[shigzeo]

Hey guys and gals, I've been long-demoing the Lyra, having had it in my ears off and on for several weeks. Last week I wrote this article at ohm image outlining my initial thoughts on the Lyra. 
 
For more information, hit up Campfire Audio's Lyra product page (under construction):
 
I expect impressions to start rolling in. At least five head-fiers were at the recent Fujiya Avic 2015 Spring headphone show (check out Amos's thread on the thing), and I believe that all of us got at least some ear time with each new earphone. 
 
If you want to know more about fit, branding, build quality, and all the stuff I think is way important, hit up my article at ohm. If you just want to know what I think of the sound, read below.
 
Sound impressions (from ohm image):
 

  The beryllium drivers (as seen in [color=rgba(95, 79, 79, 0.8)]Noble Audio's Noble One speakers) are pretty cool to start. But a good acrylic resonant housing is the icing on the cake. This cake has the powerful low-frequency sound pressure that got me humming in [color=rgba(95, 79, 79, 0.8)]my review of the Earsonics EM32[/color]. Lyra's isn't quite as dryly forceful, nor is it as Z-axis detailed as the Earsonics, but it puts out a lot of fast, clean sound pressure right through the groove zone in trance and hip hop. It's not generally prone to high-bass bloom, and it can kick out the mildly deep eardrum-tickling rumble needed to turn Markus Schulz's Mainstage from an awkward melodic whisper into a rippling, yawning bass benchmark. [/color]

Transitions to mids are clean and contrasty. There's no way you'll be able to call out a specific frequency as the crossover point. But when mids this open and contrasty hit right after such powerful bass, you're bound to pick out their grit and meat. They have bite. Mids are pretty spacey, with deep stereo cues going off left and right, several centimetres out of your temples. Interestingly, bass tends to hit semi-left, semi-right of centre, strengthening stereo detail and impact.

Highs and mids melt into, and out of, one another. And upward extension is good to excellent. Space, too, is very good, and, if you've driven it properly, is reminiscent of the ultra-smooth and [color=rgba(95, 79, 79, 0.8)]amazing ortofon e-Q8. Both mid-frequency tonality and its high-frequency tonality are spot on. Cymbals fade to black pretty damn quick, and vocals are crisp. Here and there, upper bass edges thin into open clangs unsuited to certain Of Monsters and Men ballads, but they fit Nick Cave to a T. [/color]

I'm pretty excited about Lyra. That it makes use of snappy MMCX cables is making me rethink the place another bass-powerful earphone, the Ultrasone IQ, has in my arsenal of earphones. Lyra is far less susceptible to bass bottoming than is IQ and much less sensitive to hiss. On the other hand, IQ fits much better and is more detailed in the upper mids to highs.

When other impressions begin rolling in I'll do my best to add links to them in this post. 

 

[DatGuy]

Thanks for the first impressions., these look very interesting. Any word on release date?
 
749 puts it right at ie800 range, any comparisons to that?

 

[shigzeo]

I don't own the IE800, so no. But I can add some others in. 

 

[shigzeo]

I should have full review of the Lyra up this week.

 

[Ultrainferno]

And here it is: http://www.headfonia.com/review-campfire-audio-lyra-bassy-and-melodic/
 
Do note this isn't a production version

 

[soundblast75]

Where can i buy it???

 

[shigzeo]

It's not yet available. It should be soon. What I reviewed was a pre-production unit.

 

[audionewbi]

I am not a 100% sold on this new product line. I am slowly moving towards the movement where I want to ask for some research material for any product that cost more than 1K. If the manufacture cannot produce any sign of objective research chances are it is just an OEM bought from somewhere that happens to sound good. 

 

[Ultrainferno]

Campfire Audio certainly was made from scratch, these aren't OEM. You know who is behind CA, right?

 

[audionewbi]

Nothing against alo as I do trust them but it's very hard to find a genuine independently R&D uiem nowdays.

 

[shigzeo]

  I am not a 100% sold on this new product line. I am slowly moving towards the movement where I want to ask for some research material for any product that cost more than 1K. If the manufacture cannot produce any sign of objective research chances are it is just an OEM bought from somewhere that happens to sound good. 

I think you'll have a very hard time finding anything. Companies aren't going to hand over their research to a prospective customer. I spoke at length with the CA/ALO lads, with the result being that they are working very hard on this themselves, in house. 

 

[audionewbi]

That is a promising sign. I am the kind of a person who bought kaede II, k3003 based on reading their patent. It reassured me that they tried to do something right, whether they got it right is a different question.

I guess what I am asking is what technology is used in this iem that might make them stand out against their competitors? The ceramic housing is one, just like Ie800.

 

[shigzeo]

That is a promising sign. I am the kind of a person who bought kaede II, k3003 based on reading their patent. It reassured me that they tried to do something right, whether they got it right is a different question.

I guess what I am asking is what technology is used in this iem that might make them stand out against their competitors? The ceramic housing is one, just like Ie800.

Ah, you're looking for the technology behind it. Well, the driver type they are using is pretty rare in the IEM world, the ceramic housing, MMCX cables, minimal packaging, great case, amazing build quality, size. There is a LOT going for Lyra that has nothing to do with sound. Then there is its pretty powerful, contrasty take on what I consider the classic staple. When you get a chance to listen/fit one, check it out.

 

[daphen]

I wonder if these will be available in Sweden. They sound like a nice competitor to the SE846.

 

[shigzeo]

I assume that the distributor network will grow to include Scandinavia.