Campfire Audio Andromeda Review: Holy Cow, This is a Dream, Awesomesauce!

I think because of their small size they probably treat new products as mature R&D efforts. Maybe they'll cut back when they have figured out the clear best three.

 

So there I am listening in a trance like state to Bruckner with my Andromeda on my way back from work. On arriving home I realise that I lost the damn Andromeda leather case! I went into panic mode... my beloved Andormeda have lost their resting place!

I contacted Campfire Audio to buy a new one and their response was ... ehhm we don't sell them separately sorry.

So I contacted Ken Ball who said he will fix it properly. Ken provided excellent support and is a true gentleman I should say.

WIthin a few days, the cases were listed as separate accessories for sale.

In the mean time, whilst waiting for the replacement case, I got a Peli 1010 case with cut-out foam interior that provides all the protection these stunning IEMs need.

 

My Penon impedance adapters finally came in this morning. I have a 20 ohm and a 175 (the 175 was just for the hell of it, in case the 20ohm diff was too subtle). Initial listening is flac via ASIO to Chord Mojo.

The 175 of course is just ridiculous . The 20 ohm is a different story. The effect is very noticeable, but promising/interesting. Out of Chord Mojo just going by ear there's about a 17 click reduction in volume using the adapter. That lifts Andromeda effectively out of the noise floor (there may the slightest bit of hiss but I can't be sure). That I like, especially for tracks like Steely Dan Black Cow and Stacey Kent The Best Is Yet To Come that have pronounced bass notes against a relatively quiet background.

More importantly the Andros become predictably brighter. This is where a lack of relative experience is going to hamper me, but Muse Wanderer mentioned on HF that he found Mojo much too bassy. Now I understand what he means - I can hear how Mojo could be classified as warm/dark. With the adapter there is still effective bass, but it's like there's less of it sort of flowing over the midrange if that makes sense, letting mids and highs become more defined and creating a sense of greater detail. On Black Cow the stereo echoes in the right channel of Donald Fagen's vocals are more present and the other echo effects they use come to my attention in a way they didn't before which is nice.

That said, it's kind of just shy of what my gut reaction says would be too bright. There's a threat of sibilance up top that I could do without, and I think it's to Andros credit that it doesn't get tinny or shrill - a lesser earphone I think would not fare so well.

Overall after some initial listening I find myself wishing I had a variable resistance adapter to find the sweet spot for Andromeda and Mojo. 20 ohm is very, very listenable, but I think you would find something not far south of 20 ohm that is a no compromises tweak for Mojo that would be the shit. That may change with more listening - which I will do and report back if my opinion changes.

Anyway I believe there's a place (not Penon) that does custom resistances, so I'll likely order a range of them to play with, but if anyone else is looking at this option I'd go custom and head less than 20 ohm. My 2c, YMMV etc.

 

The Mojo was way too bassy for my tastes (classical music and neutral sound) when I tried it. The rest of the sound was excellent which is a shame.

It felt like someone engineered a great complimentary amp to the Andromeda and then just for the heck of it turned the bass equaliser up permanently.

But that's the nature of the beast as can be seen in Marv's measurements. Output impedance is key.

That said I tried the Questyle QP1R with 1ohm OI and it sounded clear with balanced tuning. I really liked it apart from the fiddly user interface.

Then I tried the Opus #1 with similar output impedance and cirrus DAC. It sounded horrible. I couldn't stand the digitised sound whatever recording I chose. Piano in particular was screechily rendered as if someone is scratching their nails onto the notes.

Hifiman HM901S (1 ohm OI) sounded well balanced and pleasing despite the weird music selection put on it by HFM. I finally managed to listen to a Bach cello suite and liked the bass. This thing is heavy and bulky though.

Now I am wondering what the ZX2 will bring. I may have to buy it without trying as I can't find it anywhere local. Or else wait for the Sony WM1A to be heard by trusted ears with the Andromeda.

 

I've found the Onkyo DP-X1 to sound pretty great with the Andro's. It has low OI but is a bit thinner sounding, which helps it not get as bass heavy as the Mojo.

That being said, I find the Mojo quite enjoyable but the hiss can be a bit loud. Onkyo is near silent.

Side note but I find that my Andro's have little dings in them despite babying them. I now make sure the earpieces are not touching each other inside the leather case. Might need to find something that keeps them separate...

 

Check my post above with Peli 1010 case and cutout foam insert. The Andromeda couldn't be more protected as this case is built like a tank. The foam prevents metal to metal contact when stored. I even keep the cleaning tool on the side for convenience. The case fits in my pocket if needed but, as with the original leather case, it is quite bulky.

 

It would be swell if they would share a STL file of the Andromeda so we could use is as a basis to print a bumper for storage...

 

I can't see your images unfortunately. But is one side of the Pelican case still hard/exposed inside even when using the foam insert?

 

I may have to recheck the posted URL image if it is not showing. As long as you choose the case that does not have clear lid, foam would be present on top of the Andros. The separate pick n' pluck foam needs to be purchased separately to fashion the base.

 

Looks like another pair came unglued: goo.gl/CQ2kWp

This isn't to say that a lot more will get in that condition, but it does bear some watching. I don't expect it to be the last ones that do.

I liked the reaction of the one guy to joke about it. I've said my say on there regarding it, but in a way not to get banned. Of course I could have skewered him, but the PC police on there would have sirened the mods to whitewash my post. Bleh.

I also liked the "let's sweep this under the rug" attitude after the fact. I like what Campfire Audio has done, and I love the Andromedas, but these things shouldn't be happening to top of the line products. I've noticed an uptick in demand, and how they have been back ordered often. Maybe there were shortcuts taken to get as many of these out on time as possible. Hopefully not.

"But it's head fi, what did you expect?" Sigh, exactly.

 

Some of their products seem to have re-occurring QC issues that likely haven't been fixed despite the fact that they are aware of them due to the large demand their relatively small shop has received.

Other than the nozzles snapping off on the Andromedas and Novas I personally had a buzzing develop in my Orion and have seen similar reports of buzzing or wiggling MMCX connectors on the Orion. Hopefully when production settles down they can go back and see what's causing these issues, but otherwise I've had good experiences with their support.

 

They should be looking at it now. Customers should get their products right rather than get something half baked. Especially if it's top of the line. It'd be stupid of them to not put in processes to stop it now, than continue it and have definite headaches down the road.

 

Funny, this reminds me my pair of Andros came with mis-matched shells, one side having the slightly modified edges and the other not. I was offered a RMA but since I can't feel a difference I opted not to.

 

It's odd that they're glued there. If you're going to spend so much on CNC machining, why not go all the way and make it from one piece of metal?

I guess reviewers who praised the build quality were not aware that that was glued.

 

Well, it's not like a product that costs $1100 should be symmetrical! Even Brainwavz can do that.

 

I have no problem arguing with them about that tone I hope my set arrives somewhat soon to enjoy

Some people feel it is a personal attack to critique a product they are vested into. I have no problem ripping into something I own but it is usually because I also own or have owned the peer products. No need for external validation I guess.

The question is, how much criticism is allowed without an obligatory puff of smoke up the ass.

 

I got a pair second-hand. Awesome, btw - those highs!

When removing the tips the previous owner left on, the left barrel came off. I was super surprised especially as I was relatively gentle. I was able to stick it back on and enjoy for a few days before contacting CA. They've been great so far. I'm hoping for a quick turnaround because I miss them already ;D

 

Is the barrel glued in? Just curious how it can come off with relative ease.