Musings on Campfire Audio Andromeda

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by Bill-P, Feb 2, 2017.

?

One headphone/IEM to rule them all?

  1. Hell yeah!!

    35 vote(s)
    63.6%
  2. Nuh uh, different headphones work for different genres. You're missing out!

    20 vote(s)
    36.4%
  1. Bill-P

    Bill-P Level 42 Mad Wizard

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    When I got to try the Focal Utopia at a meet for the 1st time, I honestly did not like it at all.

    Then fast forward a short while later, I got to try it again for a longer time period on the loaner program. And at that time, I found that there were things I liked about Utopia, and then there were things I loved about it. It was a love-hate relationship. But I wanted one very badly after that, because it was the closest to what I've wanted in a headphone, out of everything else that currently exists, save for maybe Luis' Code-X.

    And now, the same thing is happening all over again with the Campfire Audio Andromeda IEM. I got to try them at the same meet that I got to try Utopia, and didn't like them. There was some excess brightness/stridency out of my iPhone, and they sounded just like... okay. But then I reviewed Utopia at home, and found that I liked Utopia more than I did initially, so I caved and ordered Andromeda, intending to give them another go.

    Long story short: I think it's a portable Focal Utopia. The same things that I disliked about Utopia, I also dislike on Andromeda, and the things that I love about Utopia are also here on the Andromeda. I have sneaking suspicion that Ken Ball, while tuning Andromeda, used Utopia as a reference.

    You want some sound impressions? Go read my Utopia review again here. Then subtract about 10-20% of what I wrote and that's how Andromeda sounds like to me. Honest. :) (caveat: source is iPhone 6+, and using stock foam tips)

    Now, with that out of the way, there are a few things that Andromeda differs from Utopia:

    1) Andromeda is super sensitive. It's ear-splittingly loud with my iPhone, and I honestly cannot listen with Andromeda at max volume on my iPhone, with anything. That's just way too much. In other words, Utopia needs a whole system built around it, whereas I'm simply plugging Andromeda into my iPhone. Easy peezy.

    2) I have tried Andromeda out of a lot of different sources, and the common factor is: they all have some level of hissing that distracts from the listening experience and sometimes subtracts from dynamic range as well. Hell, some people don't hear hiss with iPhone but I do. There's a very faint level of hiss with Andromeda on iPhone. If you've achieved a good enough seal and you're in a relatively quiet environment, I'm sure you'd notice it too. And the iPhone is currently the least hissy device I've plugged Andromeda into. Still gotta try a few more to see what works and what doesn't. I most definitely will not be using Andromeda on my Geek Out 2 Aluminium Infinity. The level of hiss is unbearable. (Larry, please do something about this!)

    3) Andromeda is so very source-sensitive that it changes its tonal balance and sound signature completely depending on what it's plugged into. That's on top of sound changes due to fit/ear tips, etc... In a way, it's kinda similar to Utopia in this sense but the key difference being that Andromeda does more of this, whereas with Utopia, I simply felt like it would bring out more details and change just ever so slightly rather than turning into something completely different. Andromeda can either sound like HD800 with bass EQ'ed 12dB down, or Elear or HD650 with treble EQ'ed 12dB down depending on what it's plugged into. The contrast is super stark.

    4) Andromeda is inherently more portable than Utopia, is much more comfortable than Utopia when the right fit is achieved, and last but not least, is roughly 4 times less costly compared to Utopia. Accordingly, I also feel like Andromeda is only able to bring about 70-80% the amount of resolution that Utopia can pull out, and Utopia, IMO, couldn't pull out soundstage cues, which HD800 could, so I'd say Utopia is 90%, and HD800 is 100%. But I don't have Utopia or HD800 here so take this with a grain of salt, please.

    Now, with all of that said, my verdict on Andromeda is that... I do consider it to be the king of IEMs, and then accordingly, it's also the king of all portable solutions. I did say that if Utopia was almost half its retail price, then I'd have gotten one. Well, the same thing applies here. Doubly. Portable Utopia for $1k is a steal. Period. I don't regret my purchase decision here even for a split second.

    Is Andromeda a dream coming true? Yes!! To me, it fulfills my basic requirements of "headphone", which are:
    1) Portable (minimal)
    2) Sounds good
    3) Looks good (my girlfriend says the green accent looks nice on my ears)
    4) Comfort to wear for a while
    5) Doesn't quite break the bank (relatively, compared to other options out there. Note that with some other IEMs, you gotta factor in costs of an amp as well, whereas Andro just works out of an iPhone)

    Some additional thoughts:

    Andro is not very comfortable to me with the included foam tips. I kinda prefer silicone tips better, but they make Andro much brighter than they are normally, so... my solution to that is to simply stuff the biggest nozzle with some foam (taken from HD6xx front filter foam that I had lying around). That helps reduce upper mid and lower treble considerably. Obviously, these are still BA drivers (Hands won't like 'em!), so there is still some splashiness/stridency, but it's mitigated to a relatively small amount. Note that this is still specific to just the iPhone 6+ as the source. I have found that with some others, though bass became overbearing, treble was tamed to the point where I wouldn't be bothered at all. In fact, I'd imagine I'll be okay with no foam filter and just with silicone tips on some sources. Andro's drivers sound very fast, so I didn't find that the foam filter negatively impacted speed and resolution in any way, but... YMMV. I have found the right amount of foam for myself, and... honestly, at this point, Andro basically sounds like my HE-5, but with some Utopia qualities. Best of both worlds, me thinks.

    IEMatch does help with hiss, but the problem is that it also "helps" with reducing dynamic range. The sound becomes so blurred/haze/compressed that I'd rather have sibilance destroy my ears than to lose that much resolution. The "ultra" switch is especially bad, and honestly, I think I'd rather take Noble X over Andromeda if I end up having to use IEMatch with Andro.

    The shells are surprisingly sturdy, and can withstand some purnishment. Mine has had some very minor paint loss around the corners, but otherwise, they look almost mint. If there are battle scars, I'd imagine it'll look pretty nice with the aluminum shells.

    Recabling is definitely something I'll try in the future, but the stock Litz cable that came with mine is so nice (comfy, soft, sounds good), that I'm hesitating to find an alternative. Noble X's cable is not this nice. And the included carrying case is great, too, though I've found that I always get static shock after handling that case (due to the sheep fluff thing inside?), so I've left it at home since.

    I'm strongly considering letting everything else go because Andro has replaced the need for me to have so many things at my desk. I now leave early in the morning with them, and come home late at night still wearing them. If that's not a sign that these are dream headphones/earphones/monitors, I don't know what is. Honestly, I'm using them like 80-90% of the time now, and only 10% on HE-5. Hell, my roommate hates noise late at night and early morning, so I can only use HE-5 at very specific times. That makes Andro even more indispensible to me because not only do they isolate me from outside noise (with the right fit), the outside is also isolated from my noise. I get to listen to all kinds of weird shit with Andro on. :D (hahaha... I'm only half joking!)

    So, if you have read up to this point, and your handle/username on this forums doesn't have "hands" in there anywhere, then I'd highly recommend that you give Andromeda a try. It may just be the one to end them all for ya. I know it's the end of IEMs for me. Well, at least until Andromeda v2 comes out and fixes the stridency/BA treble issues.

    And here's a photo just because I can. Please pardon the background and the choice of the subjects in it. It was either I eat something or I die. But at least Andro made the whole experience more enjoyable. This was back when I was still trying the foam tips. I have silicone tips on now.

    [​IMG]
    Why are you still reading? Go place your order! :punk:
     
  2. Cellist88

    Cellist88 Friend

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    I'm want some carls jr too
     
  3. Pyotr

    Pyotr Acquaintance

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    Great stuff! The Andromedas really are something special. They have such great musicality while keeping the integrity of the original recording, and never cease to amaze me, whatever I throw at it. And that treble- they can be a bit problematic out of an iPhone with certain tracks, but 99% of the time they have the perfect amount of crunch and sparkle without being too glaring. They're everything I wanted in an IEM and more.

    Good to hear they carry your seal of approval :)
     
  4. deafdoorknob

    deafdoorknob Almost "Made"

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    great write up as always! for some reason iphone 6/6+ are indeed quite prone to hiss, not sure if 6s rectified the issue or not, but the SE i have is a good deal less hissy than my partner's 6plus with the andros.

    so far, using the wide bore double flanged silicone tips of my fitear iem gives me the best balance between comfort and sonics but as usual ymmv.

    i am a gearslut so i do like to have different flavours to play different genres or fit different moods, but yes, i would say that the andro are the most holistically accomplished iem in my collection.
     
  5. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    Nice lens.
     
  6. Cellist88

    Cellist88 Friend

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    the blur ><
     
  7. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    Great write up! I love my Andromedas and they're pretty much the only headphones I use now. I still have my 650 but almost never use it because I can use my speakers in my listening room. Andros are great for popping in while I do chores, or go out to the market, or for going on a trip.

    I would love it if LH Labs could revise the GO units to reduce their hiss with Andromeda, but normally I use the ZX2 with it since I'm usually not using them at my desk. If I could get my GOV2+ adjusted to reduce hiss I could use that with my phone.
     
  8. lac29

    lac29 Acquaintance

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    I'm also considering selling off my other headphones and just relying on my Andromedas and speakers. It definitely would make life a lot easier.
     
  9. LauSing2

    LauSing2 Facebook Friend

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    Were these impressions with the iPhone as your source? You mentioned that you've tried it with a lot of different sources, do you mind sharing what they were?

    About the issue with the hissing, do you just live with it, or were you able to find some kind of remedy?
     
  10. Stuff Jones

    Stuff Jones Friend

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    I've had them for about six months and as with everything (even a woman), the flaws, however minor, magnify themselves over time as if to justify getting new gear.

    I'm not satisfied with their timbre with acoustic and especially wooden instruments like guitars, cellos, upright bass or even bongos or congos. Or male voices. The decay is too fast, the sound is too tight and sterile. And they doesn't move enough air to capture those slow resonances right. I don't know if these descriptions are technically correct, but that's how I hear it. And to me timbre in the mids is where most of emotional transference in music takes place, which is a primary pleasure of music to me.

    They don't, for example, do a track like this justice. I believe this album was recorded in the second floor of an old wood building and with a set of speakers there's such a distinguishing nostalgic resonance to the sound.

     
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2017
  11. TimelessTele

    TimelessTele New

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    1 month of ramen soup or the andromedas? Tough choices
     
  12. imackler

    imackler Key Lime Pie Infected Aberdeen Wings Spy

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    How much do you spend on food a month?! For my family of four, it would at least take a couple months...
     
  13. TRex

    TRex Almost "Made"

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    $600/month for a family of four in California? Impossible!
     
  14. TimelessTele

    TimelessTele New

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    Was about to fall asleep when I realized my fatal mistake. RIP. As a person who lives in hipster land, everything is quite expensive. I spend quite a bit on food but if I bought the Andromedas I would have to give up my luxurious kale for a headphone. The joke was lost though...
     
  15. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    I don't have the luxury of a nice 2-channel system, so I can't make a comparison. But even listening to this song on YouTube with the Andros I find it very immersive and if I close my eyes I can almost imagine myself in the room. Regarding decay, I'm finding the opposite in that I can hear the gradual decay of sounds that I hadn't heard before as a result of the Andros' resolution/clarity/macrodynamics(???).

    Regarding bass, I agree that it's a major strength. However, I occasionally hear a kind of fuzzy resonance with certain low freq sounds, like when a bass drum or floor tom is recorded in an echoey room or has had a lot of reverb added. Anybody else get this?

    Go for the ramen.
     
  16. Bill-P

    Bill-P Level 42 Mad Wizard

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    Haha, thanks!! I think I'll take more photos in the next while.

    I've tried the following:
    Macbook (hisses very badly, and kinda bloated sounding)
    Sony Vaio laptop (better than Macbook, but still hisses, and treble timbre is very off, bass extension sucks)
    iPod Gen 5 (clean sounding, actually a bit more relaxed than I thought, bass not too bad, but there is something weird in the upper mids, very sibilant)
    iPod Touch 5 (clean sounding, not hissy, but treble a bit too digital/off, not as bad as Vaio laptop)
    iPhone 6+ (clean sounding, actually almost neutral here, save for that upper mid is a bit strident/digital, but overall not as bad as the other sources. Best all rounder for now.)
    Geek Out 2 Aluminum Infinity (hiss level is almost unbearable, but other than that, pretty good resolution and clarity)

    The hiss can be addressed using iFi IEMatch, but I feel like IEMatch causes the bass to become a bit blurred/indistinct. And Andromeda, while not a bassy IEM by any standard, can sound very blurry/hazy when bass is overdone like that.

    It should be noted that in general, I think IEMatch when used with the above noted bassy devices (like my Macbook, for instance), actually does clean up the bass nicely and presents a more balanced sound overall. There's an apparent loss of details, but it's not bad in a pinch, and even with reduced resolution, Andromeda still beats out the rest of its competition for me. In fact, it cleanly beats some full-sized options as well.
     
  17. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    So what goes into an IEM match? Kind of curious to make one. Just a couple resistors?
     
  18. JK47

    JK47 Guest

    I just picked up a Centrance DACport HD from Buydig for $110 shipped. Not much hiss on low gain, and that has way more than enough juice to crush your ear drums. Sound is slightly on the darker side of things, but a $10 UE buffer jack can brighten things up if you desire (I tried). The DACport has the AKM 4490, so those that aren't after the "Velvet Sound" need not apply.
     
  19. paranoidroid

    paranoidroid Friend

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    Great review! I have both the Andromeda and Utopia and while I find the Utopia to be much better in details and technicalities, the Andromeda is my more preferred signature. It'd be the one I'd keep if I had to choose. I don't like it out of low impedance sources however, and find the 3-5 IO iPhone out to be the best balanced.
     
  20. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    I tried the Andromeda's with a Lehmann buffer clone (with 5ohm output impedance) and definitely liked the sound a lot, and would call it more balanced than say the ZX2 etc.

    I'm not very sensitive to hiss (unless it's like on my OP3) so can't comment on that however.
     

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