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

Just listened "Oxygen Red - Enigma" with Andro and it is freaking awesome.. Bottomless bass + Out of head soundstage = Sound Nirvana.... This is definitely End Game IEM for me....

Edit: Source = Hum Pervasion.. iPhone SE was a bit thin sounding on this track and Hum was a bit bassier and smoother on top and made much more enjoyable to listen to.

 

I can confirm iematch (high sensitivity at 2.5ohm) + Chord Mojo + comply with wax filter is excellent combination for a neutral presentation.. Chord Mojo on it's own is too warm sounding for me

 

Just purchased the Andros! I'm planning to also purchase a GO2A and this balanced cable from Campfire, but I have a question, and it's probably a stupid one: Will I have to swap cables from the balanced one back to the standard one on the Andros, or use a TRRS to TRS adaptor if I want to listen from my iPhone? I know the iPhone accepts TRRS, but I wasn't sure how it will treat the Andros with the balanced cable since TRRS implementation on the iPhone relates to mics as I understand it. Believe it or not, I couldn't find a clear answer using Google. Thanks for any help, and I am hoping this is relevant enough to the Andromeda thread to warrant a post here.

 

This is the TRRS pinout of your iPhone:


This is the TRRS pinout of your balanced cable:


It's most likely the iPhone 3.5mm jack will connect ground for L- and expect the Mic signal where you would need R- to be connected to ground. So I would think you'll only hear the L channel.

You can either swap out the cables each time, which would be hard on the MMCX connectors, or use a TRRS-balanced to TRS-stereo adapter. I couldn't find one with a quick Google search, but I'm sure someone will jump with with a link/recommendation.

Edit: I got L/R swapped backwards - fixed.

Edit2: This is the adapter you would need: http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=5219

 

You need either a separate cable or adapter to use a TRRS balanced cable with the iPhone. As you say, the iPhone's TRRS configuration is for mics, not balanced playback.

 

Thank you so much for the info. I will order that adaptor ASAP.

 

I just got a Galaxy A8 (2016) and it's quite bass light with the Andromeda. Now I know why. I just measured the output impedance at 6.3Ω. Also measured the output impedance of my micro iDSD w/ w/o built-in iEMatch and the effect of my proto-pigtails, posted in the micro IDSD Black Label thread.

 

That tinsel cable is a tangly ergonomic nightmare, but it's a good deal, just be warned. It is light and thin at least.

Everyone above is right about pinouts, but balanced TRRS devices can actually work in many 3.5mm jacks, cable makers such as DHC will point this out. I believe it has to do with how the two grounds line up inside the jack, but there is variability.

It works in both my android devices, and laptop, for instance. May be worth a shot before buying an adapter, unless someone specifically says no go for your iPhone

Edit. May be worth pointing our here Apple swaps the pinout for the mic and ground than everyone else, so idk

 

some ergonomics related updates.

using the wide bore double flanged tips that came with the fitear - while they are possibly less sonically beneficial than comply foamies, they provide a much more comfy fit as the additional length of the tips lifts the body of the iem away from the bowls of my ears.

changed to labkable's 4 core orange road spc cable. its pre moulded ear hooks are more stable and form fitting on my ear than the memory wired Litz cable.

the two "upgrades" made the listening experience much more fuss free (no more endless adjustments) and comfortable.

EDIT- started using my ALO national+ instead of direct out from mojo or iphone 5s, setting the gain to low (-11 db) removes any trace of hiss/static, its <1 ohm output does make the andro more bassy but it's flattering to the music i've been listening to so far. less spacious than my desktop setup (teac head amp - cyrus pcm R2R cdp) but quite musically involving and informative, kinda reminds me of the hd600 driven by a leben el84 amp.

 

Thanks for the tip . I'll have to go down to my local fitear dealer and try out those double flangers as I'm also constantly adjusting so the housing so it doesn't press on ear parts.

Curious what your cable looks like, but couldn't find it on their not-so-user-friendly website:
http://labkable.com/pages/In-Ear-Audio-Cable.html

 

http://www.labkable-headfi.com/productdetails.php?psid=94

it's for their international and japanese markets, and yes, colourwise, they clash like a laprachaun >.<

 

I have to say though: What's with this sudden flood of SPC products? Everything is now silver plated copper. In fact it's easier to find cheap SPC cables than pure copper cables (wut).


What's wrong with good ole copper done well.

 

was told by a local dealer that a taiwanese oem cable supplier was responsible for lowering cost of spc as the copper used in spc products are made to a lower tolerance/purity than the copper reserved for copper only products. go figure.

 

I'm listening to The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway on the ZX2 with the Andros and I'm blown away. I've never heard the album like this before, so rich in detail. The Andromedas exhibit supreme control over the dense and complex musical passages of the album and keeps each instrument in balance while providing a propulsive pulse in the lower frequencies. I hate to use the old "I'm hearing things I've never heard before" but in this case it's true.

Has anyone found a desktop combo that takes full advantage of the Andromedas as well as the ZX2 does? Preferably without background hiss of course (which the ZX2 does have and is its only flaw for me).

 

There's the Sony TA-ZH1ES, but that had a strange, compressed, sound (possibly due to the MANY sound altering features onboard, not sure if I managed to disable all of them). Might be good to view the manual before trying it again, but I wasn't expecting to see it so was caught with my figurative pants down.

 

Sounds like too much of a wild card to me. I'd love something tried and true.

 

So, whats' the current opinion on the Andromeda after all this time? I'm tempted to give them a go. Looking a spacious sound, let's say, the air of the HD800 mixed with the fun of the Z1R. Yup, not easy, I know.

I would have ordered them by now but don't have a source with easy returns (e.g. Amazon). Don't want to be stuck with them and the SE846 if I dislike both.

 

My opinion is they're basically perfect except they're BAs.

 

The Hifiberry digi+ pro -> PS Audio UltraLink II -> Vali 2 (Genalex gold lion) -> IEMatch (high) is plain fun.
The ZX2 doesn't come close, despite all the good things about the pairing.

 

The Vali 2 pairs well with the Andromeda, and noise free to boot? That's the first time I've seen that as a recommended pairing.