[Rockwell75]

Looking rather beautiful and sounding divine through my n6ii + E01 combo. Hiss is just slightly greater than through Solaris and not very prominent overall to my ears. Zero hiss at all through PAW S1 but, as with Solaris, I prefer the livelier and more vivid presentation of the E01. My immediate, off the cuff impression of Andro that it is a lot like Solaris but differently staged, a bit more intimate and relaxed and without the dynamic low end. Both IEMs definitely have their own identity but It's very apparent to my ears that they're both cut from similar cloth and belong on the same evolutionary trajectory. Loving Andro 2020 so far and am very much looking forward to a week of one on one time with them.

 

[Rockwell75]

Really loving these so far. Early days and I don't want to jump to conclusions but I could see these emerging as my favorite BA IEMs.

vs. u12t => u12t has better bass but Andromeda sacrifices a bit of the raw detail and separation of the u12t for a more musical and engaging signature. This is not a knock against the u12t which, when measured against its aim of being a reference monitor is pretty much flawless. I think fundamentally these two are the Mars and Venus of IEMs. The u12t, being decidedly reference-like and analytic in nature evokes a more intellectual response-- its engagement factor is derived from the precision, order and detail that characterizes its signature. The Andromeda, by contrast, evokes a more emotional response-- it is less concerned with space and details and more concerned with sweeping you off your feet and casting its spell on you. IMHO neither approach is superior to the other but my heart is with the Andromeda as it just so happens that I'm personally not really after a reference type signature.

vs. Anole VX => It's been a while since I've heard the VX but my memory recalls it being slightly more detailed, resolving and "cleaner" sounding...it was also just a touch too vivid in the lower treble/upper mid region and ultimately too fatiguing for me with many recordings.

vs. VE8 => I'm not quite prepared to claim that the mids of the Andro can top the luscious, tug-at-your-heartstrings mids of the VE8, bit the Andromeda does entirely lack the sibilance that I noticed there. Edit: I will say that of the aforementioned 3 BA IEMs I have prior experience with the Andromeda 2020, to my ears, probably most resembles the VE8 in terms of tuning philosophy and execution.

Again, early days but the Andromeda 2020 is doing very well in my estimation. Nicely done.

 

[Colors]

@Rockwell75 nice impressions!

 

[theveterans]

Looking rather beautiful and sounding divine through my n6ii + E01 combo. Hiss is just slightly greater than through Solaris and not very prominent overall to my ears. Zero hiss at all through PAW S1 but, as with Solaris, I prefer the livelier and more vivid presentation of the E01. My immediate, off the cuff impression of Andro that it is a lot like Solaris but differently staged, a bit more intimate and relaxed and without the dynamic low end. Both IEMs definitely have their own identity but It's very apparent to my ears that they're both cut from similar cloth and belong on the same evolutionary trajectory. Loving Andro 2020 so far and am very much looking forward to a week of one on one time with them.

Great review! Glad that you're enjoying the Andromeda so far.
It's just a matter of bass texture preferences taking imaging and soundstage aside. Andromeda's main strength is always the coherency of timbre and tonality from top to bottom that's always wanting me to stay with them. Solaris falls a bit below Andromeda in that regard but it's still one of the most coherent hybrid IEM I've auditioned.

 

[Colors]

I can believe that the Solaris + Andros would make good complimentary IEMs.

 

[Rockwell75]

Great review! Glad that you're enjoying the Andromeda so far.
It's just a matter of bass texture preferences taking imaging and soundstage aside. Andromeda's main strength is always the coherency of timbre and tonality from top to bottom that's always wanting me to stay with them. Solaris falls a bit below Andromeda in that regard but it's still one of the most coherent hybrid IEM I've auditioned.

You're right about that. Solaris is the most coherent BA/DD hybrid I've heard but a hybrid can't match the coherence possible when you're using a single type of driver. The two are very similar in their overall philosophy and presentation though-- the idea of "Andro on steroids" has been thrown around and I would actually argue that the title belongs to Solaris. In many respects the Solaris reminds me of an Andro with its big-boy pants on-- only with a dash of the detail and air sacrificed on the alter of a thicker, more textured dynamic low end. I am going to try and refrain from saying one is better than the other as each is great in their own way with strengths the other lacks. In fact, I am starting to see that they might make an ideal complementary pair.

I can believe that the Solaris + Andros would make good complimentary IEMs.

Indeed!

 

[Rockwell75]

 

[Rockwell75]

Loving these little green wonders!

 

[antdroid]

First couple days with Andromeda 2020

• Much better tonality for my preference (no more haze-fi)
• The imaging and layering is excellent
• Very likeable sound.
• Much better than the original shell design for comfort/fit

• I actually like this andromeda…but…
• It is very, very, very, very source picky just like the old Andromeda - I did A LOT of measurements on various sources, output impedance, and even cable lengths and it all affected sound

That said, I think staying in under 2.7 Ohm OI sounds fine to me. Above that, it becomes rather bright. I am preferring these around 1 ohm.

 

[Rockwell75]

First couple days with Andromeda 2020

• Much better tonality for my preference (no more haze-fi)
• The imaging and layering is excellent
• Very likeable sound.
• Much better than the original shell design for comfort/fit

• I actually like this andromeda…but…
• It is very, very, very, very source picky just like the old Andromeda - I did A LOT of measurements on various sources, output impedance, and even cable lengths and it all affected sound

That said, I think staying in under 2.7 Ohm OI sounds fine to me. Above that, it becomes rather bright.

My E01 is .6 and it sounds lively and dynamic.

 

[theveterans]

First couple days with Andromeda 2020

• Much better tonality for my preference (no more haze-fi)
• The imaging and layering is excellent
• Very likeable sound.
• Much better than the original shell design for comfort/fit

• I actually like this andromeda…but…
• It is very, very, very, very source picky just like the old Andromeda - I did A LOT of measurements on various sources, output impedance, and even cable lengths and it all affected sound

That said, I think staying in under 2.7 Ohm OI sounds fine to me. Above that, it becomes rather bright. I am preferring these around 1 ohm.

1.5 ohm from SP2000 3.5mm port is perfect

 

[Colors]

First couple days with Andromeda 2020

• Much better tonality for my preference (no more haze-fi)
• The imaging and layering is excellent
• Very likeable sound.
• Much better than the original shell design for comfort/fit

• I actually like this andromeda…but…
• It is very, very, very, very source picky just like the old Andromeda - I did A LOT of measurements on various sources, output impedance, and even cable lengths and it all affected sound

That said, I think staying in under 2.7 Ohm OI sounds fine to me. Above that, it becomes rather bright. I am preferring these around 1 ohm.

The Andros (and I've pretty much all sound sigs) are the most pickiest IEMs you can imagine. It swings wildly of course with impedance (which is determine by the source and cable). Swings hard with cable material type (copper, SPC or pure silver) - again, probably affecting the impedance. Scales well w/ a quality source (I personally have really liked my 1A with it and I also really like the Kann Cube - but too bad it doesn't have a 4.4mm output). I find tips change the sound quite a bit too (my fav being Symbios, least favourite being Final E - I find they make them a bit too dark). They're extremely sensitive to hiss as well, so a low-hiss DAP is recommended (A&K or Lotoo Paw are good here, Sony DAPs aren't too bad). The nice thing about this is you can make minor adjustments and kind of "tune" the Andromedas to your liking.

Also, great job on your Audio Discourse podcast. I think I've listened to almost all the episodes. Keep it up!

 

[Precogvision]

My Andromeda 2020 review is up and can be viewed here. I really enjoyed listening to this one! I've heard a lot of IEMs that I would call safe, but that I also find boring. The Andromeda 2020 strikes a nice balance without sacrificing that special engagement factor. It's not without its flaws of course - which I delve into more in my review - but it's a solid "go" from me.

 

[Colors]

Had a long listening session w/ my U12T and Vientos.

The MW10 can keep up. No idea what drivers they used or how they tuned it (I think @KuroKitsu can confirm as we had a meet and he demo'd or @audio123 so that everyone knows I'm not pulling this out of my ass), but I find they're just as good and enjoyable, if not better in certain aspects. For example, the sub-bass/bass reaches DEEP and you can hear the plucking of every string on a bass guitar. Kick drums are solid and have a good thump to them. Pianos are very defined and as well having an aggressive attack with sufficient weight behind each note. Male vocals are neutral, but not thin, and have sufficient warmth and growl to them. The sax is aggressive and emotional and hits hard. Female vocals have a minor lift and hit the upper registers with just the right sharpness and definition without being shrill or shouty. Treble sparkle is there and cuts through the rest of the frequency (which I found the 2020 was missing). Dynamics, separation and layering are A+.

Best of all, it sounds...MUSICAL. Viento and U12T are great "monitors" but more lean + transparent, but I find, they can be too good at that...doesn't have my head bobbing as much.

 

[audio123]

Had a long listening session w/ my U12T and Vientos.

The MW10 can keep up. No idea what drivers they used or how they tuned it (I think @KuroKitsu can confirm as we had a meet and he demo'd or @audio123 so that everyone knows I'm not pulling this out of my ass), but I find they're just as good and enjoyable, if not better in certain aspects. For example, the sub-bass/bass reaches DEEP and you can hear the plucking of every string on a bass guitar. Kick drums are solid and have a good thump to them. Pianos are very defined and as well having an aggressive attack with sufficient weight behind each note. Male vocals are neutral, but not thin, and have sufficient warmth and growl to them. The sax is aggressive and emotional and hits hard. Female vocals have a minor lift and hit the upper registers with just the right sharpness and definition without being shrill or shouty. Treble sparkle is there and cuts through the rest of the frequency (which I found the 2020 was missing). Dynamics, separation and layering are A+.

Best of all, it sounds...MUSICAL. Viento and U12T are great "monitors" but more lean + transparent, but I find, they can be too good at that...doesn't have my head bobbing as much.

Yes, I concur. The MW10 is more musical than those IEMs. Really glad that I bought it last year. Excellent IEM!