Intro
Ok…
So, I received my Campfire Audio (CA) Andromeda Special Edition Gold (SEG) this evening.
Let's say that, following the recent talk over their performance when paired with the ZX300, it was a rather tense moment — particularly given the investment they represent.
The unboxing process didn't particularly help, I mean, this box is ridiculously gorgeous.
@KB Kudos to the designers — while we're here for the audio quality I think most of us can appreciate great design.
Setup & Plug-in
I start to setup my Andromeda SEG and quickly settle for the medium CA silicone tips — they're the most comfortable for me.
The Andromeda SEG are smaller than I expected and are really comfortable, much more so than the Empire Ears Bravado, thanks to their slimmer design, longer nozzle and tip selection.
Since I mentioned the Bravado, time to mention that, together with my CA Cascade, they'll me my points of comparison since they are the most expensive IEM and headphones I ever owned before the Andromeda SEG. While I didn't like the Bravado (annoying, to much of a show off — hence their name perhaps), I love my Cascade — so you can imagine that lows, for me, are somewhat important.
So, I turn my ZX300 on which, for the record:
- Has been bought in Europe
- Has been
uncapped with the following settings
Code:
Destination: E
Sound pressure: 0 (off)
- Has 413+ hours of playback roughly equally divided in-between the Single-Ended (SE) and Balanced outputs
- Has been set to:
-- Volume 40
-- High Gain Output (Output Settings)
-- Direct Source: On (Sound Settings)
I then plug my Andromeda SEG in my ZX300's SE output, honestly expecting the worse…
… and I am f l o o r e d …
Simon & Garfunkel (Anji), Stevie Wonder (Superstition), Styx (Boat On The River), Wilco (Forget The Flowers), UB40 (Red Red Wine), Tracy Chapman (Across the Lines), Toto (Africa), Lady Gaga (Shallow), Buddy Rich Band (The Beat Goes On), Galt MacDermot (Coffee Cold), Miles Davis (L'assassinat de Carla), Plüm (You're the one), …
Lows — Mids — Highs, everything I'm looking for is there.
The Campfire Audio Andromeda Special Edition Gold are engaging and musical, without being in your face.
I can hear small details and audio cues here and there yet, without the annoyance that the Bravado generated.
Their soundstage is just right. I was afraid of getting a strange out of you head experience, but no, what I got nailed it.
The lows are there, really, there in the sense that I can
feel them. I also (re)discover that there's texture to music.
From a more technical perspective, I didn't hear any hiss — at all.
Btw, am I considering trying them Balanced? Absolutely not.
Conclusion
The Campfire Audio Andromeda Special Edition Gold put a smile on my face.
They make me enjoy my music even more which, more importantly, makes me happy.
Isn't that what this is all about?
Nicely done indeed,
@KB.