Wheel Hoss
100+ Head-Fier
Review of the IOs taken from reddit, posted by u/malvinvnv. This is a more detailed impression unlike mine and includes a graph taken with a IEC60318-4 coupler.
Alright, so there's been a lot of chatter in the recently released Campfire Audio's new "budget" lineup, the IO and the Polaris v2. Honestly my attention went more to the IO since it was quite hotly debated, and there's quite a strong interest and opposing viewpoints regarding its sound. It's also been the source of controversy in some communities as of recent. This only piques my interest even more. I feel that, since CFA is quite a big brand now, anything new from them is definitely worth trying.
Well, I got a pair of ears to listen to it and some time today so I think I will write a little bit of something for all of you to read.
Ok let's start with some impressions. As for build there's nothing that we don't know already so I am gonna skip that except to state the fact that it is red. I would like to note that I am using Symbio tips and my source is either the Shanling M0 and a 2016 MacBook Pro. Both has lower than 1 OI, and should be suitable for measurements. I do not have any other source with higher OI to listen or to measure with, unfortunately.
Let's start with some subjective impressions. When I first listened to the IEM, it is immediately noticeable that there's some upper mid suck-out here. It doesn't sound recessed or anything but I find the combination to be extremely off sounding.It sounds as if I am listening to something from the back stage, but the tweeter is facing me. It is quite a gripping experience to be completely honest as it is probably an experience I've only experienced once, and it is with ATH-E40s I tried a while back.
The bass is adequate, pretty much reminiscent of most 2BA IEM combos. There are some subbass extension but not much air is moved around. The bass presentation is pace-y enough to be able to keep track of bass notes pretty well. Moving on to the treble, as with all CFA lineup, they have a rather exciting and sparkly presentation.
I strongly believed that there is something going on with the upper mids. There's some thickness to the midrange so vocals has enough weight. However, it does tend to get really shouty at times. Male or female vocals regardless. Acoustic instruments sounded thick, but feels as if it is missing some of its upper harmonics and it can be offputting. It did sounded really hollow to me during the demo.
The treble is pretty much CFA's signature. It has a very energetic sounding treble that, on certain cases in this IEM helped enhance the sound quite a bit. Like I said earlier, it sounds as if I'm backstage with a live tweeter in front of me. It's hollow, odd and sparkly at the same time.
I don't think that it is worth it to get this IEM just to enjoy CFA's treble though. There midrange flaw makes it extremely hard for me to recommend to anyone, especially those who don't listen to electronic music that much often. Even if you do, other IEMs at the same price range can do a lot more for the same price. Fiio FH5 is something that comes to mind when talking about other recommendation at the same pricepoint
Now, please note that this impression is done without first consulting the graph. The following graph is measured right after my listening session:
As you can see from here, it has an excellent channel matching. I have not yet tried another unit to find its variance. I hope it is pretty consistent.
From the graph it is immediately clear that while anything below 1kHz is as expected of a single BA, the 1.5kHz to 6kHz range is an oddity. I am very sure that this... trough is the one that affects the sound as a whole. I really can't say much honestly, as the graph confirmed everything I've listened and my impressions of it.
Bottom line is, while this is a very attractive looking IEM priced extremely competitively, you'll still be better off served by something else. It is not something I can easily recommend to anyone due to this flaw.
I felt that the "backstage with live tweeter" analogy was very accurate based on my experience. When listening to songs, (eg Ex:Re - New York), I felt that the cymbals were at the forefront when usually they would be at the background.
I do not wish to stir any more drama. The intention of the post is to show a more detailed review of a user who faced similar experiences as me. Perhaps the graph would help too, but bear in mind that this is not an official graph, and hence may not be accurate. I hope the feedback can be taken in good faith.
How can the upper mids be sucked out if the vocals are shouty? That’s the upper mids!
Think I’m out. Was enjoying hearing alternative impressions, but the hatemongering is just absurd.
I mean come on, guys. The idea that there is some way to perform an objective analysis is simply ridiculous. They found a way to convince themselves Van Gogh was crap. Well, at least for a while.
Bottom line is I couldn’t be happier with mine for the price. They look slamming, I get compliments on them, and they have an addictive, snappy presentation. Kind of like Sprite. Sure, you can’t make a meal out of it, but man can it be refreshing!