Introduction:
Campfire Audio are a well-known American audio company and today I’m delighted to present my review of their Dorado 2020 IEM.
If you aren’t already very familiar with the company, please see the link below for more
https://campfireaudio.com/about/
In one form or another, they’ve been around on the audio scene for a good long while now and have earned a deserved good reputation.
On their website, they are able to proudly state:
“Each model in our earphone line is designed and assembled by hand in our Portland, Oregon workshop; our earphones are second to none in performance and finish”.
Whilst I’m not American personally, I’m always happy to see companies - whichever country they are based in - manufacturing their products locally, even more so when it involves such care and attention to the process.
IEM details from the official website (from where these IEMs may be ordered):
https://campfireaudio.com/shop/dorado-2020/
This link also has explanations of the considerable amount of tech that features in these IEMs.
The Dorado 2020 at the time of writing retails at USD $1’099.
For my 'homies', here is a link where they can be ordered in the UK (other ways of ordering are available)
https://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/co...l-drivers-iem-earphones-with-detachable-cable
My thanks to Campfire Audio and John at KS Distribution for authorising this sample to be provided to me in exchange for my honest review.
It’s one of the now ubiquitous hybrid designs, featuring a single custom balanced armature driver to handle the highs, along with a 10mm A.D.L.C. dynamic driver.
Furthermore, with the release of the Dorado 2020, Campfire are returning to a ceramic build for the body. Here’s what they have to say about it:
“In 2015, Campfire Audio was the first company to introduce a ceramic body earphone with the original Lyra. With our new Dorado and Vega, we’ve returned to this excellent material.
Ceramic is a dense material. That’s part of its appeal when designing an earphone. The density pairs well with dynamic drivers because it doesn’t let vibrations run wild. It also has the added benefit of ownership by being extremely scratch resistant”.
Well, it’s time to switch to something more visual, which can only mean one thing:
No, Perkins, we’re not going to “give up and review a TV instead”!
I mean of course that the time has come to proceed to that section which - with an almost circa 1980’s Nouvelle Cuisine minimalism - is simply called “Photos”
Photos:
Build Quality and accessories:
The packaging continues Campfire Audio’s good work in this area, with a joyous rush of bright colours and a simple but carefully-curated selection of accessories.
The Dorado 2020 are solidly built with no visible blemishes or flaws of any kind, with the letters L and R imprinted into the inside faces of the shells, on the left and right hand sides respectively (just about visible in the photos).
Regarding the aesthetics, like its current Solaris stablemate, the design of the Dorado 2020 is again very much informed by the Henry Ford playbook, with the IEM being offered in any colour you like, as long as it’s black.
Personally, I think other colours/designs could have produced much more impressive results, but having said that, I do prefer the ceramic-bodied Dorado with its compact design in black to that of the comparatively more chunky and block-like Solaris 2020. Also, I like the smooth ceramic finish more on the Dorado 2020 and with their sleek design, they do look rather elegant and understated.
Regarding the ergonomics of the IEM, that’s going to be a personal matter for each individual, but personally I had no issues with the fit and found myself able to get them well-inserted with a good seal every time. I tried Sedna Xelastac tips in various sizes, but ended up sticking with my tried and tested New Bee foam tips (medium size) which still allowed for a deep insertion and a stable seal for long-term listening pleasure
The Dorado 2020 features a more stripped down driver setup, omitting some of the tech employed in the Solaris 2020, such as SolidBody Acoustic design for greater driver coherency, T.A.E.C for extended highs and so forth. But the Dorado brings in its own design elements. To quote from the CA website:
“In 2015, Campfire Audio was the first company to introduce a ceramic body earphone with the original Lyra. With our new Dorado and Vega, we’ve returned to this excellent material.
Ceramic is a dense material. That’s part of its appeal when designing an earphone. The density pairs well with dynamic drivers because it doesn’t let vibrations run wild. It also has the added benefit of ownership by being extremely scratch resistant.
Our ceramic shells get their strength through a sintering process. Two days are spent at 600 degrees, followed by three days at 1200 degrees. This extended exposure to high heat dramatically reduces the parts’ size and increases their density as a result.
The shells then spend up to 3 days in a tumbler along with small alumina stones and water. This polishing process gives them their attractive high gloss surface finish.
With Dorado 2020, we’ve turned to a machined brass spout with a ‘gunmetal grey’ P.V.D. finish. The conical shape and reduced diameter of the spout provide further tuning enhancements while also improving wear comfort. The super small balanced armature sits centrally in the spout, and its proximity to the exit gives it an enhanced presence in just the right proportion”.
The cable that comes bundled with the Dorado is their Smoky Litz model and seems pretty good. It comes with both a red dot to indicate the right hand side, plus L and R carved in to the MMCX connector plugs.
It’s thinner and lighter than the one which came bundled with the Solaris 2020, which – depending on your preferences - you may regard as a good or a bad thing.
Being so thin, I would suspect that it would tangle a fair bit in storage; fortunately, Campfire Audio bundle in a special small mesh drawstring bag (pictured next to the case in the Photos section).
It features a separate compartment for each individual earphone; the rest of the cable can then be wrapped around the case along its centre. This solves in one fell swoop the whole cable tangling issues, and it’s terrific to see such a simple but effective solution being provided by Campfire here.
It has ear hooks (plastic sleeves around the cable to guide it over the ears), which personally I’m not a fan of generally; however, they were supple and didn’t cause me any discomfort. Aside from this, the cable was light and easy to use, comfortable and with no particular issues with microphonics or similar.
It’s got an aesthetically pleasing twisted braid design with an understated charcoal grey colour and seems to be of robust construction.
However, I have to say that at this price point, I imagine most people who buy it will be using dedicated DAPs, amps and whatnot (at least some of the time) and invariably wanting to use the balanced outputs from them.
I strongly believe the buyer should be able to specify their choice of a 3.5, 2.5 or 4.4mm plug at this price when purchasing. At the very least, supply a 2.5mm balanced cable and 3.5mm and 4.4mm adaptors.
Still, to end this section on a positive note, the case that comes with the Dorado 2020 is a lovely new addition, made of a very attractive and sturdy looking material with a gorgeous canvas style finish and sunny orange colour. As if all that wasn’t enough, it’s also made with upcycled marine plastic, for added eco credentials, so again, a much-appreciated added touch
Sound:
I have a few tracks which I’ve only found available on MP3; the vast majority are FLAC or WAV in 16/44 or hi-res 24-bit HDTracks (or equivalent), with a few DSD56 tracks sneaking their way in too.
Regarding music styles, I listen to both kinds of music; Country AND Western.
Jokes aside, I actually listen to a wide variety of genres, including Asian pop, Bollywood, rock, pop, hip-hop, jazz, classical, blues, RnB (both original and modern), folk, acoustic, a tiny bit of electronica/EDM and so on. And even a bit of Country (and Western), for the record
For the purposes of this review, the sources I chiefly used were the Sony WM1Z (using MrWalkman’s ‘Midnight Plus’ free custom firmware) and iBasso DX220MAX.
Well, on Campfire’s Dorado 2020 product page, they issue what pretty much amounts to a ‘Mission Statement’ regarding their intention for the sound signature of the IEM:
“Fun for All.
True ‘North of Neutral’
Give yourself the freedom to have fun listening to music again”.
Even just reading that is surely enough to bring a smile of anticipation!
As an audiophile and an avid reader of Head-Fi, it can be easy to get sucked into a frame of mind that pays perhaps somewhat excessive attention to critical listening and technical performance. As such, I often find myself delighted when I come across an IEM that may well have great technicalities, but its principal highlight is simply making the music come alive, leaving me with a probably foolish-looking grin on my face and joy in my heart
For the attention-challenged amongst you, I shall start this section (aside from the preamble above) by going straight into the summary of my findings, then adding in some of my more notable notes from my track-by-track analysis for those who demand only the most rigorous of levels of detail.
Lows:
The Dorado 2020 to my ears seems tuned with a fairly prominent low end.
I hear it as having something of a mid-bass hump, much like the Solaris 2020 and Empire Ears’ Legend X. This may be a good or a bad thing for you, depending on your taste.
There’s a reasonable amount of sub-bass extension and power, but most of the power in the low end here seems to be coming from the mid-bass. The presentation of the bass doesn’t seem spectacularly fast, but I think the sustain and tone on offer here will leave most listeners very happy indeed.
Mids:
Again, lots of sustain, and a nice gravelly edge when required. The Dorado 2020 does well with all kinds of musical genres, but it positively shines with rock music. The Dorado 2020, like some kind of mythical troll, eats rock for breakfast, spitting out an abundance of gravel and grit with percussive thunder. Enough said
I hear both male and female vocals to be full-bodied with a great deal of richness and sweetness, a very enjoyable timbre – less clinically accurate and more irresistibly musical - and great separation between different vocals.
The presentation is natural rather than neutral, fun, engaging and musical, but with a pretty impressive technical performance.
Treble:
The presentation overall is somewhat dark and rich, and I hear only a very slight lift in the treble to compensate for this (if indeed you feel that this is something that requires or merits compensation). Nevertheless, there’s some air here that brings about a good level of separation and clarity.
Technical performance:
I hear the Dorado 2020 to have an accomplished technical performance that belies its ‘fun’ vibe. I felt the soundstage to be tall and wide with average depth. Separation was very well done, especially given the somewhat dark tone of the IEM that would easily lend itself to a more intimate presentation otherwise. It’s not huge, spacious, expansive kind of stage, as might be found for example on the original Unique Melody MEST. The big, bold notes and meaty mid-bass fill up the real estate on offer here very quickly, so the Dorado 2020 does very well to maintain such a degree of separation and space here between instruments and vocals, giving them all space to shine. The layering and imaging are similarly very well-executed and there’s a great natural and organic presentation of detail that leaves no stone unturned.
Cable swap:
With the Fiio LC-RE cable (copper, silver and gold hybrid), it had a similar effect on the Dorado 2020 as it does with the Solaris 2020; it made the IEM sound a touch more warm and organic, brought out details a little bit more and with a bit more musicality. I noticed a touch more sparkle in the upper mids and treble too.
I think generally cables made with silver (at least ones which have the typical affects on sound signature expected from silver cables) will do well with the Dorado 2020, as will ones with some gold in, such as gold-plated copper or gold-plated silver.
Conclusion:
The Dorado 2020 is a special IEM with a fairly idiosyncratic tuning; dark and rich, infused with body and a nice sustain. That dark richness could lead to an overly intimate sound (and occasionally does), but on the whole, the very well-executed separation on offer here brings space around every instrument and vocal, giving each its own space to shine and drawing out details with a delightful organic naturalness. The fun sound signature here (‘North of Neutral’, as Campfire Audio put it) is belied by the quality of the technical performance. The soundstage is notably wide and tall, with a reasonable depth to go with it. Imaging and layering are expertly carried out and this IEM performs with a very engaging musicality across a wide range of genres.
If you feel your life is lacking some fun and excitement, you could quit your job, burn down your house and move to Mexico (“Waterfall” by James – great song!) but a cheaper and less dramatic solution might just be to consider getting yourself a Dorado 2020 and letting the good times roll
Bonus addendum: A few notes from my Track-by-track analysis:
Really enjoying the Dorado 2020 with ‘Omaha’ by Counting Crows (24-96 HDTracks); it employs the generous width in the soundstage, along with some very fine layering and imaging, to separate out all the many instruments nicely and give each their own space. It’s very easy to spot the different instruments, and there’s a lot of detail popping out, but in a natural and organic way.
As with the Solaris 2020, I’m hearing that distinctive dark and rich presentation.
It almost makes things seem intimate, but the size of the soundstage keeps things open enough. There’s a small lift and soft sparkle in the treble, but it’s quite understated.
The Dorado 2020 come across as quite smooth and forgiving, but there’s still a bit of bite and edge in the presentation when required.
On ‘Chan Chan’ from the Buena Vista Social Club soundtrack (24-96 HDTracks), the two vocals mix together well, but are separated out nicely, allowing me to appreciate each vocal, without detracting from the interplay of the two.
The Dorado 2020 gracefully passes my ‘trumpet test’ on this track, never coming across as sharp or strident, but still maintaining that emotive force and a lovely brassy timbre and sustain.
On ‘Monument’ by Röyksopp, again, there’s a nice spaciousness to the stage, and there’s more of that bite and edge in the gritty synthetic riff that informs this song from the get-go.
Backing vocal effects from 43s into the track swirl and draw in my attention; I’m really impressed with how naturally and beautifully the Dorado 2020 presents detail.
With ‘The Gulf of Mexico’ by Shawn Mullins, the opening percussion is presented with a nice timbre, and speaking of timbre, the Dorado 2020 does lovely things with Mullins’ gravelly voice, drawing out texture and definition very nicely. The acoustic guitar strums in this song are presented here with a delicate tactility and this IEM does well with the chiming quality of that same guitar.
With ‘Streatham’ by Dave (16-44 FLAC) and ‘Dove Sei?’ by Italian Hip-Hop outfit Poison, I found the presentation of the beats to be just slightly disappointing. On some IEMs, usually ones with more of a sub-bass focus, twinned with depth and extension, these beats can be absolutely thunderous and head-shaking.
But with the Dorado 2020, there seems to be more of a focus on mid-bass and less sub-bass power and extension. EQ could tweak this of course. But as it is, I found the presentation of these tracks to be more boomy and muddy in comparison.
It’s not a huge deal-breaker; the Dorado 2020 does so many things so well that it would be churlish to focus too much on a small anomaly that occurs with a small proportion of tracks.
There’s a kind of prominence in the mid-bass with the Dorado 2020. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword for my tastes personally. On the one hand, it seems to introduce a very slight muddiness into the sound signature, but focused purely around that part of the frequency spectrum. I’m sure this could be alleviated with some judicious use of EQ or cable rolling etc. On the other hand, it’s part of the magic of the Dorado, contributing to the enchanting musicality of the IEM, which is a huge part of its appeal.
I had a similar feeling with the Solaris 2020. I think it’s just part of the Campfire house tuning (for these two IEMs at least) and if you like it, you like it, and if you don’t, you don’t.
I can’t help feeling personally that if the sub-bass were extended and lifted a bit, and the mid-bass reined in just a smidgen, then this IEM would have an almost perfect low end.
Feel free to PM me suggestions for EQ adjustments. I’m a complete Layman at such things.
Moving on to pastures new, it’s time for Hong Kong opera singer Alison Lau’s gorgeous rendition of Handel’s ‘Lascia la spina’. The classical stringed instruments have lots of gorgeous body, richness and warmth, along with a load of depth and sustain. However, that dark tone makes for a slight lack of sparkle and brightness that would suit those same strings, and indeed the harpsichord in the background that is slightly muted in the mix here in comparison with other IEMs in my collection.
Well, it’s time for some good old fashioned rock, and I’m going with The Ataris and their wondrous rock track “Summer ‘79”.
Well, it’s as if the Dorado 2020 was made for this track. And given the comparatively ‘Western’ style tuning of the IEM, it may well have been
This is flawless. This IEM absolutely
sings with crunchy rock guitars, soaring solos, rock vocals and a drummer going hell-for-leather
Well, that's all for now, and if you've made it this far, I salute your cavalier disregard for self-inflicted punishment and wish you a good day
