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I was recently given the opportunity to review the Campfire Audio Andromeda thanks to the kindness of Ken/ALO/Campfire and D_Marco
It is great to be part of a community that allows such experiences, putting such trust in those also interested in this fine, rewarding but infinitely more and more expensive hobby.
 
Prior to getting my ears around the Andromeda I was also lucky enough to hear the Lyra, Orion and Jupiter from the Campfire line, so I will try to draw some comparisons, however bearing in mind these are from memory.
 
This review will be fairly brief as I do not have a lot to say about the Andromeda.
This is in no way a negative, in fact far from.  I absolutely love the Andromeda in all of its green glory.
 
I will start with the one and only negative I feel is of significance and we will go from there.  But be told, its all UPHILL from there.
If I could pick a negative from my listening with the Andromeda it would be that it lacks a little soul.  Now this is quite subjective I know, however I like my music with feeling.  My favourite IEM of all time is the Tralucent Ref1too.  Yes at times it had far too much bass and was at times too Dark, but with the right source and the right music it just connected with me.  It took me back, it made me feel as though I was living the music.
Now I find the Andromeda (and all of the Campfire line except the Lyra) to technically exceed the Ref1too in most regards.  However if I were given the choice I would take the Transducers with soul every time, even if I do cringe at some genre’s/tracks.
 
NOW.  That seems like a pretty big deal breaker, except, I would buy these in a heart beat.  On-wards and upwards I say!!!
 
Firstly, they are accessorised beautifully.  They come in a far more subtle cardboard box than its lesser siblings.
 It comes with a fantastic leather portable carry pouch that is lined with lambs wool.
It comes with an array of Comply and Silicone Tips that are bound to fit most ears out there and it comes with a fantastic cable.  Not only does this cable look quality, I had zero issues with microphonics when walking to and from work.
 
The build quality is also superb!  The very solid feeling aluminium units are anodized in a perfect shade of green.  Rarely did I wear them in public without getting attention.  Either that or I had something in my teeth.  Probably also green.  It’s always something green.
 
The sound, well in a nutshell is very very very good and well within what I expect from an IEM of this price range. The beauty of the Andromeda is that is sounded fantastic with everything I played through it.  From Progressive Rock, Death Metal, Folk, Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Pop, Acoustic Rock it all sounded perfect.
The highlight for me was the bass.  But at heart, no matter how much I try to lie to myself while listening to my Ether C headphones, I am a bass head.
Are the Andromeda a bass head IEM.  No…. No they are not.  However if you are a bass head with taste, then perhaps these are worth a look as while their bass is excellent and for me the highlight, the rest of the signature exceeds any basshead iem/headphone I have heard.
The Bass:
It punches.  It punches hard.  I was surprised that I was listening to a full BA iem.  The only time I had experienced bass like it from a BA is the TG334 and the 1964 v8/u8.
It has a great thump to it, however it maintains texture and control.  It has a slow decay for a BA driver, however it is more controlled than many dynamic drivers I have heard that manage similar impact and volume.  I thoroughly enjoyed the bass on the Andromeda for its ability to hit hard but sound great with all music.  I have found many headphones that manage to impress me with bass impact and volume, trip up on tracks that simply do not call for so much bass, or are more technical and require a more nimble approach.  No such problem with the Andromeda.
The Mids:
The mids are smooth, in line with the upper registers and present vocals beautifully.  I am not a fan of overly forward mids, particularly upper mids and I found no such traces of either in an offensive way with the Andromeda.  Often I find the mids (and more so the highs) with BA driver iems sound artificial to me.  I play guitar and I like guitars to sound like guitars.  Same for any instrument.  While the Andromeda does lack that euphoric quality I was referring to at the beginning of this review, it does sound very natural and realistic.  I was very pleased with the mid range presentation.
The Highs:
The highs are smooth, extended, detailed and realistic.  What more could you want. I never found them sibilant, even with some punk recordings that are just terrible.  But by the same token, I was never left wanting for more detail.  These are Highs done right!.
 
Comparison:
First lets rank these suckers:
Andromeda>Orion>Jupiter>Lyra.
This is a COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE RANKING.
Andromeda vs Orion:
The Orion to me was a case of fantastic tuning, limited range.  I personally felt that the tuning of the Orion was bang on with the drivers they implemented.  It sounded natural, cohesive and pleasant.  It did sound a little thin, it did lack extension at both ends and it did lack bass impact.
To me, the Andromeda has everything I wanted added to the Orion.  It has the bass.  It has more body to the sound, giving it more realism and feeling, it has fantastic extension at both ends and just sounds more refined.
While you would expect all of this given the price difference, this is how they compare to me with the Andromeda wiping the floor with my previous favourite Campfire iem.
Andromeda vs Jupiter:
The Jupiter I found technically brilliant.  As I stated in my Jupiter review, it had nice bass, smooth mids and highs, good sound stage and amazing separation.  However it sounded off to me.  Instruments seemed to pop out individually so well, that it didn’t sound like music, it sounded like many instruments individually playing a tune.  Technically I cannot fault that, its amazing really, however from an enjoyment stand point it didn’t invite me into the music, it didn’t make me want to listen.
The Andromeda to me is like the Jupiter with improved and increased bass, a richer mid-range with more body and a very similar top end.  However the big difference being that the music sounds whole again.  Sure if I listen for a guitar I can isolate it and tell you where it is in the array of instruments, but I am being presented with music.
 
I will work on getting some images up and the formatting fixed in coming days.

Disclaimer
 
I got this unit as part of Australia/New Zealand tour arranged by @d marc0, thank you very much for including me in this tour
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 9 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I've listened to CA Andromeda for about 2 weeks. I use them exclusively from LG V10 amped by Fiio E18. The source will be either the built-in LG music player or Google play music.
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok I am not going to muck around with this one, CA Andromeda is perfect. I can fault them in any way, they simply sounds right to me, in every aspect. There is enough bass, perfect midbass/warmth, forward enough mid, and excellent treble response.
 
Is this the best IEM in the world? probably not, but it's the best I have heard so far. Does it beat my full size cans? hmm.....yes and no.
 
Comparison
 
I can only compare them to my ZMF Blackwood, so yeah (as usual) it's not a fair comparison but it's all I got.
 
All right, let's start with the obvious, for soundstage, ZMF Blackwood clearly beat CA Andromeda, that's the very first obvious thing I notice when comparing them. I don't have
any problem with Andromeda soundstage, but ZMF sounds more spacious compare to Andromeda.
 
Now let's talk resolution and details, again CA Andromeda is awesome, they are really really good, but when you compare them side by side with Blackwood, I will have to pick up
the Blackwood as the winner, however the difference is not that big here, I really have to focus on listening to notice the difference.
 
However there is one thing that I prefer Andromeda over the Blackwood, the balance. As I mentioned before, they are just perfect. Blackwood is awesome headphones, but I found Andromeda
to provide better bass compare to the Blackwood, and probably slightly better treble sparkle. Please bear in mind I compare both of them from the same source/amp, so it's very likely
Fiio E18 is not adequate to drive ZMF Blackwood.
 
Conclusion
 
No argument, the best IEM ever for me, I am in love. The only downside is I can't afford them....yet, but I will own them one day
 
Thanks for reading

I would like to thank Ken from Campfire Audio for providing me with a review sample in exchange for my honest opinion.

Introduction

ALO Audio has been an established name in the industry for quite a while, popular for their cables and especially amps. So it’s hard to imagine they only consist of a small team of 5 people fabricating all the items. With enough work on their hands, I bet those 5 people were really happy to hear Ken decided to launch a new iem line, which consequentially became one of the biggest hits of 2016. Pack your sleeping bags to work guys, nobody’s going home for a while - we can discuss weekends later.

Anyone who has spoken to Ken knows he’s an incredibly busy man. But when you’re driven by passion and can see the result of what you’re building, the work only inspires to go harder. Ken is constantly backordered, trying to keep up with the success he brought upon himself and his team. And if that wasn’t enough, Campfire just released two new co-flagships: the Vega and Dorado. But despite the work pressure, Ken is calm and collected, and remains responsive and just a generally pleasant person to communicate with. A lot has already been written about the Andromeda, so I’m trailing a bit – but here’s a retrospective look at one of the most popular iems of 2016.

Campfire Audio Andromeda
-Drivers:                      5 BA drivers; 2 low, 1 mid, 2 high
-Design:                      passive crossover with acoustic expansion chamber
-Frequency range:     10 Hz – 28 KHz
-Impedance:              12.8 Ohm
-Sensitivity:                115 dB
-MRSP:                      $1099

Accessories

As I’m used to customs, I don’t care too much about accessories. That doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a quality package when I see one. A recent exemption was the Fidue Sirius that came with a very nice cable and balanced adapters. Campfire provides a nice selection, focusing on quality rather than unnecessary filling. The tip selection is generous, including the popular Spinfits, Complies and some basic black tips. A carrying case is always a very relevant and useful addition. I’m not a huge fan of the Peli cases that come with customs. I really don’t see the point of taking a big box with me that can fit 6 pairs of iems when I really just want to bring one or two. Campfire includes a classy dark brown leather-look case that is just the right size for carrying an iem with upgrade cable. It’s lined with soft wool, and looks very cozy. Now if I were an iem, that’s exactly where I’d want to kick back. Last but not least, Campfire includes a high quality 4-braid SPC Litz cable. The cable is built well, relatively tangle free and looks slick. I’m glad to see more manufacturers taking the effort to include a proper cable for added sonic benefits as well as ergonomics and looks; an investment that in my humble opinion is worth it’s cost.

Design

Andromeda’s BA drivers are packed in Campfire’s recognisable machine-crafted aluminium design. The design looks sturdy, built to last; a modern, industrial design that goes in a somewhat different direction than the industry standard, that usually aims for a classy, distinguished look to represent a luxury item befitting the price tag. The Andromeda looks like it could be packed alongside gear to go camping or mountain climbing. It looks like something the U.S. army would issue for their marines, especially due to the combination of the metal housing with its green color. You know, if they’d ever need to bring along high-end iems for modern warfare.

There were some complaints after the first release about the edges being uncomfortable for some listeners, as was the case when Fidue released their flagship, the Sirius. In the end, there will always be some people that don’t fall into the average range with their unique anatomy; one size can’t always fit all. But if I understood correctly, they incorporated feedback to modify the curvature of the shell to make it more comfortable. Personally, I haven’t encountered any fit issues with the Andromeda. They protrude a good bit out of my ears when I check in the mirror, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Sound impressions

Presentation
Due to Andromeda’s popularity, there are already an abundance of reviews and impressions available. As is often the case, there seems to be a lot of variation in the opinions on several aspects of Andromeda’s signature. Some find its bass too light or more than enough, or find its treble either too sparkly or even laidback. Naturally, a great part of this is due to differences in preferences and sensitivity. But I can’t help think that it’s also partially due to the fact that Andromeda’s signature doesn’t completely fit in a category. Its tonality and signature are fairly neutral, with a clear and open sound and nice treble prominence and sparkle. Yet the midrange is thick and slightly warm. This gives Andromeda the full-bodied vocal and instrument presentation of a midcentric tuning, with the general tonality and treble presentation of a neutral signature: ‘neutral+’, if you will. A unique combination, that makes the sound very coherent, versatile, but most of all highly engaging.

Andromeda’s slightly forward midrange is presented in a grand stage, especially in width, with an average height and depth. Andromeda has a full-bodied presentation, which fills up the stage for an overall full sound. Due to the excellent stage dimensions, separation is still very good, although the layering can be a bit tight as the stage isn’t overly deep in relation to the thicker note presentation (Campfire's Vega has an advantage here). However, the wide stage prevents it from tending towards congestion. In addition, the imaging is precise, without verging into analytical territory. The focus of Andromeda is a fun, musical and foremost engaging experience, rather than having a completely neutral or reference presentation. Which isn’t to say the Andromeda is technically lacking, it just isn’t the primary goal. Instead, Andromeda offers an excellent balance between an engaging and coherent musical experience, with a solid technical foundation.

Bass
Much has been said about Andromeda’s bass, with some finding it either light or more than sufficient. Ultimately, perception will always differ based on preference. I personally like my bass north from neutral; a solid bass impact and lively mid-bass that adds rhythm and a bit of warmth to the music. With universals, tip selection also plays an important role. I played around a bit with the provided Spinfits and silicone tips and then went with Spiral Dots, as they added some mid-bass for a slightly warmer sound. Later I came back to the Spinfits, as the stage becomes a bit cleaner due to the attenuated mid-bass warmth. Since Andromeda already creates thick notes, the extra mid-bass isn’t really necessary. With a solid seal, the Andromeda gives me a proper bass impact, with a nice bit of power when driven properly by a good source. It keeps a safe margin from basshead territory, but it doesn’t have a shy role in the presentation.

The sub-bass has good lower end extension. It might not be the most powerful; the sub-bass hits are tight and impactful, creating a dynamic sound. The mid-bass comes close to neutral, and certainly isn’t laidback. Bass lines have good size as well as definition, and contribute to the overall liveliness of the sound. The decay is nice and quick, which aids in creating an airy sound.

Midrange
Andromeda’s midrange is full, and inherently warm. If it had less treble presence, this would have been an excellent midcentric iem. But Andromeda combines a clear, open tonality with a beautiful midrange. Vocals have great size and density, and especially male vocals can put on a powerful display due to a full lower midrange. This gives notes an excellent subsection of the body, an extra thickness that makes them sound slightly colored but very engaging. While one could argue the coloration means the sound isn’t presented in its most purest form, the more important argument would be that it only makes it sound better – as testified by Andromeda’s immense popularity. Similarly, the upper midrange is slightly brighter than neutral, adding a nice bit of sparkle and excitement without sounding artificially bright. While the stroke of a violin might sound slightly thicker, there’s a nice shimmer to the sound, without sounding harsh. I’ve mentioned vocals, but electric guitars equally sound captivating and energetic, as well as synthetic melodies in pop or dance music. This is a midrange with many strengths, that easily lends itself towards different music.

Treble
Andromeda’s treble consists of a great mixture of presence and sparkle, while retaining a smooth presentation. The treble is deliciously thick; this gives it an engaging quality, a certain prominence in the signature without relying on being overly bright. The treble has enough sparkle and air, but keeps in line with the rest of the signature, being neither relatively forward or laidback. This is a treble that simply refuses to take backseat to a midrange that’s already hitting you full frontal - quite an accomplishment considering the rest of the full-bodied presentation. Andromeda gets a nice bit of sparkle from a 9 KHz treble peak that gives it a slightly brighter tone, but remains smooth due to a more relaxed lower treble region that prevents it from sounding analytical. Rather than aiming to being the most articulate or refined, this is a treble that simply sounds musical due to its thickness and sparkle.

Comparisons

Custom Art 8.2 (€1100)
Custom Art’s revamped flagship is retuned to a smooth midcentric signature. Both iems share a similar rectangle-shaped stage, but the Andromeda’s is wider and slightly taller. Despite the Andromeda’s advantage in width, both perform equally in separation due to Andromeda’s thicker notes. The 8.2 has a more powerful sub-bass, as well as a warmer mid-bass presentation. In addition, the 8.2 has a slightly more natural bass decay.

Both share an inherently warm midrange, capable of conveying emotion in vocals. Vocals sound similar in density and overall size. The 8.2’s upper midrange is slightly thicker, while Andromeda’s is slightly brighter. This gives Andromeda a slightly clearer and more open sound, while the 8.2 is smoother with a relatively more uncolored upper midrange. Similarly, Andromeda’s treble is more prominent and thicker, while the 8.2’s is relatively laidback, warmer in tonality and generally more non-fatuiging for sensitive listeners. Overall, Andromeda sounds clearer with more prominent treble, while the 8.2 has a warmer and smoother mid-centric signature.

Lime Ears Aether  (€1150)
Lime Ears tuned the Aether with a focus on naturalness, and as a result the Aether offers a pleasing variation of neutral. Both share a very nice stage, although Andromeda’s is wider, while Aether’s is deeper. A variable bass switch is a nice bonus that allows you to adjust the bass from light to full-bodied, and has slightly more or less mid-bass than Andromeda depending on the setting. Andromeda’s bass is however better defined, with Aether having similar bass resolution but less impact in the low setting.

Andromeda’s midrange has more body, while the Aether’s is slightly more distant in comparison. While Andromeda’s midrange has thicker notes, Aether has more presence in the upper midrange. This also gives the Aether’s midrange more air, with a slightly more accurate tonality for string instruments and pianos. The Aether sounds very natural, which is further exemplified by its smooth treble. It isn’t completely laidback, but less prominent than Andromeda’s. Andromeda in turn offers more sparkle, as well as thicker treble notes.

EarSonics S-EM9 ($1490)
Andromeda has a slightly wider stage, but the S-EM9’s is deeper. Due to Andromeda’s thicker note presentation, the stage placement is relatively full. The S-EM9 stage feels slightly more intimate, but the combination of leaner notes with greater treble extension and an airier stage gives it a cleaner sound. Simply said, Andromeda comes at you strong with a full-bodied sound, while the S-EM9 has a more delicate but refined presentation. Andromeda’s full sound makes it engaging, while the S-EM9’s better definition and separation gives it a different type of musicality, sounding very detailed without resorting to a brighter signature.

Both share a similar sub-bass, while the S-EM9's has more mid-bass impact, and its mid-bass is more resolving. However, Andromeda’s tighter bass is overall slightly quicker. While the S-EM9 scores points for its bass, Andromeda gets a win for its midrange: it has more body, power and warmth compared to the S-EM9. Vocals have greater size and density, especially male vocals. Both share an engaging treble, but Andromeda contrasts a thicker treble with a bit more sparkle against the S-EM9’s greater extension, which gives it an airier sound with better treble definition and articulation.

Jomo Samba ($1725)
Samba’s recently released 8 BA flagship is designed with a reference tuning in mind. The sound is relatively uncolored, with a focus on accuracy. Both have a large stage, but Samba’s is deeper while Andromeda's is taller. Due to the combination of Samba’s clean stage with leaner notes, it has the advantage in separation, with overall more air between the instruments. Andromeda’s notes are thicker and warmer, a contrast with Samba’s dryer but more highly resolved notes; the Andromeda has a more ‘fun’ tuning, compared to the Samba’s more technical presentation.

The Samba has more sub-bass impact, with less mid- and upper bass emphasis. This aids in its cleaner stage, while giving Andromeda the fuller and warmer sound. This continues in the lower midrange, where the Andromeda has a nice fill giving good body to the sound. Samba’s lower midrange is more distant in comparison, creating leaner notes. Overall, Andromeda’s midrange is warmer and fuller, with greater vocal density. The Samba’s midrange has more clarity and definition, and its upper midrange is more uncolored compared to the slightly brighter Andromeda. Similar to the S-EM9, the Samba’s treble is more articulate, while Andromeda’s is thicker. However due to a 7 KHz peak, Samba has a greater tendency towards sibilance.

Conclusion

If you’re planning on selling a lot of units, it’s probably best to tune a signature that will appeal to a wide audience. When I first started browsing through the forums, I used to think that ‘neutral’ was associated with boring, as it neither specializes in mids or treble. The more iems I started to listen to, the more I’m starting to realize that achieving a neutral signature is coming closer to perfection. Done right, a neutral signature isn’t a compromise between the bass, midrange and treble – it’s a perfect harmony. While the Andromeda isn’t truly neutral, it is a poster boy of this philosophy – the ability to perform well in every aspect of the spectrum. Not as a compromise, but a stellar display of coherency.

When different people discuss the Andromeda, some might want a little bit more sparkle, or a little bit less. But more often than not, both of them will agree the Andromeda sounds good. If the signature had been brighter or less bright, you’d have lost one of the groups. The balance between excitement and non-fatuiging is just very well done. But this is all after the fact - Andromeda’s popularity has already proven that.

A great deal of Andromeda’s success naturally comes down to its tuning – in the end we all do it for the sound.  A winning formula of an engaging signature, combined with excellent technical capabilities. Andromeda’s signature is a full package, and its ability to do well in all departments makes it incredibly versatile. But the other part of the success lies in its pricing. While prices in audio unfortunately continue to rise, Campfire is sending a powerful message that top of the line performance is also attainable around the $1000 mark. Andromeda isn’t good for its price – it’s good regardless of its price.

Curious to see where the Andromeda ranks against other flagships? Shootout of 16 flagship iems starting next year here on Head-fI, on this thread. ​

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Holy hell, these are great. Nicest stock cable I’ve used, very flexible and the silver looks fantastic. Build quality for the IEMs are very good, but the aluminum has a bit of nicks from use, no big deal. Comfort is actually extremely good, despite the abundance of hard edges. With the right tips, these just disappear in the ear. I’m using JVC Spiral Dots/Ortofon L tips which have been working great.

These can be summed up by having a very slight U-shaped sound signature, with very good coherence. Coming from FitEar ToGO 334!, these have much more treble presence, which helps to add that “sparkle” to music. Mids are similar in quality but less emphasized so it doesn’t have as much richness. Bass quantity is a bit less, but the quality can be considered better, as the Andromedas are a bit faster than the TG334s which makes the low end sound more defined. I’d say imaging and soundstage are at the same level between the two, but the Andromedas are more “out of head”. The increased treble is the biggest differentiator I find in favour of the Andromedas. They have a very “hi-fi” sound, even straight from my Samsung S7 Edge.

In terms of source requirements, these are very sensitive so they are quite easy to drive. Bit of hissing with both of my sources, but apparently an impedance adapter helps to clear that up. Sounds great out of S7 Edge and iPad, so DAC/Amp definitely not necessary.

Summary: Very great pair of IEMs. Slightly better than the TG334 I had, while being cheaper, which makes them my best yet. Definitely worth looking at.

INTRODUCTION

Firstly I'd like to acknowledge Head-fier d marc0 (Mark) and also Ken Ball from ALO/Campfire for making this review possible. The opportunity to hear and review an IEM which may not have been available otherwise to me is very much appreciated.

So far I've heard Campfire's Lyra, Orion, Jupiter (I chose not to review the Jupiter as I had issues with it's sonic signature and my own particular physiology / bias / sensitivity – which would have made any review overly skewed), and Nova. The one which intrigued me the most in the Campfire line-up thought was the Andromeda (their flagship). I'd heard prototypes of the Andromeda, and hoped to hear and review a final version at some stage. That time has now come, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity.

Unfortunately for this review – I've only been able to use these for a little over a week – so please take this into account. These are shorter term impressions.

ABOUT CAMPFIRE AUDIO
Campfire Audio is a partner company or off-shoot to ALO Audio, and is run by ALO's CEO and founder Ken Ball, and a small team of like-minded enthusiasts and engineers. Ken of course is the CEO and founder of ALO Audio (2006) and ALO is very well known for creating high quality audio components – including cables, amplifiers and all manner of other audio equipment. Ken founded Campfire Audio in 2015 – with a vision of creating extremely high quality earphones with excellence in design, materials and of course sound quality.

DISCLAIMER
The Campfire Audio Andromeda was provided to me for review as part of a tour. I get to use it for about 7-10 days then it goes to the next tour recipient. I am not affiliated to Campfire or ALO Audio in any way, and this is my subjective opinion of the Andromeda.

The Campfire Audio Andromeda can be sourced directly from Campfire Audio for USD 1099

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'.
Over the last week I’ve used the Andromeda paired with most of the sources I have at my disposal – from my iPhone to the L3 and X7. But for the review I’ve used mainly my X3ii + E17K, and also the X7 and L3. In the time I’ve been using the Andromeda, I haven’t noticed any sonic change. And although I used the Andromeda coupled with several different amplifiers, they are easily driven, and will pair nicely with most sources straight from the headphone out (some may want to use an amp though for sensitivity/impedance corrections).

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The Andromeda's arrived to me in their distinctive 122 x 83 x55 mm hinged lid retail printed cardboard box. The background is a silver on dark blue “night sky” illustration, with a distinctive green sticker on the top and front face. The sticker has the characteristic CA swirl, the model (Andromeda), picture of the monitors and some information on Campfire Audio,a nd the primary features of the Andromeda (“high fidelity in ear monitors / five drivers + machined alumnium housing).

Opening the lid reveals the Campfire Audio carry case – which this time is real leather, is very sturdy, but more “jacket or bag pocketable” than trousers. It measures approx. 75 x 115 x 45 mm. The case is zipped on 3 sides, and when opened reveals a soft wool interior which will definitely protect and preserve your IEMs. With the outside being genuine leather, it is quite strong, and also pretty rigid.


Under the case will be a hidden compartment which reveals the accessories. These include:

1. S/M/L silicone tips
2. S/M/L generic foam tips (Crystal foam type)
3. S/M/L genuine Comply T400 tips
4. A cleaning brush / wax remover
5. A Campfire Audio logo clothing button / pin
6. Campfire’s foldout user manual (incl care instructions and warranty info)

You really won’t need any more than what is included, as the cinch on the cable negates the need for a shirt clip. And while I note the omission of an airline adapter or 3.5-6.3 mm adapter, really speaking – how many of us actually use these (plus they are easy to pick up for a very small outlay).

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
I’ve listed below the main specifications for the Campfire Andromeda.



FREQUENCY GRAPH
The graphs below are generated using the Vibro Veritas coupler and ARTA software. Ken had graciously provided me with measurement data for the same set of CA Novas in a previous review, and I used this to recalibrate my Veritas so that it mimics an IEC 711 measurement standard (Ken uses two separate BK ear simulators in a configuration I can only dream about and envy him for). I do not claim that this data is 100% accurate, but it is very consistent, and is as close as I can get to the 711 standard on my budget. Ken's own reference measurements on far better equipment will be a lot more accurate than mine – but because I use my own kit in later comparisons, I will use my own.


MY GRAPH


KENS GRAPH

What I’m hearing (subjective).

1. Linear bass response with a very natural sounding slight rise, excellent bass extension, and more importantly no bleed into mid-range
   
2. Very clean and coherent mid-range with a relatively small dip in the fundamental range (around the 1 kHz), and then subsequent rise in the presence area (from 1-2 kHz with a very small peak in the 2 kHz range) – which gives female vocals a lift in the presence or overtone area, yet sounds very natural.
   
3. Well extended and detailed lower treble which does not exhibit excessive sibilance (for me) and remains extremely detailed with great extension and more than sufficient air for clarity.
   
4. Overall I’d say that the Andromeda is one of the most well well balanced monitors I've tried. Vocals are in perfect harmony with bass and treble, and Campfire have achieved an exceptional mix of natural tonality and clarity.
   
   

The channel matching on this pair of Andromedas is exceptional (and some of the differences shown in my measurements are likely to be minor differences in seating each ear piece). They are practically identical. When Ken says his team hand-pick and match the drivers, it isn’t just “marketing speak”.

BUILD & DESIGN
External


I really enjoy a simple, clean design. The Andromedas share a very similar design to similar earphones in the Campfire range – especially the likes of the Orion and Nova. Campfire uses a fully machined aluminium enclosure. Each shell is taken from a solid block of aircraft grade aluminium and then each small batch is CNC machined and finished – with the process talking around 9 hours. After that they are zirconium blasted to achieve a very smooth finish, which also helps to more effectively hold the colour during anodisation.


Physically each shell measures approximately 21mm in length, 16 mm in height and has a depth of approx. 19mm (including the nozzle). The nozzle itself is angled slightly forward and slightly up, extends approx. 6-7mm from the main body, and has an external diameter of 6mm. The nozzle has three distinctive bores. The main body shape is very ergonomic, and the Andromeda is designed to be used with the cable over ear. The IEM shell is 3 pieces in total – nozzle, shell and back plate – with the plate secured by 3 small torx screws. There are L/R marking on the inside of both ear pieces and the Campfire logo is also discretely engraved on the outer face. The finish is what I would call a forest or emerald green, the entire shell is precision cut – and these look quite simply very beautiful and very fresh (they appeal to my subjective tastes anyway).


At the top of the shell is a beryllium coated MMCX connector, and when used with the supplied silver plated copper ALO Litz cable, the connection is made with a reassuring click. The cables do rotate in their sockets, but the connection itself seems to be very robust. Unfortunately this is one of those things that only time can be the judge of – but the craftsmanship and material used seem to indicate longevity (to me anyway).


As I mentioned, the cable is ALO’s new “Litz”. It utilises individually enameled strands of high purity sliver-plated copper wire, which are then combined into 4 separate conductors, which are in turn encased in a durable medical grade PVC outer jacket. The cable is extremely flexible and light-weight, has stunningly low microphonics (practically non-existent), and virtually no annoying memory issues. The male MMCX connector is again beryllium coated, fits very snugly, and has either a blue or red dot on the connector to indicate L/R. There is a 80mm length of memory wire for over-ear wear, and I’ve found this very malleable, but also holds its shape very well. The cable is approximately 1.2m long, and consists of two twisted pairs above the Y split which continue as a twisted quad right through to the jack. The Y split is small and light and houses an in-built cinch which works really well (easy to move yet holds its position well when cinched). The jack is 3.5mm, right angled, and has clear rubber housing. Strain relief is excellent. The jack will also fit my iPhone 5S with case in place, although YMMV as the diameter of the rubber base is around 6mm. I like this cable so much, I am genuinely tempted to purchase it separately for some of my other MMCX based IEMs.

Internal
Internally the Andromeda uses a new and unique approach to its tuning, and which Ken regards as being the secret behind the lower and upper treble extension. For a starter the Andromeda uses a combination of 5 BAs to achieve its overall signature, and these are arranged with a dual BA for the lows, single BA for the mids and dual BA for the highs. Rather than using a traditional acoustic tube and damper solution for the high frequency drives, Campfire have implemented a Tuned Acoustic Expansion Chamber (or TAEC system). The 3-D printed chamber allows internal acoustic tuning without the compression associated with dampers – which Ken says results in high frequencies which are very open sounding and extended. My own hearing tops out at around 14 kHz nowadays so I'm probably a poor judge of the upper frequencies, but I can confirm that the Andromedas do sound quite open open and have great upper end clarity.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION
Fit
Fit for me is fantastic – the shells are very ergonomic in shape, and this includes the angle of the nozzles and also the placement of the cable exits. The shells (when fitted) do not extend outside my outer ear (they are more flat or in-line with it), and I have no issues lying down with the Andromeda. The memory wire is also really well implemented here so that snugging the wires properly is easy. The fit is relatively shallow, so for me I need to resort to my larger tips. If it was possible to extend the nozzle length by a couple of mm, it would really help the overall fit I think.

Comfort

This leads me to comfort and just as with the Nova I'm in two minds about this. I was mildly critical of the internally angled design utilised in Campfire's Orion, Jupiter, and Nova. My ears are soft, smooth, and have a lot of curved surfaces. I’d bet yours do to. The interior of the Andromeda shell has a series of angular edges. I first noted this with the Jupiter, and it continued with the Orion and now the Nova. The Lyra lacked these edges and was extremely comfortable for me. I'm not sure with the Andromeda whether it's me getting used to the fit, or maybe its the Zirconium blasting procedure, but the Andromeda is definitely more comfortable for me this time, and although it doesn't quite “disappear" during wearing like some of my other monitors – it seems to be an improvement over earlier models to the point it has become more of a non-issue.

Isolation

As far as isolation goes, it will be tip dependent. For me, using large Shure Olives tips, the isolation is excellent – at least as good as using my q-Jays (deep insertion and wonderful isolaters), and I would use the Andromeda without question on long haul air travel.

Tip Choices
Those who’ve read my reviews will know that I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that usually single silicon flanges don't fit overly well. This is often even more of an issue with shallow fitting IEMs. I tried my usual selection of silicones and found varying degrees of success. Tip matching will always be personal preference – but here are some of the tips which fit pretty well.

1. Sony Isolation / Trinity Kombi tips – great isolation and seal and probably my second choice behind the Shures
2. Crystal foams / Comply foams – great isolation and seal.
3. Spin-fits – extra length allowed me to use a looser fit while maintaining seal, but isolation was not as good as other options.
4. Ostry tuning tips – good seal and isolation.
5. Spiral Dots -very good seal, and did help to provide a little more upper end emphasis.
6. Large Shure Olives. You need to stretch the core to get them on, but they are perfect for me for shallow fitting IEMs. Perfect isolation, longevity with continual use, comfort and allowance of a looser fit in ear all adds up to a perfect tip choice. YMMV.

SOUND QUALITY
The following is what I hear from the Campfire Audio Andromeda. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point (unless otherwise stated) was done with my FiiO X3ii and E17K and large Shure Olive tips. For the record – on most tracks, the volume level on the E17K was around 11-13/60 on low gain which was giving me an average SPL of around 70 dB (mostly 65-75 dB) and peaks at around 75-80dB (A weighted measurements from my SPL meter).

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

First Impressions
Unlike many of my reviews (where I try to avoid preconceptions by not reading anyone else's work), I'd already seen many other opinions on the Andromeda before I tried them, and I have to admit I was reasonably sceptical with some of the superlatives being written about them. I know how products tend to be hyped beyond reality, and to be honest, I was expecting a slightly different signature to what I first heard. For me, from the very first listen it wasn't a wow!, but rather an appreciation of how well tuned they were. The balance is really good. That appreciation has slowly grown over the last week and for me personally, that usually signifies that long-term (for my tastes) these would become exceptional monitors. Usually if I get a wow from the start, this fades eventually and I am left with a sound sig which I quickly tire of. The Andromeda is one of those IEMs which (for me anyway) I could happily ditch most of the other IEMs I have, and become more of an audio monogamist. It just does practically everything right. The more I listen, the more my appreciation grows.

Relativities

1. Sub-bass – very well extended and there is a decent amount of rumble there (which shows the impressive extension), but bass is not the overall star of the show. Bass is beautifully balanced with the mid-range (bass might be slightly elevated in comparison), and sub-bass is essentially flat compared to mid-bass
   
2. Mid-bass – very slightly elevated compared to mid-range, but generally reasonably flat (frequency wise). No noticeable bleed into the mid-range, and definitely enough impact to sound natural. A beautifully balanced mix of warmth and speed which is rare in a BA set-up. Very good sense of texture too.
   
3. Lower mid-range – very slightly recessed compared to mid-bass, but sounds completely natural with this tuning. The last thing you would call the Andromeda is U or V shaped. There is wonderful texture with deeper male vocals (Pearl Jam is wonderful – Eddie's vocals stunning), and the clarity on the mid-range overall is exceptional.
   
4. Upper mid-range – elevated compared to lower mid-range, but it is a slow rise from lower mid-range to the first small peak at about 2 kHz. The result is an incredibly clean and clear vocal range, with enough presence to lend a sense of euphony to female vocals – but without over-doing it and making the entire signature too lean or dry. The upper mid-range on the Andromeda is (for me) one of the best qualities of this IEM and strikes a wonderful balance between sweetness and air and remaining natural (uncoloured).
   
5. Lower treble – there is a definite peak at around 7 kHz, so if you're sensitive to this area, it might pay to be cautious with the Andromeda. I'm not – so this tuning is very good for me. Ken's more accurate graphs show a similar peak at 9 kHz. There is some roll-off immediately after this peak, so you have a lot of clarity and definition without any real harshness or brittleness. One of my tests for lower treble is to listen to the natural decay of cymbal hits and see if it is overly truncated. highlighted or sounds natural. For me the treble decay with the Andromeda just sounds unbelievably natural – it extends and tapers off exactly the way a cymbal does in real life. Magical! There is some sibilance in tracks like “Let It Rain” (Amanda Marshall), but the sibilance is in the recording and the Andromeda is merely revealing what is in the recording, neither enhancing or masking it. The treble tuning for me is one of the best parts of the Andromeda – and especially when you combine it with the mid-range
   

Resolution / Detail / Clarity

1. Excellent with micro detail, and able to resolve finer details well without spotlighting or over-emphasising.
   
2. Cymbal hits and decay on cymbals have excellent presence, and decay is very naturally portrayed
   
3. An extremely clean and clear monitor with good resolution portrayed very naturally.
   

Sound-stage, Imaging

1. Extremely good directional queues, and just outside the periphery of my head space with binaural tracks – so above average width and depth
   
2. Spherically presented stage – without uneven emphasis on width or depth. One of the better portrayals of sound-stage I've heard with an IEM
   
3. Compelling sense of immersion both with applause section of “Dante's Prayer”, and also “Let it Rain”. A genuine sense of space was apparent with both.
   
4. I had read about the Andromeda's stage being “massive”, and “cavernous”. I want to make it clear that in my testing neither statement is true. The Andromeda portrays a stage to me that is better than most IEM's I've heard (64Audio's Adel series is an obvious exception). The sense of space is impressive in that it is expansive for an IEM, but I would suggest any claims of rivalling full sized headphones in this regards may be a little overstated (at least for the open headphones I have).
   

Strengths

1. Balance, balance, balance – this is how a reference monitor should sound. KB nailed it.
   
2. Clarity without being overly bright
   
3. Excellent with both male and female vocals
   
4. Fantastic with dynamic music – and able to show very good contrast between bass and upper mid-range (eg Cello and Violin)
   
5. Fantastic with acoustic music and gives strings good sense of realism and tone when plucked, and nice edge to electric guitar when strummed.
   
6. Very good with female vocals, lending enough euphony and sweetness to be a real joy to listen to – but without over doing it. Sarah Jarosz (my latest “obsession”) sounded incredible. A sonic signature I could listen to for hours.
   
7. Genre master for lovers of a balanced signature – I enjoyed it with all genres tested – from classical, jazz and blues to electronic, grunge and pop.
   

Weaknesses

1. I have to confess that sonically I can't find a weakness so far. The Andromeda is one of the best tuned monitors I've ever heard
   

Summary
It was while I was listening to the Andromeda this afternoon and putting the finishing touches to the review that I twigged what it reminded me of sonically. It has the same type of balance as the HD800S – just without the very expansive sound stage, and without the extreme clarity the HD800S somehow provides. But the sense of overall balance and tonality is very similar. And that small statement there should be an indicator of how I feel about the signature of the Andromeda.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
As I alluded to earlier, the Andromeda is easily driven out of a smartphone or DAP, and on my iPhone 5S I’m sitting around 20% for my normal listening level (65-75 dB).

I also volume matched and compared X3ii vs X3ii + E17K, and there was no discernible audible difference in dynamic presentation – so I think it is pretty safe to say that extra amping won’t be necessary. Based on the specs alone (12.8 ohm and 115dB SPL), straight out of the headphone-out of most sources should be more than enough. My favourite source was probably L&P's L3 – there is a somehow effortless presentation with it which I find absolutely captivating. And this may have something to do with overall sensitivity and hiss.

Because of the high sensitivity of the Andromeda I thought it best to also test for hiss or noise. With my tinnitus, I can't hear any hiss (it is essentially masked by my tinnitus) so I employed the super sensitive hearing of my 13 year old daughter. Emma was able to hear hiss on practically every device I tested – depending on volume. It was louder on the X3ii and even on the E17K (which surprised me), but much quieter (still present) on the X5ii, X7 (AM3) and L3. On all of these DAPs when music was playing (at Emma's normal very quiet listening level – which is about 55-60 dB), the hissing disappeared (masked by the music). She agreed with me that she thought the L3 (and for her also the X7) was her pick for pairings.


And one thing while we're talking about pairings - I very much enjoyed the Andromedas paired wire-lessly with my iPhone 5S using Trinity's new Bluetooth adaptor. Simple to use, sounded fantastic, very portable. It really was a breath of fresh air.

RESPONSE TO EQ?
Sorry – I didn't go there. There is simply no need. The Andromeda does not need tinkering with, and anything I did with EQ would be spoiling the default signature.

COMPARISONS
Andromeda is a top tier monitor, and fortunately for this exercise I had what I consider to be other top tier BA based (or hybrid) monitors available which are in similar price range. So for this exercise I chose to compare the 5 driver Campfire Andromeda ($1099) with the Fidue Sirius 5 driver hybrid ($899), 64Audio U6 6 driver BA ($899), and the 64Audio U10 10 driver BA ($1399).

As always, the IEMs were compared after volume matching (SPL meter and test tones), but the comparisons are completely subjective. For these tests I again used the X3ii and E17K – simply because it is easier to volume match with this combo (and because for me, any possible hiss issue inaudible/inconsequential anyway).

For anyone who may look at past reviews of the IEMs I'm comparing here, and notice the graphs are different – this is simply because of the use of the new IEC 711 compensation.

Andromeda $1099 vs Fidue Sirius $899

Both IEMs are 5 driver – with the Andromeda being all BA and the Sirius a 5 driver hybrid. Both have extremely good build quality – metal parts, quality cables, and good accessories. For me personally, the Andromeda wins slightly on fit and comfort. The Sirius has sharp edges on top, and I have big ears so the shells sit inside my outer airs. I can get both Andromeda and Sirius fitting with reasonable comfort, but both require adjustment to get right

Sonically they are very different with the Andromeda being very balanced across the frequency spectrum, and the Sirius having more of a V shape. You'll note on the graph that Sirius has two lines, but I think the truth lies somewhere in between – this is because the Sirius has an internal bass port, so bass response could differ depending one ear anatomy and fit. The Sirius is also very upper mid-centric, and has quite recessed lower mid-range, so whilst female vocals in particular sound quite ethereal, male vocals can tend to be a little unnaturally thin and distant. Andromeda has better lower treble extension and this hows particularly in cymbal decay. My preference would be Andromeda for the more natural sonic signature and better overall tonality – but both are very good earphones.

Andromeda $1099 vs 64Audio U6 $899

This time it is an all BA match-up. The 5 driver Andromeda vs the 6 driver U6 with Adel modules. For this comparison I've used the U6 with the B1 Adel module, and shown graphs with and without an impedance adaptor. You will note the overall similarity of the graphs. But lets start first with build etc. The Andromeda slips ahead with build and also quality of the cable. Both are similar on the accessory front – the U6's custom case is brilliant, especially for protection and storage of accessories (including modules). With the U6 you also get the Adel system (read my review) which has had a profoundly positive effect on my listening experience + it is also tunable. Comfort goes to the U6 – with its rounded internal edges.

Sonically the two are extremely similar. Both have brilliant balance throughout the spectrum, both have very similar overall bass response and the biggest difference isn't actually in the frequency response or tonality – but in the sound stage. With the Adel modules, the projection of space is simply larger (at the cost of some isolation). I'm afraid this is one where (for me) the U6 pulls ahead. And it is simply the Adel modules vs the TAEC system. If I didn't already have the U6, and someone offered me the Andromeda instead (as my only IEM) I certainly wouldn't be disappointed. Both are simply exceptional IEMs.

Andromeda $1099 vs 64Audio U10.

Finally the Andromeda is up against the much more expensive U10 (10 driver BA), and as with the U6, the Andromeda wins on overall build quality, whilst the U10 nudges ahead on fit and comfort.

Again the U10 has the Adel modules, and again it has advantage in staging and tuning options – but the one thing the U10 can't quite get with the Adel modules (although it is closer with the M20 and the inclusion of an impedance adaptor), is the overall balance that the Andromeda has. And it's the cohesion in the mid-range coupled with the extension and tonality in the treble. The Andromeda is just better tuned to my ears – and I know this is personal preference – but it simply sounds better. The U10 might win with slightly better instrument separation – but overall I'd take the the Andromeda and spend the difference on music

CAMPFIRE AUDIO ANDROMEDA – SUMMARY

I went into this review somewhat sceptical about the high praises – perhaps knowing it was a well tuned IEM, but expecting that there may have been some hype as well. I leave a week later, grateful for the experience with the Andromeda, and now fully appreciating what a wonderful IEM this is.

The Andromeda is an incredibly well built 5 x BA IEM, with a very good ergonomic fit, and also one of the best quality cables I've come across. The cable retails on ALO’s site for $149 if sold separately – so you're getting some very good value there too.

The comfort with the Andromeda is better than with previous Campfire IEMs – perhaps due to the zirconium blasting/smoothing process, and maybe because I now use tips which also help my own anatomy better. Anyway – the comfort isn't perfect (nnd I know you can improve this further Ken), but it is much better for me now, and I thank you for the changes made.

Sonically the Andromeda is simply incredibly balanced and strikes a wonderful mix of naturalness and linearity, clarity and smoothness, detail and musicality. The bass is nicely extended, and beautifully balanced with the mid-range. The mid-range has enough lower-mid recession to maintain distance and sense of space but without losing the richness and fullness of vocal fundamentals, and the upper mid-range is brilliantly cohesive without being over done. The extension on the treble is the crowning jewel of the Andromeda though. And how Ken has managed to deliver the detail while maintaining realism is simply an example of masterful tuning.

At a current RRP of USD 1099, the Andromeda is not cheap, but the overall package is worth it simply because it is true flagship quality.

Again I should make mention of the dedication and service of the Campfire Audio team. In my dealing to date, I have been very impressed by their willingness to take critique on board, and above all to constructively engage with their market audience, and ultimately improve the final product.

So would I buy these, and would I recommend them to others? I absolutely recommend them – but I ultimately won't be getting a pair. I already have most of what the Andromeda delivers in my U6, and the one thing it has made me appreciate more is the sonic ability of both IEMs. The Andromeda (for my tastes) is almost perfect.

Once again I’d like to thank Ken and Mark for making this opportunity available. I owe you gentlemen a debt of gratitude – and especially Ken for his generous help with my measurement set-up.

Ken Ball from ALO Audio is a big fan of the outdoors. If you see an image of nature on the ALO Audio, and now Campfire Audio web site, it will have been one he took himself. So for his new venture into in-ear monitors it was only appropriate that they be named after features of the night sky. 
 
While I did have a listen to his first three models of IEM at a previous Tokyo headphone festival, I wasn't so enamoured by the brightness of the Jupiters, which seemed too strong for my tastes. It wasn't until this year, when I heard the Andromedas for the first time, that I was really moved by the sound. I was moved not so much because of any particular feature of the sound, but because their seeming lack of anything in the sound that reminded me I was listening with IEMs. The cohesion of the overall presentation had the IEMs immediately disappearing, leaving just the music. 
 
Ken didn't hold back on the design in any way, shape or form with the Andromedas, exemplified by the fact that the pair I have for review are actually factory rejects. It would take a careful eye to see why, but he doesn't deny his intent to be perfectionist and send customers only a perfect product. As well, since I receive my pair, the design has been changed ever so slightly to add a couple of facets to area opposite the nozzle facing your ear, which may be better for people for whom the design is a bit of a tighter fit.  I didn't have any discomfort from the metal, but I have very average ears.
 
Unusually, for a manufacturer, he started off building cables by hand, then working with others to make amps and DACs, and now headphones, rather in reverse of many other companies that started with headphones first. That has, however, given him an advantage with his range of IEMs, as he has the experience to design a good cable. As much as one may dislike the idea of the importance of a good cable, I can attest to the difference they can make. On my pair of JH13s, if I use the stock cable, the sound is harsh and unlistenable. A change to a well-made Litz-wire cable from a third party transforms the sound. Time and time again I've had good headphones that I felt were simply held back by the stock cable. Where the manufacturer has included a good cable, this hasn't been an issue. 
 
 
Irrespective of opinion on the matter, the cable itself is the same thickness and flexibility of a regular IEM cable, excepting the metal splitter and neatly-fitting transparent plastic choker. The MMCX plugs are a custom beryllium copper plug that has a tighter grip than a stock MMCX connector, the ring having a larger bend. Removal requires quite a firm pull, which the instruction manual advises be done straight and not at an angle. The downside is that this type of connector turns endlessly, which can be annoying if you're like me and line up your IEMs for insertion by the direction of the cable. I'm also sure some people will prefer a non-memory-wire version of the cable. 
 

Accessories

 
The Andromedas come with a good selection of ear tips: Silicon, foam and Comply TX-400; and a cleaning tool. The Complys are difficult to install, having a narrowish tube, the good side of that being that they stay on very tightly. With a bit of foam in the tube, they are good for keeping earwax out of the canals.
 
The included leather clamshell zip case has faux sheepskin lining, giving it a classy, old-school appearance suggesting a product intended to be used for a long time. 
 
 
 
To the IEMs themselves, they consist of 5 balanced armature drivers -- 2 for the bass, 1 for the mids, and 2 for the highs. These are housed in a CNC aluminium enclosure with a uniquely shaped design. For my ears, that edgy shape could be felt a bit on insertion, but it didn't end up bothering me at all. I'm more sensitive to the discomfort of having anything in my ear canals to really notice. However Ken has acknowledged concerns and will be smoothing the design slightly in future production runs.
 
Ear canal discomfort may be an issue for some, as the three-port aluminium nozzle is big, and requires similar tips that DITA Audio's The Answer, RHA, and FitEar's universal series do. Since that permits tips with a variety of sizes, some tuning is readily possible as it is with the DITAs. Select tips with a narrower nozzle and the highs are tamed a bit, the bass being brought out more. If I select Spinfits for comfort then this is exactly what happens, making the Andromedas warmer with stronger bass, but not as pleasant overall as with the stock tips.
 
After an initial listen, I ran the Andromedas in for a couple of days using pink noise, with periods of listening in between. Most of the time I ran them out of an ALO Audio Rx or Pico Power connected to my Schiit Yggdrasil. Sometimes I used a Chord Mojo. DAP pairings I shall address separately. For most of the comparison I used the stock silicon tips. 
 
 
If you have experience with many full-sized headphones, I can simplify things and say that the Andromedas are much like a pair of MrSpeakers Ethers in overall tone when used out of a good DAP or amp. From the very present, but sweet highs down to the moderately strong mid-bass, with a few exceptions both have a similar character. This made acoustic recordings a joy, enough to make one forget that you are listening with IEMs. Using my iPhone or Soundaware's M1, both of which have a <0 Ohm output impedance, the bass drops back a bit, which I find pleasant when the music is already very bass-strong.  While mostly mid-bass prominent, it does extend well down to the deep bass if you have a good seal. 
 
Generally speaking, foam tips will reduce the treble and narrower-bore tips will increase the bass. At one extreme, if I used the Andromedas out of the Mojo or similar, which brought out the most bass, and had the included Comply foam tips on, they sounded at their darkest, similar to what I had experienced often with the Laylas. This was sometimes too dark for me. Spinfits and DITA medium-bore tips seemed to cause the mid-range to take a back seat to a degree, so at the recommendation of other members I tried JVC's Sprital Dot tips.
 
Spiral Dot tips use a spiral of indents in the bore to reduce turbulence. Since some JVC IEMs have a similar bore shape as the Andromedas, they fitted perfectly. Also, given the wide bore of the tips, the treble could come out well. This increased the overall coherency of the sound, leaving me to balance up the amount of bass via the choice of amp or DAP.  The only downside is that the very wide bore can make the highest treble a bit bright, which was fine with most acoustic music, but other music, if treble-strong, can be a bit unpleasant.
 
 
Random tracks from putting my three-stars and better playlist on random. It should be noted that I listen at a moderate volume level.
 
Let the Sunshine In sung by Julie Driscoll, being an old pop number with less than perfect recording quality and lacking in bass was rather thin-sounding as a consequence. I wish someone would re-master this.
 
Let there be Light - Justice. This band plays best with headphones and IEMs that really give a good bass kick. The Andromedas are possibly a touch too light-sounding, but when I switched over to the DITAs to compare how a dynamic sounded with bass, with the "reference" tips they had even less bass. That leaves me feeling the Andromedas will be good for someone who likes their bass kick, but without there being too much, even with this kind of music.
 
Englishman in New York - Sting. One of the best features of the Andromedas is their ability to render a sense of space in the recording, despite being IEMs and this recording was a good example of that. The level of detail, down to the decay of notes echoing across the recording space emphasised this.
 
Dazzling Blue (Album) - Alexis Cole. This Chesky binaural album has become my reference for headphone listening. If anything the bass lines can be a bit strong. It's here that I feel more like I'm listening with IEMs, as the bass crowds a bit into the rest of the sound space, if it is rendered very well. 
 
Spanish Grease (Dorfmeister Con Madrid De Los Austrias Muga Reserva Mix) - Willie Bobo - Verve Remixed.
This is music that, along with the other tracks and similar albums I lump into the category of “club music” which is brighter with a stronger beat. Due to the mastering being somewhat bass-light, with these tracks I preferred more bass-strong/treble-light IEMs for preference, even when I rotated tips on that moved the sound signature of the Andromedas in this direction. 
 
What was apparent throughout listening was the sense of space that live recordings are presented with.  What is more, the clean-sounding treble wasn't bothersome, even when modern, brightly-recorded (but not compressed) recordings were being listened to. The presentation is very much a "This is how the recording is, for better or for worse" one. 
 
That presentation works fantastically with acoustic recordings, from vocals through to jazz and classical, but are also capable all-rounders, quite able to deliver music with strong bass.
 

Devices

 
My usual portable go-to is the Chord Mojo. The Andromedas have a tiny amount of hiss audible when plugged in without music playing. Being a close to 0 Ohm output device, the bass is quite prominent, yet quite clean-sounding, the sense of spaciousness still very pleasant. 
 
ALO Rx (2015 version) -- Even less hiss than the Mojo. Brings out the treble and spaciousness a tiny bit more.
 
Headamp Pico Power -- low gain setting. No hiss at all and a minute amount on medium gain. Plenty on high gain, but no worse than the Mojo. Very smooth and neutral "nothing but the facts" but less spacious-sounding than the Rx or Mojo direct. 
 
Sound Potion Monolith -- My favourite pick, combining the smoothness of the Pico Power with the spaciousness of the Rx and only has a tiny bit of hiss on low gain.
 
 

Comparisons

 
Shozy Zero 
 
While it may seem an odd comparison, these considerably more bass-strong IEMs were useful for providing a contrast to the presentation of the Andromedas. Where bass thump and a well-smoothed treble was more important than ultimate detail, such as with “club” music, the Shozys were strongest, whereas the Andromedas win with acoustic music where space, soundstage and separation are most important. 
 
Ultimate Ears Reference Monitors
 
Compared to the Andromedas, they are tuned to a more neutral frequency response and are less sensitive. The Andromedas picked up hiss from ALO Audio's new Continental V5 (CV5) whereas the UERMs didn't. The Andromedas also have more mid-bass emphasis, the treble varying depending on the tips used. 
 
JH Audio Layla Universals (original version)
 
I was expecting the Andromedas to sound brighter, as I've always found the Laylas to be a bit dull-sounding, but surprisingly, with the bass turned down, they are more similar than not. The Laylas have the advantage that they can be CIEMs, and the multiple drivers give them more headroom for louder listening, something not so important to me. The main issue for me with the universal Laylas was getting a good fit and adjusting them to sound the best, something I didn't have as many issues with when using the Andromedas. I reckon the Laylas would work best as a CIEM.
 
DITA Audio The Answer (Truth Edition)
 
(Going to add this shortly.)
 

Conclusion

 
Very often discussion of new, high-end products centres around how they can be improved. The Andromedas are one of those products that is great right out of the box sonically, especially if you your tastes are more towards well-mastered acoustic music, with a spacious and detailed sound. With more modern, brighter-mastered music they are a not quite so suited, at least without some tip rolling. Most pleasing is how much care Ken has put into designing and making them.  The only cautions are that the design and cable ergonomics wont be suitable for everyone.
 
Thanks to Ken Ball for proving the Andromedas for review.
 

Unboxing and Video Review

 

My full review of text and photos at 
http://headpie.blogspot.jp/2016/05/campfire-audio-andromeda-review.html
Also reviews for the NOVA and JUPITER can be found.
 
here are the highlights.....
 
Campfire Audio Andromeda Review - Expatinjapan (originally published May 2016)
 

 
 
https://campfireaudio.com/andromeda/
Campfire Audio is the IEM sibling of ALO Audio.
 

 

Build
The build of the Campfire Audio Andromeda is exquisite. Seemingly a classic in the making in its overall look and design. The quality of the machining is beautiful to look at, each unit is piece of art in itself.
It casts an illusion of hardness and weight, yet the converse is true. The Andromeda is lightweight and solid, yet fits within the ears with a softness If you will.
Five balanced armature drivers with a tubeless resonator box into a machined aluminum enclosure.
 
Each part is precision machined out of aluminum with one large bore hole and two smaller bore holes. The two halves of the housing being connected by bolts. Seamless.
 

 
Using MMCX connectors with reinforcement makes for a safe and sturdy cable where it counts the most. The ability to swap out the 3.5mm cable for a 2.5mm balanced cable (not included) is also a plus.
 

 
 
The new Litz wire cable makes its entrance into the Campfire audio range and will eventually be the standard cable for all the CA range. No need for any cable upgrades with this beauty.
 
Packaging
The Campfire audio Andromeda comes in a simple box like its predecessors, yet with one important difference in detail. Now one can easily open the box once the plastic shrink wrap is removed without having to cut into it. It was a painful procedure to go through when I received The Jupiter. Now as you can see in the photos it opens easily like a flower in bloom.
 

 
The Andromeda comes with a beautiful case like its other IEM siblings in the Campfire Audio range. This time the color is a rich chocolate brown leather case with a wool lining. Well made and strong. Attractive and stylish to look upon.
 

 
 
 
 
The Andromeda, like the other IEMs in the Campfire Audio range comes with the same accessories to get you started on your way to aural bliss. Three packs of tips, a cleaning brush and a delicate CA pin for those special occasions. The tips are Comply, stock foam and silicone and come in three sizes of S, M and L.
 

 
 
Fit
Coming from the Jupiter all my past concerns about fit have passed, perhaps the Campfire range is not for all ears, but for me the look is false and the fit is true.
They are comfortable for lengthy periods of time, the nozzles is angled just so, perfect to slip easily into the ear canal. The memory wire that graces the upper ear locks everything in place.
As usual one has to do some tip rolling to find which tip achieves the best fit, isolation and comfort.
If the supplied tips don`t fit your fancy there are many quality aftermarket tips out there to buy and try. I would hazard a guess that most people purchasing a TOTL IEM like the Andromeda would already have a healthy collection of various tips to choose from.
 
The Campfire Audio IEMs do look like sharp edged heavy beasts, but really they anything but that.
Light, well designed to fit within the inner ear and with a delicately angled nozzle assist to achieve a decent seal to aid one along the path to musical happiness.
 

 

Chin slider to assist in maintaining a secure fit.
 

 

Sound
The Campfire Audio Andromeda IEM is a wonder of design, vision and engineering.
It ticks all the right boxes for me and what I have read so far from others early impressions it also rings their bells.
The Andromeda for now sits at the top of the Campfire Audio range of IEMs, will there be a further development in the future? I hope so, even though with the advent of the Andromeda I am curious If it can be done better.
 

My first impressions of the Andromeda were positive.
*My impressions are short and possibly not wholly accurate due to my short time listening to the Andromeda at the Fujiya Avic Headphone Show in Tokyo, Japan. April 2016.
The sound was fuller than the Jupiter, or it could be the lush and sweet mid range now coming through.
My Jupiter is smooth, articulate and airy. A nice low end and highs. A soft small u shape.
The Andromeda seems to pack more power, it seems flatter in a reference sense, same low and high ends but it has more in the middle. Not warm either. Musical yet tending towards reference.
Clear, clarity, detailed, also articulate.
Excellent instrument separation, width, height, speed, layering etc are wonderful. The main word that springs to mind is soundstage. It has a great extension from the low to the high end. 
It has a very balanced sound across the board, yet also musical.
 
I did most of my listening to the Andromeda with the Centrance Hifi-Skyn, ipod 6G 128GB using Flacplayer app by Dan Leehr. I started the review after a burn time of 100 hours.
The Campfire Audio Andromeda IEM is a work of wonder. It is without a doubt one of the best IEMs I have had the good fortune to listen to. Whereas many earphones and headphones are built for a particular type of music or a persons sonic preferences the Andromeda seems to pull a magical trick where it is all things for all people.
One might say it goes against the saying `a jack of all trades` by changing the final conclusion to `a master of them all`.
I try to avoid new toy joy and hype city by placing my new items into a merry go round of burn in for a good number of days which allows for my initial excitement to die down somewhat, so I might approach the review with a sense of objectiveness. 
I have tried to plumb the depths of the Andromeda for its many weaknesses and can uncover no glaring faults.
It truly is a work of wonder in this saturated market of multi driver IEMs and TOTL Daps.
 
The Andromedas soundstage is the main thing most first time listeners will notice, it extends beautifully and fully to both ends of the spectrum. One head-fier even described it as `holographic`, one could even add 3D-ish but that sounds cheaper so lets run with holographic.
It is controlled well at the high and low ends, the bass being powerful, fast and clear and not shy to pack a punch. The treble is clear and sparkly and extends well into the distance without any hint of sibilance or harshness. It has a mid range that is lush, open and even one could say sweet.
The sub bass stays in its place well enough as does the bass, mid range and treble, there does not appear to be any bleed through inappropriately through the layers.
The Andromeda walks a tightrope being both well balanced and even reference sounding to a degree, yet also musical but without the usual accompanying coloring that other IEMs offer.
It has great resolution, layering and has fantastic micro detailing with the right Dap.
They are smooth, even organic to a degree, detailed and have a fast response overall. I find I am able to listen to the Andromeda for lengthy periods of time without fatigue.
 
 

 
Campfire Audio Andromeda frequency chart, courtesy of CA.
 

Value
The Andromeda ranges from US$999 to US$1,099 depending on whether you jumped quickly onto the pre-order bandwagon. Whether that is still live at the time of this article being published is worth a quick look.
https://campfireaudio.com/andromeda/
Value is a fickle thing. It varies in life from experience, to objects, people and so on.
In the audio world it is often harder to gauge.
Does the Andromeda tick all the right boxes, I would have to say yes.
Build, yes. Packaging, small and simple. Yes. Fit, well for me thats a yes.
Sound, definitely a yes.
It a TOTL IEM at a TOTL price point, and justifiably so as it delivers on the promise of high end audio.
 

 
 
Overall
The Campfire Andromeda is one of the best IEMs ever to grace my ears. It shines in all areas of performance, admittedly I fear I may have missed its faults but I did my darned best to uncover them.
 
One might call the Andromeda `Jupiter perfected`, the missing mids in the Jupiters soft lower case u sound shape were gorgeously present with the arrival of the Andromeda.
One Head-fier (Hisoundfi) described the sound of the Andromeda as `holographic` and thats a term that I keep returning to as it echoes in my memory.
I have tried it with various sources: ipod touch 6G, Centrance Hifi-Skyn, Centrance Mini-M8, Shozy Alien Gold, Fiio M3, Seiun player.... and to my ears it seems to be constant in its performance.
 
The build of the three Campfire Audio IEMs I have is impeccable. They are solid and robust.
Made from one block of precision machined aluminum and held together by bolts. They certainly are sturdy. They appear heavy to the eye but in fact are quite lightweight.
Whilst they may look sharp at first glance, they are well designed and fit into my ears without any uncomfortable rubbing, the cable has a memory wire which also helps to lock them in place although they seem to sit there quite well by themselves.

 They have a lot of straight lines and not so many curves as most IEMs have, but rest assured it is comfortable fit.
The nozzles are angled in such a way as to enter the ear canal easily, and are long enough to get a good seal and isolation.
 
The cable is strong and well made. The braided cable gives a sense of strength and beauty and it is reinforced at the MMCX connector.`
 
In summary the Campfire Audio Andromeda takes a seat at the table of the TOTL IEMs and rightfully so, no doubt as more of the Andromeda units find their way into other reviewers hands many will echo my findings, not through any malicious plagiarism but simply the Andromeda is coherent and consistent in its performance.
Perhaps some other reviewer can find a glaring fault, I could not.
 
The Andromeda...smooth, resolving, huge soundstage, detailed, beautifully designed and made.....
 

 
 
 
 
Thank you to Campfire Audio for sending Head pie the Andromeda
-expatinjapan
 
 
 

Hi everyone, Before I start the review, I would like to thank Campfire Audio for making this awesome IEM, and also to d marc0 for inviting me in the tour.
 
NOTES
 
The aesthetic and design is almost the same as the Orion apart from the color on the housing and the cable, since that is the case, the "Fit, Comfort and ease of use" & "BUILD QUALITY" is almost the same as in my Orion, Jupiter review but not entirely. If you have read that one, you can skip through to the "Sound Analysis" section.
 
INTRODUCTION
I'm an Indonesian working as a Web Developer in Melbourne, Australia.
Other than programming/coding, listening to music is another one of my hobby.
When I start my headphone hobby, music listening has been a very rewarding experience for me and has helped me in many aspects of life other than music enjoyment of course, although with the booming price of high end headphones/IEM, it has become a bit of a heavy hit on my wallet >_<.
 
Starting from almost 2 years ago I've been really hooked by metal music, and nowadays my everyday music listening always incorporate metal tracks, I guess you can call me a Metal-head, although I also listen to other genres occasionally.
 
I don't actually listen to all kinds of music, lets say for example Classical, therefore it is important to understand that this review is based on my observation on the kinds of musics I like, and those are mainly:
- Metal (many kinds)
- Pop
- EDM
- Jazz
- Indonesian Song (it's basically the Indonesian version of pop, guitar used is mostly acoustic guitar, sounds natural and relaxing however, mastering of the song is usually poor, this is good to test how good a headphone/Iem handle poorly recorded material)
- KPOP
 
I used the Andromeda for all my music listening everyday for 2 weeks using the AK Jr mainly for maximum portability on the go and Chord Mojo at work.
 
Packaging
 

The box is made from some kind of carton with an out of space theme, it goes very well with the IEM name, there is also a paper sticker printed with the logo, name of the IEM and a very brief description of what the IEM is.
 
Accessories

 
 
 
 
Inside the paper box we have:
- A hard Sided carrying case with a brown leather with a soft fluffy kinda material on the inside to protect the iem.
- The IEM itself, with the cable attached on it (most likely 1.2m in length, silvery color).
- cable management strap (2 of them in whitecolor).
- multiple types of tips with size option (small, medium, large)
- documentations
- cleaning tool
 
The Andromeda

 

It has five balanced armature drivers(2 lows, 1 mids, 2 highs) and tubeless resonator in a machined aluminum enclosure with 3 bore design(1 for each frequencies I presume) and removeable cable.​

 

The Cable​

 
The cable on the Andromeda is different from the one included in the Jupiter and Orion when I review them.
They are all silver, but the one for Andromeda is thicker and less prone to tangling.
After  a little bit of research, I found out that the cable in question is called Litz cable.
https://www.campfireaudio.com/shop/litz-cable/
 
I'm no cable expert, but looks like the quality cable has some impact to the sound as the IEM sosunds excellent!
 
Fit, Comfort and ease of use
 
I've always have issues with fits as my ear canal has a significant differences in size. This makes it hard to find a good tips that will sound nice, consistent and comfortable on my ears however, with the inclusion of the comply foam tips in the box, the fit is becoming less of a problem as the foam tips helps a lot with the fit(a very thoughtful inclusion).
 
The iem itself has and edgy design however this does not bother me much, when positioned carefully, my ear feel perfectly find after hours of use.
Do take in mid that in order to ensure the comfort, you need to position the shell carefully, if you feel that the edge is touching you ears in anyway, just carefully reposition it so that it sits nicely on your ear.
Do not push the shell inside to much that it touches the inside of your ear, this will cause discomfort later on.
 
The Isolation is good, I used it a couple of times in the train and at work, it blocks most of the noise just fine.
 
BUILD QUALITY
The build Quality on The Andromeda is excellent, it has a more classier looks then some of the 1000 dollar IEM out there.
The housing looks nice with the metallic green finish and I feel comfortable with the protection it provides.
 
The unit itself has some weight to it, I can actually feel the weight on my hand when I hold onto it although once you put in the iem and play some music I doubt you will be bothered by the weight, considering the weight most likely comes from the iem housing made using a CNC aluminum housing. 
I feel perfectly happy with the weight, considering that aluminum just looks so much better than plastic in terms of look, it doesn't feel cheap, like many other more expensive IEM that use plastic, I think the use of aluminum is a step in the right direction providing more protection and classier looks.
 
The cable has an angled ends which adds to the longevity of the cable, I also like the fact that it has a detachable cable, I didn't try to detach it, but this will be a very good safety insurance for some people, as it can be replaced easily if something happens to it, and it will detach when a lot of pressure is applied to the cable.
 
The positioning of the Y split is perfect for me, not too high not too low. Other than that for people who likes to invest on some high quality cables and wants to change the microphonic cables this will be a very welcoming addition.
This is an over ear type IEM, therefore, it provides better ergonomics than cable down style.
 
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
My first impressions with the IEMs are very positives. At first I feel that this IEM has a forward presentation in the mids and upper mids/lower treble.
I am used to a more laidback presentation of my Mr Speakers Ether which is still a bit intimate but nowhere as intimate as the Andromeda, and becuase of that I felt that the Andromeda is a little on the bright side, but with more listening times, my ear adapts to the sound a bit and my opinion change quite a bit.
 
SOUND ANALYSIS
 
The Signature
In my opinion the sound signature of The Andromeda is quite neutral with forward little emphasized mids, more than the bass and treble, it is by no means a mid focused, the bass is very present in the mix followed by the treble.
 
If I have to compare the quantity of the signature, it will be like this: mids > bass > treble
Although the difference is not big and can still be said neutral in a lot of ways.
 
the signature itself works very well with all genres of music, including metal, my favourite genre.
If you listen to modern musics though, this will be perfect in my opinion as long as you are not a big basshead. 
 
I give the tonality of this IEM a perfect 10/10 since it just works and sounds good on everything I throw at it.
 
The Bass
The bass sound's tight and deep with good quantity and it is very fast, when I listen to "Forget Not" by Ne Obliviscaris, there is this part where the drum hits gets super fast, it will usually sound less distinct with other headphones and IEM, but The Andromeda handle this with ease, every hit can be heard and distinguished easily and on top of that it is punchy.
It has a fast decay and very good dynamics, the drum works in the track mentioned above was transcended to another level when I hear it with the andromeda.
despite the fast decay and tight bass, the bass doesn't feel thin or anemic at all, in fact it sounds very natural and satisfying. 
 
When listening to EDMs or raps, the beat sounds super deep and punch with the excellent dynamic adding to the enjoyment, the switch between the silent phase to the bass shows a significant jumps of volume in a very short time, giving you the surprise factor and attack that you crave for from the tracks.
 
The Mids
The mids is lush, a little forward, very natural and detailed.
You can listen to many variety of vocal with this and it can only be great.
As a metal-head, I often listen to song where the singer use scream and growl for their vocals, it sounds really good with Andromeda and never harsh.
If you listen to Rap, the clarity will make it easier for you to listen to the lyrics.
If you listen to ballad or Jazz, the lushness will melt your mind away as it the sound has this emotional feel to it. (Norah Jones sounds so good on this)
If you listen to Justin Bieber, ummm, I don't know, I don't really listen to that kind of music, but other modern music like Ariana Grande sounds excellent.
 
I found both male and female vocals is being represented very well by The Andromeda and there is no distinction where male vocals will sound better or vice versa.
 
Guitars sounds simply superb on this, the bite is present but never harsh
You can listen to many old metal recordings where the guitar can sound sharp and harsh, but it will come out fine with this, I'm not saying it will sound excellent or anything since the recording itself is bad, but it will not sound harsh at all.
On a good recording though, the guitar has a very natural tone to it but still has the bite that we all like.
Overall Guitars both electric or acoustic, sounds excellent on this.
 
 
The Treble
Treble is very clean, smooth and present in the music with good air, it is very easy to notice the cymbal hits in metal or rock recordings, It is smooth and sparkly but not to a fault and has an excellent extension.
It sounds lively and energising, providing the engagement factor on each track that I played. 
Violin and guitar solos sounds awesome on this and it never gets sharp and harsh or fatiguing, the sound is really smooth and it really catch your attention to it.
 
The Soundstage, Imaging and separations
The soundstage on this is insane, In my opinion this is the best part of the Andromeda, I can confidently say that the soundstage is the widest of all IEMs I've heard to date Including many TOTL that I demoed sometime in the past(including K10U, Jh, etc). I can feel it right away the first time I put it on, It is that good!
 
As a metal-head, most often IEM will not work nicely for me, this is because, metal music is dense and require good soundstage to avoid congestions where every sound seems super close to each other, good imaging to pinpoint the instrument and good separation so that 1 instrument will not cover the other instruments, this IEM definitely has it. and because of this it works very well for metal. 
 
Everything just sounds distinct and I can pinpoint the instrument location very easily, the soundstage combined with the exceptional clarity makes this IEM sounds very clean and articulate without being thin.
This IEM is so good at this that if you are looking for an excellent soundstage in an IEM, this is the best that I can recommend.
 
Pairing
AK Jr

Naked Ak jr
 
The pairing is excellent, the emphasized bass in the AK Jr added more bottom end meat to the Andromeda, giving you a bassier presentation but not overly so, mids is still lush and detailed, with good treble presentation.
The AK Jr also has a very good soundstage further complimenting the strength of the andromeda.
Power consumption of the Andromeda is quite low on the AK Jr, it last almost 2 days at work without charging.
Very good sound, with ok battery and super slim and portable set up.
Easily pocketable, unlike other DAP where I found that it is just too thick and expensive.
easy and quick to use on many situation (on the bed, etc)
If you can put up with the slow UI, I highly recommend this paring if you want more bass on your Andromeda.
 

 
With green uniform on, because green is good!!
 
Chord Mojo

 
 
Again, the pairing is excellent, the mojo is also a warm source, although the bass boost is not as much as the AK, adding some bass to the Andromeda.
the bass is a little less in quantity than the AK but is more extended (this is a trade off, I take the AK pairing for bass though, draw for me)
the mids is still lush and full with slightly more detail and clarity than the AK but still noticeable improvements. (Mojo wins)
the treble is smoother and more articulate than the AK Jr, this is the biggest improvement over the AK (Mojo wins)
soundstage is about the same maybe a bit less than the ak, but better imaging and separation (Mojo wins Again)
Less portable and harder to use than the Ak Jr (AK Wins)
takes longer to set up, needs a computer or phone (AK Wins)
more cable management, not good if you have to move around (AK Wins)
 
The difference in quality of AK Jr combo and Mojo combo is noticebale but does not really gravitate me to use one more than the others, I'll just whatever the situation calls, this tells me that Andromeda is quite flexible with source pairing and will sound good on many sources as long as the source does not stray away too much from neutrality.
 
Comparisons with Jupiter
It has been a while since I heard the Jupiter so my audio memory of its sonic capabilities is not dependable, I think the main deciding factor is the signature, where jupiter is a slight U-shaped.
but speaking of performance, technicalities and my own personal taste, I will always pick the Andromeda, the price difference is not huge and it is definitely worth the extra cost.
In my opinion the performance jump is big considering the small price difference, I certainly didn't get wowed this much when I review the Jupiter, The Andromeda is just better right from the get-go and will always be my first choice IMO
 
SUMMARY
This is a great IEM with a great tonality and insane soundstage that will suit many genres, sound quality is excellent with excellent detail retrieval without sounding analytical.
the only cons for this IEM is the edge design that can be a pain sometimes, thus requiring carefull positioning of the shell when wearing it.
 
Providing a custom options will solve this problem perfectly and will increase the comfort and sound isolation. In my opinion this is a must do as this IEM definitely punch above its price range and can compete with other TOTL IEM with ease.
 
I want to give a thumbs up to Campfire Audio for putting up this awesome IEM in such an affordable price that punch above its weight.

Campfire Audio Andromeda:​

Crown jewel of the Campfire fleet​

 

Introduction

 

Campfire Audio have been churning out some beautifully designed and crafted IEMs lately - machined aluminium in gorgeous industrial, but somehow ergonomic shapes, unique resonators in place of the more common sound tubes, beautiful and high quality cables with MMCX connectors and sound tuning that is equal parts varied and consistently enjoyable. Admittedly, their dynamic driver-based Lyra model didn't wow me, but the balanced armature-based Jupiter and Orion models were both great.
 
I was excited to see what magic Campfire Audio wove into the Andromedas to build on their already excellent range and, on first listen, the Andromeda showed all the signs of being the perfect amalgamation of the outstanding performance and tuning demonstrated in the earlier models.
 

 

Design & Accessories

Like all of the Campfire Audio range of IEMs, the Andromedas are a combination of impeccable design and luxurious appointment. The Andromedas come with a beautiful, dark leather carry case lined with wool (or synthetic wool - I'm not sure), a high-quality braided cable, a broad selection of silicone and foam ear tips, and a cleaning tool. All-in-all it's an outstanding range of accessories that makes the Andromedas feel every bit as high-end as their price tag suggests.
 

Aesthetics & Ergonomics

 
Beyond the accessories, the design of the Andromedas is equally high-end. The housings are machined from aluminium and finished in a rich, anodised green that's reminiscent of British Racing Green as used on some classic, vintage sports cars. It's not a colour you normally see in the audio world, but it's a great looking colour and grants the Andromedas a truly unique aesthetic. As well as the aesthetics, the choice of aluminium housings means you know that they are rigid and not creating mechanical distortion in the sound reaching your ears.
 
Ergonomically, the Andromedas are more comfortable than they look. At first glance the Campfire IEMs look to be all angles, but the Orion and Jupiter models proved to me convincingly that the angles and curves are in all the right places to produce a comfortable wearing experience. The silver-coloured nozzle is quite chunky, but it's still small enough in diameter to fit into my slightly troublesome ears although I wouldn't want to wear these while exercising because the nozzle prevents a truly secure fit in my ears. That said, they fit well enough to seal the ear canal and reproduce their optimal sound without any hint of discomfort.
 

 

Driver Configuration

 
The Andromedas are a 5-driver design which means that each earpiece contains 5 balanced-armature drivers. That's not particularly unique in the earphone world, but the Andromedas share the unique technology pioneered by their older siblings - a tubeless resonator design. I can't say exactly what that means (because I don't know, not because I'm sworn to secrecy), but the essence of it is that the traditional tube system to carry sounds from the drivers to tip of the nozzle in most IEMs is replaced by this unique approach in the new Campfire Audio IEMs. Looking closely at the nozzles on the Andromedas, it appears as though each driver or set of drivers (e.g. bass, mid and/or treble groupings) deliver sounds into chambers which are controlled for resonance with damping or similar techniques. The sounds then exit the chambers via the openings in the nozzle without the potential turbulence or resonance that plastic tubes could make.
 
There are many amazing IEMs on the market that manage to sound exquisite while using the traditional nozzle approach (and may actually benefit from them by extending the lengths of the nozzles to adjust for timing variations between frequencies) so it's not fair to say that this technology instantly raises the Campfire Audio products above their competition, but the tubeless resonator technology certainly doesn't seem to harm the sound and therefore may conceivably be improving it.
 

Sound

 
The sound from the Andromedas is effortless in that annoying way that some people can be athletic. What I mean is that there's no sense of strain or effort, but equally there is no sense of flaw or laziness.
 

Treble

 
Campfire Audio market the Andromedas with the claim that "this system's high frequency extension is unattainable using conventional techniques", referring to the tubeless resonator system discussed above and I can definitely confirm that there is no lack of extension to the treble from the Andromedas and the treble they deliver is super smooth with no hint of sibilance and no sense of any "peakiness" despite a slight emphasis in the treble.
 
Compared to the Jupiters, the Andromedas have a better overall treble balance, but don't lose any overall sense of treble energy or detail - they just balance all the treble frequencies out more evenly without any spikes. The Jupiters had good treble, but the Andromedas have great treble. That said, the amount of treble may not be perfect for listeners with tastes similar to me. Very importantly here I want to clarify that the following remarks are about the amount of treble, not the quality of the treble - the quality of the treble is marvellous. Where the problem lies for me is that I find the treble to be slightly too prominent in the overall sound signature. As good as the treble is, I don't want it to be the star of the show at the expense of sonic balance and the Andromedas definitely have a slight tilt towards a V-shaped signature. My listening tastes align neatly with the Noble Kaiser 10 and AudioQuest NightHawk - two products that are supremely organic and musical. To my ears, the Andromedas are leaning a bit more towards Hi-Fi rather than organic musicality. That's not a criticism because they sound spectacular at what they do with treble, but the signature is just not my preference. However, for those that like the increase in perceived resolution, increased sense of space and the sparkle of great treble, the Andromedas are absolutely worth an audition.
 

Mids

 
As I already alluded to above, the mids on the Andromedas are slightly less prominent than the treble and that's a shame because the mids are glorious. They are full, well-weighted and immensely enjoyable. If Campfire Audio were to pull back the treble emphasis these might have been my favourite ever IEMs, but as it is they are sitting pretty in second place I think. Whether reproducing female vocals, male vocals or instrumentals there is a wonderfully engaging presence and focus to the mid-range from the Andromedas. Everything is crystal clear and sharply focussed, but rendered with a warmth that keeps everything completely realistic and natural - I just wish the treble didn't occasionally demand attention away from the mids.
 
When compared to my favourite IEMs, the Noble Kaiser 10s, the Andromedas not only hold their own, but are actually even more engaging in many ways. I still prefer the slightly tamed treble from the K10s, but the laser-sharp focus and natural rendering of the vocals and instrumentals from the Andromedas might be impossible to beat. In fact, the Andromedas' mids remind me of the insane mid-range quality from the FitEar ToGo! 334.
 

Bass

 
The bass quality and quantity from the Andromedas is really impressive! The other IEMs I've reviewed in the Campfire Audio range (Jupiter, Orion and Lyra) all had nice bass presentations in their own ways, but the Andromedas stepped it up. The Andromedas have impressive punch and weight in their bass presentation. In fact, I wonder if Campfire Audio have employed one of those huge, bass-specific BA drivers like those used by Noble Audio in the K10 and Noble 5 (now the Dulce Bass I believe). There is also very good extension to the bass - something that BA IEMs have gotten better and better at over recent years and the Andromedas are definitely keeping pace with excellent weight and presence right down to the lowest audible bass registers.
 
There's a nice lift to the bass from the Andromedas, but it's been executed in a very considered and balanced way. The result is wonderful punch, weight and depth while never straying from a neutral and accurate overall sound signature. The bass is quick and controlled, but never seems to lack body and presence - a masterful piece of tuning indeed! The Andromedas are equally as adept with acoustic, classical, electronic or rock (or anything else I threw at them) because the bass is so accurate and never over steps the mark.
 
I decided to put the Andromedas up against the Kaiser 10s again and used the thumping kick bass of Everlasting Light [Live] by The Black Keys to see how well they both performed. The Andromedas delivered visceral thump and rapid decay so everything sounded solid and full, but agile and clean. Moving to the K10s brought some extra weight to the bass without losing the speed. On bass presentation alone (discounting the Andromedas' exceptional mid-range), the Nobles had a slight edge so I tried Elijah Rock from Harry Connick Jr.'s Oh, My Nola album. This is a much cleaner recording of a really thumpy kick drum and bass. Once again the competition was super close and once again I'd give the bass edge to the Nobles. Interestingly, on this recording (which is excellent) I would also give an overall edge to the Nobles because the treble energy from the Andromedas creates a very slightly unnatural presentation of the overall performance.
 

 

Staging & Imaging

 
One of the benefits of treble emphasis (even only slight emphasis) is the potential to massively increase the perceived soundstage size and also the accuracy of the image. When done right, as it is with the Andromedas, the resulting presentation is nothing short of astounding and that is completely true here. The Andromedas produce the best soundstage I have ever experienced in a headphone or an earphone. Being a sealed in-ear design, the Andromedas can't compete with a fully open headphone for sheer soundstage size, but they are far more accurate with imaging and sound placement. The resulting balance of size and imaging accuracy is beguiling and has me seriously considering a purchase even though I already own one of the best IEMs on the market.
 

Conclusion

 
The Andromedas are easily one of the best earphone or headphone products I have ever had the pleasure to audition or own. They easily hold their own against the very best flagship IEMs on the market and are a spectacular blend of technical expertise and masterful tuning. Although they pack a little more treble energy than I personally like, most people will absolutely love the presentation as it's right in line with the preferred signatures around the Head-Fi world. What sets the Andromedas apart though is the perfection with which they execute this common sound-signature. The tubeless resonators must be doing something good because the Andromedas offer the best quality treble and mids I have ever heard and they are no slouch in the bass - being bested (barely) by the Noble K10s holds no shame!
 
If I were in the market for a pair of universal IEMs, the Andromedas would be top of the list right next to the Noble K10s and I would probably choose the Andromedas based on the difference in price. In my experience there is really no universal worth looking at beyond the Andromedas. If they were made as a custom I would be in very big trouble!

Disclaimer:
I received this Campfire Jupiter as part of the Australian/New Zealand tour that ALO Audio/Ken Bell arranged. This is my honest opinion of the Campfire Andromeda, and I am in no way affiliated with or work for ALO Audio. Thanks to @d marc0 for organising this and letting me join in a little late.
 
In addition, this review will not focus on technical aspects of the equipment. Rather I will focus on their representation of music to me. My enjoyment or boredom, bliss or disappointment with the equipment. Think of it as an emotional review.
 
Introduction:
 
OK, so I told myself last year – “just get back to Head-Fi, find a suitable setup, and leave…” I’m still here, after realising that the community had matured so much since last decade, yep 2009! The ability to now take part in tours and auditions opened up a whole new world of experiences. Now I was able to test out some great equipment, without the commitment, it’s like Friends with Benefits.
 
Thus far I have been given the opportunity to review the Aune X1S, Jays q-Jays, the Campfire Orions and Campfire Jupiters. This time round, I was given the opportunity to take some more IEMs for a spin – introducing Campfire Audio’s Top-of-the-Line IEMs, the Andromeda in-earphones
 
Official product page: https://www.campfireaudio.com/andromeda/
 

 
Hardware:
 
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
Like the Orions & Jupiters, the Campfire box carries its signature “lost in space” box, and the Jupiter’s sitting cosy in the fur-lined carry case.
 

 

 
 
The contents of the box included:

1. Campfire Andromeda IEM ear pieces
2. MMCX terminated, silver-plated IEM Cable (1.35m) with gold-plated 3.5mm L-plug (2x)
3. Tips:
   1. 3 pairs of Comply TX 400 tips (S, M, L)
   2. 3 pairs of foam tips (S, M, L)
   3. 3 pairs of silicon tips (S, M, L)
4. Cleaning tool
5. Carry case
6. Campfire Audio logo pin
7. User guide

 
RRP: $1099  USD (~$1,475 AUD)
 
 
BUILD & DESIGN
There’s not much more I can add from my write-up of the Jupiter’s & Orion’s build and design. There is a distinct craftsman ship that Campfire Audio have now defined. Again, in their words “FIVE balanced armature drivers and tubeless resonator in a machined aluminium enclosure”. These things are solid, I am pretty sure you could easily drive over them (not that I did…!)
 

 

 
 
TECH SPECS
Driver: Four Balanced Armature Drivers
Impedance: 12.8 OHM @ 1 KHZ
Sensitivity:  115 DB SPL/MW
Frequency Response: 10 HZ – 28K HZ
  
About Me:
 
As with any tour or review, these are my opinions and observations with the Campfire Orion and my hardware. For the purpose of this audition, I used the following equipment –
Source: iPod Classic/iPhone 6S using a mixture of Apple Lossless and MP3 files
Amplifier/DAC: HeadAmp Pico Portable Amp/DAC
Headphones: 1964Ears V3
 
My taste in music is quite peculiar and focuses heavily on heavy metal – in all forms (from death to Viking, from prog to heavy, from Pagan to Mongolian!). A majority of my listening was with bands such as Iron Maiden, Fallujah, and Caligula’s Horse & Ne Obliviscaris. However, I still enjoy a variety of genres, so also included Jazz, Blues, Rock, and Classical.
 
 
The Listening Experience:
 
Music listened to for this review:
Idina Menzel (female vocal)
Delta Goodrem (female vocal)
Opeth (progressive metal)
Fallujah (atmospheric technical death metal)
Ne Obliviscaris (progressive black metal)
Gojira (technical death metal)
Caligula’s Horse (progressive rock)
Hans Zimmer (soundtrack)
 
My initial impressions were:
Bass: tight, deep, controlled
Highs: beautiful and lush
Comments: I thought the Jupiter’s were the best IEMs I had ever heard, and I was pretty sure nothing could top them, I was (kind of) wrong.
 
I really wish I could test the Andromeda’s and Jupiter’s side-by-side, as I found that based on my memory both seemed to sound very similar.
 
The Andromeda’s pack a punch, fantastic full-bodied sound that was quite difficult to fault.
 
They improve upon the Jupiter’s when it came to female vocals, especially the issue with sibilance. The Andromeda’s present female vocals in a smooth lush manner, that’s not harsh or overly high. Listening to Delta and Idina was an absolute treat with the Andromeda’s, being able to really hear the subtleties in their voices, and being able to truly appreciate their vocal ranges.
 
As for Metal and the various metal genres, the Andromeda’s are fantastic. Although lack the attack with the quicker songs. Listening to music such as Fallujah (Atmospheric Death Metal) was fantastic as usually most earphones tend to turn the technical drumming/riffs into mud. That is to say, most of the time it’s muddy. The Andromeda’s strengths with soundstage and instrument separation meant the music was not out of balance. It was synergetic!
 
The soundstage/instrument separation however far surpasses the Jupiter’s. The Andromeda feel like everything is nicely balanced, separated and placed out to give you a sense of being in the music.
 
As stated with the Jupiters:
In terms of the IEMs themselves – fit/isolation was fantastic, although they are dependent on the tips. I had a couple of issues with fit at the start, but after trying a few variations I managed to settle on the large foam. The cables were also quite microphonic, every time I moved around or adjusted my glasses I could hear noise. However, none of these totally hampered my listening experience.
 
This was a difficult review to write as in my opinion the Jupiters and Andromedas are very close in sound-quality. Both, compared to my V3s, are phenomenal. Trying to compare Jupiter/Andromeda with my other IEMs was not a task I attempted as they are different beasts, and considering the Jupiters/Andromedas are TOTL IEMs.
 

 

 
 
Value & Conclusion:
Look, when it comes to the Jupiters and Andromedas, the differences are subtle, and basically for me it came down to price. If I could choose, I would easily pick the Jupiter’s and save myself a few hundred dollars. Both IEMs are outstanding, however I couldn’t really find any astronomical reasons to pick the Andromedas over the Jupiters. That being said, with more time, and the ability to put these side-by-side might yield a better outcome.
 
Thanks again to ALO, Ken and Mark for the opportunity to take these for a spin!

Disclaimer: The Campfire Audio Andromeda was provided to me by Ken as a review sample in exchange for my honest thoughts. This should have been up a long time ago, but life doesn’t always go your way so my apologies for the delay. I hope this review can be of use to anyone still considering the Andromeda as a next purchase.
 
To start off, I would just like to say that I probably wouldn’t be posting any pictures, I might add them on in future, but as of now, there just isn’t much point; there are tonnes of beautiful pictures that other reviewers have put up and my photography skills just aren’t that great, so my apologies to anyone hoping for some amazing photoshoots.
 
My first experience with Campfire Audio was with the Lyra. I was extremely impressed with the Lyra, not just sonically but as a product on the whole. The Lyra ticked so many boxes for me, awesme sound, with a signature right up my alley, premium and beautiful construction (how can anyone fault that ceramic?),  and great ergonomics to top it off. Short afterwards, I got in touch with Ken regarding the Jupiter, and as some of you might remember, I’ve had a previous review of the Jupiter up on here as well so do feel free to check it out.
 
I then had the chance to meet Ken at Canjam Singapore this year, and I must say, it is one of the main highlights of my time a Canjam. We spent quite a while chatting (it must have had been 2 hours at least), and I got to know one of the nicest guys I’ve met. Ken was extremely humble, down to earth, and just so excited about the things he was working on. It would have been difficult not to have been infected by his enthusiasm for the hobby. It was then that I got the chance to give the prototype Andromeda a quick listen, and boy was I in for a surprise. It was simply amazing. It reminded me of the Jupiter in some ways, but it kind of fixed what the Jupiter didn’t quite do for me. During the time that I had talking to Ken, I also got to hear some of his other tech. I wouldn’t spill much on it, it’s not my place too, and don’t worry, Ken isn’t going to be popping out new flagships every other month, but that was real hard evidence of the hardware, dedication, and most importantly progress that Ken was making in the IEM design field. Treat them more as proof of concepts, prototype designs to be refined and improved until Ken deems them good enough for his loyal customers. It was truly an eye opening experience.
 
One thing that really got me onto the Campfire Audio train was the way they designed their products. There are a tiny handful of companies that I truly respect for not taking things the easy way, and for taking every single aspect of the design into consideration. Housing material, internal damping, the use of dampeners (or rather the lack thereof), the choice not to use sound degrading curvy plastic tubes, I find that all too often, these are compromises that manufacturers take to make their life easier. Think about how much harder it would be to do the tuning almost completely from the crossover, instead of just slapping a dampener here and there to cut off the peaks, or how much harder it would be to play with things like bore diameter to play around with the resonance for tuning. That’s what Campfire does, and boy have they done a good job.
 
Well now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get down to the earphones themselves.
 
 
PACKING, DESIGN, BUILD QUALITY, ERGONOMICS
The Andromedas are, like all other Campfire products, packaged in a simple, minimalistic box. They’re not elaborate and ultra classy like my Dita earphones, but they definitely are well designed, and very well thought out. This is something I really appreciate with them. A lot of the competition, even some really expensive IEMs, have such a minimal and lacklustre packaging, that really makes me question the value of the item.
 
Like all Campfire and ALO products the Andromeda is extremely well build. The shell is CNC’ed out of a solid block of aluminium and this really makes for an incredibly premium feeling product. They are very comfortable for me as well, they have an angled, short, wide bored nozzle. This fits me very well and I can wear it for hours on end without the slightest discomfort. Bear in mind that some people have complained about the fit due to the short nozzles, so this is really subjective.
 
 
SOUND
Let’s cut the chase. The Andromedas are some of the best IEMs I have heard at any price point. Sure they’re not perfect, but what IEM ever is? That said, they sound very very good, and over the past months they have been my daily driver.
 
The Andromedas are quite the unique earphone. They sound very different depending on the source, more specifically, the output impedance of the source. I have tested It with some sources with an output impedance of less than 1, such as the Chord Hugo, Mojo, and the Fiio X5. I have also tried them with a high impedance (10 ohm) source, the Soundaware Esther, and the results are remarkable. With the low impedance sources, the Andromeda has a slightly thick sound in the lower mids, with a pretty weighty and thick bass, it’s almost more emotive, warmer, and richer sounding. With the high impedance source, the Andromeda takes on a very different sound, it is altogether much more neutral, much less thick, airier and more open sounding, almost monitor like. The Andromeda is also very sensitive to tip rolling, and I have found it to perform best with slightly smaller bored silicone tips.
 
The Andromedas have some of the best highs I have heard in an IEM. They are very well extended, very sparkly, yet smooth. People who know me well would know that I generally prefer a signature with a bit more bite and edge to it, resulting in the Ditas being among my favourite earphones. It’s not so much that I don’t hear the bite and the sibilance, I’m just slightly more tolerant towards it than most people are. With the andromedas, I have almost never heard it being sibilant. It remains extremely clean and crisp sounding with adequate bite, but almost never sibilant. Almost. Different songs are mastered and mixed differently, and as such, it is impossibly to have a tuning that is clean edged and sparkly enough for all songs, yet not sibilant at all. The highs are not necessarily dead accurate, but they are very very enjoyable. They have a very slightly emphasized sense of sparkliness which brings so much life and air to the top end, something I really enjoy.
 
The midrange of the Andromeda is sweet, with a slight emphasis on the upper midrange, resulting in a certain sweetness to the sound. It is however, dependant on the output impedance of the source. As mentioned above, with a high impedance source, the midrange would sound leaner, more neutral. With a low impedance source, the midrange of the Andromeda would be noticeably thicker, richer, and somewhat lush sounding. The midrange is slightly more forward sounding in the general spectrum of things, and taking into account the vastness of the stage (which I will get into in a while), it really creates for a well layered, contrasted, and engaging sound. One issue I have with the midrange of the Andromeda, though, is that slight upper midrange emphasis that I mentioned. Now, it’s not a bad thing per se, and with certain recordings, it colours the midrange in a very pleasant way, but personally, I would prefer it a tad more linear in this region. Now remember what I mentioned about tip rolling? Well, this is where it comes into play. I find that with slightly smaller bored tips, that slight upper midrange colouration is reduced, and the result is something I thoroughly enjoy, something I have grown to love. Again, I’m not saying that the Andromeda is bad in this regard, you just have to put in a little effort to fine tune it to your liking.
 
The Andromeda’s bass is another area that can be slightly controversial. Again, with high impedance sources, it is very linear, very neutral, albeit a tad light at times. With low impedance sources, it is much more full bodied, much more present. The good? Regardless of source, it extends very deep, and when the song calls for it, the deepest of the sub bass is always there. It is also very textured, very controlled, and resolving, never once getting muddied up. What I sometimes hope for though, would be a little more slam and dynamics in the bass, a little more life if I might put it that way. Then again, I generally (with extremely few exceptions), don’t expect BA earphones to have the same sort of kick that I find with the best dynamic earphones, so that’s something that I can let slide.
My favourite part of the Andromeda would, without a doubt, be its soundstaging and imaging properties. It is one of, if not the most spacious, most well layered, open, and pinpoint sounding IEMs that I have ever heard. If I had to pick a word to describe it, it would be “reference” sounding, not so much in the sound signature (which actually is kind of a reference sig if you run it off a high impedance source), but in terms of the way it stages and images, so wide, so deep and tall, so well layered ad pinpoint, and most importantly, it is ever so controlled. Not once does it lose composure, it always keeps its cool, always in control, always separating and placing images nimbly. The sense of control and grip is just immaculate.
 
Which brings me to my next point. Up till now, I have said many things about the Andromeda, some of which might not seem so good. I assure you, however, that this is not the case. Contrary to that, I am trying very hard to find things that I do not like about the Andromeda. Those guys who know me well, know that I only really like a small handful (probably single digit) of IEMs out there, and the Andromeda is right up there with the best in my books. What I have pointed out, are not so much flaws as they are pointers to those hoping to gain a better insight to the sound of the Andromeda, hopefully, I have managed to describe it well enough.
 
There is one last characteristic which I must bring out. The immaculate sense of control of the Andromeda can, at times, make the music a little too reined in for my tastes. In its attempt to control everything so well, it sometimes loses a bit of the bloom that I like with dynamic drivers. It doesn’t sound so “live”, if I might put it that way. What the Andromeda really reminds me of, however, are an excellent pair of studio monitors, extremely well controlled, extremely pinpoint imaging, and incredible separation. It might not be the most lively sounding at times, but for what it does, it does amazingly well.
 
The Andromeda is, in my opinion, the studio sound done right, immaculately controlled, but with a slight sweetness that prevents it from becoming overly dead. If that’s what you’re looking for, then look no further, the Andromeda is exactly what you want.

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I would like to Thank Campfire Audio for providing Andromeda review sample in exchange for my honest opinion.
 
Manufacturer product website: https://www.campfireaudio.com/andromeda/
 
* click on images to expand

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Just the other night I had a very clear and detailed dream about sitting next to the campfire in the wide open green pasture while sipping on a smooth rum cocktail from a solid aluminum jug, bejeweled in silver and copper, under the skies with five fairly balanced stars of a flagship constellation calling me with its divine sound of mysterious galaxy.  What a bizarre dream!  What a strange combination of random objects and events!  But was it really random or do they all connect together like stars of a bright constellation?  Yes, they do!  Welcome to the galaxy of Andromeda – a constellation of coherency and harmony!
 
Whenever I review a product from a manufacturer I haven’t covered in the past, I like to start with a little intro about the company.  Here, I found a few associated companies with one name in common – Ken Ball, who is 100% behind all the audio engineering, the sound tuning, and the design.  Since I don’t get a chance to attend Head-fi meets, CanJam events, and other audio shows where Ken is very well known, my communication with him was limited to PM exchanges where I quickly realized how much passion and pride he has for his products and how much energy he puts into his work, regardless if it’s headphones, amplifiers, cables, or just a professional audio gear modding which he has been doing for well over a decade.  But two things really stood out.  One is how much he enjoys listening to music and finds it very important to the quality of his life.  The other is how Ken takes his accumulated knowledge of a traditional headphones design and uses it in conjunction with his outside-of-the-box thinking to approach everything from a totally different angle.
 
Some might question why am I starting the review with all these praises?  In the last few years I tested and reviewed multiple dozens of headphones and many other pieces of audio gear with quite a few which I consider to be my favorites, but nothing have stopped me in my tracks like the first time I listened to Campfire Audio (CFA) Andromeda – Ken’s latest flagship creation.  Prior to this review, I didn’t know too much about ALO (another Ken's company) or CFA or how many veteran sound engineers or hearing aid professionals slaved behind the design and the sound tuning of this product.  So imagine my surprise when I learned it was a vision and a hard work of one person, along with a big contribution of Caleb Rosenau (the vice president of CFA), from a company that got into IEM design less than 3 years ago while hand building them in their lab (Portland, OR).  Shocking, indeed!  But I shouldn’t be surprised after realizing the driving force behind it.  Now, let’s proceed to the review.
 
Unboxing.
 
Arrived in a compact sturdy carton packaging, there was something about this box that felt rather crafty.  I’m not talking about rough edges or sloppy construction, but something different that stands out from a traditional glossy packaging with flashy images and spec bullets - just a modest picture of Andromeda with a green swirly background and a printed name with a basic description, and a hand drawn theme of stars in the sky.  I assume all CFA models will come in a similar box with the only difference being the picture and the color background which reflects the theme of that particular model.  It also worth mentioning that entire CFA lineup (Andromeda, Jupiter, Lyra, Nova, and Orion) is named around constellations, stars, and planets – something you would naturally enjoy by the campfire at night looking at the starry skies!
 
With the box cover lifted up, you’ll find a custom dark leather zippered case hosting earphones and a cable.  I initially assumed that all accessories will be inside of the case as well, but instead the bottom of the packaging box comes out with the rest of the accessories hidden underneath.  One peculiar thing was the writing under the cover flap with “Nicely Done” message which could have different interpretations.  Nicely done – toward consumer for making a purchase, or nicely done – toward manufacturer for delivering the goods.  Either way, it shows that CFA cares to make unboxing experience more personal.
 
 
 
 
 
Accessories.
 
Even so the leather case is the highlight of the accessories, more goodies were included.  You get 3 sets of eartips with genuine Comply TX400 tips (S/M/L), generic foam tips (S/M/L), and a set of soft cap shallow silicone tips (S/M/L).  Definitely plenty of tips, but I would have loved to see at least one more set of silicone tips with a longer core stem to enhance fit comfort, though it’s purely subjective.  Also included were a cleaning tool with a magnetic tip (pretty cool to attach it to your desktop components or somewhere where it’s easy to find it), and a custom pin with Campfire Audio emblem/initials (didn't expect this one, but cool nevertheless).
 
When it comes to the leather case, it’s definitely unique, premium quality, and lined with a soft fleece material on the inside.  The case has a hard shell to protect your investment during transportation, and once you unzip it – opens up like a coin wallet with protected sides so nothing falls out.  Some might find it an overkill, but considering the anodized finish of aluminum shells you don’t want to scratch them while these bang and slide inside of the case.  Thus, a fleece lining is not just for the looks but also to protect the alloy shell finish.
 
 
 
 
 
The cable.
 
For those familiar with ALO Audio, another Ken’s company which is a parent of Campfire Audio, you probably aware that in addition to amplifiers he also makes custom cables.  Though a few of his earlier CFA releases featured tinsel wire cables, Andromeda comes with all new 3.5mm Litz SPC (silver plated copper) cable.
 
I usually look into replacement cable for sonic improvement rather than the looks, but in this case both goals were met.  Starting with a translucent 90-deg gold plated jack, you can actually take a glimpse inside to see how wires are soldered, and the rubbery housing has a nice grip with a decent strain relief.  The 4 twisted wire conductors have silver finish with a medical grade pvc jacket, and the cable still feels soft and pliable.  Four separate wires also means that the ground of each earpiece side is isolated until the connector, which is just asking for a balanced cable jack.  Hopefully it will be available soon as a separate accessory from ALO.
 
The y-splitter is slim and aluminum, like a silver bullet, and it has a clear plastic chin slider which retracts from the splitter.  The wires going to each earpiece after the splitter are twisted, and closer to mmcx connector housing you will find a memory wire section.  Here you a have a traditional stiff piece of a memory wire wrapped around in a soft clear tube which you can shape for over-the-ear fit.  The mmcx connector itself uses a high quality beryllium copper material, and the housing of the connector has red/blue dots corresponding to Right/Left sides.
 
The same matching mmcx beryllium copper alloy connector is used in the shell of Andromeda, and you get a snappy and a secure joint.  Mmcx connectors have a bad rep due to intermittent contact issues or accumulated specks of dust or just premature wear off.  Here, an extra attention was paid to choose components with a premium quality material.  The only thing I’m not too crazy about is combination of memory wire hook spinning around the connector as you trying to put these monitors in your ears.  Could be a matter of personal preference, but I like to put earpieces in first and then put the cable over my ears without distraction of moving ear hook.  I would suggest an alternative cable version without memory wire piece, especially for those who wear glasses.  Also, those who are into DIY, be careful if you decide to remove wire by yourself because you can damage the connector housing since the memory wire is jammed tight inside.
 
 
 

 
In most of my IEM/CIEM reviews I typically suggest to replace the stock ofc cable with premium aftermarket alternatives.  I do hear a difference in sound when switching between cheap stock ofc cable and spc or pure silver or old plated silver wires.  But in case of Andromeda we are not dealing with a cheap generic cable, but rather a premium Litz silver plated copper which ALO sells alone for $149 (https://www.campfireaudio.com/product/litz-cable/).
 
But regardless of that I still went ahead with a swap, going through collection of my replacement cables, and made a full circle back to a stock Litz SPC.  Something like Linum BaX, which is also a Litz cable, affected the extension of lows where sub-bass got attenuated and I felt the sound lost a bit of sparkle.  Going with pure silver TWag v3 yielded a bit of sub-bass roll off as well and made the upper frequencies a bit too hot.  The only cable I found surprisingly close in performance was Fidue A83 replacement balanced cable, here.  It maintained a similar tonality of mids and treble, but sub-bass was still a bit rolled off in comparison.  Due to stiff memory wire in that Fidue cable, I actually did a little DIY mod by removing the shrink wrap cover and pulling the wire out.  While waiting for ALO Litz SPC balanced cable to become available and if you don’t mind modding (to remove memory wire), this could be a possible alternative.
 
 
 
Design.
 
With an exception of Lyra which uses a ceramic shell, all other CFA models have shell machined from a solid block of aluminum with a hand anodized finish in a distinct color.  In case of Andromeda, the color was selected to be green since the name refers not only to constellation and the galaxy within it but also to an evergreen shrub.  But aside from a color variation, Andromeda, Jupiter, Nova, and Orion CFA models have the same exterior design with an identical shell held together by 3 torx screws and a short aluminum nozzle.  It definitely has a really cool looking industrial design.
 
While it looks very original with its angled facet corners and sides, due to a short nozzle the fit might not be everyone's cup of tea using stock eartips.  We all have a different ear anatomy so this is subjective, but it's still very important to go through various eartips not only for seal/isolation purpose but also to find the one which going to provide enough spacing to prevent the shell from rubbing against your concha area.  Eartips vary not only in material but also in length of the inner stem where even a few mm can make a difference depending on the depth of your inner ear canal.
 

 
I just don't want the people to be discouraged if they are having a fit issue with Andromeda or any other CFA model because a wrong eartip selection will not only leave you with a poor seal and reduced isolation, which affects the low end performance, but can also cause a few sore spots if the shell rubs against your ear.  A few things I might suggest to CFA, in addition to another set of longer silicone eartips also maybe look into smoothing out the corners and using torx screws with a rounded head.
 
As far as the internal design, it’s unique to every model and depends on a driver config.  With Andromeda being a flagship featuring 5 Balanced Armature drivers, they are partitioned in groups of dual lows, single mid, and dual highs with each individual group going to one of the 3 bores machined into a nozzle tip.  But Ken/CFA decided to take it one step further besides a simple passive crossover which is still utilized in here.  Andromeda features a Patented design of an optimized acoustic resonator assembly which is machined into the aluminum enclosure.  It actually replaces the traditional tube and dampener system commonly used in other IEMs.  As confirmed, this acoustic resonator device is only applicable to the dual high frequency drivers, and happens to be a part of the CFA Patent.
 
As far as the actual spec goes, stated by manufacturer, the frequency response is extended from 10Hz to 28kHz, and we are also looking at higher sensitivity of 115 dB with a low impedance of 12.8 ohm.  I will talk more about the pair up in my sound analysis section of the review, but basically this means that you should expect a moderate level of hissing depending on your source selection.  You can choose to mitigate the hissing problem with an impedance adapter, and I actually confirmed it with 75 ohm adapter to quite it down, but in addition to cutting the noise the low end impact got reduced noticeably as well.  I’m sure fans of SE846 can relate to this (the same story of higher sensitivity and low impedance).
 
Overall, as far as the design concerned, there are no showstoppers but definitely a room for improvement, especially when it comes to a personal preference with the fit.  Other than that, I see a very solid build, a very unique industrial look, and a patented sound shaping technique inside of the shell.  All this is not just words on a paper, it actually reflects in a rather impressive sound quality which I’m going to talk about in the next section of the review.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The fit.
 

 
Sound analysis.
 
Everybody has their own personal sound preference, and after a while I almost gave up on being able to find one pair of in-ear monitors that going to come close to balancing out a warm natural sound and a more revealing reference sound.  I always separate headphones into these two groups and analyze which one comes closer to my target preference signature.  Here, Andromeda was able to close the gap with a nearly perfect yin-yang balance of revealing detailed sound wrapped in a blanket of smoothness and coherency.
 
After a few weeks of continuous listening and going between PAW Gold and Opus#1 as my two primary sources, I found Andromeda to have a balanced revealing signature, with a slight hint of being mid-forward, and a very smooth natural tonal characteristic.  The signature is actually a good example of W-shaped balanced sound where lows, mids, and highs stand out and equally grab your attention.  You can easily shift your focus and effortlessly zoom in to distinct parts of the spectrum.  But as I mentioned already, the most important characteristics of Andromeda sound quality is being able to successfully bridge the gap between warm smooth and revealing detailed tonalities, resulting in a perfection of a smooth organic transparent sound with an impressive clarity and retrieval of details.
 
Starting with a bass, you hear a bottomless low end extension with a visceral sub-bass rumble that has a warm textured quality.  Here, the tuning doesn't shy away from a slightly enhanced quantity, but surprisingly it doesn't overpower the mid-bass or turns Andromeda into L-shaped basshead monitor.  I hear a deep analog sub-bass layered underneath of a fast tight punchy mid-bass.  Bass is well controlled with an excellent separation from the mids.  In some cases, I found other multi-BA headphones with lows tuned like analog dynamic driver, while here it's a combination of what sounds like a warm lush dynamic driver sub-bass with a fast balanced armature driver mid-bass - coherent and in unison.
 
Mids are another star of the tuning where lower mids have a natural organic body, not too lean but with a little bit of thickness and absolute zero muddiness.  That was another pleasant surprise because in a number of other IEMs I tested in the past, bass enhancement with a little thicker lower mids can take away from sound clarity by introducing some muddiness.  Here, it was carefully tuned without affecting sound clarity.  And speaking of clarity, the details of upper mids are very impressive.  It wasn’t exactly on a crunchy micro-detail level, but very close minus the crunchy part - very smooth and organic retrieval of details without a hint of harshness.  I especially enjoyed the vocal performance, both male and female, which had such a natural and realistic tonality.
 
Treble is bright and clear, with an excellent definition, zero sibilance or graininess, not too crunchy or super airy, but it still extends nicely and has just a perfect amount of airiness to lighten up the upper frequencies.  If you are a fan, for example, of extended crash cymbals, you are not going to hear the full extension of the decay.  I guess something gotta give, and I'm perfectly fine with it, though Andromeda treble performance is still ahead of many other smooth signature IEMs I've tested.  Again, as I stated before, I'm very impressed with clarity and transparency of these IEMs considering now smooth they sound.
 
The soundstage expansion is definitely on a whole other level with a real holographic 3D imaging where the width/depth/height parameters are way above the average performance.  It results in a relatively accurate placement of instruments and vocals in space, but at the same time in a few of the tracks with extreme panning of sounds it felt even a bit overwhelming.  Andromeda is great not just for listening to music but also for watching movies or playing video games with surround effects.  It picks up every little nuance of the random noise, places it perfectly in space, and gives it a new dimension.  Even so separation of instruments and vocals was really good, the layering was just Ok.  But I still found the sound to be very dynamic and transparent.
 

 
Comparison.
 
Andromeda vs 64 Audio U12 - U12 soundstage width is a little narrower, while depth/height is the same.  U12 has a bit less sub-bass quantity with B1 filter which actually gets closer to with S1 filter, mid-bass punch is very similar though Andromeda has a little more speed.  Lower mids are very similar, while Andromeda upper mids are brighter and more detailed where U12 is warmer, and not as forward as Andromeda.  Andromeda treble is a little brighter, with a slightly better definition and more airiness.  One of the biggest differences here is Andromeda being more transparent, faster, and with a little better retrieval of details while U12 is smoother, more organic, more laid back, and warmer in comparison.
 
Andromeda vs Noble K10UA - soundstage is similar in depth/height, but Andromeda is noticeably wider.  Andromeda has more sub-bass, while K10 has a faster mid-bass, both have a well controlled low end.  K10 lower mids are leaner, while Andromeda upper mids are smoother and more organic in comparison to K10 which can get a bit harsher and brighter.  K10 treble is brighter and has more crunch, and with a bit more airiness.  Andromeda sounds more natural smoother, while K10 is more revealing.
 
Andromeda vs UM Maestro - Maestro width is a lot narrower, while depth/height are very close.  Maestro sub-bass is more rolled off, while mid-bass punch is as fast but less aggressive.  Lower mids are a little leaner, but not by a lot, upper mids in Maestro are brighter and little harsher in comparison.  Treble in Maestro has better extension and also brighter and with more crunch and airiness, which could even feel a bit grainy in comparison.  Both have a detailed clear sound, but Andromeda is a lot smoother (not warmer, but smoother) and has a more natural tonality without any graininess or harshness.
 
Andromeda vs Noble Savant - Savant soundstage width is a little narrower, while depth/height is the same.  Savant sub-bass feels more attenuated and mid-bass punch is a lot less aggressive.  Lower mids in Savant are just a touch leaner while upper mids are very similar, being detailed a little more forward, but also a little brighter in comparison. Treble has a similar definition and airiness, but Savant has a little more crunch.  Overall Andromeda has definitive upper hand in bass, and sounds smoother and a little more organic in comparison.
 
Andromeda vs Westone ES60 - ES width is very close, but not 100% as wide, the height is the same but with a little less depth.  Sub-bass and mid-bass in ES are more neutral in quantity and don't extend as deep or punch as fast or have the same impact.  ES lower mids are a bit leaner, but not by a lot, upper mids are very similar, maybe with Andromeda being a touch smoother and a bit more organic.  Treble is also very similar, clear and well defined without too much airiness.  Both have great transparency, but ES is more reference quality with a slight advantage in retrieval of details.  Andromeda is more balanced and a little smoother, with a more lifted low end.
 
Andromeda vs Westone W60 - soundstage is similar in comparison but W60 is a bit narrower, while depth/height is the same. W60 bass is slower and looser with a bit of spillage into lower mids, and thicker lower mids and smoother/warmer upper mids, also less sparkle in treble.  Andromeda is smooth, but faster, tighter, and with a more articulate bass and better control/separation from mids, leaner lower mids, more revealing detailed upper mids, and more sparkle/airiness in treble.
 
Andromeda vs Inear SD-4 - SD4 soundstage is narrower, while depth/height is the same.  Due to a more mid-forward sig, it feels like SD4 sub-/mid-bass are lower in quantity, but it could be just the case of sound signature difference.  With that in consideration, SD4 sub-bass is a little rolled off and mid-bass is not as fast.  Lower mids are very similar, while upper mids are brighter, a little more revealing, though a bit harsher in comparison.  SD4 treble is brighter, crispier, with a better extension and more airiness, but at the same time a little harsher, in some tracks even pushing closer to sibilance threshold.  In general, Andromeda is more balanced, smoother, with a deeper low end impact, while SD4 is brighter and more analytical and with a more enhanced top end.
 
Pair up.
 
As I was going through a pair-up with different sources, the main focus of this test was to compare hissing level, overall soundstage expansion, general sound quality, and the quality of low end impact.  I didn’t focus on more detailed aspects of the sound analysis, and instead chose what I found to vary the most between different sources.
 
LPG (Lotoo PAW Gold) – low hissing; the sound is very spacious, detailed, transparent, fast/punchy, with a natural tonality. I hear a strong mid-bass and textured sub-bass.
Micro iDSD (dac/amp) – no hissing due to a highly configurable gain setting (Micro rocks in this regard!); the sound is very spacious and detailed, has natural organic tonality, and excellent low end extension.  Reminded me a lot of LPG performance, maybe even better.
 
Samsung Note 4 – some hissing; good soundstage, detailed, smooth, fast sound with surprisingly great natural tonality though a bit warmer in comparison to other sources, and the bass is not as articulate.  Still, a good pair up on the go with a smartphone.
 
L&P L5Pro - some hissing; good soundstage, detailed punchy smooth sound, a bit bright and with rolled off sub-bass.  Actually, I wasn't too crazy about this pair up, kind of caught me by surprise.
 
theBit Opus#1 - low hissing; very spacious, detailed, highly resolving organic sound quality, beautifully textured bass with a nice mid-bass punch.  Definitely among my favorite pair ups in this group.
 
iBasso DX80 - some hissing; good soundstage expansion, sound is warm, smooth, detailed, but not super resolving, more on a warmer analog side.  I’m on a fence with this pair up, it was a bit too smooth for my taste.
 
A&K AK120ii - no hissing; very nice soundstage expansion, detailed, fast/punchy sound, slightly rolled off sub-bass, a bit more mid-forward signature.  Zero-hiss sound in comparison to all of my other DAP sources, and I expect the same with other AK models.
 
FiiO X7 w/AM2 - faint hissing; not bad soundstage, very detailed balanced sound, smooth tonality, nice punchy mid-bass and good sub-bass extension.
 
Cayin N5 – hissing is high; good soundstage expansion, very balanced detailed sound, excellent low end performance, actually I found both sub-bass and mid-bass quantity/quality to be on a level of LPG, very punchy detailed sound.  With an exception of hissing, this pair up was actually good.
 
FiiO X5ii - faint hissing; good soundstage, excellent low end performance (sub-bass and mid-bass quality is really good), excellent punchy sound.  Definitely a pleasant surprise, X5ii pulled through with a really good pair up.
 
ThinkPad T430s laptop – pretty bad hissing; sound was too thin and bright with poor low end performance.  I didn’t expect a miracle and only tested it because my laptop was paired up with Micro iDSD already.  Straight from HO of my laptop, which has a generic sound chip, I found the pair up to be rather underwhelming.
Also, for the test purpose, I tried driving E12A and Q1 portable amps from LO and HO of LPG, and found E12A to be dead silent while Q1 yielded some hissing.
 
Conclusion.
 
I learned my lesson not to label any IEM/CIEM as the endgame headphones, because every time I think I found one - another review pair gets into my hands/ears and I have to eat my own words.  One thing for sure, CFA Andromeda was the biggest surprise for me so far in 2016, and it will be a tough act to follow.  With its warm, smooth, revealing tonality and a perfectly balanced sound signature, including the holographic soundstage expansion, Andromeda didn't just get a checkmark next to all of my personal sound preferences, it quickly got to the top of my favorite in-ear monitors list.  As a mentioned before, nothing is 100% perfect and there is some room for improvement, but it's related to a combination of the fit and my personal ear anatomy.  Once I found a pair of eartips that slightly extended the nozzle insertion, it resolved all the previous issues I had with a comfort of the fit.  Now, I'm really curious what Ken is going to come up with next.  If it took him less than 3 years to build flagship Andromeda and other CFA models, how can you top that?  Hopefully will find out in a near future.

At the time this review was written, the Campfire Andromeda was recently listed for preorder/sale at Campfire Audio’s website. Here is a link for purchase:

https://www.campfireaudio.com/product/andromeda/

Introduction
The 2016 Axpona Audio Exhibit was a great turnout. Notable earphone displays were Empire Ears, Etymotic, Onkyo, Shure, JH Audio, Campfire Audio and many more.

It’s pretty epic to be in a giant room with a large array of the world’s finest earphones. They’re lined up on display tables, being driven by some of the world’s finest sources. In one room, we had summit-fi earphones the likes of the Noble K10U, Siren Series from JH Audio, Shure KSE-1500 and SE846, Vibro Aria, Etymotic’s new ER4 lineup as well as many more.

If you are reading this, I would assume you most likely have some type of interest in headphones. If you have an opportunity to go to an audio show in your area, be like Nike and JUST DO IT!

It’s an awesome experience that helps YOU find what type of sound signature and earphones you’d like. Not only that, you get to meet the people behind the products.

What I like to do at these types of events is come up with my own personal best of show for each type of gear that is presented. Being a fan of in-ear monitors, I spent most of the weekend listening and evaluating them in particular. After three days of listening to all the earphones there (some of them several times), I have to say that the best of show this year for me was the Campfire Andromeda. Allow me to explain why.


The first day I plopped down into chair at the Campfire booth and met Caleb. They had the whole lineup available to listen to. Caleb explained the models to me, including their “New Flagship Prototype” named Andromeda. These were the initial impressions I noted in my phone while checking them out:

“CAMPFIRE ANDROMEDA”

*Solid build with lightweight aluminum all metal housings. Even the nozzles are metal.
*Cable has no spring or memory. It’s a Litz braided rope with MMCX connectors that swivel at the housing. Very sharp looking and works well.
*MMCX connection seems very solid and was confirmed with brand rep to be a stronger than standard connection.
*Five balanced armatures, unique tubeless set up replaced by metal “Resonator box.”
*Sound is... WOW! *clear and spacious *detailed and responsive *crisp without being harsh, INCREDIBLE! LISTEN TO AGAIN!!!

After about ten minutes of listening to them, I put the Andromeda down, looked at Caleb and said “Dude, these are incredible!” Caleb smiled, agreed with me, then introduced me to his colleague, Ken. I explained that I would love to be one of the first to review them on Head-Fi. I gave them my Head-Fi credentials and continued to listen to the rest of the lineup. Everything Campfire had to demo sounded great, but there was an added dimension the Andromeda had which I particularly liked.

That weekend I listened to many of the best in-ears the world of audio has to offer. Just about anything I tried sounded excellent, but there was something about the Andromeda that kept me coming back for more. Before the weekend was over, I think I listened to them four or five separate times. Every time I was finished listening, it left the same overwhelmingly positive impression.


Over the course of that weekend, the Andromeda sound had catapulted its way towards the top of my list of all time favorites. Impressions were shared with friends at Axpona, and many who listened to them agreed. To my ears they sounded as good or better than any other IEM at the show.

A few days after the event Ken contacted me to see if I was still interested in covering the Andromeda. Without hesitation I agreed. I’ve had them for the last few weeks and listened to the them almost exclusively. It’s an honor to share the good news on the Andromeda flagship from Campfire with the Head-Fi community.

What is Campfire Audio?
Campfire Audio is a branch from ALO Audio. The letters ALO are abbreviated letters for “Audio Line Out” which is the company that Ken started years back. His roots were in earphone modifications and cables. To this day he still has a large assortment of high quality cables listed for sale on his website.

Somewhere along the way, Ken lost the domain name of “Audiolineout.com” and renamed it ALO Audio. The name has stuck and to this day ALO Audio has a steady stream of online traffic and sales.I had a chance to check out their hand built portable amplifiers, the RX and Continental Dual Mono. Long story short, they both rock, particularly with in-ear monitors. The cables Ken had on display looked premium as well.

Ken’s success in selling cables and doing earphone modifications paved a way for him to start his most recent endeavor. Ken told me it has been a dream of his to have his own line of premium in-ear monitors. The Campfire Audio lineup is a product of that vision.

Review

Andromeda comes in a small and modest green and blue box with white lettering. There is nothing exquisite or flashy about the packaging.


Flipping the box open, I’m greeted with a premium brown leather rectangular clamshell zipper case.


Unzipping the clamshell case revealed the Andromeda earphones and cable. If you thought the leather case was already premium, the inside of it is lined with what appears to be a wool material. This provides the Andromeda with padding and prevents the earphones from wiggling around when transporting them. Underneath the case and earphones a cardboard tab can be removed, revealing a few bags that hold the accessories.

Specifications and Accessories

Specifications
Frequency Range: 10Hz-28kHz
Sensitivity: 115 DB SPL/MW
Impedance: 12.8 Ohm @1kHz
Cable: Silver Litz cable, MMCX connection

Accessories


1x Pair Andromeda earphones
1x Silver Litz cable with exclusive MMCX connectors and memory wire
1x Leather carrying case
3x Pair Comply Foam tips (S, M, L)
3x Pair memory foam tips (S, M, L)
3x Pair silicone wide bore tips (S, M, L)
1x Owner’s manual

Housings


The Andromeda is a made from a single block of high grade machined aluminum. They are an all metal design that is relatively lightweight. The Andromeda currently comes in a metallic emerald green tint. While some would think it would make them an eyesore, or something that will clash with much of their wardrobe, I find them to be a very sophisticated.


From housing to jack, the Andromeda has a very high end look with an almost jewelry like appearance. The machine screws and clear MMCX connectors add an extra sense of quality and craftsmanship.


The Andromeda fit is reminiscent of many over the ear monitors. I consider it to be a bit more on the bulky side of things. The size doesn’t bother me as much as some of the design aspect. I will go over this in the fit and ergonomics section of the review.

Cable, Y-Split, Cable Jack, Strain Reliefs

The cable is awesome. It’s a four strand braided Litz wire with swiveling MMCX connectors and memory wire. The flexible cable has virtually no spring very little memory. The Y-split is a metal jacketing that splits the four strand braid into two twisted lines that lead to each channel. A clear rubber chin/neck slider is attached to the cable and works well. The Cable Jack is a gold plated 3.5 mm jack, and ninety degree solid frosted clear rubber jacketing. The Andromeda has two inches of memory wire that lead to two MMCX connectors.They are covered in the same frosted clear hard rubber coating found at the jack. Every aspect of this cable is premium and Find it an upgrade in terms of quality and performance over most of what I own.

Functionality
The MMCX cable that comes with the Andromeda doesn’t have a mic/remote. Replacement MMCX cables can be purchased and used with the Andromeda housings. I tested and confirmed that this is possible.

Ergonomics, Fit and Microphonics, Isolation

If there is one thing about that Andromeda that might be a dealbreaker is the shape of the housing, and how it may impair some people from being able to wear them comfortably. The machined housings are constructed of many planed surfaces that leave the Andromeda with some edges and corners that might irritate some user’s ears, depending on what tips they are using. Regardless of how the Andromeda fits the user's ear, I don’t think anyone will be able to comfortably lay their head on a pillow while wearing these.

The key to getting a cozy fit with the Andromeda is tip selection. When tip rolling with the Andromeda variances in insertion depth would cause edges of the housing to rub against parts of my ear and eventually cause irritation. Finding a tip that seals well without narrowing the bore diameter of the nozzle, and at the same time forcing the Andromeda to stick out farther from the ear seemed to work best. I was lucky, the tips that seemed to work best in my case were the attached stock foams tips. For silicone tips, I used a pair of stock Sony MH-1 or RHA tips. Your mileage may vary.

Isolation is decent but not elite. I would say it is along the lines of the average in-ear monitor. When worn over the ear and using the included chin/neck slider, microphonics were eliminated.

Sound Review
I did my demo with my usual gear. I used an LG-V10 for portable and smartphone use, and either my Shanling H3 or iBasso DX80 DAP for high fidelity portable use. For desktops I used my Toshiba Satellite Laptop in combination with a ifi micro iDSD playing at 32/192kHz. I tested them with several other sources as well. I used Google Music in its highest download quality (320 KBPS) and I also streamed FLAC via Tidal streaming service. I also used purchased and downloaded tracks in MP3, FLAC, WAV and DSD. I make sure that any gear I test has sufficient playtime before writing a review.

I used my usual same songs for testing gear:
“Limit to your love” by James Blake (bass speed, punch, response)
“Doin’ it Right” by Daft Punk (sub bass)
“Get lucky” by Daft Punk (bass to midrange transition resolution, male vocals)
“Madness” by Muse (soundstage, separation)
“Some nights” by Fun (soundstage and male vocals)
“The soundmaker” by Rodrigo y Gabriela (texture and imaging)
“Bassically” by Tei Shi (bass to midrange resolution, female vocals)
“Skinny Love” performed by Birdie (female vocals, acoustic playback)
“One” by Ed Sheeran (male vocals, acoustic playback)
“Outlands” from the Tron Legacy Soundtrack (symphonic presentation, imaging)
“Sultans of swing” by Dire Straits (detail, separation, balance)
“And Justic for All” by Metallica (driver distortion, treble response, rock playback)
“Ten thousand fists” by Disturbed (driver distortion, treble response, rock playback)

Note: Other tracks were used, but the listed songs were primarily used to assess and break down the gear’s response.

Source Selection
Andromeda is an extremely sensitive in-ear monitor, coming in at just under thirteen Ohms. With a more powerful DAP like the iBasso DX80, I got a slight background hiss from Andromeda. They work great with a high fidelity smartphone like the LG V10 or iPhone 6. Streaming services through your phone will sound great, but your music will sound even better with high bitrate music files played through your favorite DAP in low gain. If you plan on using the Andromeda with a more powerful source, an impedance adapter will most likely help with any noise floor issues.

The best source I had for the Andromeda was the iFi micro iDSD in its most sensitive power setting. It was an incredibly clear and balanced sound that was very revealing, packing lots of texture and detail while still retaining a controlled and slightly emphasized bass presence.

Sound Signature

The Andromeda has been described as Bassy, but to my ears it depends on what source you’re using. With a Warm or bass boosted source the Andromeda sounds musical with an emphasized lower frequency range and smooth treble response. Using a colder and brighter source with Andromeda makes them sound very technical and extended (primarily in treble regions) while still keeping a little bit of low end oomph. Either way you listen to them, the general consensus is that your preferred source will be determined what you like more. For me it’s split between each, and what music I want to use.

The tuning is pretty genius. It’s a five driver design. All five of them deliver sound into what was described to me as a metal box that operates as “resonator.” What this means is that rather than have armatures attached to tubes that fire right into your ear, they have a microsecond to meet in this box and resonate into each other before it reaches your ear. The result is a VERY spacious and holographic sound that is unique and refreshing. With this technology, upper frequencies have the extension and detail without the harshness I often time get with armature drivers. To be honest, the presentation is flat out awesomesauce.

Rather than fire a particular frequency range into your ear like most armature earphones, the crossover and armatures all do their job first, pumping out each frequency as assigned, but before it reaches your ear the music has time to mesh in the exclusive resonator box, similarly to speakers in a room. We don’t mash our ears up against the grill with a funnel to listen to our favorite speakers, we stand back in the room and give the speakers some space so it can use the room around us to its advantage. Campfire’s five armatures are similar. It fires all of its frequencies into this genius little box, allowing the music to become more cohesive, spacious and less harsh.

Bass
The bass of the Andromeda is slightly emphasized and uber dynamic. You would never think the Andromeda bass came from balanced armatures because of the power and performance of its low end frequencies. It sounds more like a titanium diaphragm dynamic driver to my ears. The bass is extended, responsive, and somewhat bold. The Andromeda will definitely bring the rumble when it’s called upon. At the same time you won’t get any type of lingering bass or bass that doesn’t belong in the track. The low end response of the Andromeda sets up to work well with just about all genres of music.

To my ears the Andromeda has a bass that is relatively balanced, and maybe even leaning towards sub bass tones. Andromeda’s low end is fast, textured, responsive and has nice sense of tone and depth. In the high end market, many top tier earphones don’t carry the same sub bass presence these do.

Andromeda’s bass rocks the snot out of the bass lines of most modern genres of music like hip hop and EDM. The Sub bass lines are extended and the tone is that of a 15 inch subwoofer. With a good sealing tip, there’s a depth that makes it very enjoyable.

Midrange
This is where the magic happens with Andromeda. Starting with the Lower midrange, things get really spacious sounding. Bass guitars can distinctly be picked out from the mix. Low end guitar chucks have some power behind them. Low frequency strings would occasionally give me goose bumps. Unlike any other in-ear monitor I’ve ever listened to, Andromeda has the ability to render a sense of space that makes live and acoustic recordings sound incredibly good. The big and dynamic sounding instruments can be discerned rather than paste together like many in-ear monitors.

Upper midrange of Andromeda is natural and smooth without any sense of things being rolled off. There isn’t a whole lot to say about this range other than it is very formidable and works.

When evaluating in-ears I try to be picky and see if there is anything about its sound that some people will say leaves them with a negative impression. If there is anything I can say that about the Andromeda, it’s that when playing the most complex musical passages you can throw at it, Andromeda’s sound gets a little overwhelmed, smearing the sound or making their upper midrange sound a bit stuffy to my ears. This rarely happened and even so, it’s a small caveat in comparison to everything the Andromeda does well.

Treble
This is an area that makes Andromeda a star. If you’ve dabbled in armature earphones in the last few years, you’ve probably heard an armature that overall sounds excellent, but seems to have a sense of harshness. When certain pronunciation of the letters S or T are played, or when a cymbal crashes it will be rendered in a harsh and almost screeching type of sound. Andromeda has none of this. You will hear all cymbal crashes and the letters S and T. It will not be portrayed in a way that I would consider the Andromeda to be sibilant.

Treble is extended and polite. It’s true to the recording and yields all the details and clarity needed to say it is elite.

Soundstage and Imaging
I’ve touched on it in the sound impressions, but this criteria is why I consider the Andromeda to be one of the top earphones I’ve ever heard. When talking to people about the Andromeda sound, I’ve mentioned several times that the soundstage reminds me of a high end audio system. To me, Andromeda’s sound is like listening to a well driven pair of top of the line tower speakers in a large room.

In terms of imaging, the sound of Andromeda is very three-dimensional. Sounds come at you from all angles with plenty of texture and detail. At the time of writing this review, the Andromeda hands down THE BEST in-ear I’ve heard in terms of soundstage and imaging.

Conclusion

Normally I would do a couple comparisons to similarly priced and designed earphones before “jumping to a conclusion” but I want to generalize and tell you why the Andromeda sets itself apart from its competition. When demoing the Andromeda at Axpona, many asked for comparisons to other elite earphones in its range. Fortunately, I had the luxury to actually do these comparisons as people asked. Bouncing back and forth between earphones that sometimes cost a lot more than Andromeda did, I couldn’t help it like the sound of the Campfire flagship more. Of course source and preference plays a part in this and I can see some people liking other top of the line earphones more. Using Andromeda with my LG V10 and micro iDSD, it is tuned perfectly for my preference.

Andromeda is not what I would consider a perfect product. The machined aluminum corners can cause irritation where they regularly make contact with the user’s ear. They are highly sensitive and need an impedance adapter with most dedicated DAPs. On top of all of this, they are over a thousand dollars, which isn’t cheap. However, the Andromeda has so much upside that I can overlook all of these factors and say that they are definitely worthy of their asking price. Usually I can’t mention price to performance when things get as expensive as the Andromeda. In this case I will make an exception. The Andromeda is built like a tank and sounds as good as any in-ear monitor I’ve ever heard, including more expensive models.

Andromeda has an added dimension to its sound that makes many other earphones seem flat and lifeless. Campfire audio has produced an earphone that gives listeners something that is unique and refreshing in terms of in-ear monitors. They combine a slightly musical signature with a level of separation, extension, detail and soundstage that makes them a personal favorite. Upon the conclusion of this review, I’m going to contact Ken and Caleb and tell them that I’m buying this pair. I have plenty of earphones to listen to, but I like these enough to not let them leave. The Andromeda sound quality makes me look at other earphones that I’ve given five star reviews and makes me consider lowering it if these are the new standard. Instead, I’ll end this review by saying these have six star sound.


Thanks for reading and happy listening!