[esm87]

Also, I enjoy my music loud, louder than most I would have thought, the s6 drives these to ear deafening levels I was surprised how loud these go direct from the phone

 

[all999]

Lack of compatibility with S8 was one of a reasons I have let them go. Strange and annoying and S8 is a great sounding phone.

 

[esm87]

Got it working, cool! Cheers guys!

 

[blazinblazin]

Actually it's the S8 compatibility problem.

My DAP all works fine.

 

[rawrster]

That's odd. I have no issue with the s8 or s8+ with the andromeda or any other earphone.

 

[thatonenoob]

Hi folks, just completed my review for the Campfire Andromeda and Vega here. Didn't past it into this thread as it is rather long.

Cheers!

 

[Tae SumYea]

What is different between um pro 30 and campfire orion? (Ex. sound quality,detail,Sound characteristics,sound stage,etc)

 

[Hi-Fi'er]

Greetings,

I have tried to read as many reviews as possible and read the beginning 20 pages and last 50 pages of this thread and have some questions.

My music preference: Extreme Detail, clear detailed smooth mids, clean clear highs but do not overpower the mids. Overall a smooth detailed transparent sound signature. I don't care about bass, any amount it fine as vocals take the show for me. The last IEM I got was the Trinity Phantom Mater 6 (6 drivers) and it's left me unimpressed.

Questions:

1. Since the Andromeda are so sensitive, how would they pair with a LG V10 (Sabre DAC), Cowon P1, Cowon PD hissing?
2. Sibilance: Some songs are just sibilant/hot, no way to get around that as that is just how they were recorded off the CD FLAC. WIth the Andromeda, how do they handle that? Play it exactly the way it was recorded sibilant/hot or smooth it out? I am not treble sensitive but can not tolerate sibilance in recording or the same way IEM's enhance it.
3. Are the mids forward enough to be able to enjoy these with vocals? 90% of my music is Reggae and Pop women/men vocals. I was eyeing the Jupiter initially when I called ALO, and asked these questions and they said it's not for vocals? I keep finding many reviews that say the Jupiter are forward but not as much as Andromeda's I know. They insist Jupiter is not and kept swaying me away from Jupiter as if it's not good? (I called 3 times by the way). Their support don't seem impressed with the Jupiter and he didn't really want to talk much. I can tell I spoke to the same guy 3 times. He didn't tell me his name (introducing yourself is proper) he didn't ask my name nor say thank you for calling. First impression to the 3rd were it just didn't seem polite. He was short with me also is how I felt. Didn't even say thank you for calling in the end either, nothing. I refuse to call them anymore as that left a bad taste for me. Hence why I'm here now asking about the Andromeda and people's opinion.
4. I've never been willing to drop a +$1000.00 on anything unless I'm absolutely positive it is worth it and will have 0% regrets. You can see all the IEM"s I have in my profile but non knock my socks off. I'm tired of climbing up the bang for your buck IEM's ladder. I just want to be done with searching and spending money. Yes I also know the joke about your wallet etc. no need to say it. I do believe in buy once and cry once and be done if the Andromeda's are it.

Thank you in advance.

 

[thatonenoob]

Greetings,

I have tried to read as many reviews as possible and read the beginning 20 pages and last 50 pages of this thread and have some questions.

My music preference: Extreme Detail, clear detailed smooth mids, clean clear highs but do not overpower the mids. Overall a smooth detailed transparent sound signature. I don't care about bass, any amount it fine as vocals take the show for me. The last IEM I got was the Trinity Phantom Mater 6 (6 drivers) and it's left me unimpressed.

Questions:

1. Since the Andromeda are so sensitive, how would they pair with a LG V10 (Sabre DAC), Cowon P1, Cowon PD hissing?
2. Sibilance: Some songs are just sibilant/hot, no way to get around that as that is just how they were recorded off the CD FLAC. WIth the Andromeda, how do they handle that? Play it exactly the way it was recorded sibilant/hot or smooth it out? I am not treble sensitive but can not tolerate sibilance in recording or the same way IEM's enhance it.
3. Are the mids forward enough to be able to enjoy these with vocals? 90% of my music is Reggae and Pop women/men vocals. I was eyeing the Jupiter initially when I called ALO, and asked these questions and they said it's not for vocals? I keep finding many reviews that say the Jupiter are forward but not as much as Andromeda's I know. They insist Jupiter is not and kept swaying me away from Jupiter as if it's not good? (I called 3 times by the way). Their support don't seem impressed with the Jupiter and he didn't really want to talk much. I can tell I spoke to the same guy 3 times. He didn't tell me his name (introducing yourself is proper) he didn't ask my name nor say thank you for calling. First impression to the 3rd were it just didn't seem polite. He was short with me also is how I felt. Didn't even say thank you for calling in the end either, nothing. I refuse to call them anymore as that left a bad taste for me. Hence why I'm here now asking about the Andromeda and people's opinion.
4. I've never been willing to drop a +$1000.00 on anything unless I'm absolutely positive it is worth it and will have 0% regrets. You can see all the IEM"s I have in my profile but non knock my socks off. I'm tired of climbing up the bang for your buck IEM's ladder. I just want to be done with searching and spending money. Yes I also know the joke about your wallet etc. no need to say it. I do believe in buy once and cry once and be done if the Andromeda's are it.

Thank you in advance.

1) If it's high noise floor (and I don't the measurements for those 3), andromeda will hiss, for sure.
2) You'll hear sibilance if it was recorded like that.
3) Andromeda vocals are splendid. Clear and present. Overall better than the Jupiter imo.
4) Cry and be done with it.

Cheers!!

 

[Hi-Fi'er]

1) If it's high noise floor (and I don't the measurements for those 3), andromeda will hiss, for sure.
2) You'll hear sibilance if it was recorded like that.
3) Andromeda vocals are splendid. Clear and present. Overall better than the Jupiter imo.
4) Cry and be done with it.

Cheers!!

Thank you for replying. I figured I would hear the sibilance, that was expected but I guess I mean to try to say would the Andromeda smooth them out and not make them as harsh or tame them in any way? Or are they just going to recreate them exactly just as harsh?

Thank you.

 

[thatonenoob]

I'd say probably just as harsh. It's quite a revealing earphone.

 

[beowulf]

1. Since the Andromeda are so sensitive, how would they pair with a LG V10 (Sabre DAC), Cowon P1, Cowon PD hissing?

I don't have this particular combo, so can't answer this one.
I doubt the V10 will have more noise than something like the S7 Edge Exynos (Lucky/Cirrus/Wolfson DAC) - the hiss is detectable, but very soft. I hate hiss in quiet passages and it pretty much never annoys me with this combo since it's not very detectable. The Cowons, no idea.

Many sources are totally flat silent with the Andromeda tho.

2. Sibilance: Some songs are just sibilant/hot, no way to get around that as that is just how they were recorded off the CD FLAC. WIth the Andromeda, how do they handle that? Play it exactly the way it was recorded sibilant/hot or smooth it out? I am not treble sensitive but can not tolerate sibilance in recording or the same way IEM's enhance it.

I find the Andromeda to be a bit on the bright side, but not sibilant unless the recording is very grainy. I'd compare them to an HD 800 modded or the 800 S, with a lot of treble clarity and resolution but without being harsh. However, they will be very revealing with certain poor recordings. You wont' get a smoothed out, early treble roll off like with the SE846, for instance. Which IMHO, is good.

It can sound harsh and too bright with some sources. I have a solid state amp I don't use with it because it makes it sound super bright and fatiguing. Perhaps due to high output impedance. Bass is also off.
If you have a source with low output impedance and low noise, it will be great with the Andromeda. Something mid-fi like the iFI iDSD Black Label works really well.

3. Are the mids forward enough to be able to enjoy these with vocals? 90% of my music is Reggae and Pop women/men vocals. I was eyeing the Jupiter initially when I called ALO, and asked these questions and they said it's not for vocals?

The midrange is quite meaty, slightly warm and a lot more forward than the measurements seem to show. I listen to lots of music with vocals taking the spotlight and don't feel any lack of intimacy or clarity.

4. I've never been willing to drop a +$1000.00 on anything unless I'm absolutely positive it is worth it and will have 0% regrets. You can see all the IEM"s I have in my profile but non knock my socks off. I'm tired of climbing up the bang for your buck IEM's ladder. I just want to be done with searching and spending money. Yes I also know the joke about your wallet etc. no need to say it. I do believe in buy once and cry once and be done if the Andromeda's are it.

I've had a lot of resistance to IEMs throughout the years, mostly due to quality never matching full-size cans and other factors like fragility (things break often) and practical aspects (loss, theft, etc). I shared your worries before buying.

If you like the sound, I think the Andromeda have the potential to be an IEM you will keep for many years without feeling unhappy. It's early to tell, but I think they should also be reliable if properly taken care of. The cable is excellent in every way, for instance. I can see the green paint scratching with time, but overall, they should be durable.
CA also seems to provide very good support (despite your support call). I had a little complaint about the case and they shipped me a new one (to Europe, almost overnight) which is something that wasn't even perhaps necessary, still, great support matching the cost of the product.

I paid almost $1400 for them (Europe, taxes) and surprisingly, still don't regret it. Being a fan of full-size cans, it's a bit overkill for my preferences, but it's the first set of IEMs that made me enjoy some tracks as much as with full-size cans. I still remember one of the first tracks that made me go "wow". It was in Jordi Savall's "La Folia" album. The vocals, instrument separation and positioning, clarity and resolution and sense of space/air/3D was extremely impressive, like a little closed warmer HD800.

So I'd say go for it, but, it's not a cheap product, so it is always better if you can listen before buying. Some people prefer Maseratis, some people prefer Aston Martins... just being good doesn't mean it's the good you prefer. Try to pick a source that accepts returns (if you can't listen first). If all fails, you can sell them used at some loss. The green monsters have good demand in the used market.

I'd say probably just as harsh. It's quite a revealing earphone.

Totally agree here. The Andromeda won't make it warmer and smoother for you. Play an old Callas mono recording, or Cowboy Junkies' "Sweet Jane" and you'll get ear bleach and sibilance, as you would get with any revealing, detailed headphone.

But it's much easier to EQ smoothness into a model with the clarity of the Andromeda in the rares cases it is necessary, than to find a way to make something warmer/muddier sound as high res as the Andromeda (SE846, I'm looking at you).

 

[beowulf]

And here's a couple of photos, because... I haven't annoyed people with photos today yet.

 

[Hi-Fi'er]

And here's a couple of photos, because... I haven't annoyed people with photos today yet.

Um your signature says: Less-loved portable buddies: Havi B3 Pro1, Shure SE846, CA Andromeda, MDR-1000X

Why is the Andromeda less loved? You don't like them? Or do you mean to say less used?

 

[beowulf]

Um your signature says: Less-loved portable buddies: Havi B3 Pro1, Shure SE846, CA Andromeda, MDR-1000X

Why is the Andromeda less loved?

They're too small. I'm a size snob. Only full sized cans deserve true love.

But out of the small, pocketable ones, the Andromeda have my needs fully satiated. Yeah. They're really, really good... For small things, that is.