[morndewey]

Re cable connection wobble from CA email response:
“There is a bit of tolerance on the MMCX connections so that the earphones move freely. There may be a slight wobble due to this variance.”

 

[episiarch]

Some more thoughts on the IO.

Head-fi / The Contraptionist




​

Thanks. This was very helpful! I tried IO at CanJam yesterday and I too found the isolation story kind of weird. Despite my having well-fitting eartips, the isolation was very low in some ranges. I'm glad to find it's not just me.

 

[sandler42]

Hi I am using campfire IO with FIIO Q5 DACAMP and source is samsung s9 . As there is a peak in mids of IO , some times the mids vocals become too shouty. Since FIIO Q5 is bright as well, i dont think it matches well with IO. Could anyone please suggest a good dacamp or a DAP which will best suit IO and resolve the peak issues ? Please note i am also buying a satin mmcx occ 2 copper litz cable to make the sound a little warm.

 

[Perfectofi]

I have a long past of editing for audio/ video and usually would go for more of a flat reference model.....then I stumbled on to the IO. It is a bit brighter than what I am use to but I absolutely love it. The highs and lows are tuned excellent....I also love the mids as well, I hear a lot about mids scooped out, hollow, missing.....I strongly disagree....and remember ears are part of ones genetic code, and environment that ones ears were conditioned in while growing to adulthood......everyone hears and perceives sound different than the next.......there isn't a perfect earphone that will appeal to all.....That being said, the comments about the mids "in my opinion" is that the lows and highs are quite accentuated for a BA, so maybe this is curving perception? I get ample and accurate mids, and the highs and lows are tuned a bit more forward.....I love this IEM and look forward to see what CA put out next. Just ordered the Orion and the Jupiters....I love the fact that each of these IEM's are tuned different and can be accustomed to a specific ear.....this can be costly and quite dangerous to a manufacturer just for the fact that if a group doesn't like that specific model it could and probably will fail......CA doesn't seem to care about this and they move forward with their vision ammacably, as one that is trying to change an industry should......super impressed.

 

[Perfectofi]

Hi I am using campfire IO with FIIO Q5 DACAMP and source is samsung s9 . As there is a peak in mids of IO , some times the mids vocals become too shouty. Since FIIO Q5 is bright as well, i dont think it matches well with IO. Could anyone please suggest a good dacamp or a DAP which will best suit IO and resolve the peak issues ? Please note i am also buying a satin mmcx occ 2 copper litz cable to make the sound a little warm.

I have an AK SE100 (and its awesome) but honestly I use my Ibasso DX120 more than anything and works excellent with the IO.....using the balanced port is even better.....I personally got the 99$ balanced cable fro ALO and it works great....

 

[lomenhk]

Hi I am using campfire IO with FIIO Q5 DACAMP and source is samsung s9 . As there is a peak in mids of IO , some times the mids vocals become too shouty. Since FIIO Q5 is bright as well, i dont think it matches well with IO. Could anyone please suggest a good dacamp or a DAP which will best suit IO and resolve the peak issues ? Please note i am also buying a satin mmcx occ 2 copper litz cable to make the sound a little warm.

Sony ZX300 is one of the best DAP to pair with IO I reckon. Using the Beat Audio MARS 4.4mm balanced cable with IO, I do not hear any peak in either mids and high. The whole sound signature is balanced with a bit warmth, smooth, sweet and musical.

 

[JustJoseph]

Hi I am using campfire IO with FIIO Q5 DACAMP and source is samsung s9 . As there is a peak in mids of IO , some times the mids vocals become too shouty. Since FIIO Q5 is bright as well, i dont think it matches well with IO. Could anyone please suggest a good dacamp or a DAP which will best suit IO and resolve the peak issues ? Please note i am also buying a satin mmcx occ 2 copper litz cable to make the sound a little warm.

Hi, I doubt that changing the source or cable will change the midrange response by much. You can check out Antdroid's eq settings though:

After listening to IO for a bit more tonight, I decided to try to play with EQ settings. Here's a setting that I feel puts it closer to my personal preferences, with a little small added bass boost.

First photo is settings for EqualizerAPO. Second photo is the Room EQ Wizard equalizer simulation tool.
The blue line is the harman Target curve, which I don't particularly care for too much, but is a good reference point for me since I do like parts of that curve. The darker red line is the IO stock Frequency Response, and the lighter Red is the simulated EQ response.

I generally like the sound of this, but it's still just slightly off, probably from so much EQ. The 2.88KHz FR gain can be changed from +10 to +14 depending on preferences. Maybe even as low as +9. I chose +13 for now. (Edit: I am going to lower the 13 value down to about 10-11 after some more listening)

I threw in a Low Shelf Filter just to see how it handles subbass EQ. It requires quite a boost to be very noticeable.



The idea of this EQ is to bring the mids more forward to a more natural sound to me. I feel like a lot of the "haze" I was calling it earlier gets lifted. There's still some artifacts left, but vocals, and more-so female vocals, are now not trapped behind the drum kit (and behind the curtains too), and brought back to the center of the stage. Male vocals join in for the ride. Guitars have more zing to them, and cymbals and hi-hats crash more naturally to me, as you can now hear them from outside a sheet of cloth. (again, these are my impressions).

With this EQ active, the spaciousness of the original sound profile, and extended treble and nice smooth bass puts this one above the Etymotics for me since that one is very closed-in sounding, and I prefer a wider soundstage. Despite the EQ though, I still hear traces of haziness and don't know if that's remnants of areas I did not eq out or if it's distortion from too much EQ work, or both.

In terms of actual listening, I've been bouncing back and forth between various genres tonight with some specific tracks:
Norah Jones - Seven Years
Haelos - Full Circle
Fleetwood Mac - Dreams
Elton John - Your Song
Mother Love Bone - Chloe Dancer
Alvvays - Dreams Tonight
Vince Guaraldi - Live on the Air
Belle & Sebastian - Judy and the Dreams of Horses
The XX - VCR
The Civil Wars - Poison and Wine / Barton Hollow
Daft Punk - Giorgio by Moroder

CFA IO Equalizer APO config text file

Edit: Apparently some people got offended by my opinion so I changed it

 

[Perfectofi]

Hi, I doubt that changing the source or cable will fix the terrible midrange response. You can check out Antdroid's eq settings though:

You could have responded to the question instead of forcing your opinion..............again. He own's these already (as do I) so insulting his IEM's doesn't answer the question he asked.

These will respond to an eq just fine.

I totally disagree with you though as the mids respond perfectly fine imo, the highs and mids are a bit forward for sure which puts some people off.

There is no perfect IEM for everyone, all ears are different and people like different types of music.

We get it, you don't like them. you have said it 100 times in this thread.

 

[cleg]

My video review about the IO

 

[jdnyc718]

Hi I am using campfire IO with FIIO Q5 DACAMP and source is samsung s9 . As there is a peak in mids of IO , some times the mids vocals become too shouty. Since FIIO Q5 is bright as well, i dont think it matches well with IO. Could anyone please suggest a good dacamp or a DAP which will best suit IO and resolve the peak issues ? Please note i am also buying a satin mmcx occ 2 copper litz cable to make the sound a little warm.

I'm finding the high-mid peak can be significantly mitigated by using an iFi iEMatch (Ultra setting). It lowers the dynamic range which brings the frequency response closer to neutral. It's a $50 add-on but I think it's worth it. If anyone has one on hand to experiment I'm curious what you think. I'm using the included foam tips for now. If anyone has had success with a more comfortable ear tip option please let me know.

 

[cleg]

Campfire Audio IO — text review from Porta.Fi​

English: https://porta.fi/campfire-audio-io-unusual-experience/
Russian: https://porta.fi/ru/obzor-naushnikov-campfire-audio-io-neobychnyj-opyt/

 

[Perfectofi]

Hi, I doubt that changing the source or cable will change the midrange response by much. You can check out Antdroid's eq settings though:



Edit: Apparently some people got offended by my opinion so I changed it

You didn't offend me at all, we all love the hobby here at the end of the day....for me it is that you have repeated your point that these aren't for you over and over and over again......add something to the conversation instead of repeating how much you don't like them over and over again....it adds no value to the thread, especially when someone asks a genuine question and you pepper it with a negative response.

 

[JaredM]

hi there, anyone having issues with wobble on the mmcx port out of the box?
it looks like the aluminum housing didnt grab the mmcx port perfectly.
already exchanged the IO once.
my 2nd pair of IO still wobble out of the box.
on my case only the left mmcx port that wobbles. oddly enough, both 1st and 2nd pair of my IO the right mmcx port didnt wobble at all.

this video was my first pair of IO

I had the exact same issue. Returned it once, they claimed it was fixed, sent it back, still didn't work. I tried several cables at first thinking it was the cable, but no, the IO's have issues with the mmcx port. I basically wasted my money and they sit in a drawer not being used. I didn't want to spend more of my money shipping it back just to get the same headphone back unfixed.

 

[MyPants]

My unboxing and first impressions of the IO, full review coming soon.

 

[JaredM]

I had the exact same issue. Returned it once, they claimed it was fixed, sent it back, still didn't work. I tried several cables at first thinking it was the cable, but no, the IO's have issues with the mmcx port. I basically wasted my money and they sit in a drawer not being used. I didn't want to spend more of my money shipping it back just to get the same headphone back unfixed.

After this post, I decided to just email Campfire and explain how the first time I got the return nothing was fixed and I didn't want to lose another round of shipping charges for nothing. This time the sent me a label and I returned them. About a week later they sent me a brand new pair of IO's. I've only had them for a day or two and I'm treating them like they are made out of glass. No wiggle so far, but I'm also not pushing it. Going to keep these as protected as possible so they last.