[kimD]

Are you willing to tell us how long the sale will run for?

Working slowly on the wife. She says Nova OK, but Andromeda is too much. These things take time!

After place for order to be enjoy with cheap IEM first

 

[KB]

So quiet now, no any news yet?

Hey KimD,
 
We just arrived in Tokyo to introduce the 2 new models at this years Tokyo Headphone festival. But I can say that my guys are making good progress, the first batch were built, tested, QC, re measured and paired, hurray! So boxing and another round of production is happing. We need to do several production runs in order to meet our orders. Review units are about to ship, followed by pre order guys. I am guessing first or second week of May but dont hold me to it because anything could and will happen please stand by.
 
Anyhow we are really happy with production and how tight everything is measuring. 
 
Thank you all for your patience.
 
ken

 

[KB]

I am just quietly waiting for my Andromedas. I look forward to my first totl iem from a co. that I admire. After hearing horror stories of poor customer service and no replies to product concerns from a particularly popular iem maker collaboration; I found it prudent to shop for an iem maker based on willingness to engage with the end user first. Be it whether to be praised or admonished. I also like the idea of the iem designer actually having a literal hand in the production of their iems taking the meaning of "handmade" to a platinum standard. I hope I like the tuning of the Andromeda as I favor the sought after non-accentuated natural sound signature. Truth be told I am also curious about the Nova. I like the color scheme of the Nova and after owning the Wizard Savant, which also has a 2 balanced armature implementation, I feel I have an idea of what it might sound like......or maybe not. I think I would also feel more comfortable taking a $500.00 iem around with me over an $1,100.00 iem in general (not that $500.00 is anything to sneeze at by any means to me). I'm selling some of my gear now to potentially buy the Nova too just for the aforementioned reason. I also like that the build of any of the CA iems appear to be rugged yet beautiful.

 
musiclvr,
 
Thank you sir,
 
ken

 

[WCDchee]

Hey KimD,

We just arrived in Tokyo to introduce the 2 new models at this years Tokyo Headphone festival. But I can say that my guys are making good progress, the first batch were built, tested, QC, re measured and paired, hurray! So boxing and another round of production is happing. We need to do several production runs in order to meet our orders. Review units are about to ship, followed by pre order guys. I am guessing first or second week of May but dont hold me to it because anything could and will happen please stand by.

Anyhow we are really happy with production and how tight everything is measuring. 

Thank you all for your patience.

ken

Great, great news! Wish I could be at the show in Tokyo

 

[kimD]

Hey KimD,

We just arrived in Tokyo to introduce the 2 new models at this years Tokyo Headphone festival. But I can say that my guys are making good progress, the first batch were built, tested, QC, re measured and paired, hurray! So boxing and another round of production is happing. We need to do several production runs in order to meet our orders. Review units are about to ship, followed by pre order guys. I am guessing first or second week of May but dont hold me to it because anything could and will happen please stand by.

Anyhow we are really happy with production and how tight everything is measuring. 

Thank you all for your patience.

ken

Take your time.
Usually main course will be serve at last.

Thanks

 

[prismstorm]

I'm not sure if you read my previous post about the savants. Basically, the nova prototype I heard was not in any way similar to the savants. That said they were slightly tweaked and have been improved since I heard them. They had a mid centric kind of sound.

The andromeda on the other hand, sounds similar to the savants actually. Similar tuning. But where the savant does well, the andromeda does better. Where the savant leaves some to be desired, the andromeda delivers. You should check out my older post about this

The savant is described as balanced officially, when I heard it it was shy on bass and kind of thin and clinical. However some have also called it a baby 'K10', and now you're saying Andromeda is a better Savant rather than built upon Jupiter. So I'm having this fear that Andromeda is the kind of cold monitor versus a robust, extended, musical, engaging, full sound. 
 
Sorry just too excited for the Andromeda and can only wait and read impressions, hence the anxiety 

 

[prismstorm]

  Hey KimD,
 
We just arrived in Tokyo to introduce the 2 new models at this years Tokyo Headphone festival. But I can say that my guys are making good progress, the first batch were built, tested, QC, re measured and paired, hurray! So boxing and another round of production is happing. We need to do several production runs in order to meet our orders. Review units are about to ship, followed by pre order guys. I am guessing first or second week of May but dont hold me to it because anything could and will happen please stand by.
 
Anyhow we are really happy with production and how tight everything is measuring. 
 
Thank you all for your patience.
 
ken

How soon will Hong Kong get demos / units for sale ... etc

 

[kimD]

The savant is described as balanced officially, when I heard it it was shy on bass and kind of thin and clinical. However some have also called it a baby 'K10', and now you're saying Andromeda is a better Savant rather than built upon Jupiter. So I'm having this fear that Andromeda is the kind of cold monitor versus a robust, extended, musical, engaging, full sound. 

Sorry just too excited for the Andromeda and can only wait and read impressions, hence the anxiety 

I had tried them all, Savants to K10U, from savant sound not that brighter.

Jupiter has fill up all the gapped.
Noted for Savant only.
If K10U, i would go with UM Merlin2

Anyway back to topic, Jupiter sound sig has suit to my tasted, so now awaiting for Andromeda to arrive

 

[WCDchee]

The savant is described as balanced officially, when I heard it it was shy on bass and kind of thin and clinical. However some have also called it a baby 'K10', and now you're saying Andromeda is a better Savant rather than built upon Jupiter. So I'm having this fear that Andromeda is the kind of cold monitor versus a robust, extended, musical, engaging, full sound. 

Sorry just too excited for the Andromeda and can only wait and read impressions, hence the anxiety 

I don't quite find it a baby k10. Totally different in fact.

With regards to the andromeda vs savant, imagine the savant with

1) Much larger soundstage in all axes
2) noticeably better resolution and high end extension, yet more even in response
3) sweeter, v slightly richer midrange
4) much much better bass body and extension. Extremely nice bass.
5) the plasticky resonance from the chassis removed.

They're similar, but the andromeda is to me what I hoped the savant to be. And then some.

 

[audio123]

Andromeda > Savant > PFE122

 

[Mimouille]

I am curious about this knew model Andromeda, because I listened to the Lyra and found it very well build and very nice sounding (not extraordinary, but very nice).
 
[Rant that might annoy some people]
 
On the other hand I am a bit annoyed by the usual hype train, were only 2 or three users have heard the iem, and they find it is the best thing since sliced bread, better than all other TOTL iem, and say over the forum without any reservation at all.
 
Anybody who has some experience with BAs knows that such "breakthroughs" are hardly possible, and quite rare. The most probable thing that will happen (I am talking based on my experience with new iems coming out, not based on this particular case) is that after a few months, more people will try this out, some will love it, some other won't, and it join the ranks of very good but not groundbreaking TOTL iem.
 
Besides, I find it also a little bit annoying to put out a TOTL iem (the Jupiter) and another one a few months later, certainly because many people found the Jupiter very good, but not out of this world. Many people can only afford to buy on such iem for several years (not at all my case, so I have no skin in this argument) and so they buy into the hype, and then 4 months later the brand puts something better out, with the indirect consequence that their iem loses resale value.
 
Innovation and competition are great, I just wish more brand would behave like Shure, putting a new product out when they REALLY have something new, not a new product fed by hype every three months.
 
[End of annoying rant]

 

[k4rstar]

  I am curious about this knew model Andromeda, because I listened to the Lyra and found it very well build and very nice sounding (not extraordinary, but very nice).
 
[Rant that might annoy some people]
 
On the other hand I am a bit annoyed by the usual hype train, were only 2 or three users have heard the iem, and they find it is the best thing since sliced bread, better than all other TOTL iem, and say over the forum without any reservation at all.
 
Anybody who has some experience with BAs knows that such "breakthroughs" are hardly possible, and quite rare. The most probable thing that will happen (I am talking based on my experience with new iems coming out, not based on this particular case) is that after a few months, more people will try this out, some will love it, some other won't, and it join the ranks of very good but not groundbreaking TOTL iem.
 
Besides, I find it also a little bit annoying to put out a TOTL iem (the Jupiter) and another one a few months later, certainly because many people found the Jupiter very good, but not out of this world. Many people can only afford to buy on such iem for several years (not at all my case, so I have no skin in this argument) and so they buy into the hype, and then 4 months later the brand puts something better out, with the indirect consequence that their iem loses resale value.
 
Innovation and competition are great, I just wish more brand would behave like Shure, putting a new product out when they REALLY have something new, not a new product fed by hype every three months.
 
[End of annoying rant]

 
Mostly agree, but Shure's release schedule is too slow. As a result the SE535 is considered by many to be overpriced and there are much better options for less now. Triple-driver hybrids are no longer a new thing, and their entry-level SE215 could easily be improved if they wanted to. Their IEM sales are driven by brand reputation and dealer network more than anything now, at least IMO.

 

[Mimouille]

   
Mostly agree, but Shure's release schedule is too slow. As a result the SE535 is considered by many to be overpriced and there are much better options for less now. Triple-driver hybrids are no longer a new thing, and their entry-level SE215 could easily be improved if they wanted to. Their IEM sales are driven by brand reputation and dealer network more than anything now, at least IMO.

Well that is debatable, but not a matter for this thread

 

[WCDchee]

Well that is debatable, but not a matter for this thread

I certainly get what you're saying, and I can't speak for the others but for myself, if you have seen my other posts in the past despite my large efforts to try not to put down most Brand’s I have not been impressed with most offerings. I will say this here, outright, that the andromeda and the ditas (especially the brass edition that I'm using) are to me the best IEMs that suit my tastes that are currently in production. Tralucent I've been thoroughly impressed too, not necessarily to my tastes, but very impressed nonetheless. Besides those three Brand’s with which I'm thoroughly sold to, I am honestly having a hard time naming brands that I so wholeheartedly support. I have actually heard almost every single high end IEM out there as well as their lineups, but if you check out my profile, there aren't that many that I choose to comment on, for a very simple reason. I do not like to publicly discredit companies' hard work, even if they do not meet my subjective preferences, and that we tend to get accused of being trolls when we do voice our unhappiness around these places .

I wouldn't want to list the names of the IEMs (or Brand’s) I've heard, and not liked, because the list is far too long and for the above reason, plus I would not want to derail this thread. However, if you would like to know my thoughts and a little more of my experience Mimouille, I could not be happier to take this discussion onto the PM, so do feel free to shoot me one if you're interested

Edit: Also, to add on, while I thought the Jupiter and the Lyra were good, and I liked the Lyra, I agree with you about them not yet being on the level that would leave my jaws open on listening. Even in my Jupiter review, which was mostly positive, I did mention areas in the tuning which I felt could have been done differently.

Now despite that, I continued to have hopes for campfire because I agreed with many things about the fundamental physical and mechanical design of the campfire earphones, as well as the acoustical considerations which go down to things like the choice of material among other things, which were shared with me in confidence, as opposed to what most custom IEM companies do. Ken really knew what he was doing, and I agreed with it fully. Thus, I made an effort to continue to watch campfire closely, believing that they could really do something great.

What really swung me over to campfire was when I met up its Ken at Canjam Singapore. As Ken previously mentioned, where I got to hear some of his prototypes, the andromeda being among them. I have never had a company impress me with all the products in the line up, but each of these prototypes I've heard, just blew me away. I wasn't alone here, a Friend of mine was with me, and trust me, we're both pretty picky with our IEMs, and rather annoyed (like you) at the hype that surrounds each and every IEM that comes out. That aside, we have somewhat different requirements in our IEMs. This means that by the time an IEM impressed both of us, it's got to do a lot of things right. And yes, he was extremely impressed with each and everyone of the prototypes we tried. Don't ask me to reveal any more information about the other prototypes I tried, that's not my place to say and I won't comment until they are, if ever, released.

So there it is, that's the reason I'm willing to get behind the campfire brand so strongly and recommend it so strongly to people. Just thought to share some of my experiences with this truly wonderful company.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

Photos of the two new models from the Fujiya Avic Show in Tokyo today.