Campfire Audio Vega, Dorada, Lyra 2 Discussion/Impressions

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by purr1n, Oct 29, 2016.

  1. Warrior

    Warrior RIP 2021

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    Finally was able to listen to both of these. Pretty impressed so far. Great job Campfire. I've heard 4 of their iems now, and enjoyed them all. Andros being at the bottom of the list... Sorry, I'm a basshole. :)

    Fit can be a bitch with the Dorado, that's about my only complaint. I definitely need to tip roll with that long ass nozzle.
     
  2. seamon

    seamon Acquaintance

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    I can relate to this. I absolutely hated the Andros. I listened to the Vega and Andro one after the other, I felt that Andro didn't hold a candle to Vega's light
     
  3. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    Then you get used to the Andro again after few minutes and the Vega appears overly bassy and bloated. YMMV.
    @SoupRKnowva and myself had this happen at the last SBAFest.

    I found the Vega thick and bloated and had nothing on the Andro. Waiting on the (well burned in) loaner pair in a few weeks to see if I change my mind.
     
  4. deafdoorknob

    deafdoorknob Almost "Made"

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    what tips have you decided on?
     
  5. seamon

    seamon Acquaintance

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    Have pity on us bassheads Senpai
    Edit: On a similar note, 2 of my audiophile friends ended up hating the Vega(because of the bass) even though they agreed it's one of the best DD. They praised the Andro like anything.
    One of them even ended up settling on the Andro
    And I agree Vega is a little too thick. One of the reasons why I moved on though the temptation to comeback is strong.
     
  6. Warrior

    Warrior RIP 2021

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    Still rolling... I should have more time this evening to decide.
     
  7. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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    Since I'm not going find time to put this into a narrative, here are my notes:

    upload_2016-12-18_1-54-42.png

    In almost all cases, I'm comparing to the Andros unless I explicitly mention another IEM.
     
  8. Grahad

    Grahad Guest

    Possible to comment further about the odd bass timbre? I should be getting off my ass to go down and try them for myself now actually...
     
  9. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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    I mean, it's been a while, but which one do you mean?
     
  10. Grahad

    Grahad Guest

    You mentioned the Andros had odd bass timbre.
     
  11. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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    Ah, yeah, they can't do DD bass timbre like, say, the EX-800ST. That's probably the only thing I would fault the Andromedas for, if I were comparing against some kind of "perfect" IEM. What surprised me was how little delta there was between the Andromedas and the CA DDs when it came to timbre. A classic BA vs. DD pros/cons scenario. I would have expected the new DDs to pull out in front further, and the Andros to lag behind as far as they did against the Sony flagships. But no, they were able to keep up a lot of the time. I think I would take the EX-800ST over any of the CA DDs, not because the new ones aren't technically better in some areas, but because the ST is tuned closer to the Andros (I'm a neutralhead), while still retaining DD strengths. The new DDs do have their strengths, but to me the compromises made to achieve them are too great in terms of overall presentation (again, neutralhead).
     
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2016
  12. Grahad

    Grahad Guest

    So it's the BA bass as usual. If any of your acquaintances have a FitEar C435 (sadly discontinued), give it a go, I think you'd like it a lot.
     
  13. hifi01170

    hifi01170 Acquaintance

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    just got my Vegas yesterday!!! Wow that bass and that clarity... amazing. Coming from ie800, ex1000 and jh13fp, I didn't expect to be wowed by the Vegas but I am... The bass impact on the vegas is crazy amazeballs! Mine are clocking at close to 50 hours of burn-in. I find the treble a bit peculiar. Not able to describe it properly though. Some not so well recorded albums can have the treble emphasized a bit too much (black album for example). Hoping that the burn-in might tame a bit that characteristic.
     
  14. hifi01170

    hifi01170 Acquaintance

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    pretty cliché but moving from ie800 to vegas is liking removing a veil.... I'm not even tallking about the jh13fp in which case it was even more significant.
     
  15. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    • Definitely heard the steely sound and dick punchiness of the Vega. The surprising thing for me is that more people don't hear the 6.5k/9khz twin peakiness of the andro, at least at higher volumes. There's probably a teabag-wrapper/non-woven-witches'-milk-cheesecloth filter mod that would help that or ADLC sandpaper eartips or something.
     
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2016
  16. PoochZag

    PoochZag The Shadow knows - Friend

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    My thoughts on Dorado and Lyra 2. All listening DP-x1 balanced out (1 ohm). Comparison to Jupiter follows, as it is my everyday IEM and sits in between these two in $

    Dorado
    • Bass is great, hits hard, goes pretty low, and has lots of texture to it. At higher volume levels it becomes too much for me, but does a great job of still sounding full at lower levels. Does a good job not affecting the midrange clarity.
    • Midrange is clear and generally unaffected by the meaty bass, if a bit distant sounding.
    • Vocals sound as they should though, females are more distant than males. Electric guitars lack a bit of bite. Drums slam down low and shimmer up top.
    • Highs have pretty good clarity and add to a sense spacing and air. Not laid back, but not that bright either, but also no weird peakiness detected, fairly smooth.
    • Particularly bassy stuff can get a little tiresome after a while because of how hard it hit, coupled with the well extended highs. This is not the same as fatigue from a "bright" headphone"
    • Long nozzles make fit a nightmare (I generally struggle with left ear a little, to be fair). With my arsenal of tips (which includes all that come with it and more) I found some combos that work and sound good. But often these involve an oversized tip with a shallow fit, making security while moving around a bit difficult as they hang out of my ear
    • Very pretty Pink-Gold Peach finish, shells small and smooth, very nice.
    • $.02 Overall really like them. Very exciting and involving listen, immediately impressive. A favorite for me for many genres, especially bassier stuff Pop/Electronic/Hip-Hop. Can be good for rock or instrumental, but this is a slight weakness and makes them not a great all-arounder in my book. Fit not a deal breaker but may be the thing that keeps me holding off from buying a used/sale Dorado in the future.

    Dorado vs. Jupiter: Jupiter has less bass, both in quantity and slam/texture, but still has enough to give a full, enriched sound to all music genres and I find it an ideal amount. Jupiter has a more forward midrange, if still a bit of a recessed upper mid/lower treble that takes away some bite. Both have smooth treble, Jupiter is more laid back. Jupiter sounds quicker, and a hair bit clearer/more resolving overall. Prefer Jupiter for rock, vocals, and instrumental, Dorado for most else. Tough call both very impressive, but IMO Jupiter is the better all-arounder. The two best IEMs I've spent good time with (this is shade at K10 mainly)

    Lyra 2

    • Pretty inefficient, maybe a tad moreso than Dorado even.
    • Very similar bass levels, impact and texture to the Dorado. Gives a nice, full experience. This is very welcome
    • Midrange sounds just a hair pushed back, but in a much different matter than Dorado. Lyra 2 lacks in overall clarity, instruments lack sharpness, vocals sound a bit dulled.
    • Sounds laid back and veiled up top, but still sounds a little gritty especially at higher volumes. There may be some uneveness or peakiness despite overall laid back character.
    • Shells again small and smooth, shorter Nozzle like Jupiter/Andromeda, fit and comfort is good if not great.
    • $.02 Good, but not for its price Sounds like a Mee P1 with more/better bass. Nice to listen to while doing stuff, but falls apart once you start paying attention to them or do comparisons. At $699 I just don't get it, even within CA's own lineup as Jupiter is just $100 more and smokes it, Dorado at $300 more isn't a crazy jump and well worth it (fit pending). $425 and its a solid yes.
    Lyra 2 vs. Jupiter: As mentioned earlier I think Lyra 2 is a hard sell for $100 less than Jupiter, unless bass is your main jam. Jupiter is quicker, more resolving, and gives an overwhelming sense of detail and clarity that I just can't ignore.

    Picture for relative size, which surprised me
    [​IMG]

    Oh also the newer stock cables are a hell of a lot nicer than the older tinsel ones
     
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2016
  17. thegunner100

    thegunner100 Hentai Master Chief

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    Foam tips make the peak broader and lower in amplitude.
     
  18. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    Good point, I was on silicone, should listen again sometime on foam tips.
     
  19. Grahad

    Grahad Guest

    Got a listen to the Vega today, pretty short, but even as a basshead I cannot like this IEM.

    Bass hits okay, but doesn't really have the tactility and texture of larger DDs. Midrange however just feels sucked out, even with different tips (both foam and silicone). Vocals lack a certain body(?) and have a certain hollowness to the sound. Fairly sibilant - I'm very sensitive though, and soundstaging never extends past the head.
     
  20. mrweirdude

    mrweirdude Asshole lowballer - acquaintance

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    Having listened to the Lyra II multiple times and owning the P1, that comparison does make a fair a bit of sense, both have issues that impede on clarity (upper mid haziness on P1, slight veil on Lyra II), both lean toward a warm sig with noticeable midbass emphasis (more so on P1), given the P1 is $200 new, I find it hard to justify more than $325-350 for the Lyra II.
     

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