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

Have you tried other tips with your Andromeda? Spin Fit kills detail and air on every IEM I put it on. Spin Fit also makes things clearer but sound dull and boring IMO.

 

Stock silicone, foam and SpinFit. Awaiting my shipment of the SpiralDots. Any double- or triple-flange to recommend for this bore size?

 

I've liked the spiral dots so far. I will say that for airplane use, the spiral dots were good but not great, so maybe comply or some foam for planes.

 

Started to listen to them on my iPhone 6, and wow, was that different! The clarity is a revelation. The difference in clarity is MUCH more appreciable compared to the difference in perceived details between the Andromedas and the JH13s.

Now awaiting SpiralDots and also an impedance attenuator that would hopefully bump the output impedance of my Mojo to the sweet spot.

Wow, I finally get why these are so beloved, and I'm glad I found out.

 

@lereve which attenuator did you purchase? Thanks!

 

I find that I too have been quite satisfied with using my iPhone + as a source for my Andros. It is quite a nice pairing!

 

On my way to Canjam listening to Andro + Galaxy S5 - bliss!!

Listened to some DAPs -
Questyle QP1R - Mildly bassier than the S5. Way more clarity and resolution. UI is a bit hit and miss though.
Hifiman HM901s - a bit bassier but not bad. Quite heavy and chunky.
Opus #1 - horrible sound, way too much bass, treble peaky. Reverb galore. Piano timbre sounded aweful!
Chord Mojo - too bassy. Shame cause it sounds so well otherwise. No go with Andromeda though.
Now I searched and searched but Sony ZX-2 was not around!

 

@AdvanTech, I bought a 75ohm adapter on eBay.

[Mojo > adapter > Andromeda] vs [iPhone 6 HO > Andromeda]

• DETAILS. So much more details.
• Quite a bit brighter
• Notes become thinner, and less euphoric - the Andromedas become much less forgiving with this set up
• The magical butter smooth mids become more clinically presented (dare I say grainier, but more detailed?)
• The PRaT improves so much with this adapter. Notes become so much faster.
• With faster and thinner mids, complicated passages with a heavy vocal focus become much less congested
• Soundstage remains relatively similar, but imaging becomes more precise
• Bass does reduce in impact quite a bit
• NO HISS. HURRAH.

I suspect this would be relatively more fatiguing in the long run compared to the iPhone HO, and those who don't like a bright sound signature may be instantly put off, but for those who crave details, this set up is hard to beat.

Personally, the details alone are quite worth it. However, sometimes I want to just bask in the euphoria of it all. I'm glad I can because the iPhone 6 provides just that.

 

Sweet! I believe Penon has a 20 ohm adapter...indeed they do:

http://penonaudio.com/3.5mm-Male-to-3.5mm-Female-Impedance-Adapter

Maybe that will be a bit warmer and less fatiguing.

OK, ordered the 20 ohm and 175 ohm as well for comparison. I'll report back, though it'll be a few weeks to get through our shitty postal service.

 

Ordered an additional 20ohm and 50ohm. Will report back too.

 

A 75ohm adapter with a 26ohm impedance iem
?

Feels bad man

 

I don't think the output impedance adds up in series. I forgot where I read it but I believe I did before buying the adapter.

 

I was also under the impression that adding an impedance adapter is basically changing the OI of the source as related to the headphone.

 

For like 7 bucks it's a cheap experiment at worst...

 

There are no 2 or 3 ohm adapters, are there?

 

Bought mine today, will compare with my Adel U10..

 

Please do! Would love to hear comparison between the andromeda and the dolce & katana as well for anyone with a fat wallet

 

Posted in the Advice thread but thought I might ask here as well in case there are some other views. I'm planning to get an Andromeda when stock comes in and I'm looking for a good portable / transportable DAC / amp to pair with it. I don't want a DAP and I'm not too fussed about size / weight. I'd prefer an all-in-one unit but could do separates so long as they're not too unwieldy.

I had a Mojo but have read in this thread and elsewhere it doesn't pair so well because of the output impedance. Someone has suggested the iDSD Micro and Oppo HA-2 which I'm looking into but some impressions would be useful.

Alternatively, I wonder if a low impedance adapter or even a different cable might solve the output impedance problem with the Mojo?

 

I find the Mojo to sound pretty fantastic with the Andromeda, so wouldn't write it off unless you know you don't like the sound described. The hiss is a bit loud for my very low listening levels though.

Also find the Mojo volume control a big advantage over the Geek Out V2 which relies on system volume. Some sources with the GO gave me unlistenably loud volumes through the Andromeda even on the lowest setting.