Campfire Audio - Introducing 2 new models Hello Andromeda and Nova
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candlejack
Headphoneus Supremus
You can save 3 sets of "non-direct" settings. Click the Settings (toolbox) icon while in non-direct mode and take it from there. One thing to note is that when you recall one of your saved settings the message on screen is incorrect (it asks you if you want to overwrite the saved settings with the current settings when in fact you are overwriting the current settings with the saved settings... as a sw engineer I can see how this could have easily happened). So you can keep 3 equalizers (one can be flat).
shoot - sorry to hear they didn't work out for you. I've had the opposite experience, myself. I've been listening to them through multi-hour listening sessions and the only feeling I come away with is anticipation for popping them back in my ears. Hopefully the OG or S fit your preferences better.
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#0511 checking in by the way. As hinted at above, have been loving my time with the Golds. I'm an amateur audiophile, to be sure. But, I am thoroughly enjoying these. I loved the OG Andros when I tested them out at a shop, but felt they were missing too much of the lower end to enjoy on a daily basis across all the genres I enjoy. (I felt similarly when I owned Polaris V2s for a short time, they were insanely enjoyable [for me] to listen to when the song called for bombastic bass above all else, but they lacked in too many other places for a cross-genre daily driver.)
Gold obviously doesn't have the DD level bass that the Polaris v2s had, but, I'm thoroughly impressed with what they;re able to put out with BAs and there's no question it's a better fit for cross-genre listening for me personally than both the OG Andro and a more bass-heavy DD pair of IEMs.
I used to not like the darkish sound of the Andromeda OG (or CK Blue Edition) from Chord Mojo, but since I can't justify spending Andromeda Gold as I already have the CK Blue edition, I decided to get closer to Gold's tuning with the Chord Mojo (early batch without the QR code). I'm starting to like its zero harshness in all frequencies and of course, very impactful bass response and slight midbass bloat
chickenmcnug
Formerly known as 8481
I used to not like the darkish sound of the Andromeda OG (or CK Blue Edition) from Chord Mojo, but since I can't justify spending Andromeda Gold as I already have the CK Blue edition, I decided to get closer to Gold's tuning with the Chord Mojo (early batch without the QR code). I'm starting to like its zero harshness in all frequencies and of course, very impactful bass response and slight midbass bloat
Did you wrap a cigarette paper around the apple connecter?
NewEve
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Me, every time I use my Andromeda Special Edition Gold
NewEve
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$hit, honestly, if I had the dough, I'd buy a second pair as a backup.
That’s just a regular scotch tape as I’ve had thrown away quite a few CCK adapters due to poor reliability when regularly bent and twisted from normal use. The symptom is that music cuts off or Mojo throws in a white noise and needed a power cycle.
When I bought that CCK, I immediately put that tape to prevent it from twisting or bending too much and now my music is uninterrupted. I didn’t want to go with Poly since I’d rather have my iPod Touch as my interface
Seriously, listening to dance music will make you wan to move to the beat, marching music will make you want to march.... Etc. Gold convey a lot more emotiona than OG and S.....
Me, every time I use my Andromeda Special Edition Gold
Cables are here! Just look at this madness. Time to run these things through the gauntlet.
candlejack
Headphoneus Supremus
You mean: "time to put some wear on those connectors!"Cables are here! Just look at this madness. Time to run these things through the gauntlet.
You mean: "time to put some wear on those connectors!"
oof, yea I've always been reluctant to try out a bunch of cables on my IEMs because I've just been afraid of wearing them out
You mean: "time to put some wear on those connectors!"
haha I know it kills me, that's why I have the adapters to try to take the 4.4's into the 3.5 port. I bought a 3.5 to 4.4 on amazon but it was garbage and added tons of hiss. If your getting adapters they need to be on point quality wise.
candlejack
Headphoneus Supremus
Hehe, just invoking one of the standard audiophile psychosis. Strangely, this one actually has some truth to it.oof, yea I've always been reluctant to try out a bunch of cables on my IEMs because I've just been afraid of wearing them out
So full review with the Solaris and the Gold Andros. This is a first for me so sorry if my lame descriptions don’t make any sense. Remember we are comparing a $1300 IEM to a $1500 IEM so I am not going to say anything sucks because that is impossible. Be warmed 1750 words, 3 pages review down here. I put the TLDR at the top..
TLDR: Golds are crazy fun and engaging headphones (4.4. only, zx300). Like you want to party with them, have some drinks, and go dancing. But they feel like headphones where the Solaris don’t. Solaris are clean, super detailed, crazy holographic, but lack the same fun bass impact as the andro golds. They don’t feel like headphones, they feel like mini audiophile VR/Holodeck experience. Sit in your favorite chair with your favorite drink and go to a magical place. Choose IEM to your personal taste/needs.
I still stand behind that the gold Andros love the 4.4 more than the 3.5 on my zx300. I’ve tried all of my cables now, swapped countless times. If you have the cable and a balance port make sure to try it. Seriously you have to try it, I can’t stress this enough. The difference is just stupid. I thought maybe it was the copper 4.4 but my silver 4.4 is also better. If you go back to the 3.5, any 3.5 cable, you just feel sad and depressed like someone just called the cops on your house party. Maybe 3.5 is much more ‘natural’ or ‘balanced’? It is absolutely not as fun though. If you blindfolded me and swapped cables randomly, I would be 100% be able to tell right away. Hell, I may even think you just swapped IEMs and not just the cable. Haha, very funny guys…those cost $1300 give them back. So whole this whole review is 4.4 bal with HG volume at about 12-16.
All testing was done with Ryokan’s crazy idea of everything off and EQ flat. Seemed fair as well.
The gold Andros are amazing and are seriously ‘engaging’. On the 4.4 I get the detail that I want and these things fly like a rocket. It’s a party in your head and you’re invited! Super fun to have on and listen to just about anything as I mentioned before. Get up and dance while your co-workers give you strange looks.
Bass Response
The biggest standout is the incredible bass. I think that is what keeps making me put them on again and again. That is the fun engaging nature of them. Sort of like how with speakers you can ‘feel’ the bass hit. You don’t exactly physically ‘feel’ the bass with these, like my ears don’t rumble or anything. But whatever it is they hit hard and impactful while remaining subtle? If I didn’t have Solaris to compare with, I would be super happy, like wow these are sooo great to listen to! I’ve had hours and hours with them and I think it’s the bass that makes them stand out from the Solaris. It is so warm, deep, fun, and engaging. Bass guitar, rumble, reverb, drums anything on the lower end just super stands out and feels amazing. Aww yiss just listen to that! Like hot soup in winter, or warm cup of coffee, it just feels great and comforting while not totally overpowering everything else. I don’t feel like anything else was lost to the bass just that when it’s there it is really there.
Now to the Solaris, swap everything out and your brain is like I am ready for that deep engaging sound I just had that was so intoxicating. And then nothing…. Like wait what.. what the hell is this. I would say compared to the Golds my Solaris have no bass at all. That warm, hard hit that made the golds so nice is totally gone. Your mind goes where is my rumble! Where is that reverb that is smooth like sexy butter. These suck! But it only happens when you go direct from the one IEM to the other that you can notice. I mean I have had my Solaris for a year now and I never thought they had no bass at all. I bought the Solaris to replace Green Andros because at the time of my compare the Solaris had the bass I wanted. Now I think back and go god if Solaris is this bad the Greens must have had negative bass! Solaris have a 10mm DD how could they have no bass? What happens is that it’s not that they have no bass of course they do. It seems to be is that the Solaris have a much more clean/natural/detail bass that doesn’t have the same visceral impact as the golds. Stay off the Golds for a bit and you forget you were missing anything. So, it’s not no bass, its less impactful bass.
Details
With the 4.4 the Golds are no slouch, minor drum hits, cymbals, reverb they all sound great. As mentioned the bass does not feel like it over powers anything. No Solaris and you will have no issues. Really don’t have much to say here except it’s a different story on the 3.5. Bleh.
Switch to Solaris and the Golds get stomped. Like “Jesus these things are detailed!” But as mentioned above that detail comes at the cost of that crazy bass party feeling. One is an awesome party and the other is a refined concert.
Sound Stage / Holographic-ness
Golds are great but they feel like headphones. Like I can try to sit on the couch and close my eyes and just ‘feel’ the music but it just isn’t the same as the Solaris. They feel like I am on the couch and listening to very very good headphones. As I mentioned before it’s like an inverted T shape. Singer/vocals are dead center just above my eyes and then you get almost direct left and direct right on some of the instruments, we will say at 10? 20? and 160? 170? degrees. Again though $1300 I am not saying it’s the same as my AirPods or ‘basic’ by any means. But no matter what I listened to it always feels like I am wearing headphones. Presentation is super awesome headphones, but not Solaris level.
Switch to the Solaris. Good god. I mean this is the magic of Solaris so this is what you expect. Hell, Ken and initial reviewers said it was like having a virtual free-standing stereo speaker setup. These do not feel like headphones at all. It is like an out of body experience compared to the Golds. Sit down close your eyes relax and you are inside of the music. This feels more like a sideways C soundstage. Vocals center 90 degrees but also cerebral somehow (like it occupies the same head space as my own thoughts), instruments move away from that direct L and R feel the Gold has. They are more angled at between 45-60 and 90-120 degrees?
The Solaris absolutely kills the Golds in this to my taste. No contest hands down stomps them. Especially with anything recorded well and live. Solaris puts you there. I can’t count how many times in the last year I just sat closed my eyes and played an album. It is downright magical witchcraft. I try the same thing with the Golds and it’s just not the same. Your mind goes ah yeah headphones. I can’t trick it in the same way. Amazing headphones but different.
Try to sit and close your eyes, quite your mind, and let thoughts just appear (basic meditation) visualize in a 3D space where that thought came in from. Like where you felt it, where does it exist. For me the Solaris puts the vocals in that exact spot. Forward in my head about two inches up from my eyes, top of head. It’s ridiculous.
Comfort
Golds win this for sure. They are stupid tiny in size compared to the Solaris. I feel like I will sneeze and blow them away. Weigh nothing and look like nothing, black tips, black iem, hell if I can get black screws I will be all set to lose them in their own small cloth bag. But that is actually a perk because you feel so cool that this teeny tiny little thing could have such a MONSTER sound come out of it. Especially with that bass impact, good god. Impress and amaze your friends with your black magic!
Solaris are not painful, they are just slightly annoying. You need to get them just right and get that cable over ear just right to hold them. If you don’t you don’t exactly notice anything right away but when you go to adjust them at all (twist) your ear goes “oh I didn’t realize that wasn’t comfortable” and you feel it. Ow seems the weight WAS on my inner ear canal after all. Nowhere near uncomfortable enough to take that magical sound of your head, but you know a sore ear may be waiting if it’s been hours. No gym, no walking around NYC, I don’t think I could do much more than chill with these on. Which has been fine for my needs, at home, at desk, at work. I think 1 Solaris weighs the same as both Gold Andros. Are the Solaris steel and Andros aluminum?
Final thoughts.
Son of a bitch. Like seriously son of a bitch. You want to compare them; I want to only have 1 IEM. I mean how will I possibly swap out all of the time, how do you even choose which albums to play though which IEM? I am not going to travel with two IEMs. I know I will probably never swap them out. But they are just totally different from each other, so much so that you can’t compare for the same single purpose. They are not a “this will replace this” situation. The golds travel well, feel/fit great, have a sound that intoxicates you and is super fun. The Solaris can’t travel at all, struggle to fit, but they are like having a mini private virtual audiophile mancave in your pocket. Stay at home, grab a scotch, relax, sit in your fancy Herman Miller chair like some sort of audiophile advertisement and magically go to another world.
I don’t want to send the golds back, my brain keeps telling me “no way” remember that bass feeling, don’t let the party stop. Think of them as your travel pair, they fit so well, impress people randomly with their tiny size and magic powers. You love tiny things! They are limited edition and soo sexy looking! They can be the backpack headphones. You just misplaced the 3 BA driver customs you made that you normally keep in your bag. Then rational side comes in, holy crap $1300 for ‘travel’ headphones What is wrong with you. iPhone 11 comes out in like 2-3 weeks buddy. You also just lost your ‘travel’ headphones, What will happen if you did that with these. Not to mention they hardly are ‘travel’ capable since you ONLY like them out of the 4.4 on the zx300. No 4.4, No Party.
So, I am going to spend a few more days with my new exciting lover and probably cry a bunch that I am not quite rich enough at the moment to have everything I want. Then send them back to CA next week. Can anyone please save me from my pain and tell me if there is some sort of magic EQ, dap/dac, or setting on my zx300 that will give me anything near that bass impact of these Andro Gold’s? Just so I can visit from time to time, and the party won't end.
Edit: Actually I have to mail them back tomorrow! Because a Cat 4 hurricane is about to destroy my state and probably the mail system so if not tomorrow I may miss the 15day return window. What horrible hell is that. My babies!
TLDR: Golds are crazy fun and engaging headphones (4.4. only, zx300). Like you want to party with them, have some drinks, and go dancing. But they feel like headphones where the Solaris don’t. Solaris are clean, super detailed, crazy holographic, but lack the same fun bass impact as the andro golds. They don’t feel like headphones, they feel like mini audiophile VR/Holodeck experience. Sit in your favorite chair with your favorite drink and go to a magical place. Choose IEM to your personal taste/needs.
I still stand behind that the gold Andros love the 4.4 more than the 3.5 on my zx300. I’ve tried all of my cables now, swapped countless times. If you have the cable and a balance port make sure to try it. Seriously you have to try it, I can’t stress this enough. The difference is just stupid. I thought maybe it was the copper 4.4 but my silver 4.4 is also better. If you go back to the 3.5, any 3.5 cable, you just feel sad and depressed like someone just called the cops on your house party. Maybe 3.5 is much more ‘natural’ or ‘balanced’? It is absolutely not as fun though. If you blindfolded me and swapped cables randomly, I would be 100% be able to tell right away. Hell, I may even think you just swapped IEMs and not just the cable. Haha, very funny guys…those cost $1300 give them back. So whole this whole review is 4.4 bal with HG volume at about 12-16.
All testing was done with Ryokan’s crazy idea of everything off and EQ flat. Seemed fair as well.
The gold Andros are amazing and are seriously ‘engaging’. On the 4.4 I get the detail that I want and these things fly like a rocket. It’s a party in your head and you’re invited! Super fun to have on and listen to just about anything as I mentioned before. Get up and dance while your co-workers give you strange looks.
Bass Response
The biggest standout is the incredible bass. I think that is what keeps making me put them on again and again. That is the fun engaging nature of them. Sort of like how with speakers you can ‘feel’ the bass hit. You don’t exactly physically ‘feel’ the bass with these, like my ears don’t rumble or anything. But whatever it is they hit hard and impactful while remaining subtle? If I didn’t have Solaris to compare with, I would be super happy, like wow these are sooo great to listen to! I’ve had hours and hours with them and I think it’s the bass that makes them stand out from the Solaris. It is so warm, deep, fun, and engaging. Bass guitar, rumble, reverb, drums anything on the lower end just super stands out and feels amazing. Aww yiss just listen to that! Like hot soup in winter, or warm cup of coffee, it just feels great and comforting while not totally overpowering everything else. I don’t feel like anything else was lost to the bass just that when it’s there it is really there.
Now to the Solaris, swap everything out and your brain is like I am ready for that deep engaging sound I just had that was so intoxicating. And then nothing…. Like wait what.. what the hell is this. I would say compared to the Golds my Solaris have no bass at all. That warm, hard hit that made the golds so nice is totally gone. Your mind goes where is my rumble! Where is that reverb that is smooth like sexy butter. These suck! But it only happens when you go direct from the one IEM to the other that you can notice. I mean I have had my Solaris for a year now and I never thought they had no bass at all. I bought the Solaris to replace Green Andros because at the time of my compare the Solaris had the bass I wanted. Now I think back and go god if Solaris is this bad the Greens must have had negative bass! Solaris have a 10mm DD how could they have no bass? What happens is that it’s not that they have no bass of course they do. It seems to be is that the Solaris have a much more clean/natural/detail bass that doesn’t have the same visceral impact as the golds. Stay off the Golds for a bit and you forget you were missing anything. So, it’s not no bass, its less impactful bass.
Details
With the 4.4 the Golds are no slouch, minor drum hits, cymbals, reverb they all sound great. As mentioned the bass does not feel like it over powers anything. No Solaris and you will have no issues. Really don’t have much to say here except it’s a different story on the 3.5. Bleh.
Switch to Solaris and the Golds get stomped. Like “Jesus these things are detailed!” But as mentioned above that detail comes at the cost of that crazy bass party feeling. One is an awesome party and the other is a refined concert.
Sound Stage / Holographic-ness
Golds are great but they feel like headphones. Like I can try to sit on the couch and close my eyes and just ‘feel’ the music but it just isn’t the same as the Solaris. They feel like I am on the couch and listening to very very good headphones. As I mentioned before it’s like an inverted T shape. Singer/vocals are dead center just above my eyes and then you get almost direct left and direct right on some of the instruments, we will say at 10? 20? and 160? 170? degrees. Again though $1300 I am not saying it’s the same as my AirPods or ‘basic’ by any means. But no matter what I listened to it always feels like I am wearing headphones. Presentation is super awesome headphones, but not Solaris level.
Switch to the Solaris. Good god. I mean this is the magic of Solaris so this is what you expect. Hell, Ken and initial reviewers said it was like having a virtual free-standing stereo speaker setup. These do not feel like headphones at all. It is like an out of body experience compared to the Golds. Sit down close your eyes relax and you are inside of the music. This feels more like a sideways C soundstage. Vocals center 90 degrees but also cerebral somehow (like it occupies the same head space as my own thoughts), instruments move away from that direct L and R feel the Gold has. They are more angled at between 45-60 and 90-120 degrees?
The Solaris absolutely kills the Golds in this to my taste. No contest hands down stomps them. Especially with anything recorded well and live. Solaris puts you there. I can’t count how many times in the last year I just sat closed my eyes and played an album. It is downright magical witchcraft. I try the same thing with the Golds and it’s just not the same. Your mind goes ah yeah headphones. I can’t trick it in the same way. Amazing headphones but different.
Try to sit and close your eyes, quite your mind, and let thoughts just appear (basic meditation) visualize in a 3D space where that thought came in from. Like where you felt it, where does it exist. For me the Solaris puts the vocals in that exact spot. Forward in my head about two inches up from my eyes, top of head. It’s ridiculous.
Comfort
Golds win this for sure. They are stupid tiny in size compared to the Solaris. I feel like I will sneeze and blow them away. Weigh nothing and look like nothing, black tips, black iem, hell if I can get black screws I will be all set to lose them in their own small cloth bag. But that is actually a perk because you feel so cool that this teeny tiny little thing could have such a MONSTER sound come out of it. Especially with that bass impact, good god. Impress and amaze your friends with your black magic!
Solaris are not painful, they are just slightly annoying. You need to get them just right and get that cable over ear just right to hold them. If you don’t you don’t exactly notice anything right away but when you go to adjust them at all (twist) your ear goes “oh I didn’t realize that wasn’t comfortable” and you feel it. Ow seems the weight WAS on my inner ear canal after all. Nowhere near uncomfortable enough to take that magical sound of your head, but you know a sore ear may be waiting if it’s been hours. No gym, no walking around NYC, I don’t think I could do much more than chill with these on. Which has been fine for my needs, at home, at desk, at work. I think 1 Solaris weighs the same as both Gold Andros. Are the Solaris steel and Andros aluminum?
Final thoughts.
Son of a bitch. Like seriously son of a bitch. You want to compare them; I want to only have 1 IEM. I mean how will I possibly swap out all of the time, how do you even choose which albums to play though which IEM? I am not going to travel with two IEMs. I know I will probably never swap them out. But they are just totally different from each other, so much so that you can’t compare for the same single purpose. They are not a “this will replace this” situation. The golds travel well, feel/fit great, have a sound that intoxicates you and is super fun. The Solaris can’t travel at all, struggle to fit, but they are like having a mini private virtual audiophile mancave in your pocket. Stay at home, grab a scotch, relax, sit in your fancy Herman Miller chair like some sort of audiophile advertisement and magically go to another world.
I don’t want to send the golds back, my brain keeps telling me “no way” remember that bass feeling, don’t let the party stop. Think of them as your travel pair, they fit so well, impress people randomly with their tiny size and magic powers. You love tiny things! They are limited edition and soo sexy looking! They can be the backpack headphones. You just misplaced the 3 BA driver customs you made that you normally keep in your bag. Then rational side comes in, holy crap $1300 for ‘travel’ headphones What is wrong with you. iPhone 11 comes out in like 2-3 weeks buddy. You also just lost your ‘travel’ headphones, What will happen if you did that with these. Not to mention they hardly are ‘travel’ capable since you ONLY like them out of the 4.4 on the zx300. No 4.4, No Party.
So, I am going to spend a few more days with my new exciting lover and probably cry a bunch that I am not quite rich enough at the moment to have everything I want. Then send them back to CA next week. Can anyone please save me from my pain and tell me if there is some sort of magic EQ, dap/dac, or setting on my zx300 that will give me anything near that bass impact of these Andro Gold’s? Just so I can visit from time to time, and the party won't end.
Edit: Actually I have to mail them back tomorrow! Because a Cat 4 hurricane is about to destroy my state and probably the mail system so if not tomorrow I may miss the 15day return window. What horrible hell is that. My babies!
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