In 2017 campfire launched one of the most beloved, hyped, and hated iems of all time, the good old Andromeda, i just had the opportunity to test it in 2023, and among more than 200 iems I tested, Andromeda became my favorite one! Let's review it!
Specs:
Drivers: 5 custom balanced armatures.
Impedance: 12.8 Ohm
FR : 10Hz-28kHz
Sensibility: 115 DB SPL/MW
.Bear in mind that my unit was used, I did not receive all the accessories so I won't be able to cover the full experience for you guys.
Some things are important to note while using this iem, first of all, the cable, imo using the silver litz is a must! Without it, it can sound bloated and without dynamics! You gotta check the source too, so these things are needed to properly use this iem: The cable, a good source, and good eartips.
Construction:
For $1000 we got a nice construction but with one major problem, the shells... Actually the paint of it, it can and will fall off with the years, and for na iem of this price range I find this unacceptable.
But at the same time, the shells are one of the things I love most about Andromeda, the color is just, amazing... and the fit is superb, it is a design that will never be out of fashion.
The cable is a good one, but with some memory, the thing is that it has an impedance that matches the iem, so using it is a must.
I won't be able to cover the rest of the accessories I won't be able to cover, since I didn't receive my Andromeda with case, eartips, and box.
Sources:
Andromeda's low impedance and high sensibility are points of concern that need to be noted, you need a clean source with low gain, my best matches were:
.Fiio k5 pro (Low gain): Clean output, superb dynamics.
.LG V60: Clean output, calmer and smoother sound.
Sound:
The overall signature is natural, full-bodied, and rich, with good dynamics, and a gigantic soundstage.
The sub-bass and pinna gain is not as forward as the new Harman iems, this can be such a shock for new listeners, but also a revelation.
Bass: Fast, punch, well controlled, with more focus on mid-bass slam than sub-bass rumble, the extension is good, but it can sound lacking deep for the Harman target folks, and bloated for the anti-mid-bass guys, one of the things that I love the most on this bass is how clean and punch it can sound, some might prefer a DD response, or even a planar, but I gotta say, I love a good BA bass when well implemented, and andromeda is one good example of it. Note that this region can be VERY affected if you don't match a good source or cable with Andromeda, the general sound can go from a clean, fast state, to a pretty bloated one.
Mids: Thick, lush, natural, and tame, two things are the pillars of andromedas mids:
1. The mid-bass warmth transition to the mids, giving body, and thickness to it.
2. Polite pinna gain: Calmer and recessed if compared with newer iems gives a more soothing and lush vibe to the mids.
At first, the mids can be shocking, sounding like a wall of mass in this region, or even bloated, but with time it shows a very natural timber that can handle any genre. These more recessed vocals will benefit the soundstage giving space to instruments.
Treble: Airy, detailed, and with good bite, can sound too crisp to some, but very forgiving to others.
In my case the treble never goes to a point of sibilance or too much glare, it sounds very cohesive with a lot of air in the presentation, and a crispness in metallics instruments that can show a lot of micro detail and layering, talking about layering...
Soundstage: One of the best that I heard, large, profound, tall, and with a lot of layering, with the lush warm mids, and punch bass, it gives the magic that Andromeda has on me, a very immersive sound signature.
Detail retrieval: Not the best for $1000, at least not anymore, it has a lot of micro detail at the treble, and a very fast, and resolving bass, but it is no match for newer iems with a focus on treble performance (Mest mk2, fiio fx15, letshuoer ej07m, etc).
Conclusion: I just love it, the fit, the looks, the different signature, and the massive soundstage, but it is an old iem, and in some instances, it can show it.
There is also the opposite signature if compared to Harman iems, this signature can push off a lot of newer listeners, but nevertheless, Andromeda still is my beloved one

.