct, but it is better not to combine it with strongly power-hungry loudspeakers. Generally, it is not a performance amplifier, for strong and spicy music, you can easily find something more interesting under such genres.
Nevertheless, Haiku is doing well with any repertoire and in the right system, the leg will go to slightly heavier rock.
I also like to play some numbers from Prog House sometimesIn the type of Hernan Cattaneo, Nick Warren, i.e. extremely non-audiophile music, and here this little inconspicuous block can reflect its character. With music that requires a strong blow from the bottom, you can always have a certain dissatisfaction, but on the other hand, Sol will be better at such a repertoire than strong rock stoves with jazz, vocals or broadly understood acoustics.
Last praise for something I pay special attention to –silently listening:It’s better than good. It is very good. He plays with a full strand, a nice color, the top does not come to the fore, and the pit remains marked. Not as outstanding as in the several times more expensive INT-30A Pass, but in relation to this amplifier it also has its advantages – speed, attack, microdynamics and sound contouring – it beautifully draws them and hangs them in space. It doesn’t have that color, depth, so much meat, but it has something of its own that always distinguishes it.
Haiku Audio Sol I: Listings
Haiku I combined with various columns. In fact, he does very well in every combination. I would rather not combine it with excessively warm and slow loudspeakers, but it works perfectly wherever … tube amplifiers work.
Haiku Audio Sol I + Living Voice IBX R2
Haiku Audio Sol I + KEF Reference 205
Haiku Audio Sol I + KEF Carlton II
Haiku Audio Sol I + JM LAB Spectral 913.1
I also combined Sol 1 with tube preamps (on the line, because unfortunately the amplifier does not give any other option) and such a combination always turned out well. The top is getting better and the diameter is even better.
In each of the connections, you can easily catch common parts – for a transistor great diameter, high neutrality – an amplifier, it simply gives the system to play without trying to add too much from itself.
Haiku Audio Sol I: My opinion
Definitely one of my favorite devices in my house. One of the favorite haiku and all this at a ridiculously low price – it appeared on the secondary market even around PLN 3,000.
It is simply an extremely musical amplifier and it is a great experience to have it again after many years, after so many different tubes and devices, the catalog prices of which reach PLN 40,000.
If we only give him a chance, it turns out that you can throw him on the track and still enjoy the music. Music, because in audiophile categories, we will certainly find many amplifiers that play more precisely, in detail and spectacularly.
However, when we are looking for something to listen to music and enjoy the material, and not the dopamine resulting from the noise extraction in the fourth row of the Live concert – this amplifier can be just the beginning and the end of our journey. It is always worth playing something new, but it is also worth staying sometimes in this hobby closer to Earth.
