I have a set of Noble K10U's from 2016-17 timeframe. The Katana's are surely better, but I find the 2019 Andromeda to have more sparkle and a wider soundstage than the K10U's. I like the K10U's because they are a higher impedance and seem to work well with just about any source, even built in Thinkpad audio sounds decent.
Huh ive found some interesting things with the andro versions... Now i know there shouldnt be any variations in tuning (until 2020) but as someone whove had v2, v4, and 2020. I find v1 (as odd as it sounds) the best version. I recently bought a mint v1 andro (with the only caveat of the cable yellowing due to age, still impressive as the jack still looks brand new) because i missed how nice andro looked and felt.
V1 andro feels very dynamic and treble actually has bite with an authoritative slam. Sure its not as physical sounding as a good dynamic but for a ba iem from 2016 its respectable.
As for my previous andros, ill start with v2 which was the oddest sounding to me. It was very very warm and bass barely had any slam, it was bloaty beyond belief enough so that my $550 iem (flipears aim v4) had better slam. Now off to v4, i liked how the smoky litz looked and felt when worn but now the issue with it was that theres not much dynamics to it. It, at times, would sound monotonous and somewhat dead sounding. As for 2020, it was what i thought to be the best out of the bunch just from reviews alone but i found it too warm sounding for my liking and because i had a bias for hating on v shaped signatures at the time i dropped it (which i find ironic since my goto signature these days is v shape).
V1 andro feels very dynamic and treble actually has bite with an authoritative slam. Sure its not as physical sounding as a good dynamic but for a ba iem from 2016 its respectable.
That’s why I have never parted way with my Pacific Blue Andros since they have the same tuning as the V1 and @Rockwell75 has also found that OG Andromeda tuning to be excellent
Theres also the possibility of me getting lemons (as cfa is known for not having the best consistency with tunings) but id rather not think it so. Especially since the person who got my v2 loves it...
That’s why I have never parted way with my Pacific Blue Andros since they have the same tuning as the V1 and @Rockwell75 has also found that OG Andromeda tuning to be excellent
To me, all Andromeda's can sound different with source output impedance differences. A source with a 1.5-2.0 ohm OI will sound different (less bass to my ears) then a source with 1 ohm or less OI.
To me, all Andromeda's can sound different with source output impedance differences. A source with a 1.5-2.0 ohm OI will sound different (less bass to my ears) then a source with 1 ohm or less OI.
My reply was just to bring that dependency into light if it wasn't already. My first Andro's were from 2018 because the originals didn't fit my ears well, always had that one screw rubbing against my ear a little which actually hurt after a long listening session. I actually sold those before understanding more about OI impacts then just purchased the 2019 off CFA market recently because they have such a good sound.
My reply was just to bring that dependency into light if it wasn't already. My first Andro's were from 2018 because the originals didn't fit my ears well, always had that one screw rubbing against my ear a little which actually hurt after a long listening session. I actually sold those before understanding more about OI impacts then just purchased the 2019 off CFA market recently because they have such a good sound.
Oh yea! Im actually glad i learned about OI early on in the hobby. One of my very first daps, the astell&kern ak100mk2 had roughly 10oi and im lucky enough that people around me were quick to let me know that the ak100mk2 wont be as reliable in showing how an iem might truly sound.
That’s why I have never parted way with my Pacific Blue Andros since they have the same tuning as the V1 and @Rockwell75 has also found that OG Andromeda tuning to be excellent
Hence why I still keep mine around and just pretty it up with cables
You'd have to spend 6K USD to truly get an upgrade over Andromeda with Oriolus Traillii. The Traillii's like the Blessing 2 are far, far more fragile than the Andromeda because of their acrylic shells which is why I don't think I'm comfortable enough of owning that IEM even I saved funds for it.
You lose some of the razor clarity of Andro but gain that DD bass. I really love the Solaris (and Andro), but do think for some tastes the Solaris is an upgrade with it's thicker, bigger sound.
A matter of preferences IMO. I prefer the coherency of the Andromeda V1 but now lots of hybrids have caught up with the Andromeda’s coherency. I haven’t heard the new Solaris Stellar Horizon yet so not sure if that model is now more coherent sounding than the old Solaris.
Traillii is a very coherent sounding hybrid IEM which truly appeals to my preferences
It's strange, but for the past few days I've legitimately enjoyed Andromeda more than Utopia...There's a thickness and fun to the sound I just can't get enough of. It's like the perfect combo of technical performance and tuning. Utopia is leagues ahead technically, yet I'm enjoying Andro more lately. Interesting.
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