[bartzky]

If anyone ever wondered how Andromeda's reaction to several output impedances looks/sounds like:

The yellow line shows a 0 ohm source, so there's no sound chance, hence it's a straight line. The lines below show 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 ohm outputs. I think it's not a secret, that Andromeda will sound brighter on high z sources, but nevertheless nice to see different outputs in comparison.
If you like the "original" uncolored sound I'd recommend sources below 0.5 ohm. 0.5 ohm is the exact value the variation of the frequency response will be as high as 1dB compared to a 0 Ohm output.

 

[ForceMajeure]

If anyone ever wondered how Andromeda's reaction to several output impedances looks/sounds like:

The yellow line shows a 0 ohm source, so there's no sound chance, hence it's a straight line. The lines below show 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 ohm outputs. I think it's not a secret, that Andromeda will sound brighter on high z sources, but nevertheless nice to see different outputs in comparison.
If you like the "original" uncolored sound I'd recommend sources below 0.5 ohm. 0.5 ohm is the exact value the variation of the frequency response will be as high as 1dB compared to a 0 Ohm output.

So if I understand correctly on your graph a 64ohm Zout will give almost 14db boost at 8khz?

 

[bartzky]

So if I understand correctly on your graph a 64ohm Zout will give almost 14db boost at 8khz?

Yes, you're right. Technically speaking it will reduce the volume at all other frequencies more than it will reduce it at 8kHz - as you will have to turn the volume up the result will be a boost at 8kHz. Andromeda is extremely sensitive to output impedance.

 

[rawrster]

Ive always wondered about the oi sensitivity. Is there any reason why the Andromeda is overly sensitive compared to another earphone? I've never had to look into the oi of my dap much until the Andromeda.

 

[bartzky]

The reason is Andromeda's impedance which alternates between extremely low and relatively high values:

As you can see the impedance looks pretty much the same as the frequency variations shown in the plot above.
The reason why the impedance is like this is because of the driver selection and crossover design.

 

[imackler]

Anyone try the Andromeda out of a Magni 2U? Curious if there is any hiss...

 

[rayhe19]

Does anyone have an idea of when the next b-stock for andromedas will be? I'm interested in getting a pair but they are quite expensive. So far subscribing to all their newsletters and hoping for the best.

 

[Fatsosixsixsix]

Does anyone have an idea of when the next b-stock for andromedas will be? I'm interested in getting a pair but they are quite expensive. So far subscribing to all their newsletters and hoping for the best.

When I emailed them back in April they said they don't expect anymore b-stock anytime soon

Has anyone tried replacing the Litz cable that comes with the Andromeda? I heard the Litz is already pretty good but was wondering whether people have tried other cables and saw any differences. What sort of cables even work with the Andromeda, or should I perhaps say what socket type ?

I had a gander at @ExpatinJapan 's cable for his other CA IEM for interest and that thing is pretty pricy, but looks good quality

 

[rayhe19]

When I emailed them back in April they said they don't expect anymore b-stock anytime soon

Ah thanks, guess I'm out of luck. Gotta keep my eye on the buy/sell forums.

 

[willowbrook]

When I emailed them back in April they said they don't expect anymore b-stock anytime soon

Has anyone tried replacing the Litz cable that comes with the Andromeda? I heard the Litz is already pretty good but was wondering whether people have tried other cables and saw any differences. What sort of cables even work with the Andromeda, or should I perhaps say what socket type ?

I had a gander at @ExpatinJapan 's cable for his other CA IEM for interest and that thing is pretty pricy, but looks good quality

If you're looking for balanced, fidue a83 balanced cable from penon audio is a nice cheaper alternative. The memory wire is a little more stiff than litz and the connector is harder to remove. They are both SPC cable, so tonally they sound similar. However, running balanced is what matters and makes more difference than you would think. They provide a 2.5mm-->3.5mm adapter as well as a spacer if you don't want the connector to spin around freely. The quality of the cable is pretty good considering it only costs 60. I recommend going balanced before switching cables on SE for improvements. Or try IEMatch to alter output Impedance. 2.5ohm mode sounds pretty damn good.

 

[rawrster]

I got really lucky and picked up a B stock Andromeda around 2 months ago. I definitely would not depend on that since there were only a few on sale and they sold out really fast.

As far as cables go any standard mmcx should fit. I have a cable made by effect audio. The stock cable will be thinner and more flexible than most cables out there. I wanted one without the memory wire and a straight plug so went that route. If the stock cable had those 2 instead I would not have purchased from effect audio.

 

[Midgetguy]

I got really lucky and picked up a B stock Andromeda around 2 months ago. I definitely would not depend on that since there were only a few on sale and they sold out really fast.

As far as cables go any standard mmcx should fit. I have a cable made by effect audio. The stock cable will be thinner and more flexible than most cables out there. I wanted one without the memory wire and a straight plug so went that route. If the stock cable had those 2 instead I would not have purchased from effect audio.

I prefer right-angle cables better so that part about the stock Litz cable was fine for me. But I agree about the memory wire. I never liked memory wire. The stock cable is one of the best cables out there IMO.

 

[drbobbybones]

If anyone ever wondered how Andromeda's reaction to several output impedances looks/sounds like:

The yellow line shows a 0 ohm source, so there's no sound chance, hence it's a straight line. The lines below show 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 ohm outputs. I think it's not a secret, that Andromeda will sound brighter on high z sources, but nevertheless nice to see different outputs in comparison.
If you like the "original" uncolored sound I'd recommend sources below 0.5 ohm. 0.5 ohm is the exact value the variation of the frequency response will be as high as 1dB compared to a 0 Ohm output.

This is awesome--thanks for showing.

I have the Litz cable terminated in the 3.5 right angle plug, and the Litz Lightning cable for the iPhone. The Lightning cable definitely has a lower Z, as the increase in bass is quite noticeable. So much so that I had to change the tips I used to get the same sound as I had before. I currently use JVC Spiral Dots and they give me the best balance--tuned to reference with some low end warmth.

 

[Fatsosixsixsix]

If you're looking for balanced, fidue a83 balanced cable from penon audio is a nice cheaper alternative. The memory wire is a little more stiff than litz and the connector is harder to remove. They are both SPC cable, so tonally they sound similar. However, running balanced is what matters and makes more difference than you would think. They provide a 2.5mm-->3.5mm adapter as well as a spacer if you don't want the connector to spin around freely. The quality of the cable is pretty good considering it only costs 60. I recommend going balanced before switching cables on SE for improvements. Or try IEMatch to alter output Impedance. 2.5ohm mode sounds pretty damn good.

Might be a good cable to start with. I don't have much experience with swapping cables so I've never really compared the effects of different materials or balanced v unbalanced

I'm planning on pairing the Andromeda with an iFi iDSD Black Label DAC/Amp so I'll be able to use the built in IEMatch on that at least for now.

 

[esm87]

Just wondering, is there a headphone that sounds like the Andromeda??