Campfire Audio - Introducing 2 new models Hello Andromeda and Nova

[justrest]

I like this quote.

If there is a future, it will be Green.
Petra Kelly

 

[azeral]

Some anecdotes I'd like to share about the Andromeda, and Campfire Audio, generally:

Within the span of a two months, and as of today, I've gone through four sets of Campfire Audio headsets. I started with the Nova, and really enjoyed it (for as maligned a set as it is outside of Head-Fi's community; c.f. Reddit & the boards here, etc.) but wanted more of *something* out of the sound, so I picked up an Andromeda, offsetting the cost with the sale of the Novas. When they arrived I was startled - as many others have noted being - by the sound, and it ended up being enough to single-handedly flip my preference tuning from a sub-bass emphasized neutral to one where treble and air were instead made the focus. Nothing I'd yet encountered in audio had been able to do that, including canonical Hi-Fi-type setups, where my "tuning" preference was first generated. Slowly, though, the desire for more low/mid emphasis returned without wanting to sacrifice the elucidating sound. Though I had found more of what I was looking for by the use of very low OI DACS (Chord Mojo), I still found myself still reaching for an EQ.

I then learned of the S-tuned variant, upon which I repeated the same cycle as before, with the sale of the Andromeda funding my path to it (@tommytak hey man, glad to hear you're enjoying my old set ). Though this time the upgrade was more indirect as the S model was a limited run long sold out, doesn't appear in the listings often and when it does, sells nearly immediately. Somewhat unexpectedly I had several helpful members of the community reach out with offers after putting out a WTB inquiry. And I finally got the S, whereupon I realized I had found *it*, and felt somewhat freed of the notion that I'd have to continue to look for my ideal sounding IEM. Here it was. But there was a problem.

My left earphone had developed a clicking noise when I walked. I immediately tried different tips, different cables, in the hope that I had somehow just arranged these elements incorrectly, but the issue persisted, appearing to be a problem at the driver level. There wasn't a question about whether I'd get them repaired (of course I would), but it still stung thinking that I'd most likely have to have a repair performed at my expense, and to not have them for the duration of what could be a potentially lengthy process. I then first interfaced with Campfire Audio's customer service, where a few surprises were in store.

First, I learned that they were still under warranty, and that this warranty was granted to me even though the unit was secondhand. After rushing them off and a very speedy processing of the issue (<1 business day), I was notified that I was simply being issued a new set. I was blown away by this. I had gone in expecting to pay out of pocket for a repair I wasn't sure would be completed due to the limited nature of the product, to being upgraded via an essentially new pair. And they sent the damn thing to me with two day shipping! There's a temptation to write off my delight here as being driven by my low expectations, but I don't think this is fair. The team at Campfire Audio were prompt at every step, and seemed to genuinely prioritize me being able to enjoy what they had made. I simply don't encounter this type of service often, and even if this turned out to the be the easiest of all options for them, they still deserve commendation for their swift handling and return.

So anyhow, here I am, tonight finally reunited with the fourth (and last) of my Campfire Audio earphone models. Maybe. Actually, who knows. After this experience, I really want to support this company and what they are doing in this space. Maybe the fifth for when they refine the Solaris, to the extent that that's possible. And should it be hard to find, I'll be around, maybe asking one of you guys to sell it to me.

Cheers.

 

[candlejack]

Some anecdotes I'd like to share about the Andromeda, and Campfire Audio, generally:

Within the span of a two months, and as of today: I've gone through four sets of Campfire Audio headsets. I started with the Nova, and enjoyed it (for as maligned a set as it is outside of Head-Fi's community; see: Reddit) but wanted more (of what I didn't yet know), so I picked up a standard Andromeda, offsetting the cost with the sale of the Novas. When they arrived I was as startled by the sound of this model as many have noted being, and it ended up being enough to single-handedly flip my preference tuning from a sub-bass emphasized neutral to one where treble and air were instead made the focus. Nothing I'd yet encountered in audio had been able to do that, including canonical Hi-Fi-type setups, where my "tuning" preference was first generated. Slowly, though, the desire for more low/mid emphasis returned, and though I had found more of what I was looking for by the use of very low OI DACS (Chord Mojo), I found myself still reaching for an EQ.

I then learned of the S-tuned variant, upon which I repeated the same cycle as before, with the sale of the Andromeda funding my path to it (@tommytak hey man, glad to hear you're enjoying my old set ). Though this time the upgrade was more indirect as the S model was a limited run long sold out, doesn't appear in the listings often, and when it does sells nearly immediately. Somewhat unexpectedly, I had several helpful members of the community reach out with offers after putting out a WTB inquiry. And I finally got the S, whereupon I realized I had found *it*, and felt somewhat freed of the notion that I'd have to continue to look for my ideal sounding IEM. Here it was. But there was a problem.

My left earphone had developed a clicking noise when I walked. I immediately tried different tips, different cables, in the hope that I just had somehow arranged these elements incorrectly, but the issue persisted, appearing to be a problem at the driver level. There wasn't a question about whether I'd get them repaired (of course I would), but it still stung thinking that I'd most likely have to have a repair performed at my expense, and to not have them for the duration of what could be a potentially lengthy process. I then first interfaced with Campfire Audio's customer service, where a few surprises were in store.

First, I learned that they were still under warranty, and that this warranty was granted to me even though the unit was secondhand. After rushing them off and a very speedy processing of the issue (<1 business day), I was notified that I was simply being issued a new set. I was blown away by this. I had gone in expecting to pay out of pocket for a repair I wasn't sure would be completed due to the limited nature of the product, to being upgraded to an essentially new set. And they sent the damn thing to me with two day shipping! There's the temptation to write my delight here off as being driven by my low expectations, but I don't think this is fair. The team at Campfire Audio were prompt at every step, and seemed to genuinely prioritize me being able to enjoy what they had made. I simply don't encounter this type of service often, and even if this turned out to the be the easiest of all options for them, they still deserve commendation for their swift handling and return.

So anyhow, here I am, tonight finally reunited with the fourth (and last) of my Campfire Audio earphone models. Maybe. Actually, who knows. After this experience, I really want to support this company and what they are doing in this space. Maybe the fifth for when they refine the Solaris, to the extent that that's possible. I'll be around, maybe asking one of you guys to sell it to me.

Cheers.

Nice writeup. For now, the S is also my so-called endgame. I like everything about this IEM except the weight.

Unfortunately mine are currently with CA, also because of clicking sound in the right headphone. I think there was at least one more report of a similar issue by another member here. I hope this is not a fundamental flaw in the design of the S and that the replacement units have a smaller chance to develop similar issues because I plan to stick with these for a while... a long while.

 

[KevlarCoatedIEM]

Some anecdotes I'd like to share about the Andromeda, and Campfire Audio, generally:

Within the span of a two months, and as of today: I've gone through four sets of Campfire Audio headsets. I started with the Nova, and enjoyed it (for as maligned a set as it is outside of Head-Fi's community; see: Reddit) but wanted more (of what I didn't yet know), so I picked up a standard Andromeda, offsetting the cost with the sale of the Novas. When they arrived I was as startled by the sound of this model as many have noted being, and it ended up being enough to single-handedly flip my preference tuning from a sub-bass emphasized neutral to one where treble and air were instead made the focus. Nothing I'd yet encountered in audio had been able to do that, including canonical Hi-Fi-type setups, where my "tuning" preference was first generated. Slowly, though, the desire for more low/mid emphasis returned, and though I had found more of what I was looking for by the use of very low OI DACS (Chord Mojo), I found myself still reaching for an EQ.

I then learned of the S-tuned variant, upon which I repeated the same cycle as before, with the sale of the Andromeda funding my path to it (@tommytak hey man, glad to hear you're enjoying my old set ). Though this time the upgrade was more indirect as the S model was a limited run long sold out, doesn't appear in the listings often, and when it does sells nearly immediately. Somewhat unexpectedly, I had several helpful members of the community reach out with offers after putting out a WTB inquiry. And I finally got the S, whereupon I realized I had found *it*, and felt somewhat freed of the notion that I'd have to continue to look for my ideal sounding IEM. Here it was. But there was a problem.

My left earphone had developed a clicking noise when I walked. I immediately tried different tips, different cables, in the hope that I just had somehow arranged these elements incorrectly, but the issue persisted, appearing to be a problem at the driver level. There wasn't a question about whether I'd get them repaired (of course I would), but it still stung thinking that I'd most likely have to have a repair performed at my expense, and to not have them for the duration of what could be a potentially lengthy process. I then first interfaced with Campfire Audio's customer service, where a few surprises were in store.

First, I learned that they were still under warranty, and that this warranty was granted to me even though the unit was secondhand. After rushing them off and a very speedy processing of the issue (<1 business day), I was notified that I was simply being issued a new set. I was blown away by this. I had gone in expecting to pay out of pocket for a repair I wasn't sure would be completed due to the limited nature of the product, to being upgraded to an essentially new set. And they sent the damn thing to me with two day shipping! There's the temptation to write my delight here off as being driven by my low expectations, but I don't think this is fair. The team at Campfire Audio were prompt at every step, and seemed to genuinely prioritize me being able to enjoy what they had made. I simply don't encounter this type of service often, and even if this turned out to the be the easiest of all options for them, they still deserve commendation for their swift handling and return.

So anyhow, here I am, tonight finally reunited with the fourth (and last) of my Campfire Audio earphone models. Maybe. Actually, who knows. After this experience, I really want to support this company and what they are doing in this space. Maybe the fifth for when they refine the Solaris, to the extent that that's possible. And should it be hard to find, I'll be around, maybe asking one of you guys to sell it to me.

Cheers.

Wow, that's some amazing customer service from CA. I'm surprised you managed to find an used pair that quickly though, I've only gotten one offer so far (on which I hesitated, so it's gone forever now ).

 

[azeral]

Wow, that's some amazing customer service from CA. I'm surprised you managed to find an used pair that quickly though, I've only gotten one offer so far (on which I hesitated, so it's gone forever now ).

You know, it's interesting how these go in waves. Around the time I sold my andros (a couple weeks ago?), there were no less than six different pairs for sale. I thought this was so remarkable that I saved the listing page from that day.
I've never seen multiple S-variants up for sale simultaneously, but there was a spate of a few across as many weeks for sale, and four different people reached out to me. Right place/right time, and all that I suppose.
Hang tight; someone is going to want to move over to a 64 Audio or something and a pair will free up

 

[azeral]

Nice writeup. For now, the S is also my so-called endgame. I like everything about this IEM except the weight.

Unfortunately mine are currently with CA, also because of clicking sound in the right headphone. I think there was at least one more report of a similar issue by another member here. I hope this is not a fundamental flaw in the design of the S and that the replacement units have a smaller chance to develop similar issues because I plan to stick with these for a while... a long while.

I feel your pain. I went back to my FH5's for daily listening while waiting for repair and, well, I just missed them more. I personally plan to baby them to keep that finish intact, so that care should also translate to lower damage potential.

But yes, I plan to use these as daily drivers until the mmcx fall off.

 

[Plej]

Hi guys I need 2.5 balanced cable for my andromedas (mmcx), it will be paired with radsone es100. Any suggestions? I'd like to achieve spacious and detailed sound. Lows are almost perfect for my taste and I don't want to bump sub/mid bass or make andro sound muddy. Can you recommend something? I was thinking about these two but maybe you can suggest something better.

1. https://penonaudio.com/isn-audio-s16.html
2. https://penonaudio.com/accessories/earphone-cable/ibasso-cb12cb13.html

 

[Music junky]

Some anecdotes I'd like to share about the Andromeda, and Campfire Audio, generally:

Within the span of a two months, and as of today, I've gone through four sets of Campfire Audio headsets. I started with the Nova, and really enjoyed it (for as maligned a set as it is outside of Head-Fi's community; c.f. Reddit & the boards here, etc.) but wanted more of *something* out of the sound, so I picked up an Andromeda, offsetting the cost with the sale of the Novas. When they arrived I was startled - as many others have noted being - by the sound, and it ended up being enough to single-handedly flip my preference tuning from a sub-bass emphasized neutral to one where treble and air were instead made the focus. Nothing I'd yet encountered in audio had been able to do that, including canonical Hi-Fi-type setups, where my "tuning" preference was first generated. Slowly, though, the desire for more low/mid emphasis returned without wanting to sacrifice the elucidating sound. Though I had found more of what I was looking for by the use of very low OI DACS (Chord Mojo), I still found myself still reaching for an EQ.

I then learned of the S-tuned variant, upon which I repeated the same cycle as before, with the sale of the Andromeda funding my path to it (@tommytak hey man, glad to hear you're enjoying my old set ). Though this time the upgrade was more indirect as the S model was a limited run long sold out, doesn't appear in the listings often and when it does, sells nearly immediately. Somewhat unexpectedly I had several helpful members of the community reach out with offers after putting out a WTB inquiry. And I finally got the S, whereupon I realized I had found *it*, and felt somewhat freed of the notion that I'd have to continue to look for my ideal sounding IEM. Here it was. But there was a problem.

My left earphone had developed a clicking noise when I walked. I immediately tried different tips, different cables, in the hope that I had somehow just arranged these elements incorrectly, but the issue persisted, appearing to be a problem at the driver level. There wasn't a question about whether I'd get them repaired (of course I would), but it still stung thinking that I'd most likely have to have a repair performed at my expense, and to not have them for the duration of what could be a potentially lengthy process. I then first interfaced with Campfire Audio's customer service, where a few surprises were in store.

First, I learned that they were still under warranty, and that this warranty was granted to me even though the unit was secondhand. After rushing them off and a very speedy processing of the issue (<1 business day), I was notified that I was simply being issued a new set. I was blown away by this. I had gone in expecting to pay out of pocket for a repair I wasn't sure would be completed due to the limited nature of the product, to being upgraded via an essentially new pair. And they sent the damn thing to me with two day shipping! There's a temptation to write off my delight here as being driven by my low expectations, but I don't think this is fair. The team at Campfire Audio were prompt at every step, and seemed to genuinely prioritize me being able to enjoy what they had made. I simply don't encounter this type of service often, and even if this turned out to the be the easiest of all options for them, they still deserve commendation for their swift handling and return.

So anyhow, here I am, tonight finally reunited with the fourth (and last) of my Campfire Audio earphone models. Maybe. Actually, who knows. After this experience, I really want to support this company and what they are doing in this space. Maybe the fifth for when they refine the Solaris, to the extent that that's possible. And should it be hard to find, I'll be around, maybe asking one of you guys to sell it to me.

Cheers.

Love the folks @ Alo.\ Campfire !

 

[Music junky]

Hi guys I need 2.5 balanced cable for my andromedas (mmcx), it will be paired with radsone es100. Any suggestions? I'd like to achieve spacious and detailed sound. Lows are almost perfect for my taste and I don't want to bump sub/mid bass or make andro sound muddy. Can you recommend something? I was thinking about these two but maybe you can suggest something better.

1. https://penonaudio.com/isn-audio-s16.html
2. https://penonaudio.com/accessories/earphone-cable/ibasso-cb12cb13.html

Alo.com. .. Campfire. Litz stock cable .

 

[monika.chr]

Hey guys, any 4.4 cable suggestions for Andromeda pair with zx300 ??

 

[candlejack]

Hey guys, any 4.4 cable suggestions for Andromeda pair with zx300 ??

A cable is a very simple device: a bunch of wires with 3 connectors soldered at the ends. Regardless of what you think a reasonable price for a cable might be, the truth is that you can make a cable at home if you're so inclined. All the components are readily available and the tools (if you wanna do a decent job, you need decent tools) are not that expensive either.

I was in a similar situation and wanted to use the 4.4 Balanced out of my new ZX300. I contacted CA to see if they could reterminate my SE stock cable. I was quoted the full price of a new cable for this job (although they did also offer to sell me a new balanced cable at discount). Paying a premium for a remarkable IEM like the Andromeda is one thing, but anybody can make a decent cable so I went to AliExpress and bought a well spec'ed cable with excellent reviews for $35.

Tomorrow it should be here (I bought about 2 weeks ago, so don't think you get free worldwide overnight delivery ) and I'll share my impressions (I should also get a chance to compare it with the stock 4.4 cable at my dealer's this weekend). Unless I discover that the sound or the ergonomics are noticeably worse than the stock cable, this is what I would recommend you do as well.

 

[bassaliens22]

So let me give you a little bit of background about my current line up. I currently have Sony mh755, ex800st, and etymotics ER4SR. My current source is my phone with a iFi IEMatch. I'm a long time audiophile and I defintely know my way around what is good and what is not. And now the Andros and I can't wait to tell you about how great they are! But they're not... To me, the Andros are straight up disappointing. There's no other way to describe them. Right off the bat with the Andros, there are no mids. Everything sounds so recessed and in a vacuum. Sweet female vocals are practically nonexistent. The bass is nonexistent. The treble is nothing to write home about. Now, I know Andros are sensitive to sources, so let’s play with IEMatch. And right away vocals sound nasally. I love to listen to Japanese music, but female vocals are just extremely washed out. I tried tip rolling with the MH755 tips. They sound... better, I guess? For me, the stock ALO cable sounds terrible as well, on top of being uncomfortable and stiff. Using the Acoustune cable makes it marginally better but hardly so. And sure, the Andro may be “coherent” and may image well and may have a big soundstage, but I just can't get over the poor tuning. I got this at $400 versus the original price of $1000, but even at half the price this is not a good purchase. I would not recommend the Andromeda over the EX800ST to anyone at all.

 

[Toom]

So let me give you a little bit of background about my current line up. I currently have Sony mh755, ex800st, and etymotics ER4SR. My current source is my phone with a iFi IEMatch. I'm a long time audiophile and I defintely know my way around what is good and what is not. And now the Andros and I can't wait to tell you about how great they are! But they're not... To me, the Andros are straight up disappointing. There's no other way to describe them. Right off the bat with the Andros, there are no mids. Everything sounds so recessed and in a vacuum. Sweet female vocals are practically nonexistent. The bass is nonexistent. The treble is nothing to write home about. Now, I know Andros are sensitive to sources, so let’s play with IEMatch. And right away vocals sound nasally. I love to listen to Japanese music, but female vocals are just extremely washed out. I tried tip rolling with the MH755 tips. They sound... better, I guess? For me, the stock ALO cable sounds terrible as well, on top of being uncomfortable and stiff. Using the Acoustune cable makes it marginally better but hardly so. And sure, the Andro may be “coherent” and may image well and may have a big soundstage, but I just can't get over the poor tuning. I got this at $400 versus the original price of $1000, but even at half the price this is not a good purchase. I would not recommend the Andromeda over the EX800ST to anyone at all.

Sounds like its broken

 

[nevrsumr]

So let me give you a little bit of background about my current line up. I currently have Sony mh755, ex800st, and etymotics ER4SR. My current source is my phone with a iFi IEMatch. I'm a long time audiophile and I defintely know my way around what is good and what is not. And now the Andros and I can't wait to tell you about how great they are! But they're not... To me, the Andros are straight up disappointing. There's no other way to describe them. Right off the bat with the Andros, there are no mids. Everything sounds so recessed and in a vacuum. Sweet female vocals are practically nonexistent. The bass is nonexistent. The treble is nothing to write home about. Now, I know Andros are sensitive to sources, so let’s play with IEMatch. And right away vocals sound nasally. I love to listen to Japanese music, but female vocals are just extremely washed out. I tried tip rolling with the MH755 tips. They sound... better, I guess? For me, the stock ALO cable sounds terrible as well, on top of being uncomfortable and stiff. Using the Acoustune cable makes it marginally better but hardly so. And sure, the Andro may be “coherent” and may image well and may have a big soundstage, but I just can't get over the poor tuning. I got this at $400 versus the original price of $1000, but even at half the price this is not a good purchase. I would not recommend the Andromeda over the EX800ST to anyone at all.

 

[Jearly410]

So let me give you a little bit of background about my current line up. I currently have Sony mh755, ex800st, and etymotics ER4SR. My current source is my phone with a iFi IEMatch. I'm a long time audiophile and I defintely know my way around what is good and what is not. And now the Andros and I can't wait to tell you about how great they are! But they're not... To me, the Andros are straight up disappointing. There's no other way to describe them. Right off the bat with the Andros, there are no mids. Everything sounds so recessed and in a vacuum. Sweet female vocals are practically nonexistent. The bass is nonexistent. The treble is nothing to write home about. Now, I know Andros are sensitive to sources, so let’s play with IEMatch. And right away vocals sound nasally. I love to listen to Japanese music, but female vocals are just extremely washed out. I tried tip rolling with the MH755 tips. They sound... better, I guess? For me, the stock ALO cable sounds terrible as well, on top of being uncomfortable and stiff. Using the Acoustune cable makes it marginally better but hardly so. And sure, the Andro may be “coherent” and may image well and may have a big soundstage, but I just can't get over the poor tuning. I got this at $400 versus the original price of $1000, but even at half the price this is not a good purchase. I would not recommend the Andromeda over the EX800ST to anyone at all.

Just to make sure all bases are covered, what phone are you using? Iematch (from what I’ve learned) can make the Andros sound thin. I also own the ex800st and love their sound but don’t think the Andro has a worse sound.

Get an apple usb c to 3.5mm jack as a dac/amp for cheap