[blazinblazin]

I am still waiting for mine to come

 

[AndrewH13]

Looking forward to hearing Maurice's Andromeda at Can jam, but wondering if I love it, why is their no distribution in UK? It was same with Pono a year ago when I wanted to buy. Is there likely to be in the future?

 

[alffla]

Looking forward to hearing Maurice's Andromeda at Can jam, but wondering if I love it, why is their no distribution in UK? It was same with Pono a year ago when I wanted to buy. Is there likely to be in the future?

There probably will be. Their production is slow at the moment.

 

[kino lau]

I'm not exactly sure what all of the talk about the Andromeda being source dependent is about. I was doing some A/B'ing yesterday with the stock ALO cable and my Ref Silver Litz from Ted at Headphone Lounge (more on that later). I had both my Questyle and my 2 year old X5 sitting on the table in front of me so I had a chance to do a little unintended comparison there as well. My QP1R is my goto and the X5 gets used more as a transport source for my home and car audio. I needed to kick up the volume on the X5 to be closer to the QP output, but both sounded great with the Andromeda. In fact, my first thought was that I needed to post in the X5 thread about how good it still sounded after 2 years of use. However, the Andros are definitely revealing.
 
The only thing regarding source quality that I’ve found issues with are the audio files. Going from one album to another can be vastly different, and if they’re only listened to via headphones this can be discouraging. One set of tracks may sound phenomenal and the next not so much. This has nothing to do with the Andromeda. I do most of my listening through my home audio gear, using the coax out of my X5 as the source, and just let it shuffle through the entire library. This has been extremely revealing of the mastering of one album against the next. It’s easier to pick out the obvious like changes in db levels or the emphasis on more or less bass or treble. I’ve found that Van Halen and Led Zeppelin don’t have a lot of emphasis on kick drums…even when listened to through a 1500 watt sub.
 
The Andromeda being “source dependent” may just be that the source really sounds different than what folks thought it did. That’s revealing, not dependent. 

 

[shotgunshane]

No it's source dependent in the reference being used. Andromeda is very sensitive to output impedance. Any and all amount are aurally detectable. I believe someone measured the stock cable as 0.7 ohms of impedance, so ad that to your source Z and you'll have the total impedance affecting Andromeda's signature. More impedance lowers overall bass levels due to the Andromeda impedance graph dropping to about 4 ohms in bass according to measurements I've seen. That is super sensitive and in a general sense, all sources will sound different, since every source has its own output Z.

 

[blazinblazin]

I was testing Andromeda with X5II the other day. Great match but after I add in E12A to the combo... I was wow by it.

 

[kino lau]

No it's source dependent in the reference being used. Andromeda is very sensitive to output impedance. Any and all amount are aurally detectable. I believe someone measured the stock cable as 0.7 ohms of impedance, so ad that to your source Z and you'll have the total impedance affecting Andromeda's signature. More impedance lowers overall bass levels due to the Andromeda impedance graph dropping to about 4 ohms in bass according to measurements I've seen. That is super sensitive and in a general sense, all sources will sound different, since every source has its own output Z.

So I just got lucky?

 

[shotgunshane]

QP1R and the Fiio both have less than 1 ohm output impedance, so they should sound 'similar'. But a Sony ZX2 at roughy 2 ohms will sound a little leaner and a iPhone 6S+ at 3.3 ohms leaner still.

 

[Audiowood]

QP1R and the Fiio both have less than 1 ohm output impedance, so they should sound 'similar'. But a Sony ZX2 at roughy 2 ohms will sound a little leaner and a iPhone 6S+ at 3.3 ohms leaner still.

That is exactly my findings so far. The tonality swing is pretty drastic. 

 

[Audiowood]

  So I just got lucky?

If you have an Iphone 6, compare the tonality between them (amps and your iphone) and you will hear a very big differences. This Andromeda has about the most drastic change with sources I ever heard thus far (no I haven't heard all though). Its like having a new EQ altogether.. and with  drastic effect like turning on a bass switch all of a sudden and turning off treble switch the next .. depending on your source. Crazy... 

 

[Audiowood]

I find the Ifi Nano IDSD sound the most balance with huge bass and treble.. as compared to Chord mojo and some Fiio range (very warm). After half a day of testing, I concluded that alot of portable amps actually make the Andro sound even worse than Iphone direct out. Ok I am gonna get arrows coming my way for saying that. I better run now... lol.. 

 

[kino lau]

.
QP1R and the Fiio both have less than 1 ohm output impedance, so they should sound 'similar'. But a Sony ZX2 at roughy 2 ohms will sound a little leaner and a iPhone 6S+ at 3.3 ohms leaner still.

I find it hard to believe that CA / ALO would create a product so susceptible to small variances of impedance given their existing presence in the audio gear market. So would I be correct in assuming that equipment and headphone manufactures are building to the same types of existing standards that home audio adheres to (I think), like a known 8 or 4 ohm load? And iPhone's or any other mobile device not being designed as a dedicated piece of audio gear just got left at the curb? If that were the case, and I'm not saying that it is because this is all news to me...then the mobile device manufacturers would have dropped the ball if not adhering to the same "given" specs. This is all presumptuous on my part of course. 

 

[mboerma]

As a follow up to my earlier posts in this thread trying to get in contact with CA.
 
Tried calling Campfire and ALO Audio and have been sending them emails, putting in support tickets. Nothing. I know ALO is a very well respected business but it would be very nice if they responded to questions, orders and phone calls. Or left a message on their websites and automated replies about being away. If anybody has more info that would be great. Thanks.

 

[kino lau]

  As a follow up to my earlier posts in this thread trying to get in contact with CA.
 
Tried calling Campfire and ALO Audio and have been sending them emails, putting in support tickets. Nothing. I know ALO is a very well respected business but it would be very nice if they responded to questions, orders and phone calls. Or left a message on their websites and automated replies about being away. If anybody has more info that would be great. Thanks.

Just gave them a call and got VM. I'd be happy to try and reach out to them via phone to save you the international call charges if you'd like. 

 

[mboerma]

  Just gave them a call and got VM. I'd be happy to try and reach out to them via phone to save you the international call charges if you'd like. 

Thanks (!), but I called them as well. Both numbers and also called ALO. Only VM. Left them a message.