[Fishdo]

Lotoo Paw6k and Lotoo s1. Didn't try on my Hugo 2. No issues whatsoever driving them. No noise and no issues with comfort. I always use Final E medium, which worked fine on the Ara. My issue is that I'm very sensitive to even the slightest bump in the lower mids. I like an absolutely flat mid-range. The mids on the Ara are excellent but too present for me and I didn't want to EQ them into submission.

I will say, though, that I'm not a big IEM guy so I may not be the best judge here.

So far I have found the WM1A great with the Ara.. indeed for me it sounds better than the Solaris OG does using the same cables & ear tips ....

I did ask CA for any comments on the EQ and they said adjust “the 125-250 and 4k-8k range”

Funnily enough I have a 6000 on its way so I’ll be interested to hear it for myself...

Good luck though mate... which ever way you decide to go...

 

[Nostoi]

So far I have found the WM1A great with the Ara.. indeed for me it sounds better than the Solaris OG does using the same cables & ear tips ....

I did ask CA for any comments on the EQ and they said adjust “the 125-250 and 4k-8k range”

Funnily enough I have a 6000 on its way so I’ll be interested to hear it for myself...

Good luck though mate... which ever way you decide to go...

The 125/250 region absolutely makes sense. Lowering it by about -2.5db did clear up the slightly elevated mid-range. As I say, they're excellent, just not my cup of tea in terms of overall sound signature.

The Paw 6000 is a truly excellent dap. I had the WM1A myself prior and find the Paw 6000 an upgrade in several respects.

 

[discotexx]

Received the Ara for demoing today and I really love the female vocal presentation. I think this one is build for Joss Stone and similar. Indeed prefer them over my Andro S which has more body and musical tonality. But man, these vocals...
Have a WM1A coming in tomorrow. I‘m really excited how this will pair with the Ara.

 

[Wyville]

Received the Ara for demoing today and I really love the female vocal presentation. I think this one is build for Joss Stone and similar. Indeed prefer them over my Andro S which has more body and musical tonality. But man, these vocals...
Have a WM1A coming in tomorrow. I‘m really excited how this will pair with the Ara.

I have had them over for a few days now and female vocals are indeed very good. I like them. A few initial impressions I wrote earlier in a different thread:

In some ways they remind me a little of the VE5 with a somewhat mid-centric signature that gives a feeling of the music being presented in a "black tie" setting. Fairly neutral and without any excesses, rather music where you can sit back and enjoy it without distraction or unnecessary flamboyance. Definitely not without emotion, especially with vocals the emotion is quite tangible. It is just that the whole presentation is clean, pure somehow. There is a tiny hint of brightness to them with the LP6K, but nothing offensive or fatiguing in any way. The presentation is relatively intimate (at least compared to the last few IEMs I have reviewed) with a more noticeable depth to the stage than an emphasis on width, leading to a cube-shaped stage. Positional information is quite good, which makes for very clear layering that is helped by a nice black background (with the LP6K). The Ara do hiss with sources that are not entirely clean.

This is the first time I have had a chance to see, hear and feel Campfire Audio's IEMs and I am very impressed by the build quality, which is outstanding and just the type I like. The Ara also look very pretty and I will try to capture it better for my review (this shot was just a quick one). I get a great fit with them and they are very comfortable, making me a little disappointed I did not buy CA IEMs like I had wanted when I first started out in this hobby.

 

[Colors]

I have had them over for a few days now and female vocals are indeed very good. I like them. A few initial impressions I wrote earlier in a different thread:

In some ways they remind me a little of the VE5 with a somewhat mid-centric signature that gives a feeling of the music being presented in a "black tie" setting. Fairly neutral and without any excesses, rather music where you can sit back and enjoy it without distraction or unnecessary flamboyance. Definitely not without emotion, especially with vocals the emotion is quite tangible. It is just that the whole presentation is clean, pure somehow. There is a tiny hint of brightness to them with the LP6K, but nothing offensive or fatiguing in any way. The presentation is relatively intimate (at least compared to the last few IEMs I have reviewed) with a more noticeable depth to the stage than an emphasis on width, leading to a cube-shaped stage. Positional information is quite good, which makes for very clear layering that is helped by a nice black background (with the LP6K). The Ara do hiss with sources that are not entirely clean.

This is the first time I have had a chance to see, hear and feel Campfire Audio's IEMs and I am very impressed by the build quality, which is outstanding and just the type I like. The Ara also look very pretty and I will try to capture it better for my review (this shot was just a quick one). I get a great fit with them and they are very comfortable, making me a little disappointed I did not buy CA IEMs like I had wanted when I first started out in this hobby.

CFA shells are incredible. Never have to worry about them cracking either.

 

[Fishdo]

CFA shells are incredible. Never have to worry about them cracking either.

Thats a very true statement.... and even better with these new ‘boots’ not only makes the build less fiddly but the also protects the drivers in situ against displacement and damage to the overall performance...

I have spent so much chasing the sound I want and I have found my ideal with CFA... even their older models hold a great sound (comparably at the time and even now in some cases)

My only gripe is that I would have preferred a cable termination choice but unfortunately I understand that is only possible if you are that side of the pond..

I enjoy them so much I am even thinking about wearing a CFA neckerchief

 

[Mlaihk]

Today I went to the shop to demo the Ara again, taking my Andro Gold with me as a reference. I have both the Andro SS, and had the Andro Green 2019 (which was lost by my daughter) and each has something that I liked. But everytime I tried the Ara, I have a feeling that something is missing. The Ara by itself is very good. I guess very reference like. It has elements that I liked in the Andro S, in that the highs and vocals are very clear, extension very well done, but somehow I prefer the Andro S to the Ara in that region.
The Ara has punchier bass than Andro Green, but doesn't quite match the Andro Gold. I also demoed the Andromeda 2020 and find that I enjoy listening to my everyday pop/rock music with the Andro 2020 much more than the Ara good. To me, Ara is very balanced. So balanced that it lacks its own character.

So I went in, hoping that Ara will beat all my collections, but in the end of the day, I bought the Andromeda 2020 instead as it is probably a better compliment to my set.

However, if I did not have the AG and the AS, and if I were to go with a single set, I would have bought the Ara. But somehow, Ara left me with a feel that something is amiss, and it is the distinctive and different characters that the Andromeda range has........

 

[Fishdo]

Today I went to the shop to demo the Ara again, taking my Andro Gold with me as a reference. I have both the Andro SS, and had the Andro Green 2019 (which was lost by my daughter) and each has something that I liked. But everytime I tried the Ara, I have a feeling that something is missing. The Ara by itself is very good. I guess very reference like. It has elements that I liked in the Andro S, in that the highs and vocals are very clear, extension very well done, but somehow I prefer the Andro S to the Ara in that region.
The Ara has punchier bass than Andro Green, but doesn't quite match the Andro Gold. I also demoed the Andromeda 2020 and find that I enjoy listening to my everyday pop/rock music with the Andro 2020 much more than the Ara good. To me, Ara is very balanced. So balanced that it lacks its own character.

So I went in, hoping that Ara will beat all my collections, but in the end of the day, I bought the Andromeda 2020 instead as it is probably a better compliment to my set.

However, if I did not have the AG and the AS, and if I were to go with a single set, I would have bought the Ara. But somehow, Ara left me with a feel that something is amiss, and it is the distinctive and different characters that the Andromeda range has........

I understand what you mean but it’s the other way round, in terms of the way I look at these, to me they aren’t ‘missing’ anything but rather it just simply has a different tuning that is designed to create an almost flat sound...

I think as long as you (pl) understand that this iem is designed to be ‘reference’..... so there’s no musicality in the sense of a sound shape... or sound signature, if you (pl) like....

When I say ‘reference’ I don’t mean Studio Monitor reference but rather reference in the sense that was what the studio wanted recreate, sound wise...

In addition if you (pl) play around with your source your cables your ear tips or just the EQ alone you can ‘tune’ (on a subjective level) and in doing so make these iems more than just that ‘reference’ base line....

I personally find that if you (pl) prefer any sort of sound shape even the slightest V etc or warmth, body or any other type of signature then I would say you are better off with something else like the Andromeda’s (any) or the Solaris or indeed any other typical brand signature.....

The Ara for me is about hearing nothing but the quality of the music file itself .... of course it’s all subjective, but this Ara is like nothing that CFA have produced and it’s unwise to expect that broad CFA SS and if you do expect that, then the Ara aren’t for you (pl) ...

I have tried so many sources now... a few AKs , Cube, Kann, SR25 SP1000, also a few of the FiiOs M11, and Pro... plus the DX220 and a mojo solo or with a Topping DXD.... for me the only source that brought out that detailed reference sound was the WM1A.... I do expect a LTP6K soon and I look forward to hearing that...

The ear tips also made such a big big difference... from Symbios, Spirals, Comply, Spinfit and others less known.... they all changed the sound of the Ara.... by quite a lot (for me) ultimately my Custom Art Deep insert tips and my Snugs are the very best way to get that reference sound....

 

[Rockwell75]

I have spent so much chasing the sound I want and I have found my ideal with CFA... even their older models hold a great sound (comparably at the time and even now in some cases)

Agreed. I am not really eyeing the Ara as reference IEMs are not really my thing but between the Ara, Solaris and Andro 2020 CFA basically rules the < 3K price bracket. There are certainly other great IEMs in that price range but none of them, imho, constitute a clear upgrade to CFA's offerings in either looks or sound. Throughout the past year I've had seeds of doubt and false information planted in my mind by various memers, hipsters and Sony fanboys but after my experience with Solaris relative to similar offerings from other companies and now my experience with Andro 2020 I'm left concluding that CFA has been steadily improving during their entire tenure and is currently at the top of their game. Nicely done.

I enjoy them so much I am even thinking about wearing a CFA neckerchief

I've been eyeing one of their shirts myself.

 

[KB]

Nice Forbes review of the Ara just published, cool headline



Ken

 

[Tristy]

I really love these images... there’s something so satisfying about them.

 

[CL14715]

Curious which competition the Ara is blowing out of the water? Can’t have a headline like that on a review with no direct comparisons.

 

[Fishdo]

I really love these images... there’s something so satisfying about them.

I had to look up what ‘carapace’ meant..... !

Ken.... although we all take care of our iems but in terms of what that screenshot says at the bottom about... “not throwing them in your pocket..”

I thought the introduction of the ‘boot’ helped improve the robustness of a BA iem... like the drivers are sitting in ‘cocoon’.... like a protective package?

I know it helps with construction from your own press release... but compared to previous CFA models or indeed other similar brands the boot gives added protection?

 

[cleg]

My video about Ara, spoiler: I like the new tuning type

 

[Fishdo]

Nice review @cleg .... your comments on sound are pretty close to my own sense of the sound.. it’s odd because we weren’t even close on the Solaris..

You should play around with your cables and ear tips.... and EQ ..I think you will be quite surprised just how much you can play around with the sound...

Personally I found the Katana to be not as analytical or neutral or flat (reference like) like Ara.... Don’t get me wrong the Katana is a very good neutral sound signature but for me the bass to mids were blurred and the mids were very bright... compared to the Ara the Katana is more coloured.. but I guess like the Ara it is source dependent.... I only tried the Katana with a WM1A and a Kann Cube... I had it for a few weeks but it wasn’t for me so I am glad I didn’t buy it and got this Ara instead.... it’s just so different from anything CFA have or had in terms of sound signature... and it’s now my favourite iem from CFA.... if I a/b‘d the Solaris and the Ara using my WM1A or Kann C and was told one was more expensive I would have said the Ara was the more expensive... The sound quality of the Ara is also much better for me with my custom ear tips... I tried a few of the usual suspects (ear tips) and the difference between them was notable and effecting but the deeper canal custom ear tips I believe offer the best sound from the Ara...

Although a decent custom ear tip can be pricey from around €80 to €200... it is a cost effective choice rather than spending the same amount on various universal ear tips which can over a couple of years cost more once you add up what you (pl) have spent...

Plus generally once the custom ear tips have been sized & made you (pl) usually save around half the initial cost by ordering another pair at a later date as they hold your ear impressions on file for a good few years... plus a few makers have regular sales or discounts so you can even pick up duplicates for a third of the original price .. so it’s worth considering for any of your iems... plus with CFA design I found I can interchange my iems using the same custom ear tips I have for my Andro and Solaris... so, generally, you (pl) don’t need more than one for a brand as the body of the iems tends to be the same across the model range...

Thanks again for sharing....