[Rockwell75]

I noticed Crin doesn't like bass

Chi fi tuning is generally characterized by (among other things) sub bass over mid-bass and upper mids/lower treble over lower mids. "Western" tuning on the other hand tends to have more an emphasis on mid-bass and lower mids. Campfire's DD IEMs are decidedly tuned in the "western" direction and as such tend to have a lot of mid-bass, which is the reason I gravitate towards them and the reason why some (imho erroneously) describe them as muddy. The issue boils down to one of tuning preferences, which in turn are based on one's listening preferences, music library, sensitivities etc. YMMV and all that.

Edit:

PSA-- acknowledging that there is a difference between "Eastern (ie., Chifi)" tuning and "western" tuning in IEMs does not make one a racist or imply racism. It has been a very useful distinction for me to make when it comes to trying to understand different people's tuning and listening preferences and where they are coming from when commenting on an IEM. I first encountered the idea a couple years ago on Discord when I was told emphatically and conclusively that the IER Z1R was a superior IEM to the Campfire Solaris because the former "makes my JPOP & KPOP sound better". A lot of what it boils down to I think is that much Western music (rock, rap, rhythm & blues, jazz, funk etc. etc.) has its DNA in the mid-bass & lower mids. Conversely a lot of Eastern music (JPOP, KPOP etc.) has much of its DNA in the upper mids/lower treble...and these different ideals are clearly reflected in different tunings of various IEMs.

IEMs tuned in the "western" direction often can sound "muddy" to those who prefer a more eastern tuning, and conversely IEMs tuned in the "eastern" direction can sound shouty and fatiguing up top (and somewhat thin down low) to those who prefer a more western tuning. At the time I first heard both the Solaris & Z1R back to back my ultimate preference was for the Solaris at the time in large part due to its increased mid-bass presence and that the Z1R veered into shoutiness for me at times (Creedence Clearwater Revival is a great example of where this can often happen).

Here is a great article on the matter.

 

[bgpolyhistor]

Mammoths arrived yesterday

Good things first- I personally like the tuning. I would call it L shaped. This is not a Polaris V3. Nothing about the Mammoth is as extreme as the Polaris II’s- not as much sub bass, no harsh treble. Mammoth is much more understated in a way that makes it more versatile than Polaris II.

On to the bad- it has a hazy, “tubey” sound to it. I remember feeling the same way about the Andromeda 2020 once I compared it to UM MEST. If you just pop them in and listen you may not notice- but when compared to higher end models there is a lack of clarity and realism. I have only personally heard the Polaris II, Andromeda 2020 and now the Mammoth, but they all share this timbre and it makes me wonder if this could be called the Campfire audio house sound. This may be something people disagree over, and I’m sure some people subjectively enjoy this sound. To me it makes things sound somewhat muffled and unnatural. I don’t believe this can be attributed exclusively to the midbass being tuned with more priority than subbass, because a similar tuning approach was taken with the 64 audio Nio’s, which do not sound muddy at all. The two have very different price tags and I’m not suggesting they should sound the same, I’m just pointing out that elevated mid bass does not automatically lead to muddiness.
As always, I love CA aesthetics and packaging. In this case, I’m not sure I will keep the mammoth- there are other items in my collection which will get more use, and I’m not yet convinced the mammoth offers a good value for its price point.

 

[Rockwell75]

Mammoths arrived yesterday




On to the bad- it has a hazy, “tubey” sound to it. I remember feeling the same way about the Andromeda 2020 once I compared it to UM MEST. If you just pop them in and listen you may not notice- but when compared to higher end models there is a lack of clarity and realism.

Interesting that you say that about the Andromeda 2020 compared to the MEST of all IEMs. I had (and loved) the MEST for a while but it had probably the most synthetic sounding mid-range I've ever heard-- I would never personally describe Andro as lacking clarity and realism compared to the MEST...quite the opposite. YMMV and all that.

 

[bgpolyhistor]

Interesting that you say that about the Andromeda 2020 compared to the MEST of all IEMs. I had (and loved) the MEST for a while but it had probably the most synthetic sounding mid-range I've ever heard-- I would never personally describe Andro as lacking clarity and realism compared to the MEST...quite the opposite. YMMV and all that.

I may not have not heard nearly as many high-end units as you have but when I directly compared MEST to the Andromeda I promptly sold my Andromeda’s. The biggest dealbreaker for me when comparing the two is that I did not care for Andromeda’s BA bass- which doesn’t really relate to what we are talking about specifically. To be clear, I would’ve never described them that way when listening to them alone. I only felt that way when comparing them to MEST.

 

[Rockwell75]

I did not care for Andromeda’s BA bass- which doesn’t really relate to what we are talking about specifically.

Now that I can totally understand-- but as you note I was speaking primarily to the mids on the Andro 2020 vs. the mids on the MEST. I personally prefer the 2020 Andro over the MEST overall but purely in terms of bass the MEST wipes the floor with the Andromeda.

Edit: And for the record I'm in the midst of a massive DD kick right now. An IEM having all BAs or being a hybrid with no DD is pretty much a deal breaker for me atm...so ultimately I sold my Andro for the same reason you did.

 

[mangler]

Mammoths arrived yesterday




Good things first- I personally like the tuning. I would call it L shaped. This is not a Polaris V3. Nothing about the Mammoth is as extreme as the Polaris II’s- not as much sub bass, no harsh treble. Mammoth is much more understated in a way that makes it more versatile than Polaris II.

On to the bad- it has a hazy, “tubey” sound to it. I remember feeling the same way about the Andromeda 2020 once I compared it to UM MEST. If you just pop them in and listen you may not notice- but when compared to higher end models there is a lack of clarity and realism. I have only personally heard the Polaris II, Andromeda 2020 and now the Mammoth, but they all share this timbre and it makes me wonder if this could be called the Campfire audio house sound. This may be something people disagree over, and I’m sure some people subjectively enjoy this sound. To me it makes things sound somewhat muffled and unnatural. I don’t believe this can be attributed exclusively to the midbass being tuned with more priority than subbass, because a similar tuning approach was taken with the 64 audio Nio’s, which do not sound muddy at all. The two have very different price tags and I’m not suggesting they should sound the same, I’m just pointing out that elevated mid bass does not automatically lead to muddiness.
As always, I love CA aesthetics and packaging. In this case, I’m not sure I will keep the mammoth- there are other items in my collection which will get more use, and I’m not yet convinced the mammoth offers a good value for its price point.

How would you say it compares to your EE Bravado (mk1?)?

 

[bgpolyhistor]

How would you say it compares to your EE Bravado (mk1?)?

Not very favorably. With the recent price drop due to the Bravado MKII I think the Bravado OG offers better performance and tone across the board.

 

[rantng]

Mammoths arrived yesterday

Damn, I almost want to buy it just for the color alone... How about some glow-in-the-dark action?

 

[bgpolyhistor]

Damn, I almost want to buy it just for the color alone... How about some glow-in-the-dark action?

The glow in the dark was appealing to me as well. I do love how they look.

 

[bgpolyhistor]

Now that I can totally understand-- but as you note I was speaking primarily to the mids on the Andro 2020 vs. the mids on the MEST. I personally prefer the 2020 Andro over the MEST overall but purely in terms of bass the MEST wipes the floor with the Andromeda.

Edit: And for the record I'm in the midst of a massive DD kick right now. An IEM having all BAs or being a hybrid with no DD is pretty much a deal breaker for me atm...so ultimately I sold my Andro for the same reason you did.

I had already read so much hype about Andromeda from the moment I began to immerse myself in the hobby- and the 2020 edition remains very well regarded. I upgraded from a $500 set and was not educated enough to understand a few things- Firstly, that twice as expensive will not realistically sound twice as good. secondly, that I was used to DD’s and DD hybrids- I did not realize just how different a 5 BA configuration would sound compared to what I was used to.

I’m also not a guy who prioritizes mids. There seems to be very consistent praise of Andromeda‘s mids- they may very well be wasted on my philistine ears. I don’t think anyone who knew my tastes would have ever advised me to go for the Andromeda- and that’s not Andromeda’s fault.

 

[whistlebug23]

old Far Side cartoon

Subsequently, Far Side reminds me of Paul Kirchner's "The Bus".

 

[Ghisy]

Please delete.

 

[Ghisy]

Mammoth versus Andro Gold!

Yes please! The Andro Gold are my faves and daily driver!

Oh man, I just found out about these when I just received the Honeydew...

I'd be interested to hear how these Mammoth measure against the OG Vega and the Honeydew, especially in the bass department.

Now I wonder if I should return the Honeydew and get the Mammoth instead...

(I'm confused where to post as there are 2 threads for the Mammoth so I posted my questions in both, sorry about that)

 

[mochill]

The mammoth isn't bloated sounding , sounds full and clear

 

[ExpatinJapan]

arrived yesterday





Good things first- I personally like the tuning. I would call it L shaped. This is not a Polaris V3. Nothing about the Mammoth is as extreme as the Polaris II’s- not as much sub bass, no harsh treble. Mammoth is much more understated in a way that makes it more versatile than Polaris II.

On to the bad- it has a hazy, “tubey” sound to it. I remember feeling the same way about the Andromeda 2020 once I compared it to UM MEST. If you just pop them in and listen you may not notice- but when compared to higher end models there is a lack of clarity and realism. I have only personally heard the Polaris II, Andromeda 2020 and now the Mammoth, but they all share this timbre and it makes me wonder if this could be called the Campfire audio house sound. This may be something people disagree over, and I’m sure some people subjectively enjoy this sound. To me it makes things sound somewhat muffled and unnatural. I don’t believe this can be attributed exclusively to the midbass being tuned with more priority than subbass, because a similar tuning approach was taken with the 64 audio Nio’s, which do not sound muddy at all. The two have very different price tags and I’m not suggesting they should sound the same, I’m just pointing out that elevated mid bass does not automatically lead to muddiness.
As always, I love CA aesthetics and packaging. In this case, I’m not sure I will keep the mammoth- there are other items in my collection which will get more use, and I’m not yet convinced the mammoth offers a good value for its price point.

Andromeda2020 and the Polaris arent my cup of tea either sound wise.

Andromeda 2019 is my sweet spot for the green Andromedas

with that i like the Mammoth. I do think it needs at least 24 hours to loosen up the dynamic driver which tightens up the low end more. Its a bit overwhelming out of the box and the BAs are lost in the mix initially. imho

Damn, I almost want to buy it just for the color alone... How about some glow-in-the-dark action?

I posted a pic a bit back. Here we go

I had already read so much hype about Andromeda from the moment I began to immerse myself in the hobby- and the 2020 edition remains very well regarded. I upgraded from a $500 set and was not educated enough to understand a few things- Firstly, that twice as expensive will not realistically sound twice as good. secondly, that I was used to DD’s and DD hybrids- I did not realize just how different a 5 BA configuration would sound compared to what I was used to.

I’m also not a guy who prioritizes mids. There seems to be very consistent praise of Andromeda‘s mids- they may very well be wasted on my philistine ears. I don’t think anyone who knew my tastes would have ever advised me to go for the Andromeda- and that’s not Andromeda’s fault.

- Andromeda v1/v2 super good at the time. Perfected the Jupiter. A good baseline general reference.
- Andromeda V3 aka 2019 - a bit more mids. Losing that slight v but retaining the sweet treble.
- Andromeda 2020 - no, go back! (imho).