[DaveStarWalker]

andro's (...) weaknesses (bass texture, thinner than natural upper mids, slightly sharp treble) (...)

What tips are you using ?

Because with the Symbio's, these weaknesses are no longer a concern imo.

 

[DaveStarWalker]

Just wondering how the Noble Katanas compare to the Andromeda. I’m really happy with the Andromeda but one ear doesn’t seem to fit as well as the other with the piece slipping loose occasionally. The other ear fits perfectly. Between that and just the simple desire to try new things I am curious about the Katanas.

I've got the Kaiser Encore if you mind

 

[deafdoorknob]

What tips are you using ?

Because with the Symbio's, these weaknesses are no longer a concern imo.

alas, i did order the symbios but even their smallest ones can't fit properly, and one side always broke seal, so i alternate between comply and marshmallow small or spin fits if humidity is an issue (during summa)

 

[KingCharizard]

alas, i did order the symbios but even their smallest ones can't fit properly, and one side always broke seal, so i alternate between comply and marshmallow small or spin fits if humidity is an issue (during summa)

I love the Andros with the Symbio tips, but they're uncomfortable for me too. On the recommendation of @ExpatinJapan and @Jearly410 I tried the spiral dots, which also sound very good and improve comfort over the Symbio for me. May be an option that works for you too.

 

[adrigd]

Hi guys! I am trying these days the Andros and although I love their sound, they are really painful in my ears. I've tried multiple tips, including Comply (which normally work really well for me), and non of them work fine. I have small ears, and even the smallest size of almost all kind of tips I've tried are uncomfortable for me. I am very close to return them, because my Shures se846 offers me a much better relation between sound, isolation and confort (even if the sound is clearly worse). The thing is, before return them (I have 30 days), I would like to hear any possible recomendation if someone here has had the same problem. Probably the Andros are simply not for me, but maybe there is some "magical" tip that can help?

Thanks!

 

[Slashn77]

Hi guys! I am trying these days the Andros and although I love their sound, they are really painful in my ears. I've tried multiple tips, including Comply (which normally work really well for me), and non of them work fine. I have small ears, and even the smallest size of almost all kind of tips I've tried are uncomfortable for me. I am very close to return them, because my Shures se846 offers me a much better relation between sound, isolation and confort (even if the sound is clearly worse). The thing is, before return them (I have 30 days), I would like to hear any possible recomendation if someone here has had the same problem. Probably the Andros are simply not for me, but maybe there is some "magical" tip that can help?

Thanks!

I have small ear canals as well and I had the inside of my ear hurt using marshmallow and comply foams so I ordered the symbio tips which haven arrived yet.

After wearing for 3 days in a row about an hour at a time so it got pretty uncomfortable my ear canals got used to it and now the last full week I have Zero comfort issues.

I would wait and see if your ear canals can adjust to them after a few days(not just 10 minutes at a time) and I don’t know why but it worked and I am super happy that they are actually going from least comfortable to most.

Just inside my canal where the metal nozzle goes is where I had the discomfort even using smallest size comply (still don’t like the marshmallows though)

 

[SBranson]

I’ve got a bit of a fit/comfort issue in just one ear. Symbio M in the left ear is perfect but during a long listening session can slip in the right ear and I find myself trying to reseat it every 5 mins. The symbio S is too small so sometimes I’ll use a spiral dot m/l in the right ear and the symbio in the left. When I first put in the mismatch I feel like I can hear it but that fades quickly. That’s the beauty of the spiral dots, so many sizes allow you to dial in the perfect seal/fit.

I've got the Kaiser Encore if you mind

I’d be interested to know if they are “different” or “better”. That’s tough to determine obviously but I’d be curious to hear if you’d call them an upgrade.

 

[DaveStarWalker]

alas, i did order the symbios but even their smallest ones can't fit properly, and one side always broke seal, so i alternate between comply and marshmallow small or spin fits if humidity is an issue (during summa)

What a pity...

IMO, if the fit is good, Symbio W tips are by far the best pairing with Andromeda's....

I have a lot of chance : I fit perfectly the Andromeda (with a lot of different tips)... and it was "just" a revelation with the Symbio's : timbral accuracy, transcients (which are becoming lightling fast and very powerful), soundstage (airy but meaty too), isolation (not that far from a ciem ; I use it exclusively in mobility : train, underground...) etc.

 

[DaveStarWalker]

I’ve got a bit of a fit/comfort issue in just one ear. Symbio M in the left ear is perfect but during a long listening session can slip in the right ear and I find myself trying to reseat it every 5 mins. The symbio S is too small so sometimes I’ll use a spiral dot m/l in the right ear and the symbio in the left. When I first put in the mismatch I feel like I can hear it but that fades quickly. That’s the beauty of the spiral dots, so many sizes allow you to dial in the perfect seal/fit.



I’d be interested to know if they are “different” or “better”. That’s tough to determine obviously but I’d be curious to hear if you’d call them an upgrade.

Well, this is a mixed bag.

In summary : two exceptionnal contenders but with different forces :

IMO, the Kaiser Encore are just unbeatable with details, quickness, clarity, high extension (incredible ; in my book, only the Fourté / U18T and maybe some Jomo's like Flamenco or Samba are in the same league, from this particular point of view), with overkill and snappy transcients. A lot of sparkle : champagne ! Maybe too much sparkle sometimes ? No, but the audio files... and the mastering job... must be very good. In my mind, the voicing is very similar with the Sennheiser HD800 (not the "s" version ; full size cans) : so... same pros and perhaps same cons. The low end for instance is not the most powerful of the market, and it is clearly medium to high medium focused. And... you feel the work done for the voicing (tonal balance and frequency response) : this is not completly seemless from this point of view. The tones are very textured though, from the low end to the highest highs. And... the fit can be difficult. So I do have developped my own tips (see : https://www.head-fi.org/threads/noble-audio-the-wizard-returns.684787/page-1843 ).

The Andromeda... in one word : co-he-ren-cy. They are not the fastest (the KE are IMO), not the clearest (idem), not... etc, but they raise the bar incredibly high and, most important : the coherency is just perfect. Repeat : perfect. The soundstage is more wide than the KE. The very low end has some nice rumble and authority (beware of the output impedance of the DAP : it is true only if the impedance is very low ; 1 ohm and less), which is not the case with KE. So the Andromeda are just perfect with virtually every music style you can ear. In comparison, the Kaiser Encore will be exceptional with jazz, classical for example, but less adapted to heavy metal, hip hop... (it remains excellent, but not "perfect" for this kind of style).

I can't say that KE are definitly better... or the contrary. So I do have both in my collection.

I hope it will help

 

[syke]

Hi guys! I am trying these days the Andros and although I love their sound, they are really painful in my ears. I've tried multiple tips, including Comply (which normally work really well for me), and non of them work fine. I have small ears, and even the smallest size of almost all kind of tips I've tried are uncomfortable for me. I am very close to return them, because my Shures se846 offers me a much better relation between sound, isolation and confort (even if the sound is clearly worse). The thing is, before return them (I have 30 days), I would like to hear any possible recomendation if someone here has had the same problem. Probably the Andros are simply not for me, but maybe there is some "magical" tip that can help?

Thanks!

I would like to recommend the Symbio. But I can't. Sizing is a hit or miss. If you don't mind spending extra cash, give it a go. But you will be better off trying the JVC Spiral Dots. they come in a multitude of sizes. The odds of getting the right fit is higher and they sound cleaner too.
Otherwise, just go get yourself fit for a custom silicone tip. That will definitely work, but sound will be impacted depending on workmanship.

 

[syke]

BTW, I am seeing retailers dropping prices of the Andromeda a couple of times now. Does that signify an Andromeda 2.0 is right around the corner?

 

[Audiophonicalistic]

All this talk about Band of Horses I’ve never heard of them before (not my typical style of music) but got out Spotify on my iPhone 7 —>xdsd—>Andromedas and listened to the live show at the Ryman and wow these sound AMAZING even at 320 mp3.
These Andros do not have a weakness and these have me thinking about parting with my Lyra II in the future if theyre not getting any use.

When I bought these to compliment my Lyra II and cascades which have much more bass and are both incredible on their own (especially cascades)and thought the andormedas would be used for acoustic/vocal music only but I honestly love Tupac Drake Kendrick Lamar just as much as Michael Jackson Norah Jones Adele all on one IEM.
I still like the Lyras a lot and definitely have that DD impact/punch but they do not touch the vocals highs soundstage and just how well they cohesively work together like in the Andros

Band of horses has the dsd of that show and from wm1a balanced it was incredible from andromedas

 

[Audiophonicalistic]

BTW, I am seeing retailers dropping prices of the Andromeda a couple of times now. Does that signify an Andromeda 2.0 is right around the corner?

Theyre working on it right now. Just a matter of time.

 

[Slashn77]

Where is the best place to get the Spiral dots? I am still waiting on my Symbio tips and final E type and want to get spirals to see which gives me the right or also to try taking symbio foam and put into spirals like suggested.

I can only find a 6 pack (all of 1 size) for $15 but I sometimes use small or medium and spirals come in Medium smalls(MS) that is 3 different sizes that could work so I don’t want to buy $45 in spirals to get 6 pairs of those 3 sizes seems like a waste.
I already ruined a couple complys trying to take off the tips by trying mediums and smalls since it is a tight fit on Andromedas nozzle

 

[chimney189]

If you like warm and bass heavy, yes possibly. Not if you like a more balanced sound. I'd take an Atlas over LX on that front personally if you factor in cost. The LX is not great from a phone either, it needs amplification. I gave the 'replacing Andro' idea a shot this year, went to CanJam w/ my Andro lookin' for an upgrade. Now granted showroom conditions aren't ideal but nothing there tempted me to ditch the Andro.. not Atlas/LX/Phantom/Fourte/U12t/Trio/UE18+... the only IEM that had a huge wow factor vs Andro for me was the U18t at a cool 3x price. Seemed like nearly every vendor had Chord to pair so most of the listening was from a Mojo/H2.

Thanks for the reply.
I find that the balance of the Andromeda to be downright addicting. Maybe the Legend X would be a good compliment? Although that price... I told myself I'd never spend over $1,000 on anything in this hobby. I haven't yet!

I'd also like to add that the Andromeda with the Plenue R DAP is a great combination.
The sound signature of the Andromeda is not compromised one bit, but the only thing that DOES bother me is in some song the "sssss" with singers can become sibilant if the volume is reached to a certain level.
It's a wonderful DAP at it's price-to-performance ratio.